Herbal Remedies for Animals

CAVM aka Complementary and/or Alternative Veterinary Medicine is a growing segment of the veterinary market.  CAVM can include chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathic, naturopathic practices along with use of herbal remedies, Bach flower essences,  massage, traditional Chinese medicine, nutraceuticals, and many other modalities. This blog post is not intended to make a recommendation for or against CAVM treatment options.  Rather, as I have done in many other posts, in order to keep you informed and your animal safe I will point out some products or practices that without proper application could be potentially harmful to your pet.

I will mention that there are strong opinions on both sides concerning the use of CAVM modalities in Veterinary Medicine. As with any type of medicine, it is important to research the education and practice background of the person providing treatment. Treatment of your dog or cat by someone unfamiliar with small animal anatomy, physiology, and body systems may prescribe a treatment that while non-toxic for humans, could be potentially life threatening to your pet.

For instance, there are herbal remedies that affect animals differently than people.

Garlic:  Garlic is used in herbal remedies in whole plant form or infused oil for its antiviral, bactericidal and fungicidal properties.  Like onions, garlic ingestion can cause anemia in pets.  Anemia is a decrease in the number of red blood cells or hemoglobin in blood.  Since hemoglobin caries oxygen from the lungs to tissue, severe anemia can have negative effects on multiple organs and systems in the body.  Symptoms of anemia often show up three to five days after an animal has ingested the vegetable oil.  Exposure to garlic oil on the skin can cause a dog or cat to have allergic reactions of the skin or asthmatic attacks as well.

Chamomile:  This herb is often used in tinctures or teas as a digestive aid, stress reducer, poultice for cuts or burns or for the treatment of abscesses.  It can also be found in oil form.  For animals chamomile causes vomiting and lack of muscle coordination.

Oil of Wintergreen:  Are you familiar with Bengay ointment?  Bengay and other natural pain relieving ointments use Oil of Wintergreen as a main ingredient.  It comes in ointment or oil form and is applied to the skin to relieve muscle pain.  The scientific name for this type of medicine is a Salicylate.  Salicylates are toxic to cats and dogs.  Signs of salicylate toxicity include nausea, vomiting, restlessness that progresses to seizures and coma.

Tea Tree Oil:  Ridding your animals and house of fleas can be a tough job. One of the suggested methods is the use of Tea Tree oil as a topical application for your pet as well as a spray for bedding.  Tea tree oil can be toxic to pets if applied in large quantities or groomed off the skin by the pet.  According to the ASPCA "clinical effects that may occur following dermal (skin) exposure to significant amounts of tea tree oil include loss of coordination, muscle weakness, depression, and possibly even a severe drop in body temperature, collapse and liver damage."

Moral of the story...what's good for the goose may not be good for the gander.  In other words, talk to your veterinarian about herbal remedies before using them for your pet.  Your pets may be thought of as human, but their body systems are very different and some medicines don't cross over well.

Much of this data can be found in Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy volume XII

Counterfeit Pet Drugs - FDA Warning

US - COUNTERFEIT PET DRUGS The FDA has issued a consumer alert to pet owners, warning them about the dangers of buying discounted pet drugs online. The FDA warns that its own investigations have found online companies that sell unapproved drugs or other counterfeit products and some will sell them without a veterinarian prescription. The FDA advises pet owners who want to buy online drugs to place orders at sites that are a Vet-VIPPS (Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) accredited pharmacy. (Veterinary Advantage)

I know it is sometimes tempting to try to find a "deal" on medication for your animal, but the FDA has issued a very valid warning with good reasoning behind their concerns.  Website pharmacies who dispense drugs without a veterinary exam or try to evaluate your pet through a questionnaire on their website are potentially putting your animal in danger.  It is very difficult to assess and diagnose an animal without an actual hands on examination.  Often, results of blood tests must be reviewed before dispensing certain medications to ensure that your pet will not be harmed by taking the drug.

There are two types of medications sold online through disreputable websites that are especially concerning.

NSAIDS - Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Heart Worm Medication

I've written about NSAIDS before  under the title Is She In Pain? as well as the post titled Top 10 Human Medications that Poison Pets.  In addition to that information there is really only one NSAID that can be given to cats and it is only approved for one injection after surgery.  Otherwise, any NSAID given to a cat can cause life threatening kidney damage.

