FAQs

There are many skin diseases that can cause your pet to have miserable itchy skin and all of these skin diseases have a very similar appearance. Your pet's skin may be very red and may have sores from scratching. Usually, your pet will have a lot of dandruff-like skin flakes. This dandruff-like flaking is called hyperkeratosis and indicates skin inflammation, not dry skin.

Some of the more common itchy skin diseases include:

• Flea Allergy Dermatitis
• Allergies to Pollens and Molds ( Hay Fever)
• Food Allergies
• Contact Allergies
• Demodectic Mange
• Sarcoptic Mange
• Staphylococcus
• Skin Infections
• Ringworm ( skin fungal infections)
• Skin Yeast Infections (Malassia infections)
• Drug Reactions
• Fly Bite dermatitis
• Hot Spot Dermatitis

Your veterinarian will need to do a thorough dermatological examination and perform tests which may include:

• Skin scraping and microscopic analysis
• Dermatophyte Culture (DTM)
• Tape impression smears
• RAST allergy tests
• Intradermal Skin Tests
• Biopsy

The most important step in treating your pet is getting an accurate diagnosis. The wrong treatment can cause your pet’s condition to get worse or delay healing.

After determining the cause of your pet’s itchy skin, specific therapy will help relieve your pet’s misery and let you and your pet get a good night's sleep.

Fleas used to be a major hassle for pet lovers. In the old days (just a few short years ago) we used to have to treat the house with toxic chemicals, put toxic chemicals in the yard and use shampoos, dips and sprays to keep the fleas off your pet. It was a lot of work.

In addition to causing itchy irritation, fleas are like little vampires sucking blood out of your pet. A severe infestation can cause life threatening anemia. Now new research shows that fleas can spread the dangerous Bartonella Infection commonly called cat scratch fever. Bartonella is the focus of many medical research studies and is now thought to be the source of many serious infections in both people and pets.

Welcome to a new world in flea control ––– Biochemist studying insect biochemistry discovered biochemical pathways that occur in insects but not in mammals. Then they developed new treatments that target these insect biochemical pathways without affecting mammal physiology. These new treatments are much, much safer than the toxic chemicals of the past. Now veterinarians and pet owners have many options in once-a-month flea control that are very safe for dogs, cats, rabbits, and ferrets.

No longer do you have to treat your house and yard to get rid of fleas. Simply apply one of the once a month flea products to your pets and you can eliminate fleas from your pet, house and yard in a few hours.

Your veterinarian has many different prescription products to choose from for monthly flea control. Stop by your veterinarian and ask the staff for a recommendation for your pet. Each family’s situation is different so let your veterinarian help you develop the flea control protocol that is the best and least expensive for you and your pet. With very little effort you and your pet can enjoy a flea free life.

WARNING!!!

Don’t be fooled by the many copycat products you find in retail stores. These products are the old insecticides and sometimes very toxic chemicals that have been repackaged to look similar to the new high-tech prescription products. This has become a common cause of poisoning in pets. It often takes weeks of hospitalization and can cost thousands of dollars to treat pets exposed to these poisons.

Be especially careful with cats and these over-the-counter copycat products.

Many cats have killed by very caring owners that thought that the over-the-counter flea control products were safe like the prescription products. Many of these products contain a very old insecticide called pyrethrins. You may have seen many of the television reports on this problem. These over-the-counter products are often deadly to cats and labeled in a way that could easily confuse an uneducated pet owner. Don’t be fooled by these unscrupulous businesses.

Ticks can carry dangerous diseases such as Lymes disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and other dangerous rickettsial infections. These infections are a health risk for humans as well as you beloved pet. Ticks like wooded areas and tend to jump down on pets from trees and vegetation. This makes it very difficult and damaging to the environment to try and exterminate fleas in your yard.

The best solution is the new once a month tick prevention therapies available at your veterinary office. There are products safe for dogs and for cats. Some products are only safe for dogs. Take a few minutes to speak with your veterinarian or his staff so that they can design a tick prevention program for your situation. Just like flea products there are many options from topical once-a-month treatments to special tick collars and there is no one therapy that is best for all situations.

