Feline Friendly Vet Visits

Morris gets a little curious when you bring out the pet carrier.

Visiting your cat's vet can be a positive excursion. At NOAH, we work with clients to reduce fear and emphasize comfort. Read Dr. Lesser's recommendations below. With some planning and extra attention, seeing Fluffy's doctor can be a pleasant experience.

Before the Vet

Getting Fluffy comfortable seeing the vet begins before you schedule an appointment. From the moment you get her, make sure she is comfortable being handled. Perform regular "check-ups" at home, so she gets used to the procedure of an exam. You don't really have to know what you're looking for, just hold her and do a paw-to-paw feel, including looking into her ears, nose, and mouth if possible. Check her paws for cuts or scrapes, hang nails, and in general, get your feline comfortable with handling.

The SleepyPod, cat bed & carrier.

The crate is often the first sign to your cat that something she doesn't like is about to happen. From the start, get her comfortable with the carrier. Leave it out and open for her to explore and sleep in. If you don't own a carrier, our clinic usually has one available to borrow, though we do recommend getting one for her to call her own. We recommend carriers that open from the top. A specialty carrier, called the SleepyPod, receives high marks from us! The carrier also doubles as a bed, so she will feel much safer with the familiar scent and surroundings.

The Trip

Some cats love riding in cars. Some, simply, do not. No matter where Tigger falls on this scale, we always recommend keeping him contained and safe when traveling in the car. Like the carrier, have Tigger get used to a car before you need to take him anywhere. Start by leaving the carrier door open and letting him explore. Once he's had a chance to check it out, build his familiarity by taking him on short drives, starting with something down the block and eventually building in duration. Consider stopping by your vet's office to explore the exam room, to show him that some visits may be fun with toys and treats. We welcome the visit and are happy to help show Tigger that there's nothing to be afraid of.

Paws loves going for a joyride.

Getting Tigger comfortable with a car ride will mean he's nice and calm once you arrive at a vet appointment, giving us a better opportunity to provide a comprehensive exam.

The Appointment

To minimize over stimulating him, drape Tigger's carrier in a blanket or towel from home. You can spray it with a calming feline pheromone made to mimic the pheromones that cats release when they rub up against someone or something. We use and recommend Feliway, which is available in spray or a full room diffuser.

Once in his exam room, remove the towel or blanket and place the carrier on the floor with the door open. Our nurses and vets know that it is easier to work with a cat who is calm and has come out of their carrier on their own. We encourage cat owners to let Tigger out of his carrier and let him inspect the room before our nurses or doctors enter. This gives him a chance to acclimate to a room with someone he feels most comfortable with: you.

During the exam, it's best to have Tigger examined where he is most comfortable. That could be your lap, on the floor, on a bench or perch, or if Tigger chooses to not come out of his carrier, the top can be removed. The rest of the exam can continue while Tigger remains in his bedding in the bottom half. It's also best to take Tigger out of his carrier only once. Each time he will want to become acclimated to the room and the activity of going back and forth may increase his anxiety.

Dr. Lesser performs a check-up on Sasha.

When being examined, allow Tigger to remain in a natural position, keeping him as calm as possible. Some underweight cats or older cats with arthritis prefer to be on thick padding or cloth beneath them, rather than the cold, hard surface of an examining table. This is why our clinic's tables have a cushioned mat for Tigger to sit on, making the examination much more comfortable.

General tips

Throughout the whole process, stay calm and speak in a calm voice. Move slowly with the fewest changes in her environment. Some cats are particularly fearful of travel and/or being examined. For those patients, we recommend anti-anxiety and motion sickness medication to make the trip pleasant.

We hope this information helps ease some concerns over scheduling your cat's next vet visit. When your cat visits our clinic, our staff and nurses are trained to make them feel welcome and comfortable. From including the owner in the examination process to keeping a feline exam room with a Feliway pheromone diffuser, we take pride in how we treat our patients and always hope your cat's visit is a pleasant one.

A healthy Trixie is a happy Trixie.

Contributors:
Dr. Jennifer Lesser, DVM
Norwich Regional Animal Hospital, White River Junction, VT
www.norwichanimal.com

Dr. Ilona Rodan, DVM, DABVP
Cat Care Clinic, Madison, WI

Animal Planet
www.animalplanet.com/pets/less-stressful-vet-visits.htm.

Outside Workers - Protect Yourself from Ticks!

We live in a beautiful area. Flowing rivers, rolling mountains, lush forests. Unfortunately, this environment is also home to many carriers of disease and illness. If your job requires you to spend any time outdoors this summer, make sure you protect yourself from one of the most common carriers of disease, ticks. We've seen an increase in ticks this year, on pets and humans alike. Follow these tips from the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services, and give yourself the best chance of preventing Lyme and other diseases.

For clickable links, please visit the source material here.

