Green Lake Animal Hospital Pet of the Month: Minto

Hi!  My name is Minto and I was born on February 23, 1997, which means I’ll soon be 18 years of age. I’m a really old guy, but still pretty active.

When younger, I had loads of energy and became quite good at catching the Frisbee and tennis ball and a good swimmer, too. I used to go on hikes in the Cascades, the best of which was completing the WA state portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. I saw lots of wildlife and enjoyed sleeping under the stars.

For one year I lived in Amsterdam, Holland. I didn’t like travelling on the plane, but sure liked the cool weather and checking out the local sheep. They have great cheese, by the way.

My masters are Julie and Douglas. Julie feeds me the finest food and protects me in my old age. Douglas likes to take me on adventures and I’m his best companion.

Visiting the vet is not my favorite activity, but they do give me treats which makes it bearable. I should mention that I am obsessed with food!

Anyway, I can still walk a few miles per day and no doubt prefer the cooler weather of fall and winter.     I hope it snows!  

Veterinarian Volunteerism

Last summer I spent 8 days working as a volunteer veterinarian for the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. I joined the Rural Area Veterinary Service (RAVS) for their annual trip to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.  RAVS provides veterinary care to underserved communities within the United States. Many of these communities are located on reservations in the western half of the US. These MASH-type surgical and medical clinics are held once a year at different community centers on the reservation. RAVS provides spay and neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and parasite control.

The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation occupies 1 million acres and straddles the North Dakota/South Dakota state line. On this trip, 3 of the veterinarians and 1 LVT (licensed veterinary technician) were Humane Society employees. The additional personnel, all volunteers, consisted of:  4 veterinarians, 4 LVT’s, 35 veterinary students, and 2 clerical staff.  We gathered in Bismarck, ND for introductions and orientation. From Bismarck, we drove in caravan fashion to the Standing Rock Reservation.

The focus of this trip was to spay and neuter as many pets as possible. Vaccinations and parasite treatment were secondary to the primary mission of sterilization.  All services were free of charge to the clients. Veterinary students performed all of the pre-surgery and pre-treatment physical exams. They administered vaccinations and medications and talked to owners about exam findings, treatments, and preventive care. They assisted in anesthesia and surgery and monitored recovery of surgical patients. Most students were between the second and third years of veterinary school. These clinics provide the students with valuable surgical and clinical experience beyond what they get in veterinary school.  The students were extremely hard working, well prepared, flexible, and thorough. I was very impressed with their skills and their commitment to the well-being of the pets and the owners.

We admitted puppies and kittens as young as 6-8 weeks of age for surgery. Mature animal spays, which are rare here in urban practice, were common. These patients were primarily post- partum females, many of which were still nursing litters. Kittens and puppies as young as 2-3 weeks of age arrived along with mom and needed to be kept warm and quiet until mom was awake enough to be reunited with her babies. Every animal greater than 12 weeks of age received a Rabies vaccine, and all pets were dosed with oral worming medication and topical flea medication.

 The RAVS veterans stressed that this was likely to be the only opportunity many of these pets would have to be spayed or neutered. Pets that could not be found, caught, or transported to the site would miss the clinic and go on to produce additional litters of unwanted animals.  Neutered pets fight less, roam less, and are more likely to demonstrate behaviors that we find acceptable in household companions. Sterilized pets will lead more comfortable lives and suffer less traumatic injury and illness than their non-neutered counterparts. And they will not continue to contribute to the burden of unwanted animals on the reservation.

Clients frequently spent 2-3 hours waiting to have a pet assessed and admitted for surgery. Some waited 4 hours or more to have a pet or pets seen. Waiting for veterinary care was often a family affair, with 1 to 3 adults and 1 to multiple children and/or grandchildren piled in the car along with a variable number of animals. All pets in a family were treated as a unit-they were examined, treated, and returned to the owner at the same time.  It was not unusual for clients to arrive with 4-5 large dogs loose in the back of a truck, or 4-5 cats plus kittens loose in the passenger compartment of a car. 

Puppies and kittens seem to find homes fairly readily on the reservation. It was not uncommon for an owner to say the pet had been in the household less than a couple of weeks. Children are very involved with the puppies but interest and interaction wane as the puppy becomes an adult.  Many of the smaller dogs (a surprising number of Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes) live inside the house with the owners. Most medium sized and large dogs live outside of the house. 

