Ask Our Veterinarian
Fleas and Ticks and Mosquitoes- Oh My!
11/May/09
Ah, spring.... The sun is shining, birds are singing, bees are buzzing, fleas are hopping, and the ticks are lurking! While we're all excited to be spending more time outside, some of the less-than-friendly critters out there are just drooling at the thought of your poor furry pet's visit to their neck of the woods. Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes aren't just irritating biters, either ---they all can carry and transmit some pretty serious diseases as well! And as if diseases like Heartworm, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Erlichiosis, Babesiosis, Hemobartonellosis (who comes up with these names?) weren't enough, many dogs and cats have severe allergic reactions to flea bites, leading to horrible rashes and skin infections. But that's nothing compared to the fate that befalls hapless dogs in northern Australia bitten by the appropriately named "paralysis tick...." If the tick isn't found and removed promptly, whole body paralysis and suffocation will slowly ensue! Now, that's what I call a bad bug bite!
So what's a poor mammal to do?
Stay tuned, and I'll give you a few tips....
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
How to choose a puppy (Part 4): Shelter Dogs
01/May/09
View the previous posts in this series:
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 1)
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 2): The Right Breed For Your Lifestyle
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
Shelters vary widely; some are very upscale, well maintained adoption facilities, and others are depressing "dog pounds...." Dogs coming from more dire conditions will often need more "rescuing" than those from the more well-funded shelters, but they're no less deserving! You should think about what level of resources you can afford to devote to your new pet ----the adoption fees at the pound will be lower, but you may end up spending more at the vet, fighting off fleas, mites, skin infections, intestinal parasites, kennel cough, and other health problems. But if you can, few things are more rewarding than seeing a sick, scruffy, forlorn dog transform within months into your sleek, healthy, happy, and so very appreciative best friend for life!
Some shelters do extensive behavior testing, and will tell you whether the dog gets along well with cats, other dogs, and children. Rescue organizations will often let you "test drive" a dog for a few hours, or even overnight or longer. Walk them around a bit. You can get an idea of how they behave on a leash, how they do in the car, how they react to squirrels and birds at the park. If you have other pets at home and want to get an idea of how the new dog will respond to them, I would recommend that you first take the dog to see your veterinarian for a quick health check. Even then, be aware that you are taking a chance of exposing your pets to fleas, mites, or kennel cough. If you do take the dog to your vet, don't forget to ask for their opinion on the dog's temperament too!
Next, we'll talk about the pros and cons of those wonderful puppies, and some of the things you should look for, as well as look out for!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Ask The Vet: Bengal Cat With Allergies
27/Apr/09
Question:
I suspect that our Bengal may have a food allergy. I’ve been doing research and it’s common for the breed. They are very sensitive to immunizations and pesticides etc. and ours is very allergic to Advantage Flea treatment. She has some spots that she is licking the fur off of on her arms only. No open sores though. I’m wondering if they are itchy and I’d like to put some cortisone on them and see if it helps. Do you know if it’s okay to put cortisone cream (the human kind) on a cat? The skin is maybe the tiniest bit bumpy in spots. Hard to tell there is still a short layer of fur. I don’t want to do tons of expensive and unpleasant medical testing on her if I don’t have to just yet...
Answer:
Assume that anything you put on the outside of a cat you are feeding to a cat, since they lick themselves so much. I wouldn't use steroids, I would attempt to eliminate the allergies. Steroids are a band-aid, and have bad side effects when used long term, including thinning of the skin and hair loss (with topical application; systemic use adds muscle wasting, immunosuppression, and impacts the liver and pancreas, as well as increasing risk of diabetes, etc).
A good omega3 supplement from fish oil is the first step (to reduce inflammation, give 50-150 mg of EPA+DHA per kg of cat per day; the average cat is around 4 kg, so 200-600mg ---the typical fish oil capsule is 1000mg of oil, containing 300mg of EPA+DHA, so 1-2 capsules per day). That would take a few weeks at the soonest to show effect, and I would start low (half a capsule per kitty per day) and increase the dose gradually. It should also benefit the kidney failure cat. Once the cat's symptoms go away I try to reduce to a lower maintenance dose of the oil, usually half a capsule a day per kitty.
Getting the cats off of the grain/potato based foods onto a more meat based, less processed food should also help a lot to reduce the food allergies, since those are most commonly the culprits. If they don't go outside there is no need for flea meds. If they are allergic to flea meds they probably shouldn't go outside. Revolution is another option, and covers more types of bugs (ie, mites), few cats are allergic to it (it's related to ivermectin).
Most likely a big part of the problem is actually inhalant allergies (called "atopy"), and a good HEPA air filter, along with the omega 3s, should help a lot. Add in improving the diet, and most of these problems go away within a couple of months. Standard Process Dermal Support is a good additional supplement, too.
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
I suspect that our Bengal may have a food allergy. I’ve been doing research and it’s common for the breed. They are very sensitive to immunizations and pesticides etc. and ours is very allergic to Advantage Flea treatment. She has some spots that she is licking the fur off of on her arms only. No open sores though. I’m wondering if they are itchy and I’d like to put some cortisone on them and see if it helps. Do you know if it’s okay to put cortisone cream (the human kind) on a cat? The skin is maybe the tiniest bit bumpy in spots. Hard to tell there is still a short layer of fur. I don’t want to do tons of expensive and unpleasant medical testing on her if I don’t have to just yet...
Answer:
Assume that anything you put on the outside of a cat you are feeding to a cat, since they lick themselves so much. I wouldn't use steroids, I would attempt to eliminate the allergies. Steroids are a band-aid, and have bad side effects when used long term, including thinning of the skin and hair loss (with topical application; systemic use adds muscle wasting, immunosuppression, and impacts the liver and pancreas, as well as increasing risk of diabetes, etc).
A good omega3 supplement from fish oil is the first step (to reduce inflammation, give 50-150 mg of EPA+DHA per kg of cat per day; the average cat is around 4 kg, so 200-600mg ---the typical fish oil capsule is 1000mg of oil, containing 300mg of EPA+DHA, so 1-2 capsules per day). That would take a few weeks at the soonest to show effect, and I would start low (half a capsule per kitty per day) and increase the dose gradually. It should also benefit the kidney failure cat. Once the cat's symptoms go away I try to reduce to a lower maintenance dose of the oil, usually half a capsule a day per kitty.
Getting the cats off of the grain/potato based foods onto a more meat based, less processed food should also help a lot to reduce the food allergies, since those are most commonly the culprits. If they don't go outside there is no need for flea meds. If they are allergic to flea meds they probably shouldn't go outside. Revolution is another option, and covers more types of bugs (ie, mites), few cats are allergic to it (it's related to ivermectin).
Most likely a big part of the problem is actually inhalant allergies (called "atopy"), and a good HEPA air filter, along with the omega 3s, should help a lot. Add in improving the diet, and most of these problems go away within a couple of months. Standard Process Dermal Support is a good additional supplement, too.
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
A Pet Friendly Garden (Part 2)
25/Apr/09
Sustainable, organic farming practices are good for the planet, and produce healthier, more nutritious food. But every time I walk through the gardening section of my local hardware or 'home improvement' store, I am amazed by the array of toxic products on the shelves. Whether you're gardening for food or for show, or just doing a bit of yard and lawn maintenance, you're likely to be offered products that can pose a hazard to your pets (and to the environment). So if you need some more encouragement to go organic, here are a few hazards organic gardening will help you avoid:
Snail and slug bait: Even fans of escargot hate the slime trails and mutilated buds left by voracious snails and slugs. Every spring I do battle with hordes of snails intent on devouring my flowers before they even have a chance to open, so I do understand why people march off to the store in search of a chemical solution. Unfortunately, the snail bait they most commonly come home with is truly horrible stuff: metaldehyde, which causes severe seizures in mammals, and for which there is no antidote. Animals that eat metaldehyde generally die without treatment, and even with treatment end up unconscious in intensive care for days. Animals that survive the seizures can suffer liver failure weeks or months later.