Heartworm disease is the number one preventable heart disease in dogs, cats and ferrets. This parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes. If you live in an area of the country that has heartworm disease it makes no difference whether your pet lives indoors all the time or lives outside. The mosquitoes that carry heartworm disease often infect pets that never leave the house.

Heartworm disease is becoming more common in many parts of the United States. It is caused by the heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis. This parasite lives in the right side of the dog’s heart and the nearby large vessels (pulmonary arteries). The female worm produces large numbers of microscopic, immature heartworms that circulate in the blood. These immature worms (microfilariae) are taken up with the blood by a mosquito feeding on an infected dog. After living in the mosquito for 10 to 14 days, the microfilariae can then infect another dog that the mosquito feeds on. The feeding mosquito deposits infective microfilariae into the skin of another dog, and these enter the body through the mosquito bite wound. The microfilariae eventually travel to the heart where they develop into adult heartworms. The adult heartworms produce new microfilariae within 3 months.

Heartworms grow slowly over 6 months from tiny microscopic larvae injected into your pet by mosquitoes to a very large 4 to 6-inch worm that infects the right heart and the blood vessels of the heart. This parasite causes right heart failure and can affect every vital organ including the liver and the kidneys. In dogs, the disease may initially cause coughing and lethargy and then often progresses to total right heart failure.

In cats, the onset of the disease is very sudden, and suddenly have difficulty breathing much like a severe asthmatic attack in humans. The most consistent early sign of heartworm disease in cats is vomiting.

Prevention – Monthly Heartworm Prevention and Yearly Testing

Keeping Your Pet Safe and Healthy and Saving You Expensive Heartworm Treatment

Fortunately, this disease is very easy to prevent. Your veterinarian has a number of very safe, inexpensive, and effective heartworm prevention therapies for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Your veterinarian has many different heartworm prevention therapies to choose from and will design a custom prevention program that is best for you and your pet.

No prevention is 100% effective and all dogs should be tested at least once yearly for heartworm disease. This simple blood test can be done quickly right in your veterinary office. Heartworm disease detected early is easy and routine to treat compared with advanced heartworm disease and right heart failure.

Testing cats yearly is very desirable, but more problematic. This is because just one or two worms can cause death in cats and small numbers of heartworms are undetectable on most tests. More expensive tests such as chest radiographs and echocardiograms are costly for yearly screening in normal cats. So, in cats, we rely on prevention therapies and usually do testing only when your cat is showing clinical signs of heartworms.

In ferrets, we have the same problem as cats so we rely on monthly prevention therapies alone rather than yearly heartworm testing.

There are no homeopathic or herbal therapies that have any effectiveness in preventing or treating heartworm disease. Holistic veterinarians have tested all of the known herbal and homeopathic therapies and to date have not found any one or combination that helps pets.

Treating Heartworm Disease

Dogs – The Only Heart Disease In Dogs That Can Be Cured

Heartworm disease is the only heart disease in dogs that can be totally cured. If detected and treated in the early stages there is rarely any long term damage to your dog’s heart and lungs. Before treating your veterinarian will need to some very basic diagnostic tests to determine the amount of damage the heartworms have done to your pet.

These basic tests include:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Blood cytology screening for microfilaria
• Chest Radiographs
• Urinalysis
• Additional tests may be necessary include:
  • Echocardiogram
  • Electrocardiogram

There are different treatment schedules based on the severity of heartworm disease. Dogs with heart failure may need cardiac medications and stabilization first before heartworm treatment can be started.

There is much fear and misinformation about heartworm treatments. There seem to be more urban myths about heartworm treatment than any other disease in dogs. It seems like everyone has a story about the dog that died from heartworm therapy. Most of the time when you get to the real story – the dog was never treated and died from the heartworms.

It is important to detect and treat heartworm disease in the early stages. That is why it is very important to test your dog once a year regardless of whether you are absolutely sure your dog has received his/her monthly prevention.

When your pet does have heartworms it is very important to properly stage the severity of heartworm damage with the discussed test so that your veterinarian can treat your pet with the proper treatment protocol. In most cases, complications are no more severe than pain at the injection site. This pain can be minimized with pain medication.

