New Puppies

This is one I can keep coming back and adding to because there is so much information here its impossible to hit all the areas in one shot. One thing I used to tell people when they came in with a new puppy was to touch it all over.  When its on your lap or just pick it up and put it on a table and look at and into its ears, open its mouth and look inside.  You don't have to be looking for anything in particular its just getting the puppy used to being handled. Then use your hands to just feel all over the puppies body, if you find a spot that he/she doesn't like then every day go back and mess with that area. They need to know that you are the alpha dog and you can and will touch them all over. If one day when they are older and you need to give them pills or ear meds you will be glad that they are used to being handled.  I especially want owners to mess with their feet, most of the time animals make such a big fuss about getting their nails trimmed  because no one touches their feet. Then one day someone grabs a foot and holds it and makes a loud noise. Every time the pet is on your lap or by you pick up a foot and mess with each toe, just holding and touching the foot alot when they are young can make their vet visits less stressful.
 If they are going to be a long haired dog then this is also a good time to start brushing them alot. They need to get used to the grooming aspect and the groomers will appreciate the training that you have given them as well.  Puppies are like toddlers, they usually don't want to do what is good for them and if you want to do it then they don't. They are old enough to learn the word "no".

Heat

Well the dog days of summer are fixen to be upon us and here is some advise for the long hot days. Always make sure your dog can get under shade. If he is chained up outside consider him getting his chain wrapped around the tree or something else, can he still reach the shade?
 WATER... they must have a large bowl of fresh water to help keep them cool. dogs cannot sweat, they try to keep themselves cool by panting. You can even take old 2 liter bottles and fill them with water , not all the way to the top as the water will expand, and freeze them. Give them a new one every day to lay on and play with to help them stay cool.
 I have seen a dogs temperature reach over 105 F. They were in a create in the garage, with the door slightly open on a hot day.  It is not a pretty sight to see a dog in heat stroke so please, please make sure your pets have shade and fresh water and are in as cool of a place as you can get them.

Itching

I have several people ask me on a regular basis about their pets itching.  The problem is  ITCHING is a symptom not the cause.  I mean you need to find out what is causing the itching not just trying to treat the itching.  The use of shampoos and ointments usually alone will not "fix" the issue. You will need to see your regular vet and they will help you decide what may be causing it and several different products you can choose from to help bring relief. I wish it was a simple problem and I could just say " do this or that" and it would take care of it.
Some times it is brought on by fleas, other times by an allergy to something inside the house or outside. They can run blood tests now to tell you exactly what your pet is allergic to and then they will establish a protocol of injections with a serum made just for your pet to desensitise them, very similar to people.
It can be bacterial or fungal etc. I think you get the picture. Having as much information as possible when you see your vet will help in the diagnosis. When did it start, is it seasonal, is it in one spot or all over. do they itch till it makes a sore????
Remember if you have any questions feel free to hit the comment link and send it to us.

Xylitol poisoning

Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute, its found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables. That tends to give us a false sense of its safety, its naturally occurring, like sugar, it must be as safe. I am going to try to give a brief idea of how it works in dogs and a brief idea of what they wanted it to do in people without getting on to many pigtrails.( getting off the main subject)
 It was first discovered and used as a safe sweetener for diabetics because it didn't affect their insulin levels.. Then they discovered it was great for dental benefits as well. IT is supposed to be as sweet as sugar but with 2/3 the food energy. Keeping all this in mind it is in MANY of our food products at home. It is in chewing gum or candy and as little as two pieces can cause liver damage or failure. Some dogs can ingest the Xylitiol and in 8-12 hours and have it affect the liver and recover fully, others will suffer permanent liver damage even failure.
 What does it do in dogs and cats? If ingested in  small levels, which varies based on the weight of the dog or cat, it will cause the animals glucose levels to drop fast. Hypoglycemia in dogs is life threatening. It will cause lethargy,seizures, coma like symptoms if not treated immediately it can be fatal. Animals will go into hypoglycemic shock which is the bodies natural defense when it encounters a sudden change.  Shocks main function is to protect the main organs of the body, the heart, lungs and brain. The body will pool the oxygen carrying blood to those organs but left untreated the extremities and other organs will start to fail. It is very important to treat shock as soon as possible.
 Any dose of Xylitol  can also adversely affect the liver as the liver is the bodies filter. It has caused serious often irreversible liver damage. There is no "safe" amount of this product that we should let our pets have.  Your vet often tells you not to give people food to your pets, to try to list all the reasons at the office visit would leave you brain dead. Its easier to ask them when you are there what is safe to let them have.
 Some Dr.s say  that they can have some bread products and fresh/ frozen vegetables. We don't want alot of added spices and things added to the "treats". What we may find very flavorful can be difficult for them to digest or may cause some GI issues.  Just like when you ate at that cute little restaurant but spent the rest of the night with a tummy ache, different spices and oils that food was cooked in can cause the same results in them.
 I've had clients add some frozen peas and carrots to their pets food to give them "more" of a treat .
 Bottom line... make sure that you keep all people food out of reach of your pet, which with some guys can be a challenge, and read the labels and know what is in the food you have around.