No Bones About It!

"Some people think it's safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast," says Carmela Stamper, D.V.M., a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration. "Bones are unsafe no matter their size. Giving your dog a bone may make your pet a candidate for a trip to your veterinarian's office later, possible emergency surgery, or even death."

"Make sure you throw out bones from your own meals in a way that your dog can't get to them," adds Stamper, who suggests taking the trash out right away or putting the bones up high and out of your dog's reach until you have a chance to dispose of them. "And pay attention to where your dog's nose is when you walk him around the neighborhood--steer him away from any objects lying in the grass."

Here are 10 reasons why it's a bad idea to give your dog a bone:

1. Broken teeth: This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
2. Mouth or tongue injuries: These can be very bloody and messy, and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
3. Bone gets looped around your dog's lower jaw: This can be frightening or painful for your dog and potentially costly to you, as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.
4. Bone gets stuck in esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach: Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and will need to see your veterinarian.
5. Bone gets stuck in windpipe: This may happen if your dog accidentally inhales a small enough piece of bone. This is an emergency because your dog will have trouble breathing. Get your pet to your veterinarian immediately.
6. Bone gets stuck in stomach: It went down just fine, but the bone may be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Depending on the bone's size, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a procedure in which your veterinarian uses a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools to try to remove the stuck bone from the stomach.
7. Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage: It may be time for surgery.
8. Constipation due to bone fragments: Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they're very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.
9. Severe bleeding from the rectum: This is very messy and can be dangerous. It's time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
10. Peritonitis: This nasty, difficult-to-treat bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when bone fragments poke holes in your dog's stomach or intestines. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog.

"Talk with your veterinarian about alternatives to giving bones to your dog," says Stamper. "There are many bone-like products made with materials that are safe for dogs to chew on."

"Always supervise your dog with any chew product, especially one your dog hasn't had before," adds Stamper. "And always, if your dog 'just isn't acting right,' call your veterinarian right away!"

Find this and other Consumer updates at www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates

Information from the Food and Drug Administration.

NOAH's Newest Addition

June 23, 2014

Dear Friends,

We are excited to announce the addition of groomer, Heidi Preston, to our team at Norwich Regional Animal Hospital.  Heidi will be offering full grooming services at our clinic, anything from baths to full breed trims.

Heidi is a fun, outgoing, positive individual who has spent the last seven years grooming locally.  She works with all breeds of every size.  She has also spent the last year in school to increase her general grooming knowledge and expand it to include feline grooming. Her experience includes: standard breed clips, shave downs, dematting, minor trimming, bathing, nail trims, ear cleaning, anal gland expression and brushing.  She loves working with animals and is very excited to join the NOAH team.  When she is not grooming she will be supporting the nursing staff with everyday duties at the hospital.  She hopes to see some familiar faces and add some new ones. 

We hope this new partnership is a convenient addition to your pet’s regular care.  Let us know if your pet wants a new warm weather hairdo!

 Happy Summer!

 The Staff at NOAH

Hot Weather Tips

We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but being overeager in hot weather can spell danger, ASPCA experts warn.  

"Most people love to spend the warmer days enjoying the outdoors with friends and family, but it is important to remember that some activities can be dangerous for our pets," said Dr. Camille DeClementi, Senior Toxicologist at the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. "By following a few simple rules, it is easy to keep your pet safe while still having fun in the sun."

Take these simple precautions, provided by ASPCA experts, to help prevent your pet from overheating. And if you suspect your pet is suffering from heat stroke, get help from your veterinarian immediately. 

Visit the Vet 

A visit to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer check-up is a must. Make sure your pets get tested for heartworm if they aren't on year-round preventive medication. Do parasites bug your animal companions? Ask your doctor to recommend a safe flea and tick control program.

Made in the Shade
Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it's hot outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it's extremely hot.

Know the Warning Signs 
Symptoms of  overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees. Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.

No Parking! 
Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. "On a hot day, a parked car can become a furnace in no time-even with the windows open-which could lead to fatal heat stroke," says Dr. Louise Murray, Vice President of the ASPCA Animal Hospital. Also, leaving pets unattended in cars in extreme weather is illegal in several states.

Make a Safe Splash 
Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool-not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset. 

Screen Test
"During warmer months, the ASPCA sees an increase in injured animals as a result of High-Rise Syndrome, which occurs when pets-mostly cats-fall out of windows or doors and are seriously or fatally injured," says Dr. Murray. "Pet owners need to know that this is completely preventable if they take simple precautions." Keep all unscreened windows or doors in your home closed and make sure adjustable screens are tightly secured.

Summer Style
Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs' coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. And be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled specifically for use on animals.

Credit: flickr.com/drstarbuck

Street Smarts
When the temperature is very high, don't let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close the ground, your pooch's body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.