Heartworm disease is very common in cats. Instead of cardiac problems, cats primarily show respiratory signs that resemble asthma in people. All cats, just like dogs should be on heartworm prevention.

There is no specific symptom of heartworm disease in cats. The signs of heartworm disease in cats can range from chronic vomiting to cardiovascular collapse. When untreated heartworm disease in cats usually results in death.

Signs of Heartworm Disease In Cats Include:

• Chronic Vomiting
• Acute Breathing Difficulty
• Collapse
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Weight Loss
• Malaise
• Death

Testing and treating cats for heartworm disease is much more difficult than for dogs. Cardiovascular failure and difficulty breathing can be caused by many different diseases.

When cats are showing cardiovascular failure your veterinarian will need to do the following basic tests:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Thyroid T4 level test
• Chest Radiographs
• Echocardiogram
• Feline Occult Heartworm Blood Tests
• Blood pressure Testing
• Additional tests may be needed
  • Electrocardiogram

Treatment for heartworm disease in cats depends on the severity of the disease. Many cats need intensive therapy, oxygen support and stabilization. Long term treatment is aimed at controlling clinical symptoms until the heartworms die in 1 to 3 years. Drugs used to kill heartworms in dogs are toxic to cats.

Many cats with therapy can survive heartworm disease, but prevention is a much better way to go ( and much less expensive).

Heartworm disease is a common cause of death in ferrets that live in areas of the country that have heartworm disease. The signs of heartworms in ferrets is nonspecific and include:

• Weakness
• Difficulty Breathing
• Collapse

Basic diagnostic tests are necessary to determine the cause of the above signs and include:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Chest Radiographs
• Echocardiogram
• Heartworm Antigen Blood Tests
• Additional tests Include:
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Adrenal profile

Just like cats, Treatment for heartworm disease in ferrets depends on the severity of the disease. Many ferrets need intensive therapy, oxygen support, and stabilization. Long-term treatment is aimed at controlling clinical symptoms until the heartworms die in 1 to 3 years. Drugs used to kill heartworms in dogs are toxic to ferrets.

Just like dogs and cats, all ferrets in endemic areas should be on heartworm prevention monthly.

Vomiting is one of the most common symptoms of illness in pets. Vomiting can be a sign of something as minor as simple indigestion or an illness as serious as liver or kidney failure or an acute life-threatening disease like stomach torsion. Always contact your veterinarian if your pet is vomiting for instructions. Stomach torsions must be corrected within 45 minutes or serious complications can occur.

Here is just a small part of the list of the diseases that your veterinarian needs to rule out when your pet is vomiting:

• Eating spoiled food
• Eating frogs, toads, or lizards
• Food allergy/intolerance
• Hookworms
• Roundworms
• Giardia
• Trichomoniasis
• Whip Worms
• Physoloptera
• Eating food too quickly
• Obstructions from foreign bodies (plastic, fabric, toys, bones, carpet, etc.)
• Stomach Ulcers
• Reflux esophagitis
• Pancreatitis
• Hair Ball Obstruction
• Megaesophagus
• Parvovirus
• Coronavirus
• Leptospirosis
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Mesenteric Torsion
• Pyloric Stenosis
• Stomach Cancer
• Intestinal Cancer
• Liver Disease
• Neurological Disorders
• Inner Ear Infections
• Portal Caval Shunt
• Kidney Disease
• Addison’s Disease
• Bufo Poisoning
• Testicular Torsion
• Intestinal Intusseption
• Stomach Torsion* ( more information below)
• Cancer Heartworms
• Hyperthyroid
• Bacterial Enteritis
• Bacterial Enterotoxemia
• Many Toxins

…… and this is a very partial list of the possible causes of vomiting in dogs and cats.

As you can see your veterinarian has quite a job in determining the cause of vomiting in your pet. Finding the cause can be quite a challenge and trying to guess based on your dog’s history often leads to an incorrect treatment.

As you realize how complicated something as common as vomiting is, you get an appreciation for the 8 years of intense training your veterinarian successfully accomplished to be able to help you and your pet.

