Petville

Sterilizing pets isn't a priority for new owners

Petsmart Charities commissioned a survey in an effort to understand factors contributing to continued pet overpopulation, which results in an estimated 4 million to 6 million shelter animals being euthanized each year. Among findings:

• Of the unsterilized dogs and cats acquired in the past year, 48% still haven't been sterilized.
• 38% of 18- to 34-year-olds haven't sterilized their pets, vs. 24% of 55-plus owners.
• 13% of dog owners and 19% of cat owners have wound up with litters, more than half of them unintentional

And there's confusion relating to the age at which pets should be sterilized, owing partly, experts say, to lack of agreement among veterinarians.

Since pets can carry litters when they're just 6 months old, many vets recommend 4 or 5 months as the proper age. But a growing number, motivated by animal welfare advocates who want puppies and kittens sterilized before they go into adopters' homes, believe 2 months is safe.

Among survey respondents who had recently acquired a pet, 17% said they have no idea of the proper age to spay/neuter; 42% said 6 months; 14% said at least 9 months.

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Dental concern in Dogs: Origin of Periodontitis

Periodontitis… a general term for a disease of the oral cavity that attacks the gum and bone and delicate tissues around the teeth.

Generalized periodontitis seems more common in small breeds of dogs, with Dachshunds, Yorkshire Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers leading the pack. Certain conditions in the mouth such as acid/alkali balance, numbers and types of bacteria, amount of physical abrasion over the teeth surfaces and gingival strength all must be in balance for optimal oral health to be present. David Jones, DVM, Resident in Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, comments on how poor oral hygiene affects the dog. He says “People that have gingivitis and periodontitis report that it is painful. Unfortunately with the majority of dogs neglect is the norm when it comes to the health of the mouth. When dogs are presented for a dental cleaning, often they have substantial gingivitis and periodontitis, and almost certainly have been enduring significant discomfort or pain. Even if the effects of gingivitis and periodontitis in dogs are limited to pain and discomfort it represents an unnecessary deterioration in the quality of life of man’s best friends.”

Teeth actually need to be exercised! Pressure on and movement of the teeth help to strengthen the microscopic fibrils, called Sharpeys’ Fibers, that hold the teeth in place in the alveolus (socket). In the dog that gets plenty of “dental exercise” by chewing on hard food or such items as rawhide or chew toys, the teeth and surrounding tissues are mildly stressed; this in turn prompts regeneration of healthy new tissues. Plus, the simultaneous physical abrasion against the teeth scrapes away early plaque that is forming nearly all the time. Get rid of this early plaque and subsequent calculus simply has no chance to form. Calculus buildup creates gumline recession and provides pockets for pus accumulation. Pyorrhea results and foul breath odor is the signal that something is wrong.

Pet Pharma: the "humanization" trend

The practice of prescribing medications designed for humans to animals has grown substantially over the past decade and a half, and pharmaceutical companies have recently begun experimenting with a more direct strategy: marketing behavior-modification and “lifestyle” drugs specifically for pets.

America’s animals, it seems, have very American health problems. More than 20 percent of our dogs are overweight; Pfizer’s Slentrol was approved by the F.D.A. last year as the country’s first canine anti-obesity medication. Dogs live 13 years on average, considerably longer than they did in the past; Pfizer’s Anipryl treats cognitive dysfunction so that absent-minded pets can remember the location of the supper bowl or doggy door. For lonely dogs with separation anxiety, Eli Lilly brought to market its own drug Reconcile last year. The only difference between it and Prozac is that Reconcile is chewable and tastes like beef.

Doggy diet pills may be plainly absurd, but scientists in an expanding field known as behavioral pharmacology say that the combination of new drug therapies and progressive training techniques can solve problems that in the past almost always resulted in euthanasia. The supposed effectiveness of psychiatric medicines in treating mood and behavior issues is prompting new questions in the centuries-old debate over what, exactly, separates mankind from the beasts. If the strict Cartesian view were true — that animals are essentially flesh-and-blood automatons, lacking anything resembling human emotion, memory and consciousness — then why do animals develop mental illnesses that eerily resemble human ones and that respond to the same medications? What can behavioral pharmacology teach us about animal minds and, ultimately, our own?

