Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Newsletters

Newsletter for February 2003

In this issue:

* Fun Facts about our pets
* Pet Ultrasounds
* Micro Chipping your pet
* Pet Dental Health Month
* Tick Disease known to infect dogs found in humans

HERE ARE A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR PETS.......

Nearly 97 percent of pet owners say their dog, cat, bird, or other companion animal makes them smile at least once a day. That's the consensus from the recent 12th Annual Survey by the American Animal Hospital Association, which queried 1242 owners who took their pets to affiliated veterinarians.

Of those who responded:

* 86 percent include their pets in holiday celebrations such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween.

* 76 percent believe their pets ease their stress level.

* 73 percent have signed greeting cards "from" their pets.

* 66 percent travel with their pets.

* 58 percent include their pets in family or holiday portraits.

* Almost half have more pictures of their pets than of their spouse or significant other.

* 48 percent have taken up to two days off work to be with their sick pets.

* 46 percent plan all or most of their free time around their pets.

* 43 percent have taken their dogs to work.

* 31 percent say providing exercise for their pets has improved their physical fitness.

PET ULTRASOUNDS NOW AVAILABLE


Dr. Napier, a local veterinarian who specializes in performing ultrasounds, now visits our veterinary hospital on a regular basis.

Ultrasonography is routinely done in pets for a variety of reasons including cardiac doppler testing, checking the abdomen for abnormalities of the internal organs, as well as testing and biopsy of tumors. Ultrasonography often gives us a great deal of information with very little stress to the pet; sedation is often not even necessary to perform the testing. An area of fur is generally clipped and special conduction jelly is applied to the area to be checked. The ultrasound gives us very nice images that we can record and print out. These images allow us to measure organs and aid in ultrasound guided biopsies...a way to test an organ or mass without performing surgery.

We feel very fortunate to have Dr. Napier as a member of our health care team as we work together to provide your pets with the latest in modern veterinary health care.

MICRO CHIPPING YOUR PET

Each year, millions of dogs and cats are lost; in fact, this disaster strikes 1/3 of all pet-owning families. Of the millions of cats and dogs that are lost, only 10% are ever identified and returned to their owners.  More pets lives are lost because owners did not identify them, than from
all infectious diseases combined.

All pets should wear traditional collars with identification and rabies vaccination tags. A traditional collar; however, is not enough. These collars are often worn loosely and are easily removed. Cat collars are designed to break off if the animal is caught in a tree branch. When the
traditional collar is lost, removed, or breaks off, nothing is left to identify the pet.unless, of course, the pet has a microchip.

Microchips are rapidly becoming a very popular method for identifying pets.  Once the microchip is inserted, the pet is identified for life. Microchips are safe, unalterable and permanent identification for pets.

The microchip is a tiny computer chip or transponder about the size of a grain of rice. The chip is inserted under the skin between the shoulder blades of a cat, dog, or other pet, in much the same way that a vaccine is administered. The microchip is coded with a unique 10-digit code. Each
microchip that is inserted contains a unique code, specific to the individual pet.

Inserting the microchip is simple and causes minimal discomfort. The microchip comes pre-loaded in a syringe, ready for insertion. The entire procedure takes less than 10 seconds. Post-injection reactions are very rare and the encapsulated microchip remains in place permanently.

The scanner is a hand-held device used to detect the message encoded in the microchip. The scanner is passed over the animal, paying particular attention to the area between the shoulder blades. If a microchip is present, the 10-digit number (encoded in the capsule) is read by the scanner. Scanners are provided to animal control, humane shelters and other rescue organizations so that all stray pets are scanned and those with microchips are reunited with their owners. Veterinarians can also purchase scanners for use in their hospital.

The veterinary hospital where the microchip is implanted records the pet's information and it's unique microchip identification number. When a lost pet is found and scanned, the veterinary hospital is immediately contacted.  Since most veterinary hospitals are not open 24 hours a day, it may take some time before you are notified. In addition to this standard registration, you should register your pet in your own name for a nominal charge. By doing this, as soon as your pet is found, you are notified.

Along with the additional registration fee, we recommend that you update your personal information with the microchip database on a regular basis.  It is also advisable to have your veterinarian test the microchip on an annual basis in order to make sure that it is properly transmitting data.