The good news is that there are some effective, animal-safe alternatives; Sluggo is widely available, made from iron phosphate, a nontoxic, natural compound, and is quite effective if applied regularly. Copper strips around the bases of containers can turn back inquisitive snails and slugs, and if you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, a trench dug around the perimeter of your garden and filled with a few inches of wood-ash will keep the slimy marauders at bay. And if all else fails, there's always the beer approach.... some say shallow dishes of beer will attract the slugs to drown; others say that if you drink enough of it, you'll stop caring about the darned slugs!
Snail and slug bait: Even fans of escargot hate the slime trails and mutilated buds left by voracious snails and slugs. Every spring I do battle with hordes of snails intent on devouring my flowers before they even have a chance to open, so I do understand why people march off to the store in search of a chemical solution. Unfortunately, the snail bait they most commonly come home with is truly horrible stuff: metaldehyde, which causes severe seizures in mammals, and for which there is no antidote. Animals that eat metaldehyde generally die without treatment, and even with treatment end up unconscious in intensive care for days. Animals that survive the seizures can suffer liver failure weeks or months later.
The good news is that there are some effective, animal-safe alternatives; Sluggo is widely available, made from iron phosphate, a nontoxic, natural compound, and is quite effective if applied regularly. Copper strips around the bases of containers can turn back inquisitive snails and slugs, and if you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, a trench dug around the perimeter of your garden and filled with a few inches of wood-ash will keep the slimy marauders at bay. And if all else fails, there's always the beer approach.... some say shallow dishes of beer will attract the slugs to drown; others say that if you drink enough of it, you'll stop caring about the darned slugs!
Pesticides: There are several categories of pesticides commonly available for gardening, and some are quite dangerous, especially for cats. The most common pesticides work by disrupting the nervous system, and most are very nonspecific ---they are toxic to everything. Signs of pesticide toxicity can include trembling, excessive salivation, dilated pupils, watery eyes, urination and defecation, and seizures. Organophosphates are the most powerful, but synthetic pyrethrin derivatives can be quite toxic as well.
But never fear, less toxic, environmentally friendly alternatives abound. I mentioned in my last post that plants actually produce more nutrients when they have to defend themselves against pests, so we don't really want to get rid of all the bugs anyway! And remember, good organic techniques grow healthy, robust plants that are naturally more resistant to pest damage. Insecticidal soap can be quite effective, but needs to be reapplied regularly. Soft bodied pests like aphids can be controlled by simply spraying your plants with a good blast of water from a hose, and natural predators like ladybugs and preying mantises can be purchased at many garden centers or ordered online. Neem oil and diatomaceous earth are also effective and safe.
There are also companion plants that can help ward off pests, like catnip and strongly scented varieties of African and French marigolds, which can be planted with your other plants as a natural pest control. Of course, I can't guarantee that the neighborhood cats won't throw a party in your garden one night....
Come to think of it, plants aren't the only things that get doused with pesticides come spring.... In the next post, I'll talk a bit more about the hazards of pesticides, including flea and tick treatments, and finish up my review of garden and yard hazards.
A Pet Friendly Garden (Part 1)
24/Apr/09
Earth Day week is here, and it's wonderful to see how much more attention people are paying to environmental issues these days. There are tons of ways that we can reduce the impact we have on our planet, but as a Vet, I'd like to remind you that there's another reason to go as green as you can: to improve the health of your beloved pets (and yourself too!).
Did you hear about the letter that agri-business lobbyists wrote, complaining about Michelle Obama's plans to have an "organic garden?" They encouraged her to consider using some "conventional" gardening techniques, including chemical fertilizers and pesticides. (as an aside: I've never quite understood why an approach to farming created within the past 150 years is called "conventional," when you consider the 7-10,000 year history of human agriculture.... Seems like the other 98% of human experience would be more appropriately termed "conventional!").
But Michelle Obama knows that studies have shown organic foods are substantially higher in vitamins and micronutrients than their chemically plumped "conventional" counterparts. In fact, recent studies at UC Davis indicate that part of the reason for that may be exactly those darned bugs the chemical companies are so keen to eliminate. Turns out that the stress of fighting off pests actually induces the plants to produce more antioxidant metabolites to ward off the bugs. So no pesticides in the White House garden, and a second helping of compost, if you please!
This is an approach we should emulate. It's springtime, and everyone wants to get out and dig in the garden.... some of us because we want to grow some pretty flowers or veggies, and others of us because we want to bury a tasty bone! There are some important things to consider before we start, to safeguard the health of our pets and the health of our environment.
It makes sense if you think about it ----many of the things that are bad for the environment are bad because they are toxic. And I don't know about your pets, but mine are quite good at immersing themselves in their environment--- they sniff it, they lick it, chew on it, roll around in it.... We go through a lot of Funky Dog Shampoo around here, oh yes indeed! But while the rugs are in constant need of protection, we know the pets are already safe.
In the second part of this post, I'll talk about some of the hazards commonly found in our yards, and we'll make sure that your garden is as healthy for your pets to play in as it is for you to eat.
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
How to choose a puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
19/Apr/09
View the previous posts in this series:
Ok, so you've figured out the perfect breed (and it's not just because they're just so darned cute!). Or maybe you don't care about breeds, you've just considered your lifestyle and thought about the type of dog that will fit in best with it. Now it's time to look at some actual dogs!
First off, you can look for a puppy, or you can find an adult dog in need of a home. Even if you want a purebred, there are purebred rescue organizations for almost every breed. Breeders sometimes have adult dogs available as well ---the Obamas just got a 6 month old Portuguese Water Dog who'd been returned to the breeder by someone who was unable to keep him. And the shelters have lots of wonderful adult dogs who are often overlooked in the general rush towards those adorable puppies. That's a real shame, because some of the best dogs I've ever met were adopted as adults out of shelters. Adult dogs often come house trained, and sometimes even obedience trained ---one of the dogs I had growing up came from the shelter with a long list of tricks! Sure, some shelter dogs have specific issues that will need to be worked on, but sometimes wonderful, well-behaved animals just have the bad luck to end up in the shelter. And don't worry that your dog won't bond with you as strongly if they aren't a puppy when you get them ---I really think that dogs who are adopted as adults appreciate their owners that much more, because they remember very clearly what you rescued them from!
View the next post in this series:
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Ask The Vet: Puppy with Swollen Shoulder
08/Apr/09
Question:
Question: my 9 month old german shepherd has swelling at the left shoulder area but very active runs in yard but limps a little please help.
Answer:
If you are pretty sure that your dog's lameness is from playing too hard, you can try restricting his activity for 7-10 days to see if he improves. The most likely thing is a simple soft tissue injury ---most 9 month old GSDs are still goofy adolescents, and if he spends time on his own in the yard he may simply have strained himself jumping at the fence, or jumping down off of something. If that is the case, it should improve fairly rapidly on its own with sufficient rest and perhaps some anti-inflammatory medications (your vet can prescribe you these, like metacam, rimadyl, or deramaxx, or they can give you an appropriate dose for aspirin). The most important element is REST ---if you put him out in the yard and let him run around, or take him on walks for exercise, he will not have a chance to heal! Imagine a teenager with a sprained ankle who insists on playing basketball every day ---it won't get better until he takes a week or two off.