 Secondly, heart worm medication can be harmful or even fatal to your dog if already infected with heartworm.  Before starting a preventive program, all dogs should be tested for heartworms.

Adult heartworms produce millions of microscopic "baby" heartworms (called microfilaria) into the bloodstream. When you give a monthly heartworm preventive to a dog with circulating microfilaria, this can cause the sudden death of microfilaria, triggering a shock-type reaction. Even if your dog does not have this type of reaction, heartworm preventives do not kill the adult heartworms (although they may shorten the worms' life expectancy). This means an infected dog will remain infected with adult heartworms.

Unfortunately, as long as a pet remains infected, heartworm disease will progress and damage the heart and lungs, which can lead to life threatening problems. Giving heartworm preventives to heartworm-positive dogs can mislead an owner into thinking everything is all right, while within a pet, heartworm disease is worsening.

The moral of the story...look for the Vet-VIPPS certification before buying online.

Halloween From Your Pet's Perspective

Halloween is a fun time of year, especially for kids and many pet owners who consider their pets to be their kids. While it's great to go all out for the holiday and have fun with dressing up and decorating, there are some aspects about the event that need a little oversight.

Dr. Pointer with the ASPCA gives some great tips to keep your pets safe this Halloween. Dr. Pointer covers things like pet costumes, candy, and proper identification. You may have heard these before, but perhaps you have recently adopted, or purchased, a new pet and this is your first Halloween. Watch the video for ways to keep your "Lucky" safe.

Remember, how you view Halloween and how your pet perceives the holiday are very different. The costumes, constant doorbell ringing, candy smells and burning candles can be very unsettling to even the most friendly dog or cat. Keep that in mind as you look for your favorite costume for this Halloween.

Trick-or treat!

Pennies Cause Zinc Poisoning in Dogs

I saw a headline recently that caught my attention from the sheer craziness of the animal involved in the story.  The headline was Puppy Survives Swallowing 113 Pennies.  Why would any animal swallow that many pennies? Then I got to wondering, how many dog owners  know that swallowing even one penny can be cause for concern for their four-legged friend? 

Penny starting to corrode in stomach

It's true that this story is not the norm, most dogs will only swallow one or two pennies, not 113!!  In our ER we see a case about every 4 months where a dog has found a penny and decided to find out how it tasted.  The problem is the contents of the penny.

All pennies minted after 1983 have a zinc core covered by copper.   Pennies are just heavy enough that they tend to stay in the stomach even when the animal has been given medication to make him or her vomit.  The acidic environment, depending on the amount of food in the stomach, can cause the penny to break down rapidly.  Once the penny starts to corrode the zinc is released into the bloodstream and causes anemia and liver damage.  It could take a few hours to a couple days before signs of toxicity start to show up.

Corroded penny removed from Dachshund

Signs of zinc toxicity and anemia can include extreme tiredness, vomiting, bloody urine, decreased appetite, and seeming depressed.  These signs signify the need to get your dog to the vet very quickly.

Radiographs and blood tests will be used to determine the cause of the symptoms.  Once penny ingestion and zinc toxicity is determined the immediate treatment goals will include decreasing zinc absorption, correcting anemia, minimizing liver damage, and removing the penny.  Most likely the penny will be surgically removed although endoscopy may by possible if the penny is still sitting in the stomach.  The time it could take to allow the penny to pass, if it even will, could cause irreparable damage to the liver or even death.

Once the penny is removed the patient may need a blood transfusion to correct the anemia and will be given IV fluids to flush the liver to help the body get rid of the zinc. Additionally, the dog may receive Pepcid for stomach upset and/or an anti-nausea medication to prevent vomiting.  Supportive care may be needed for additional days or weeks depending on the amount of toxicity and how the animal responds to treatment.

Other common objects or products that contain zinc include zinc supplements, diaper rash ointment, sunscreen containing zinc oxide, automobile fuses, wire, and some nails. But the one most often overlooked is still the penny.

The moral of the story...you can't count your pennies with your hound dog by your side!