The first step in diagnosis is a very thorough history, physical exam, and intestinal parasite test. Then depending on your pet’s presentation, your veterinarian may need to do some or all of the following tests to determine the cause of vomiting:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Giardia Elisa Test
• Thyroid Test
• Heartworm Test
• Abdominal Radiographs
• Barium Radiographs
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• Upper GI Endoscopy
• Exploratory Surgery

Treatment is totally dependent on first finding the cause of the vomiting. That is why it is so important for a veterinarian to do the necessary tests to determine the cause of vomiting in your pet.

Stomach Torsion is most common in dogs with deep narrow chests such as:

• Great Danes
• Doberman Pinchers
• Labradors
• Golden Retrievers
• Blood Hounds

But can occur in any breed. Stomach torsion happens when your dog’s stomach flips 90- 360 degrees – cutting off the blood supply to the stomach and spleen. This must be corrected very quickly or your pet will die.

Signs of Stomach Torsion or Gastric Dilatation Include:

• Nonproductive retching
• Progressive abdomen distention
• Weakness or collapse
• Frequent Belching

If you notice these signs contact your veterinarian immediately. If treated quickly (within 20- 40 minutes) many dogs survive. If not quickly treated the chance of survival drops rapidly. Immediate emergency intensive care and surgery are necessary to save your dog’s life.

Prevention:

Stomach torsion cannot always be prevented. Some dogs are just very prone to this condition. Some dogs get stomach torsion during times of stress including hospitalization and surgery. Some dogs get stomach torsion after extreme exercise.

There are some simple precautions that can be made:

• It is best not to exercise your dog immediately after eating a large meal or drinking a lot of water.
• If your dog is prone to this disease feed small meals during the day rather than one large meal
• If your dog drinks water quickly – give him/her small amounts at a time.

Surgical Prevention

For dogs that are prone to stomach torsion or have survived a stomach torsion surgery can be done that attaches the dog’s stomach to a rib – this gastropexy usually prevents stomach torsion.

Diarrhea is one of the most common signs of disease in pet dogs and cats. Diarrhea is not a disease but rather a symptom of disease. Diarrhea can be a symptom of many diseases, so it is very important that your veterinarian does diagnostic tests to determine the cause so that proper treatment can be given to your pet. A thorough history is a very important part of the diagnostic process, so observe your pet and record:

• How many times a day does your pet have diarrhea?
• Does your pet strain to defecate?
• Is there any blood in the diarrhea?
• Is there any mucus in the diarrhea?
• Does the diarrhea appear to be associated with any foods or treats?
• How long has your pet had diarrhea?

Diarrhea is caused by a change in the lining of the intestinal tract called the intestinal mucosa. The cells that make up the intestinal mucosa are replaced every few days and these cells are very sensitive to everything happening in your pet’s body. Here are just a few of the diseases that can cause your pet to have diarrhea:

• Roundworm Infection
• Coccidia Infection
• Hookworm Infection
• Giardia Infection
• Whip Worm Infection
• Parvo Virus
• Coronavirus
• Distemper Virus
• Infectious Hepatitis
• Bacterial Infections
• Enterotoxaemia
• Fungal Infections
• Food Allergy/Intolerance
• Pancreatitis
• Pancreatic Insufficiency
• Eosinophilic Enteritis
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Malabsorption Diseases
• Liver Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Cancer
• Poisoning
• Lymphangiectasia
• Protein Losing Enteropathy

…. And this is just a small sampling of the diseases your veterinarian needs to rule out when your pet has diarrhea.

As you can see your veterinarian has quite a job in determining the cause of diarrhea in your pet. As you start to contemplate the complexity of your pet’s body and the diseases causing diarrhea, you get an appreciation of the 8 years of intense training your veterinarian accomplished to be able to help you and your pet.

The first step in finding the cause of diarrhea is a thorough history, physical exam, and intestinal parasite tests. Then your veterinarian may need to do some or all of the following tests to determine the cause of diarrhea in your pet so that proper treatment can be initiated.

