Wellness testing: What it is and why we do it

Wellness testing: What it is and why we do it

As veterinarians, we are at a disadvantage relative to our human medical counterparts, in that our patients cannot always tell us how they feel or what is wrong with them.  Still, our goals are always to 1) relieve pain and suffering, 2) treat ill pets and 3) whenever possible, prevent a pet from getting ill in the first place.  The life saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” certainly holds true to veterinary medicine, and when we cannot prevent disease from happening, we try our best to help pet owners detect disease early – before it becomes a major problem for our furry friends. 

You will often hear your veterinarian recommend that your pet be examined every 6-12 months – this gives us an opportunity to see how your pet is doing at home, find out about changes in their behavior and perform a comprehensive physical examination that may detect early signs of a disease.  A good history and physical examination can detect a number of diseases early, but some changes in the body are more subtle and not as easily identified by a veterinarian’s eyes, fingers and stethoscope.  For a better look at what is going on inside your pet, you will often hear your veterinarian, or their support team, recommend annual wellness diagnostic testing. 

The “Young” Annual Profile:

Young pets (< 7 years of age) get sick too!  Typically, wellness testing of young pets is less extensive, but includes:

• Screening for heartworm and tick-borne diseases
• Assessing blood counts (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets) for signs of bleeding, infection, or bone marrow disease.
• Assessing chemicals in the blood (“chemistries”) that can tell us information about liver health, kidney function and protein metabolism. 

”Normal” values for some of these tests are based on statistics – they are the values that 95% of apparently healthy pets produced on the same test.  Sometimes our pets didn’t read the book on what’s “normal,” so testing even a healthy pet can give us an idea of what is “normal” for them!  Still, if we find out that your pet is not fitting the norm, it gives you the opportunity to make sure that there isn’t something wrong.

The “Senior” Annual Profile:

Pets >7 years of age are considered “senior” citizens.  Although you can still see humans in their 80s and 90s running marathons, it is not uncommon as we age for our bodies to not work quite like they used to.  The same is true in our pets.  Kidney and liver disease are seen more commonly, and our metabolisms may not run like the well-oiled machine they used to.  To account for this, “senior” testing is usually more comprehensive:

• Screening for heartworm and tick-borne diseases – older pets can still get them!
• Assessing blood counts for signs of bleeding, infection or bone marrow disease
• More extensive blood chemistry testing to have more precise information about the kidney, liver, and intestinal function and to screen for metabolic diseases.
• Testing of the urine (urinalysis) and thyroid (T4) for metabolic diseases

Ask your veterinarian about annual wellness testing.  We have a number of tools at our disposal to diagnose disease in our pets, and catching disease early helps us to keep them healthy and happy longer!

article written by:

Erich Roush, DVM

Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital, Kenosha WI

How to Prevent and Detect Heat Stroke in Pets

How to Prevent and Detect Heat Stroke in Pets 

Summer is a time to have a great time with your pets outdoors.  There are countless activities we do with our four legged friends.  However, when the temperature rises, the risk for heat related illness increases as well.  Heat stroke occurs when your pet’s body can’t sufficiently cool itself in very warm conditions.  It can occur in any animal, but there are some predisposing factors to be aware of:

• Brachycephalic breeds (pugs, bulldogs, boxers, etc)
• Long haired or thick coated animals
• Older animals with preexisting disease (laryngeal paralysis, heart disease, dehydration, hyperthyroidism)

• Obesity

Heat stroke is a potentially life threatening issue and successful treatment is predicated on early recognition of the symptoms.  The main goal of treatment is immediate correction of the elevated temperature.  The effects of elevated body temperature can compromise various major organs in the body.  For this reason, heat stroke is considered an emergency situation, and, if suspected you should take your pet to your veterinarian immediately.  Signs and symptoms to monitor for (especially in animals with risk factors, on hot days, or in situations that may cause heat related problems) include:

• Panting
• Abnormal gum color (bright red, pale or blue in color)
• Collapse
• Elevated body temperature (over 103 F)
• Respiratory distress
• Change in mentation- seizure, coma
• Muscle tremors

Heat stroke is better prevented than treated.   Common sense will go a long way in preventing heat related issues with your pet.  Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest times on a very hot day.  Do not leave your pet in a car for any period of time when the temperature is high and the sun is out.  If your pet spends time outside, make sure they have the ability to get out of the direct sunlight and provide plenty of clean, fresh water to drink.  Above all, if you believe your pet may be having heat related problems, early diagnosis and treatment is key and will increase the chances of a successful outcome.  Have a safe enjoyable summer with your pets!

article written by:

Derek Williamson, DVM

Companion Animal Hospital Vernon Hills and Crawford Animal Hospital

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

Catching the Red Eye

What is "Red Eye" and how serious is it? 