Yards may or may not be fenced and are equipped with varying degrees of shelter. Many dogs wander freely. Some days they are observed by the owner and some days they are not. Feeding occurs if someone remembers to do it. Fighting is very common as are hit by car injuries and other types of trauma. It was rare to encounter dogs or cats over 6 years of age.

Pets come and go –household composition is very fluid – this is a different dynamic than what we are used to here in the city. Geriatric care is a major part of the services we provide to our clients. Most of the animals on the reservation do not live into these later years. But people clearly care about their pets. They would spend the entire day and into the evening waiting for their pets to be attended to. They were very thankful for the services we provided and for the interest we showed in their pets’ well-being. 

Clients’ knowledge of current recommendations for vaccination, nutrition, parasite control was minimal to non-existent. Their ability to provide the level of care that we provide for our pets is lacking. But these owners do want to do what they can within their means to improve the health and longevity of their pets. It is hard to see this when one first enters a situation so different from metropolitan Seattle but it is a large factor in the participation of so many professional volunteers. I fully anticipate accompanying RAVS on another trip next summer.

SOURCE:

Ann Whereat, VMD
Primary Location: Northwest Veterinary Hospital 

Dr. Whereat earned her degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She also received a B.A. in Biology from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

She has a veterinary interest in internal medicine and the human-animal bond.

Outside the office, Dr. Whereat has one pet – a Great Swiss Mountain dog – and likes to spend time with her husband and three daughters.

Tips for identifying & treating allergic dermatitis in your dog

Any dog owner whose pet suffers from allergic dermatitis is all too familiar with the constant scratching and itching this condition presents. Understanding the underlying cause for the disease is the first step in finding relief for your dog. There are three main causes of allergic dermatitis: flea allergy dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy dermatitis. Additionally, some dogs can have more than one type of allergy. 

Clinical signs of allergic dermatitis include pruritus (itching), rubbing, licking, scratching, and chewing. The scratching can be so intense that it causes alopecia (hair loss), reddening of affected skin, and hot spots. A real concern is that dogs suffering with these allergies are prone to secondary bacteria and yeast infections that can result from the damage inflicted by these reactive behaviors. 

Atopic Dermatitis (Atopy)

Atopy is a hypersensitivity reaction to inhaled allergens in the environment. Common allergens include pollens, dust mites, and mold spores. Antihistamines, glucocorticoid steroids, and medicated baths are often used to help alleviate the symptoms of atopy. In order to diagnose atopy in canines, veterinary staff use a technique called intradermal skin testing.  Allergy shots are then formulated to help desensitize the dog to the allergens that the dog reacted to. The onset of atopy occurs between one and three years of age in most cases, but can occur as early as six months or as late as seven years of age. The areas of skin most commonly affected are the face, areas around the eyes, ears, feet, axillary region (underarm), and groin.  However, itching can be generalized throughout the skin. Atopy can be seasonal or non-seasonal depending on the allergen.

Food Allergy

Food allergies are a hypersensitivity reaction to a substance in food. Some of the more common foods that dogs are allergic to can include beef, dairy products, wheat, chicken, chicken eggs, lamb, and soy. Food allergies can occur in dogs ranging from four months to around fourteen years of age, but approximately one third of these dogs will have the onset of food allergies within their first year of life. Skin areas affected by food allergies are practically identical as those caused by atopic dermatitis, making the diagnosis between the causes difficult.

To make this determination, a strict dietary elimination trial must be performed. These diets should consist of a single source of protein (such as duck) and single source of carbohydrate (such as potatoes). It is a requirement that the dog has not been exposed to these food choices previously. There are prescription diets that meet these requirements, such as novel protein or hydrolyzed protein dog foods. If feeding a home cooked diet, work with a veterinary nutritionist to make sure the diet is properly balanced. 

During the diet trial, the dog must AVOID the following:

• Flavored medications and vitamin supplements
• Treats
• Table scraps - keep your dog out of the kitchen, especially with young children that may drop food
• Medication in food
• Food intended for other household animals
• Flavored chew toys

The trial diet is fed exclusively for two to three months before reintroduction to the previous diet. If there is an allergic reaction to the reintroduced food within 14 days, then the dog has a food allergy and should return to eating the trial diet. Once the food allergy reaction dissipates again, individual ingredients can be introduced, one at a time, for a period of two weeks each. This will likely determine the specific food substance that causes the reaction. 

Flea Allergy Dermatitis

Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is a reaction to an antigen in flea saliva. FAD is very common in dogs. Although canines of any age can develop FAD, it usually affects younger patients. Individual dogs react differently to flea bites, and the reaction is worse if the dog has another skin disease as well. Symptoms of FAD include itching the tail base, thighs, and rear third of the dog’s back. 

