Convenia- One of my favorite products

I just wanted to tell everyone about one of my favorite products.  Please don't think I'm getting any kind of kick back or sponsored trip to Mexico(sigh... I wish) for talking about Convenia.  I just truly love this product because it WORKS!!

~Here is a bacterial skin infection 8 days after a Convenia injection!  Wow!~

Convenia is a long acting INJECTABLE antibiotic.  Which means instead of giving your dog or cat pills by mouth for 10-14 days you can simply get an injection and just sit back and watch things clear up.  I love it for skin infections, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, etc!!! LOVE IT!  I have had several skin infections that I've attempted several rounds of by mouth antibiotics and never got it completely cleared up but 1 injection of Convenia and bam! it's resolved.  And the owner isn't fighting with the dog/cat to get the pills down, and we have eliminated the "oops I forgot to give the pill' problem.  They have a great website with pictures and product info: Convenia

Everyone should ask their vet if they offer this injection, in my opinion it's worth every penny!

And I almost forgot if your dog gets a Convenia injection for a skin infection they are currently running a rebate promotion through the end of the year.  You can get $10-$30 back depending on the size of the dog.
Click on the link: "You Call The Shots"

Pets and Ebola

Living in the DFW metroplex I have seen nothing on TV except information on Ebola in the last few weeks.  I have had several clients ask me about the euthanasia of the dog in Spain and if it was necessary.  My answer is 'I don't know'...  The dog belonging to the Dallas nurse is currently being quarantined for 21 days, according to the Dallas Office of Emergency Management.  I want to pass on the website from the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) on animals and Ebola.  There are several links with further information on the page as well.  The information is limited but reliable.  The site from the AVMA is being constantly updated so check back for any new info.

AVMA on Ebola

Pregnant? Can your cat really give you Toxoplasmosis?

The answer is yes, your cat can give you Toxoplasma, but please read below to get all the information.  I have had several pregnant clients recently and wanted to pass along this information from one of my veterinary journals, Veterinary Team Brief.  I find that human doctors just tell you not to change the litter boxes if your pregnant but don't explain why.  And I'm sure there are pregnant ladies out there who don't have anyone who can or will change the litter boxes.  So here is some good solid info on Toxoplasma.   BUT, no matter what you read here you need to follow the advice of your medical doctor.  They after all know you and your pregnancy, not me writing on my blog!

Toxoplasmosis

A common misconception is that pregnant women must give up their cats because of the risk of Toxoplasma gondii infection. First-time infection of women in early pregnancy can have significant effects on the fetus, potentially leading to abortion, neonatal death, or congenital effects. Similarly, infection in immunocompromised individuals (particularly AIDS patients) can cause encephalitis and other very serious complications. Children may ingest infectious oocysts from soil during play, but infection is not known to cause significant issues as long as they are immunocompetent. Although cats are the definitive hosts of this parasite, keep these points in mind:

1. Almost all cats are infected with T gondii at some point, but very few are shedding Toxoplasma oocysts at any one time. Most cats shed significant numbers of oocysts only for a couple of weeks after initial infection, typically at an early age. The likelihood of a healthy mature cat shedding T gondiioocysts is generally low.¹
2. The oocysts shed in cat feces generally become infective at least 24 hours after they are passed. Cleaning the litter box daily will greatly reduce the client’s risk of infection.
3. Depending on a woman’s location and lifestyle, she may also be exposed toT gondii from eating certain undercooked meats, or from contact with contaminated soil (see Common Toxoplasma gondii Exposure Routes). The parasite must be swallowed to cause infection—contact alone is not enough, but contamination and poor hygiene of the hands can lead to oral transmission.

The bottom line: Pregnant women can keep their cats, but should take precautions to reduce the risk of T gondii exposure, including avoiding adopting a cat younger than 1 year, having someone else clean the litter box (ideally daily), cooking meat properly (visit foodsafety.gov/index.html for information about proper temperatures), and washing hands thoroughly after working in soil or handling cat litter.

Common Toxoplasma gondii Exposure Routes2,3

Eating unwashed fruits & vegetables Eating undercooked meat from infected animals (eg, livestock, game) Using contaminated knives, cutting boards, or other utensils to handle food Drinking untreated water from a contaminated source Poor hand hygiene after working with contaminated soil (eg, in the garden) Contact with feces from a cat that is actively shedding T gondii. Read All About It Worms & Germs Blog: Promoting Safe Pet Ownership. University of Guelph & Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses; http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com Zoonotic Diseases. Center for Food Security and Public Health;http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Zoonoses/index.php References: 1. Parasitic diseases. Weese JS, Peregrine AS, Anderson MEC, Fulford MB. In Weese JS, Fulford MB (eds): Companion Animal Zoonoses—Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. 2. Transmission and epidemiology of zoonotic protozoal diseases of companion animals. Esch KJ, Petersen CA. Clin Microbiol Rev 26:58-85, 2013. 3. Canine echinococcosis: Global epidemiology and genotypic diversity. Carmena D, Cardona GA. Acta Trop 128:441–460, 2013.

Worms, worms and more worms!!!

 I wanted to yet again stress the importance of monthly heartworm prevention and intestinal parasite control. It is a very simple thing to prevent, and can safeguard your pets and your human family.  Many of these parasites we treat monthly are passed from pets to people!!! I know gross!!!  They can literally spread to the eyes of humans and cause blindness.  I encourage you to ask your eye doctor about this during you next visit!

Heartworms are not passed to people but they can cause death in dogs and cats.  In cats since they are not the natural host it is often causes a sudden death, unlike dogs who often have coughing as one of the first symptoms.  Heartworms are easy to prevent in cats and dogs(ask your vet about options).  Heartworms are not treatable in cats, just preventable.  Heartworms are successfully treated in dogs but treatment is much more expensive than prevention.  Most of the heartworm preventions available today also contain a dewormer for the "pets to people" parasites as well!!

Here are a few Parasite Maps from the Companion Animal Parasite Councils website.  Very eye opening!  This is a very interactive site that covers way more than the 2 maps below.  Click on the link above and check them all out.

First one is for Cats and Roundworms:  Roundworms are parasites that live in the intestines and are passed from pets to people.  Just a little interesting fact for all the indoor cat owners out there, "15% of all potting soil contains roundworm eggs"!!

http://www.capcvet.org/parasite-prevalence-maps/

This second map is for Dogs and Heartworms.  All I have to say is 1 in every 80 dogs tested ( I stress 'tested', what about non-tested dogs...) are positive for heartworms in the state of Texas!!! WOW!

http://www.capcvet.org/parasite-prevalence-maps/

Cats and Carriers, Friends not Foes

This is a wonderful video from the Catalyst Council about training your cat to be comfortable in it's carrier.  I find that there is a lot of cats that don't get the medical attention that they need because they are hard to get into their carriers or are extremely stressed while riding in the car.  This is a 5 step process to help a new cat or an already scared cat make the carrier a positive experience.
I will add that in this video the seat belt is wrapped around the covered carrier for car transport, but it is also helpful in an uncovered carrier to run the seat belt through the upper handle of the carrier to prevent sliding.  They also don't explain why a cat carrier should be in the back seat.  An airbag can be life threatening in pets. If any of you have been hit by an airbag, you know it hurts!  This forceful impact can easily break bones in an animal, soooo always the back seat for pets!!!

Jelly Fish Stings and Ingestion by Dogs

I recently had a client ask about Jelly Fish being toxic or harmful to dogs.  This is a question I had never been asked(being that there are no jelly fish where I practice) but did some research on Jelly fish to find out any side effects from stings or eating them.  Don't ask me why a dog would eat a jelly fish but they also eat their own poop.... Go figure...

Cabbagehead

What I found from consultants at the Animal Poison Control Center was that jelly fish in North America are usually not fatally toxic, except in the very rare case of severe allergic reaction.  They can cause some very irritated mouths and muzzles in the case where the dog gets stung in the mouth or some intestinal/tummy upset in the case of the dog actually eating the jelly fish.

Moon jellyfish

My advice is to rinse the dogs mouth with fresh water and monitor closely.  If the dogs starts to vomit, acts like the mouth is starting to swell or become irritated; I would take him/her immediately into a local veterinarian for some medications/injections.

And of course if your headed off to the beach with your dog make sure you take plenty of fresh clean water for the dog to prevent it from drinking a bunch of that salty water.  Which can lead to some pretty exciting vomiting in dogs not used to drinking salt water.  Be safe and have fun!!

Your Pet and the 4th of July

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and relaxing summer.  We have been super fortunate here in Texas to not have the extremely hot weather of the last 2 years (cross your fingers it stays that way)!  I just wanted to pass along some important information about pet safety for this 4th of July.  The first author is Justine Lee.  I have been to several of her lectures, she is a very knowledgeable and entertaining speaker.  She knows everything there is to know about pet toxicity's.  The second two articles address Food safety tips and loud noise tips, both equally great articles.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July!!!

1.  Fireworks Safety

2.  Food Safety Tips

3.  Loud Noise Tips

Dogs trying to be Friends with Cats...

Dogs are always trying to be friends with their feline housemates and sometimes the feelings are not mutual.... The video below is hilarious, take a little time to watch it and laugh!!!

Dogs Annoying Cats With Friendship

Dr. Andy Roark on Facebook

I posted awhile back about 6 pages to like on facebook.  I'm not sure how many any of you all 'liked', but my favorite so far has been Dr. Andy Roark.  He posts often and it's a combo of information and comedy.  Sometimes it's just funny pictures or videos of him and his staff and other times its a more serious post.  I just wanna say 'I love him'!  He has a way of making veterinary medicine relevant to everyone, no matter your background.  So please check him out and become a follower, here is a link Dr. Andy Roark.

Urinary Blockage is an Emergency!

I just wanted to talk about a case I saw over the weekend.  I had a male cat present for small bloody urine drops and trouble defecating(pooping), for 4 days duration.  When I hear this history I always assume the cat is actually straining to urinate, 'He can't pee'!!!  It is pretty rare for a cat to have trouble defecating.  This cat had a very low temperature, wasn't moving much and crying out at random.  I felt so bad for the big guy, so he got some pain meds and immediate testing.

When a cat, especially a male is having trouble in the litter box it is an emergency.  Emergency means take the cat now, not tomorrow or in a few hours, now.  If it turns out they can not urinate, the bladder gets bigger and bigger and can eventually burst/rupture.  The reason the cat blocks is because mucus, crystals and even tiny bladder stones can clump together to form a plug in the narrow male cat urethra.  It also causes backup into the kidney's and cause dysfunction of the kidney's.  If caught early enough these cats can be 'unblocked' and treated very successfully.  If the blockage has persisted 3 to 6 days, the toxin build up will result in death.  

It is crucial to realize that the cat is at risk for re-blocking for a good week or two from the time of discharge.  This is because the irritation syndrome that led to blocking in the first place is still continuing and as long as the episode continues, blocking is a possibility.  Most cats recover uneventfully and most do not need continuing medication after they have recovered. Some cats, especially if they have blocked before, will require on-going treatment. Once the cat is no longer obstructed, management is the same as for any other cat with feline idiopathic cystitis that is not obstructed, which may include a special diet, water fountains, etc.

This case did not end very well.  The kitty had been blocked for too many days.  His kidney values were extremely elevated.  His electrolytes were very high, which can lead to fatal heart arrhythmia's.  And that is what happened when I attempted to un-block this kitty he went into cardiac arrest and we unable to save him....  Now please don't think this is what normally happens, I have seen many cases of urinary blockage and successfully treated these guys and they went on to enjoy the rest of their nine lives.  This poor kitty had simply been blocked too long.  I hope by writing about this it will make more people aware of the dangers and to seek immediate medical attention if they notice any straining or problems with urination or defecation.  

Signs of Illness in Your Older Dog

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I had a wonderful holiday season but I'm glad to be back in the normal swing of things.  So I'm going to start with signs to watch for in your older dog or these even apply to cats.  If you notice any of these symptoms I would strongly recommend a visit to your veterinarian to get things checked out.  They will most likely want to do an exam and some diagnostics (blood work, x-rays, etc).

"Typically, once pets are 7 years or older, they're considered seniors."