There are so many dental treats on the market…..which ones work the best?

There are so many dental treats on the market - 
which ones work the best?

Home dental care plays an important role reducing the need for a professional dental cleaning for your pet by your veterinarian.  Professional dental cleanings performed by your veterinarian are proven to be important to your pet’s overall health, but it’s the treatment owners do at home between cleanings that can have a bigger effect!

Daily teeth brushing has long been the best way to prevent the accumulation of plaque and tartar.  Many pet owners, however, find it difficult to make this a priority in their pets.  For this reason, dental treats have gained in popularity as they are seen as a more convenient alternative to brushing.

Dental treats typically break up plaque as it forms on the teeth.  There are two main ways this is accomplished.  The first is associated with the mechanical action of chewing.  Many treats are strategically shaped to help “brush” the teeth as they are chewed.  Dental treats will typically take a bit longer for your pet to eat than a treat not meant to have this function.  Many dental treats also contain enzymes which interact with developing plaque on the teeth.  Together, the mechanical chewing action and enzymatic cleaning help slow the accumulation of tartar formation and periodontal disease development.

Which dental treats are the best?  In general, look for an item which is approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC).  These products typically have a seal of approval on them which states they are VOHC accepted.  The VOHC is a group of veterinary dentists and dental scientists and their approval indicates regular use of that product will reduce the severity of periodontal disease in pets.

Professional dental cleanings will always be necessary to maintain oral health.  Teeth brushing and treats can help slow the progression of plaque, tartar, and periodontal disease helping make your pet’s dental more routine.  Look for the VOHC seal of approval the next time you are looking for a dental treat!

www.vohc.org

article written by:

Derek Williamson, DVM

Crawford Animal Hospital

What's in a name?

One of the first things we think about, often in the planning stage of finding a new pet, is what will be a fitting name for this new family member. Besides just a fondness for a particular name, people choose a name for all sorts of reasons— it may remind them of something, somewhere, someone, or just seem fitting or amusing. A question I frequently ask people that visit the clinic is how they chose the name for their pet.  While many pets keep the name they had from the shelter or a pet parent “just liked the name”, I find that there is an interesting story behind many names.   

Often, a name will come from a popular movie or television show, book, beverage, or celebrity.  My time in veterinary medicine has taken me from Belle of The Little Mermaid to Bella of the Twilight series.  For every animated children’s movie released, there will be a group of pets bearing the name of the lead characters. 

Many people choose a classic “people” name for their pet.  A pair of floppy Basset Hounds named Fred and Gertrude come to mind.  Others pick the “people” name they did not use as they named their children.  Some breeds truly lend themselves to a “people” name. 

Humor is the goal for others.  Some of my favorites for creativity include the mix breed terrier named Casserole, the rough and tumble lab named Deogee (hint:  spell D-O-G), and the pretty calico feline named Eeko (the last 2 syllables of “calico” instead of the more typical Cali).      

I have had many kittens come in for their first exam with a given name, only to find out that the gender was not correctly identified, starting the arduous task of finding a suitable name all over again. 

According to Vetstreet.com, in 2014, the most popular dog names were Max, Charlie, Rocky, Buddy and Cooper for males, and Bella, Daisy, Lucy, Sadie, and Molly for females.  The most popular cat names were Oliver, Milo, Leo, Charlie, and Max for males.  Bella, Luna, Lucy, Kitty, and, not surprisingly, Elsa topped the list for females.

So, what will you name your next pet? 

Source:  www.vetstreet.com

article written by:

Laura Rau-Holl, DVM

Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital, Kenosha, WI

I've Lost My Pet!

It is a heartbreaking event for any pet parent to have to endure. Even with our best intentions, pets seem to find a way to slip out and away. Their natural curiosity can get them into trouble. Have you taken the proper steps to assure your pet is identified?

The first step is to keep a collar with a tag on your pet. The tag should have your pets name, your name and current contact information. A current rabies tag should also be on the collar. If your pet has any special medical needs, you may document that on a tag as well.