Avoid Chemicals 
Commonly used flea and tick products, rodenticides (mouse and rat baits), and lawn and garden insecticides can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested, so keep them out of reach. When walking your dog, steer clear of areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals. Keep citronella candles, oil products and insect coils out of pets' reach as well. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you suspect your animal has ingested a poisonous substance.

Party Animals
Taking Fido to a backyard barbeque or party? Remember that the food and drink offered to guests may be poisonous to pets. Keep alcoholic beverages away from pets, as they can cause intoxication, depression and comas. Similarly, remember that the snacks enjoyed by your human friends should not be a treat for your pet; any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe digestive ailments. Avoid raisins, grapes, onions, chocolate and products with the sweetener xylitol.

Fireworks Aren't Very Pet-riotic
Please leave pets at home when you head out to Fourth of July celebrations, and never use fireworks around pets. Exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns or trauma to curious pets, and even unused fireworks can be hazardous. Many types of fireworks contain potentially toxic substances such as potassium nitrate, copper, chlorates, arsenic and other heavy metals.

Information from the ASPCA's Hot Weather Tips

Spring Wildlife and Your Pets: What You Need to Know

by the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association
M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM

Spring is finally here and young wildlife is everywhere. With this abundance of young wild animals, it is important to be aware of the more common animals your pet may encounter and what to do if it does.

Image courtesy of Aleksandr Kutsayev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It is quite common in the spring for our dog or cat to present us with a live baby rabbit. In addition children may find one in the yard and bring it inside, thinking it has been abandoned by its mother. If the bunny's eyes are open, it is able to eat and fend for itself in the wild.  If you come across a nest of bunnies in the wild and the mother is nowhere to be seen, DO NOT disturb them - this is normal. By removing them from the nest you are greatly reducing their chances of survival. The wild rabbit mother only feeds in the middle of the night; she leaves her babies all day to not alert predators, so don’t assume she is not caring for them and take them from her!

  

So if your pet or child presents you with an uninjured baby rabbit, confine your pets in the house, and return the bunny to wherever it was found, immediately. It will do fine and the less time it spends in human hands, the better.  If it appears injured, contact your veterinarian for the name of the closest wildlife rehabilitator near you.  (Not all veterinarians are licensed to treat wildlife.)
Skunks present a smelly problem. They possess two small glands under their tail that produce a foul smelling material which the skunk can spray in the face of a predator or curious pet.  While the spray is not toxic to our pets, it can cause tremendous irritation to the eyes, causing them to water and sting.  Furthermore, if you think skunks smell bad, imagine how it is for our dogs and cats, whose sense of smell is up to 30 times stronger than ours! That horrible smelly material is usually sprayed right in the face of our curious pets, and the smell is so bad to them they will often vomit. Because these encounters are always a surprise, it helps to be prepared by having some products on hand to clean up your pet.

Image courtesy of thefixer @ Flickr.com

Your local pet store or veterinarian has products available to clean up your pets if they are “skunked."  Another option is a homemade solution made by mixing one quart of hydrogen peroxide with a half box baking soda, and 1 tsp of a grease-cutting dish soap. You must mix and use within an hour as it won't keep. Whichever you use, remember you shouldn't get the pet wet first: put the de-skunking material right on the pet. AVOID the eyes! If your pet will allow, you can rinse around the face with plain tap water. If your pet persistently paws or rubs at the eyes and they are red and tearing, call your veterinarian.

Porcupines have sharp quills that can imbed into your pet's face, skin and paws. If your pet has been "quilled", do not attempt to remove them yourself. The quills can break off under the skin, and also it is very painful for your pet. Call your veterinarian immediately for help with this problem. The longer the quills remain in the pet the more difficult they are to remove.

Image courtesy of Stoonn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Baby birds are commonly found on the ground or retrieved by pets. If there is no obvious injury, the baby should be replaced in the nest or in a tree or bush as close to the nest as possible. Parents will not abandon their offspring, so even if you don’t see any adults around, leave the area so as not to frighten the parents away.  Do not attempt to treat any wounds or feed the baby bird – they require specific types of food and are VERY difficult to care for.  For any injuries or wounds, contact your veterinarian, who will help get the bird to a licensed rehabilitator.

Keeping your pet on a leash or in a fenced yard will greatly reduce the encounters with spring wildlife. Also remember with any wild mammal rabies virus is a concern. Rabies is always fatal to the animal, and it can be transmitted to people through saliva and bites. Vermont law requires your pet to be vaccinated for rabies, so make sure your pet is up to date on rabies vaccination, avoid handling wildlife, and report any wildlife acting in an unusual manner to the game warden or wild life officer. If you have any questions or concerns about spring wildlife and your pet, contact your veterinarian or visit the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association website at www.vtvets.org.

