The Dog Ate WHAT??

The dog ate WHAT??

I arrived at work one morning and was told by our receptionist that there was a client on the way with his 5 month old Shepherd. She said they thought had eaten nails that had been laying around in the garage. When they arrived, I told them the best way to visualize what is going on was to take a radiograph (aka x-ray) of the abdomen, since metal objects appear very clearly and densely compared to regular tissue.

  

      Here is the image I got:

     After the initial shock of learning his wife's engagement ring was in Jake's stomach, I told him we could retrieve it pretty easily. I gave Jake a drug that causes dogs to safely vomit within about 20 seconds. He preceded to vomit up his breakfast - and the diamond studded ring! 

    I love this radiograph so much because in all the years of taking x-rays, you never get one that so closely shows the object like this one.  Typically, all you will see a dense object and are unable to make out what it is because of the the angle being off or the inability to show it straight on, but this one was laying perfectly on it's side! A scary beginning made for a very interesting, and happy, ending! 

Written by: Dr. Megan Moser, DVM 

Companion Animal Hospital of Skokie

Skunked!

Skunked: How to get rid of that awful smell!

It is the absolute dread of every dog owner - you let Fido out for his evening nature break and then you smell it!  SKUNKED!  Some dogs can get sprayed so badly it might not even be recognizable as skunk at first.  You may even think they ate a toxin, or got wounded.  They are yelping, foaming at the mouth, pawing at their face (because they got the spray right in the mouth, eyes, or nose - think pepper spray!)  Don't panic.  Here are some simple steps to help you:

1.  Try not to let Fido in the house.  Seems obvious I know, but I've heard of people having to move out of their houses for a few days.

2.  Put on some clothes you don't care about.  Or a swimsuit 'cuz it might get messy.

3.  Bathe the dog.  Mix 1 qt of Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/2 cup of baking soda, and 1-2 TBSP of Dawn dish soap.  No water.  Mix and pour over the dog, lather and work it in, let stand for 10 minutes, rinse and repeat if needed.  You may be able to carefully sponge it onto the face taking great care not to get it in their eyes if Fido will sit still.  Consider wearing gloves if you have them so the oils do not get on your hands while bathing.  Do not store this mixture ahead of time as it will become pressurized.  If you feel it helps, follow the skunk wash with a regular pet shampoo bath.

4.  Rinse the eyes.    While the skunk wash sits, if the dog's eyes look irritated, rinse them with saline solution if you've got it.  If the eyes received a "direct hit" you may need to bring him or her in to their veterinarian as skunk spray in the eyes can cause corneal burns.

5.  Lastly, wash your clothes, the towels you used, and the dog's collar in warm water with regular detergent adding 1/2 cup of baking soda.  This should help with the smell.

A couple of side notes:  For what it's worth, you can also buy Skunk Off and Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover at the pet stores which work pretty well.  Unfortunately getting skunked follows Murphy's law and always seems to happen when the stores are closed.  Some people advocate letting the homemade skunk wash air dry without rinsing and then washing with regular shampoo in 24 hours.  The peroxide may lighten Fido's coat though just like it would our own hair, but this is purely a cosmetic problem!  Tomato juice is popular but doesn't work as well and will stain lighter colored coats (think white dogs turned pink)!   Good luck, and remember to turn on a light before letting your dog out for the night.  Here's to hoping you may never need the above advice!

article written by:

Jessica Smith, DVM

Companion Animal Hospital Mount Prospect

Choosing the right dog leash

The weather is finally warming up and we hope you are getting outside with your pets.  Becareful when choosing your dog leash as there are many dangers in using a retractable leash.

1.  They are too long! Some of these leashes can extend over 25 feet.  This allows dogs to get far enough away from their humans that a situation can quickly turn dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash could run into oncoming traffic or make contact with other dogs or people.

2.  What if the dog they approach is aggressive.  You are more than 25 feet away which means they will surely be injured by the time you get there.  It is much easier to protect a dog on a standard 6 ft leash.

3.  The thin cord of a retractable leash can break – especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it. If a strong, good-sized dog takes off at full speed, the cord can snap. Not only can that put the dog and whatever he may be chasing in danger, but also the cord can snap back and injure the human at the other end.

4.  If a dog walker gets tangled up in the cord of a retractable leash, or grabs it in an attempt to reel in their dog, it can result in burns, cuts, and even amputation. In addition, many people have been pulled right off their feet by a dog that reaches the end of the leash and keeps going. This can result in bruises, "road rash," broken bones, and worse.

5.  Dogs have also received terrible injuries as a result of the sudden jerk on their neck that occurs when they run out the leash, including neck wounds, lacerated tracheas, and injuries to the spine.

6.  Retractable leashes allow dogs more freedom to pull at the end of them, which can look like aggression to another dog who may decide to "fight back."

7.  The handles of retractable leashes are bulky and can be easily pulled out of human hands, resulting in a runaway dog.

