First, Know the Signs of Heat Stroke

The signs depend upon the extent of heat stroke. In the early stages, your pet will pant rapidly, have thick, ropey saliva, and have bright red gums. His body temperature will be between 104-106°F.

As the body temperature climbs above 106°F, your pet will go into shock with subsequent organ shutdown.

He will have pale gums, be weak and dizzy, with vomiting and diarrhea. The brain becomes affected and he may seizure or fall into a coma. In this case, he requires immediate, life-saving veterinary intervention.

The normal body temperature of a dog or cat ranges between 38 - 39°C or 103°F. Our pets maintain this temperature through panting, however sometimes they are unable to lose enough heat. Dogs and cats probably do suffer from heat cramps and heat exhaustion like us humans but the symptoms are mild and we don’t recognize them. The condition that we see is heatstroke, and it may cause the death of a pet.

Most Common Causes of Heat Stroke

Being in a Hot Car - Never leave your pet in a parked car in sunlight. The car heats up to be like a sauna even on mild days.

Excessive Exercise on a Hot Day - Minimize exercise in the heat of the day. Avoid exercising your dog in unusually hot or humid conditions especially at the start of summer. Most heatstroke cases are seen at the start of summer.

Not Enough Shade or Cool Water - Make sure your pet has plenty of shade to escape to during the day. Make sure your pet has plenty of fresh cool water (the water should be placed in the shade) available at all times.

Read more… »

Sally the saluki is now walking with a prosthetic implant, thanks to the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

This technique will also mean good things for people too but for now, Sally will definitely be able to enjoy her life a bit more and will be able to get around better. Just excellent!!

Pet First Aid Tips and Information

Bite Wounds:
Approach pet carefully to avoid getting bitten. Muzzle animal. Check wound for contamination or debris. If significant debris is present, clean wound with large amounts of saline or balanced electrolyte solution. If these aren’t available, use regular water. Wrap large open wounds in a clean cloth. Apply pressure to profusely bleeding wounds. Do not use tourniquet. Wear gloves if possible. Bite wounds often become infected and need professional care. Call your veterinarian.

Bleeding:
Apply firm, direct pressure over bleeding area until bleeding stops. Hold pressure for at least 10 straight minutes (continually releasing pressure to check wound will hamper clotting). Avoid bandages that cut off circulation. Call your veterinarian immediately.

Breathing Stops:
Check to see if animal is choking on foreign object. If animal is not breathing, place on firm surface with left side up. Check for heartbeat by listening at area where elbow touches chest. If you hear heartbeat but not breathing, close animal’s mouth and breathe directly into nose–not mouth–until chest expands. Repeat 12-15 times/minute. If there is no pulse, apply heart massage at same time. The heart is located in lower half of chest, behind elbow of front left leg. Place one hand below heart to support chest. Place other hand over heart and compress gently. To massage the heart of cats or tiny pets, compress chest with thumb and forefingers of one hand. Apply heart massage 80-120 times/minute for larger animals and 100-150 times/minute for smaller ones. Alternate heart massage with breathing. Please note: Even in the hands of veterinary health professionals, success of resuscitation is very low overall. Success may be slightly higher in cases of drowning or electrical shock. Call your veterinarian immediately.

Read more… »

The 4th of July is probably the biggest day of the year for doggie escapes. Panicky dogs can and will do anything they can to try to get away from what is terrifying them, in this case, the noise of fireworks. Shelters across the country are gearing up to receive the usual number of “fireworks dogs” who escape their homes/yards after becoming frightened of Fourth of July fireworks displays.

Here are some quick tips to keep your dog safe on the 4th of July:

Do not leave your dog home alone. A panic-stricken dog can do unthinkable things in an effort to escape the sounds of fireworks. Dogs have chewed through walls, jumped through panes of glass, etc. If you’re not going to be home, board your dog in a safe boarding facility where you know he will be safe and well-cared for during his stay.

Do not unintentionally reinforce fearful behavior by trying to comfort your dog when he is fearful. It is best to provide a safe place such as a closet (without windows) and a radio with its volume turned high. If the dog seeks refuge in his crate, allow him to do so, but do not place it in room with windows. If there are windows nearby, keep the lights on in the room. Likewise, even if the closet is dark, leave the lights on in the outer rooms. This will lessen the contrast between the dark sky and the periodic flashes of light produced by the fireworks displays.

Read more… »

Well, it’s that time of the year again and the Fourth of July is almost upon us. No doubt there will be many celebrations this weekend so I wanted to take the time to pass along some great health and safety tips for your dog from the ASPCA.

