Dog saves toddler from drowning in family pool
Bear, a family’s black Labrador retriever, saved an Indiana toddler from drowning. After noticing her 14-month-old wasn’t walking behind her, Patricia Drauch went to the family’s pool where she found Bear keeping the unconscious boy, Stanley, face-up in the pool.
Creative weight-loss programs for pets
Veterinarians and other animal-oriented businesses are providing creative solutions to curb the pet obesity epidemic in the U.S., offering extended, customized weight-loss programs complete with diet modification and exercise therapy on-site. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found that roughly half of U.S. pets are overweight, with one of every five tipping the scales at 30% over their ideal weight.
Telling yourself it’s finally time to sign up for the gym and shed some pounds is hard enough, but getting your dog to drop weight?
That can be even tougher.
Erin Kowalski, 30, of Humboldt Park learned that a few years ago when her chocolate lab, Zeus, ballooned to 110 pounds—about 36 pounds overweight.
While a healthier diet and extended walking regimen produced noticeable results for her dog, Kowalski turned to a relatively new option to get Zeus to a healthy weight. She signed him up with a Logan Square pet clinic that specializes in animal weight loss. The clinic has all the bells and whistles you’d expect at a neighborhood gym—from laser therapy to acupuncture to workouts with exercise balls. Turns out, an underwater treadmill and resistance pool was the secret to Zeus’ slimdown.
“He’s got a better coat, he’s got more energy—all around he’s a better dog because of his weight loss,” Kowalski said. “Everybody thinks he’s a 3-year-old dog, even though he’s 9.”
Pet owners in Chicago are taking new measures to help Fido burn the fat. Specialty care facilities, which can cost hundreds of dollars for multi-week regimens, offer human-like ways for dogs and cats to shed pounds. There are even bootcamps designed for pet and owner to work out together. Meanwhile, pet owners across the country are spending tens of millions of dollars every year to treat issues that are brought on by their pets’ weight.
While Americans themselves are facing a national obesity problem, their pets are tipping the scales as well. More than half of adult dogs and cats are overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, and about one in five of them weighs in at more than 30 percent over its ideal body weight. The surplus pounds can lead to a host of health issues including arthritis, diabetes and problems with the hips, kidneys and liver. And while fat cats like Meow, the 39-pound feline whose photo was passed around online before he passed away last month, have been talk-show punchlines of late, experts say the issue is something to be taken seriously.
“Every time we see these horribly obese and overweight cats, there’s always a little joke, a little asterisk attached to it,” said Ernie Ward, author of pet obesity book “Chow Hounds.” “As a vet, I see that that animal is suffering.”
Ward said the issue of animal obesity has gained traction in recent years, going from a subject that was brushed off when the association was founded in 2005 to a topic that is beginning to open the eyes of pet owners.
Megan Ridley, a veterinarian at Integrative Pet Care, the Logan Square clinic that helped Zeus, said she treats animals she believes are morbidly obese.
“We come up with protocols for these animals,” she said. “I usually put the No. 1 [goal] is weight loss.”
Ridley said it’s rare to see an animal come in for treatment solely for weight issues. Usually, she says, existing problems such as arthritis, hip dysplasia and other issues that cause pets to be less active have been made worse by being overweight or obese. But it does happen. One recent client brought in a dog who was fed a diet of table scraps for a year and a half. The dog that should have weighed 65 pounds soared to 90.
“You could see it was starting to have issues with its wrists,” she said.
Ed Heil, owner of Integrative Pet Care, said eight- to 12-week treatments range from $800 to $1,400, and can include boarding. Heil said the rehab and weight loss can prevent costlier procedures. Hip surgery for a dog or cat can cost at least $3,000 to $4,000.
Saq Nadeem, founder of the resort-style boarding service Paws for Pets, said he has seen a growing number of customers willing to pay for extra services that help their pets get in shape. The company didn’t always offer treadmill fitness or nature hikes for dogs, but demand for those services has grown as owners increasingly spoil their pets as they would their own children.
“In general, I think there is a big trend toward providing comprehensive services,” he said. “We’ve seen a trend of more and more places offering these add-on services.”
Diana Ozimek, a trainer who runs fitness boot camps for women in Chicago, has her own solution. After seeing many pet owners who abandoned the gym to care for their pet, she developed a workout routine for canines and their owners alike.