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The Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA), founded in 1898, is a professional organization of 330 veterinarians dedicated to compassionate animal care and quality medicine.

Update From the FDA Regarding Pet Jerky Treats

To each of our clients, we are sharing this US Food and Drug Administration report focusing on the potential harm of feeding pet jerky treats. The data pertains to many companies and distributors; please consider your pet treats carefully. As a general recommendation, please avoid feeding your companion these commercial pet jerky treats.

Date: 16 May 2014
Source: US Federal Food and Drug Administration [edited]
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm397713.htm

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on its ongoing investigation into pet illnesses and deaths in animals that ate jerky pet treats. This update includes the latest information about complaints of illnesses, FDA's collaboration with the CDC on a new case control study, and new findings revealed through the agency's testing. Unfortunately, FDA has still not been able to identify a specific cause for the reported illnesses or deaths.

- Case numbers: Since FDA's last update on 22 Oct 2013, we have received approximately 1800 additional case reports. As of 1 May 2014, we have received in total more than 4800 complaints of illness in pets that ate chicken, duck, or sweet potato jerky treats, nearly all of which are imported from China. The reports involve more than 5600 dogs, 24 cats, 3 people, and include more than 1000 canine deaths. The breakdown of signs associated with the cases is similar to that of earlier reports: approximately 60 percent of the cases report gastrointestinal/liver disease, 30 percent kidney or urinary disease, with the remaining 10 percent of complaints including various other signs such as neurologic, dermatologic, and immunologic symptoms. About 15 percent of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease that has been associated with this investigation.

- Response to Dear Veterinarian Letter: Following an October 2013 request for veterinarians to share case information, the agency received many well-documented case reports that have and continue to provide us with valuable information that is assisting in our ongoing investigation. Out of this effort, FDA has had the opportunity to perform necropsies (post-mortem examinations) on 26 dogs, 13 of which appeared to have causes of death not related to consumption of jerky pet treats. Of the remaining 13 cases, an association with consumption of jerky pet treats could not be ruled out. Eleven of these dogs hadindications of kidney disease and 2 involved gastrointestinal disease. The agency continues to review case records, test treat samples from reported cases, screen tissue, blood, urinary and fecal samples, and communicate with the attending veterinarians and pet owners to thoroughly investigate select cases. Because of the volume of information received in response to the Dear Veterinarian letter, the agency has not completed an update to our online case spreadsheets. FDA plans to complete and post these updates in the coming months.

- Partnership with CDC: While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention primarily tracks cases of human illness, FDA has requested their expertise in collaborating on a study of cases reported to the FDA of sick dogs compared with "controls" (dogs who have not been ill). The goal of the study is to compare the foods eaten by the sick dogs (cases) to those eaten by the dogs that did not get sick (controls), in order to determine whether sick dogs are eating more jerky pet treats than healthy dogs are. Data collected during this investigation will allow federal investigators to better understand what is making pets sick. The study is still ongoing, and FDA will share results when they are completed.

- Testing: Following testing performed by the New York State Department of Markets and Agriculture (NYSDAM) in 2012 that detected low levels of antibiotics in tested jerky pet treats, FDA undertook a project to adapt the NYSDAM method to the equipment in its own field laboratories for regulatory and enforcement purposes. This adaptation is now complete, and the method is in use for testing both imported and domestic treats.

Testing of jerky pet treats from China has also revealed the presence of the drug amantadine in some samples containing chicken. These samples were from jerky pet treats that were sold a year or more ago. Amantadine is an antiviral that is FDA-approved for use in people. It has also been used in an extra-label manner (using an approved drug in a way that isn't listed on the label [but is within the realm of a veterinary-client-patient relationship - Mod.TG]) in dogs for pain control, but FDA prohibited its use in poultry in 2006.

FDA does not believe that amantadine contributed to the illnesses because the known side effects or adverse events associated with amantadine do not seem to correlate with the signs seen in the jerky pet treat-related cases. However, amantadine should not be present at all in jerky pet treats, and the agency has notified the Chinese authorities that the presence of amantadine in these products is an adulterant. Chinese authorities have also assured us that they will perform additional screening and will follow up with jerky pet treat manufacturers. FDA has notified the U.S. companies that market jerky pet treats found positive for amantadine of this finding and are testing both imported and domestic jerky pet treats for amantadine and other antivirals.

The agency continues to caution pet owners that jerky pet treats are not required for a balanced diet and encourage them to consult with their veterinarians, both prior to feeding treats and if they notice symptoms in their pets.

FDA continues to devote significant resources to this investigation and to work with its Vet-LIRN partners to gather and analyze new information as it becomes available. If your pet has experienced signs of illness that you suspect is related to jerky pet treats, please report it to FDA. While FDA does not necessarily respond to every individual complaint submitted, each report is valuable and becomes part of the body of knowledge that helps to inform our investigation.

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