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• TLI blood tests
• PLI blood tests
• Cobalamine/Folic Acid blood tests
• Parvo Eliza Tests
• Giardia Eliza Tests
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• Abdominal Radiographs
• Barium Radiographs
• Colonoscopy and Biopsy
• Upper GI Endoscopy and Biopsy
• Exploratory Surgery and Intestinal Biopsy

Treatment is determined by first determining the cause of the disease. The specific treatment can be initiated. In some situations, your veterinarian may diagnose by treating your pet with medications and observing the response. In many cases, special prescription foods may be needed to control your pet’s gastrointestinal disease.

Seizures are a common symptom of disease in pets. Seizures can be grand mal, where your pet loses consciousness, falls down, and extends all of his/her legs in rigid extension. Seizures can also be petite mal, where your pet may stumble, have a very small spasm or temporarily space out. Often what appears to be a seizure is really cardiovascular collapse and your pet is really fainting from lack of blood supply to the brain.

Watching your pet have a seizure is very distressing and heart-wrenching. Dogs and cats do not swallow their tongues during a seizure. They can accidentally bite with hysterical strength. So be very careful when helping or moving your pet so that you do not get bitten.

When a pet is continually seizing their body temperature can rise rapidly. This causes life-threatening hyperthermia which can cause irreversible brain damage. If a seizure is happening for longer than a few minutes seek emergency veterinary care immediately.

Look around and see if your pet has been exposed to any human medications, insecticides, or flea products, or has eaten anything unusual and if so notify your veterinarian.

Many diseases cause seizures. Here are just a few of the diseases your veterinarian will need to rule out to determine why your pet is having a seizure:

• Hypoglycemia
• Liver Disease
• Portal Caval Shunt
• Hydrocephalus
• Hypercalcemia
• Cardiac Arrhythmias Syncope
• Heart Failure
• Distemper Virus
• Rabies
• Poisoning – Organophosphates
• Poisoning – Carbamates
• Poisoning – Pyrethrins
• Accidental Ingestion of Human Medicine
• Drug Toxicity
• Bufo Poisoning
• Central Nervous System Disease
• Vestibular Disease
• Bacterial, Viral, and Fungal Meningitis
• Granulomatous
• Meningoencephalitis
• Hypothyroidism
• Cancer
• Feline Ischemic Encephalopathy
• Epilepsy (Cats are extremely sensitive to insecticides. Many over-the-counter flea products that are labeled for cats can cause seizures)

This is just a partial list of the possible diseases that cause seizures in pets. Neurological diseases are very complicated and your veterinarian has gone through extensive training to be able to diagnose and help your pet.

Your veterinarian will need to take a thorough history and do a complete physical and neurological exam. Then your veterinarian will need to do some basic blood tests to rule out the most common causes of seizures including:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Thyroid Tests
• Additional tests may be necessary including
  • Cholinesterase serum levels
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Echocardiogram
  • Head and Chest Radiographs
  • Electroencephalogram
  • CNS Fluid analysis

If your pet is seizing your veterinarian will give intravenous therapy to stop the seizures while the diagnostic tests are being run at the laboratory. Therapy to treat the specific cause of the seizures will be given to your pet.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is usually diagnosed by finding normal values on all of the diagnostic tests. So this disease is diagnosed by eliminating all of the other causes of seizures by history examination and diagnostic tests. Epilepsy is very common in dogs and also occurs in cats and ferrets. Your veterinarian has medications that reduce the severity and frequency of epileptic seizures. In mild cases of epilepsy medication is not needed.

When pets are on these epileptic medications blood tests are done to determine the exact dose for each pet – much like insulin for a diabetic pet. Routine blood tests are done to check the blood levels of these medications and dosage adjustments are routinely done.

If your pet is having a difficult time breathing it is often an emergency and you should contact your veterinarian right away.