Marketers have a new name for the age-old tendency to view animals as furry versions of ourselves: “humanization,” a trend that is fueling the explosive growth of the pet industry and the rise of modern pet pharma. Americans forked over $49 billion for pet products and services last year, up $11.5 billion from 2003; other than consumer electronics, pet products are the fastest-growing retail segment. The market expansion is being driven both by more pets and by more spending per pet, especially by affluent baby boomers whose children have graduated from college. A third of the total spending, and the fastest-growing category, is health care, with treatments formerly reserved for people — root canals, chemotherapy, liposuction, mood pills — being administered to pets.

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Poisonous house plants affecting pets (dogs and cats)

Information on this page may change without notice to Petville.com. Therefore Petville.com cautions you to update your own information regarding emergency numbers and contact personnel such as your veterinarian, local physician and emergency care offices.

If your pet has come into contact with a potential toxin... 
leave your computer and call your veterinarian or animal emergency immediately!

Or call the ANIMAL POISON CONTROL CENTER 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435)
$50 fee may be applied to credit card

Here is a quick reference guide to the more common house and garden plants and foods that are toxic to our dogs, cats - most all animals and children. If you have these plants or foods, you need not dispose of them-just keep them away from pets and children. (*substances are especially dangerous and can be fatal).

 

Pictured here: Lilies
Members of the Lilium spp. are considered to be highly toxic to cats. While the poisonous component has not yet been identified, it is clear that with even ingestion of very small amounts of the plant, severe kidney damage could result.

Cardiovascular Toxins
Avocado (leaves, seeds, stem, skin)*
Azalea (entire rhododendron family)
Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)*
Bleeding heart*
Castor bean*
Foxglove (Digitalis)*
Kalanchoe*
Lily-of-the-valley*
Milkweed*
Mistletoe berries*
Mountain laurel
Oleander *
Rosary Pea*
Yew*

Gastrointestinal Toxins
Amaryllis bulb*
Azalea (entire rhododendron family)
Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)*
Bird of Paradise
Bittersweet
Boxwood
Buckeye
Buttercup (Ranunculus)
Caffeine
Castor bean*
Chocolate *
Chrysanthemum (a natural source of pyrethrins)
Clematis
Crocus bulb
Croton (Codiaeum sp.)
Cyclamen bulb
Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia)*
English ivy (All Hedera species of ivy)
Garlic*
Hyacinth bulbs
Holly berries
Iris corms
Lily (bulbs of most species)
Marijuana or hemp (Cannabis)*
Narcissus, daffodil (Narcissus)
Onions*
Pencil cactus/plant*
Potato (leaves and stem)
Rosary Pea*
Spurge (Euphorbia sp.)
Tomatoes (leaves and stem)

Respiratory Toxin
Almonds*
Apricot*
Cherries*
Chinese sacred or heavenly bamboo*
Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia)*
Elderberry, unripe berries*
Hydrangea*
Jimson weed*
Peaches*

Neurological Toxins
Alcohol (all beverages, ethanol, methanol, isopropyl)
Amaryllis bulb*
Azalea (entire rhododendron family)
Bracken fern
Buckeye
Caffeine
Castor bean*
Chocolate*
Choke cherry, unripe berries*
Chrysanthemum (natural source of pyrethrins)
Crocus bulb
Delphinium, larkspur, monkshood*
Lupine species
Marijuana or hemp (Cannabis)*
Mistletoe berries*
Morning glory*
Poinsettia
Potato (leaves and stem)
Rosary Pea*
Tomatoes (leaves and stem)

Kidney/Organ Failure Toxins
Anthurium*
Begonia*
Caladium*
Calla lily*
Jack-in-the-pulpit*
Lantana*
Oak*
Philodendron*
Rhubarb leaves*
Scheffelera*
Shamrock*

What should pet owners do if they suspect their animal has ingested a

poisonous plant? What symptoms should they look for?

If a pet owner suspects that their animal ingested a poisonous plant, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.  Its advised to bring in part of the to a nursery for identification if the exact species is not known.  Symptoms of poisonings can include almost any clinical sign. The animal may even appear completely normal for several hours or for days. 

Vaccinations...Too Many, Too Often?

As time goes on, new recommendations will be made by the veterinary profession. Be sure to consult with your own veterinarian regarding this issue of vaccinations for dogs and cats because suggested protocols can change as newer knowledge is gained.