8.  Along those same lines, many dogs – especially fearful ones – are terrorized by the sound of a dropped retractable leash handle and may take off running, which is dangerous enough. To make matters worse, the object of the poor dog's fear is then "chasing" her, and if the leash is retracting as she runs, the handle is gaining ground on her – she can't escape it. Even if this scenario ultimately ends without physical harm to the dog (or anyone else), it can create lingering fear in the dog not only of leashes, but also of being walked.

9.  Retractable leashes, like most retractable devices, have a tendency to malfunction over time, either refusing to extend, refusing to retract, or unspooling at will.

10.  Retractable leashes are an especially bad idea for dogs that haven't been trained to walk politely on a regular leash. By their very nature, retractables train dogs to pull while on leash, because they learn that pulling extends the lead.

If your dog is well trained, gentle mannered and smart enough to master a regular leash and a retractable leash without being confused, you could be one of the rare guardians that can walk your pooch on any kind of leash without increasing risks to either one of you.

article written by:

Lorene Rockwell, DVM

Formerly of Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital, Kenosha, WI

Lumps and Bumps on Dogs

Lumps and Bumps on Dogs

Few things in life are as scary as finding a lump on your dog.  Immediately your mind will jump to worst case scenario and the “C” word will inevitably creep into your thoughts.  So if you do find a lump, try to stay calm, and call your veterinarian to make an appointment to have it investigated.

Before you get to the office it is helpful to document the location and size of the lump.  It may be helpful to draw a circle on the fur with a sharpie marker or shave off the hair where the lump is.  It is amazing how many lumps cannot be found once the owner is in the office.  Documenting the size with a ruler can be very helpful for your veterinarian when it comes time to decide whether or not the lump should be removed.

Once at the office the doctor will likely ask you how long the lump has been there and then examine your dog to look for other lumps on their body.  A next step is to perform a needle aspirate of the lump that the doctor will look at under the microscope to try to determine what the lump is and how they should proceed with treatment.  If the doctor cannot accurately determine what the lump is they will either make a recommendation to send the slide to a pathologist (a doctor that evaluates cells and tissues microscopically all the time) or they may recommend having the mass removed and sent in for testing.

There are so many different types of lumps that dogs can get – most of them are benign, but some of them are malignant.  Approaching each lump with care and caution will help to keep your dog healthy and cancer free.

article written by:

Dr. Lorene Rockwell

Formerly of Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital

Kenosha, WI

Correct Diet is Important!

Before joining Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital, I was presented with an unexpected case of a female Bichon that had started seizing several minutes prior to arriving at the hospital.  The limited information we were able to obtain was that the female had recently given birth to puppies and was in the process of nursing.  A quick blood test confirmed my suspicion - low calcium, known more commonly in lactating cows as “milk fever.”  After carefully supplementing the Bichon’s calcium while monitoring her heart rhythm, she was looking right as rain.  In follow-up discussion with her owner, I learned that she was still on an adult maintenance diet!  This was not the appropriate diet for a female who was nursing puppies.  I was reminded of this case while reading a recent veterinary journal article about a survey of just over 2,000 dog breeders.  It found nearly 17% of them were using an incorrect commercial diet for their pregnant females and 9% an incorrect commercial diet for their puppies.  That doesn’t include those who were feeding unbalanced home-made diets.  Of the breeders surveyed, only 50% had consulted with a veterinarian about diet selection.

As a pet owner, when it comes to pet foods and pet treats, the most important group to be familiar with is the Association of Animal Feed Control Officials – a.k.a. AAFCO (petfood.aafco.org).  While it is up to each state to enforce rules and regulations for pet food labeling and production, it is the AAFCO’s responsibility to make those rules and set minimum standards.  Did you know that there are limitations on what ingredients can be included in pet foods and treats?  Despite some marketing campaigns’ attempts to claim that “other dog foods” put unwholesome or unfit ingredients in their diet(s), this is simply untrue as long as the food meets “AAFCO Guidelines” and states such on its nutrition label.  Of course, if a pet food or treat does not list “AAFCO tested” or “meets AAFCO guidelines” on its nutrition label, it is probably something you want to avoid. 

As many pet owners have experienced, your pet has different needs at different stages of his or her life.  In general, these stages can be simplified into two groups: maintenance ‘adult’ diets and puppy/pregnancy diets.  Growing puppies are putting extra energy and nutrients towards developing bigger muscles, bigger bones…bigger everything!  As a result, they require a diet that is proportionally higher in energy content, mineral content and other nutrients.  Pregnant and nursing females have nutritional requirements similar to puppies – after all, the nutrients they pass on to those growing puppies need to come from somewhere!  Whether you’re intentionally breeding or had an unexpected pregnancy, it is important to keep a pregnant or lactating female on a “gestation,” “puppy” or “all life stages” diet.  You can then use the same diet for the puppies when it comes time to wean them!  Without an appropriate diet, you may find yourself with growth abnormalities or a female unexpectedly having seizures. 