The challenge, she says, is that pet owners see jogging as one of the only ways to work out in tandem with a dog. But her four- and six-week boot camps, which she began teaching about a month ago, incorporate light training for the dogs along with cardio and weight training for their keepers.
“You should definitely see a increased level of fitness for you and your dog,” she said. “You should both be able to work better together.”
WIDER PETS, THINNER WALLETS
A fat cat or plump pooch doesn’t just cause problems for the animal; it also can wreak havoc on an owner’s finances. Pet insurance provider Petplan said it saw a 348 percent rise in arthritis claims in 2011, as well as a 253 percent increase in diabetes and 32 percent incline in cardiac arrest claims, all of which are associated with extra weight. The company says costs add up.
Diabetes: $900 per incident, with costs reaching as much as $5,700
Ligament tears: $2,000 on average, and up to $6,000 in claims
Arthritis: $2,000 per incident, costing owners as much as $9,600
These figures don’t include the basics of pet ownership. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates the minimum cost of owning a small dog in its first year is $1,314. That number rises to $1,580 and $1,843 for medium and large dogs, respectively. For cats, owners can expect to pay $1,035.
Tufts develops quality-of-life assessments for pets with heart disease
Tufts veterinarians developed two quantitative tests for pets with heart disease that can help owners make decisions about treatments and euthanasia. FETCH (Functional Evaluation of Cardiac Health) and CATCH (Cats’ Assessment Tool for Cardiac Health) are surveys that ask owners to rank aspects of their pet’s health from zero to five. JAVMA published evaluations of both FETCH and CATCH.
(Phys.org) — Quality of life has become accepted as an important predictor of survival among human patients with heart failure. Now veterinarians at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University have developed two surveys that may prove to be similarly useful in evaluating the quality of life for dogs and cats with heart disease.
Known as “FETCH” (Functional Evaluation of Cardiac Health) and “CATCH” (Cats’ Assessment Tool for Cardiac Health), the surveys ask owners to rank aspects of their dog’s or cat’s health on a scale of 0 to 5. Veterinarians are then able to assess the animal’s perceived quality of life, which may inform decisions about treatment, nutrition or even euthanasia.
Researchers found that the FETCH and CATCH scores correlated well to the International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) classification for disease severity.
Results of the CATCH evaluation were published in the May 15 edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, building on the earlier publication of the FETCH study.
“Studies have indicated that pet owners value quality of life much more than longevity in their animals,” said Professor of Clinical Sciences Lisa M. Freeman, board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition . “We want our dogs and cats to have happy lives, and we believe this tool is a helpful in evaluating whether our pets still do.”
The survey tools were developed by Freeman and Professor of Clinical Sciences John E. Rush, board-certified cardiologist and criticalist at the veterinary school’s Foster Hospital for Small Animals. Freeman and Rush set out to create and evaluate a tool for pets similar to the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, one of the most widely used evaluation tools in human cardiology.
The CATCH tool was validated using studies in 75 cats at Tufts’ Foster Hospital for Small Animals, the University of Pennsylvania’s Medical School and the VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County (Rohert Park, Calif.), then tested in 200 cats at the three previous sites, as well as Oregon State University, Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital (Woburn, Mass.) and Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.
The work on the tools will continue to measure their responsiveness to medical treatment and create a clinical and research tool for clinicians, Freeman said.
More information: J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2012 May 15;240(10):1188-93.
Journal reference:Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Provided byTufts University
Worm-like organisms in stool may not be tapeworms
Worm-like creatures in dog feces may be intestinal parasites, such as tapeworms, but fly larvae, also known as maggots, can rapidly colonize fresh fecal piles, often confusing owners, writes veterinarian Jeff Kahler. Dogs acquire tapeworms from fleas that carry tapeworm eggs, so treatment for tapeworms includes medicine to kill the worms and flea treatment to rid the dog of fleas. Fly larvae in feces are easily prevented — just promptly clean up after dogs, notes Dr. Kahler.
By JEFF KAHLER, D.V.M.
McClatchy Newspapers
Darren was picking up his dog Robo’s waste and noticed white, wormlike creatures crawling in and on several of the stool piles. He finished cleaning up and then called the veterinarian.
Darren said Robo was prescribed medication to treat tapeworms. The dosage required several pills to be taken all at once by Robo. Darren followed the protocol and assumed the creepy little creatures were history. That was wishful thinking; about a week later, they were back on Robo’s stools.