The second step is to have your pet microchipped. Studies have shown that pets with microchips are significantly more likely to be reunited with their owners. A microchip is a small enveloped electronic chip that is about the size of a grain of rice. They do not have a battery, but rather, are activated by the scanner as it passes over them. A microchip is not a GPS tracking device. When a lost pet is found, they are frequently taken to a shelter or veterinary clinic. Staff will scan the pet for a microchip. Provided the pet's microchip number was properly registered by the owner, the chip number can be traced to the owner.

Having a microchip implanted is a safe, quick, and a well-tolerated procedure. It can be performed in most patients during a routine wellness visit, but is also commonly performed while a pet is under anesthesia for their spay or neuter. Microchips are safe. A British Small Animal Veterinary Association database review indicates that only 0.01% adverse issues rate in 4 million microchips implanted. The most common problem reported was movement of the chip from the original implant site over time.

Regular scanning of the microchip during wellness visits will reassure you that your pets chip scans correctly, is in the correct location, and serves as a reminder to keep your owner contact information up to date.

For more information, go to:

https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/FAQs/Pages/Microchipping-of-animals-FAQ.aspx

article written by:

Laura Rau-Holl, DVM

Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital, Kenosha

It's more than just a Heartworm Test!

Chances are, when you bring in your dog for their annual check-up, you’ve heard us say we are going to draw a few drops of blood for their yearly heartworm test.  On the invoice when you check out, it is listed as “Heartworm 4Dx Test”.  So what is it exactly and what do we mean?

Just as Rx is short hand for prescription in medical jargon, Dx is short for diagnosis.  A 4Dx is therefore a four way diagnosis done on a blood sample for 1. Heartworm, 2. Lyme, 3. Anaplasma, and 4. Ehrlichia.  These parasites and diseases are blood based and not to be confused with common intestinal parasites that are detected in a fecal sample.  This test can be sent to the lab or done in-house depending on the needs of the patient.

The first disease, heartworm, is a blood borne parasite transmitted by mosquitoes.  It really is a worm that matures to live in the heart and associated great vessels of the dog (and other species too but for our purposes we are just talking about dogs).  It is a potentially fatal disease that can cause heart failure, lung damage, and damage to other organs.  For the heartworm portion of the 4DX, it is testing for antigen which is the actual worm itself that will cause an immune reaction.  So if your dog tests positive, that means the test is picking up actual worm.

The other three diseases in the 4Dx are bacterial tick-borne diseases (meaning they are spread by ticks to dogs).  Lyme disease in dogs is primarily transmitted via the deer tick (Ixodes) and can cause fever, swollen painful joints, enlarged lymph nodes, and other organ failure.  Ehrlichiosis is primarily transmitted via the brown dog tick and Anaplasmosis is, again, transmitted primarily via the deer tick.  Both diseases create a similar clinical syndrome of fever, malaise, poor appetite, occasionally enlarged lymph nodes, and bruising due to low platelet numbers.  The 4Dx differs for these three diseases from the heartworm portion in that a positive test is detecting antibodies to each bacterium in the bloodstream.  Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system in response to a disease or foreign invader.  So if your dog tests positive for one of these three, it is only indicating exposure to the bacteria.

What if my dog is positive?   Good question but the answer to this depends on which one is positive.  Remember, the heartworm portion is detecting actual worm.  A positive heartworm test is worth repeating and performing other tests such as testing for microfilaria (microscopic baby worms in the blood) to ensure it is not a false positive.  It is rare but can happen.  If those tests confirm the positive, then your dog really does have heartworm and we will initiate staging and treatment.
If any of the other 3 is positive, we are only picking up antibodies and the only thing we can say definitively is that your dog has been exposed to the disease.  The good news is that the vast majority of dogs exposed to one of these three tick borne diseases will clear it on their own and never get sick! If a dog is sick and showing clinical signs consistent with one of the diseases, and the 4Dx Snap test is positive, it is probably best to start treatment.

