Don't Delay Pet Care While You Surf For Answers

Technology Can Jeopardize Pet's Health

"Get(ting) Dr. Google's Opinion" is Nancy Kay's perspective of the electronic pet care owners are providing for their beloved pets.  Kay, a veterinarian and author of Speaking for Spot, believes that technology jeopardizes pet health when owners turn to it for solutions to resolve their pet's symptoms.  Too often, necessary treatment is delayed and this increases chances of death. Connect with your family veterinarian before you plug into the Net.  It's critical to: Relieve pain Reduce discomfort Accurately diagnose your pet's symptoms Create an appropriate treatment plan Talk with your veterinarian during your next visit.  Always have your veterinarian confirm what you learn via Internet.  If technology is important to you let your family vet know so they can support your use of gadgets - and continue to provide great care for your pet!

The World Wide Web has opened up communication opportunities between veterinarians and pet owners.  Convenient hand held devices allow pet owners with Web connections to scan, surf, text and email to their heart's content at any hour of the day.  Or night.  You might think this is convenient for pet owners, brings fast results for pets, is easier on your budget than office visits, and is a smart use of available resources.  But is it?  Think again.
Emailing and texting veterinarians with questions that are pertinent to a pet can be a good thing when the communications are between you and your own family veterinarian.  When your family veterinarian is involved that means more information is involved:  your pet's past health history, habits, activity levels, behaviors and several prior lab reports.  More information can provide alternatives, choices and additional treatment measures.
Unfortunately, pet owners are more often using the Internet to find information to identify, heal, or cure their pet's symptoms.  The symptoms, to those not trained in helping pets maintain their health and wellness, may seem minor.  In fact, owners researching solutions via Internet for their pet's emergencies, injuries and ailments can instead be compromising their health.
"Responsibly surfing (the Web) is fabulous," says Nancy Kay, veterinarian and author of Speaking for Spot.  But that "does not take the place of a call or visit to your veterinarian," she reminds pet owners.
"The American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) saw veterinary visits decline by 21 percent for dogs and by 30 percent for cats," says veterinarian W. Ron DeHaven and AMVA executive vice president.
"Get(ting) Dr. Google's Opinion" is Kay's perspective of the electronic pet care owners are providing for their beloved pets.  Choosing to use the technology owners keep handy is frequently delaying the necessary treatment an ailing pet requires to relieve discomfort or pain, restore its health, or even save its life.
"The biggest thing I see is an increased rate of euthanasia and much sicker animals than I've ever seen, meaning people are waiting longer," says veterinarian Julie Kittams. 
Marty Becker, veterinarian and author of Your Dog:  The Owner's Manual, calls the phenomenon "Vets vs. Net."  A good veterinarian can quickly and fairly cheaply address many conditions that make a dog or cat miserable, Becker says.  Owners with an itchy-pawed dog chose to let their pet lick and chew constantly for six years before they checked with a veterinarian.  What they believed to be allergies was a "carpet of yeast and staph in his feet."  Appropriate medications eliminated the itching within 48 hours.
A comatose dog in Becker's clinic couldn't be saved after its owners concluded non-stop vomiting was caused by a minor upset stomach.  The piece of carpeting he'd swallowed without their knowledge became lodged in his intestine, causing a rupture and pus-filled abdomen.  "Sometimes hours or minutes matter," Becker says.
Don't delay with technology!  Ask your veterinarian to confirm information you learn via Internet.  Check in quickly with your family veterinarian when your pet's health changes - you could save your pet's life.
Sources:

American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA).
Balas, Monique. Sick pets put owners in financial bind.
Becker, Marty, DVM. Your Dog: The owner's manual.
Kay, Nancy. Speaking for Spot.
Peters, Sharon L. Dr. Google not always best when pets are ill.
Portland Veterinary Medical Association.

What is an Emergency?

Signs That Usually Do Not Need ER Care

Symptoms that should be seen by a doctor, but not necessarily in an emergency setting include: Itchiness is a common problem, but does not usually need immediate care.  The pet should be seen soon though as it is amazing how fast they can lick or scratch enough to set up an infection in the skin. Reverse sneeze is a common problem, and many dogs are presented at emergency clinics because owners think they're having an asthma attack.  With reverse sneeze, the dog forcefully brings air into his nostrils.  It is usually loud and sounds terrible, but veterinarians aren't too worried about these as long as there is no nasal discharge.  You can see what reverse sneeze looks like by viewing examples on YouTube. Any pet with diarrhea certainly should be examined but it does not need to be in the emergency setting as long as the pet is bright, alert, and eating well. Small wounds can probably wait for your regular doctor, although you should know that dog bite wounds can have small skin openings, but have large areas of tissue damage under the skin.

