Setting Heartworms Straight

Every dog owner knows that their pet should be on monthly heartworm prevention. Heartworms sure sound like a bad thing - I mean worms that live in the heart - not cool, right? Right!
I have discovered lately that some thoughts and general knowledge vary among my dog-owning friends and clients and felt it was time to comment on a few facts.

Holiday Pet Hazards

It seems that every year we hear about seasonal dangers that could affect our pets.  At the risk of being redundant, I will review them again for you.  A refresher is always nice to have and some “dangers” are more serious than others.  That being said, if your pet is acting unusual, it is best to get the advice of your veterinarian because it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Tick Removal 101

Tick season is upon us and I wanted to give you a refresher (or a first lesson) in tick removal.  Ticks will attach to their host (your pet or yourself) by grabbing a mouthful of skin and holding on for dear life.  There are many rumors about how to proceed with their removal, but the best and easiest is this: pull it out.  Yes, there is more.  Be sure to grab the tick as near to the surface of the skin as possible.  If you have fingernails to help, that's good, but don't pinch the tick off.  Pull with steady and firm pressure until the tick releases.  Once released, you can confirm that you got all of the critter by checking him.  His legs will be flailing against your fingertips and his tiny head and even tinier mouth usually has some skin in it.  Gross, but true.  You do want to remove the entire tick to prevent localized infection and transmission of disease.

The topically applied flea and tick preventatives often work to kill the tick before it is able to transmit disease.  Lyme disease is the commonly known one - it is transmitted by the deer tick in this region.  Other ticks transmit other blood-borne disease.  It is best not to wait for the product to work if you do find the tick, simply remove it as described above.  If you miss one, the product should take care of it for you.

Dr. Amy Hellard
West Chester Veterinary Care (WCVC)
www.westchesterveterinarycare.com

Flea prevention low-down

Not all flea preventatives are created equal.  There are quite a few flea prevention products that we see on the shelves of pet stores and advertised through on-line pharmacies.  Some cost more than others and some require a veterinary prescription.  In my opinion, the primary and important difference in flea prevention is in “speed of kill” – allow me to explain what that means.  The various topical flea preventatives that are commercially available all have different time frames in which they are anticipated to kill the fleas that jump on the treated pet.  This is important because when we take into account the flea’s life cycle, we can understand that we want to kill that flea before it has the chance to lay eggs that will further contaminate the environment.  A topical flea preventative that kills the flea faster will act as a treatment for fleas (the flea is dead) as well as a preventative for fleas (the fleas are not laying eggs that will contaminate the home/yard and serve as a source for further infestation).  This combination of action gives us the best possible prevention and treatment for fleas. 

There are some other variations between the products.  Safety for children is an important one – in almost all cases it is important that the product not come into contact with humans.  Some are labeled as more harmful than others, so each situation must be taken into account.  My recommendation has always been to apply the topical flea product at night right before the family goes to sleep.  This way, no one will be petting the pet immediately after application and by morning, it will be fully soaked into their skin.  Tick protection is another way in which the commercial products differ.  I recommend tick protection in the topical flea preventative for dogs, not cats.  This is designed to kill ticks that jump on your dog, hopefully before they are able to transmit disease.  Ticks carry many diseases, the most commonly known is Lyme Disease.  If the tick dies quickly, it is unable to transmit this disease to the dog through the bite.  Finally, water resistance varies from product to product.  In most of the veterinary –recommended products, water resistance is an added feature.  Once allowed to dry, the product is resistant to washing off for dogs that swim or are bathed frequently.  

Please check the various products and their claims before deciding that price is your only concern.  I have seen many dogs with live fleas that were recently treated with an inexpensive over-the-counter product that their owner bought in the grocery store.  These products will appear to be no different than their more expensive counterparts, but they are!

Finally, please remember to use the product exactly as it is labeled and on the proper pet.  Dog flea products on cats can be toxic, as can cat flea product on rabbits.  

Dr. Amy Hellard
West Chester Veterinary Care (WCVC)
www.westchesterveterinarycare.com

Cats need care, too!