A swollen shoulder could be a number of things, and it is hard to tell what is going on without actually examining your dog ---if the swelling is significant, I would encourage you to have it looked at by a vet as soon as you can. It is either swelling around the joint, or swelling inside the joint.
Swelling of the tissues around the joint could be from an injury to the muscle or tendon (that soft tissue injury we were just talking about), from an infection caused by a penetrating injury, or even from a reaction to an insect bite or sting. An infection could lead to an abscess, and could make your dog quite sick if not attended to promptly. A fracture or dislocation could also cause swelling, but in that case your dog would most likely be a lot more lame than you say he is.
Swelling within the joint capsule (which surrounds the ends of the bones, where the joint cartilage is found) could also be caused by injury. However, there is another condition that could cause a swollen shoulder and lameness, called osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). OCD occurs in rapidly growing young large breed dogs when part of the cartilage in the shoulder joint does not develop properly. This leads to inflammation, and eventually a small flap of cartilage may break off, causing more problems. Dogs with OCD usually first show a very mild lameness, and often improve with rest and anti-inflammatories, only to get worse again when the dog goes back to normal activities. It generally becomes more severe over a few months, and while one side is often more noticeable than the other, about half of dogs with OCD have lesions in both shoulders. Your veterinarian can take radiographs (x-rays) of the shoulder to check for signs of this disease; sometimes, we need to inject a dye into the joint to be able to see the lesions. OCD may require surgical correction.
Fortunately, the young age of your dog means that the swelling is not likely to be a tumor ---if he were an older dog, I would be concerned about the possibility of bone cancer, which can occur in that area. But cancer is rare in young dogs.
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Question: my 9 month old german shepherd has swelling at the left shoulder area but very active runs in yard but limps a little please help.
Answer:
If you are pretty sure that your dog's lameness is from playing too hard, you can try restricting his activity for 7-10 days to see if he improves. The most likely thing is a simple soft tissue injury ---most 9 month old GSDs are still goofy adolescents, and if he spends time on his own in the yard he may simply have strained himself jumping at the fence, or jumping down off of something. If that is the case, it should improve fairly rapidly on its own with sufficient rest and perhaps some anti-inflammatory medications (your vet can prescribe you these, like metacam, rimadyl, or deramaxx, or they can give you an appropriate dose for aspirin). The most important element is REST ---if you put him out in the yard and let him run around, or take him on walks for exercise, he will not have a chance to heal! Imagine a teenager with a sprained ankle who insists on playing basketball every day ---it won't get better until he takes a week or two off.
A swollen shoulder could be a number of things, and it is hard to tell what is going on without actually examining your dog ---if the swelling is significant, I would encourage you to have it looked at by a vet as soon as you can. It is either swelling around the joint, or swelling inside the joint.
Swelling of the tissues around the joint could be from an injury to the muscle or tendon (that soft tissue injury we were just talking about), from an infection caused by a penetrating injury, or even from a reaction to an insect bite or sting. An infection could lead to an abscess, and could make your dog quite sick if not attended to promptly. A fracture or dislocation could also cause swelling, but in that case your dog would most likely be a lot more lame than you say he is.
Swelling within the joint capsule (which surrounds the ends of the bones, where the joint cartilage is found) could also be caused by injury. However, there is another condition that could cause a swollen shoulder and lameness, called osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). OCD occurs in rapidly growing young large breed dogs when part of the cartilage in the shoulder joint does not develop properly. This leads to inflammation, and eventually a small flap of cartilage may break off, causing more problems. Dogs with OCD usually first show a very mild lameness, and often improve with rest and anti-inflammatories, only to get worse again when the dog goes back to normal activities. It generally becomes more severe over a few months, and while one side is often more noticeable than the other, about half of dogs with OCD have lesions in both shoulders. Your veterinarian can take radiographs (x-rays) of the shoulder to check for signs of this disease; sometimes, we need to inject a dye into the joint to be able to see the lesions. OCD may require surgical correction.
Fortunately, the young age of your dog means that the swelling is not likely to be a tumor ---if he were an older dog, I would be concerned about the possibility of bone cancer, which can occur in that area. But cancer is rare in young dogs.
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Plants To Avoid On Your Walks: Foxtails
01/Apr/09
This is a continuation from: Plants To Avoid On Your Walks and Plants To Avoid On Your Walks: Burrs
Another comon weed that is much more dangerous is the "foxtail." There are actually a number of species of grasses that create these sharp, barb-covered seedpods, and at this time of year, they are soft and green, looking quite pretty and innocuous, like some kind of wild grain. But within a couple of months, the long sheafs of seedpods will dry out and become stiff and sharp, and break apart into feather-light, long, skinny pods, tipped with a sharp point.
Woe betides the poor animal who encounters the foxtail then! Like burrs, they easily tangle in fur, but they also resemble porcupine quills, being covered with tiny stiff spines that ensure they only move in one direction. Once in the fur, they work their way down to the skin, and imbed themselves.
During foxtail season, we remove hundreds of these "awns" from every place you could imagine ---inside the ears and between the toes are common, as well as up the nose ---poor dogs, just trying to sniff some "pee-mail," and snuffle up a foxtail! I've pulled them out of tonsils, from behind third eyelids in the eye, and from assorted sensitive "private areas" (ouch!). It can be even worse ---once imbedded, they keep migrating, and the bacteria they carry with them can cause infections and abscesses throughout the body ---around the lungs, in organs, in bones ---I've even seen them imbedded in spinal vertebrae!
So do everything you can to rid your environment of these horrible plants; you might save yourself a lot of grief and expense in the process. Pull them up by the roots if you find them in your yard ---mowing just encourages them to set seed shorter and shorter, until they're seeding below the mower's level. Here's a picture of one I found in my lawn the other day (pic). And here's a link to a site with some great pictures of the plants in various stages of seed:
Dog Owners' Guide to California Foxtails
When you're out on walks, keep an eye out for these grasses, and don't let your dog sniff around in them. I commonly see them growing around the bases of trees on sidewalks, so you need to vigilent even on urban walks. Check over your dog when you come back from a romp in the park, and make sure you check carefully between their toes. Once we're into the dry western summer, any sudden shaking of the head or sneezing fits, especially if your pet sneezes blood, merits a quick trip to the vet for a foxtail check!
Meanwhile, enjoy spring, and take the opportunity to pull up any of these problem plants you see before they can cause any problems!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Another comon weed that is much more dangerous is the "foxtail." There are actually a number of species of grasses that create these sharp, barb-covered seedpods, and at this time of year, they are soft and green, looking quite pretty and innocuous, like some kind of wild grain. But within a couple of months, the long sheafs of seedpods will dry out and become stiff and sharp, and break apart into feather-light, long, skinny pods, tipped with a sharp point.
Woe betides the poor animal who encounters the foxtail then! Like burrs, they easily tangle in fur, but they also resemble porcupine quills, being covered with tiny stiff spines that ensure they only move in one direction. Once in the fur, they work their way down to the skin, and imbed themselves.