Vaccinations, vaccinations, vaccinations. Dog and cat owners have been told by veterinarians and pet health care providers for years that annual vaccinations for Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Feline Leukemia and on and on...are required yearly. Annual vaccinations, also called annual boosters, have certainly played a major role in disease prevention in dogs and cats. Nevertheless, the question recently on the minds of dog and cat owners has been... Do these vaccines have to be given every year? And a second and equally important questions is... Are we vaccinating dogs and cats too much? Are we actually causing harm by over-vaccinating our pets? Are our decisions relating to vaccine use being made based on scientific and statistical evidence? After reading this article on vaccinations in dogs and cats, you, as the pet's health care advocate, will be better equipped to answer the question: Vaccinations...Too Many, Too Often?

Times are changing and vaccine protocols are changing. Do some pet owners fear vaccinating their pets because of unproved theories, anecdotal horror stories about vaccines causing widespread ill health among pets, or misinformation that starts as conjecture and gradually gains a life of its own and becomes a "fact" merely through repetition? The truth is that some dogs, cats, and humans do have severe and life-threatening complications from vaccine administration. The truth is, as well, that vaccines have prevented uncountable deaths over decades of use from diseases polio, small pox, whooping cough and rabies in humans. In dogs we rarely see a distemper case but I vividly recall 40 years ago watching helplessly while some wonderful dogs in my care died miserable deaths or had to be euthanized. Parvovirus is a deadly killer of dogs; the vaccine to help protect dogs from this disease are very effective and have prevented innumerable deaths. I rarely see cats with feline distemper (also called panleukopenia) these days thanks to some effective vaccines.

Are all vaccines safe all the time for every individual? Absolutely not... and neither are peanuts, sea food, or penicillin. Many materials, in individuals who are sensitized to them, do cause death, damage or chronic poor health if the sensitive individual continually is exposed to that product (antigen). House dust is a notorious allergy stimulating antigen, for example. So when someone speaks about vaccines being "the worst thing you can do to your pet", use some critical judgment to evaluate your response to such a pronouncement. It has a grain of truth IF your pet is allergic to anything in the vaccine dose including stabilizers, preservatives, or antibiotics. For that particular individual that is sensitized, the vaccine or products should not be used! However, just as there is no public outcry or need to totally stop the distribution and use of peanuts because some individuals may have a severe/life-threatening allergic reaction, vaccines for dogs, cats, humans and other animals should not be universally condemned just because in rare instances some individuals may have an unexpected adverse response.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) have updated vaccination data and suggested protocols. You can view these online and gain valuable, non-biased, scientifically established information regarding vaccines and vaccination protocols. Many veterinary medical colleges also have pet owner information relating to vaccination issue. One of the most thorough is available at the U. of California, Davis, College of Veterinary Medicine website.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is the age related deterioration of cognitive abilities characterized by behavioral changes in dogs that cannot be wholly attributed to general medical conditions such as neoplasia (cancer), infection or organ failure.  CDS is often referred to ads "old dog syndrome" or "senility", and is manifested by one or more of the signs listed in Table #1.

CDS is not "normal aging".  A number of pathophysiological changes are suspected to play a role in its development.   These include:
* deposition of amyloid plaques in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal part of the brain
* alterations in neurotransmitters, including dopamine
* increased levels of monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) in the brain
* increased levels of free radicals

The progressive, degenerative course of canine CDS involves a gradual decline of cognitive abilities sufficient to produce functional disability in the home and/or as a family member.

How common is CDS?

Older pets: The kidneys

More dogs and cats have died from kidney dysfunction than you would believe.

When I graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in June of 1970, I looked forward to the day when I would be able to successfully transplant healthy kidneys into dogs and cats terminally ill with renal failure.  I just knew someday it would happen.  It didn't.

A reasonably straightforward procedure, transplanting kidneys, especially in cats, does not seem to be a satisfactory protocol at this time.  It is being done in some University and Research settings, but it may be another 15 or 20 years before veterinary practitioners are able to employ this procedure to help their patients. There are too many problems with rejection and other related complications.