Since flea allergy dermatitis is a reaction to flea saliva, the treatment is preventing flea bites, decreasing the duration fleas are able to feed, and decreasing the number of fleas present on the dog. This is best done by eliminating exposure to fleas. There are many flea control products available in both topical and oral formulations. It is important to treat all animals in the household when dealing with a flea infestation along with treating the inside (home) and outside (yard) environment.  Vehicles that pets commonly ride in should be treated as well.  

Canine skin allergies create a frustrating problem for dog owners, because what often begins as a seemingly simple condition can evolve into a confusing, and usually painful situation. By properly diagnosing, and subsequently addressing, the root cause of the allergic dermatitis, the daily comfort of your companion can be greatly improved. 

Dr. Catherine Gamber received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University.   Before moving to the Pacific Northwest she practiced general veterinary medicine in Dallas, Texas. 

Her special interests in veterinary medicine include internal medicine, dermatology, and soft tissue surgery. She is passionate about providing the highest quality of care for her dog and cat patients, and has a particular fondness for pot-bellied pigs.  

When she isn’t practicing veterinary medicine, she enjoys spending time outdoors running, hiking, and kayaking. Her own pets include a brown tabby cat named Amber and a pot-bellied pig named Eleanor Pigby.

SOURCE: http://www.seattledogspot.com/blog/dog-blog/post/tips-for-identifying-treating-allergic-dermatitis-in-your-dog

How to Identify and Treat Stress in your Dog

Seattle Dogs are Vulnerable to Heat Stress

Seattle’s temperate weather provides the perfect environment for our pets to have a very comfortable summer.  However, when things start to heat up, pets have the potential for developing life-threatening heat stress – otherwise known ashyperthermia.

Cats and dogs lack the ability to effectively sweat and thus their only method of regulating body temperature is through breathing off the heat through panting or finding an environment that helps them maintain a proper body temperature (water, shade, etc.).

Signs of Heat Stress in Your Pet

Normal body temperature for cats and dogs can vacillate between 99-102.5 degrees.  When temperatures exceed this norm, pets will begin to pant, act lethargic or become restless.

As temperatures continue to elevate things can progress to the pet becoming unsteady on its feet, abnormal gum color (purple to bright red), abnormal stools and if untreated  - multi-organ failure and cardiac arrest.

Dogs are More Vulnerable to Heat Stress

Dogs are markedly more prone to heat stress due to the fact that they have more exposure to the outside and are also more likely to be riding with their owners in automobiles. Automobiles are a significant source of heat stress and can be a concern on a relatively cool day (70°F). 

A study from Stanford University Medical Center found the temperature within a vehicle could increase by an average of 40 degrees Fahrenheit within one hour regardless of the outside temperature.

Predisposing Factors to Heat Stress in Pets

• Exposure to hot/humid conditions without adequate shade
• Exercising in hot/humid weather
• Obesity and/or diseases affecting a pet’s airway
• Brach cephalic (short-nosed) breeds such as Pekingese, Pugs, Lhasa apsos, Boston terriers and Bulldogs have an anatomic predisposition based on a narrowed airway
• Age and hair coat

What to Do if Your Dog has Heat Stress

If you have a remote concern that your pet is experiencing heat stress, you need to take immediate action.

• First, remove your pet from the source of heat where the hyperthermia occurred to a shaded and cool environment
• If possible, obtain a rectal temperature and record it.
• Begin cooling your dog with cool water. You can place wet cold washcloths on the footpads, around the head, in the armpits and the groin region.  Remember to also replace them frequently as they warm up.
• Avoid covering the whole body with wet towels, as it may trap in heat. Directing a fan on these wetted areas will also help to speed evaporative cooling.
• Most pets with hyperthermia have body temperatures exceeding 105°F, and a reasonable goal for cooling is to reduce your pet’s body temperature to 102.5-103°F while transporting her to the closest veterinary facility. 
• DO NOT put your pet on ice or in ice water! Extreme cold can cause the blood vessels to constrict, preventing the body from cooling and actually causing the internal temperature to further rise. Over-cooling can also cause hypothermia, introducing a host of new problems.
• Offer your pet small amounts of cool water, but do not force water into their mouth or allow them to drink excessive amounts in one sitting.

