Spotlight Pets and People

Heartworm Disease

2012-02-26T19:14:00.002-08:00

Heartworm disease in the NW United States just isn't very common. We are fortunate. The statistics in 1991 estimated that dogs were at a 3 % risk of the mosquito transmitted disease. The jump in the last few years has the estimates as high as 15%. Why? Well, the most likely influence was the event of Hurricane Katrina. People and their pets were displaced. Some of the temporary transplants came to the NW and were lent a helping hand. The animals that went through the veterinary clinics and the Humane Societies were tested. Not everyone got to take there pets through these avenues. They had a high probability of being positive and provided the simple nidus of infection to kickstart the disease. The disease is simple (very simple) to prevent. If the dog (rarely cats are treated or infected) is under 6 months old then a once monthly treatment can be started. If they are over 6 months they need to tested first and if negative the preventative is started. If the dog is positive ( has the infection) then injections of Arsenic must be injected into the back. The treatment carries some risk. In our practice we have treated 2 pets that were positive. When I lived in the midwest we treated pets all the time. Trust me prevention is the way to go. More on the symptoms next time.

Who Can You Ask?

2012-01-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

What if there was a place you could get all the answers? What if there was an expert practically at your fingertips who could respond to each and every question? Many of us pull out our smartphones for a quick reference and then we are satisfied. I will be honest, I do it ,too. Not for veterinary information of course but for other topics. When I Google or Bing (or whatever) to critique veterinary subjects the non-veterinary sites come up first. They are not the factual sites. I would rely on University or Wikipedia before I would rely on site written by an individual or clubs. Beware! Don't try to diagnose your pet. Just call. Yes, that is really the tool to get all your answers at your fingertips. See, it was a riddle. Call your veterinarian.

Flea Tidbits

2011-09-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have been in practice for 22+ years. Yet, I always am please when I learn new things. I recently learned that one flea bites your pet about 350 times per day. Isn't it hard to believe that some animals seem hardly bothered by fleas will others go crazy? The latter are flea allergy dogs. About 50% of dogs are flea allergic. This means that every time they are bit their immune system overreacts by producing histamine, leukotrienes and prostaglandins ( to name a few) which are chemicals that last up to 12 hours. If your pet is bit just twice a day , 12 hours apart then your pet would itch around the clock. But, remember the 350 times per day statistic? That spells no relief. Getting fleas under control is not an instant process unless you and your pet leave the house...forever. No, you must treat the pet(all of them) and treat the house with chemical and then vacuum, vacuum , vacuum. The pet products are numerous to choose from . The quick kill tablet Capstar is very effective for short term use (meaning you wouldn't want to use it every day in your pet's system) . Then you can add a longterm products such as Frontline plus, Advantix, Comfortis or Revolution. These are the best. Avoid products containing permethrins. Even using them on your dog can make your cat sick. I recommend pets have year round flea control if they are flea allergic or if you have had high flea counts in your enviroment. One female flea lays 3000+ eggs. So, if any eggs escape the flea insecticide the population quickly restores itself.

