While growing pains are common amongst human children as a part of growth and maturation of the long bones, dogs often experience similar type pains as growing puppies. While this most commonly occurs in larger breed dogs, any dog can be affected. Usually between the ages of 4 and 18 months this often presents as some sort of limping or stiffness, which can often shift from one limb to another, after seemingly resolving on its own for a period of time.
It is important for a veterinarian to do a proper exam and workup to differentiate such symptoms from other causes of lameness that can present as any of the tick-borne diseases, especially Lyme disease. However, unlike Lyme disease, many puppies with growing pains or problems in maturation or calcification/elongation of their growing bones, present more with long bone pain, rather than the joint pain more common in infectious diseases. Usually through a combination of a physical exam, blood work and x-rays, these possibilities can be sorted out.
Some of the more common “growing pain” diseases in dogs include panosteitis and hypertrophic osteodystrophy (known as HOD). There are also certain calcification defects involving the joints of particularly large breed dogs, known as osteochondrosis or OCD that can also cause pain and lameness in young dogs. While in the latter condition of OCD, surgery is sometimes necessary, however, most of these other common “growing pain” conditions of young dogs can be treated through a combination of rest, nonsteroidal anti inflammatory medication such as Rimadyl or Deramaxx, and mild opioid medications such as Tramadol.
Some clients will also supplement with antioxidants like Proanthozone, as well as fatty acids or Yucca Intensive. While most puppies typically outgrow most of these conditions by sexual maturity, some dogs can be so severely affected that on rare occasions (if surgery is not an option) euthanasia is rarely needed. While many of these conditions are not well understood, in terms of exact causation, it is important to feed your puppy a good quality natural diet, but also to recognize not to overfeed or over supplement as well, which some believe can also play a role in some of these conditions. .
One of the most common medical problems seen in the clinic is dogs with recurring or chronic skin or ear inflammations/infections. Most of these cases are due to underlying allergies, usually from inhalant/contact allergens, food allergens, or flea allergies. When it comes to food allergies, many of these pets have skin and ear problems that are non-seasonal and often don’t respond as well to medications or good flea control.
When faced with any chronically allergic dog with skin disease, it is always worthwhile trying a restricted novel protein diet for a period of at least a few months to see if there is any improvement or alleviation of the skin and/or ear symptoms. During the dietary trial with this novel diet, no treats or chewable heartworm medications should be given, as many of these have additional ingredients that pets could be potentially allergic to.
Some of the newer proteins that vets have been trying include diets based on rabbit, venison, kangaroo or duck. While it is ideal to formulate such diets at home with the help of a veterinary nutritional expert, or books such as Dr. Pitcairn’s Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD, there are natural commercial pet foods that are viable options, if home cooking is not possible. Brands such as Wellness, Wysong or Pet Guard often offer such novel protein diets.
As a veterinarian who sees the role that quality ingredients play in long term health and longevity in pets, I strongly urge exploring a proper homemade diet first. However, if homemade diets are not possible, I suggest trying the quality, natural brand diets mentioned above because they are free of toxic byproducts, preservatives and additives which can lead to other health issues down the road, such as cancer or organ failure.
I prefer these to some of the more common larger pet food company formulations, which although often carried by local veterinarians have questionable ingredient quality in my opinion and experience.
Greta’s best Dobie friend has a rope ball toy identical to the one we got Greta, so we thought this new toy would be a “gimme.” We forgot that Greta’s penchant for chewing is far more obsessive than her buddy, Raven’s. The ball actually floats in water and is easier to find at the dog park than some of Greta’s tennis balls, but the moment she decided to keep the ball for herself and not give it back, she handily separated the ball section from the woven rope in only a few bites. So, now she has two toys that are better for choking than playing and we have had to remove the toy entirely. The six leashes, two harnesses, and one collar she has chewed through in three minutes or less should have been a forewarning that a rope toy would be rather wasteful, but we just didn’t get the message. It’s back to regular old tennis balls for this Dobie.
One of the most common eye problems seen in especially young dogs is the appearance of a swollen and protruding third eyelid. While this can occur in any breed, we do see it more commonly in certain breeds, especially Cocker Spaniels and Shar-Peis. The swollen third eyelid actually looks like a small tumor as it is red and often engorged with blood and can cover much of the eye (from its origin at the inner corner of the eye near the nose). While it most typically occurs in one eye, some dogs can eventually have both sides affected.
Because of its swollen and red appearance, this condition is often commonly referred to as a “cherry eye.” While it is alarming in appearance, most dogs are not bothered at all by the swelling. Since this third eye lid is a major source of tears for dogs, chronic protrusion can lead to a reduced tear production in the eye and the eventual development of a condition known as dry eye. In the past, many veterinarians often removed this third eye lid, but since a significant number of dogs developed dry eye after surgery, the standard of treatment for this condition is to now surgically replace the swollen third eyelid back in place, rather than removing it.
For those clients who can’t afford the surgery or need to wait, then I simply have clients use artificial tears several times a day keep the eyes moist, and use topical antibiotics as needed for any secondary infections. If needed, prescription drugs like Optimmune or Cyclosporine are often prescribed should a pet develop the complication known as dry eye, which often appears as a thick mucous covered eye that is red and inflamed. The important point I want to make to clients is that this condition is not health threatening and can certainly be managed in the above manners, depending upon the pet and the given client’s financial constraints.