Call or visit your veterinarian right away - even if your dog appears to be improving. Internal damage might not be obvious to the untrained eye, so an exam is recommended (further testing may be necessary). For advanced heat exhaustion, the sooner your pet receives medical attention the better its prognosis.

Most pets with hyperthermia have body temperatures exceeding 105°F, and a reasonable goal of cooling is to reduce your pet’s body temperature to 102.5-103°F while transporting her to the closest veterinary facility. 

In summary, heat exhaustion is a significant concern and can happen under what we would consider fairly mild temperature conditions.  If you suspect your pet has had a concerning amount of exposure act quickly and call your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Jeb Mortimer, DVM 
Seattle Veterinary Associates

Dr. Mortimer earned his degree from Iowa State University. He received a B.A. in Biology from Baylor University, and completed an internship in Small Animal Emergency Medicine and Surgery in Rochester, New York. His interests include internal medicine and surgery, including minimally invasive surgery (endoscopy and laparoscopy).

“Above all, I have a strong interest in people and animals. The relationship between my patients and their owners is the reason I am in this profession.”

When away from the practice, he spends most of his time having fun with his family (his wife Kristie, three children, three cats and one “Labrador non-retriever”. Personal interests include fly-fishing, hiking, gardening and travel.

Source: http://www.seattledogspot.com/blog/dog-blog/post/how-to-identify-and-treat-heat-stress-in-your-dog

National Pet Preparedness Month

This month is National Pet Preparedness Month. In order to be sure your pet is prepared for a disaster, make sure your safety kit includes food, water, leash and collar, bowls, pet ID, medications, immunization records, pet carrier, first aid kit, and a contact list for all pet emergency contacts.

Why Small Pups Outlive Large Dog Breeds

Big dogs apparently die younger mainly because they age quickly, researchers say.

These new findings could help unravel the biological links between growth and mortality, the scientists added.

Normally, across species,larger mammals live longerthan their smaller counterparts; for instance, elephants can get up to 70 years old in the wild, while house mice reach only 4 years. Puzzlingly, within species, the opposite seems true — in mice, horses and perhaps even humans.

The apparent cost of bigger bodies is especially conspicuous with dogs, a species that people have bred over the millennia to come in an extraordinary range of sizes. The heaviest known dog may have been Zorba, an English mastiff that weighed 343 pounds (155 kilograms), while the smallest dog alive may be Meyzi, a terrier less than a quarter-pound (110 grams) in size.
Large breeds often die young compared with smaller ones, with a 155-pound (70-kg) Great Dane having an average life span of about 7 years, while a 9-pound (4-kg) toy poodle can expect to live up to 14 years. [The 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds]

To shed light on the possible tradeoffs of large size, researchers analyzed ages at death in 74 breeds, using data from more than 56,000 dogs that visited veterinary teaching hospitals. The researchers focused on why large dogs lived shorter lives on average.

"My main scientific interest is life-history evolution. I'm also a bit of a dog nerd in private life," said researcher Cornelia Kraus, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Göttingen in Germany.
The scientists found that large breeds apparently aged at faster rates; the speed at which the risk of death increased with age was greater with larger breeds than smaller ones. Indeed, among dog breeds, an increase of 4.4 pounds (2 kg) in body mass leads to a loss of approximately 1 month of life expectancy.

"Their lives seem to unwind in fast motion," Kraus told LiveScience.
The investigators now want to follow the growth and health histories of a large number of dogs and pinpoint the leading causes of death for large dogs. For instance, bigger canines apparently suffer from cancer more often, which could make sense; large dogs grow more than smaller breeds do, and cancer is rooted in abnormal cell growth.

"This research should be feasible in dogs, since I found that dog people in general seem very open, interested in and interested to contribute to research on their favorite species," Kraus said.
Kraus and her colleagues Samuel Pavard and Daniel Promislow detailed their findings in the April issue of the journal American Naturalist.

Source: http://www.livescience.com/27676-why-small-pups-outlive-large-dogs.html

Pet Obesity

Is your pet overweight? We recommend keeping your pet on a healthy diet, and exercising them regularly to prevent weight issues from developing. It’s important to give your pets only healthy foods that are a part of their own diets—human food is strictly discouraged because so much of it can be dangerous for our pets!—and exercise such as daily walks for dogs, and regular playtime for dogs and cats are a definite must to keep your pet healthy. 

First CPR Guidelines For Cats And Dogs Released

If your dog has a heart attack and collapses, what should you do?