During foxtail season, we remove hundreds of these "awns" from every place you could imagine ---inside the ears and between the toes are common, as well as up the nose ---poor dogs, just trying to sniff some "pee-mail," and snuffle up a foxtail! I've pulled them out of tonsils, from behind third eyelids in the eye, and from assorted sensitive "private areas" (ouch!). It can be even worse ---once imbedded, they keep migrating, and the bacteria they carry with them can cause infections and abscesses throughout the body ---around the lungs, in organs, in bones ---I've even seen them imbedded in spinal vertebrae!
So do everything you can to rid your environment of these horrible plants; you might save yourself a lot of grief and expense in the process. Pull them up by the roots if you find them in your yard ---mowing just encourages them to set seed shorter and shorter, until they're seeding below the mower's level. Here's a picture of one I found in my lawn the other day (pic). And here's a link to a site with some great pictures of the plants in various stages of seed:
Dog Owners' Guide to California Foxtails
When you're out on walks, keep an eye out for these grasses, and don't let your dog sniff around in them. I commonly see them growing around the bases of trees on sidewalks, so you need to vigilent even on urban walks. Check over your dog when you come back from a romp in the park, and make sure you check carefully between their toes. Once we're into the dry western summer, any sudden shaking of the head or sneezing fits, especially if your pet sneezes blood, merits a quick trip to the vet for a foxtail check!
Meanwhile, enjoy spring, and take the opportunity to pull up any of these problem plants you see before they can cause any problems!
View the previous posts in this series:
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Plants To Avoid On Your Walks: Burrs
29/Mar/09
This is a continuation from: Plants To Avoid On Your Walks
Burrs are seed pods covered with spines, often with tiny hooks.... Just like velcro (which was actually inspired by burrs) it catches and sticks in anything fuzzy ---for instance, a passing animal's coat, allowing it to hitch a ride and spread its seeds. It's a very successful strategy, and as a result, there are quite a number of burr plants across the world; here's a link to a list of the more common varieties:
Burr (fruit) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I had a very long-haired Newfoundland when I was in college at Cornell in upstate NY, and when he stumbled into a patch of burrs ---oh boy! Hours of grooming. Here in California, we don't have as many burr plants, and the most common one is a plant called Burr Clover (Medicago polymorpha) that produces small, disk-shaped burrs that just love to wedge themselves into dogs' footpads, where they tangle in the fur and can be hard to remove. If your dog abruptly becomes lame, always check carefully between your their toes, both on top and on the bottom of the foot. I've stepped on clover burrs while barefoot myself; they are quite spiky!
The plant looks a lot like clover, and is easy to overlook, but if you know what to look for, there's still time to get it out of your yard before it sets its innumerable burrs. Here are some pictures I took on a recent walk:
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Burrs are seed pods covered with spines, often with tiny hooks.... Just like velcro (which was actually inspired by burrs) it catches and sticks in anything fuzzy ---for instance, a passing animal's coat, allowing it to hitch a ride and spread its seeds. It's a very successful strategy, and as a result, there are quite a number of burr plants across the world; here's a link to a list of the more common varieties:
Burr (fruit) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I had a very long-haired Newfoundland when I was in college at Cornell in upstate NY, and when he stumbled into a patch of burrs ---oh boy! Hours of grooming. Here in California, we don't have as many burr plants, and the most common one is a plant called Burr Clover (Medicago polymorpha) that produces small, disk-shaped burrs that just love to wedge themselves into dogs' footpads, where they tangle in the fur and can be hard to remove. If your dog abruptly becomes lame, always check carefully between your their toes, both on top and on the bottom of the foot. I've stepped on clover burrs while barefoot myself; they are quite spiky!
The plant looks a lot like clover, and is easy to overlook, but if you know what to look for, there's still time to get it out of your yard before it sets its innumerable burrs. Here are some pictures I took on a recent walk:
There are small yellow flowers at this time of year, and immature burrs forming (pic. 1). Notice that while the leaves look like clover, they branch off from a common stalk, and the stalks can be traced back to a rosette springing from a central root (pic. 2). The stalks often snake through neighboring grass, and if you detangle them and trace them back to their root, you can often pull up large masses of the plant fairly easily. Left to its own devices, these plants can become quite large; here's a pic of a massive clump we passed recently: (pic. 3)
So now that you know what to look for, keep an eye out, and pull these pests up before they scatter lots of burrs!
View the previous post in this series:
- Plants To Avoid On Your Walks
- View the next posts in this series:
- Plants To Avoid On Your Walks: Foxtails
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Plants To Avoid On Your Walks
28/Mar/09
Spring is springing here in northern California, and that means all the plants are growing like gangbusters! One of the great things about having a dog is that it ensures we get out on lots of walks, and this time of year there are tons of flowers to enjoy as we pad about the neighborhood. I love plants, but as a vet, there are some that I absolutely hate, and I'm going to do a few blog posts on a couple of the less-friendly plants that cause problems for pets here in the western US: burr clover and foxtails.
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
View the next posts in this series:
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Ask The Vet: Overeating and obesity in dogs
20/Mar/09
Question:
Hi, I have a question about my new dog's eating habits. We have a 6 year old Chihuahua and an 8 year old Labrador Retriever. Last year I found a mixed breed dog and since I couldn't find the owners, I decided to keep her. She weighed 22 pounds when I found her a year ago. She now weighs 30! I'm not sure if she was underweight because of neglect when I found her, or if she's become overweight since she began living with us? The Lab and the Chihuahua have always been allowed to free feed. We leave their food and water out all the time and just refill it when it gets low. Neither of them have ever had a weight problem. I don't really want to disrupt the Lab and Chihuahua's eating habits on account of the new dog but I'm not what to do, since the only solution I can think of would be to give each dog their own serving of food once/twice a day in separate bowls. We thought that the new dog would eventually catch on to the fact that she doesn't have to worry about having enough food any more. But it's been a year and she still seems to worry about being fed/getting enough food.Like I said before, I don't want to mess up the other dogs but I don't want the new dog to become unhealthy and overweight. Please help me decide what to do so I can make sure my three pups stay healthy and happy.
Answer:
Well, we have a couple of things to talk about here.
First, how can we tell if your dog is overweight? My general rule of thumb is that I want to be able to feel their ribs when I rub their side, feel their back-bones when I rub their back, and feel their hip-bones when I rub their hindquarters. If I can't feel the ribs under there, no matter how hard I rub, we've got too much padding! In general, it is better to have your dogs a little on the skinny side ---thin dogs live longer, are healthier, and have fewer joint problems.
I'm going to guess that your rescue might be overcompensating a bit for previous missed meals, since she's added over 25% of her body weight since you found her. But, remember, muscle weighs a lot more than fat ---moving in with 2 active dogs could have her running around a lot more, and she may have gained a bit of that weight in muscle, not fat! Even so, you should still be able to feel those ribs.
All right, so let's say your dog is overweight, no ribs to be found. It may not be from overeating! Some animals do have hormonal problems that can lead to weight gain. An underactive thyroid gland, which regulates the body's metabolic rate, is the most common endocrine disorder in dogs ---but it's also the most overdiagnosed endocrine disorder in dogs, so make sure you have the proper tests done before accepting that diagnosis. Hypothyroid dogs tend to be sluggish, overweight despite having a mediocre appetite, cold all the time, and often develop skin problems. If this sounds like your dog, a simple blood test called a "free t4" will accurately tell you whether or not she might benefit from a thyroid supplement (a screening test, called just the "T4," often gives false positives, leading to the overdiagnosis issue). You say that your dog seems worried about getting enough food ---so I suspect that hypothyroidism is not the problem here.
More often, just as with people, you can distill the basic cause of obesity down to too much food and not enough exercise. Some dogs just love to eat ---we've all heard the phrase "chow-hound!"