It is a little trickier if a dog is healthy.  For Lyme positive dogs, we typically do further testing including a C6 test to see if the antibody level is significant and requires treatment and a urinalysis to check for protein that would indicate secondary renal issues caused by Lyme (Lyme nephritis).    For Anaplasma or Ehrlichia positive dogs, we recommend a CBC (complete blood count) to check for low numbers of white blood cells or platelets.  If these are normal, then no treatment is required.  As a follow-up, after treating heartworm, a dog will eventually go back to being negative.  With Lyme, Anaplasma, or Ehrlichia, the test will stay positive for years as the antibodies will always stay with the dog.

I hope this clears up any confusion about what we mean by heartworm test and 4Dx.  This is a valuable test to help keep your dog happy and healthy.  Most importantly, all four diseases are preventable with heartworm prevention and good quality tick control.  Ask us for more info on prevention at you next annual wellness exam!  We look forward to helping.

article written by:
Jessica Smith, DVM
Companion Animal Hospital Mount Prospect

Enjoy the Benefits of Healthy Weight

With spring here, we are all excited to be spending more time outside. What better time to focus on weight control and fitness for your pets! The biggest health issue we see is obesity. Just a few extra pounds on a small pet can translate to big trouble. Overweight pets are at increased risk for joint problems and diabetes which cause pain, illness and shorten life spans. Rarely does improved healthcare save you money, but in this case, spending less on food and treats will save you money now and in the long run because you will require fewer vet visits, medications and special diets as your pets age.

DOGS

Feed your dog measured meals to control intake. Most dogs with free access to food will over eat. Avoid table food. It adds calories fast! A small bite of a 150lb person’s meal can add up to a whole meal in itself calorie-wise for a dog or cat. Be smart about treats. Feed low calorie treats. Many training treats are small with only a couple of calories each. Your dog doesn’t care how big his treat is, he just wants something! Give him one 2-3 calorie training treat instead of a 115 calorie large Milk-bone.

If your dog seems hungry with this plan, call us. There are high fiber, low calorie foods that may be appropriate to help your dog feel fuller without adding calories. There are also prescription diets that will help obese animals to lose weight in a healthy way.

Increasing exercise will also help to burn calories, but without changing feeding habits your dog won’t lose weight with exercise alone. Adding daily walks, fetch and/or romps at the dog park will help your dog to maintain a healthier body condition.

CATS

Feeding cats portion-controlled meals from the start to prevent obesity is the best plan. If you restrict calories too quickly in an obese cat, it can send them into liver failure. If your cat is already overweight, call us for guidance with a weight-loss plan. An average 10lb cat should eat ½ cup of dry food OR 6oz canned food daily. Cats prefer to eat multiple small meals throughout the day, so the more times you can feed, the better (i.e. 1/4 can four times is better than 1/2 can two times). There are benefits to feeding canned food vs. dry; your cat will feel fuller, they will get more water (better urinary tract health) and its better for their teeth. There are cat toys that will dispense kibble so your cat can hunt their meals (exercise!). There are timer-controlled cat bowls so that your cat can meal feed when you aren’t home or have breakfast at 5am while you still sleep.

Add years to your pet's life by keeping them at a healthy weight!

article written by:

Sheila Newenham, DVM

Companion Animal Hospital Mount Prospect

The Dangers of Doctor Google

Having a pet can be stressful. Did that sneeze from Fluffy this morning mean something?  Why didn’t Rex want to eat his breakfast? Why is Muffin so itchy lately? We have all been there with a pet that does something to cause us to worry. In this day and age, we have the internet at our finger tips and many pet owners are apt to Google a pet’s symptoms to try to get to the bottom of things. While this can be a good start, veterinarians have seen this gone astray many times. Below are some examples of times the internet has failed our pets:

1) Your dog is running in the yard and all of a sudden becomes lame. A quick Google search may lead you to websites with suggested doses of Aspirin. What the internet can’t do is use logic to decide if this is truly a good idea for your dog. What if he has a clotting disorder? That dose of aspirin can be deadly. What if he has kidney disease? That aspirin can push him into kidney failure. What if he is actually limping because he has a cut on his paw and it becomes infected?    What if he develops a bleeding GI ulcer because the suggested dose is actually way too high?