For years, different veterinarians may have offered different pieces of advice -- but now veterinary medicine researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University have produced the first set of evidence-based guidelines for resuscitating dogs and cats with stopped hearts.

University of Pennsylvania researcher Manuel Boller and his colleagues looked at decades of peer-reviewed data and determined that the proper rate for chest compressions on dogs and cats is between 100 and 120 per minute. That's the same rhythm recommended for humans. It also happens to align to the 103-bpm Bee Gees classic disco hit "Stayin' Alive," which studies have shown aids medical students in performing chest compressions.

The guidelines, while primarily for veterinarians, are "very translatable to pet owners and bystanders," Boller said in a phone interview.

Of course, performing chest compressions on a Pekingese is very different from doing so on a full-grown person, or even on a Great Dane.

For most dogs, you can apply chest compressions to the widest part of the chest while the animal lies on its side. Credit: Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.

For most dogs, chest compressions can be performed on the widest part of the chest while the animal's lying on its side. But in some breeds like greyhounds with more keel-shaped chests, the guidelines recommend pushing down closer to the dog's armpit, directly over the heart. Barrel-chested dogs like English bulldogs can be laid on their back and compressed on the sternum, like people.

Smaller cats and dogs can either be chest-compressed with one hand wrapped around the sternum, encircling the heart or two-handed on the ribs.

For cats and small dogs, you can use one hand wrapped around the sternum to try and restart the heart. Credit: Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.

One fundamental difference between human patients and animal patients is that dogs and cats have much lower rates of coronary heart disease, the most common cause for cardiac arrest in people.

"Sudden cardiac arrest in dogs is therefore not as common as in people and may be more comparable to what occurs in young athletes with structural abnormalities of the heart muscle or a defect in the electrical circuitry," Boller said in an email.

Pets can also suffer a cardiac arrest due to difficulties with breathing or a severe illness that also affects the heart.

Boller says it's gratifying to have these standards, especially since the original experiments on animals used in their review were instrumental in developing CPR guidelines for people.

"Now we can translate that benefit back to their own kind," he says.

SOURCE: Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care 22. Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation: Evidence and Knowledge Gap Analysis on Veterinary CPR.

Ask the Vet - What should I do if my dog has a constant cough?

My dog "coughs" alot. She is a chihweenie, & it almost seems to be a nervous habit of hers. It does seem to happen when she is excited, like when we get home aftet being gone awhile. It sounds like honking. Every dog I have ever had has coughed a few times in their lives, but, this one excessively coughs. Do you know what this could be and should I have it checked?

Coughing can occur for a variety of reasons in our canine patients. A cough originates from the respiratory structures, but can be caused by primary disease in the lungs or in the heart. Physical examination can give us clues as to what the cause of the cough might be.

Coughing that originates from the trachea, or the windpipe, is frequently described as a 'honking' cough. Tracheal irritation can occur from infectious diseases such as Infectious Tracheobronchitis (commonly known as Kennel Cough) or from structural problems in the trachea.

A commonly seen structural problem in middle aged, small breed dogs is called Collapsing Trachea. The trachea is a tubular structure that is held in place by C-shaped rings of cartilage. A ligament connects the two ends of the 'C'. This ligament can become floppy as the pet ages and the cartilage rings weaken. When the ligament 'collapses ' into the airway, the patient coughs. Unfortunately, the more the patient coughs, the more inflamed the ligament becomes, allowing it to further collapse into the trachea. An important part of treating the disease is stopping this cycle of coughing.

Radiographs of the patient's thorax and neck, especially if taken while the patient is coughing, can often be diagnostic for this condition.

Many patients with Collapsing Trachea can be treated medically with cough suppressants and anti-inflammatory medications. Removing any sources of airway irritants, such as secondhand smoke, is also very important. Weight loss can be helpful in patients that are overweight.

However, in some severely affected patients, surgery is indicated. Recently, a procedure has been adapted from human medicine that involves placement of a wire mesh stent that holds the trachea open.

It is important that any coughing patient be seen by your veterinarian to rule out other causes of coughing, such as primary heart disease or disease of the lower airways.

Dr. Julie Irwin

Dr. Julie Irwin, VMD was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Cornell University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a dual major in Mathematics and Biology. She then attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 1998. Julie and Steve met in veterinary school and were married shortly after graduation. Julie’s other interests include rowing, cross-country skiing and hiking. She and Steve, along with their three children, have recently relocated to Seattle and are enjoying exploring the Pacific Northwest.

http://www.seattledogspot.com/blog/2012/07/20/ask-the-vet