Breathing problems can be caused by many different conditions in dogs and cats. Here is a list of just a few of the diseases that can cause your pet to have a difficult time breathing:

• Pneumonia
• Pneumothorax
• Pericardial Effusion
• Asthma
• Sinus Diseases
• Nasal Polyps
• Fungal Infections
• Heartworms
• Myocardial Failure
• Degenerative Cardiac Valve Disease
• Congenital Cardiac Defects
• Poisoning
• Laryngeal Disease
• Cancer
• Viral Diseases
• Heat Stroke
• Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
• Blood Loss
• Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
• Choking on foreign bodies/ food Infectious
• Tracheobronchitis

Many of these conditions are life-threatening, so take your pet to your veterinarian as quickly as possible. Most of these conditions will have very similar clinical symptoms.

Your veterinarian may have to put your pet on oxygen and give emergency drugs before any tests can be done. As soon as it is safe your veterinarian will perform a very thorough physical exam and then diagnostic tests.

Tests that your veterinarian may need to do include

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Chest Radiographs
• Blood Gases
• Echocardiogram
• Heartworm Test
• Clotting Profiles
• Upper and Lower Airway Endoscopy
• Coombs Test

Because there are so many causes of difficulty breathing your veterinarian may need to do many tests to determine how best to help your pet. During this time your pet may need intensive care and oxygen therapy.

Once the specific cause of breathing difficulty is found specific treatments can be initiated.

Is your pet limping? Watch your pet and assess which leg or legs appear to be the problem. Sometimes acute lameness is caused by something stuck on your pet's foot like a plant bur. If possible check the bottom of your pet’s foot to see if there is anything stuck to your pet's foot. Be very careful in checking your pet because he/she could be painful. Some pets that normally would never bite, do so when in pain.

Here are some helpful observations that will help your veterinarian treat your pet:

• How long has your pet had the lameness?
• Is your pet not using a leg all the time or does it change
• Is your pet’s lameness worse in the morning on rising and then getting better after moving around?
• Does your pet’s lameness get worse with exercise?

Many Illnesses and injuries can cause your pet to be lame. Here are just a few of the possible causes that your veterinarian will need to rule out:

• Broken Bones
• Foreign Bodies in Feet (thorns etc)
• Arthritis – Degenerative Joint Disease
• Panosteitis
• Carpal or Tarsal Injury
• Joint Infections
• Tendon Injury
• Ligament Damage
• Elbow Dysplasia
• Osteodystrophy
• Anterior Cruciate Disease
• Medial Luxating Patellas
• Hip Dysplasia
• Necrosis of the Femur Head
• Osteochondrosis
• United Anconeal Process
• Coronoid Disease
• Osteomyelitis –Bacterial Infections
• Osteosarcoma – Bone Cancer
• Cancer
• Biceps Tendonitis
• Intervertebral Disk Disease
• Meningitis
• Diskospondylitis
• Lumbosacral Disease
• Degenerative Myelopathy
• Spinal Chord Trauma
• Lymes Disease
• Rickettsial Disease
• Idiopathic Polyradiculoneuritis
• Coon Hound Paralysis
• Tick Paralysis

As you can see lameness can be caused by many very different diseases. Your veterinarian’s first step in helping your pet will be to take a thorough history, then perform a thorough physical, orthopedic, and neurological exam. By checking each joint for specific normal and abnormal movement your veterinarian will be able to narrow down the rule-outs for your pet’s lameness.

Then your veterinarian will need to do some or all of the following tests:

• Radiographs (x-rays)
• Joint Fluid Analysis
• Contrast Arthography
• Ultrasound tendons

Some types of lameness are very difficult to diagnose. In some cases of lameness, a radiographic specialist or orthopedic surgeon will need to be consulted. Treatment of your pet’s lameness Once the cause of the lameness is diagnosed your veterinarian can start the appropriate therapy or surgery to help your pet.

Gingivitis, plaque, and dental tarter are one of the most common diseases in dogs and cats. When you look at your pet’s teeth observe:

• Is the gumline next to the teeth red?
• Is there dark yellow tarter on your pet’s teeth?
• Is there a foul odor in your pet's mouth?
• Is there discharge oozing from your pet's teeth?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes – your pet is suffering from dental disease. This is a bacterial infection and some pets are much more prone to this than other pets. The most important factor in developing gingivitis is your pet’s immune system. Some pets, like people, have the right environment in their mouths for harmful bacteria to proliferate. Sometimes gingivitis is a symptom of diabetes and autoimmune diseases.

