Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a great holiday.
We are coming to the end of a year that has been difficult. Economic fears have become reality for many people and businesses, and lots of folks are feeling the pinch. But at the end of the day, in the midst of the worries and stresses of daily life, it's great to walk through the door to a friendly greeting. The tail wags, entangled feet, wet kisses, and cold noses remind us that we can be thankful for the unconditional love of pets.

So this Thanksgiving, whether you are gathering with lots of family and friends or warming up a Hungry Man dinner, be sure to give your dog or cat a little bit of turkey and lots of love. Then start thinking of all the things you can be thankful for. You'll be surprised that even the simplest things, when added together, make up quite a list. We could all use a little bit of giving thanks this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

H1N1 and Pets

Did you know?
It's true, the headlines declaring a cat was diagnosed with H1N1 have been confirmed. But what does that mean for you and your feline friend?

Until recently, experts believed that, with the exception of birds and pet pigs, our pets were not susceptible to the H1N1 virus. In fact, we don't generally worry about our pets with any of the common seasonal flu strains. Now, several cases of H1N1 in ferrets, one cat that tested positive for the virus, and another reported case in a cat, have shown that human transmission of the bug to our pets is possible. So, even though pets bring us lots of comfort, it is best to avoid sleeping or snuggling with your pets if you are ill with flu like symptoms.

The good news is that like most people, it appears that this flu causes a mild illness in pets. Both cats survived and have recovered from the virus. Treatment for pets that contract H1N1 are supportive care and antibiotics if a secondary bacterial infection is present.

Your family veterinarian, the Veterinarians here at VRCC, the AVMA, and the CDC are all continuing to monitor H1N1 in order to make sure pets and people say protected. If pets were especailly susceptible, we would expect infection rates that mirrored the human population.

If your pet is showing any signs of illness, such as lethargy, fever, and runny nose, call your family veterinarian to schedule an exam. Or, if it is after hours, the Veterinarians and technicians at CVES are happy to see you and your pet to relieve your concerns and provide any care that is necessary for your animal.

As Leonardo da Vinci so elegantly stated, "the smallest feline is a masterpiece".

For additional information on the H1N1 virus and pets visit the AVMA website.

Loosing Your Lunch

Did you know?
Unfortunately, animals can eat the darndest things at the worst possible times! Say for instance your cat eats your nylons, one of your dogs eats a tennis ball, and the other dog gets into some chocolate. Yikes! I certainly understand that you might want to avoid a veterinary bill and choose to turn to the internet to look for ways to make your pet(s) vomit without having to leave your home. You may find a solution, but it may not be the wisest choice.

Let me tell you why.
Most veterinarians will not routinely recommend at-home use of emetics (medicines to cause vomiting). The time it takes to find the substance, corral the animal, and administer the dosage may take as long, or longer, than the ride to the vet. Plus, at-home administration may just prolong the proper medical care the animal needs.

For one thing, when an animal swallows an object it might be dangerous to have it come back out the way it got in. For example, take the scenario of your dog eating a tennis ball. Causing him to vomit could lodge the ball in his esophagus and cause him to choke. Or, if an animal eats a particularly sharp object like a broken chicken bone, a pencil, or a piece of glass, the object has the potential of inflicting more harm on the animals body on the way back out. The solution for that type of ingestion could be to have the animal eat a lot of fiber (canned pumpkin, rice, bread) to "bulk up" and wrap around the object so it comes safely out the other end. Either way, call your family veterinarian first to find out if vomiting up the substance, or object, is safe for the animal.

Also, you may not know that it is very difficult to get a cat to vomit. Even with emetic medications available to veterinarians cats are a finicky bunch about regurgitating their lunch. Dogs are a bit more amenable, but I've seen a few dogs also unphased by the medications to make them sick.

The internet is abundant with recommendations for using hydrogen peroxide, ipecac syrup or salt as a means of causing an animal to vomit, thereby removing the toxic or dangerous substance he or she has ingested. Let's examine each of these substances for their pro's and con's.