Darren again treated Robo for tapeworms. This time, he also treated Robo for fleas, as tapeworms are often associated with fleas. Darren also began to scrutinize every stool Robo produced. His skepticism was rewarded as the ugly little beasts reappeared within the next week after the second treatment. Well, Darren wants to know what the heck is going on!
Darren needs to harvest stool samples containing the worms and have them examined by Robo’s veterinarian. I believe these wormlike creatures are not worms, but the insect larvae of flies.
If Robo had tapeworms, I would expect the initial treatment to have worked. There would not have been enough time for a new population of tapeworms to develop inside Robo in the week after the first treatment.
Tapeworms are intestinal parasitic worms that occur in several species of animals. The more common type in dogs is carried on the flea. When a dog bites at a flea, it can take in the tapeworm eggs by mouth and swallow them. This starts the development process in the dog’s intestinal tract, which culminates in a population of adult tapeworms. These adults mate and produce small segments that break off the adult worm and are passed in the stool. These appear as tiny, whitish, wormlike creatures that can wiggle and crawl in an undulating fashion. This fits with Darren’s description and his veterinarian’s assumption that Robo had tapeworms. These segments will dry up and appear similar to rice grains over time. The segments will eventually rupture, and the eggs inside stick to fleas and start the whole cycle over again. This is why it is important to treat for fleas when treating for tapeworms.
Of course, we know that Robo does not have tapeworms. In fact, Robo’s stool is not indicating he has any visible parasites.
Robo’s stool is likely colonized by fly larvae, most commonly referred to as maggots. Flies will lay their eggs in fresh dog feces and these will hatch into larvae that then feed on the fecal material. When the weather is warmer, hatching time can be very quick. I know, you’re thinking, “Yuck,” and frankly I am, too. I am not a big fan of maggots, but they are a part of the circle of life and nothing to be concerned about in the disease realm. If Darren were to pick up Robo’s stools more frequently, the fly eggs would not have time to hatch before disposal and would therefore not be seen.
(Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto, Calif. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352.)
Distinguishing the cause of allergic symptoms in dogs
Dogs exhibit allergy symptoms such as itchy, dry skin and gastrointestinal signs including chronic vomiting and diarrhea, and it can be difficult to distinguish the cause among the three most common allergies in pets: flea allergy dermatitis, environmental allergy and food allergy, writes veterinarian Chase Constant. Gastrointestinal symptoms usually accompany food allergies, which also occur year-round, Dr. Constant points out. He adds that a food trial directed by a veterinarian is the best way to diagnose a food allergy.
Unlike humans, dogs cannot scratch their paws and are forced to lick and bite them when they are itchy. There are two things to consider when caring for an itchy dog: Treat the underlying cause of the itch, and treat any secondary infections that have developed.
Like people, dogs can have allergies, causing them to become itchy. We usually think of three types of allergies: flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), food allergy or environmental allergy. Some dogs are allergic to flea saliva, and it takes only one bite to set off them off and keep them itching for up to two weeks. The key to treating this allergy is avoiding contact with fleas, which is why most veterinarians recommend the use of regular monthly flea control.
Food allergies are very common in dogs and can cause mild to severe itching (paws, face, and ears), red skin, or even gastrointestinal signs (chronic loose stool or vomiting). Environmental allergies cause similar signs, excluding the gastrointestinal ones. One key to helping differentiate between these two types of allergies is timeline. Food allergies will continue year round, whereas most environmental allergies improve or resolve at some point during the year (in other words, they are seasonal, with the winter months usually being the better months).
Many times, a secondary infection (bacterial or yeast) has developed because the biting and licking has damaged the skin. If your dog is constantly licking or biting his paws, he should be evaluated by your veterinarian, because it can be a painful condition and these infections need to be treated with oral or injectable medications (antibiotics or antifungals), with medicated shampoos or with both. Then the underlying allergy needs to be addressed.
A food trial is needed to determine a food allergy. This involves feeding your dog a very strict diet over several months with a protein source he has never been exposed to, like rabbit or venison. Your vet can help you plan a proper food trial to determine if your dog has a food allergy, then what food should be fed on a long-term basis.
