Pet-Agree, LLC

The dog days of summer are upon us and inevitably this means heatstroke for some poor unsuspecting pooch.  I am always surprised by the people who truly don’t know the dangers of heatstroke for their dogs.  I will stress to you the importance of knowing the symptoms of heatstroke, as well as, ways to prevent this condition.  Heatstroke can be lethal!  Heatstroke can also be prevented and quite honestly, prevention is far more successful than most treatment.

Let’s talk specifics:  A dog’s normal body temperature is around 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit (+/- 1 degree) and any time the body temperature is higher than 105 degrees Fahrenheit a true emergency exists.  Dogs are unable to sweat so panting is their way of cooling down.  Panting when temperatures are very high or there is high humidity simply isn’t as effective so the body temperature rises.

A typical scenario for heat stroke involves over exertion on a warm muggy day, being locked in a car (even with the windows down folks!)  or when left outside in hot/humid conditions without adequate shade or water.  Here is a great statistic from a recent study at Stanford University Medical Center; the temperature within a vehicle may increase by an average of 40 degrees Fahrenheit within one hour regardless of outside temperature!  Basically, cars are ovens if the sun is out!

Any dog breed is at risk for over heating but there are certain breeds that are more susceptible.  Brachycephalic breeds (short nosed dogs) such as the Pug, English bulldog, Boston terrier and Boxer are all prone to heat stroke due to their anatomy.  Overweight and elderly dogs also have a harder time handling warm conditions.  If you have a short nosed breed or your dog is a senior or overweight take it easy when it is hot/humid.

What does heat stroke look like?  Heat intolerance presents as a restless, uncomfortable, panting dog that may be excessively salivating.  This can quickly progress into a dog that becomes unsteady on his feet, collapses, turns gray, blue or bright red in color and at this point a true emergency exists.  If this happens to your dog, attempt to cool the dog down while on your way to your veterinarian.  Use cool wet towels over neck, armpits and groin.  Wet ear flaps and paws with cool water and direct a fan over dog if possible.  DO NOT use ice water or super cold water for cooling.  Do NOT force water down dog’s throat and DO NOT leave dog unattended for any length of time.  Get to your veterinarian as soon as possible so they can administer emergency care.

Ways to prevent heat stroke involve providing shade and plenty of water for your dog.  Avoid leaving your dog in the car, even with the windows down, on even mildly warm days and when exercising your dog work them into it gradually.  Don’t rush them into exercise if it is the first warm day, they need to get acclimated to the heat.

Heat stroke can be life threatening and often times people don’t take it seriously.  If you think your dog is having trouble with the heat I urge you not to wait, call your veterinarian or better yet drive there if you are worried.  The quicker the dog is seen the better the outcome!

{Sidenote: What to do if you see a dog in the car?  If you are at a place of business write down the car description (including license plate number) and go to service counter and request them to make announcement.  If this isn’t successful, than call the police.  I have had to do both and in both cases the owner’s had no idea there was a risk to their dogs safety.  Honestly, some people really just don’t know}

Beware of Lepto!

Leptospirosis isn’t something that most dogs are routinely vaccinated against here in Michigan.  It is something we vaccinate for based on the lifestyle of the dog but I urge everyone to at least be familiar with this disease.

Leptospirosis (Lepto) is a bacterial disease of dogs and many mammals (think skunks, deer, raccoons, rats etc) that affects the liver and kidneys.  It can live in rural, suburban and urban areas.  The bacteria are spread via urine where it collects in ponds, puddles and other moist environments.  Dogs typically become infected with Lepto by drinking, swimming or even walking through contaminated areas.  What worries me the most about Lepto, is that it is contagious and can be transmitted from dog to dog and also can be transmitted to humans.  Rarely, this is a fatal disease in humans but the CDC estimates up to 200 human cases a year in the U.S.  This is where I get on my soap box about the importance of washing your hands if you have pets!  If you are like me, I totally incorporate my pets into my life and I get a bit relaxed about washing my hands after playing with my pets but it is VERY important and basic antibacterial soap can prevent you from getting Leptospirosis from you dog.  Okay, I’m done lecturing you on the importance of hand washingJ

The symptoms of Lepto are also troublesome.  Fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, depression, yellowing of the eyes and skin and lethargy are some of the symptoms dogs may experience.  In most severe cases, the disease can lead to liver and kidney failure and may be fatal.  Leptospirosis symptoms are similar to many other diseases and because of this the diagnosing of Lepto can be frustrating so if your dog leads an active lifestyle, I suggest, speaking to your veterinarian about adding the Leptospirosis vaccine to your other routine immunizations.