Hydrogen Peroxide: The most common recommendation is to use 3% hydrogen peroxide (H202) in a dose of 1 teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight for the animal. If it is successful, hydrogen peroxide should cause vomiting within 10 minutes. Never administer the dose more than twice in a row. Overdosing with hydrogen peroxide can have the unfortunate affect of making the dog vomit excessively; which could lead to dehydration and land the animal in the hospital for fluid therapy and administration of an anti-emetic to stop the vomiting. At best, hydrogen peroxide is effective as an emetic 50% of the time. So you could administer the dose and still need to bring the animal to your veterinarian for care since the toxic substance or object is still inside.

Ipecac Syrup: Most parents of small children have Ipecac syrup in the medicine chest for emergency use, so you may have some on hand. But, it is similar to hydrogen peroxide in causing the desired outcome - it works about 50% of the time. It is also difficult to administer because of the bitter taste. Most notably, if the animal does not vomit, the syrup still needs to be removed because of the potential for negative cardiovascular side affects. Ipecac syprup should induce vomiting within 10 - 30 minutes, although it can be delayed up to an hour.

Table Salt: The use of table salt as an emetic in dogs and cats is generally frowned upon because of the potential for causing more harm than good. The maximum dosage in dogs and cats is 1 to 3 teaspoons and usually induces vomiting within 10 to 15 minutes. However, if the salt does not cause vomiting the increased sodium levels can cause acute swelling of the brain and even death. Not a good outcome!

Veterinary Emetics: Veterinarians usually use one of two medicines to make animals vomit - Apomorphine or Xylazine. The apomorphine can be used for dogs or cats while the Xylazine is used only in cats. Apomorphine (Apo) has about a 90% success rate in dogs. Veterinarians also have another drug to counter the effects of the Apo to stop the vomiting if needed. The percentage of success in cats tends to be lower. Fortunately cats are less likely to get into toxic substances that requires them to vomit.

About 20 minutes after the animal has vomited, activated charcoal is administered for patients who got into a toxic substance. The activated charcoal helps to absorb more of the toxin since on average only about 70% of the toxin is vomited up - another reason to at least end treatment with your veterinarian if you choose to try one of the at-home remedies.

Overall, a trip to the vet is still the wisest choice. You may get lucky by administering one of these at home remedies and have a great outcome, but our veterinarians don't recommend you take the chance.

The moral of the story...hope you weren't eating lunch

Consider Pet Insurance

Did you know?
It's no secret that veterinary fees have increased significantly over the last ten years and will continue to do so to keep pace with the cost of doing business. Still, when you consider that the education, technology, medicines and protocols are all very similar in scope and cost to human medicine, then veterinary medicine is a bargain. But a major difference is payment requirements. Co-pays and billing options for human medicine have softened the cost for office visits and made access to care more available. In comparison, pet medical care requires payment up front for the full invoice and the price tag can come as a shock, especially in the case of an emergency.

Pet savings plans in theory are great, but very few people have the discipline and foresight to create a special account for pet medical bills. Saving even $40 a month will take a pet owner 6 years to save enough to cover an emergency surgery if your dog gets hit by a car or blows out a knee. But where does that leave you, the pet owner?

The pet insurance industry has been around since the early 80's, but pet owners and veterinarians have been resistant to using or advocating pet health insurance policies. Historically pet owners have found it hard to see a significant benefit for the cost and veterinarians have strongly resisted the idea of networks and the headaches found in human health care. But as prices increase and the bond between people and their pets strengthens more people are looking for a way to cover their costs and help ensure that a medical emergency doesn't become a life or death decision because of money. As a result there has been an increase in the number of pet health insurance companies. While there are similarities in practice between companies, there can be wide variations in the details of the policies they offer. So how do you choose the best pet insurance for your animals that fits your budget?

Let me tell you how.
I was surprised at the number of pet health insurance companies in the industry when I started researching available policies. Currently I know of eleven companies that insure in Colorado and there seems to be new providers popping up every year.

Covered vs. Excluded
All the companies I looked at exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions. But you really have to read the fine print to know the definition of pre-existing conditions. For example, some companies will insure a condition or incident in one benefit year, but upon renewal that condition or incident becomes a pre-existing condition. The condition is then excluded from coverage or a 180 day waiting period must expire before the condition is eligible for coverage.