Cats are more popular pets than dogs; however they visit the vet a lot less often, according to a study done last year by the American Veterinary Medical Association.  Some statistics I have read estimate they see the vet half as often as dogs.  Cats do, in fact, require regular veterinary visits.  Our feline friends have a tendency to hide their illnesses and subtle signs that they are sick tend to go unnoticed by owners for a long time.  It seems that people get cats because they are perceived to be a lower-maintenance pet than dogs.  This is true and the cat’s independence is part of their charm.  However, we also find ourselves paying less attention to their day to day routines such as appetite, water consumption, and litter box habits.  In addition, cats are often less stoic than dogs and are certainly less apt to complain when they aren’t feeling well.  They usually become more reclusive.  Cats very frequently show signs of illness that are very nonspecific when compared to dogs.  Cats might lose a pound of body weight and although that does not seem like a lot, the average ten pound cat that loses one pound has just lost 10% of their body weight.  That does seem like a lot (it is!).  Due to the fact that cats often have subtle and non-specific symptoms, veterinarians often need to do more diagnostics such as lab work and X-rays.  Dogs, in comparison, will often give the vet more clues as to what is wrong and what to look for.  It’s frustrating, but true.

Perhaps the tendency to take the cat to the vet less often has stemmed from the fact that our focus in veterinary medicine has gotten away from the importance of annual vaccinations.  In fact, many cats do not require annual vaccinations and we are tailoring vaccine recommendations now based on the cat’s lifestyle.  However, just because they may not need a vaccine is not a reason to leave them home from their annual or bi-annual examination.  Regularly scheduled veterinary visits offer your veterinarian the chance to proactively treat your pet and also keep tabs on their weight, nutritional condition, and overall health.  Early detection of disease allows veterinarians to fight, control, and treat many diseases such as diabetes, which are treatable when caught early. 

How does one actually get the cat to vet when they really don’t appreciate traveling at all?  Well, there are some good things to do in planning ahead.  One big one is to get the carrier out a day or two ahead of time if you can.  Put the carrier in the area where the cat spends most of his/her time so that he/she can become accustomed to it.  Put treats in the carrier every now and then which they will find when they explore the carrier.  You can even put the food in the carrier with the door left open.  This will help get the cat accustomed to walking into the carrier willingly and make it a less scary place when the door is closed.  You can also practice putting the cat into the carrier.  There are several methods.  They include 1. Free will walking in – the cat is trained to willingly walk into the carrier for a treat, 2. Scooping them in – the cat allows us to hold them by the chest and rear legs and feed them into the carrier face first, 3. Backing them in – the cat allows us to put them in the carrier rear end first (it helps to hold both rear legs in your palm and press them to the cat’s abdomen), 4. Removing the top and setting them in – the cat can be placed in the carrier with the top removed, then replace the top and door once they are in, and 5. Standing the carrier up – the cat is held by the shoulders and allowed to extend their back – the rear legs are placed in first and the cat is lowered into the carrier while it is sitting upright.  Once the cat is in the box, the next step is habituation to the car – short trips are best.  Take the cat around the block, and then back home for a snack or dinner.  Eventually, if you practice this on a regular basis – the frequency depends on how upset your kitty is, they will habituate to the car and the trip to the vet won’t be as strenuous.  Finally at the vet, hopefully it can be arranged that there will be minimal fear-factor.  An extended appointment in which the examination is not rushed if it doesn’t have to be, willingness of the vet to sedate your pet if anxiety is a big issue, and hopefully minimal to no dog interactions during the visit will ensure the experience is as good as possible for your cat.

If your cat has not seen a vet in the past year, please call to schedule his or her appointment today.  A wellness exam will help provide peace of mind for you that your beloved friend is feeling as well as you suppose he/she is.

Please look at the healthy cats website at: http://www.healthycatsforlife.com/

Winterize your outdoor cat!

I have been thinking recently of things that often get missed.  This discussion on feline preventative medicine is long overdue.  I mentioned to a group recently that they should not forget to "winterize" their outdoor cats and they got a chuckle out of that.  Let me explain what I meant.  I am talking to two different types of people - they are cat owners and cat caretakers.  There are many people who care for outdoor cats who are reluctant to take that final step and admit they are the primary caretaker for the cat.  There are plenty of neighborhood cats that fit this picture - they are outdoors all year round and several people share the responsibility of feeding them.  However, there is usually one person to whom that responsibility primarily falls and this is the person that is actually the owner of the cat, whether they would like to admit it, or not.  So face it, you own a cat.  Now read on to see how to better care for that cat.  I know you care - you keep feeding it!  