When in doubt, don’t make the mistake that 50% of the surveyed breeders made – consult a veterinarian.  If you are aiming to use a non-commercial diet, such as a home-made diet, consult a veterinary nutritionist or a PhD in animal nutrition. 

-- A veterinary nutritionist service we often recommend is BalanceIt (balanceit.com), which is based out of the University of California-Davis -- 

article written by:

Dr. Erich Roush

Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital

Kenosha, WI

February is Pet Dental Month

February is National Pet Dental Health Month

Let’s work on making it a year-round goal.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the month of February is National Pet Dental Health Month.  This was started to raise awareness to our pets’ oral health which is a fantastic goal.  I support this notion, but all kidding aside, it takes more than one month out of twelve to make a healthy mouth.

Unfortunately tartar happens.  We humans brush our teeth every day, twice a day.  When we visit our dentist (ideally twice a year) they can still find plaque and tartar to remove from our teeth.  Our four-legged friends are not that different in what causes periodontal disease, except that they don’t open up and say “ahhh” nearly as much as we veterinarians and owners would like.  It starts when bacteria and plaque harden to tartar.  This leads to inflammation and infection of the gums which eventually works its way to the roots of the teeth and at its worst, leads to loss of bone, loosening of the tooth, and loss of the tooth.

Even more concerning, advanced dental disease can lead to bacteria in the bloodstream which can cause microscopic damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys.

The key to managing dental health and therefore gum infection and tooth decay is prevention!  Brushing daily to every other day is the gold standard as this keeps the plaque from becoming hardened tartar.  However, when this is not an option, consider daily chewing activities.  When using products to clean you pets’ teeth, make sure they are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council and appropriate for your pets’ size and chewing capacity.  There are prescription dental diets that can be used as aids as well, as can a variety of oral rinses, sprays, and enzymatic chews from C.E.T.

Also, have your pet’s mouth checked periodically by your veterinarian.  If we recommend a professional dental cleaning, or dental prophy, take it to heart as we are trying to prevent your pet from having to have numerous teeth extracted.  Regular professional dental care is a great addition to the care you provide at home in order to control plaque and tartar!  Depending on breed, genetics, chewing habits, and home-care routine, some pets may need a professional prophy and evaluation every 6-12 months to maintain oral health – just like us!  Others will need it much less frequently.

Good luck folks!  Keep smiling and don’t be afraid to talk to us about your pet’s dental health, no matter what month of the year it is!

article written by:

Dr. Jessica Smith

Companion Animal Hospital Mount Prospect

Happy Halloween! Let's Have a Fun and Safe Time!

In my home, Halloween marks the beginning of the high calorie festivities season.  Costume dreams and candy-fetching master plans are at the forefront of the minds of most children, including my own.  It is a fun day for people of all ages, but for our pets, it can be a far different experience.  With some simple precautions, you can make this a much easier day for your pet. 

• Even for an easy going pet, the visiting trick-or-treater’s can be stressful.  Children are noisy and fast moving already, but in a costume and well “sugared”, kids can be terrifying to some pets.  Pets should be kept indoors and may feel more secure in their own space away from the chaos.  If needed, your veterinarian has calming pheromone diffusers that help alleviate anxiety in cats or dogs. 
• The frequent opening and closing of the door offers opportunity for escape.  Be sure your pet is well identified with a collar and tags at minimum.  A microchip affords permanent identification.  Having your pet stay in their own secure space or at least on a leash will lessen the possibility of escape. 
• Burning candles in Jack-o-Lanterns pose a burn risk and fire hazard.  There are plenty of candle-like options available that do not have an active flame. 
• Candy will make your pet sick.  Most people are well aware of the dangers of a pet eating chocolate.  Fewer people know about xylitol, an artificial sweetener found in more and more “sugarless” products, especially gum.  In dogs, a xylitol overdose causes a dangerous drop of the blood sugar as well as liver failure.  Ingestion requires immediate treatment.  Toxicity issues aside, the sugar, wrappers, sticks or plastic parts of candy will cause significant gastrointestinal upset or even obstruction. 
• As cute as pet Halloween costumes are, be sure they are comfortable and fit appropriately.  The pet should be able to freely move and eliminate.  Be aware of small parts on any costume that could be removed and eaten.

So, plan the costumes and treats for your neighbors, friends, and family, but remember to keep your pets safe and secure on Halloween night! 

And - if you haven't already - make sure to enter our Halloween Pet Costume Contest on Facebook for your chance to WIN $100 in hospital credit! See below for information on how to enter. (Again, please make sure these costumes are comfortable and safe for you pet.) Good luck! 

article written by:

Dr. Laura Rau-Holl

Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital, Kenosha, WI