Environmental allergies can be treated with different medications. Some dogs with mild allergies or allergies that last only a few weeks or months each year can be treated with antihistamines like Benadryl. Some dogs require more aggressive medications that actually suppress the immune system. Skin testing or blood testing is available and can determine what things in the environment are causing the allergies. This information is used to formulate allergy shots, which sensitize your dog to the allergens. This process can take several months to a year to start working and will require lifelong use. This is a special procedure that not all veterinarians perform, and it may require seeing a board certified veterinary dermatologist or a veterinarian with a special interest in dermatology.
Remember: When you are sneezing constantly and rubbing your itchy, watery eyes, your dog may be going through the same thing and may need treatment.
— Chase Constant, VMD
Treatments resolve symptoms of IBD
From the Journal of the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or lymphoplasmacytic, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, is characterized by chronic vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss despite polyphagia. A retrospective study of dogs with IBD found that tylosin therapy in conjunction with a novel protein prescription pet food are the first-line treatments and often resolve the gastrointestinal symptoms and cause weight gain. Immunosuppressive therapy should not be used as an initial treatment but can be employed if tylosin or dietary therapy are not working
Blood test for canine lymphoma may also help people
U.K.-based Petscreen has developed a blood test that detects early stage lymphosarcoma in dogs using biomarkers. The company found the test may also benefit human patients and is developing a similar screening process for people. The test won’t be available for humans for at least three to five years.
Petscreen has already launched a test to diagnose lymphoma in dogs and the business, which has won almost £100,000 of government-backed funding for its research, is now developing a simple blood test to determine if a human has early-stage lymphoma.
Their test uses biomarkers – a marker found in blood or urine that changes when a certain disease is present – to detect the cancer.
“What we’re looking for are proteins that can be easily detected in a non-invasive way, ie just from a simple blood sample which would then indicate the presence of a tumour. You want to be able to pick up the tumour early, confidently and non-invasively,” said Kevin Slater, Petscreen’s chief executive.
“The holy grail is to try to make these tests specific,” he added. Petscreen achieves this, said Dr Slater, by using an algorithm to measure a number of different biomarkers.
Through their research to develop the canine test, he added that “almost by serendipity”, Petscreen discovered that a similar test could be applied in humans.
Petscreen’s initial trial will take a year and any human test could take three to five years to get to market. If successful, it could simplify and speed up diagnosis, as well as monitor remission. Currently, lymphoma – the sixth-commonest form of cancer in Britain – is diagnosed through a biopsy and scan.
Petscreen was established in 2004 by Dr Slater, along with Graeme Radcliffe, a former journalist, after the pair met at a cricket match.
Dr Slater said the TSB funding will help Petscreen develop a ‘proof of concept’ and the business will later need further investment or a partnership with a major pharmaceutical company.
Puppy poison control: the phone number that could save you dog’s life
By Allen St. John for Forbes.com
It turns out that Tessie, my golden retriever, likes brownies. Which are poisonous for dogs. Fortunately, she lived to tell about it.When we found her with her face in a pan of Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies yesterday evening, we knew what to do: Call the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center.
Here’s the number: (888) 426-4435
(Enter it into your cell. Right now.)
- Tessie’s weight, age, sex, breed
- What she ate, how much, and when
- Her symptoms
- Information from the package of the poison if possible.
Armed with this info, a vet walked us through the procedure for inducing vomiting. (Which is only indicated for certain kinds of poisons.) Fortunately, Tessie was lucky. She didn’t eat that much, we called immediately, and she’s young and in good health, so today’s she’s none the worse for the experience. And it was well worth the $65 consultation fee.
If the incident had been more serious, we would have been instructed to take Tessie to our vet or to an emergency vet clinic. (Search for your nearest emergency vet right now and enter that number in your cell and add it to your household emergency numbers.) Even if the dog is sick enough that a trip to the vet is clearly necessary, a call to the Poison Control Center can be a lifesaver because they’ve got Antox, a database with over a million animal exposure case histories. So if it’s an unusual–or unknown–poison, the database can help the vet identify the poison quickly and accurately and zero in on the best treatment. (If you do take a dog to the vet, remember to bring anything that’s left from the suspected poison, including the packaging or the plant, as well as any thing the dog may have vomited or defecated.)
Of course most of the substances that are poisonous to humans are also harmul to dogs but here are a few items—like the brownies–that are delicious for people but potentially poisonous to a dog.