Office Visit

Just in case you were wondering what exactly goes on during a normal office visit? These are in general terms, every doctor has their own way and routine to go by, but generally they all will do the same thing. First when you come in they like to get a weight, just like in human medicine. Have they lost or gained a significant amount of weight. Both can be signs of things to look at. When they walk into  the room they will give the dog or cat a quick once over visibly, you probably don't even know that goes on. Is the dog or cat in good physical condition, is it overweight, underweight, skin issues, wounds, favoring a leg or foot and body language. You can tell alot just by observing the animal. Once they are on the "table" the doctor will go from head to tail. They start with the eyes, are they clear and bright, pupils even  and are they the same size. Does one eye seem to protrude out farther than the other.  Then they move to the nose, any discharge. They open the mouth to see the gums, color .any growths or problems. Then the teeth, again how bad is the tarter, any issues with a tooth, broken or chipped. They look down the throat for any problems there. Then its on to the lymph nodes in the neck and chest area, are they swollen or painful to the touch. The doctor will usually feel all over the dog while they are doing the above to look for any small bumps or tender areas that may need attention. They will listen to the heart and lungs, look at their feet and usually end up at the rear area. They will look for any signs of irration or redness that may indicate the need for further evaluation.  The assistant or technician should have already taken a fecal sample to look for intestinal parasites and a small blood sample to check for heartworms. They should finish up with asking if there has been any changes in their behavior or if you  have had any  problems or is there any questions you would like to ask.
 As the animal gets older the need for blood work to give the doctor a more complete picture of the animals health is important. There are  many problems that if found early can be treated, prevented or maintained. Its hard to know what is going on with an animal just by looking at them physically, you need to get a better idea by having the values of their kidney and liver functions, electrolytes and blood work up. Hopefully everything will be within normal limits and all the doctor will have is a good base line to compare future blood work too if the animal becomes sick.

Asking questions...

All you have to do is hold your mouse over the comments word under each entry and click on it.  It will take you to another page and you can write your question there, It does not have to be about the topic above it.   I will check and answer all questions.

Warm Noses

I had a friend of mine ask me the other day if a warm nose was a sign of a fever or not feeling well. No,  a dogs body temperature is warmer than ours its anywhere between 100.0 and 102.5 F.  So they will always feel warm to us and a warm nose is just an indicator of their environment. An inside dog that is pampered will usually have a warm dry nose. An outside dog tends to have a moister nose, but there are always factors that can affect anything. If your dog is a constant licker then it will probably have a wet nose. The only true way to tell a dogs temperature is to take it rectally.  The best indicator of not feeling well is the owners noticing a change in their normal behavior. If your dog is usually full out and busy and all of a sudden this morning he is just laying around  or moving slower than usual, then I would say you should give him a good once over.

Reverse sneezes

In response to a question I received yesterday. Reverse sneezes. It can be very scary the first time or two you hear one but they are perfectly normal in dogs.  Its hard to explain one on print, I usually try to make the sound and the owners go " yes ! that's it".  Dogs are unable to cough and clear their throat like we can, so they  do what we call reverse sneezing. They are sucking air in deeply to produce a more forceful exhale. It can sound like they cant catch their breath and many times we think they are going to pass out. Some animals do it more than others and there isn't a particular reason or thing that causes it. Allergies can definitely play a role in them. Sometimes you can gently rub on their throat while they are having an episode and it can help them get through it faster. I  have seen them do it while they are playing and being very active and I have seen them just laying around and "wake" up and go through an episode and then go back to sleep. They usually will straighten their neck out and angle their head slightly downward. You will see their chest expand  deeply and they stand very stiff during the episode. I will try to record an episode from my friends dog and post it on here in the near future.
If you have any additional comments or questions feel free to write them down.

Fleas

Adding more info to the fleas category before I move on to another subject. I just want people to understand that fleas are not only irritating and gross but they can cause serious health issues. On very young puppies and kittens a heavy load of fleas can cause flea anemia. They will suck alot of the blood out of these tiny little guys and if not treated it has killed many new borns. It is also really hard on our geriatric group. The very Young and the older animals are alot more susceptible to flea problems and the loss of blood that can occur. You have to be VERY careful what type of flea product you can use on this group of pets. You need to get this medicine from your vet and they will usually tell you to spray it or apply it to a washcloth or paper towel and then rub it on the newborn, never apply it directly to their skin. Wash the bedding they are in if possible.
 If you do have a flea problem then you will also need to get the animal treated for tapeworms. These are  the type of worms that they can get from fleas or eating small rodents such as mice,squirrels etc. They require a special type of worm medicine and the  normal worm medicine you get at the department stores won't kill these guys. Tapeworms aren't spread from animal to animal they must ingest the flea or rodent themselves.
 A heavy load of fleas will also cause skin issues like loss of hair and scabs all over the body. These will lead to a bacterial skin infection or possible a yeast infection, so again, they will need to see a vet.
 Prevention is key and even though the meds are expensive the conditions they can cause will be more expensive. 
 Keep your pets on a flea preventative in most areas of the country year round. In the Northwest areas you guys are lucky and probably don't even know what fleas look like.