 We all become worried when our beloved pets become ill, but when should we take them to an emergency hospital?  Most larger communities have an ER for pets, but when do we need to utilize one?  What symptoms are serious and need immediate attention, and what can wait until the next day for your regular doctor? The following list will help you decide. 
1.    Almost any problem involving the eye should be seen right away.  Glaucoma, corneal ulcers, and foreign bodies beneath the eyelids are common eye diseases where waiting could make the problem worse.
2.    Profuse vomiting is another sign that needs immediate attention. Vomiting has many causes.  A common reason, though, is an intestinal obstruction since pets love to eat so many weird things!  If this occurs, the pet can die in a matter of hours, so an ER trip is warranted.
3.    Difficulty breathing is also a problem that should not wait.  This symptom again has many causes but almost all need immediate attention.  Difficulty breathing may be a severe cough, but more commonly it is exaggerated effort in breathing, with pets often using their abdominal muscles to help them breathe.  At first people may not notice their pet is having difficulty, but they may note that their pet does not want to lie down.
4.    If there is active hemorrhage, of course, the pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian right away.  If there is a small wound with just a few drops of blood, it is probably OK to wait for your regular veterinarian.
5.    If your pet suddenly can't use its back legs, is dragging its rear legs, or is unable to get up, this is a reason for an emergency trip.  This is a common problem, especially in Dachshunds, and emergency surgery may be needed to save the spinal cord.  For the best outcome in these cases, time is of the essence.
6.    If your pet has its first seizure, it should be examined immediately.  Seizures are just a symptom, they have many causes, and they should be checked without delay.  The pet should be monitored closely for the next several hours as another seizure may occur.  If your pet has had seizures before, has been diagnosed with epilepsy, is on medication, and has another seizure, it may not need to visit the ER each time it has a seizure,  but if a seizure lasts more than a couple minutes, or there are clusters of seizures, then a trip to the ER is warranted.
7.    If your pet ingests a toxin, they should be taken to the emergency hospital as soon as possible.  The doctor may induce vomiting to try to eliminate some of the toxin, so time is important.  If there is even a possibility the pet ingested antifreeze, it is important to get to the ER immediately.  There is a test to determine if they did drink any of the poison, and the antidote needs to be given within a couple of hours.
8.    If your pet is pregnant, and is having difficulty having the babies, it should see the emergency veterinarian.  This problem is called a dystocia and an emergency caesarean section maybe needed.  Veterinarians advise that a puppy or kitten should be born within two hours of the mother starting active labor, and there should be no more than one hour between puppies or kittens.  But, if you see a baby stuck in the birth canal, take them to an ER right away.
Of course, there are many other problems that pets can have. Dogs and cats can get into some very odd predicaments that may also use ER care.  The dog that gets a tin can stuck to its tongue, or the bone lodged around its lower jaw, does not have a true emergency, but they sure will be happier if they can get them removed as soon as possible!
If you need advice on whether your pet's symptoms should have immediate attention, call the Emergency Hospital for advice. They will be happy to discuss your pet and their problem.

Family Friends Aren't Always Furry - Think of Feathery Friends!

Your home may be one of the many households enjoying a bird as a pet. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that birds, though not nearly as popular with Americans as cats or dogs, reside in 4.5 million households. Birds aren't always the first pet that comes to mind for children requesting that perfect pet from their parents, and parents should be wary of letting children handle birds as they are easily injured and do frequently bite.
What is it about birds that make them good household pets?  Friends of a Different Feather by Michelle Sathe indicates that there are positives to pet bird households.  When you want to add a  pet to your family and think you'll enjoy a feathered friend, remember to check with your nearby veterinarian for recommendations, adoption opportunities and guidelines for wellness and good health.
Size
Birds are available in many sizes.  The size of your new pet should be appropriate to the size of your home and the space you have available for it.  Your bird choice can be a big parrot or a tiny canary - and everything in between.  Birds have various life expectancies.  Generally, the larger the bird the longer it will probably live.   Large birds of the parrot family can have a life expectancy as long as a human. 
Maintenance
Your pet bird will need care, though you won't be out for a walk like your neighbors who have dogs.  Your bird will require a cage and space that is free from debris, feces and trash.  It will need a cage-cleaning on a regular basis.  Your bird will have specific nutrition needs. Veterinarian Marlene Anschultz advises that each bird species requires its own special diet and maintenance.  You'll want to establish a relationship with your local veterinarian and have regular checkups and nutrition support.
HealthBirds can be vulnerable to certain illnesses, viruses or diseases like other pets.  Your veterinarian will help you learn how to care for the bird species you select.
Remember that larger birds can have longer lives.  Dr. Anschultz also advises that "small birds are social among each other and are better off in an aviary, so you can get two or three of them and put them in an enclosure.  Bigger birds, such as parrots, need constant affection, attention and holding."
She admits that some people find birds irritating, disturbing or unpleasant.  These people are not willing to enjoy life with a pet bird.  Other people get enjoyment from birds and realize that birds can provide companionship, make you laugh and make your family smile with delight.  "Some birds cackle along with your jokes and make fun of you afterward," she says.  "They can be real characters."

Creating A Pet Friendly Yard

Yards can be a shopping center or candy store for pets.  Pets often find materials that will harm them.  Sometimes objects are forgotten by good intentioned owners.  Other times, pets make their own mischief.  It is important to ensure that your yard is secure, well maintained, and free of debris, trash and toxic substances.
Creating a pet friendly yard is necessary for your pet's safety and well being.  Your budget will thank you for taking the extra effort to patrol your yard from your pet's perspective looking for enticing tidbits that could unknowingly play havoc with their delicate bodies.
Plants "More than 700 plants have been identified as producing physiologically active or toxic substances in sufficient amounts to cause harmful effects in animals," advises the Humane Society of the United States.  "Poisonous plants produce a variety of toxic substances and cause reactions ranging from mild nausea to death.  Certain animal species may have a peculiar vulnerability to a potentially poisonous plant."
Plants, trees, and shrubs of all shapes and sizes have the potential to be toxic to pets.  Animal bodies can be sensitive and each pet will react differently to ingested materials.  When planning your backyard planting projects consider safe alternatives to favorites that could harm Fido or Fluffy.
How to Grow a Beautiful, Yet Dog-Safe Garden by geriatric veterinarian Ellen Friedman suggests eliminating foxglove, monkshood or aconitum, lily of the valley, snowball bush (hydrangea buds), and tobacco plant.  Pet reactions to ingesting these substances can include irregular heartbeats, nausea, convulsions and seizures.
Bees and Wasps Eliminate or screen around low ground covers, shrubs or plants that attract bees and wasps.  Pets interested in the pollen gathering activities can get stung.
Compost Bin "Fence off your compost bin," advises Friedman.  "Decaying vegetable matter can send poochy to the vet with a raging upset stomach."
Gates and Fences Make certain all boundary materials are in good repair:  eliminate protruding nails, chipped or peeling paint, and gaps that allow or encourage escape.
Grass Cut your grass often.  Keep it watered to reduce dust and pests.  Remember to rake or use the yard vacuum to pick up cuttings.  If you must apply fertilizers and weed killers do so while pets are confined or visiting elsewhere.  Always follow the instructions to ensure that treated grass is safe for your pet.  Store fertilizers, weed killers, yard and gardening equipment out of reach and away from accessible play areas.  Maintain a strict weed removal program since weeds can cause a variety of nasty fanny problems for pets that must potty in them.
Pools, Tubs and Spas Immediately fence or screen these areas.  Not all pets are able to swim and those that are may still become trapped under the covers intended as energy savers.
Yard Care Items Tools, equipment, pesticides, fertilizers, weed treatments, repair and building supplies must be securely stored.  Remember that anything sharp - no matter its size -- needs to be secured.  Glass, plastic, wood, or metal can have edges that could easily slice tender pet skin and paws.  Always keep them out of reach of your pets.  Curious or bored animals can create their own entertainment.  Proper storage gives them less opportunity to get hurt.
Your family veterinarian can provide you with additional suggestions when you share photos of your yard during visits.  Walk out your door or through your gate and make your yard pet friendly.  Your pet will love you for it!

Make Your House Pet Friendly

Keeping your house pet friendly is critical to the health and wellness of your pets.  Just what does pet friendly mean?  A pet friendly house is a sheltered location for an animal to live, play and relax that is clean, safe, free from hazards and toxic materials.  Most pets share house space with their owner.  Household items used in a house by an owner are available to the pets.  Many of these materials used by owners can be unsafe or deadly to pets.
"Properly storing and locking up hazardous items is the first step to preventing accidental poisonings," advises Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM in Common Household Poisons.  If you haven't made your house pet friendly, do it now.  It will be easiest to move from one room to another checking closets, cabinets, boxes, shelves, and drawers.  Yes, drawers - adept, curious pets can easily get into them!
 
"Not only can a poisoning incident be life-threatening for the pet, it's traumatic for the pet owner," said Carol McConnell, DVM, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for Veterinary Pet Insurance.  "We recommend that pet owners be aware of which items around their homes can be harmful to their pets-medications, insect poisons, chocolate and certain nuts-and keep these items safely out of reach.  They shouldn't assume that their pets will ignore that bottle of bleach in the laundry room or the Philodendron plant by the window.  Our data shows this just isn't so."
It could be a good idea to isolate your pet for a few minutes while you remove and secure substances that can be harmful.  Pets may enjoy chewing through storage containers you consider safe.  Remember that child-proof does not mean pet proof!
Common Household Poisons by veterinarian Janet Tobiassen Crosby suggests properly storing and securing items that can harm your pet.  Ensure that they are stored up high and out of reach of all pets (and children) in your home.  Your pet doesn't know ingesting these items can harm or kill them.
Household Cleaners and Chemicals These items are used to maintain your home, the furnishings, and items in it.  They may be located in your laundry room, kitchen, bathrooms, or garage.  Secure abrasives, soaps, waxes, disinfectants, powders, aerosol and pump sprays, paints, lubricants, bleach, fabric softeners, and water softener supplies.
Flea and Tick Treatments In addition to storing where pets cannot reach or gain access to these items, use only the recommended doses.  Always follow the dosing schedule.
Antifreeze (Ethylene glycol)
Pets can be attracted to this sweet tasting, brightly colored liquid.  "One swallow may be lethal for small animals," Crosby advises.
 
Pest Control Baits and Poisons These are baits you're using to attract pests and they can also attract your pet!  Beware.
Medications "One of the most common household poisons are medications - either discovered by the pet or purposely administered by the owner," Crosby says.  Your veterinarian must guide you with giving any medications to your pets.  Over-the-counter and prescription drugs require authorization from your veterinarian.  "Accidental poisonings, especially from NSAIDs are very common," she says.
Foods and Food Additives Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that can be toxic to animals.  It is often found in foods labeled as "sugar free."  Chocolate, caffeine, raisins, and grapes are known toxins for pets.
Trash Cans "The sheer mix of items in a trash can (may) make a pet owner forget the combined potential hazard," alerts Crosby.  Cleanser containers, food scraps, broken and sharp objects could severely harm a pet who wouldn't usually bother a trash can.  "Make sure your trash is secure."

Creepy, Crawly Critters

 There are many parasites we need be concerned about that can affect our pets. Ticks are one of the most common and frightful. Most people shudder just at the thought of a tick, let alone finding one on their pet or in their house.  Unfortunately, the people who study these things tell us we should expect a large increase in the numbers of ticks.  Global warming and milder winters may be contributing to the surge of ticks, even to areas they may not have populated before.
Ticks are found worldwide, but tend to be found more in areas with warm, humid climates.  They are parasites that attach to mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians, and suck blood from their host.
There are four stages in the tick life cycle; each tick requires three hosts and takes at least one year to complete the cycle.  Each female tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs in the environment. Egg hatches and forms a larva which is very small, the size of a head of a pin, and it attaches usually to a small mammal or bird.  Once it is done feeding, it detaches, and molts in the environment to the next stage, the nymph.  The nymph then finds another, usually larger host to attach to and suck blood.  Once it is done, it detaches, and matures into the adult tick.  Adult ticks then need to find a suitable host.  They climb to the top of long grass, bushes, or other plants, and wait for a dog, cat, deer, cow, or any other animal to brush up against it.   Once on its host, it again bites the skin and feeds by drinking blood. 
There are many different species of ticks, but most, if not all, can carry diseases they can give to their host.  Common tick borne diseases are Lyme disease, Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  All of these diseases can affect dogs, and many can occur in cats, people, and other species.  The eggs can be infected inside the female tick, so even the tiny larval tick can be infectious.
There are some things you can do to try to prevent ticks in your house and yard.  If you live in a more rural area, guinea fowl are great tick exterminators.  Just two birds can clear two acres in one year.  You can reduce the tick habitat by removing the leaf litter and clearing tall grass and brush.  Discourage any wildlife from entering your yard with fences.  If you live near woods, create a three foot wide barrier at the edge of your lawn with wood chips or gravel; ticks can't crawl across this.  You should check your pets daily and remove any ticks you find.
We have three chemicals that we use on pets that will kill ticks, but only one can be used on cats.  Fipronil, found in Frontline, can be used on dogs and cats.  Permethrin  has been used on dogs, but is very toxic to cats, you need to read labels and if it says "for dogs only", do not apply it to a cat as it will likely be lethal.  Amitraz will also kill ticks.  It is available for dogs only, in the form of a collar called Preventic.  This is very effective but you must make sure the dog can't eat the collar.  A new product by Merial called Certifect is a combination of fipronil and a low dose of amitraz.  This is for dogs only, is applied topically once monthly, and is very effective.
You should talk to your veterinarian about the tick diseases in your area.  There is a test kit your veterinarian can use in the clinic that will test for Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichia at the same time your dog gets its annual heartworm test.  Your veterinarian can also discuss any treatments or preventatives from which your pet may benefit.

Prevent Incurable Horse Virus

Quick Facts About Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV)

• Horses are particularly susceptible to the virus.
• A sick horse is not a threat to its owner.
• One horse cannot get the infection from another horse.
• A sick horse cannot give the infection to a human or a mosquito.
• The infection is received by mosquitoes that bite birds carrying the virus in their blood.
• Direct physical contact between a horse and a human will not pass the virus.
• The virus is not passed through body fluids.
• Mosquitoes cannot be infected again by biting an infected horse.
• The virus can only be passed by mosquitoes that have eaten from an infected bird.       

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, advises the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  The virus is rare and causes inflammation of the brain called encephalitis.  Animals, especially horses, are vulnerable to this infection.
"All equine cases are the result of mosquitoes which have fed on infected birds and then feed on unvaccinated horses, " advises Wayne Crans, Entomology Research Professor in Questions Regarding Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Horses.  Horses are increasingly susceptible to the EEEV infection.  The virus involved attacks the horse's central nervous system.  "Onset is abrupt and horse cases are almost always fatal," he says.
Symptoms evident in horses infected with the virus include marked loss of coordination, unsteadiness and erratic behavior.  Other signs to be aware of in horses are loss of appetite, drooping eyelids and lower lip, depression, blindness, aimless wandering and circling, and occasional paralysis.  The treatment that may be provided by your veterinarian or emergency animal hospital is typically ineffective.  Crans reports that after the first indications of illness in an animal "seizures resulting in death usually occur within 48 to 72 hours."
"The greater the number of infected mosquitoes, the greater the risk," says Dr. Alfred DeMaria, Wisconsin's top disease tracker," so preventing mosquito bites becomes even more important."  Protecting yourself and your horse can be enhanced by following the suggestions made by the CDC and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

▪ Provide nighttime shelter for horses from hungry mosquitoes by housing them in a barn.
▪ Wash out horse troughs frequently to reduce the breeding of mosquitoes near paddock areas.
▪ Eliminate sources of standing water.
▪ Wear protective clothing.
▪ Use insect repellent on exposed skin or clothing when outdoors especially those that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
▪ Reduce or avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

Crans urges that vaccinations be provided to horses by only licensed veterinarians to ensure that their protection is effective.  Infected horses are often found to have been "improperly vaccinated or (were) vaccinated with vaccine that had lost its protective properties."
The vaccinations when properly given are only effective for one year.  Annual booster shots are required.  Animals receiving their first vaccination will require a two-shot series to guarantee that their protection is adequate.
Humans that are infected with EEEV may not have any apparent illness or symptoms.  Cases that are classified as severe "begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting.  The illness may then progress into disorientation, seizures, or coma."  These severe cases involve an inflammatory condition of the brain called encephalitis advises the CDC.
Sources:

Boston Globe. Massachusetts health officials raise risk level for EEE.
 
Center for Disease Control.
Crans, Wayne J. Questions regarding eastern equine encephalitis and horses. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet # FS737.
Merck Veterinary Manual.