Cats that are outdoors for ANY length of time during the day should be protected against all they face while they are outside.  First there are parasites.  External parasites include fleas, lice, and mites.  Internal parasites include roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, heartworms, and coccidia.  Next there are viruses such as Panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, leukemia, FIV, and rabies.  Finally there are opportunistic bacteria that can attack the skin, respiratory tract, digestive tract, wounds, etc.  It only took four lines of text, but that is a lot of stuff these cats are faced with.  Keep in mind that indoor cats have susceptibility to a lot of these things as well.  Add to this the fact that outdoor cats have to avoid cars, keep warm, deal with fighting, watch out for predators, and still get their daily meals, find a spot to rest, and monitor their territory.  There is a lot to keep them busy.

Winterize your cat: be sure to deworm, get vaccinations updated, and test for FeLV (leukemia), FIV, and heartworm disease.  Put prevention on your cat to keep them safe from fleas.  I like Revolution and Profender, but there are other products that you can use.  If you use Revolution and Profender, you can protect against heartworms, fleas, hookworms, roundworms, and ear mites.  You can kill existing roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms.  These products cover a lot of ground!  See you vet to discuss the situation with the cat for the upcoming months.  Remember that fleas are at their worst RIGHT NOW and fleas transmit tapeworms.  Get your cat tested for the common transmissible viruses and update vaccinations regularly.  These cats are in need of your support - provide more than just kibble for them to eat - keep them safe from all they face on a daily basis.  Thank you for caring!

Dr. Amy Hellard
West Chester Veterinary Care (WCVC)
www.westchesterveterinarycare.com

Dogs riding in the bed of the truck

Yesterday I saw a young dog riding in the back of a pickup truck.  Wow.  I just don't get it.  Are dogs disposable?  A dog has no awareness of how fast they are going or how high they are.  They do not have any way of understanding the level of danger of any given situation.  No one is sitting back there with the dog in an attempt to control their movement (it's against the law because it's too dangerous).  Even if they were, no training is foolproof.  Imagine the dog sees a bunny rabbit on the side of the road, or they are peering over the side with their front feet up when you drive over a big bump in the road, or they just decide they want out...

No, having them tied back there is not a solution.  Now we add hanging to the list of dangers.

If you travel with your dogs in this fashion or you know someone who does, please consider these things.  It takes only one fall out of the vehicle to end the dog's life.  Every time you travel this way, there is a 50/50 chance your dog will be in the back of the truck when you arrive at your destination.  Please help put an end to this bad habit through thoughtful consideration and discussion of the consequences. 

Obesity management and probiotics in pets

A few days ago I attended a symposium where the topics of obesity and probiotics were discussed.  It was an informative set of lectures.  Let me give you a few facts relating to these subjects.

Obesity in dogs is a primary precursor to torn ligaments in the knees of dogs.

The surgery to correct the torn ligament can be done a few ways, but arthritis will absolutely be a factor for the affected pet.

One of the primary modalities to address knee problems is weight loss.

Fat releases pro-inflammatory hormones.

The digestive tract is an important player in the body's immune defense system.

Probiotics are live cultures of bacteria that promote proper digestive function.

Probiotics typically resolve diarrhea through regulation of the population of bacteria in the gut.

Arthritis in pets

Arthritis is a common problem in our pet dogs and cats.  In fact, many of our senior pets suffer from arthritis pain to some degree, whether they indicate it to us, or not.  Degenerative joint disease is the number one cause of chronic pain in dogs and cats.  I will give a brief review of some of the medications available to us to help ease our pet's pain.  Remember that a "multi-modal" approach works best - that is, use several pain medications and they will work better than one single medication.  I often prefer to diagnose arthritis pain though a trial treatment period.  It works like this, we may suspect arthritis pain, so we can prescribe a short course of medications and assess our pet's response to that treatment.