Hereditary conditions are another stickler. I am aware of one company who will provide limited coverage for hereditary conditions as long as the pet is insured by age 2; while other companies won't cover hereditary conditions at all. The broadest coverage for hereditary conditions seems to be provided by PurinaCare whose literature states that "hereditary conditions are considered to be qualifying medical expenses if they are not pre-existing".

Then there are the categories of conditions that are covered only by purchasing supplemental coverage. For example, reimbursement for Hip Dysplasia requires a separate rider with Trupanion; and VPI requires purchase of an Enhanced Cancer Rider for cancer treatment coverage. I strongly recommend reading a sample policy before enrolling in a plan to be fully aware of the type of coverage your premium will buy.

Deductible and Coinsurance
You'll want to decide what type and level of deductible you can afford. Deductibles are either annual, or by incident, e.g. all visits and treatments related to a hit-by-car accident on a specific date. Deductibles range from $0 to $1000 and your monthly premium is directly proportional to the size of deductible you choose. Once you meet your deductible, reimbursement for veterinary medical expenses is usually stated as a percentage. A common level of reimbursement is 80% of our veterinary bill after deductible for illnesses, accidents and injuries. Companies with a fee schedule will only pay the stated amount per type of injury, illness, or treatment. This may still be a good option, but you should be familiar with the amount of coverage ahead of time.

Limits
Insurance companies are required to keep a certain amount of money in reserve based on the limits of coverage stated in their policy and the number of lives insured. The limit can be stated as a per incident limit, annual limit, and/or lifetime limit of coverage. When comparing plans consider that an incident can involve multiple types of care and treatment. An example might be an animal that gets hit by a car and comes in to the ER on a Saturday morning then needs an emergency splenectomy followed by a transfer to Internal Medicine for several days of hospital care. Then after being discharged from the hospital bandage changes may be necessary. This typical type of case could easily add up to $5,000. At 80% coverage your reimbursement would be $3600 (after you meet your $500 deductible); unless your incident limit is $1500. Then the most you could be reimbursed is $1500; an important factor to keep in mind.

Accident, Illness, Wellness
One of the biggest decisions will be between an accident and illness only plan versus one that includes coverage for a wellness or routine care plan. Most wellness plans are paid by benefit schedule, meaning there is a set dollar amount the company will pay for the services such as the annual exam, vaccinations, or heartworm test. Each benefit schedule varies and it might be beneficial to compare the listed reimbursement allowed against the cost of those services by your family veterinarian before deciding if paying for coverage is cost effective.

Discounts
Some companies provide discounts for covering multiple pets. Discounts range from 5 to 15% off the premium depending on the number of animals insured. Other discounts might include 5% for microchipping or a small discount for paying the premium annually instead of monthly.

Monthly Premium
Pet insurance premiums are based on policy type, deductible, zip code, and species, breed, and age of your pet. Premiums can range from $5 to $250 per month based on the previously mentioned factors and the number of pets insured. You choose what works best for your monthly budget. Most likely your final decision will be determined by the premium, but be careful to look at the full picture to make sure you get the best value for the premium paid.

Recommendations
I just threw a lot of information at you all at once, kind of like getting sprayed by a fire hose. Let me turn down the dial a bit and give you the website of a company I would recommend. PurinaCare started offering policies just over a year ago. While they are new on the market, their brand has been around for many years and provides a solid reputation. PurinaCare offers two options PurinaCare Plus Preventive Care or PurinaCare without Preventive Care. Both are detailed on their website where you can also get a personalized quote.

Consider an accident only plan similar to those offered by ASPCA or Embrace. This sort of plan will cover things like bloat, foreign body ingestion, hit by car, poisoning, cuts and lacerations. The type of thing you always hope will never happen, but when they do seem to happen at the worse times.

Here are a couple websites where you can compare plans side by side:

• Dogtime.com
• PetInsuranceReview.com
  

Dr. Kay's book "Speaking for Spot" also includes a chapter on pet health insurance and has some great questions to consider in your search process.

AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) gives the seal of acceptance to three companies. You'll find details on their website.

The moral of the story...protect your wallet and your pets' life, consider pet insurance.

