Signs of Fall of the Year
at All Creatures Animal Hospital
Vestibular Disease in cats, the disease no-one can figure out what causes?
Fall of the year brings a funny disease to cats that makes them seem even more possessed, called vestibular disease? Why it happens in the fall of the year - we don’t know but the SIGNS OF VESTIBULAR DISEASE are:
1. Ataxia (lack of coordination without weakness or involuntary spasms - in other words, stumbling and staggering around)
2. Nystagmus (back and forth or rotational eye movements. The movements will be slower in one direction. This is the side where the neurological lesion is likely to be;
3. Circling
4. Head tilt (usually toward the side of the lesion)
5. Falling to one side (usually toward the side of the lesion)
IDIOPATHIC VESTIBULAR DISEASE IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF VESTIBULAR DISEASE IN DOGS AND CATS. What does this mean? My joke is the doctor is an “idiot” and the patient is “pathetic” Idiopathic. The truth is that is partially true – because we don’t know what causes vestibular disease – but it is more common in the fall. Good news, they almost always get better with supportive care for a few days.
ANTIFREEZE Poisoning
In the last week at All Creatures Animal Hospital we have witnessed two patients poisoned by antifreeze, one dog and one cat. As is usually the case, both patients had to be euthanized. Once they arrived the chemical had already induced kidney failure. Both patients had been roaming free, which can be risky in any area.
Traditional automobile antifreeze is produced with an extremely toxic chemical called ethylene glycol (EG). At least 90,000 pets, along with countless wildlife, die every year in the United States after ingesting this chemical. Since EG antifreeze tastes sweet - pets and children are drawn to it. As little as two tablespoons can be hazardous to a cat or dog and two ounces will kill any size dog. They can ingest antifreeze spilled during installation, leaking from vehicles, disposed of carelessly, or improperly stored. Make sure to clean up any spills you are aware of as quickly as possible.
Symptoms of antifreeze poisoning include vomiting, lack of coordination, mild to severe depression, muscle twitches, and increased urination. After several hours, the dog’s kidneys will be irreversibly damaged. Within as short as 12 hours, the poison causing metabolic acidosis and kidney failure leads to seizures, comas, and death. At All creatures this week, we were able to reduce our patients suffering by arriving at their diagnosis quickly thanks to a new 10-minute blood test for ethylene glycol – we now keep in stock.
The good news is that progressive chemical companies have formulated a propylene glycol (PG)-based antifreeze that presents much less of a health risk if ingested.
Grass awn in dogs eye
“Baby” Safarin – was out in tall grass in Bethel when he came back with a red eye. Grass awns frequently end up in dog’s eyes, ears and noses. In dogs eyes their favorite hiding place is under the third eyelid. They can be intensely irritating and when discovered should be removed immediately. Baby is much happier now - to see video of awn being removed from baby’s eye – visit All-Creatures.com
Arrow through dog’s chest
Hard to believe it but some pathetic hunter killed one of our clients German shepherd with an arrow thru the chest. The dog lived on 25 acres in New Richmond and was out meandering one afternoon in early October when he was struck. Despite Dr. Meakin meeting the owner here on emergency after hours, the damage was too severe and the 2-year-old dog did not make it.
Fall Season is Flea season
Warm weather with rain – fleas love it. They also seem to sense the fall of the year and when the days get shorter they look for a wintering place. In other words they try to hitch a ride inside. Fleas are hatching out like crazy and trying their best to find an overwinter den (your home). Don’t be surprised to roll over rover and see a colony of fleas fleeing from the sunlight. Fleas are fittest and most reproductive at temps of 65 - 80’ and humidity greater than 70%. As long as the temperature is above freezing warm winters can extend the flea larvae life span. This means there is no break in the flea’s lifeline and the flea population keeps increasing without ever stopping.
If a cold winter does arrive this does not mean that your problems are solved this only means that the fleas outside will die and since most of our homes are well above freezing, fleas are happy to live inside all winter long. Despite that, freezing doesn’t even kill the fleas unless it is a long cold freeze, where the temperature stays below freezing for several days in a row. Freezing will only kill off the adult fleas, but once the temperature starts to rise the flea eggs will start hatching again and the flea cycle will re-start. So is there really a flea season?