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Alcohol
- Avocado
- Macadamia Nuts
- Grapes and Raisins
- Gum
- Onions, Chives, Garlic
- Salt
In addition to a fresh bottle of hydrogen peroxide, here’s a link to a few things that should be in every pet owner’s medicine cabinet.
Canine Bloat
Bloat, or gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), is when the stomach fills with gas and flips over. This twists blood vessels, blocks blood flow and traps gas. The gas and pressure builds up, forcing the stomach to expand. Within a few hours or less the stomach is extremely stretched and hard, and the stomach tissue begins to die. Circulation is cut off, causing the dog to go into shock. Without emergency treatment GDV is fatal. Even with aggressive therapy, some dogs do not survive.
What does a dog with GDV look like? Dogs with GDV are very uncomfortable – as you can just imagine! They act restless and try to vomit but nothing comes up. As their stomachs fill with gas, their abdomens appear bloated just behind the ribs. If you think your dog has these symptoms, regardless of the breed, take him or her to your veterinarian immediately.
What causes GDV and what breeds are at risk? No one knows exactly what cause GDV. Past cases show the biggest risk factor is a big, deep chest. The risk increases as a dog gets older and the ligaments around the stomach stretch out. The breed most at risk is the Great Dane; about 2 out of every 5 have GDV. Some other breeds at risk are St. Bernards, Setters, Weimaraners, Standard Poodles, German Shepherds, and the list goes on.
What can be done to prevent GDV? A surgery called a gastropexy can prevent GDV. In it, the stomach is sewn to inside of the body wall, preventing it from flipping over. This surgery can be done safely with either a laparoscope or traditional surgical method. It’s typically done at the same time a deep-chested or large breed dog is spayed or neutered. Aside from a gastropexy, there is no guaranteed method to prevent GDV. Another factor to consider is that emergency GDV treatment and surgery can range from $3000 to $7000, depending on the hospital, while a preventive laparoscopic gastropexy is about a third of that cost.
If you’re concerned about bloat, talk to your veterinarian about a gastropexy. In my opinion, it is absolutely worth the peace of mind!
Cause of pet vomiting could be serious
When we see our pets vomit, we get a sinking feeling. As we are cleaning up the mess, we are deciding if the episode warrants a trip to the vet.
There are some cats and dogs that occasionally vomit and don’t appear to be affected by it. There are the cats that vomit up hairballs or undigested food that they ate too quickly. Those cats can be given a hairball gel or fed small meals.
But for some cats, vomiting can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Cats are very good at hiding illness, and if vomiting is associated with other signs, it is important to get it addressed.
If there also is diarrhea, poor appetite, lethargy or weight loss, it could indicate a liver, kidney, pancreas issue or diabetes, especially in older animals.
Younger cats, meanwhile, love to eat things like string, needles, thread, fishing line, yarn and tinsel. The longer the string, the more likely it is to get caught up in the intestinal tract and require surgery. These cats are generally very sick and vomit a lot and become very uncomfortable. Delaying treatment can allow the string to bunch up the intestinal tract like an accordion and damage it.
Then there are the dogs that vomit up yellow bile in the morning or after eating grass. Sometimes feeding them a late night snack will keep enough in their stomach overnight to give the bile something to work on. Grass is more complicated as sometimes they just like the taste of grass, but sometimes they eat it to try to settle their stomachs, which can indicate a bigger problem.
Dogs are worse than cats for eating things that they shouldn’t. They eat toys, clothing, things out of the garbage, and other animals’ feces. At the very least, these things can cause an upset stomach but they also can obstruct the intestinal tract and cause irreversible damage. When something is stuck, dogs will vomit very frequently, not eat, and act painful.
Very serious issue
One issue that is unique to dogs is Gastrodilatation and Volvulus, or GDV for short. It is a gastrointestinal issue that can occur in any dog but is mostly seen in deep-chested large breed dogs.
When it occurs, the stomach gets bloated then twists and rotates in the abdomen. This is a life-threatening situation that requires immediate attention and surgery.
Dogs with this condition do not vomit and cannot vomit because the twist blocks things from coming out of the stomach. They retch without bringing anything up and they often develop a noticeable, firm bloated abdomen.
So don’t think that because nothing is being vomited up that everything will work itself out.
Vomiting can be just a thing a pet will do occasionally, but it also can be an indication of an underlying medical condition. You can never be too safe by having your pets seen by a veterinarian for vomiting.