Halloween Hints

Halloween Hints

Did you know?
We are about to make the plunge into the holiday season starting with the spooky and candy laden festivities of Halloween. Holidays are fun and offer great memory making moments and fun picture opportunities. They also can pose some safety challenges that aren't normally on your radar. For the sake of safety, and to help ensure a "spooktakular" celebration, I've put together a few tips for keeping your four legged friends safe and healthy on Halloween.

Costumes
There are some fabulous Halloween costumes available for pets and some kid costumes can be adapted to fit your furry "children". When choosing a costume keep the following in mind:
- tie or remove any strings that could be eaten
- keep your animal with you while the costume is on to decrease the chance of ingestion or strangulation
- look for Velcro closures around the neck that can be easily removed
- make sure your pet won't trip on a cape or hanging piece of material
- not all animals find costumes enjoyable - take the costume off if your pet seems anxious or keeps pawing at the costume to get it off.

Food
Halloween is all about the loot. Make sure you have some pet appropriate treats around for the evening and watch out for the following:
- No matter how much "Lucky" begs don't give in to those pathetic eyes and feed him chocolate or raisins, or the double whammy, chocolate covered raisins. See my previous posts on these two food items for the potential toxic results for animals.
- Keep the "loot" bags out of reach of your pet. If "Lucky" decides to devour the bag the wrappers can become stuck in the esophagus or intestines and cause problems. Call your Veterinarian if your pet chooses a night of dietary indescretion.

General Safety
- Do you have a black cat? It's best to keep kitty inside for the night.
- If your pet gets over stimulated by the doorbell consider placing a sign at the front door asking trick-or-treaters to knock; or talk with your family vet about a mild sedative for the evening.
- Place jack-o-lanterns in a safe place where they won't get knocked over by your pet or set a tail on fire.
- Have a designated quiet room for your pets where they can feel safe if you have a party in your home.

By the way, if you are a client of the VRCC, post your Halloween pet pictures on our Facebook page!

Have a safe and happy "Howl"oween!

Updated 11/01/2009

All Wired Up

Did you know?
Halloween displays are starting to pop up around the neighborhood and my son keeps insisting that I start decorating. I love to decorate, but I've been resisting because I know that once I start decorating for fall the boxes just keep shuffling in and out of the basement for the next two months for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe for you it's Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. But the lights and extension cords for air filled pumpkins, tree lights, and outside displays can get out of control. Not to mention that for curious cats and dogs all those cords may be fun to chew on and can be very dangerous.

Let me tell you why.
Animals chew on the strangest things! Causes of destructive chewing can range from teething in puppies and kittens to curiosity, to boredom, and even (surprise!) because of a nutrient deficiency, or rarely, a condition known as pica which causes animals to crave and ingest non-food items.

Whatever the cause for the chewing, it can be dangerous for your pet and for you. As most pet owners know too well, animal teeth can be very sharp, especially puppies and kittens. Just a few bites on an electrical cord can penetrate the plastic covering causing contact with live electrical wires.

If you see your pet being electrocuted do not touch the animal until you unplug the cord or shut off the power or you will be electrocuted.

If you are unable to get to the cord to unplug it from the wall use a broom stick or similar non-conductive object to move your animal away from the cord. Immediately assess your animal to make sure it has a pulse and is breathing. Administer CPR as necessary. Check out this site for more detail on animal CPR. Then immediately take your animal to your family veterinarian, or if it's after hours to Central Veterinary Emergency Services, or a 24 hour animal ER in your area.

Electrocution by chewing on a cord can cause burns to the tongue, gums and lips which may be visible right away or may be painful to the animal, but will take some time to appear. Burns in the mouth can make eating and drinking difficult for your animal. Careful attention should be paid to the amount of food and water being ingested by your pet. Your veterinarian can prescribe pain medicines to relieve your pet's discomfort. Another effect of electrocution may be noncardiogenic pulmonary edema which basically means the lungs fill up with fluid making it difficult for your animal to get enough oxygen. Hospitalization is necessary to administer oxygen and monitor lung function. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications may also be necessary. This condition is serious and can vary in outcome depending on the severity and any underlying illness.