Fleas are parasites that feed off your pet’s blood and when a flea bites its victims skin it injects a minute amount of flea antigen. Pets vary in their reactions to flea antigen. In some pets the bite from one flea can trigger a skin rash. This can quickly escalate into a far less infection as the pet bites and scratches at its irritated skin. As if this weren’t enough, fleabites can also transmit tapeworms if swallowed by your itching dog.
If your dog has fleas, it will usually scratch and bite around its lower back and tail. Fleas are easiest seen along the underbelly where the fur is sparse. In general, they fall off the skin of the dog and land in the carpet. If the fleas become well entrenched in your carpets, their reproductive activities may continue indoors un-interrupted through the winter. In 2-14 days they hatch into larva that feed on feces (dried blood) of an adult flea. Fleas can be a year round indoor/outdoor problem that merely peaks in the summer time.
Remember that the best time to begin fighting fleas is before they become a problem (like SPRING), and the best person to ask about flea control products is your veterinarian. Our clients prefer Frontline Plus applied topically every month. Frontline plus eliminates adult and immature fleas from dog and cats. Other products are combined with heartworm prevention for monthly flea and heartworm prevention – Promeris (topical), Revolution (topical), Sentinel (oral), and Capstar (oral). With the new breed of fleas out we need to give monthly flea control to all pets to ensure total flea prevention.
Know the facts:
Don’t expose your children to parasites!
It is thought that 30% to 50% of dogs and cats carry parasites and that 1 to 3 million people in the U.S. have infections from parasites carried by pets. Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised (cancer patients, organ transplant recipients) people are at high risk.
Hookworms and roundworms can be harbored by your pet and transmitted to children. In some cases, these parasites can cause blindness in humans. Pets get infected with hookworms and roundworms by walking in places where other infected pets have defecated. The microscopic roundworm eggs and hookworm larvae end up on your pet’s feet. Your pet then licks his feet and infects himself with these parasites. Three weeks later, your pet will be shedding hookworm eggs and larvae from his GI tract. As the infected pet has contact with your child, parasites are transmitted to the child.
Pets can get ticks that spread Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and other diseases if the ticks detach from the pet and attach themselves to your child. This could be a risk factor for your children if the family pet sleeps in their bed.
By swallowing a flea infected with a tapeworm larvae while grooming, your pet can contract tapeworms. Pets get infected with hookworms and tapeworms by hunting prey. Even if your pet lives indoors, the ingestion of one house mouse can expose your pet to GI parasites.
How Can you Prevent the Risk of Spreading Parasites to your Children? Prevention of internal parasites is preferred over treatment because it reduces the risk of infectious diseases being transmitted from pets, it is less expensive and more convenient, and is obviously much better for the pet.
Give your dog Heartgard Plus® once per month, all year long. This medication helps to prevent hookworms and roundworms in your dog as well as being a heartworm preventative. Keep your dog on Frontline plus™ to protect against flea and tick infestation.
Scoop the yard where your dog defecates at least weekly; ideally daily, as worm eggs and larvae are found in stool and can contaminate the environment.
Bring a stool sample from your pet to your veterinarian at least once per year. You do not have to bring your pet into the vet’s office for this. The stool should be fresh and in most cases can be dropped off at your convenience for the veterinary staff to analyze.
Keep your cat on Revolution once per month, all year. This medication eliminates hookworms that could potentially be spread to humans in the household. It also kills fleas, which can be culprits in the spread of cat scratch disease and tapeworm.
Don’t let small children play in uncovered sandboxes that might be used as litter boxes by neighborhood cats, and teach your children to wash their hands before eating, especially if they have recently handled their pet. Watch your pet for signs of internal parasite infection. Parasites can be observed in pets’ feces or in bedding, among other places. Usually, internal parasite infections are marked by decrease in appetite, bloody stools, diarrhea and a decrease in activity level. Many internal parasite infections do not show any symptoms, so regular veterinarian visits are important.