FEBRUARY IS PET DENTAL CARE MONTH

Most middle age and older pets are afflicted with some degree of tooth and gum disease. Years of neglect eventually cause problems in this department.  While dogs rarely get cavities, dental tartar, calculus and gum disease are the most commonly seen ailments in older pets.

Tartar builds up on the teeth, and if not regularly removed, will eventually extend into the gums. The gums then become inflamed causing gingivitis. This leads to the development of periodontal disease, or infection and breakdown of gum tissue surrounding the tooth. This progressive deterioration of the gums and underlying bone tissue manifests itself as painful red bleeding gums, offensive mouth odor and loose teeth.  Eighty-five percent of dogs two years old and older have periodontal disease.

The pet may exhibit difficulty chewing, with subsequent loss of appetite and weight. In addition, the periodontal disease acts as a source for bacterial germs that are spread throughout the body. Regular dental care will help prevent these conditions. Ask one of our veterinarians about the
dental disease in your pet and for recommendations for preventative dental care.

There are things you can do at home to keep your pet's teeth and gums healthy. The most helpful home care pet owners can do is brushing teeth. Be sure to use a toothbrush designed for pets. These special brushes are especially important for small dogs and cats. You need very
soft bristles so you don't damage gum tissue. A "finger" toothbrush, a device that fits over the owner's finger, is especially easy to use.

Don't use baking soda or human toothpaste -- dogs swallow it and it can upset their stomachs. CET brand poultry-flavored toothpaste and some other toothpastes are made especially for pets. Most veterinarians don't recommend that pet owners brush the inside of the teeth. Getting the
outside is very helpful to overall dental care. It is best to hold the mouth shut with one hand, lift up the pet's lip and brush with the other hand. It takes a little longer to train a cat to tolerate tooth brushing, but it can be done. Use either a finger toothbrush or the small brush specifically designed for cats.

Starting dental care when animals are puppies or kittens really makes a difference. If you wait until the animal is an adult, go especially slowly in accustoming the animal to teeth brushing. If it's a question of your being injured if you try to brush the pet's teeth, don't do it.  When an animal requires advanced dental care, many veterinarians refer these pets to a college of veterinary medicine, where veterinarians do root canals and all routine and advanced periodontal procedures, including crowns.

Hill's TD dental diet is helpful for some animals as part of home care.  This diet decreases the plaque accumulation on animal's teeth, but the diet itself is not appropriate for all animals. Contrary to advertising, dog biscuits are not particularly helpful in dental care because the dog would have to eat too many for them to be a practical aid.

TICK DISEASE KNOWN TO INFECT DOGS FOUND IN HUMANS


Researchers have for the first time detected in humans a certain tick-borne bacterial infection that was thought to sicken only dogs.  The study gives no evidence to suggest that man's best friend is spreading the potentially deadly disease to people directly, through a bite or a lick. Instead, the researchers said ticks are biting both humans and dogs, and may be jumping from dog to master in some cases.

Doctors have found human cases of the infection in Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined a little-known, yet emerging disease called ehrlichiosis, which is similar to Lyme disease. Both diseases are transmitted by ticks and exist primarily in New England and the upper Midwest.

Two forms of ehrlichiosis have previously been documented in people since 1986, when the disease was first found in the United States. Since then, approximately 1,200 cases have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But this was the first time researchers found cases of the type of ehrlichiosis that previously had been identified only in dogs.

No matter which form of bacteria causes the infection, an antibiotic can essentially cure it. Ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease have some symptoms in common _ headache, nausea, chills, fever, malaise and fatigue -- but typically, ehrlichiosis doesn't usually come with a rash and can be fatal if left untreated. Up to 5 percent of cases result in death.

"This is a much more acute and rapidly progressing disease that can be much more serious because it can be fatal in the most severe cases," said study co-author Dr. Gregory A. Storch of the St. Louis Children's Hospital. "Lyme disease is not fatal. It can become chronic and can produce some significant and annoying manifestations." Dr. Christopher Paddock of the CDC stressed that ehrlichiosis can be prevented. "Be aware that if you're out in areas where there are ticks, and this can be hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, you should always check yourself and remove any crawling or attached ticks as quickly as possible," he said.

This is a good reminder to start our pets on tick preventives before the tick season begins in February. Frontline (dogs and cats) and Preventic collars (dogs) have proven effective products in our hospital.