2) Marley has been very itchy for the past couple of weeks, to the point that he’s starting to lose his hair. Several internet sites show doses of Benadryl for dogs so you decide to give that a try, but a week later he’s itchier than ever! The internet’s next suggestion is a grain free diet. Weeks later he now has bald patches and scabs, and he’s still itchy! Why? What the internet can’t do is a thorough exam of Marley. Maybe Marley has fleas or mites that are causing him to be itchy. Maybe he has developed allergies to his food, which led to a secondary skin infection that will require antibiotics to treat. Maybe he caught ringworm from the neighborhood cat he plays with and now he needs to be prescribed an anti-fungal medication to treat it.

3) Your dog Bailey has been straining in the yard all morning and can’t seem to go to the bathroom! Google searches suggest mineral oil, but despite giving her several rounds of mineral oil, she’s still straining! What the internet can’t do is a rectal exam and an abdominal palpation on your dog that shows she’s not straining because she’s constipated, but rather because she’s having diarrhea, and the mineral oil is making it worse! A quick fecal exam under the microscope at the vet may also reveal that it was a parasite that caused the diarrhea in the first place, but the parasite is so small you never even noticed it!

The truth is that while there’s tons of great information on the internet, there’s also lots of inaccurate information out there. We need to be very selective in what sources we’re using, and that we’re not using it to replace medical treatment.  It’s so important to remember that nothing makes up for a veterinarian that knows your pet and will advocate in their best interests. They will be your best guide to helping your pet feel better.  Find a veterinarian you trust and feel comfortable with so when the time comes that an issue arises with your cat or dog, they can help you work through it (and remember, that often includes a physical exam because it provides so much needed information to help pinpoint the problem). If your vet finds an issue affecting your pet, and you’d like more information on it, please ask them! They can point you in the right direction to accurate, science based sites. Some of this veterinarian’s favorites include:

1)  https://www.veterinarypartner.com/; this site has articles on all sorts of topics ranging from inappropriate urination in cats to different types of cancers, and everything in between! Use their search bar to see if they have an article on your topic of interest. (link on our homepage)
2) http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control; a great site with a phone number to contact a medical professional. They can instruct you on if your pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian depending on what they’ve ingested (please note there is a consultation fee).
3) http://www.merckvetmanual.com/; If you’re looking for detailed, scientific explanations for different disease processes, this is a great site!
4) https://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/pet_health_library/default.aspx; the Pet Health Library has interesting articles on day to day care of your dog or cat, including things like diets, litter habits, pet insurance, etc.


article written by:
Dr. Erin Walsh
Companion Animal Hospital Mount Prospect

What is laser therapy? and can it help my pet?

                Laser light therapy has been used in human medicine for several decades. This safe and

affordable modality has gained popularity in veterinary medicine over the last decade.  The laser light

has the ability to send energy deep into tissues and repair the injured or inflamed cells by a process

called photobiomodulation (say that 3 times fast!).  Basically, the laser light speeds up the healing

process by decreasing pain and inflammation as well as increasing circulation.

                Laser therapy can treat a myriad of inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, painful ear

infections, soft tissue injuries, hot spots, anal sac disorders and lick granulomas, just to name a few. 

Slow-healing wounds, surgical incisions and fractures can also benefit from this safe modality. 

One of the few contraindications is that the laser light may not be directed into the eye.  For this reason, everyone in the room must wear protective eye wear during treatment (including Fido!). 

There are no known side effects to laser light therapy.

article written by:

Kathy Anderson, DVM

Companion Animal Hospital of Norridge