Separation Anxiety--It's Our Problem

2011-04-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Dogs are our companions. I dare to say for anyone reading this article you likely love your pets and in turn treat them like a human. We all do it. Sometimes we over do it. Then we create problems. In reality we have confused our dogs. We treat them as equals and then abandon them on a regular basis. In the wild a parent does not treat the pup as an equal. and when the parent dog leaves the den it is not viewed as abandonment. Parent dog is in charge, parent dog gets to leave and always returns. In our domesticated world we treat the dogs as an equal by feeding the dog food from our plates and often feeding the dog before we get fed, letting the dog sleep on the bed, and use the best manners by asking instead of commanding.
As a result we confused our dogs. So, when you leave the your dog behind he may bark/whine, dig at the door, pace, destroy objects or defecate. He has the mind of a 3 year old a literally, does not know IF you are coming back. He has become so reliant on you that he just can't make it on his own... until you return.So How do you fix it?
Here is my quick fix answer. Instead of using your best manners, use your worst manners with your dog. This in no way implies loud voices or physical abuse. What I tell you is this, feed your dog after you are done eating (at clean up time), don't allow your dog to jump up on the bed until you have given him permission, if your dog is in your way when walking down a hallway tell him to move (you keep on walking) , you are first in priority and your dog is last. .
As you prepare to leave try not to have a set pattern or give big clues. "Where are my keys?" you say as you are getting your jacket on. These are two big clues that trigger your dog to start his pacing or depression. Don't vocalize that you are departing and try to be "sneaky" about leaving. There are multiple steps to correcting your dog but these are great starter tips. If you have significant then you need to call us for a consultation. Sometimes short term anti-anxiety drugs are part of the regime.
Retraining you and your pet is the key.

Kidney Disease--We HATE It!

2011-03-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

We all take pride in taking such great care of our pets . They live so long now. And they do have quality life. However, if you have enough older pets you will eventually have a pet that acquires kidney disease. The medical term is renal disease which means" inability of the kidneys to excrete wastes and to help maintain the electrolyte balance". So in the older pet it is age related. It means the kidneys have high blood pressure, death of cells and inability to filter the wastes. The pet can show any of the following: wasting, weight loss, dehydration, inappetance, anorexia or vomiting, halitosis (kidney breath) and lethargy. Usually by the time the average owner who even occassionally take their pet into the veterinarian notices these symptoms it may be too late for treatment. By the time mild abnormalities are noted on bloodwork the patient has lost 75% of kidney function. Regular testing is they key. Our clinic uses an annual urine test starting at 7 years of age along with blood testing. The first signs of the microalbuminuria in the urine we start making adjustments. These may be diet or naturopathic supplements and addressing any dental or heart disease. The naturopathic products that I have used for over 10 years really are effective.

Pets and People and Children

2011-03-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

Whether you have birds or dogs or cats you really need to use common sense when it comes to children. I have so many concerns about children being alone with pets. We treat the pets like people but then seem surprised when the beloved pet acts like an animal . Here is an example. Mrs. Jones has two young boys. They are 7 and 9. She decides they are playing nicely with the Dusty the dog, watching t.v. etc . So she leaves them to play while she picks up the house and throws in a load of laundry ( it could be Mr. Jones ,too) . When she hears a sudden yelp and a child crying. She rushes back to the rompus room to see the 7 year old holding his eye. The eye is bleeding and the 9 year old yells as Dusty "bad dog, bad dog!" Well, Dusty has never harmed a soul until this very day. What transpired? Did the boys pull Dusty's tail, step on his back or poke him in the face. Did they have food and tease him with it . Will Mrs Jones ever get the story? That's the problem.

Guidelines for youngsters and pets are as follows:

children under 11 should not be left alone with a pet

food should be stored, children should ask can they give food

tell your adult friends and the children the rules

Children in the plural often act to provoke or antagonize the pet. This is especially true if they don't know the rules. They might not provoke their dog at home but consider testing the rule at a neighbor's house. So, often but not always in these situations the children have caused the problem. When a solitary child is with the dog if is more frequent that the dog is the problem. Once again ,without an adult present you simply don't know. And children won't always tell the truth in this case because they think they will get in trouble. However, in most states if a child is bitten in the face( near the brain) by a dog (even with a current Rabies Vaccination) the children's parents are within their rights to have the dog tested for Rabies. This means euthanasia , remove the brain and send it to the state lab. So, you would really want the facts, wouldn't you? If there is proof of rabies and the child was bitten on a lower portion of the body ( away from the brain) and the wound is not especially traumatic then the dog can be observed for 10 days and that may be the end of the incident for the dog. Bite wounds can easily become infected and so the child should always go to the pediatrician. The dog that bites once has learned how to bite and often bites again unless there is a correction of the behavior.