Each kidney is equipped with thousands of little tubules that do the work of filtering out body waste products and passing this fluid waste into the ureters and on to the bladder.  Unfortunately, the tubules do not repair themselves, like skin or muscle do, if they are damaged.  So whenever a tubule is blocked by scar tissue, damaged by toxins like ethylene glycol anti-freeze, harmed by infections like Leptospirosis, or destroyed by pressure from a kidney or bladder stone...the tubule is finished forever!  Even the aging process eliminates tubules over time and eventually there aren't enough good ones remaining to rid the body of toxins.  A condition called Uremic Poisoning is the result. After an animal is born the number of tubules never increases, always decreases.

 

Older pets: The eyes

The most obvious sign of aging in a dog (and less in cats) is often seen in their eyes.

That appearance to the center of the eye where instead of being dark or black it really looks like wax paper...that is due to a cataract.  The normally clear lens begins to dehydrate and reflects light back from the eye instead of trapping the light and focusing it on the retina.  There are many categories and causes of cataracts and if necessary the affected lens can be removed by veterinarians with special training. Any dog or cat may develop cataracts but it seems more common in some breeds such as the Boston Terrier.  Some veterinarians specialize in Ophthalmology and do advanced work with older dogs and cats with ocular problems.

Glaucoma, an increase in pressure within the eye, can have serious consequences, too.  Often undetected until intra-ocular damage has been done, Glaucoma can be controlled.  The usual signs are rather general and innocent.  Certain breeds have a greater chance to develop Glaucoma, such as Cocker Spaniels. Be sure to have your veterinarian give a close look at your pet's eyes especially after they reach 8 years of age.  If equipped, your veterinarian can measure the eye pressure in the office as part of the physical exam.

Kidney disease in dogs and cats

Kidney failure... kidney disease in the dog and cat is a common and difficult disorder to manage. 
Often called CRF... Chronic Renal Failure, it is seen most often in the older dog or cat. Kidney failure has it origins in a wide variety of causes.  For example, some animals are born with poorly constructed or functioning kidneys and never reach totally optimum health.  Eventually, these individuals usually fall into kidney failure at an early age.  Another type of kidney failure can occur after accidental ingestion of antifreeze that contains ethylene glycol. 

These situations cause sudden and often irreversible renal (kidney) failure. Quite commonly, kidney failure results from low grade, long term (chronic) inflammation of kidney tissues called chronic nephritis; the damage caused by this inflammation renders permanent damage to delicate renal tissues that are not able to repair themselves or heal as some other body tissues do.  Eventually, not enough normal functioning tissue remains to support the body's need for metabolic regulation and waste elimination. The dog or cat becomes UREMIC, a condition where body waste material builds up in the blood. These toxins promote vomiting, poor appetite, depression, and eventually death.  Bacterial invasion of the kidneys is a common cause of chronic nephritis and kidney failure.

The kidneys receive about 20 percent of the heart's blood output and play a vital role in keeping the dog or cat in normal metabolic balance. The glomerular blood vessels have a large endothelial surface which allows for the active and passive transport of many chemicals into and out of the kidneys.

Diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats

Diabetes in the dog and cat and the treatment for diabetes mellitus are interesting and challenging topics.  Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disorder where the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels.  (There is another dissimilar disease called Diabetes Insipidus that is associated with the pituitary gland.)  Each case seems to be different, and regulating the diabetic dog or cat so that their blood glucose levels are as normal as possible is vitally important.  The real problem with a diabetic dog or cat is that even in the presence of sugar (glucose) in the blood stream, something interferes with the entry of that sugar into the body's cells where it is required for the life sustaining energy of those cells. With no sugar in the cells, the cell dies in a very short period of time.

A highly complicated disease entity, diabetes has been classified according to what pathway of energy metabolism has been disrupted. 

Fortunately with diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats most cases can be managed successfully with insulin injections. There are several brands of insulin available to veterinarians and your veterinarian may suggest or favor one brand rather than another.  Cats often are managed by use of a PZI (protamine zinc) insulin preparation.  Do not be bashful with your dog or cat's veterinarian if you do not understand the how, why, and when of managing diabetes in dogs and cats.

Typical signs of diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats include excess water consumption and excess urination, increased appetite but with actual weight loss, and dehydration.  Dogs also commonly develop cataracts whereas cats seldom develop cataracts secondary to diabetes mellitus.
...polyuria (PU) - frequent and more productive urination
...polydipsia (PD) - increased water intake
...polyphagia - excessive appetite
...weight loss
...lethargy
...sugar in the urine