Slow-acting medications can take weeks to months to exert their effect.  I like to use these in early-onset of stiffness.  Some are even added to the dog food these days.  These meds are nutritional supplements.  They work well when combined with anti-inflammatory medications.  They include glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, omega three fatty acids, MSM, as well as anti-oxidants and free radical scavengers.  I use a lot of glucosamine and fatty acids in my practice and have found them to be very helpful.

Fast-acting medications include Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, analgesics that are not anti-inflammatory, and Adequan injections (though this is in a category all its own).  Some common names of  medications are carprofen (rimadyl, novox), deracoxib (deramaxx), meloxicam (metacam), prednisone, and tramadol to name a few.  You may have heard of some of these and also used them in the past.  These work great in cases of fast-onset or injury.  They are also nice additives to the supplements when more relief is needed.

Remember to consult with your vet about any and all medications that your pet is taking so the most effective plan for pain management can be implemented.  Some of these medications also require blood monitoring, but this should be discussed on a case-by-case basis.   

Dr. Amy Hellard
West Chester Veterinary Care (WCVC)
www.westchesterveterinarycare.com

National Poison Prevention Week

National Poison Prevention Week is March 17-23.  In an effort to raise awareness of common household items that can poison your pets, I have decided to share some of the ASPCA (the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) guidelines.

*Keep all drugs out of your pets' reach in closed cabinets. Painkillers, cold medicines, antidepressants, vitamins and diet pills can be lethal to animals, even in small doses.

*Never give your pets medication unless you are directed to do so by a veterinarian. Human medicine is not for pets.

*Always read the label before dispensing medication. Some flea products for dogs can be deadly if given to cats. 

Thousands of cats and dogs needlessly suffer and many die each year by accidental ingestion of household poisons, including popular houseplants and common foods.

"Most pet owners simply do not know that small amounts of chocolate, onions, macadamia nuts and bread dough can be dangerous," comments Dr. Steve Hansen, Senior Vice President of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. "Many cats are poisoned in the spring from plants including daffodils and lilies. A cat that eats an Easter lily will die unless it receives prompt medical attention," says Hansen. The ASPCA advises cat owners to pay special attention to the plants in their homes, since cats have the ability to jump onto tabletops and windowsills. Other common houseplants such as philodendron, dieffenbachia, cyclamen, corn stalk plants, sago palms and bird of paradise all contain toxins and are dangerous if ingested by animals.

The hotline number is 1-888-4-ANI-HELP and the website is http://www.aspca.org/apcc.

Winter Weather Tips for Dogs

Winter is the time we truly notice how frequently our dogs go outside each day.  They remind us of this fact every time they come back into the house, along with the mud or snow they just tracked in!  Here are a couple of tips on how to cope with these problems.  1. Lukewarm water washing - this works great for mud as well as ice.  Leave a small shallow bucket of water in your mud room, just inside your back door, or in your garage.  When your pup returns with ice balls between his toes or muddy feet, dunk each foot into the bucket then dry with an old towel.  If your dog objects to this at first, repetition and persistence will win out.  Be sure to have you dog on leash or have a helper when "dunking" at first to minimize mess.  2. Dry towel wiping - this is simply an easier version of the first suggestion - use an old bath towel to wipe your dog's feet when he returns with snow on his feet or wet feet.  Practice makes perfect - keep training foot handling and the house will stay clean!

Holiday dangers for your dog

We are always happy when it is time to get the Christmas tree set up and start our holiday baking.  However these two activities can potentially be harmful to your dogs and there are some things to think about while preparing for these activities.

The Christmas tree should be well-secured.  It can easily be toppled by a happy puppy and could hurt the dog (or person) who may be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time!  Also remember to watch your dog for the first few days after your tree is up to be sure they are not showing interest in eating the tree or its decorations!  Pine needles can irritate the throat if the dog eats them and lead to subsequent problems.  Christmas ornaments – especially home-made ones that are baked or made from dried pasta - are notorious for getting eaten!   Put them high on the tree or keep them off the tree until your puppy grows up and has been trained to leave the tree and its decorations alone!