Fourth of July Safety Tips

For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family,including the four-legged members of the household. While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following tips:

• Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.

• Read more… »

Ear infections show up on the list of the top 10 reasons for vet visits for both dogs and cats. Here’s some tips on how to handle some of those those problems.

Ear infections and problems are one of the top reported problems faced by many pet owners. Does your dog or cat shake their head and scratch their ears or rub their ears against the ground or furniture? Do you ever notice a foul smelling, discharge in their ears, black, yellowish or brown in color? Are their ears red and tender? These are all signs of an ear infection or problem in your pets.

A dog or car’s ear canal is L-shaped which causes dirt, moisture, parasites; mites, and wax to be trapped in the canal which can lead to ear infections. Dog which have long, floppy ears tend to be more prone to ear problems due to the lack of air circulation available to the canal. With long haired, floppy eared dogs, you can keep the hair trimmed on the inside of the ear to increase air circulation.

The conventional treatment for most infections is antibiotic and anti-fungal medications. The problem with these treatments is that they treat only the symptoms, not the underlying cause. To successfully conquer the problem, both must be treated. Medications will mask the problem and may actually make it worse in the long-run by creating a chemical imbalance in the ear resulting in long-term problems.

Read more… »

With summer here many of us are doing more traveling and taking vacations and we love to take our dogs with us when we can. Here’s some great safety travel tips for you and your canine companion

• Secure your dog in the car with a crate or seatbelt. If your dog is crate trained and the crate fits in your vehicle, this is a great, safe option. A specially designed seat belt harness works with your existing seatbelts to keep your dog safe. Dogs should be belted in the rear seat to keep them away from front air bags which may seriously harm or kill a dog if deployed. If you drive a pick up truck, it is against the law in many places, not to mention very dangerous, for a dog to ride free in the back; use a secure crate or harness & short leash containment method.

• Never leave a dog in the car on a warm, sunny day as heat as temperatures can sore to over a 100 F within a few minutes regardless if the windows are open an inch or two or the car is parked in the shade. Older dogs, puppies, overweight dogs and those with heart or respiratory problems generally have a harder time regulating heat. Breeds with short muzzles such as bulldogs and pugs cannot pant efficiently and should be kept cool. Signs of heat stroke include heavy panting, profuse sweating from paw pads, thick saliva, dry mouth and high body temperatures (above 105F), weakness and more serious signs that include nausea, diarrhea, breathing problems, muscle tremors, seizures and collapse. If heat stroke is suspected, immediately lower body temperature by spraying with cool water (NOT COLD WATER as constricts blood vessels and impedes cooling), covering with towels soaked in cool water and placing the dog in front of a fan or in an air conditioned car. Follow up with a veterinarian is essential as there can be internal organ damage.

Read more… »

A veterinarian friend passed this information along to me and although it is specifically aimed toward vets, I know that many people, especially those in rescue and shelter work medicate their dogs when applicable. Dogs being treated with Comfortis® for mange and receiving high doses of heartworm meds may be at risk for drug interaction.

COMFORTIS® and Ivermectin Interaction Safety Warning Notification

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is announcing that it has received reports of adverse reactions in dogs receiving the drug Comfortis® (spinosad) concurrently with high, extra-label doses of the drug ivermectin. The clinical signs of these adverse reactions are consistent with ivermectin toxicity.

Comfortis® (spinosad), manufactured by Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company, is a monthly oral, chewable tablet used for the prevention and treatment of flea infestations on dogs. Veterinarians who use high, extra-label doses of ivermectin to treat dogs with non-responsive demodectic mange and other conditions should be aware that some dogs have developed signs of ivermectin toxicity when ivermectin is used concurrently with Comfortis® (spinosad).

CVM and Elanco Animal Health are advising veterinarians that dogs receiving extra-label doses of ivermectin should not receive concurrent treatment with Comfortis® (spinosad).

CVM is working with Elanco Animal Health as they address this issue. Additional information regarding this safety warning can be obtained on the Elanco Animal Health website.

Lilly Companion Animal Health Technical Bulletin: Spinosad and the Extra-Label Use of High Dose Ivermectin for the Treatment of Generalized Demodicosis in Dogs - DOWNLOAD PDF

Please send this to anyone you may know who may need this information. Email link below.

Since I initially wrote about problems with Nutro dog food in May, there has continued to be illnesses and even dog deaths possibly related to Nutro. Numerous people commented on the story, talking about illnesses related to what they feel was feeding their dogs Nutro.

The company continues to deny that there’s any problems with their food and the illnesses and deaths are just a coincidence.

Here’s the latest from Consumer Affairs on Nutro. Read well and carefully!

