| Whenever a dog is presented to me involving bleeding (from any orfice), it is important to have a complete medical workup at a veterinarian’s office. Whether the pet is bleeding from the nose, mouth, penis, vagina or rectum, a complete history taking and physical exam should always be performed. If there is no trauma in the history and physical/rectal exam does not reveal an obvious cause, a full blood, stool check and urine workup, which may include testing for tick borne diseases, clotting disorders, various immune mediated blood disorders, rodenticide exposure, as well as infections or tumors should be done. |
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Once a diagnosis is made, the bleeding pet can then be adequately treated with appropriate stabilization and follow up. Unless the cause is obvious, such as a bleeding toenail, a pet that has a history of bleeding should not be treated by an animal guardian at home without a veterinary medical assessment first.
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A common presentation in the veterinary clinic is a dog with a swollen abdomen or stomach. Throughout my experience the underlying swelling may be due to accumulated fat, fluid, or potentially from a mass or tumor. Amongst the many potential causes include heart, liver, kidney disease, as well as various digestive tract disorders causing low blood protein levels. |
Large tumors that also may obstruct the lymphatic or blood circulation can also cause a swollen abdomen. In these instances a full medical workup should reveal an underlying cause and depending upon the history and physical exam may include a full blood/urine panel, X-rays and/or ultrasound. As a result, if your pet is showing signs of a swollen abdomen it is best to have a full medical assessment and workup at the veterinarian’s office, and not treated at home with over the counter medications.
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One of the most forgotten groups of pets that often fail to receive adequate veterinary care is the household cat that is kept strictly indoors. Many animal guardians believe that if a cat is indoors only they to not need veterinary exams or attention due to their lack of exposure to the outside world. While most viral diseases are transmitted by direct contact, other bacterial or viral diseases may be transmitted through human transport from the outside world, as well as from other cats why may come into the yard or homes of indoor cat guardians.
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While individualized vaccination schedules should be discussed with your veterinarian about risk of certain diseases, I don’t find that most indoor cats need many vaccinations after they mature from a kitten to an adult cat – wit the exception of rabies vaccinations as required by local or state laws. Annual or semiannual wellness exams, however, are important to detect oral or periodontal disease, heart problems and/or liver kidney problems through blood work and/or urine analyses.
Cats are sometimes able to mask or hide an illness and disease, often showing only few symptoms of illness. Many times cats that have not been to the veterinarian for many years will present “sudden” advanced illnesses that may be difficult to treat. However, in many cases there could have had a better prognosis if detected earlier from an exam or labwork.
| Similar to our own need for emergency medical supplies, pets may also require items for unexpected injuries. It is for this reason that many pet owners ask which items they should have at home as a first-aid kit for their pet. The below items I consider to be beneficial to have in one’s home in the event of an accident: |
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Benadryl – in case of an insect bite, bee sting, or acute allergic reaction leading to swelling or hives. The recommended dosage of Benadryl is usually one mg per pound every 6-8 hours in an acute situation.
Buffered aspirin – In case of injury or trauma.
The recommended dosage of aspirin is typically 5 mg per pound once to twice daily with food. However, if a pet is already on medication it is always best to check with the veterinarian first before giving aspirin, or if the pet has a history of medical problems.
Supplies for bandages or a wrap. It is also important to have on hand bandage material, gauze, and one or two inch tape, in case of an open injury or laceration that can be used as a pressure bandage to control bleeding, reduce soft tissue swelling, and prevent infection. Finally some hydrogen peroxide is often helpful as well in case of ingestion of inappropriate items. Often a teaspoon or two of hydrogen peroxide can induce vomiting and prevent digestion and absorption of many potential toxic items.
| An additive found in many pet medicines as an artificial sweetener, known as xylitol, has been getting a lot of attention recently. While this sugar alcohol compound is commonly added to human foods such as gum, candies, or sweets as a sugar replacement, ingestion by dogs can lead to toxicity in some cases in as soon as 30-60 minutes. |
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This compound causes an insulin-like effect on the body resulting in low blood sugar and potassium. Signs may include vomiting, weakness, depression, and wobbliness. If you suspect your dog has accidentally consumed xylitol, it is best to call an emergency veterinary clinic and have your pet examined as soon as possible.
While in some cases vomiting can be induced at home with hydrogen peroxide, other cases will need IV fluids and other supportive care at the veterinary clinic. Now that this effect has been documented, many manufacturers of pet drugs and supplements are removing this additive from their products and looking at other alternative sweeteners.
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In today’s difficult times animal guardians are faced with trying to keep their pets healthy with often reduced budgets. The most important part of keeping pets healthy is a natural, minimally processed diet. While there are many excellent brands, of pet food including Halo and Nature’s Variety Instinct as two of my favorites. There are also some great recipes in the book Dr. Pitcairn’s Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Using excellent supplements such as Dr Pitcairn’s Healthy Powder, as well as multivitamins like VitaChews can both enhance a natural diet. |
I also recommend not over vaccinating animals with vaccinations such as distemper and parvovirus, where immunity often lasts for several years, if not the life of the animal after the initial shot series as puppies and kittens. Thus while yearly veterinary wellness exams are important if possible, the only vaccination I recommend for middle age and older pets who were vaccinated as youngsters is rabies. This is a big area of savings for animal guardians.
