What is AAHA Certification?

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Posted by on January 14, 2012 – 8:20 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

AAHA certified animal hospitals may have higher standards than other facilities.

Approximately 15% of animal hospitals in the United States are certified by the American Animal Hospital Association, known as AAHA.   These hospitals are typically higher standard hospitals in many areas.  The AAHA standards typically cover surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, exam facilities, pet health records, cleanliness, emergency standards, as well as dental and nursing care, diagnostic imaging and anesthesiology.

Often these hospitals need to be inspected frequently to make sure these higher standards are upheld.  While non-AAHA certified hospitals are not necessarily lower quality practices, it is often a good idea to find a practice that is AAHA certified, as these hospitals tend to provide the highest quality of medicine, surgery and customer service.

Mammary Tumors in Pets

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Posted by on January 13, 2012 – 8:40 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

Spaying your pet reduces the risk of mammary tumors.

Mammary tumors are fairly common tumors seen in dogs and cats.  These tumors are most commonly seen in middle-aged and older un-spayed dogs and cats; however, they can also occur in pets who have gone through repetitive heats and/or who have been spayed at an older age.

Symptoms of mammary tumors typically include finding one or multiple breast nodules often felt associated with the teats.  In advanced cases, these tumors may ulcerate and bleed to the outside.   In dogs these tumors are benign 50% of the time. In cats, some report that over 90% of these tumors may be malignant.  In malignant cases, mammary tumors often spread to the regional lymph nodes and lungs.   Diagnosis is typically made by surgical biopsy, and surgical removal of the affected glands remains the most common form of treatment.

Prognosis will vary depending upon whether the tumor is malignant, as well as how early surgical removal is performed.   In some malignant cases, palliative chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be tried; however, prognosis in these advanced cases is usually very poor.

Important News for Pets Using Sentinel, Interceptor, Program, Clomicalm or Deramaxx

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Posted by on January 12, 2012 – 8:20 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

Some Novartis pet medications may be temporarily in short supply.

Novartis has recently temporarily halted production of the following products:  Sentinel, Interceptor, Program, Clomicalm and Deramaxx.  Since these products may be in short supply until the manufacturer resumes production, pet owners should begin to discuss appropriate alternative medications with their veterinarian.

For heartworm prevention, alternative products including oral Heartgard Plus and topical Revolution can be discussed with the veterinarian.  Topical Frontline Plus and Advantage II are also excellent first line topical products effective for flea and tick control in lieu of Program.  Clomicalm is a commonly prescribed behavioral drug in veterinary medicine; however there are other alternatives including Prozac and Amitriptyline that can be discussed as options with the veterinarian.  Clomipramine, the generic version of Clomicalm, is still available. Finally, other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Rimadyl or Metacam may be used in lieu of Deramaxx, depending upon the clinical situation.

Why Does My Pet Eat Grass?

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Posted by on January 11, 2012 – 8:40 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

Some pets may eat grass due to a digestive upset.

One of the most frustrating behaviors seen in animal companions is the desire to eat grass.  In most cases veterinarians and animal guardians do not know why certain pets will eat grass.  While I do recommend wholesome natural diets such as Wysong, Nature’s Variety or Halo, most pets do not eat grass because of a nutritional deficiency.

In some cases, the pet will be suffering from some sort of stomach or digestive upset, and in those cases, many pets will ingest grass in order to get themselves to purge their system and vomit to cleanse their body and remove toxins.   Once the digestive upset has passed, many pets will indeed stop ingesting grass.

There are trace nutrients in grass, including chlorophyll and trace minerals, that are actually healthy for pets.  In rare cases I will find that supplementing pets’ diets with extra nutrients, including fresh greens and veggies, as well as NaturVet Enzymes and VitaChews will occasionally lessen unwanted grass eating. I have not found commercial products such as Forbid or Deter useful in preventing grass eating in dogs or cats.

Suture Site Healing in Pets

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Posted by on January 10, 2012 – 8:15 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

Most suture sites in pets heal within 10-14 days.

