Preparing Your Pets For Your Vacation

Where did everybody go?

Spring is around the corner! However this long winter has many of us planning travel to a warmer climate. We all know that preparing for even a short trip is an ordeal. As our families and our households grow so do the’ to do’ lists that we generate before leaving. Often taking our pets with us is not an option and arrangements must be made for their care. One of the important items on any pet owners travel preparation list should be a thorough assessment of your pets health and a complete plan for their care while you are gone.

Each holiday travel season, our emergency service will see numerous cases of pets who become ill at boarding facilities or are found seriously ill at home by their caregiver. In retrospect, most of these animals manifest signs of illness before their owners leave on vacation. Many of these often tragic events could be avoided by following some simple recommendations. 

1. Any older pet (dogs over 6-7 years, cats 10 years or older) or any pet that has been recently ill should be evaluated by a veterinarian prior to your trip and given a clean bill of health before you leave. 
2. Try to not make any major changes in your pets routine or heath care before you leave. Don’t change their diet, routine or initiate a new treatment regime, just prior to leaving. 
3. Listen to your intuition, if your pet, regardless of their age, has been having a ‘few upset stomachs’ recently, has ‘been less active’  or has been ‘acting different’, don’t make up excuses for why this is happening, have them examined. I have recently seen a few cases where the pets were demonstrating subtle  signs that they were ill prior to their being boarded and the owner even mentioned this to the boarding facility, but it was not pursued. Unfortunately, the pets ended up critically ill in the hospital while the owner was far away on vacation. Remember, even though pets may be seriously ill, early identification could allow them to survive the illness successfully.
4. Cats do not do well being left home with a big bowl of dry food and the neighbor checking  on them once in a while. Cats reclusive tendencies make it hard for periodic visitors to know if the cat is acting ‘normally’. Changes in appetite and litter box use may be hard for a visitor to appreciate as well. Make sure any caregiver is aware of your cats routine, usual food consumption and letterbox habits. Litter boxes should be cleaned daily (this allows easy monitoring for urine output and stool quality). Cats should be interacted with at least twice daily. Detailed instructions should be provided to the caregiver or boarding facility as to how to care for your cat. 
5. Communication is key! Be sure your caregiver or boarding facility has your permission to seek medical care of your pet should they become ill. Have a clear understanding of where your pet will be taken and what level of care will be provided. Be sure that they have your veterinarians contact information.  If you will not be available by phone 24/7, be sure you have a family member or friend designated to be your proxy. 

Following a few easy steps such as, being sure your pet is well prior to leaving, providing thorough instructions to caregivers and being confident there is a clear plan for your pets care should they become ill, will help to make your trip enjoyable for everyone. 

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Pet Health And Safety Fair At Veterinary Care Specialists This Weekend!!

The fair is this Saturday from 12 noon to 2 PM. We are focusing on services that are orientated towards keeping your pets healthy and safe in the summer months. We will be offering the placement of microchip identification at a 50% price reduction, this means a one time fee of $25.00. Microchips identify your pet even when collars, leashes, and fences fail.
There will be other pet health care professionals, yard care and invisible fence services represented as well.
We are also excited to welcome Rachel Cullen who will have beautifully crafted collars and leashes that are being sold to benefit a group that provides specially trained dogs for military members recently returned to the United States.

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Fighting the Battle of the Bulge for Your Pet

I think we all can agree, for anyone, dog, human, cat, or horse, it is healthiest to be thin, to eat well and exercise regularly. Unfortunately, regardless of this universal agreement, I and some of my pets, are not exercising regularly and are a ‘little’ over weight. In my case, I know this is because I have made certain choices. I have chosen to stay inside, not use my exercise equipment and I have not made the best diet choices .

The frustrating thing about pet obesity is that we have made choices for our pets. We must recognize that, under most circumstances, our pets weight issue is a problem of our making. Our pets depend on us for their food and the quality of that food. If they eat treats it is because they were given to them. If they remain sedentary and don’t go for a walk, it is because we did not take them.

We humans are responsible for the domestication of these animals. We wanted them in our houses, not free roaming and responsible for their own meals. Growing up, I was always told that we were responsible for the care for any pet we adopted, no matter what. I was always challenged with that responsibility each time I asked to adopt a new pet. Back then it meant cleaning cages and stalls and regular feeding. Playing with them and exercising them was part of the fun of living with them. Now, with a slightly different vantage point, I know the responsibility of ownership goes further. It includes regular activity, regular interaction, denying them foods that may make them fat or sick , and providing good quality foods and, of course, regular medical care. Remember, they are completely dependent on you.

Let’s consider the ramifications of a pet being overweight, they are really the same as an overweight person, but again the big difference is that the choice of being overweight or thin has been taken away. They have been ‘made’ fat by the very people that are supposed to care for them.