I think of an “active” lifestyle as a dog who participates in any of the following; hunting, swimming or living near an area of water (streams, ponds, lakes and don’t forget trips to the summer cottage).  There are two choices when vaccinating against Leptospirosis, a  2-way vaccine or a 4-way vaccine.  I suggest the 4 way vaccine because it prevents 4 different strains of leptospirosis.  Vaccine reactions don’t happen frequently but they do exist and I always mention them to people who are adding a new vaccine to their pets protocol.  Call you veterinarian if you notice facial swelling, vomiting, labored breathing or lethargy.  More commonly, you’ll simply notice your dog may be tender at the injection site or just a bit tired the next day.

Beware of Leptospirosis!  It may not be a vaccine I’d recommend for every dog but it is worthy of mentioning to dog owner’s who want to be well informed. Again, discuss options with your veterinarian to determine what is best for you and your dog’s lifestyle.

Let’s talk about permanent Identification for pets.  I see dogs and cats daily who have wandered away from their homes and good Samaritans bring them to the clinic to see if we recognize them.  Often they aren’t wearing any type of identification.  Either the collar & tags have fallen off or they never had one on to begin with.  Microchips are a way of permanently identifying them in case they lose their collars and tags.  It’s safe, convenient and affordable.  There are many companies who offer these services so check with your veterinarian to see which company they recommend and the specifics that go along with each company.  I have the most experience with Home Again and Avid and really like both companies.

Think of the microchip as a tiny computer chip that has an identification number programmed into it.  The chip is about the size of a grain of rice and is placed via needle under the skin.  You aren’t able to see the chip or feel it but it is permanent.  Veterinarians, shelters and many rescues have chip scanners that they use when a stray animal is turned in.  When the scanner picks up the chip  number they call the company and give them the information, which is connected to your contact info and then you are notified that someone has found your pet!

Statistically speaking, 1 in 3 pets goes missing during its lifetime.  This is why a permanent identification chip is so important.  Dogs, cats and most birds can be chipped.  They don’t need to be anesthetized and in most cases it can be done during a vaccine appointment.  If you haven’t had your pet chipped yet call your veterinarian for details.  Microchipping only increases your chances for a safe reunion between you and your beloved pet!

Best Dog Ever!

Have any of you ever had that pet that just makes your heart sing when she looks at you?  Or that pet that seems to know exactly what you need after a rough day?  Or that pet that is simply happy to enjoy a small bit of peace and quiet with you?  Well, that my friends, describes Lilly Madeline to a T.

This week Lilly turned 10 years old so, naturally, I threw her a little birthday party.  There were hats, singing, presents but no cake or dog treats (she has horrible food allergies so couldn’t risk her getting a morsel).  She did get an extra banana and apple that day, those happen to be her favorite fruitsJ  While all this was happening, I started thinking about how much she has enriched my life and thought I’d write a little something to encourage people to at least consider adopting a pet from an animal shelter or rescue.

Lilly wasn’t perfect.  In fact I wasn’t even looking for a dog.  I had two wonderful cats, was a newlywed and very content with my pet family…until I met Lilly.  She came into the clinic I was working at gravely ill.  We fell head over heels in love with one another instantly.  The previous owners signed over their rights to me because financially they just weren’t able to help Lilly any longer and were considering euthanasia as the only other option.  Lilly was a year old when I adopted her and she had already had 22 puppies. She had never been socialized with other dogs except for breeding and she had zero manners.  But, she was kind, as gentle as an 80 pound pit bull mix can be and she loved me!  I had her spayed as soon as she was healthy enough and then did my best to teach her a few manners.  Lilly was the center of my life for 6 years.   When I found out I was pregnant with twins I immediately thought about how Lilly’s life would change.  I was worried about what the stress of new babies would do to her but let me tell you she took it all in stride.  The twins are 3 years old now and I know she doesn’t get as many walks as she should or one on one time with me but she doesn’t complain.  She is gentle with the girls and takes all the hugs and kisses from them with pride.  Adopting a dog that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind has turned out to be the most fulfilling and wonderful experience for me.  Not to say that it hasn’t been a lot of work, it has been.  Lilly has been a part of many obedience classes and I have worked with trainers and veterinarians from everything relating to separation anxiety, dog to dog aggression to cancer.  What I am trying to say is this, according to The Humane Society of the United States, four million dogs and cats are euthanized a year in the U.S.  That is about one every 8 seconds.  Think about that for just a minute; let that number register in your brain for a moment… This is why I urge you to simply consider adopting your next pet from an animal shelter or rescue group.  Adopting can make a difference!