Most of us know that chocolate is also harmful to dogs.  The primary substance of concern is called theobromine and it is toxic to dogs in high quantities.  High quantities are prevalent in baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate.  It is present to a lesser degree in milk and white chocolate.  The dog most frequently begins to have nausea that leads to vomiting.  Keep in mind that our large breed dogs can easily access items left on coffee tables and even counter-tops, so be aware of where you set down that box you have been snacking on!

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Feeling Great!

Nothing justifies your decision to perform a procedure like the hapiness evident in your pet after it has been completed.  It's tough to know how much a recommended procedure will help your pet until after you have gone ahead and done it!  That's hard medicine to swallow, I realize.  Nonetheless I see this phenomenon time and again.  Case in point: I recently removed retained deciduous teeth (baby teeth) from a dog and now he is acting great, is less moody, and seems like a different dog according to the owner.  That's music to my ears!

Extreme disease

Yesterday I saw the worst mouth in a dog that I have ever seen.  I have truly seen some rotten teeth in my practice.  I won't describe how nasty some dog and cat mouths can get and I will attempt to provide an adequate description here without completely grossing you out...  This dog had it all - loose teeth, recessed gums, inflamed gums, tartar galore, halitosis to beat the band, obvious abscessed tooth roots, food stuck in places it shouldn't be due to pocket formation in the gums, and caked on plaque.  When I looked at the upper canine tooth (the fang) - I knew I had seen it all.  There was a HOLE in the dog's gum.  This hole was above the gum line and exposed the side of the tooth root (if it hadn't been packed full of food, pus, hair, and whatever else you can imagine).  You see, this dog had an untreated tooth root abscess that had progressed so far that the only outlet for the abscess was through the side of the gum.  Painful does not describe it.  My heart went out to this dog.
Why am I telling you this?  Sometimes we all need to be reminded of consequences.  More than anything, I wish this dog had never had to experience the pain and discomfort that I know must have been excruciating.  Dogs do not complain about daily pain.  They live very much in the moment.  They do not think to themselves... "hmmm... I never used to hurt this bad, I think I'll cry about it..."  We do not know what our dogs and cats experience in the realm of pain, but we do know that they exhibit the same behaviors as we would if we were trying to hide our pain from others.  I realize we often don't watch our dogs so closely when they eat that we know when they stop chewing on one side of the mouth, but please keep this in mind the next time your dog opts not to chew that bone, hesitates to climb the stairs, shakes his head a lot, or is slow to get up.  There could be pain and we need to be paying attention.

I'm supposed to look in THERE?

Most of us don't make a habit of looking at our pet's teeth on a regular basis.  This is unfortunate, since our pet's mouths can be a true source of discomfort and disease when not cared for properly.  Even my own dog's mouth can get worse than I imagine it is.  I cleaned my dog's teeth yesterday.  They were... you guessed it... worse than I imagined.  I knew my dog had bad breath and some tartar build up, but it wasn't until I cleaned his teeth that I realized how dirty they really were.  My technician and I spent a great deal of time scaling, scraping, and polishing until we finally cleared away the harmful tartar that had built up and addressed the gingivitis that would lead to horrible abscessed roots if left for much longer.  I'm pleased to report that we were able to avoid extractions this time, but in the future I'll be quicker to address the problem!  I encourage everyone to check their pet's mouth frequently and report to their veterinarian if they notice red gums or tartar building up.  Early intervention will save your pet pain and discomfort in the future.

They live WHERE?

There are so many parasites out there than can affect your dog and your cat.  When you visit the vet they rattle off all these names and it is truly confusing.  I wanted to refresh your memory about one parasite in particular – heartworms.  Yup – they live in the heart.  Technically, the adult worms live in the heart and the “babies” swim around in the blood stream. 

The heartworm is given to your dog or cat through an infective mosquito.  The heartworm has to be transmitted through the mosquito, but the bad news is that lots of mosquitoes carry heartworms.  Yes, people can get them, too, but it only happens in immunocompromised individuals.  Humans are not the natural host for these worms. 

We test your dog for heartworms by taking a sample of blood.  This test looks for adult worms that have established themselves in your dog’s heart.  These are the trouble-makers.  We also recommend you give your pet monthly heartworm preventative.  This monthly pill kills any new baby worms the mosquito may have given your dog or cat before they can grow up into dangerous adults.

Protect your pet from heartworms – they are highly prevalent in our region.