Dogs eat for a variety of reasons, not all of which have to do with hunger. The relative size of a dog's stomach, compared to its body, is much larger than our own; evolutionarily, this extra capacity allowed dogs to consume several days worth of food when it was available. Of course, in our pampered pets' world today, food can be too available ---so filling up that big stomach every day can really pack on the pounds in a hurry!
When you have multiple dogs in a household, pack dynamics often come into play. In a pack, dominant (alpha) animals control the food ---they eat first, and then the lower ranked (beta) animals get the leftovers. Some dogs, trying to show off how dominant they are, do their best to eat all the food first, to tell the others "I'm number one here!" Sometimes you'll see this in action when a dog comes by to visit, the arrival stimulating the resident dog to jump up and scarf down a bowl of food that they had been ignoring for hours. Other times, a beta dog overeats out of concern that it may not get any the next time food is divvied up ---even if that missed meal never happens, the instinct to eat more 'just in case' can be strong. And certainly, some dogs who spent too much time hungry on the street overeat because of "emotional issues."
All well and good, but more important, what can you do to help your dogs maintain a healthy weight? There are a number of strategies, some more successful than others; which approach will work best for you depends on your dogs and your own lifestyle.
It may be that your rescue dog is simply temperamentally unable to leave a food bowl full, and you are absolutely right that the simplest solution would be to feed each dog separate and defined meals, once or twice a day. That, combined with more exercise, could go a long way towards a slimmer, healthier rescue dog. The good news is that your other dogs will most likely adapt quickly to the new reality of 'eat now, or wait until tomorrow.' How much to feed each dog depends on a number of factors (see my previous post); generally, if feeding conventional dog food, I start with around 80% or what the label suggests.
But there are a few more things that you could try as well....
As a veterinarian who believes that proper nutrition is the cornerstone of health, one of the first things I look at is the food itself. Obesity is, after all, a result of "malnutrition." All foods marketed in the US as pet "food" carry a label that proclaims they are complete and balanced foods, formulated to meet the nutrient levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) for the species and life-stage listed (unlike "treats," which have no nutritional requirements). Unfortunately, this is a very low bar, and while foods formulated to the AAFCO standards are assuredly "adequate nutrition," in my opinion, many fall far short of being "optimal nutrition." After all, people can survive eating ramen noodles, pizza, and donuts (as amply demonstrated by college students across the country) ---an adequate, but far from optimal, diet! Sometimes, dogs eating a conventional dry dog food overeat because their body is craving more of some nutrient than they are getting from their highly processed food. I like to at least add a good balanced multivitamin supplement (especially one that includes minimally processed glandular extracts, like Standard Process's canine formulas). High nutritional value meat-based treats, like grass-fed bison liver, are also great supplements, and far better than nutritionally void, empty-calorie treats like flour-based biscuits.
Unlike many vets, one thing I do not usually recommend to combat obesity is a conventional low-fat "diet" dog food. Appetite is actually turned off by fat consumption ---for example, you can eat fat-free rice cakes until they're coming out of your ears and still feel hungry, whereas a really rich, high-fat french cream sauce will make you feel full before you've eaten half your meal. If your dog eats twice as much of a low-fat food that has a third less calories, she's going to gain weight, not lose it! You can restrict the amount of food given, but dogs eating low-fat foods tend to act hungry all the time, and are more likely to scavenge wherever and whenever they can. Also, I have found that animals eating low-fat foods tend to have dry skin and many more skin issues. In fact, I have had far more luck getting dogs to lose weight by putting them on higher fat, higher protein diets, or even just by adding a splash of olive oil to their food so that they're more satisfied with less food (not too much or you'll give them the runs!).
Fortunately, higher quality foods have become much more widely available, and there are even certified organic and unprocessed whole-food options (freeze dried or frozen) for people who want to go beyond the realm of cans and kibble. I'll try to go into more detail about foods in a future post.
Hope this information helps!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Hi, I have a question about my new dog's eating habits. We have a 6 year old Chihuahua and an 8 year old Labrador Retriever. Last year I found a mixed breed dog and since I couldn't find the owners, I decided to keep her. She weighed 22 pounds when I found her a year ago. She now weighs 30! I'm not sure if she was underweight because of neglect when I found her, or if she's become overweight since she began living with us? The Lab and the Chihuahua have always been allowed to free feed. We leave their food and water out all the time and just refill it when it gets low. Neither of them have ever had a weight problem. I don't really want to disrupt the Lab and Chihuahua's eating habits on account of the new dog but I'm not what to do, since the only solution I can think of would be to give each dog their own serving of food once/twice a day in separate bowls. We thought that the new dog would eventually catch on to the fact that she doesn't have to worry about having enough food any more. But it's been a year and she still seems to worry about being fed/getting enough food.Like I said before, I don't want to mess up the other dogs but I don't want the new dog to become unhealthy and overweight. Please help me decide what to do so I can make sure my three pups stay healthy and happy.
Answer:
Well, we have a couple of things to talk about here.
First, how can we tell if your dog is overweight? My general rule of thumb is that I want to be able to feel their ribs when I rub their side, feel their back-bones when I rub their back, and feel their hip-bones when I rub their hindquarters. If I can't feel the ribs under there, no matter how hard I rub, we've got too much padding! In general, it is better to have your dogs a little on the skinny side ---thin dogs live longer, are healthier, and have fewer joint problems.
I'm going to guess that your rescue might be overcompensating a bit for previous missed meals, since she's added over 25% of her body weight since you found her. But, remember, muscle weighs a lot more than fat ---moving in with 2 active dogs could have her running around a lot more, and she may have gained a bit of that weight in muscle, not fat! Even so, you should still be able to feel those ribs.
All right, so let's say your dog is overweight, no ribs to be found. It may not be from overeating! Some animals do have hormonal problems that can lead to weight gain. An underactive thyroid gland, which regulates the body's metabolic rate, is the most common endocrine disorder in dogs ---but it's also the most overdiagnosed endocrine disorder in dogs, so make sure you have the proper tests done before accepting that diagnosis. Hypothyroid dogs tend to be sluggish, overweight despite having a mediocre appetite, cold all the time, and often develop skin problems. If this sounds like your dog, a simple blood test called a "free t4" will accurately tell you whether or not she might benefit from a thyroid supplement (a screening test, called just the "T4," often gives false positives, leading to the overdiagnosis issue). You say that your dog seems worried about getting enough food ---so I suspect that hypothyroidism is not the problem here.
More often, just as with people, you can distill the basic cause of obesity down to too much food and not enough exercise. Some dogs just love to eat ---we've all heard the phrase "chow-hound!"
Dogs eat for a variety of reasons, not all of which have to do with hunger. The relative size of a dog's stomach, compared to its body, is much larger than our own; evolutionarily, this extra capacity allowed dogs to consume several days worth of food when it was available. Of course, in our pampered pets' world today, food can be too available ---so filling up that big stomach every day can really pack on the pounds in a hurry!
When you have multiple dogs in a household, pack dynamics often come into play. In a pack, dominant (alpha) animals control the food ---they eat first, and then the lower ranked (beta) animals get the leftovers. Some dogs, trying to show off how dominant they are, do their best to eat all the food first, to tell the others "I'm number one here!" Sometimes you'll see this in action when a dog comes by to visit, the arrival stimulating the resident dog to jump up and scarf down a bowl of food that they had been ignoring for hours. Other times, a beta dog overeats out of concern that it may not get any the next time food is divvied up ---even if that missed meal never happens, the instinct to eat more 'just in case' can be strong. And certainly, some dogs who spent too much time hungry on the street overeat because of "emotional issues."