I make my two young sons figure out my iPhone apps on their own. I decided that being able to decode a handheld game is important for a child’s development. So, why is it that when it comes to my dog I am a complete pushover? When we first got the Buster Food Cube I assumed Greta would get the hang of it pretty quickly. I was so wrong. It’s taken a long time for Greta to understand this toy. I spent several weeks kicking it around, filling it to the brim with food so she could get food more quickly with little effort, but I soon found that I was the only one of us working at it. Greta was just waiting until food fell out and she was getting rewarded for nothing except outsmarting me, which apparently takes less effort than I thought. I was running around out of breath, kicking a cube while she sat and waited for treats. I changed tactics and I began using the cube to feed her dinner.
I could tell at first she felt cheated. Dinner I have to work for? But I learned that when Greta is hungry enough she drops her lazy affect and gets to being a little more persistent. Now, she is able to pick the whole cube up in her jaw and will bring it to me when she wants to play. The Buster Food Cube is one of my favorite toys because she can successfully entertain herself without my help, and it only took me two weeks to figure it out.
With the expanding world of expensive drugs and pharmaceuticals in both human and veterinary medicine, it’s always a welcome relief when a patent has expired because less expensive but chemically identical generic drugs come out. In human medicine, the standards for producing a generic drug are equal to that of a name brand, which is why when filling prescriptions a generic drug is usually filled if available.
While in veterinary medicine, the standards may not be the same, I have found that most of the generic drugs available in veterinary medicine perform equally as well as the name brands. For example, I have found Iverhart equal to Heartgard in reliability and performance for heartworm prevention. Carprofen is another example of a nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug that in my experience also performs equally as well for pain relief as its brand name predecessor, Rimadyl. There are many other examples of generic medicines performing equally as well as name brand drugs in veterinary medicine. So, if they are available to you, I highly recommend their use as a more economic alternative.
One of the common questions I’m presented with by feline guardians is why their cat snores so much when it sits quietly or sleeps. While cats typically do not suffer from sleep apnea like humans, they can suffer from various causes of noisy breathing. One of the first things to consider is whether the cat has an upper respiratory viral or bacterial infection, which can usually be determined by a proper veterinary exam.
Allergies to molds, dander, house dust, and other airborne allergens can also cause noisy or snoring breathing. One of the more common causes, especially in younger animals is some sort of airway obstruction of the nose or sinuses, which can often involve what are known as nasopharyngeal polyps. Cats afflicted with polyps usually need to be sedated in order to diagnose these small growths, which are easily treated through surgical removal.
Finally in older cats, there is always the possibility of a tumor in the nasal passages or throat, which can sometimes need an endoscopic exam and biopsy to diagnose. As one can see, there are lots of potential causes for “snoring cats”, and these should be worked up properly by a trained veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment plan can be implemented.
Greta has found an indestructible toy: Gumby! She works and works on him, but she can’t manage to tear a leg off despite her best efforts. Her interest in Gumby has remained high, possibly because she can’t figure out why she can’t rip him in half. She drags Gumby into her crate, her bath, the yard, and takes turns chewing on him between mouthfuls of her orthopedic pet bed. She holds different limbs down with her paw, takes his torso in her jaw, and whips her head back and forth.
The result? Gumby usually ends up far-flung on top of a piece of furniture across the room. I can almost see the wheels turning in Greta’s head: “I can render suede, leather, and bone, why can’t I pop this guy’s head off!” Other than dents that seem to self-heal, Gumby is unscathed after each Greta attack. We love Gumby: he is dog-safe and Dobie-approved.
Two of the biggest infectious disease concerns of feline guardians are feline leukemia virus (known as FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (known as FIV). Both of these viruses belong to a class if viruses known as retroviruses, and are of the same category as human immunodeficiency virus. However, FeLV and FIV are not contagious to people or other species of animals. While feline leukemia virus is usually transmitted after prolonged contact in young cats under the age of two, feline immunodeficiency virus is most commonly transmitted by bites after fighting amongst outdoor cats, and can occur at any age.
Chronic infections with these viruses in most cases usually leads to life long disease, and predisposition to various immune suppressive disorders and secondary bacterial infections, as well as gum inflammation chronic respiratory or digestive symptoms, and in some cases tumor development down the road. Because of the more delicate and fragile immune systems of such cats, it is best to provide them with the best quality all natural diets you can, which include either a proper homemade diet, or natural commercial foods like Wysong or Pet Guard as my two favorite brands. I also recommend minimizing vaccinations in these affected cats to only those required by law such as rabies.
I also recommend excellent nutritional supplements for cats with these chronic infections such as Vetri-DMG liquid, extra vitamin C in the diet and immune boosters like Transfer Factor for pets. While FeLV virus is more likely to lead to premature death in infected cats, many cats with FIV infection can live normal lives if kept inside and minimally stressed. However, I have seen many FIV cats happily coexist with other cats who remain FIV negative, as the main transmission of FIV virus is by bite.
There are vaccinations available to prevent both of these diseases. In my opinion, the FIV vaccination has not been proven safe or effective long term. As for FeLV infection, if your cat is going to be spending a significant time outside, I would consider vaccinating young animals up through age three or four. After that, most adult cats, even those who are not vaccinated, are able to mount their own immune response and protect themselves against feline leukemia virus infection. Because of the rare complication of a tumor at the site of vaccination, I therefore do not recommend vaccinating feline leukemia virus negative cats over the age of four in my practice. .
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