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."