All well and good, but more important, what can you do to help your dogs maintain a healthy weight? There are a number of strategies, some more successful than others; which approach will work best for you depends on your dogs and your own lifestyle.
It may be that your rescue dog is simply temperamentally unable to leave a food bowl full, and you are absolutely right that the simplest solution would be to feed each dog separate and defined meals, once or twice a day. That, combined with more exercise, could go a long way towards a slimmer, healthier rescue dog. The good news is that your other dogs will most likely adapt quickly to the new reality of 'eat now, or wait until tomorrow.' How much to feed each dog depends on a number of factors (see my previous post); generally, if feeding conventional dog food, I start with around 80% or what the label suggests.
But there are a few more things that you could try as well....
As a veterinarian who believes that proper nutrition is the cornerstone of health, one of the first things I look at is the food itself. Obesity is, after all, a result of "malnutrition." All foods marketed in the US as pet "food" carry a label that proclaims they are complete and balanced foods, formulated to meet the nutrient levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) for the species and life-stage listed (unlike "treats," which have no nutritional requirements). Unfortunately, this is a very low bar, and while foods formulated to the AAFCO standards are assuredly "adequate nutrition," in my opinion, many fall far short of being "optimal nutrition." After all, people can survive eating ramen noodles, pizza, and donuts (as amply demonstrated by college students across the country) ---an adequate, but far from optimal, diet! Sometimes, dogs eating a conventional dry dog food overeat because their body is craving more of some nutrient than they are getting from their highly processed food. I like to at least add a good balanced multivitamin supplement (especially one that includes minimally processed glandular extracts, like Standard Process's canine formulas). High nutritional value meat-based treats, like grass-fed bison liver, are also great supplements, and far better than nutritionally void, empty-calorie treats like flour-based biscuits.
Unlike many vets, one thing I do not usually recommend to combat obesity is a conventional low-fat "diet" dog food. Appetite is actually turned off by fat consumption ---for example, you can eat fat-free rice cakes until they're coming out of your ears and still feel hungry, whereas a really rich, high-fat french cream sauce will make you feel full before you've eaten half your meal. If your dog eats twice as much of a low-fat food that has a third less calories, she's going to gain weight, not lose it! You can restrict the amount of food given, but dogs eating low-fat foods tend to act hungry all the time, and are more likely to scavenge wherever and whenever they can. Also, I have found that animals eating low-fat foods tend to have dry skin and many more skin issues. In fact, I have had far more luck getting dogs to lose weight by putting them on higher fat, higher protein diets, or even just by adding a splash of olive oil to their food so that they're more satisfied with less food (not too much or you'll give them the runs!).
Fortunately, higher quality foods have become much more widely available, and there are even certified organic and unprocessed whole-food options (freeze dried or frozen) for people who want to go beyond the realm of cans and kibble. I'll try to go into more detail about foods in a future post.
Hope this information helps!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Ask The Vet: Long Term Limp
17/Mar/09
Question:
My mom has a pitbull that is 11 years old. 3 weeks ago he started limping and trying to avoid walking on his right front paw. When he is standing still, he curls the toes under instead of standing normally on the pads. When he pushes down, while walking that is when the limp occurs. The vet gave him anti inflammatory pills which he takes every other day. The vet really doesnt want to deal with him, cause he hates being touched and inspected he completely freaks out. I wrapped the wrist in a ace bandage two days ago and within three hours the entire paw swelled up. He now has been walking mainly on three paws. What are the options for injury? Sprain wrist, displaced wrist, can toes of a dog break. I cant find a specific area of swelling, I searched throughtout the paw and I dont see any infection like something got stuck in the paw? The vet doesnt want to deal with x rays. Can you lead me in some directions of what the injury may be, or what we should really do.
Answer:
Sounds like a problem! First, don't wrap the leg ---it is very common for owner-applied (and sometimes vet-applied) bandages to compromise the circulation and cause a swollen foot. Plus you don't know whether there is an injury, much less where it is, so where's the right place to wrap? Dogs have 4 legs, they only really need 3 to walk around (somehow we make do with 2, to their constant amazement). If the leg bugs him enough he'd just stop using it.
The first question is whether the problem is musculoskeletal or neurologic. Standing knuckled over like that can be a sign of neurologic disfunction, which could be from a peripheral nerve injury or a spinal injury (like a bulging disc above the 3rd thoracic, though usually it would affect both legs). If it isn't neurologic, it could be a pulled muscle or a tendon injury, less likely ligamentous in the front leg, or possibly an injured joint (shoulder, elbow, wrist, foot, toes).
Also, given the age of the dog, it could also be some sort of tumor affecting the nerves or muscles in the leg or, less likely, in the spinal cord.
I'm pretty limited in distance-diagnosis, so I can't do much more than tell you all the assorted things it might be. If it's just musculoskeletal, he'd be painful somewhere, and if he's better with you or your mom than he is with the vet, you can try working his assorted joints each through their normal range of motion (one joint at a time without moving the other joints); if you find an injured one he should resist and tell you if it hurts. Try it out on the uninjured leg first.
I don't know what kind of anti-inflammatories your vet gave you ---NSAIDs, like rimadyl, etogesic, metacam, deramaxx, aspirin... or corticosteroids, like prednisone, prednisolone, or dexamethasone. NSAIDs have anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects, while corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory but have no pain reduction effects, and can temporarily reduce the size of tumors as well. Musculoskeletal issues generally improve with NSAIDs and a bit of tincture of time, but neurologic and cancer related issues wouldn't really respond. If he's on corticosteroids and improves, we don't know if it's inflammatory, cancer, or neurologic (problems with slipped discs and "pinched" spinal nerves have an inflammatory component, and can respond to corticosteroid treatment).
3 weeks is time enough for a muscular injury to be improving, assuming you've been keeping him from running around and reinjuring himself. It's also enough time that a foreign body would have created an obvious infection, in the absence of antibiotic treatment. A fracture somewhere would be still causing problems, but fractures are pretty painful, and a dog doesn't tend to knuckle over with a fracture, they usually try to pick up the foot and keep it off the ground. So if things aren't getting better, given the length of time this has been going on and the age of the dog, I think it would be a good idea to get a bit more aggressive about finding a diagnosis. The dog will have to be sedated, probably anesthetized for the exam, and it would probably be a good idea to do radiographs, but if we can't isolate an area of sensitivity, that's a bunch of films to look at the whole leg and the neck/upper thorax. But sometimes once the dog is down, we can find out a lot just by palpating. If there's a lump somewhere, get at least a fine needle aspirate, or better still, a biopsy (FNAs don't always give an answer, and biopsies generally do... since it's so hard to examine the dog, don't mess around, make sure you get enough the first time to get an answer.).
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
My mom has a pitbull that is 11 years old. 3 weeks ago he started limping and trying to avoid walking on his right front paw. When he is standing still, he curls the toes under instead of standing normally on the pads. When he pushes down, while walking that is when the limp occurs. The vet gave him anti inflammatory pills which he takes every other day. The vet really doesnt want to deal with him, cause he hates being touched and inspected he completely freaks out. I wrapped the wrist in a ace bandage two days ago and within three hours the entire paw swelled up. He now has been walking mainly on three paws. What are the options for injury? Sprain wrist, displaced wrist, can toes of a dog break. I cant find a specific area of swelling, I searched throughtout the paw and I dont see any infection like something got stuck in the paw? The vet doesnt want to deal with x rays. Can you lead me in some directions of what the injury may be, or what we should really do.