This is the time of year when many people start getting those little reminder cards from their veterinarian about testing for canine heartworm disease.  I thought this would be a great time to give everyone a little review about the disease and some of the products available to prevent this disease in our dogs.

Heartworm Lifecycle:

• Begins with a mosquito that bites an infected dog and ingests the microfilaria.  Microfilaria are immature heartworms or I think of them as offspring of adult heartworms.

• The mosquito is the intermediate host and is required for the heartworm life cycle to continue.  The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog but is transmitted via the mosquito to the dog.

• Once the microfilaria have matured in the mosquito (approx 10-30 days) they are called infective larvae and now when injected into a dog may develop into an adult heartworm.

• Once injected into a dog the infective larvae migrate to subcutaneous tissues where they mature into young adult heartworms.  Young adult heartworms continue to migrate to the pulmonary arteries and heart and this is where they prefer to live.  Mature females then begin reproducing and release microfilaria where they are then picked up by mosquitoes and the whole process begins again!

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs.  Some clinical symptoms of heartworm disease include coughing, shortness of breath, weakness and listlessness.  Dogs infected with heartworms may not show any symptoms of disease for a few years.  This does not mean they aren’t affected by the disease because they are still damaging the heart and lungs and often the liver.  Treatment for heartworm disease is available but it can be costly and isn’t without side effects.  Prevention really is the safest option.  With the safe and affordable heartworm preventatives available today, no pet should ever have to endure this dreaded disease.  Below is a list and brief description of some of the heartworm preventatives available.  Ask your veterinarian which product would work best for you and your dog’s lifestyle.

• Sentinel, a monthly tablet that prevents heartworms, removes and controls whipworms and roundworms and controls hookworms, sterilizes fleas (this way they don’t reproduce and cause an infestation in your home).
• Interceptor, think of it as Sentinel without the flea prevention.  Many people use interceptor and then add a flea/tick prevention for example, Frontline or Advantix
• Heartgard Plus, a monthly chewable tablet that prevents heartworms and also kills roundworms and hookworms.
• Revolution, monthly topical that prevents heartworms, kills adult fleas, treats and controls ear mites, treats and controls sarcoptes mange and controls American dog tick.  Great product for food allergy dogs because it is topical and not ingested.
• Trifexis, a monthly chewable tablet that kills fleas, prevents heartworm disease, treats and controls adult hookworm, roundworm and whipworm infections.  This product I am not familiar with but found it in my heartworm research, please see your veterinarian about this product prior to using it.

Because this is a disease I can prevent I am passionate about it.  Most veterinarians recommend yearly or every other year heartworm testing prior to beginning heartworm prevention.  It can be dangerous to begin a prevention product if the dog is positive for heartworms, which is why they want you to do the heartworm test first.  I also would recommend treating for heartworm disease year round instead of seasonally if you can fit it into your budget.  That way you can prevent many of those pesky intestinal parasites during those winter months too!

Think Spring!

Spring is coming!  It may not feel like that here in Michigan, but I promise you, it will be here before we know it.  If you are like me, and many other Americans, I tend to put on a few pounds every winter.  Unfortunately, this also extends to my pets as well.  So I wanted to focus on the variety of ways we can exercise our dogs and cats.  I have a few tricks up my sleeve, especially for getting those felines moving.  Who knows, maybe getting your furry friends moving might even help you spring into weight loss too!

Let's start with our feline friends first, since they are a little more finicky about exercising.  Exercising your cat is NOT like exercising your dog, let's just get that straight right now.  Very few cats like to be leashed and walked, although I have met a few.  Instead, try to get them to burn energy in smaller increments more frequently instead of one long workout session.  Laser pointers, feather toys and catnip toys are definitely some favorites for many cats.  Brushing your cat is also a great way to get your cat moving.  Many cats will rub and roll along the floor while being brushed and although this doesn't seem like a major calorie burner, you are still getting them to move which will help boost their metabolism.  Also during feeding time try tossing 5-10 kibbles away from the food dish to have them chase it.  My cat loves the game where I stand at the top of my stairs with his kibble in my hand.  I then toss one a few steps down, where he runs to get it.  Then he can come to the top of the stairs to receive another kibble, next I toss one a few steps further down and then he comes back up again and so on and so on.  Not only is he moving but we are playing too!  There are also some wonderful toys where you place some of the cat food in it and the cat has to paw at the toy in order to get the food to come out.  I use the Busy Buddy Twist and Treat toy for this purpose and actually purchased the small dog one and found that it worked great, although I do think they now sell specific cat Busy Buddy toys too.