Heartworm prevention is certainly important with Interceptor or Heartgard, as well as flea control with products like Frontline Plus or Advantage are also important if possible in a tight budget. However, for indoor cats as well as those areas of the country with harsh winters, it is possible to stop these products in the winter months. However, this should first be discussed with the veterinarian, as flea/tick and mosquito risk and subsequent disease transmission rates will vary across the country depending upon the region.
| There are increasing numbers of veterinarians now skilled in what is called holistic veterinary medicine, in addition to providing conventional medicine and surgery. Holistic veterinarians look at pets as a whole, in terms of being healthy or ill, as well as the total environment when evaluating a pet. This procedure helps to understand potential causes of illness and treatment, including dietary factors, toxic exposure such as pesticides or over vaccination, as well as using specific gentle treatments often used to stimulate the body as a whole back into balance and health. |
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Even if a pet has a single set of symptoms, the holistic veterinarian will take history and past and present symptoms of the case being involved. On the other hand, conventional medicine often views the body as sick in different parts that make up the whole, as well as incorporating increasing numbers of specialists to evaluate these different body parts for treatment when various symptoms are present. Consultations with specialists in surgery, internal medicine, cancer medicine (oncology), orthopedics, behavioral veterinary medicine, etc. all could make up a complete workup on a patient with various symptoms.
The holistic veterinarian will often use only one or a few treatment regimens to treat the whole body. Examples of holistic approaches to diagnosis and treatment include homeopathy, acupuncture and Chinese medicine, chiropractic and Ayurvedic medicine. Many conventional veterinarians are now incorporating many of these modalities into practice, including use of preventative and therapeutic nutritional supplements. A few widely used pet products such as these include The Missing Link, Omega 3 fatty acids like those by Nordic Naturals, as well as transfer factor, in addition to antioxidants like Proanthozone.
| Many cats are often times brought into the clinic with a history of sneezing and varying amounts of discharge. In simple bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract this can be easy to treat with a 7-10 day course of antibiotics (my favorites in cats being Baytril and Doxycycline), however, other cases can be more difficult and can often relapse. |
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Many of these cats have chronic viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, either feline herpes virus (known as rhinotracheitis virus) or feline calicivirus. While secondary bacterial infections can occur, infection with either of these viruses can lead to chronic or relapsing symptoms, especially when a pet is under stress. In these viral conditions immune boosters such as Vetri-DMG liquid, vitamin C, transfer factor, and acemannan can often help. In other cases, allergies are sometimes involved and in those cases antihistamines such as chlorphenirimine or even short courses of prescription cortisone is necessary.
Nasal polyps can occasional cause upper respiratory signs, as well as nasal foreign bodies and tumors in older cats. Any pet with chronic sneezing symptoms should also be checked for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. As documented here, the cause of sneezing in cats can be multi-factorial, and if signs are severe or persistent/chronic, a full workup with your veterinarian should be done.
| As the winter season is upon us and people prepare their cars and homes for winter, one of the biggest health risks for dogs and cats is exposure to antifreeze. Many pets seem attracted to ingesting this toxin, which can lead to a medical emergency in affected pets. In addition to digestive upset (i.e vomiting and diarrhea), ingestion of a small amount of antifreeze can lead to acute and sudden kidney failure in affected pets, which is often very difficult to treat if it is not caught early. |
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Many pets will present nonspecific symptoms of loss of appetite, increased thirst/urination, and/or vomiting and weakness. Diagnosis can be made by a blood test to detect this toxin at a local emergency clinic, or if there is history of known or potential exposure, in addition to noting the signs of acute kidney failure on blood chemistries. Treatment consists of aggressive IV fluid therapy, as well as a specific antidote to bind to the toxic ingredient.
Even with early detection and treatment many pets often die of complications related to kidney failure. Therefore, it is important to limit potential exposure of this chemical in garages, and to make sure that cars are not leaking antifreeze.
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One of the more common secondary ear issues seen in veterinary medicine is the development of what is known an ear hematoma in pets, which is often secondary to chronic irritation, ear itching or shaking of the head. Ear hematomas are actual collections of blood in the cartilage flap of the ear due to often these self inflicted traumas. On rare occasions they can form spontaneously without any ear itching or bother. |
Most of the underlying causes are due to allergies in pets either inhalant/contact allergies to grasses, trees, molds, pollens, ragweed, etc and/or food allergies. Other pets may have hormonal conditions like hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease. Rarely a blood disorder or clotting problem can be involved, but the vast majority of cases are allergy based. Often secondary ear infections accompany these balloon like swellings of the ear, which usually need to be addressed with products like Zymox Otic with Hydrocortisone or prescription topical antibiotics. While these swellings are not health threatening, many clients will often request needle aspiration and drainage of the ears or injections of cortisone into the hematoma, however any temporary response is usually followed by the development of even a larger ear hematoma. Treatment of choice remains surgical drainage, of which there are many different approaches from using teat canulas to other surgical techniques your veterinarian can discuss with you.
As long as the underlying causes of the ear hematoma are addressed and the surgery done appropriately, most pets don’t suffer recurrences of the ear hematoma in the same ear, although many pets can develop ear hematomas at a future date in the other ear often from these underlying allergies.