I often see the words “check eye- red and swollen” on my schedule. I never know what I am going to find when I walk into the exam room and see the pet that has that gleaming look in its eye, and a red and swollen appearance to boot! My first thought is always “Good job mom/dad for getting this checked ASAP”. A red eye can be an emergency. It can have many different underlying etiologies and can be very serious. Sometimes the cause is not too concerning but others can be vision-threatening. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell without evaluating the eye and doing some simple tests. Treatment can vary tremendously depending on the cause of the red eye.

One potential cause of red eye can be a simple allergic conjunctivitis which is (usually) not serious. But now let’s swing to the opposite end of the spectrum. It could also be an indication of a serious condition called glaucoma, where pressures inside of the eye rise so high that the pet could feel like it has a constant migraine headache. Ouch!! How can we tell what’s going on?

The first step is performing a thorough ophthalmic exam to evaluate eye shape and position, squinting, and discharge. Next we will examine the eyelids, conjunctiva, and the cornea. Then we look deep into the eyes. This is always fun as I wonder what secrets I may discover. Will I find out where the dog bones have been buried or why kitty REALLY scratched up the couch? They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Well, we don’t really see those things, but we certainly can see if a cataract is developing or if the lens appears to be in the correct position. Finally, we examine the back of the eye, which is called the retina.

               

We often recommend tests to help us determine the cause of the red eye. A common test (and a very important one in my opinion) is called tonometry. We use a device to determine the pressure inside of the eye and, in turn, can diagnose glaucoma if the pressure is elevated. We may also recommend checking tear production and staining the eye for corneal lesions as both conditions can also cause a red and swollen eye! Our recommendations for treatment are based on our findings and can vary greatly depending on what we find.

Hopefully this article has helped our wonderful pet owners realize a few things.  First, a red eye can have many different causes. A prompt ophthalmic exam is of utmost importance and is essential to obtaining a diagnosis. Second, we often require additional testing to help aid us in the diagnosis. Lastly, our treatment recommendations will be based on our findings. So it is vital to see the pet in order to allow us to make the best recommendations for your best friend. 

Article by: 

Dr. Candace Auten 

Formerly of Camp McDonald Animal Hosptial, Mount Prospect, IL

How to "Cat"ify Your Home

Cats are interesting and social creatures but they love to have their own space.  You can bring out your cats personality and help them have happier lives by making a few simple changes in your home.

1.  Provide lots of resting spaces

We all know cats love to nap, but what they love even more is to nap in a comfortable secure place.  Giving them a special bed with sides and is elevated off the floor is sure to make your cat purr with delight.  This can be as simple as a cardboard box with a fleece blanket, a cat carrier with the top taking off or as fancy as a cat tree with multiple resting spaces.  Be sure to provide one space for each cat in the home and remember to think vertically!

2.  Provide a food and water bowl for each cat

Cats are social and will sometimes enjoy spending time with their friends, but they really like to have their own stuff.  Imagine if you had to share your plate or water glasses with someone else in your home!  It is just an unpleasant for your cat as you can imagine it would be for you and can set your cats up to compete with each other or block access to food or water from each other.

3.  Provide a bathroom for each cat in the house plus one

Again cats don’t like to share their stuff and the bathroom is something they would prefer to have to themselves.  Having a litterbox for each cat in the home plus one extra means the chances of a cat making their own bathroom some place you find unpleasant less likely

4.  Scratching Posts

Cats need to scratch it is their way of leaving post its to let the other cats in the home know what is going on.  If you provide your cats with a centrally located message board that is appealing in a few areas around the house they will be less likely to turn your sofa or favorite chair into one.

5.  Feliway

All cats experience some stressors in life just as we do.  The problem is often times it is hard for us to identify what is upsetting them and many times they are upset by the tiniest things.  To decrease your cats ups and downs in life we can remove what stresses them if we can identify it OR we can use a little plug in that gives off a happy cat scent.  Feliway is a great product and can help to make your home a happier place for your cat.

Article written by:

Lorene Rockwell, DVM

Formerly of Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital