What’s the Big Deal About Blood Screening in Senior Pets?

The life expectancy of our pets has nearly doubled in the last 50 years due to great improvements in veterinary medicine and animal nutrition. Geriatric healthcare has become a large part of the veterinary world. Happily, there are now many more options for improving the quality of life for our aging pets.

We are often questioned about the importance of bloodwork. A key component of any wellness plan for an older pet should be annual, and even better, biannual bloodwork and laboratory screening tests. These tests typically include a Complete Blood Count, which can detect anemia, infection, chronic inflammatory conditions, blood clotting problems, and even some cancers. A serum chemistry panel screens for many different illnesses in their early stages, including kidney, liver, and/or pancreatic disease, diabetes, and hormone imbalances. Most senior wellness screening packages also include a thyroid test and a urinalysis, which provide valuable information about thyroid levels and kidney and bladder function and health.

That’s the type of information that senior wellness screening provides. Here are the reasons why it’s so important:

1. It’s much easier to treat a condition diagnosed in it’s early stages than to play catch up after the disease has significantly progressed. It’s also typically much less expensive. Almost every pet will develop at least one serious medical condition in their senior years. Regular bloodscreening allows us to diagnose these medical conditions as early as possible. The chances of successfully treating geriatric disease is directly dependent on how soon the condition is caught.
2. It is the nature of cats and dogs to hide the symptoms of their illnesses. This is one reason why pets can seem perfectly healthy one day and critically ill the next. They will hide disease until it is no longer physically possible to do so. Often a client will bring in a geriatric pet that shows no concrete signs of illness on exam. But then lab results reveal urinary tract infection, chronic inflammation, or kidney disease. The ability to diagnose these illnesses before they are too advanced to hide is one beauty of regular senior wellness screening.
3. Older pets age the equivalent of 4-7 human years in a 12 month period of time. A lot can change during that amount of aging! This is why bloodwork is recommended twice yearly in geriatric pets. If a pet develops a condition soon after an annual exam, that condition has the chance to progress significantly before the next annual exam. For this reason, every major professional veterinary organization that publishes health recommendations for the “over fifty” crowd recommends bloodwork and a physical exam every 6 months.

It is one of the bittersweet aspects of loving and living with an animal that they age much more quickly than we do. On average, dogs are eligible for senior wellness screening around the age of seven – this is equivalent to about 50 years of age in many dog breeds – although giant breeds age more quickly. Cats are considered middle aged between the ages of 7 and 10.

Regular senior wellness screening and exams are important. Early detection of disease can allow us to keep our pets happy, healthy, pain-free, and WITH US for as long as possible. And that’s a wonderful thing.

Feline Exploratory Laparoscopy, www.veterinarylaparoscopy.com

Lap Spay?

Laparoscopy is one of those words that make you turn the page when you see it – because most people don’t really know what it is. But if you are a pet owner, stick around. You may get to make a choice about laparoscopy one day and you’ll want to make an educated decision.

What is Laparoscopy?

Laparoscopic surgery is widely used in human medicine. It’s a minimally invasive surgery that surgeons use to perform appendectomies, gall bladder removal, and various abdominal procedures.

Basically, laparoscopic surgery is done by making a very small incision in the abdomen and inserting a tiny camera into the abdominal cavity. The abdomen is then filled with carbon dioxide which allows the surgeon to see all of the organs in the body cavity. The tiny camera takes these views, magnifies them, and projects them onto a monitor. Additional entry incisions may be made and laparoscopic instruments are maneuvered through these ports to perform varied abdominal procedures. All of the incisions are between ¼” and ½” in size.

Over the last few years, laparoscopic technique has been developed to perform the most common abdominal surgery in dogs and cats – spays. At Animal Care Clinic, we are now offering a choice between traditional spays and laparoscopic spays….and here’s what you should know:

It’s Less Painful: In a traditional spay, a 2-3” incision is made in the abdomen, through which the ovarian ligament is literally torn from the abdominal wall. This causes internal bruising and post-operative pain. But in a lap spay, the magnification provided by the laparoscope allows the surgeon to carefully cut and cauterize the ovarian ligament. In addition, the entire procedure is performed through two tiny incisions which are easily sutured. A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that laparoscopic spays offered up to 65% less pain than a traditional open spay. At Animal Care Clinic, we see this difference in smoother anesthetic procedures and quieter recoveries.

It’s Less Invasive: With larger incisions there is a greater chance for post-surgical infection. Small laparoscopic incisions close easily, and are easy to monitor and keep clean.

Faster Recovery Time: The recovery time for a lap spay is typically much shorter. Your pet gets to go home with you on the same day as her laparoscopic surgery vs. the overnight stay traditionally required.

Laparoscopy has become a standard practice in human medicine. It now promises to become the gold standard of veterinary surgery as well. Animal Care Clinic in Wilsonville is one of very few veterinary clinics in Oregon offering this advanced procedure. We believe that laparoscopic surgery is the best surgical alternative we can offer to you and your pet – and we are proud to do so.

Four for Friday: Pet Tips for Fall

1. Cold, wet and drafty weather is hard on old joints.Provide your elderly, arthritic pets with a warm, dry place to get away from drafts this fall. Heated beds or pads are always a luxury for these old guys. Watch your pet for signs of pain – including slowing down, loss of appetite, and/or reluctance to climb stairs or rise from a down position. We have lots of options available for treating the pain of arthritis at Animal Care Clinic! Give us a call if you think your furry friend could use some relief.

2. Your running partners should glow in the dark. Earlier nights means evening runners and walkers are often out in dark, drizzly weather. When traveling on the streets, it’s a good idea to not only wear reflective gear on your own body, but on your pets as well. Collars and harnesses are available with reflective tape woven into their weave.

3. Make sure your pet is wearing identification on Halloween night. If your house gets a number of trick or treaters, consider putting your pet in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating. The constant noise and strange sights and sounds can be stressful to many cats and dogs. Keep current tags on your pet in the event that he darts out the front door in the midst of the hubbub.

4. Keep the treats to yourself. It’s the beginning of the holiday season. We all know that chocolate can be toxic to pets. But rich, fatty foods can be deadly as well. Poultry bones, bacon drippings, and all the normal ingredients for prepping standard holiday meals are yummy in our tummies – but bad news for pets. When you get the urge to splash the bacon grease on the kibble….think P.A.N.C.R.E.A.T.I.T.I.S, and don’t do it. We’ll talk about pancreatitis in detail next month – in the blog and in the November Paw Print.

Four for Friday: Happy Cat Month, every day of the year!

Here we are at the end of September. Did you realize that it was Senior Pet Wellness Month AND Happy Cat Month? In addition, last week was National Dog Week. Sheesh, all this celebrating! Not to minimize the importance of senior pets (who are always a relevant topic), or undermine the fabulousness of the domestic canine (because really, every week should be National Dog Week, right?), but today we will be honoring the Happy Cat.

Here are FOUR ways to keep your cat happy (by no means an exhaustive list!):

1. Good veterinary care. Take your kitty to the veterinarian for regular checkups, including annual exams and bloodwork. Spaying/neutering, vaccination, microchipping, and dental care are all important parts of thorough, well-rounded feline veterinary care. Keep current with relevant preventative medications. Even all-indoor cats can host fleas, ear mites, heartworms, tapeworms, and more – especially if they live with other animals that go in and out of the house. Cats are extremely good at hiding illness, so it is especially important to stay ahead of the game and keep on top of their health as they age. As cats get older, their relationship with their veterinarian becomes all the more important.

2. Good mental and physical stimulation. Busy cats are happy cats, and just like humans, they tend to stay healthier at all stages of life. Some forms of stimulation are downright necessary – such as scratching posts and surfaces to help your cat remain limber and maintain its claws. But cats also love to play and hunt. Some cats really love to climb and owners have sometimes gone to great lengths to allow for this (check out this link to an unbelievable cat friendly house from Japan). Other cats are content with an empty box or a fabric tunnel.

Cats who love to hunt are often fond of prey toys – toys that require them to pounce, leap, swat, and chase. Catnip mice, feather toys, and laser pointers are examples. Hiding a cat’s food can also be a great form of both mental and physical stimulation as they search for pieces of kibble around the house. My cat, however, will sit for what seems like hours in front of the refrigerator waiting for the stray piece of kibble to emerge from where it was kicked. That probably doesn’t count as stimulation!

Training cats may seem farfetched, but many cats can be trained to do all sorts of things – if they are willing and in the mood! If you find this hard to believe, check out this cute YouTube video of Gregory Popovich and his Circus Cats. Training is a fun and novel activity to share with your cat, but there are two other very good reasons to consider training. First, when it’s done with patience and love it can strengthen the bond between the cat and its owner. And second, training requires mental work – which can be significantly more tiring than physical work. A mentally AND physically exercised kitty is a Happy Cat.

3. Good nutrition. Great strides have been made in animal nutrition. There are now a number of excellent diet lines available to pet owners. It’s important when choosing a brand of pet food to make an educated decision. First of all, consider the age of the cat. Kittens, adults and senior cats should be fed appropriate diets for optimum growth and optimum maintenance. The activity level of the cat is also important. Cats that don’t get a lot of exercise may benefit from an Indoor Cat diet, with a lower calorie count. If your cat has a medical condition there are many prescription diets available that can help ease the burden that disease and medication can place on the body. Keep in mind that quality pet food is rarely found at a low price in the supermarket aisle. The best foods will be found at the vet clinic or a reputable pet store.

4.Good company.Try to give your cat your undivided attention for some part of every day. Sitting with your cat, talking to your cat, grooming your cat, all provide health benefits – to both you and your pet! Most housecats are social creatures and are fairly easy to please. Cats can become attenuated to a social time at a certain hour of the day – which can often be easier to manage in a busy home. Maybe some lap time with your morning cup of coffee? Or some ear scratches between your favorite TV shows in the evening? If your lifestyle makes it difficult to provide regular one on one time with your cat, consider getting another cat to be a playmate. A furry friend will often go long ways towards making a cat happy.

It’s the last day of Happy Cat Month. But you still have time to celebrate with your cat! Get out there and buy a laser pointer. Set up a bird feeder outside the window. Get out that cat brush in the back of the drawer. Give your kitty some undivided attention today. After all, a Happy Cat helps to make a happy home.

There’s a lot of information circulating right now about the prevention of heatstroke (hyperthermia) in pets. In light of the sustained high temperatures that we are currently sweating through, I thought it would be a timely topic to visit one more time. But this time, let’s talk about WHY pets need extra attention in hot weather. Let’s talk about pet sweat.

Humans are typically a very sweaty species. We sweat because it’s hot outside or because we have been exercising. And when we sweat it usually becomes outwardly visible on our brows and/or under our arms. If we sweat enough, moisture becomes visible across the entire surface of our skin. Like most human characteristics, sweating is variable from person to person. Some people are just shiny, sweaty individuals. Others (like my own mother) seem to sweat very little and have to be very careful not to succumb to heatstroke in hot weather.

Sweating is one of the ways that the body regulates its own temperature. The body shivers to regulate temperature in response to cold and the body sweats in response to heat. When the fine layer of moisture spreads over the skin it begins to evaporate. This evaporation causes cooling to occur on the surface of the body and helps lower our body temperature. It’s a very effective cooling method for humans because we have sweat glands distributed over most of our body surface. If we sweat enough, cooling occurs all over.

The dog and the cat, on the other hand, have most of their sweat glands located around their foot pads. Occasionally at the clinic, very nervous cats will leave a trail of wet footprints across the exam table. You may have seen your own overheated dog leave damp footprints on your wood floors at home. But there’s not a lot of surface area around the foot pads to accomplish cooling. So dogs and cats have to use additional methods to cool themselves down.

Dogs use open mouth panting as their primary method of cooling. Moisture on both the tongue and the lining of the lungs evaporates. This is a very effective way of cooling the dog down. It’s one reason why it’s so very important to keep pets well hydrated during hot weather – to keep their mucous membranes moist so evaporation can occur.

The brain of the dog is also able to dilate the blood vessels in the face and ears in response to heat. This allows the dog’s blood to flow closer to the surface of the skin where it is cooled by closer contact with the cooler ambient temperature. This pretty much only works when the dog is overheated due to exercise. Because if the temperature is higher outside than the dog’s own body temperature nothing is accomplished.

Canines also possess a very interesting anatomical bonus called a rete mirable which is located at the base of the neck. It is a complex grouping of small arteries and veins which thermally isolates the head from the rest of the body. In other words, the brain, which is very heat sensitive, is protected from the muscles of the body, which generate heat. This is why dogs can sustain physical exertion over a prolonged time in a hot environment. Prey animals may slow due to overheating as heat from the body impacts the brain. A rabbit may be able to outrun the dog, but eventually it will have to slow down or overheat. The cool brained dog, if it has kept up the chase, will then catch up.

Cats deal with heat a little differently. They seek out shade and avoid exerting themselves. They will sleep away the heat of the day under the porch, in the shade of a tree, or in front of a fan. They will also seek out cool surfaces where they stretch out to maximize skin contact. Cats will also groom themselves more frequently during heat events. As saliva cools from their fur and the surface of their skin, it performs the same job as sweat.

If a cat resorts to panting due to the heat…..then you know it’s hot. Usually cats only pant in temperatures over 90 degrees. Although cats will also pant when extremely stressed or in pain. If your cat is panting due to hot weather, you need to take steps to cool it down. And on that note, here are some ways to……

Keep your pet cool when it’s hot!

1. Keep your pets indoors in air conditioning or in cool rooms with fans.
2. If pets are outside, make sure shade is constantly available.
3. Offer cool water at all times. You can also freeze a bowl of water overnight so it will thaw and provide cold water throughout the day.
4. Have your long haired pet groomed for the summer – a puppy cut for your dog or a lion cut for your kitty.
5. Spray down your dog with a hose and wipe down your cat with wet towels.
6. Provide your dog with a kiddie pool outside. Sometimes they may even want to bring the pool inside! Check out this so CUTE YouTube video: Gus vs. Pool
7. In very hot weather, cats will sometimes bed down on “beds” of ice packs if they are wrapped in towels or pillow cases.
8. Avoid exercising your dog in the middle of the day.
9. DO NOT EVER leave your animal in a parked car on any day when the temperature is over 60 degree

 dog image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

cat image: smokedsalmon/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

sun image: digitalart/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

]]> http://www.animalcarevets.com/2011/09/09/pet-sweat/feed/ 0 http://www.animalcarevets.com/2011/08/31/first-aid-for-pets-empower-yourself/ http://www.animalcarevets.com/2011/08/31/first-aid-for-pets-empower-yourself/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:46:52 +0000 JPellegrino http://www.animalcarevets.com/?p=782

Recently a number of first aid related articles have come across my newsfeed. It started me thinking….how many of you would know what to do if your pet was involved in an accident at home or at the park? Would you know what to do if your dog had a seizure? Or if your cat came home dragging one rear leg? Maybe your dog ate oh-so-toxic slug bait? What if your pet was choking?

The immediate reaction in these situations is to call for help and rush the pet to the vet clinic or the after hours emergency clinic. That’s an appropriate reaction. A pet who has suffered trauma or injury should be seen immediately by your veterinarian. First aid is not a substitute for veterinary care, but it may help to save your pet’s life until you can get the veterinary care you need.

All pet owners should stock some basic first aid supplies, as well as an easily accessed first aid manual. To help you set up your pet first aid kit, here’s a list of basic first aid supplies – along with the emergency numbers you will need in the event of an accident. Print it off. Keep it with your first aid kit. In an emergency, you won’t have to search for important numbers.

Basic Home First Aid Kit for Pets

It is also appropriate to keep a veterinary first aid manual on hand. The link below will take you to the VeterinaryPartner website and their online first aid manual. We do not recommend that you go online during an emergency, rather print the information out and store it alongside your first aid kit. The Red Cross also publishes first aid manuals for both dogs and cats.

VeterinaryPartner.com – First Aid and Emergency Care

Red Cross Store – Dog First Aid

Red Cross Store – Cat First Aid

Finally, if you should be interested in hands on learning, DoveLewis is offering a Basics of Pet First Aid community workshop on Thursday, September 29^th (2011) from 6-8pm. These workshops are free to the public (although donations are welcome), but you do need to register online. And you have to leave your pets at home.

DoveLewis Pet First Aid Community Workshop

Emergencies usually occur suddenly and without warning. Being prepared, knowing what to do, and knowing where to go in the event of an emergency can help save your pet’s life. Please contact us if you have any questions about pet first aid, and the next time you bring your furry friend in for their annual exam, feel free to ask for a demonstration of the Heimlich maneuver!

photo: renjith krishnan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dr. Brent demonstrating laparoscopic surgery in the new surgery suite

Many of you have taken the time to comment on our recent renovation and to wish us well. Thank you so much. Now seems to be a good time to address a very understandable question that we have been getting from clients since we announced our expansion.

Will our prices be going up to pay for our newly remodeled clinic?

The short answer is No. It has never been our intention to up our prices to pay for more space. This is particularly true during an economic crisis that has resulted in people having LESS money to pay for veterinary care. In fact, we have lowered the price of many of our services to try and make wellness care more affordable. Our current dental, spay, and neuter packages are some of the most reasonable on the market….if you compare apples to apples. You will always find clinics that will spay and neuter your pet for less – but the price isn’t likely to include bloodwork, an IV catheter, pain control, etc.

To understand our need to expand, here’s a little peek into the former everyday reality of Animal Care Clinic.

Radiology, for example. Since our beginning, we have had to develop our radiographs in the tiny bathroom (I mean you practically had to sit on the toilet to run films through the machine). And if someone was already IN the bathroom? Out of luck. We had no separate room for actually shooting the xray films. When taking radiographs, everyone in the back treatment area that was not lined with lead had to “duck and run” from the room. Usually we were treating other patients – we took them with us. It also took extra time to develop the films, which meant that your less than perky (and often very ill) dogs, cats and occasional bunny had to hang out on the xray table waiting to see if a shot had to be retaken. And although they received lots of hugs and kisses, they would have rather been with you!

We now have a designated radiology room. No more running hither and yon to avoid loose change xray particles. The xrays are now digital – which means no developer – which means less time on the table for your animals. We can get diagnostic results from the radiologist much quicker as well.

On to our old surgery suite! Every day we had to move a lot of equipment out of the surgery suite based on when and how we were treating our patients for the day (anesthetic machines, monitors, dental equipment, IV stands, etc.). It took a lot of maneuvering. Most significantly, the room was really too small to perform the types of surgical procedures that we wanted to be able to offer.

Our new surgery suite is lit with natural light as well as surgical light. It is stocked with just what we need for surgery. There’s plenty of room. We now have the space AND the equipment to be able to offer laparoscopic surgical procedures (blog post with pictures coming soon!). There is also a pass through window for surgical supplies to help maintain a sterile environment. This is all much safer and more efficient – particularly during an emergency.

The boarding facilities have improved tenfold. Our old space housed boarding, grooming, laundry, and storage all in one room. Now our dogs and cats are boarded separately. If you haven’t seen the new cat room you had better come by without an appointment just to view the kitties. We now have four large indoor runs which allow dogs of any size to stretch out. And we finally have a BACK door! We no longer have to squeeze boarding dogs through a gauntlet of bristling and sniffing dogs and cats in the waiting room when it’s time for a walk. The waiting room is now just a waiting room and there’s space to keep your pet away from other pets while you wait.

We had no easily accessed and peaceful location to perform the delicate task of euthanasia.

We had so little space that we were constantly tripping over power cords during morning procedures. Imagine a room the size of an average bedroom with all of these things plugged in: 2 rolling IV pumps, grooming clippers, a rolling dental machine, a warming pad, 2 rolling anesthesia machines, and a rolling dental xray machine. There’s a technician performing a canine dental cleaning on a table as big as a gurney. A doctor and a second technician are performing a feline blood draw at an equally large treatment table. At the counter a doctor is looking at a sample through the microscope and a third technician is filling a prescription. On the periphery are two banks of holding kennels and a full size refrigerator. Last but not least, you should add the daily rowdy-but-adorable 8 month old lab that needs to be restrained for…..something! We managed, with a good dose of humor, to do our job well in our tightly packed space.

However, we have wanted so much to be able to offer more for your pets. More boarding options. Better grooming options. Faster procedures. Laparoscopic surgery. Room for laser therapy. Room for rehabilitation therapy. Because of huge leaps in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer and we want to be able to offer you as many options as we can to keep them comfortable into their old age. It’s just a bonus to offer a client bathroom that doesn’t knock you out with radiology chemical fumes while you squeeze in next to the hot water heater.

So that’s why, in the middle of a recession, Dr. Brent and Dr. Debbie felt that they needed to make the expansion happen. They wanted to be able to practice the kind of veterinary care that they believe in.

We will not pass the bill on to you. If our prices increase, it will be due to standard price increases that happen every year – just like cost of living raise adjustments.

Thank you for being our clients. We appreciate your loyalty throughout the years. And we are always privileged to serve you, and your pets, whatever our surroundings may be.

Why the sudden discussion of Kennel Cough?
I chose this topic of discussion because as you are preparing to travel this summer, whether you plan to bring your dog(s) with you on vacation, board them, or take them to the groomers it is imperative that they be current on their vaccinations. The most common infectious illness is “kennel cough”. The label “kennel cough” is a widely used term. It is also known, however, as tracheobronchitis, canine infectious tracheobronchitis, Bordetallosis, or Bordetella.

As we are all so excited for spring it is very important to be aware of the environmental hazards that come with it. There are many plants and pesticides that can be in the home or back yard that are infamously poisonous to cats and dogs. Easter Lilies are among the most poisonous plant for cats. So for the men out there, if you plan to impress your lady with flowers avoid picking lilies. After a cat eats a few leaves from the Easter lily plant they can experience renal failure within two to three days

Unfortunately, dogs tend show up more often at the vet’s office due to their strong curiosity to explore. Amaryllis tends to be the most common toxic flower of choice. The bulb of the flower produces the most toxins and can cause significant gastrointestinal irritation as well as liver and kidney damage. Another common toxic plant is the Azalea plant. The leaves and flower buds are the most toxic part of the plant. Symptoms of toxicity would include vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, weakness of the central nervous system, and can ultimately lead to coma and death. Another important fact to remember with dogs is that they do like to munch on grass, so avoid unknown environments where the grass could have been treated with chemicals.

The most common symptoms of plant toxicity in a dog or cat include irritation of the skin, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, lethargy, and loss of appetite. In extreme cases symptoms can include severe seizures, coma, paralysis, and even death. There are many ornamental plants that can bring beauty and enjoyment into our home but can be very harmful to our pets. Please go to the OVMA (Oregon Veterinary Medical Association) website for a complete list of plants that are toxic to cats and dogs. (http://oregonvma.org/care-health/poisonous-plants )

Another important item to be aware of is gardening products. Products like fertilizers, insecticides, and snail bait are extremely toxic to animals. If your pet consumes any of these gardening products they can experience symptoms from vomiting and diarrhea to tremors, seizures, and even death. The best thing to do if you plan to use any type of fertilizer is to wait 12-24 hours to let your animals back into the environment so that it can be completely dry. Avoid letting animals into any environment where they could find snail bait, rat poison, or insecticide.

Tips for the pet loving gardener…

• Never assume your pet will not eat the plant.
• Be aware of the scientific names so that in the event that they do decide to munch on a plant, you can call poison control and tell them exactly which plant they have eaten.
• Toxic plant lists do not always include local species of plants.
• Avoid toxic gardening products.
• If you believe your pet has eaten a toxic plant do not wait to induce vomiting. Contact your veterinarian immediately. You can also contact the Animal Poison Control Center. They are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their number is 888.426.4435

Never assume your pet “has learned their lesson”. Remember that once an animal tastes something appealing they are very likely to try to eat it again!

Please click on the link below to watch an informative video on “Plants Potentially Poisonous to Pets” given by The Humane Society.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/plants_poisonous_to_pets.html