After most surgical procedures, veterinarians will typically use several layers of sutures in closing a wound.  Many times skin sutures and staples are also used.  The typical healing time of most surgical sites is 10-14 days. At that time the wound is usually adequately healed to remove the sutures.

In a small proportion of pets, suture reactions may sometimes occur. Symptoms of suture reactions typically occur 3 to5 days post surgery.

These signs may include swelling around the incision, as well as varying amounts of discharge, including pus if secondary infection occurs. Occasionally wound dehiscence, where the sutures come apart, may occur.

Treatment of suture reactions may include systemic antibiotics to prevent secondary infection, as well as warm compresses to the area several times daily.  With severe swelling, placement of surgical drains and/or re-suturing of the area may be needed. Elizabethan collars are also often necessary to prevent self trauma by the pet, and to allow healing of the suture site to occur.

A Fun Guessing Game!

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Posted by on January 9, 2012 – 8:31 am
Filed under Pet Talk

Ohai!  Come closer… do you like to play guessing games and riddles? I hope so, because today we are going to play a very fun game!

We will play a guessing game today!

I am going to tell you a riddle, and you get to figure out the answer!  Are you ready? Here is the riddle:

Only one color,
but can change size some

Sticks to my feet
but is not gum!

Loves the sunshine,
and hides at night

Follows me everywhere,
but sometimes leaves my sight

What am I?

You might have to think very extra-hard to figure this one out.  When you think you have the correct answer you can press the Answer Button at the bottom to see if you are correct.  You would not press the Answer Button before you have thought real hard, would you? I didn’t think so.

Do not press the Answer Button too soon!

When you are ready, here is the answer button! Press it to see if your answer is correct. Good luck!

Click here when you think you know the answer!

Did you guess the correct answer?

Spraying in Cats

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Posted by on January 8, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

A cat that sprays outside the litter box should receive a full veterinary exam.

 Cats may spray for many possible reasons.  Most commonly, this inappropriate pattern of urination occurs on vertical surfaces, rather than in the litter box or on the floors.  Many times this type of spraying will occur near windows or doors.  Spraying in this manner usually means that a cat is emotionally aroused or upset about something going on either in the body or in its external environment.

Illness of any kind may cause changes in feline elimination habits, and so any cat with chronic spraying outside of the litter box should receive a full veterinary exam and medical workup, including a urine analysis.  If medical causes have been ruled out, then the pet is most likely spraying because of environmental stresses.  These stresses may involve other animals in the home, or animals in the yard.

Treatment of spraying may include environmental modification, including adding litter boxes, as well as trying different litter types, in addition to sometimes moving the litter box away from external stressors.   Pheromone products such as Feliway also may be helpful in some cases.  Natural calming agents including Be Serene or Composure may also help calm some cats.   Finally, prescription medication such as Amitriptyline or Clomipramine also can be tried to help reduce this unwanted behavior.

Chronic Renal Failure in Pets

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Posted by on January 7, 2012 – 8:15 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

There are many possible causes of chronic renal failure in pets.

One of the more common chronic diseases seen in veterinary medicine is chronic renal failure.  There are many possible causes of chronic renal failure including bacterial/viral infections, toxin exposure (i.e. antifreeze, non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, certain antibiotics), and autoimmune disease, where the pet’s immune system reacts against its own kidneys.

Symptoms of chronic renal failure include lethargy, appetite and weight loss, increased thirst and urination, dehydration, vomiting, as well as increased foul odor of the breath.  It is important to have a full medical workup including CBC/chemistry blood work, urine analysis and urine culture to differentiate chronic renal failure from other causes of these common symptoms. The finding of elevations in blood BUN and creatinine, as well as dilute urine with urinary casts seen on urine analysis is consistent with a diagnosis of chronic renal failure.  Other common laboratory abnormalities include elevation in blood phosphorus, decrease in blood potassium, and anemia of chronic disease.