· 1. Being overweight shortens your pet’s life expectancy.

· 2. Overweight pets are more likely to develop orthopedic injuries – torn anterior cruciates , tendon injuries and soft tissue strains for few examples. It can also aide in creating back problems and slow recovery .

· 3. Over weight animals can develop sleep apnea and exercise intolerance.

· 4. Being overweight can make a recovery from a major illness more difficult or the overweight pet may be more likely to die.

· 5. Being overweight adds stresses to the heart, kidney and liver.

· 6. Eating a poor quality diet will directly affect the teeth, stomach, intestines, pancreas and liver.

· 7. As pets get older, being overweight will aide in accelerating their decline and worsen the course of typical geriatric conditions.

The recently published statistic, 50% of all U.S. dogs and cats are overweight, really illustrates how serious this problem has become. Compounding the issue is the increasing number of geriatric pets. 75% of all US households that have pets have at least one geriatric pet. We certainly cannot expect to be successful in managing the care of this increasingly large geriatric population if they are overweight.

There are some basic things that we can do for our charges. The first is to take ownership of your ultimate responsibility for the pets that our ancestors so effectively domesticated. Next, do things; just that, get up and get you and your pet moving. A dog needs a minimum of 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. That exercise does not just aide in making them physically healthy, but mentally healthy as well. Dogs and cats that just lay around the house can become depressed, develop compulsive behaviors and become destructive and generally no fun to be around. Cats can be exercised as well, for example, they can chase toys and laser lights. Again, it’s not just the exercise, it is the social interaction. Once you make this a habit, you will be able to more quickly recognize changes in your pet’s behavior that may be an early indication of illness. Addressing illnesses early will help keep your pet healthier longer and may avoid costly hospital stays.

The last thing you can do is to take responsibility for what goes into your pet. Try to feed a high quality diet, ask your veterinarian for guidance. Put your pet on a schedule of feedings. We do twice daily feedings at our house. Don’t free feed dogs and with cats it is best to give them access to a fixed amount of food daily, recognizing that a feeding schedule doesn’t always work with our mercurial feline friends. Having food constantly available, with no regulation, can lead to over eating and it makes it difficult for you to accurately monitor food intake. Whether or not your pet is eating and how much they are eating is one of the first techniques that I teach owners to use to assess their pets well being. Sick animals usually have a decreased appetite before they are overtly ill.

If you really, really, must give your pet the same food you are eating consider feeding treats with their meals and cutting down the amount of their regular food to balance out the caloric intake. Giving treats while you are eating creates a problem in controlling the amount that pet is eating daily and becomes more problematic than a controlled treat with each meal.

If you want to prepare your pet’s food from scratch talk to your veterinarian or consult with a veterinary nutritionist to be sure that you are preparing a balanced meal that does not exceed your pets caloric needs. In the words of my mother-in-law, ‘everything in moderation, including moderation’. Everyone enjoys a little extra treat once in a while, just not every day. One of my clients, who is training a young dog, uses Cherios as a treat. She uses the Cherios as a reward for good behavior. Since the dog is being trained he’s eating Cherios like a kid with a Pez dispenser! However, they are small, given one at a time and are less calories than the more conventional dog treats.

So what am I doing to make myself and our pet’s more svelte? Darwin and Zelda are going for more walks on the weekend and their dog food is being more carefully measured. And the cats? We are trying to increase the younger ones activity and we will be switching to a calorie restricted prescription diet. Baby steps……..

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Laryngeal Paralysis And A Reminder - Things May Not Always Be As They Appear

Max is an old dog. He is the constant companion of Nancy, who works at home, and Jake, her husband. Max arrived at my office on New Years Eve. Nancy and Jake explained that Max had been previously diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis.* They said that Max was coping well with this disorder of the respiratory system, but recently had begun to vomit, did not want to eat and would periodically pant and appear upset. Max was up and walking, but obviously not feeling well. He was thin and ‘lumpy’, like so many older dogs, he had many fatty masses all over his body. It was evident that he had peripheral nerve disease and that his laryngeal paralysis was advanced, but it looked like there was more going on.

Most dogs with ’decompenstated’ laryngeal paralysis present to the emergency room, struggling to breathe, not able to walk, loud respirations, blue gums, high body temperatures, generally in dire straits. Max just stood there with pink gums and steady respirations. Although he might need surgery sometime soon, I felt he was presenting today for another, possibly related, problem. Max was admitted to the hospital, we took radiographs (x-rays), checked blood work, and most importantly observed Max closely. He did not have pneumonia; his blood work looked awfully good. Then we took him for a walk, a very short one, outside to urinate. When he returned it was obvious he was having difficulty breathing, but his gums were still pink. Standing, he extended his neck, stood very still and he took long slow breaths. Max looked like he was concentrating hard. As I watched, I began to appreciate that those long slow breaths were barely moving his chest. I sedated Max so I could look at his laryngeal folds and I was amazed when I saw those two doors essentially closed, not moving at all, just a slit of an opening between them. The tissue was not red or swollen like most dogs in this condition, but a very normal pink! Max had so successfully compensated for his difficulty; he had seemingly ‘thought’ this situation through, no panic or distress. He would very slowly breathe, like a person underwater with a straw, through that narrow airway no matter what. I thought this was amazing! Certainly, Max had managed to fool me; he definitely did need a laryngeal tie back, and soon. Max was placed on oxygen and did well through the night. On New Years Day, he had his surgery and a few days later he returned home to his family.

