Pet Newsflash!

Top Human Medications Toxic to Pets

Mike — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:00:44 +0000

Just came across this list posted by the Pet Poison Helpline that lists the top human medications that are toxic to pets, and they are:

Pain relievers (Advil, Aleve, Motrin, Tylenol, etc.)
Antidepressants (Zoloft, Cymbalta, Effexor, etc.)
ADD/ADHD medications (Ritaline, Vyvanse, etc.)
Muscle relaxantants (Lioresal, Flexeril, etc.)
Heart medications (Cartia, Cardizem, etc.)
Sleep aids (Klonopin, Ambien, Lunesta)

If your pet accidentally ingests any human medication – prescription or over the counter (OTC) – call your veterinarian right away. You can also visit the Pet Poison Helpline website or call them at 1-800-213-6680. I believe there is a small fee associated with their service. Keep all your medications away from your pets to help keep them safe!

Top 10 Kitchen Dangers for your Pet

Mike — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:40:37 +0000

Although the kitchen can be a wonderful gathering space for family and friends, it can also be a source of potential dangers to your pet. According to the Pet Poison Helpline, the top 10 dangers in the kitchen are:

Chocolate (especially dark and baker’s chocolate)
Grapes, raisins, and currants
Xylitol (in sugar free gum and candy)
Fatty table scraps (can cause pancreatitis, a potentially fatal disease)
Onions and garlic (even cooked it can be dangerous)
Compost (not sure I have any of that in my kitchen, but hey who am I to judge)
Human medications
Macadamia nuts
Household cleansers
Unbaked bread dough and alcohol

So enjoy the kitchen, but keep it safe for your pets! If your pet has ingested any of the above dangerous items, call your veterinarian immediately! You can also contact the Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680 for a small fee. Taking action quickly can mean the difference between a good and bad outcome.

New Feline Preventive Healthcare Guidelines

Mike — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:25:00 +0000

I hope everyone in the US had a great Labor Day holiday! I know I did! So, now it’s back to work. Today I wanted to summarize the feline preventive healthcare guidelines. They are, in many ways, similar to the canine guidelines, but there are a few important differences. So, here they are:

All cats should have a veterinary examination at least once a year, but for some cats more frequent examinations may be important.
The health evaluation should include a thorough history taking to discuss lifestyle, life stage, behavior and diet
Based on the history and physical examination, each cat should be assessed for medical conditions, infectious and zoonotic diseases, parasite prevention or control, dental care, behavior, nutrition, and genetic, breed and age considerations.
Every cat should have annual heartworm, internal parasite and retrovirus testing, and other diagnostic testing or screening tests as needed based on the initial assessment.
Every cat should receive year-round broad spectrum parasite control for heartworm disease, intestinal parasites and fleas. Tick control and recommendations for dental care, diet, environmental enrichment, and behavior as needed based on the initial assessment.
Every cat should be kept current on the core vaccines, including rabies virus, feline panleukopenia virus, feline herpes virus-1, calicivirus, (and feline leukemia virus for kittens) in accordance with current recommendations and local laws. [I would suggest discussing vaccines carefully with your veterinarian due to the slight risk for vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats]
Every cat should have appropriate identification, including microchipping.
Reproductive and genetic counseling for owners and spaying or neutering of any cats not specifically intended for breeding.
Non-core vaccines are given based on assessed need.
Other preventive recommendations and counseling on zoonotic diseases [toxoplasmosis is the first one that comes to my mind]
Follow up visits based on assessed needs and recommendations for future care.

As with the canine guidelines, these make a lot of sense to me, but personally I minimally vaccinate my indoor cats because I worry about them developing vaccine site sarcomas. However you should discuss these issues carefully with your veterinarian. I think these guidelines will help many pet owners open a meaningful dialogue with their veterinarians.