On to dogs, well we all know that walking our dogs daily is wonderful for them and it is also great for us too.  If arranging that into your lifestyle is difficult try asking a responsible neighbor boy/girl to help you out a few times a week.  There are also wonderful dog walking businesses whose purpose is to exercise your dog.  Check them out in your area and meet with them to see what they are about.  I know many people who use this service and LOVE it.  As the saying goes, "A Tired Dog is a Good Dog!"  Also check out rehabilitation centers for pets in your area.  Many of these facilities have underwater treadmills and if your dog enjoys swimming you can purchase swimming packages and drop them off while you are at work and they get to swim during the day.  There are also daycare facilities for dogs who enjoy playing with other dogs.  It takes some investigative work but check out the dog friendly places in your area, dog parks are popping up everywhere too and these are all fabulous ways to get your dog moving.  Of course, be sure your dog is up to date on vaccines and is friendly with other dogs before jumping into these types of programs.  We want everyone to be protected and have a good time.  Don't forget about those "traditional" ways of playing/exercising your dog.  Frisbee, tossing the tennis ball in the back yard and taking your dog for a jog are all wonderful too.  My dog loves "hide and seek."  I put my dog in a sit and stay and I hide low calorie treats all throughout the house and then release her to "find" the treats.  She LOVES this game!  It helps with boredom and also gets her off the couch:)  My final advice for getting your canine friend moving is to avoid only playing on the weekends.  Try your best at working exercise into their daily schedule otherwise you risk more injuries to your dog by over doing it only a few days a week. 

Well, there you have it!  I hope you try a few of these tricks and hopefully it will help melt away a few of those unwanted winter pounds.  Be creative and get moving, everyone benefits!

I started thinking about all the options offered in veterinary medicine today when a client asked me the difference between Eastern Medicine and Homeopathic Medicine.  Because I work in the field, I thought I knew the basic differences between many of the popular options but upon my research I realized I didn't know as much as I thought.

So, for my first article I have decided to write about four of the more common options available in veterinary medicine. Hopefully, after reading this you too might want to try out a different modality or ask your veterinarian what they think about other options in veterinary care.

Most definitions focus on Conventional Medicine being science oriented and concerned with diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases in animals. Pharmacology plays a large role in conventional medicine and many diagnostic tools are utilized as well (ultrasound, radiographs, blood work etc).

The primary goal of physical rehabilitation in pets is to promote healing and return the affected part of the animal to full function. A variety of techniques are used during rehabilitation they include but are not limited to massage therapy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, exercises such as passive range of motion and stretching. It is a non-drug alternative that works well with other veterinary modalities. Many places recommend rehab with orthopedic and neurologic issues but it can also be used to help with obesity management, arthritis, sports injuries and cognitive dysfunction. It does require extra training so make sure the DVM or licensed veterinarian technician are certified.

According to the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy (AVH), Homeopathy works on the principle of "like cures like."    The AVH also states that “a substance that is capable, in toxic doses, of producing a set of symptoms is also capable, in much lower doses, of curing the same set of symptoms regardless of their perceived cause.” Practicing Homeopathic Medicine also requires specific certification due to the minute dilutions required for safe and effective use.  If interested in this type of medicine please go to The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy or American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association websites.

Eastern Medicine: (including herbal medicine and acupuncture)

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic method of treatment which uses nutrition, herbs and acupuncture to strengthen and promote health.  The goal of this method is to restore balance to the body.  Many veterinarians who practice Eastern Medicine use it in conjunction with Western Medicine and this term is called Integrative Medicine.  Be sure to ask about additional training the veterinarian has had in Eastern Medicine in order to provide a pet with the best possible treatment options.

Herbal Medicine

The use of specific herbs and plants for medicinal purposes has been practiced for millennia all over the world. Herbs are capable of balancing the emotional, mental and physical dimensions of animals.  Herbal medicine has always recognized the whole body approach and that the mind and body interact in health and disease.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been used in China for 3500 years. Acupuncture is a technique for relieving pain and for improving the function of organ systems by stimulating acupuncture points on the surface of the body.

I hope this summary of some of the options that are available today in veterinary medicine has been useful. If there are other specific types of veterinary medicine you are interested in please post a message and I’d happily look into them for you!

Emily J. Harkness, BS, LVT