So what can you do to protect your pets? If you have animals prone to chewing I would recommend trying to "animal proof" your home like you would for an infant or toddler. Place covers on outlets, move breakable objects away from edges, put away socks, shoes, underwear, etc.

But I digress, lets talk about electrical cords. I found two websites with products that look very promising. CritterCord has heavy gauge electrical cord covers that have a bitter coating and fit around various size cords. Their product was rated as a favorite by Cat Fancy in 2008. OnLineOrganizing.com has transparent floor cord protectors that can keep all your cords tidy while protecting them from sharp teeth. They even have a decorating suggestion of running Christmas lights through the center to create a nice glow in low light areas. Home Depot has a similar product called "wiremold" that comes in varying colors and lengths. You might also try stringing the cords higher or placing a throw rug over extension cords. If you will be away from your home for any length of time consider unplugging as many cords as possible.

The moral of the story...pretty and safe go together like chocolate and peanut butter.

Updated 10/13/09

Toxic Anti-Freeze and The Pet Friendly Alternative

Did you know?
I drove down my street yesterday and caught sight of a tree that was ablaze with color. The yellows and golds glistened in the late afternoon sun. But, the changing colors means summer is officially over and your mental alarm might be going off to start winterizing your vehicle. If your plan includes flushing your radiator and refilling with antifreeze please take caution and clean up any spills. For cats and dogs one or two licks of antifreeze is all it takes for a lethal dose. Cats are four times as sensitive to the poison as dogs. If you suspect antifreeze ingestion, get to your Veterinarian's office immediately.

Let me tell you why.
The majority of antifreeze products on the market contain 95% Ethylene Glycol, a highly toxic chemical to all mammals and moderately toxic to aquatic animals. Ethylene glycol is also found in windshield washer fluid, brake fluid, hydraulic fluids, film processing solutions, paint solvents, and is used to de-ice airplanes and runways.

Animals are attracted to ethylene glycol because of the sweet taste. The poisoning happens in two stages. At first it may appear that "Lucky" is drunk from the staggering, vomiting, falling down, excessive drinking and peeing, and acting dizzy. These signs usually manifest within the first three to six hours after ingestion and tend not to last long. Then "Lucky" may seem normal and it may appear that you and your four legged friend are out of the woods. Unfortunately, that is far from the truth. The second stage of poisoning happens when the body starts to break down the ethylene glycol into other chemicals such as aldehyde, glycolic acid, and oxalate. This stage is dangerous because it can cause severe to fatal damage to the kidneys.

Diagnosis for ethylene glycol poisoning can be tricky. There is a test that was designed specifically for determining ethylene glycol poisoning, but it must be used within 12 hours of ingestion for accurate results. Otherwise, the tests needed for diagnosis include a urinalysis to look for crystals in the urine, and a full blood chemistry panel to look at values related to renal (kidney) function.

Treatment for ethylene glycol poisoning has been helped tremendously with the introduction of 4-Methylpyrazole or 4-MP. 4-MP helps to prevent the second stage of poisoning allowing the animal's body to eliminate the toxins without causing damage to the kidneys. Dosing for cats is much higher than for dogs and must be administered within 3 hours in order to be effective. For both dogs and cats dosing is usually done over a 36 hour period by IV. Treatment will also include IV fluids with continued monitoring of renal blood values. Prognosis for your animal can range from good to poor or even fatal depending on the amount of ethylene glycol consumed and the time elapsed between ingestion and commencement of treatment.

Of course the best treatment is prevention. Be sure to clean up spills or leaks and store the liquid securely out of reach of your pets. However, there is an alternative antifreeze on the market that uses propylene glycol. Propylene glycol has a less pleasant taste, is biodegradable and does not cause the kidney damage like ethylene glycol. Large amounts of ingestion may still cause anemia and gastro-intestinal upset, but it does not appear to be as potentially fatal. H.R. 615, The Antifreeze Bittering Act of 2009 has also been introduced that would require ethylene glycol manufactures to add denatonium benzoate to ethylene glycol to deter animals from ingesting the toxic substance.

The moral of the story...don't let car maintenance become a tragedy.