One of the diagnostic tools that I, as a veterinarian (a doctor treating essentially mute patients), rely on heavily is my observational skills. In my estimation, clinical observation and history taking are the key to achieving an accurate diagnosis. It is in our nature as humans to begin cataloging and grouping our experiences and as clinicians we look for certain signs that are associated with particular diseases, fitting our patients into categories whenever possible. But sometimes we are surprised, nay humbled, by the unpredictability of living organisms, like Max. I remain amazed by how he appeared to have given his condition such careful attention and that he had mastered it so capably. While other dogs would have had to be treated far earlier, Max had found a way to manage his illness.

Every day and each patient and client, is a new experience.Each pet and owner comes with their own experiences, their own personal reality. The minute I forget this, or become too self-absorbed, I receive a not too gentle reminder, like my experience with Max. Diagnosing and treating Max reminded me of how things can stay the same and yet be very different. You have to put yourself in the patient’s position, see things from their vantage point because, just like Max, each patient’s coping skills and their perspective is different. Every patient (yes even animals) comes with a different set of experiences and skills that brought them to my examination room.

What I find interesting is this lesson is equally applicable to dealing with people. So many clients come to the hospital scared, anxious, and even angry. No one wants to be in the position of having a sick pet, seeing a family member ill, worried about expenses or outcome. Yet I tend to interpret the way they behave as an indication of the whole of their personality. That is way too judgmental. Just like Max, they have developed their reactions, their coping skills, based on events that I am unfamiliar with. Currently they may have additional factors that are influencing their choices that I cannot begin to understand. Maybe, in the future, I should apply the lesson Max has taught me and step back, observe closely, contemplate and use previous experiences, as well as, being open to new lessons, in order to figure out the right plan or the correct approach to the person before me. Maybe if we take a moment and avoid snap decisions about the people before us we can all be a little more successful.

*Laryngeal Paralysis is a dysfunction of the larynx (also called the voice box). The larynx sits at the juncture of the pharynx, esophagus and trachea, behind the soft palate. It consists of two ‘folds,’ they behave as doors on either side of the airway that allow air to move into the trachea and when they close they prevent food and saliva from going into the trachea. It provides very important protection for the trachea and lungs. The larynx allows us to make noise. In people it is the organ that allows us to speak, in dogs and cats it is what creates their voice, barking and mewing. Laryngeal paralysis is a dysfunction of those important folds or doors. The doors no longer work properly; they do not open and close as they should. As the condition progresses the doors close more and more, eventually cutting off the movement of air into the lungs. One of the first signs that an affected pet demonstrates is a change in their voice and a louder than normal pant. Owners may notice their pet coughing or choking when eating and drinking. As time passes and the condition worsens, the patient has progressively more difficulty breathing and does not tolerate exercise. Patients are often presented to the emergency service because of acute respiratory distress. This happens after the dog has exercised or become excited, or possibly the pet has just gone from the cold to a warm house, or just started coughing. Seemingly small events will serve as a trigger that will create a life threatening situation.As the pet struggles to breath rapidly, the vocal folds hit each other and they become inflamed (swollen and red) then the airway becomes even more occluded. Now the pet’s condition begins to spiral as it struggles even harder to breathe. Obviously, the situation becomes quickly more life threatening. The potential of rapid decline for these patients underscores the importance of the veterinarian identifying the early stages of laryngeal paralysis and their educating the client as to how to manage their pets and what signs to watch for.

Laryngeal paralysis occurs as a result of a dysfunction of the peripheral nervous system. The nerve that makes the larynx work (makes the doors open and close) is the longest nerve in the body, so when the nerves of the body are diseased this is often the first nerve that demonstrates signs of not working. Diseases like Myasthenia Gravis and Hypothyroidism can also lead to laryngeal dysfunction. Often times, in older dogs, laryngeal paralysis is a sign of a degenerative nerve condition that we do not fully understand and does not have an effective treatment. Some animals have laryngeal paralysis as a result of a genetic defect. The treatment for laryngeal paralysis is either correction of the underlying illness or surgery. The surgery is called a laryngeal tie back and it involves tying one of the vocal folds (doors) back, out of the way so the airway can remain open. There are obvious draw backs to this procedure the most significant being an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia. This is why we only consider the surgery once the patient’s condition is so advanced we have no other choice than to tie the vocal fold back.

