NOTES FROM THE VET

I hope everyone, pet family included, has managed to stay safe and warm in these snowy winter months.  Hang in there, spring is on its way!

Did you know that owning a pet can actually be good for you!  Human health benefits of the human-animal bond include documented (1) fewer visits to physicians by elderly pet owners, (2) increased survival after heart attacks by one year, and (3) improvement in feelings of isolation.  In children, pet ownership also stimulates social and verbal interaction and contributes to the development of responsibility and nurturing behavior.

Our pets contribute to our good health and we want to keep our pets healthy too.  We watch for signs of disease or illness by looking for lumps, skin or ear problems, vomiting or diarrhea, and/or changes in appetite.  These all are important indicators that there may be a problem.  Often though, we forget about watching for signs of early senility or “the aging brain” referred to as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in pets.  There are many possible symptoms of CDS we should watch for while remembering that often another medical cause must be ruled out first, example: house soiling.  Inappropriate urination can also be caused by infections, diabetes, or kidney disease just to list a few.  Other signs of senility might include disorientation, altered interactions with pets or people, changes in sleep-wake cycles, anxiety, vocalization, and/or changes in self hygiene.  After ruling out other medical causes of these symptoms, treatment for “the aging brain” may include nutritional and/or diet therapy.  In humans, studies show that education, physical and mental exercise, and diet may all protect against or delay the onset of cognitive dysfunction.  This may also be true for our pets.  Training, playtime, exercise and toys may be more therapeutic than we ever thought!  So don’t underestimate the long term benefits of training and interacting with you pets daily.  It can extend your life, your pet’s life and let’s face it, its FUN too!

What are other ways that we may increase our pet’s lifespan and/or improve their quality of life?  The answers are detecting diseases early and preventive care.  Ways that we, the pet owner and the veterinarian, can accomplish early disease detection are through a complete pet history provided by the pet owner including medical, surgical, vaccination, dietary, behavior and travel information as well as regular comprehensive exams, lab work ups, urinalysis, screening x-rays of the chest/abdomen when indicated.

Early disease detection programs can also help find health conditions early that may be specific to certain breeds.  Forty percent of dogs are predisposed to genetic conditions, so breed specific health risks must be addressed.  We have all heard of hip dysplasia in certain large breeds.  There are many more.  By knowing what breeds have a greater chance of developing specific health conditions, we can aim our preventive health care at discovering problems earlier, allowing quicker diagnosis and treatments.  Let’s work together to give our pets the best chance at a long and healthy life.

Past Newsletter

First of all, I'd like to thank you for allowing us to take care of your family pets,
and for referring family and friends to us. Topics in this newsletter include the new
"Dental Vaccine" for dogs, the virulent calici virus in cats, cryosurgery, our case of the
year "Cricket" and choices for flea control.


What's New:

There is a new aide in helping fight the battle against dental disease in dogs.
Beleive it or not, it is a "Dental Vaccine". This vaccine aids in the prevention of canine
periodontitis. Periodontitis left untreated can cause tooth loss. It is important to
have your pet's teeth checked, professionally cleaned and provide home dental care.
Things we can do at home include: brushing, t/d dental food, maxiguard gel, oral rinse
and various safe dental chews. Things to watch for include: bad breath, red or swollen
gums, loose or missing teeth, sore mouth and difficulty chewing. Please let us know if
you notice any of these symptoms.

Concerning routine cat vaccinations, we are now including the virulent systemic
feline calici vaccine (VS-FCV) in with all of our feline distemper vaccines. This will
give your cat full protection against the strain of calici that can be fatal and is very
contagious. Signs of the disease may include respiratory symptoms, high fever, swelling
of face or legs, oral ulcers, skin sores and organ failure.

We are now offering cryosurgery (the removal of small growths by freezing).
This can be done in our office without general anethesia. Because a lot of our older
patients develop small skin growths, cryosurgery is an excellent way to remove these
with minimal discomfort. Call to schedule an exam to see if your pet is a good
candidate.


Our case of the year goes to "Cricket" a 2 year old chihuahua mix. He came to
us with a history of vomiting and not eating for a couple of days after having his
occasional "plain cheeseburger". After poor response to treatment for cheeseburger GI
upset, x-rays and ultrasound exam indicated an obstruction. Exploratory surgery revealed
a hard blockage in his intestines. After removing that section of his intestines, Cricket
quit vomiting and started eating again. Guess what was in his intestines! The squeaker
from a squeaky toy. Cricket is doing fine now but his owners are more selective in
choosing his toys! To see pictures of Cricket, go to the photo section of our website.

This was the second squeaker we've removed at this clinic. Other objects
removed from cat's & dog's bellies include: superballs, pennies, a baby bib, loads of
vinyl upholstery from a chair, wood staples, string, carpet and a collar.


Flea season is around the corner. When choosing a flea control product, always
consider safety, effectiveness and if frequent bathing is a concern. There is a new
product we carry for flea control in dogs called Comfortis. This product is taken
orally once a month an is an excellent choice for dogs needing frequent medicated baths
where there is some concern over topical flea products becoming weak with frequent
bathing. Please check with us on which flea control products are best of your cat's or
dog's individual situation. Products we carry for dogs & cats include: Frontline Plus,
Advantage, Capstar and Revolution. Products for dogs only include: Comfortis and
Sentinel.


Hear's to a great year!

Your friend at Preston Animal Hospital



Caryl Kline, DVM
Dwayne, Gretchen, Cheryl, Cassady, Monty, Michele, Amy, Frank & Wendy