Answer:
Sounds like a problem! First, don't wrap the leg ---it is very common for owner-applied (and sometimes vet-applied) bandages to compromise the circulation and cause a swollen foot. Plus you don't know whether there is an injury, much less where it is, so where's the right place to wrap? Dogs have 4 legs, they only really need 3 to walk around (somehow we make do with 2, to their constant amazement). If the leg bugs him enough he'd just stop using it.
The first question is whether the problem is musculoskeletal or neurologic. Standing knuckled over like that can be a sign of neurologic disfunction, which could be from a peripheral nerve injury or a spinal injury (like a bulging disc above the 3rd thoracic, though usually it would affect both legs). If it isn't neurologic, it could be a pulled muscle or a tendon injury, less likely ligamentous in the front leg, or possibly an injured joint (shoulder, elbow, wrist, foot, toes).
Also, given the age of the dog, it could also be some sort of tumor affecting the nerves or muscles in the leg or, less likely, in the spinal cord.
I'm pretty limited in distance-diagnosis, so I can't do much more than tell you all the assorted things it might be. If it's just musculoskeletal, he'd be painful somewhere, and if he's better with you or your mom than he is with the vet, you can try working his assorted joints each through their normal range of motion (one joint at a time without moving the other joints); if you find an injured one he should resist and tell you if it hurts. Try it out on the uninjured leg first.
I don't know what kind of anti-inflammatories your vet gave you ---NSAIDs, like rimadyl, etogesic, metacam, deramaxx, aspirin... or corticosteroids, like prednisone, prednisolone, or dexamethasone. NSAIDs have anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects, while corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory but have no pain reduction effects, and can temporarily reduce the size of tumors as well. Musculoskeletal issues generally improve with NSAIDs and a bit of tincture of time, but neurologic and cancer related issues wouldn't really respond. If he's on corticosteroids and improves, we don't know if it's inflammatory, cancer, or neurologic (problems with slipped discs and "pinched" spinal nerves have an inflammatory component, and can respond to corticosteroid treatment).
3 weeks is time enough for a muscular injury to be improving, assuming you've been keeping him from running around and reinjuring himself. It's also enough time that a foreign body would have created an obvious infection, in the absence of antibiotic treatment. A fracture somewhere would be still causing problems, but fractures are pretty painful, and a dog doesn't tend to knuckle over with a fracture, they usually try to pick up the foot and keep it off the ground. So if things aren't getting better, given the length of time this has been going on and the age of the dog, I think it would be a good idea to get a bit more aggressive about finding a diagnosis. The dog will have to be sedated, probably anesthetized for the exam, and it would probably be a good idea to do radiographs, but if we can't isolate an area of sensitivity, that's a bunch of films to look at the whole leg and the neck/upper thorax. But sometimes once the dog is down, we can find out a lot just by palpating. If there's a lump somewhere, get at least a fine needle aspirate, or better still, a biopsy (FNAs don't always give an answer, and biopsies generally do... since it's so hard to examine the dog, don't mess around, make sure you get enough the first time to get an answer.).
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
How to choose a puppy (Part 2): the Right Breed For Your Lifestyle
16/Mar/09
View the previous posts in this series:
If you have your heart set on a purebred, do some research ---find out what the breed was created to do, and think about how that will fit in with the lifestyle you want to lead. Do you have or want other pets, or children? Are you active, or do you want a pet content to putter around the house with you? How much space do you have ---a studio apartment, or 100 acres of rural property? All these things are important variables that will profoundly influence what breed of dog is right for you ---and what breed is wrong wrong wrong!
Sometimes the answers to these sorts of questions will help you figure out which dogs to steer clear of. If you have a pet rabbit, you would do well to avoid dogs that were bred for hunting small game or 'vermin,' like most terriers. If you want a dog to go on 15 mile hikes with you, well, that cute dachshund is just not going to be able to keep up. On the other hand, those gorgeous huskies were bred to run all day long in a blizzard ---don't expect them to be happy sitting in the house or in a hot yard all day! That border collie is an amazingly intelligent working dog, capable of learning enormously complicated tasks and of working tirelessly herding livestock or doing obedience and agility trials ---just don't ask him to sit in your city apartment day after day, waiting for you to come home from work to take him on a half hour walk, because he'll go absolutely stir crazy and become horribly neurotic.
If you think you've found the breed that's right for you, talk to as many people who own that breed as you can ---and ask them what they don't like about their pet. Most responsible breed advocates try very hard to make sure people understand all the potential downsides to the breed, because they never want to see one of their beloved dogs go into an inappropriate home.
If you have your heart set on a purebred, do some research ---find out what the breed was created to do, and think about how that will fit in with the lifestyle you want to lead. Do you have or want other pets, or children? Are you active, or do you want a pet content to putter around the house with you? How much space do you have ---a studio apartment, or 100 acres of rural property? All these things are important variables that will profoundly influence what breed of dog is right for you ---and what breed is wrong wrong wrong!
Sometimes the answers to these sorts of questions will help you figure out which dogs to steer clear of. If you have a pet rabbit, you would do well to avoid dogs that were bred for hunting small game or 'vermin,' like most terriers. If you want a dog to go on 15 mile hikes with you, well, that cute dachshund is just not going to be able to keep up. On the other hand, those gorgeous huskies were bred to run all day long in a blizzard ---don't expect them to be happy sitting in the house or in a hot yard all day! That border collie is an amazingly intelligent working dog, capable of learning enormously complicated tasks and of working tirelessly herding livestock or doing obedience and agility trials ---just don't ask him to sit in your city apartment day after day, waiting for you to come home from work to take him on a half hour walk, because he'll go absolutely stir crazy and become horribly neurotic.
If you think you've found the breed that's right for you, talk to as many people who own that breed as you can ---and ask them what they don't like about their pet. Most responsible breed advocates try very hard to make sure people understand all the potential downsides to the breed, because they never want to see one of their beloved dogs go into an inappropriate home.
View the next posts in this series:
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
- How to choose a puppy (Part 4): Shelter Dogs
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
How to choose a puppy (Part 1)
15/Mar/09
So you want to get a dog.... a new furry best friend. What a wonderful addition to your family it will be!
Everyone who gets a dog envisions all the fun and frolic their new pet will bring to their lives, but too often, the pup comes with a few drawbacks they didn't anticipate. The sad truth is that the leading cause of death in dogs is actually not a disease ---it's euthanasia in shelters, and most dogs end up in shelters because of behavior problems. Even if you would never abandon a pet to a shelter, nobody wants to live with a dog who causes headaches ---a pet should be a source of joy, not hassles!
The most powerful way to avoid problems with a new dog is also one of the least utilized methods ---and that is simply this: Choose the right dog!
What does that mean? Well, dogs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colors and coat varieties, long hair, short hair, even no hair at all. It is easy to fall in love with the look of a particular breed. But what a lot of people forget is that most dog breeds were not created to look a certain way, but rather to act in a certain way ---our dog breeds were bred to serve specific functions, and to do certain jobs. Even though you may look at a dog as simply a companion, your fabulous furry friend's genes will strongly influence how they behave.
I find that most people already have an idea of what kind of dog they think they want. But it is important to spend some time thinking about what kind of dog you don't want!