Treatment of chronic renal failure will need to address many of these metabolic abnormalities in order for the patient to feel better.  If a patient is acutely ill with loss of appetite and/or vomiting, IV fluid therapy may be need initially in the veterinary hospital, along with systemic antibiotics, and medications to decrease nausea and vomiting.  Once patients are stabilized, it is often best to continue fluid therapy at home in the form of subcutaneous treatment given by the animal guardian several times a week. This will help in decreasing dehydration, as well as flushing kidney toxins out of the blood stream.

Another important part of long term treatment at home is the feeding of a low-protein diet, preferably a home-made diet, but commercial diets are acceptable alternatives as well.  Other ancillary drugs include oral medications to decrease nausea and vomiting, as well as stimulate appetite if needed.  Drugs to bind phosphorus are also important in slowing down progression of chronic renal failure.  With aggressive dietary and medical treatment, most pets may live many years with chronic renal failure.

Helping Build a Healthy Immune System For Your Pet

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Posted by on January 6, 2012 – 8:24 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

Feeding your pet a healthy diet can help build a healthy immune system.

 There are many things an animal guardian can do in building a healthy immune system in our animal companions.  By far the most important thing is to feed a healthy diet.  Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was quoted as saying “Let food be thy medicine.”

My favorite diets are proper and balanced fresh home-made diets, such as those described in the book, Dr. Pitcairn’s Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, Ph.D. No matter how old the pet, I have seen some amazing changes in pet health, vigor and activity in pets that are fed such wonderful balanced recipes. Donald Strombeck, Ph.D., also has a wonderful book full of healthy recipes that many of my clients have found very helpful.

If it is not possible to feed such diets, my next choice will be minimally processed commercial diets that are made with fresh whole meats, as well as preserved naturally with no fillers or artificial flavors.  My favorite diets here include Wysong, Pet Guard, Halo, and Nature’s Variety.

In addition to feeding a healthy diet, I also recommend certain supplements as well to help promote proper immune system health.  Probiotics and enzymes, such as NatureVet Enzymes and Fast Balance GI, help promote a healthy digestive tract, which is the cornerstone of a healthy immune system.   Antioxidants, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, DMG and Proanthozone are critical in decreasing free radical inflammation involved with so many chronic diseases and cancer in our pets.

Finally, Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation is critical in any mammalian species to help promote a healthy digestive tract, heart, joints, kidneys and brain.  My favorite Omega 3 fatty acid supplements include Super Pure Omega 3, and Nordic Naturals Pet Omega 3 fatty acids.  By feeding a healthy diet and with proper supplementation, our animal companions are more likely to live long and happy lives.

Managing Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome in Pets

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Posted by on January 5, 2012 – 8:40 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

There are several medical options to manage inflammatory bowel syndrome in pets.

 Inflammatory bowel disease is being diagnosed with increased frequency in both dogs and cats. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, changes in appetite and weight loss. It is important to have a complete medical workup for any pet with chronic digestive tract symptoms to rule out other metabolic causes from inflammatory bowel disease.

Parasites also need to be ruled out by microscopic fecal exam. The definitive diagnosis for inflammatory bowel disease typically involves surgical or endoscopic biopsy. This is especially important in differentiating infiltrative cancer from inflammatory bowel disease. Once a diagnosis is obtained, there are several medical options for long term management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Many veterinarians will routinely worm pets with anti-parasitic medications such as Panacur C, even if stool samples are negative, as many pets may have hidden parasites contributing to the clinical symptoms. If worming is not successful in alleviating clinical signs, then dietary therapy is often instituted. The most common diets used will be novel protein diets that the pet has not been exposed to before, including rabbit, venison or buffalo. In other cases, hydrolyzed protein diets which are easy to digest may sometimes be used.

Medical therapy with antibiotics including prescription Metronidazole and/or Tylosin is also often prescribed, while dietary trials and/or worming are being tried. If there is no improvement with any of these measures, then immune suppressive medication with drugs like Prednisone and/or Atopica are next used, typically in tapering dosages over several weeks.

Through both dietary and medical interventions, most pets with inflammatory bowel disease lead normal lives and have a good prognosis.