Illness, Death Dog Nutro Pet Food

Company denies a link to scores of sudden illness

A series of mysterious illness and death dogs Nutro pet food. Scores of pet owners report their animals became ill while eating Nutro products, then recovered when they were switched to another brand.

At least six dogs have died in the past two months, according to an analysis of complaints to ConsumerAffairs.com. The company discounts the reports, saying they are isolated and unconfirmed; at least one Nutro employee, sickened by the company’s response, told us she resigned.

In related developments, ConsumerAffairs.com has learned:

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently investigated the April deaths of two dogs in Indiana. The FDA tested samples of the Nutro food those dogs ate, but did not find any toxins. No one, however, has tested the Nutro food the other dogs ate before they died;

• A pet nutrition specialist for Nutro confirmed she’s heard complaints about the company’s food making dogs and cats sick. She reported those concerns to her supervisor, but said they were ignored. She recently resigned;

• There is a shortage of some varieties of Nutro dog food. The company says this is a supply problem – not a safety or quality issue;

• Some consumers have sent their pets’ food to Nutro for testing. They have not received any results. Other pet owners plan to hire private labs to test their food and report their concerns to the FDA and the Animal Poison Control Center run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

The six dogs that recently died include two Italian Greyhounds in Indiana, a Beagle/Whippet mix in Pennsylvania, two German Shepherd puppies in North Carolina, and a Doberman Pinscher in Texas.

Read more… »

Meet Babybear! This little three year old Yorkie has had more than his share of problems starting with a broken neck.

Born with AAI - Atlantoaxial Instability - he was more fragile than anyone knew. AAI is a condition in which the first two cervical (neck) vertebrae are not firmly attached. Normally, the atlas (the first cervical vertebra) and the axis (the second cervical vertebra) are attached by a group of ligaments. They are further stabilized by a prominence on the axis called the dens that protrudes into a hole in the atlas.

Dogs with congenital atlantoaxial instability are born without ligament support to their atlantoaxial joint, and may also be born without a dens. Trauma to the neck can also cause tearing of the ligaments or fracture of the dens, resulting in atlantoaxial instability.

Atlantoaxial instability can lead to cervical spinal cord injury, the symptoms of which include: neck pain; a drunken, staggering gait; paralysis of all four legs; or sudden death.

Prior to Babybear’s accident on June 29, 2006, vets though he just had a pinched nerve in his neck because AAI is not common or easy to diagnose, so they sent him home with some pain meds. I’ll let Baby Bear tell you what happened next;

This was until that bad day I jumped off mom’s lap. Mom says I jumped and let out a heck of a scream. It was so weird it scared her. She looked down on the floor and I was having a seizure then all of a sudden I was stiff as a board and my tongue was all blue. So dad started giving me mouth to mouth. Mom and dad ran to the truck and rushed me to the hospital. When we got there mom took me from dad who was still breathing in my mouth and ran into the dogtors with me crying to save me. They said one more minute and I would have never of been able to survive. The dogtors did all kinds of tests to see what was wrong with me xrays, and bloodwork. Mom had to wait outside and the dogtor came and asked her if she wanted everything done to save me. She said of course. So they kept me alive.

Read more… »

The latest press release from the FDA, more scary news for pet owners about pet food products.

FDA Requests Seizure of Animal Food Products at PETCO Distribution Center

Today, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Marshals seized various animal food products stored under unsanitary conditions at the PETCO Animal Supplies Distribution Center located in Joliet, Ill., pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Chicago.

U.S. Marshals seized all FDA-regulated animal food susceptible to rodent and pest contamination. The seized products violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because it was alleged in a case filed by the United States Attorney that they were being held under unsanitary conditions. (The Act uses the term “insanitary” to describe such conditions).

During an FDA inspection of a PETCO distribution center in April, widespread and active rodent and bird infestation was found. The FDA inspected the facility again in May and found continuing and widespread infestation.

“We simply will not allow a company to store foods under filthy and unsanitary conditions that occur as a direct result of the company’s failure to adequately control and prevent pests in its facility,” said Margaret O’K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “Consumers expect that such safeguards will be in place not only for human food, but for pet food as well.”

Read more… »

Owning a pet can ward off depression, lower blood pressure, and boost immunity. It may even improve your social life.

A pet is certainly a great friend. After a difficult day, pet owners quite literally feel the love.

In fact, for nearly 25 years, research has shown that living with pets provides certain health benefits. Pets help lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety. They boost our immunity. They can even help you get dates.

Allergy Fighters

“The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided,” says researcher James E. Gern, M.D., a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Read more… »