Everyone who gets a dog envisions all the fun and frolic their new pet will bring to their lives, but too often, the pup comes with a few drawbacks they didn't anticipate. The sad truth is that the leading cause of death in dogs is actually not a disease ---it's euthanasia in shelters, and most dogs end up in shelters because of behavior problems. Even if you would never abandon a pet to a shelter, nobody wants to live with a dog who causes headaches ---a pet should be a source of joy, not hassles!
The most powerful way to avoid problems with a new dog is also one of the least utilized methods ---and that is simply this: Choose the right dog!
What does that mean? Well, dogs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colors and coat varieties, long hair, short hair, even no hair at all. It is easy to fall in love with the look of a particular breed. But what a lot of people forget is that most dog breeds were not created to look a certain way, but rather to act in a certain way ---our dog breeds were bred to serve specific functions, and to do certain jobs. Even though you may look at a dog as simply a companion, your fabulous furry friend's genes will strongly influence how they behave.
I find that most people already have an idea of what kind of dog they think they want. But it is important to spend some time thinking about what kind of dog you don't want!
Look for our next post in this series “The Right Breed For Your Lifestyle”.
View the next posts in this series:
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 2): The Right Breed For Your Lifestyle
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
- How to choose a puppy (Part 4): Shelter Dogs
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Ask The Vet: Switching to a Raw Diet
10/Mar/09
Question:
I have a somewhat overweight Corgi that I am trying to switch from a high protein kibble to diet of mostly meat. How many ounces of meat should she get in a day, and what else does she need to round out her diet?
Answer:
I wish I had a simple answer to this question, but the truth is ---it depends.
There are a number of factors that influence how much food you should offer your dog. First, it is important to remember that every animal is unique, and their nutritional needs will vary depending on their activity levels, environment, and metabolic rate. If we fed the exact same amount of the exact same food to a dozen 25 pound dogs, it is likely that some would gain weight, some would lose weight, and some would remain the same. Also, different foods have varying amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates; even "meat" spans a wide range ---for example, from chicken to lamb to beef. The cut of meat will make a difference too ---a chuck roast has much more fat, and therefore calories, than a cut like a bottom round. In fact, even the same cut of beef can have very different nutritional values, depending on what it is fed ----grain fed beef has 10 times the amount of saturated fat as grass fed beef, which means that grain-fed beef has a lot more calories per pound than grass-fed (not to mention radically different amounts of critically important omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids! ---We'll talk more about that in another post).
So there is no hard and fast rule about the appropriate amount of food to feed a dog.
That said, when shifting a dog from a processed food to a home-prepared diet, I usually aim for about 1/4 pound of fatty muscle meat (I like grass-fed chuck roast) per 25 pounds of dog per day. If you are using leaner meat, feed a bit more ---but the fat is an important nutrient, so don't avoid it unless your pet has a history of medical issues digesting fat. When changing a dog's diet, I recommend introducing the new food gradually: start by just mixing a little of the new food in with the old food, and slowly increase the portion of the new food while decreasing the amount of the old food, over about 7-10 days.
When other foods such as eggs and organ meats are added to the diet (and they should be!), I reduce the muscle meat a bit to compensate. It is extremely important to make sure you are feeding a properly formulated, complete diet ---for example, dogs have much higher calcium requirements than we do, so it is very easy to short-change them on this crucial nutrient, unless you are regularly feeding raw knuckle bones or an adequate amount of a good, raw ground bone calcium supplement (feel free to contact me directly for a list of recommended supplements to balance the basic meat/eggs/organs diet). Bone content is also important for stool quality. I applaud those who are willing to go to the effort and expense of preparing "real food" for their pets; just remember, it is important to make sure you are following a veterinarian-approved recipe to avoid deficiencies.
All right, back to the "how much?" question. After a few weeks of feeding a consistent diet, evaluate your dog's condition. Is she gaining weight? You're feeding too much! Is she losing weight? In that case, the amount you are feeding isn't keeping pace with your dog's energy expenditures. Since you said she is overweight, that is what you want ---but remember, you may need to increase the ration a little once she comes down to her target weight.
I often find that as we improve their diet, pets become much more energetic ---more energy means more exercise, and more exercise helps burn off that excess fat!
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
I have a somewhat overweight Corgi that I am trying to switch from a high protein kibble to diet of mostly meat. How many ounces of meat should she get in a day, and what else does she need to round out her diet?
Answer:
I wish I had a simple answer to this question, but the truth is ---it depends.
There are a number of factors that influence how much food you should offer your dog. First, it is important to remember that every animal is unique, and their nutritional needs will vary depending on their activity levels, environment, and metabolic rate. If we fed the exact same amount of the exact same food to a dozen 25 pound dogs, it is likely that some would gain weight, some would lose weight, and some would remain the same. Also, different foods have varying amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates; even "meat" spans a wide range ---for example, from chicken to lamb to beef. The cut of meat will make a difference too ---a chuck roast has much more fat, and therefore calories, than a cut like a bottom round. In fact, even the same cut of beef can have very different nutritional values, depending on what it is fed ----grain fed beef has 10 times the amount of saturated fat as grass fed beef, which means that grain-fed beef has a lot more calories per pound than grass-fed (not to mention radically different amounts of critically important omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids! ---We'll talk more about that in another post).
So there is no hard and fast rule about the appropriate amount of food to feed a dog.
That said, when shifting a dog from a processed food to a home-prepared diet, I usually aim for about 1/4 pound of fatty muscle meat (I like grass-fed chuck roast) per 25 pounds of dog per day. If you are using leaner meat, feed a bit more ---but the fat is an important nutrient, so don't avoid it unless your pet has a history of medical issues digesting fat. When changing a dog's diet, I recommend introducing the new food gradually: start by just mixing a little of the new food in with the old food, and slowly increase the portion of the new food while decreasing the amount of the old food, over about 7-10 days.
When other foods such as eggs and organ meats are added to the diet (and they should be!), I reduce the muscle meat a bit to compensate. It is extremely important to make sure you are feeding a properly formulated, complete diet ---for example, dogs have much higher calcium requirements than we do, so it is very easy to short-change them on this crucial nutrient, unless you are regularly feeding raw knuckle bones or an adequate amount of a good, raw ground bone calcium supplement (feel free to contact me directly for a list of recommended supplements to balance the basic meat/eggs/organs diet). Bone content is also important for stool quality. I applaud those who are willing to go to the effort and expense of preparing "real food" for their pets; just remember, it is important to make sure you are following a veterinarian-approved recipe to avoid deficiencies.
All right, back to the "how much?" question. After a few weeks of feeding a consistent diet, evaluate your dog's condition. Is she gaining weight? You're feeding too much! Is she losing weight? In that case, the amount you are feeding isn't keeping pace with your dog's energy expenditures. Since you said she is overweight, that is what you want ---but remember, you may need to increase the ration a little once she comes down to her target weight.
I often find that as we improve their diet, pets become much more energetic ---more energy means more exercise, and more exercise helps burn off that excess fat!
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Plastic Toxins in the News
02/Mar/09
Recently, Canada thrust BPA (Bisphenol-A) onto the front pages by declaring it to be toxic. Suddenly everyone's talking about phthalates, now that they've realized that BPA leaches out of commonly used polycarbonate plastic containers into our food and drinks! Most of the press has focused on polycarbonate baby bottles and those ubiquitous Nalgene bottles, but there are other sources of exposure to phthalates that may surprise you.... Soon we'll talk about these chemicals, why we should be concerned about them, and discuss some ways to limit our pets' exposure. Eager for a preview? Earthresource.org has a good overview of plastic toxins here.
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.