Fleas

This is one subject that I could probably write on every day and still have information to share. It is one of the most frustrating parts of pet ownership. We all want to find a cheaper way to treat these little pests but unfortunately the "cheap" products do not always work and can be dangerous for your pet. Fleas generally thrive around the rump area, right above the tail. If this is the main place your pet is itching then I would say you need to treat for fleas, even if you don't see them. The constant itching can lead to other problems that will mean an unexpected vet bill. One of the products you get from your vet will work very well depending on if you  have fleas and ticks or just fleas. Most of the newer products do not get absorbed into the blood stream, they actually stay in the skin layer either in the hair follicle or in the fatty tissue of the skin. Most of the products you get in department stores are the kind that gets absorbed and may be toxic to some animals, especially cats.
If you have a heavy load of fleas and you apply a dose of flea preventative it is going to take awhile to get the fleas under control. Each flea can lay thousands of eggs, these eggs will stay in the area, carpet, in base boards, bedding etc, until there is a warm body around. They are heat seekers per say. Your dogs normal body temp is between 100 and 102 F so they are warmer than you. Hence fleas will usually go to them first. It can take up to 3 months or more of treating your pet to get the flea infestation in their environment under control. If you put the product on and next week you are still "seeing" fleas, they are not the same fleas these are new ones that have hatched out and found food. There are products to use to treat the bedding area, outside area etc that will aid in getting them under control.  Once you  have them under control continue to use your product per the directions to prevent fleas from setting up housekeeping again. Certain products say to appy once every 3 month for fleas, just read the label. If your area has alot of fleas your vet may instruct you to use them once a month for prevention.
There is no product on the market that forms a bubble around your pet and prevents fleas or ticks from getting on them. The products are designed to "repel" them quickly once they have gotten on or to kill them quickly once they try to get a blood meal. This is one of those areas where keeping them on a preventative will be alot cheaper than waiting to treat an infestation.
More information tomorrow.... any questions ?

Anal glands

I just had a friend ask me why their dog was "scooting" across the floor.  They wanted to know if she had worms.  I am trying to send a picture of the bum of a dog to show you where the anal glands are located. If I have trouble then I am going  to explain just in case the picture doesn't make it.  Animals have scent glands located at about 4 and 6 o'clock around their anus. These glands are what marks the BM with their individual scent. That's why dogs always smell poop when they find it.  Its kinda like a who's been here kinda thing. When a dog has a bowel movement the pressure squeezes the substance out and the scent is deposited. Sometimes these glands get clogged. They will continue to fill up so they become very uncomfortable. They can get as big as a grape and can become painful for the dog or cat to have a BM. They will "scoot" on the floor to apply pressure to these glands to aid in the expression. Some dogs never have a problem with them and the owners never have to learn what they are, but others need to have them expressed anywhere from every 2 weeks to once a month.  It is a VERY strong odor when expressed.
 Sometimes if left untreated,or unexpressed, they can become so full that they actually rupture through the skin to the outside leaving a hole. It will be right over the gland so it will be right next to the anal opening at the appropriate place, 4 or 6 o'clock, and although it is bloody and oozing it will bring some relief to the dog to have the pressure gone. At that point you will need to see your vet to get some antibiotic ointment to place on and in the area. If you notice that spot to be really red and swollen and painful to the touch on your animal go to your vet and have them try to express it before they have to lance it for them to bring relief to the animal.

 If you have any questions just drop me a line and I will be happy to help answer them..

picture from Hills Atlas of Veterinary Clinical Anatomy

Hot spots

Dog days of summer are starting...
  What does that mean usually?  Fleas..... and fleas can lead to a number of problems with our babies. One of which i am going to talk about  now... The famous Hot Spot... it is usually a round area, can be anywhere, that is very red and may have a thin yellowish layer on top.  It starts from a bug bite, usually fleas and as the animal begins scratching it turns into a wound.. The dogs nails scratch the surface of the skin making perfect little openings for bacteria to set up house keeping. The more they scratch the bigger the area gets.  It is a complex issue at this point, you cant just put hydrocortosone cream on it because that helps with the itching but does nothing for the bacteria. Hot spots are a usually a very complex issue with acouple areas to think about. If not seen quickly they can cover the whole side of a face or rump area and are extremely painful for the animal. They appear to us like a burn or something. Because there is usually more than one factor involved with these, they really need to be treated by  your vet. He/she will decide what medicines need to be used to aid in the healing and bring relief. I have seen some people shave the area around the sore to keep the hair off and clean it with an antibacterial soap. Make sure that the soap is completely rinsed off as the residue can add to the problem and you don't want that. If it needs antibiotics,injections or to air dry will be up to the discretion of the veterinarian.

 hope this helps some of you.....