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Calming Pet's Fears Of Fireworks, Thunder, And Other Loud Things

The storm clouds are starting to form and thunderstorms are on the horizon. Lots of noise and rumbling, especially with the 4^th of July around the corner. It is the season that harbors many of the things our pets fear. We’re unsure exactly what triggers all the fearful responses so many of our dogs and cats manifest around storms and fireworks .I think that for some pets it is a learned response. Possibly the result of one of the (human) family members getting upset with stormy weather. My mother is fearful of storms (still is) and every family dog throughout my childhood became frightened of storms and fireworks! Maybe it is a learned fear after being near a gun or a firework when it went off, startling the pet. Some pets may be bothered by the change in barometric pressure that occurs with storms, these pets are not necessarily fearful of fireworks or other loud noises. Animals acute hearing could also contribute to their intolerance of loud sounds. Maybe their fears are like so many of our own, they cannot be attributed to one particular event or trait.

If you have ever lived with a pet that is frightened of thunderstorms, you understand just how impossible it is to console them. The old technique for managing these pets was to sedate them, make them sleepy, but they were still terrified! This certainly wasn't a very kind management technique. Desensitization, playing a recording of a storm or fireworks for a pet at increasing volumes was also proposed to get the pet acclimated to the noise that they appeared to fear. As far as I know this approach was never very successful.

Now we appreciate that the f ear of storms and loud noises are just like any humans phobia. Regardless if they originate from personal experiences or an inherent ‘personality trait’ or a ‘psychiatric’ condition, we can utilize medications * that have anti-anxiety effects and we use nutricuticals or homeopathic remedies that are calming . One nutricutical that I was just recently introduced to made by Vetri-Science, called, Composure, is labeled for both dogs and cats. It contains Colostrum, the same thing that is in mother’s milk. It has a quieting, relaxing effect. We at the hospital were skeptical of this product until a few of us tried administering it to some of our ‘special needs’ pets. The results were remarkable.

For the storm phobic pets, there are a few other considerations. Clients have mentioned to me that their fearful dogs insist on getting into the car, being in the bath tub or staying down stairs by the plumbing and when they are allowed to rest in these areas, they become more relaxed. Some people have struggled to try to prevent their pets from going to these places with little success. Actually, the pet’s choice of locale is not as far fetched as you might think. They are seeking areas that are insulated or grounded, safe from the effects of the electrical storm. So if your dog is fearful of the impending storms, let them into your car, with some supervision, or help them into the tub, you might allow them some relief from their anxiety and it may give you a break from their pacing and panting.

*Remember, prior to initiating any drug therapies, your pet should be evaluated by its veterinarian or you should consult with your family veterinarian. Signs of sound sensitivity and anxiety could be indications of other illnesses and pets should be closely monitored whenever they are placed on a new medication.

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Darby Cole, aka. Wonder Dog

Darby may only weigh 3 pounds, but she is a powerhouse!

This year has been a difficult one for Darby, she has spent weeks in the hospital recovering from acute kidney failure, clotting disorders, diarrhea and hernias. Frankly, the main reason Darby survived her myriad of illnesses so successfully is her owners. Their total devotion and careful attention to her care were the keystones to her recovery. Now that doesn't mean we didn't all work hard, we really did, but Darby and her family did all the really difficult work.

Now when Darby arrives at the hospital for her re-check examinations, I can tell she has entered the building because the minute she hits the front door she barks until we come up to see her.

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Canadian Goose

About a week ago I did some over night ER shifts at the hospital. The staff joked that I appear to be a magnet for all the busy late nights and unusual cases. Anyways, I saw a few wildlife cases those 3 nights. One was a screech owl that had been hit by a car. An owl with vertigo is quite and sight. Another case was a young Canadian goose that had been shot with an arrow. Fortunately, the arrow had pierced through his breast and exited out the other side, not piercing his thoracic cavity or abdomen. He had been caught by an area wildlife rehabilitator and brought to the hospital to see if we could help him. Radiographs were taken, the patient was anesthetized and the arrow removed. He recovered uneventfully and was sent off the next morning to recuperate with the rehabiltator. I was happy to help him, but more than a little disappointed in my fellow human.

I find this type of gross disregard for a living creature to be incredibly upsetting.It really doesn't matter if it is a field mouse, a turtle or a deer. Frankly it is all the same regardless of their size or perceived value. And this is not about whether hunting is appropriate or not, I can assure you the person who did this was no hunter since a capable hunter would never leave an animal to suffer and die a miserable death.

We have so much natural space around us in these little towns. We are fortunate. Hopefully, people can think twice before inflicting senseless harm on another living creature since their actions hurt all of us.

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