These bacteria invade the structures that hold your pet’s teeth in your mouth resulting in tooth decay, periodontitis, and loss of teeth.

When the harmful bacteria proliferate in your pet’s mouth, every time he/she eats millions of bacteria invade the bloodstream and can cause damage and infection to the heart, kidneys, and other body tissue. This constant bombardment of harmful bacteria shortens your pet’s life.

Prevention

Gingivitis can be prevented by a number of strategies that your veterinarian can assist you with including:

• Regular yearly or twice a year dental prophylaxis ( teeth cleaning) just like people
• Dental Cleaning foods such as Hill’s t/d diet and Eukanuba foods
• Daily or twice weekly teeth brushing with enzymatic toothpaste
• Zinc or Chlorhexiderm mouth drops (available at your veterinary office)
• Chew treats – rawhide impregnated with dental cleaner, Greenies

Treatment and Prevention – Routine Dental Prophylaxis

Routine complete dental cleanings are the most effective way to keep your pet’s teeth and gingiva healthy. It is not possible to do a complete dental cleaning on a pet that is awake.

For the safest anesthesia, your veterinarian will first do pre-anesthetic blood screening to check for any problems that could complicate anesthesia. Next, your pet will be given a short-acting drug that relaxes your pet so that the anesthetist can place a tracheal tube in your pet's trachea for gas anesthesia. This tracheal tube prevents any plaque, cleaning solution, or flush from entering your pet’s lungs.

Usually, your pet will be monitored with a pulse oximeter and ekg just like a person under sedation.

Then the dental technician will clean your pet’s teeth with the same type of instruments and cavitron that your dentist would use to clean your teeth. Once the plaque, tarter, and calculus is removed the teeth are polished smooth to reduce the formation of future plaque. Then a fluoride rinse is performed. Then your pet is woken up from the anesthetic gas and observed for a few hours before release.

This is a common presenting problem in dogs and cats. There are many disorders and diseases that will cause your pet to have weak back legs. Some of these conditions include:

• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Lumbosacral disease
• Disk Disease and Rupture
• Diskospondylitis
• Cancer
• Degenerative myelopathy
• Hypoglycemia ( Insulinoma)
• Myasthenia Gravis

If your pet is suffering from weakness in the back legs schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as quickly as possible. Your veterinarian will do a complete physical, orthopedic, and neurological exam. Then your veterinarian will need to do some or all of the following tests to determine what is causing your pet’s problem:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Thyroid Profile
• Radiographs
• AChR antibody test

In some cases, your veterinarian will need to consult with a board-certified neurologist who may do the following tests:

• MRI
• CAT scan
• Cerebral Spinal Fluid Analysis
• Myelography

Once the cause of your pet’s rear limb weakness is determined specific therapy can be started to cure or control the condition.

A change in the urination habits of your pet is a very important sign of many diseases. If you notice your pet urinating a larger amount of urine or more frequently contact your veterinarian right away. If you are able to collect a fresh urine sample in a plastic container that will speed up the diagnostic process.

Here are some of the most common causes of frequent urination:

• Bladder Stones
• Diabetes mellitus
• Kidney Failure
• Kidney Infections
• Bladder Infections
• Cystitis
• Pyometra
• Cushing’s Disease (Hyperadrenalcortism)
• Hyperthyroidism
• Cancer
• Diabetes Insipidus
• Psychogenic Polydipsia
• Leptospirosis
• Hypercalcemia
• Hypokalemia
• Medications

Your veterinarian will take a thorough history, do a complete physical exam and then need the following basic tests:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Ultrasound of kidneys and bladder

Sometimes the above tests are all that is needed to diagnose the problem. Based on the results of these tests your veterinarian may need to do some or all of the following tests:

• Thyroid test
• ACTH test
• Urine Culture
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• Abdominal Radiographs
• Water Deprivation Test
• Lymph Node Cytology/Biopsy

Once the cause of your dog or cat’s increased urination is found specific therapy or surgery can then be done to help your pet.