New Canine Preventive Health Guidelines

Mike — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:37:02 +0000

Today I will summarize the new canine preventive health guidelines recently released from AAHA-AVMA Preventive Healthcare Guidelines Task Force. The purpose of these guidelines is help pet owners understand the importance of regular veterinary care and to be able to make informed decision about preventive healthcare. As I noted in yesterday’s post – it’s cheaper (and easier on your pet) to prevent a disease than to have to treat it! So, without further delay, the guidelines for dogs:

All dogs should have a veterinary examination at least once a year, but for some dogs more frequent examinations may be important.
The health evaluation should include a thorough history taking to discuss lifestyle, life stage, behavior and diet
Based on the history and physical examination, each dog should be assessed for medical conditions, infectious and zoonotic diseases, parasite prevention or control, dental care, behavior, nutrition, and genetic, breed and age considerations.
Every dog should have annual heartworm and internal parasite testing, and other diagnostic testing or screening and needed based on the initial assessment.
Every dog should receive year-round broad spectrum parasite control for heartworm disease, intestinal parasites and fleas. Tick control and recommendations for dental care, diet, and behavior as needed based on the initial assessment.
Every dog should be kept current on the core vaccines, including rabies virus, distemper, parvo, and adenovirus in accordance with current recommendations and local laws.
Every dog should have appropriate identification, including microchipping.
Reproductive and genetic counseling for owners and spaying or neutering of any dogs not specifically intended for breeding.
Non-core vaccines are given based on assessed need.
Follow up visits based on assessed needs and recommendations for future care.

In looking through these guidelines, they all seem pretty reasonable to me and would appear to foster a dialogue between the pet owners and their veterinarians. I think that’s a good thing. In the next post I’ll summarize the guidelines for cats.

New Preventive Health Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

Mike — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:36:45 +0000

The American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association Preventive Healthcare Guidelines Task Force have released their recommendations for pet dogs and cats. Their goal was to create a set of guidelines to not only improve the quality of healthcare delivered by veterinarians, but also increase pet owner satisfaction, and allow for informed decision making without compromising healthcare outcomes. Interestingly, some recent research has suggested pet owners have been visiting veterinarians less frequently, relying more on self diagnosis and use of the Internet – and I suspect the health and well being of many pets has been compromised as a results. There’s a reason your veterinarian went to school for 4+ years and had to pass an exam or two to practice. Interestingly, as a result of decreased use of routine preventive veterinary care has led to a rise in preventable diseases like diabetes mellitus, dental disease, parasitism, and ear infections (otitis). Moreover, the lack of regular veterinary visits can allow diseases like arthritis and kidney disease to progress more rapidly due to lack of careful oversight and management. Another goal of the task force was to help the general public understand how regular, preventive care. In this tough economy the focus on preventive care should be welcome news to pet owners: preventing a disease is always cheaper than treating a disease!! In the next few posts, I’ll review what the new guidelines are for dogs and cats.

Disaster preparedness for your pets

Mike — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:14:49 +0000

With the current beating the East Coast of the US is taking from Hurricane Irene, my heart goes out to all those displaced by the storm. Although I am currently living in the Midwest, far from any ocean I starting thinking about some of the preparations needed to help your pets through a natural (or man-made) disaster requiring evacuation. Certainly in the wake of hurricane Katrina, we all learned that caring for the companion animals of those displaced by the storm’s destruction was an afterthought. Many dogs and cats fortunately found new homes – sometimes thousands of miles away – but better preparation might have helped prevent owners being separated from their pets. In thinking about what we would need to relocate our pets, I came up with the following list of things to consider:

Adequate amounts of food for each pet for as long as the relocation might last. Since you already are feeding your pets daily, you probably have a reasonable idea how much food you’d need for a week or two away from home.
Adequate amounts of water for each pet. This one is a little trickier, because you may not have a feel for what each need. A rough rule of thumb is about 1 to 1.5 oz per pound per day, so your 80 lb Labrador retriever needs at least 80 to 120 oz (10 – 12 cups) per day. More if there is extreme heat or with heavy exercise.
Well – fitting collar and leash for each dog, and a carrier for each cat (or smaller dog). You want to be able to keep your pets under control. There will be enough chaos trying to evacuate without having to deal with a dog or cat that’s run away.
Medication. If your dog or cat is on chronic medication, make sure you have an adequate supply. If your dog or cat needs insulin, or other medication that requires refrigeration, plan to have a cooler with ice packs to help maintain the drugs at the proper temperature.
If you aren’t able to find temporary housing with a family member or friend who is OK with your 4-legged family members, find out where the pet shelter is and how close it is to the human shelter. Hopefully they are close enough so you can visit and help care for your pets while away from home.
Copy of vaccination records could be helpful in the event your dog or cat happens to bite someone or another animal. This could save you some headaches if you can prove your pet is vaccinated against rabies. If you are headed to an unfamiliar city and planning to board your pets, most facilities want to see proof of vaccinations.
Travel cage for your pet birds – along with adequate food and water. Birds may stress more easily than other pets, and are more sensitive to temperature extremes.
Snakes, reptiles and rodents will need escape-proof transport along with food and water for the duration of displacement. The reptiles will be more sensitive to temperature changes than rodents.
Fish – I really couldn’t come up with a good way to transport fish and keep them healthy. I would probably try a 5 gal bucket and hope the shelter has electricity to allow the use of a pump and aerator. However, they can be sensitive to stress and temperature fluctuations.

As the storm travels up the East Coast, let’s all send positive thoughts to everyone affected. As we see the aftermath, let’s all do what we can to help those in need and their pets!

Medical marijuana card for your dogs and cats?

Mike — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:03:30 +0000

Will you one day get a medical marijuana card for your dog? Maybe – if a Seattle-based company in Seattle has anything to say about it. The company, Medical Marijuana Delivery Systems (MMDS) has secured patent rights for a marijuana patch. The pot patch, marketed under the name Tetracan, will be used for transcutaneous delivery of medical marijuana to humans and animals. So this may be a boon to dogs and cats suffering from chronic pain, or decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

There are currently 15 states, plus Washington, D.C., that allow medical marijuana use for humans, but none include companion animals. According to the National Pain Foundation (NPF) medical marijuana influences the cannabinoid receptor system, which is the most widespread receptor system in the body. Molecules called endocannabinoids are naturally produced by the body and interact with these receptors; the cannabinoids may help lessen pain and affect a wide range of symptoms and bodily functions. Despite mounting scientific evidence, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains there is no acceptable medical use for marijuana.

Currently the best transdermal pain management options for dogs and cats come in the form of the fentanyl patch, which as a narcotic drug can have some serious side effects in pet. It will be interesting to see if the marijuana patch makes it to market and if it’s effective. But it could be a great option for many pets that are difficult to medicate orally and need pain control.

Dog and cats get cancer too!

Mike — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:39:19 +0000

If you have a dog or cat at home, you should be aware that they can get cancer just like people. As a pet owner, you should learn the warning signs of cancer in pets so you can recognize the first signs of trouble. Just like for us, early detection of cancer can help save your pet’s life. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are 10 warning signs of cancer:

Abnormal swellings that persist or grow
Sores that do not heal
Unexplained weight loss
Loss of appetite
Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
Offensive odor (especially from the mouth)
Difficulty eating
Reluctance to exercise or loss of stamina
Persistent lameness or stiffness
Difficulty breathing, urinating, defecating

As you read through the list, you’re probably like me and note that many of these warning signs could be related to other serious disease besides cancer. So, if you notice one or more of these warning signs, you should have your pet checked out by your veterinarian. If your dog or cat should be diagnosed with cancer, you can discuss referral to a veterinary oncologist. There are many great veterinary oncologists out there. To find a veterinary oncologist near you, check out the ACVIM’s website that has a tool to find board-certified neurologists, cardiologists, internists, and oncologists. Consultation with a veterinary oncologist can help you learn about treatment options for your pet, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and more. We ended up pursuing treatment for our dog Winston when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Thanks to a great team of his surgeon and oncologist, we were able to have 2 great years with Winston after his diagnosis!

So, learn the warning signs of cancer and look out for your dogs and cats!

Parasites are constant danger for pets and their people

Mike — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:30:57 +0000

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recently released some interesting findings about parasitic infections in companion animals in the USA. This was a collaborative project between IDEXX Laboratories, Antech Diagnostics, and Banfield Pet Hospitals. The study showed that approximately 6% of pet cats (of the more than 750,000 tested) were positive for the feline roundworm (Toxocara cati). Almost 3% of dogs (approximately 4 million tested) were positive for the canine roundworm (Toxocara canis). This is important because roundworm eggs in the environment can be infective for people, especially children eating dirt, leading to a condition called Visceral Larval Migrans (more information here) that can cause seizures, blindness, heart damage, and even death in severe cases.

With respect to heartworm disease, it was found that 1.2% of the more than 5 million dogs tested were positive (>63,000 dogs), which is problematic because the the FDA approved drug for treating canine heartworm is currently unavailable (see my earlier post). Nearly 3% of the quarter-million cats tested were positive for heartworm disease. Although the overall prevalence was low, there are some geographic hot spots where heartworm disease is more common, especially in the southeast US.

Given these results, and the public health hazard from roundworm eggs in the soil being passed in the feces of infected dogs and cats, you should work with your veterinarian to organize an appropriate testing protocol for your pets. This would include checking a fresh fecal sample for the presence of eggs from roundworms, hookworms and whipworms, and blood tests to check for heartworm infection. Regular preventive measures against heartworm disease and intestinal parasites is an important step in protecting the health of your pets and the people that share their environment.

Do you price shop for veterinary services?

Mike — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:28:33 +0000

This morning I was thinking about the recent article in Consumer Reports, where they suggested folks call around to price shop for veterinary services on the phone. That’s not something I’ve considered doing so it got me wondering if that’s really a good. I suppose things like vaccinations and spay or neuter surgeries would be common items people price shop for, but how much can you learn by phoning a veterinarian’s office and asking about prices for vaccinations or a spay? There is no way to know if the place is clean, or if it smells like cat urine – or worse! I figure, like with everything else, you get what you pay for. So when find the cheapest price, my inner voice always asks me, “why such a good deal?” When I apply that line of questioning to low cost veterinary services, I begin to wonder…

How can they afford (as a business) to do things so cheaply?
Do they skimp on facility or equipment maintenance?
Do they cut corners elsewhere?
Do they hire registered veterinary technicians, or skimp on benefits for the employees?
Do they do a complete examination when my pets get vaccinated?

An the list could go on and on. Certainly in this tough, and uncertain economic climate I know how important saving money can be. When it comes to our pets, we don’t go to the most expensive practice in town, but it’s not the cheapest either. It’s clean and well-maintained, and the dogs love going (cats not so much). They are always up front about costs, so we can decide what we can afford to do, and the staff is good about working with us to create the most cost-effective plan for our pet care. They also help us by phoning in prescriptions for non-veterinary drugs (antibiotics, etc.) to a nearby pharmacy when needed. Because we have a long-term relationship with the practice, in case of serious illness or emergency I know my pets are in good hands. That’s one problem with bouncing around from practice to practice follow the lowest price – who do you turn to if a major health problem develops? No single veterinarian has been seeing your pet consistently over time. My advice is pick a veterinarian you trust and that seems competent – ask around as your friends and family can be a great source for referrals to a good veterinarian. As part of the evaluation process, ask to have a tour of the facility – you’ll learn a lot (especially if they decline to give you a look around). And if the price seems too good to be true, ask them how do they do it!