Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Newsletter
November 2003

Hello friends and fellow pet lovers,

In this issue:

-CLINIC STAFF NEWS
-HALLOWEEN SAFETY FOR YOUR PET
-FALL SAFETY CHECK LIST
-ARTHRITIS IN PETS

STAFF NEWS

Laura B, one of our licensed veterinary technicians and our morning receptionist Leslie are expecting littles ones in the spring!  Congrats from all of us! Get your sleep now....take it from me...you won't get it later :)

HALLOWEEN SAFETY FOR YOUR PET

Halloween can be a traumatic and even dangerous time for our pets. I want to take this time to offer you some common sense tips to protect your pets on Halloween.

Don't leave your pet out in the yard on Halloween; there are many stories of pets being teased, injured, stolen, or even killed on this night.

Trick or treat candy is not for pets. Chocolate is poisonous to many animals due to the theobromine content. Tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.

Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: Pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.

Don't dress your pet in a costume unless you know they like it; otherwise it puts a lot of stress on the animal. If you do dress up your dog, make sure the costume is not constricting, annoying , or unsafe. Be careful not to obstruct vision because even the sweetest dogs can get snappy when they can't see what is going on around them.

Keep your pets in a separate room during trick or treat visiting hours; too many people in strange costumes can be very scary and cause your pet to become frightened and run out of the house. Many dogs are very protective of their territory. Don't let pets mingle with costumed Halloween guests who might frighten them. You take the chance that your pet will bite a visitor as he tries to defend his territory.

Make sure your pets always wear id tags just in case they do escape.

Black cats are particularly susceptible to cruel pranks during Halloween. Keep all cats indoors.

While this can be a fun time for people and pets alike, remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the more dangerous goblins and ghouls that this holiday brings!

FALL SAFETY CHECK LIST!

Here are a few tips to help our pets get ready for the cooler weather to come:

Now is a good time to put in fresh bedding such as straw or cedar shavings in dog houses. Old blankets or other items that retain moisture are not recommended since freezing may occur. Dog houses should be twice the size of the dog (any larger will cause excess heat loss).

Since outside pets energy requirements are different this time of year, you will want to check with us for advice on the proper diet. Pets burn more calories in the winter to produce extra body heat.

Make sure your pets are up to date on their vaccines as distemper is generally seen more in the cooler months.

As you are getting your car ready for the winter, PLEASE remember that antifreeze is very tasty but deadly to dogs and cats. Clean up any spills well and properly dispose of old antifreeze that was drained out....DO NOT leave it in a bucket that a pet may have access to. As little as 1 oz. may be fatal to a 15 pound dog and no more than 1/3 oz. to a cat. Death may occur in as little as 12 hours.  Symptoms include lack of coordination, vomiting, rapid breathing, and rapid heart rate. Call immediately if you suspect your pet has been exposed to antifreeze.

A warm engine will be a tempting place for a cold cat. A knock on the hood or honking the horn will alert your cat and may save his or her life.

Keep your caged birds away from drafty windows. A heat lamp or heating pad placed under the cage will offer radiant heat for our feathered friends.

Dogs toenails become longer in the fall and especially winter due to less walking outside. Regular clipping (every month or two) will keep the quicks from growing out too long.

ARTHRITIS IN PETS

The topic of this newsletter is arthritis and how it effects our pets. Arthritis is a painful joint condition that is commonly seen in dogs and cats. Cold and wet weather seems to aggravate the problem which is why we need to talk about this important topic before we enter the winter months.

Often resulting from elbow or hip dysplasia, arthritis can occur as the result of an accident or injury, or as part of the aging process.

Common symptoms of arthritis:

1. Limping on or favoring one or more legs.
2. Reluctance to jump up on furniture or in the car.
3. Slower to rise and move about after sleeping.
4. Tiring easy after walks.

Dogs with arthritis by weight:

Small (under 25#) 27%
Medium (25-50#) 28%
Large (50# +) 45%

Dogs with arthritis by age:

Under 5 years: 5%
5-7 years: 14%
8-10 years: 27%
11-13 years: 35%
14 years +: 19%

There are many treatments for arthritis depending on the severity of the pets condition. One of the first things that should be done is to x ray the suspected area to determine if arthritis or another condition is responsible for the pain. Once arthritis is diagnosed, the treatment depends on the pets age, weight, severity, and type of arthritis.

If your pet is overweight, then sometimes simply changing the diet to a low calorie/high fiber food will shed those extra pounds and take significant pressure off painful joints. Hills R/D and Purina O/M are two prescription diets available that are very effective in our experience.

In addition to proper diet, exercise is also a very important part of managing arthritis. Exercise is a great way to shed extra pounds and maintain our pets flexibility and muscle mass. Increasing muscle mass helps to support the skeletal structure and prevent many problems such as intervertebral disc disease (lower back pain). It should be pointed out that an exercise program should not be implemented until the acute stage (flare up) of arthritis is under control.

We are fortunate to have many effective treatments available for arthritis control.

The more common medications include:

1. Rimadyl, Deramax, and Zubrin

Rimadyl is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication in chewable tablet form. Rimadyl is a fast acting pain reliever that has been shown to be very effective in reducing the symptoms of arthritis. Side effects are low (less than 1%) but could include vomiting/diarrhea/appetite loss. Pets should have their blood tested periodically while on Rimadyl.

Zubrin is specially designed to dissolve as soon as it is placed in mouth (for dogs that are hard to pill).

2. Adequan

An injectable medication that not only helps to relieve pain, but also helps to break the cycle of joint degeneration, slowing destructive enzymes, while stimulating the production of fresh lubrication and new cartilage components. The injection is given twice a week for 4 weeks and then a booster injection every 2 months. Results are generally noticed after the second or third injection. 78% of dogs that responded to Adequan were still improved 6 months later. Adequan is very safe and side effects are rare.

3. Cosequin

An oral medication that provides the raw materials that are essential for the synthesis of joint fluid and cartilage production. This is a nutraceutical (nutritional supplement) type of product so it takes 3-4 weeks in most cases to notice results. Cosequin is also very safe with few side effects.

4. Anti- inflammatory steroids

Oral and injectable drugs such as prednisone that can provide temporary relief of pain in some cases. These drugs are not meant to be long term solutions for arthritis.

I urge you to take some time to really observe your pets closely this Fall for any signs of arthritis and contact us early before the winter is upon us.

WEBSITES OF THE MONTH

The Merck Veterinary Manual. One of the best veterinary references ever published.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp

VPI - Veterinary Pet Insurance. The largest pet insurer in the country- provides excellent coverage.
http://www.petinsurance.com/

Best Regards,

Dr. Pennington
priestlake@mindspring.com
http://www.priestlakevet.com
615-361-4646