Weight loss is a very important clue that there is something wrong with your pet. If your pet is losing weight, especially on the muscles on the back your pet is suffering from a serious illness. Monitor your pet to see if he/she:

• Is vomiting or having diarrhea.?
• Is your pet losing his/ her appetite?
• Is your pet eating more food, but still losing weight?
• Does your pet seem to tire easily?
• Is your pet drinking more water?

There are many diseases that cause pets to lose weight here are some of the more common ones that your veterinarian will need to rule out:

• Kidney Failure
• Heart Disease
• Hyperthyroidism
• Liver Disease
• Malabsorption Diseases
• Protein Losing Enteropathy
• Infiltrative Bowel Diseases
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Dental Disease
• Diet deficiency
• Pancreatic Insufficiency
• Protein Losing Nephropathy
• Diabetes mellitus
• Central Nervous System Disease
• Bacterial Infections
• Intestinal Parasites
• Hypoadrenalcortism A

s you can see list of rule-outs is quite long and many of the diseases are very serious.

Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will take a thorough history, do a complete physical exam and do the following basic tests:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis
• Microalbuminuria Test
• Intestinal Parasite Tests
• T4 (cats)

Based on your veterinarian's findings some or all of the following tests will be needed:

• Abdominal and Chest Radiographs
• EKG
• Echocardiogram
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• TLI / PLI serum tests
• ACTH test
• CAT scan
• MRI
• TLI / PLI serum tests
• ACTH test

Does Your Pet Have A Painful Eye? Is your pet holding his/her eye closed? Is there excess tearing around your pet’s eye? Does your pet squint especially in bright sunlight? If the answer is yes to any of these questions your pet may have a painful eye.

Painful eyes can be caused by a number of different eye diseases. Most of these disease affect the cornea or the anterior chamber of the eye. The cornea has more pain receptors than any other part of the body. That is why it hurts so much when you get sand in your eye.

Painful eye diseases include:

• Corneal Lacerations
• Corneal Ulcers
• Corneal Superficial Injury
• Anterior Uveitis
• Foreign Bodies in the Eye
• Glaucoma

Anytime your pet is showing signs of eye pain it is an emergency. Contact your veterinarian right away.

The cornea is a very delicate part of the eye. Anytime your pet is showing signs of a painful eye you should contact your veterinarian right away. We do not have the technology to do corneal transplants in veterinary medicine so if the cornea is severely damaged your pet will be permanently blind. In many cases, a very mild injury to the cornea that could be easily treated with simple eye drops progresses to a very serious corneal disease that requires major eye surgery in just 24 hours.

A sudden change in the amount of water your pet drinks is a very important first sign of many common and serious diseases in pet dogs and cats. Often the first sign will be urination accidents in the house from a pet that is normally totally housebroken. Sometimes pets drink from sources other than the water bowl and you can miss this important sign of disease. Sometimes a pet is urinating frequently but not drinking more water.

Many of the causes of increased thirst are very serious diseases, so don’t procrastinate in scheduling your pet's exam. Here are just a few of the common diseases that make a pet very thirsty:

• Diabetes mellitus
• Kidney Failure
• Kidney Infections
• Bladder Infections
• Cystitis
• Pyometra
• Cushing’s Disease (Hyperadrenalcortism)
• Hyperthyroidism
• Cancer
• Diabetes Insipidus
• Psychogenic Polydipsia
• Leptospirosis
• Hypercalcemia
• Hypokalemia
• Medications

As you can see the list of causes for such a simple behavioral change is quite long. As you think about all the diseases that can cause your pet to be thirsty you get an appreciation of the 8 years of intense training and years of continuing education your veterinarian went through to be able to help your pet.

The first step in diagnosing the cause of increased thirst in your pet is a thorough history and physical exam. Then your veterinarian will need to do the following minimum tests:

• CBC
• Biochemical Profile
• Urinalysis

Based on the results of these tests your veterinarian may need to do some or all of the following tests:

• Thyroid test
• ACTH test
• Urine Culture
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• Abdominal Radiographs
• Water Deprivation Test
• Lymph Node Cytology/Biopsy

Once your veterinarian has determined the cause of your pet’s increased thirst specific therapy can be started