Newsletter

Despite preventives that are nearly 100 percent effective, veterinarians continue to report increasing numbers of canine heartworm disease cases. Some owners blame the heartworm preventives for failing their pets, but the reality of the situation is much different. Watch this video to learn how the veterinarian, the pet owner and even the pet could be at fault for rising numbers of infected pets!

What is canine influenza?

Canine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection of dogs caused by a virus. The canine influenza virus is closely related to the virus that causes equine influenza and it is thought that the equine influenza virus mutated to produce the canine influenza virus.

Two clinical syndromes have been seen in dogs infected with the canine influenza virus - a mild form of the disease and a more severe form that is accompanied by pneumonia.

Mild form - Dogs suffering with the mild form of canine influenza develop a soft, moist cough that persists for 10 to 30 days. Some dogs have a dry cough similar to "kennel cough." For this reason, canine influenza virus infections are frequently mistaken for "kennel cough." Dogs with the mild form of influenza may also have a thick nasal discharge, which is usually caused by a secondary bacterial infection.

Severe form - Dogs with the severe form of canine influenza develop high fevers (104 degrees F to 106 degrees F) and have clinical signs of pneumonia, such as increased respiratory rates and effort. Pneumonia may be due to a secondary bacterial infection.

Because this is a newly emerging disease, almost all dogs, regardless of breed or age, lack immunity and are susceptible to infection. Virtually all dogs that are exposed to the virus become infected, and nearly 80 percent show clinical signs of disease. Fortunately, most affected dogs have the mild form.

Do dogs die from canine influenza

Fatal cases of pneumonia resulting from infection with canine influenza virus have been reported in dogs, but the fatality rate (5 percent to 8 percent) has been low.

How widespread is the disease?

The first recognized outbreak of canine influenza in the world is believed to have occurred in racing greyhounds in January 2004 at a track in Florida. From June to August of 2004, outbreaks of respiratory disease were reported at 14 tracks in 6 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Texas, and West Virginia). Between January and May of 2005, outbreaks occurred at 20 tracks in 11 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). Infection has also been confirmed in pet dogs in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington State, and Washington, DC.

How is a dog with canine influenza treated?

As with any disease caused by a virus, treatment is largely supportive. Good animal care practices and nutrition assist dogs in mounting an effective immune response. In the milder form of the disease, a thick green nasal discharge, which most likely represents a secondary bacterial infection, usually resolves after treatment with antibiotics. In the more severe form of the disease, medication and hospitalization are often required.

Is canine influenza virus transmissible from dogs to humans?

To date, there is no evidence of transmission of canine influenza virus from dogs to people.

Do I need to be concerned about putting my dog in day care or boarding it at a kennel?

Dog owners should be aware that any situation that brings dogs together increases the risk of spread of communicable illnesses. Good infection control practices can reduce the risk of infection; however, the risk still exists.

My dog has a cough. What should I do?

Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian so that he or she can examine and evaluate your dog and recommend an appropriate course of treatment.

Canine influenza virus can be spread via direct contact with respiratory secretions from infected dogs, and by contact with contaminated inanimate objects. Therefore, dog owners whose dogs are coughing or exhibiting other signs of respiratory disease should not participate in activities or bring their dogs to facilities where other dogs can be exposed to them. Clothing, equipment, surfaces, and hands should be cleaned and disinfected after exposure to dogs showing signs of respiratory disease to prevent transmission of infection to susceptible dogs. Clothing can be adequately cleaned by using a detergent at normal laundry temperatures.

Is canine influenza transmissible to from dogs to horses or other animal species?

At this time, there is no evidence of transmission of canine influenza from dogs to horses, cats, ferrets, or other animal species.

Dental care is vital to your pet's health! If you've already established a dental care program for your pet, you're off to a great start. But if your pet hasn't received a dental exam from your veterinarian, it's time to get started. February is National Pet Dental Health Month, the perfect time to schedule a dental exam for your pet and develop a home care regimen for your best friend.

Why is dental care so important for your pet? Periodontal disease is the number one diagnosed problem in pets - by the age of two, more than 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have periodontal disease in one form or another. The buildup of plaque and tartar on your pet's teeth leads to bacterial infections that can enter the bloodstream and infect other parts of your pet's body. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, osteoporosis and other problems.

The good news is that periodontal disease is easily prevented. Routine dental cleanings and a home dental care regimen can eliminate the plaque and tartar that lead to gum disease and oral infections. During a dental cleaning, your veterinarian also performs a complete oral examination of your pet. This includes screening for oral cancer, broken teeth and cavities. Spotting these problems early on makes them easier to treat and improves your pet's overall oral health.

Your pet's dental cleaning is more involved than the same process you go through at the dentist's office. Anesthesia is required to keep your pet still and comfortable during the procedure. Because of this, your pet undergoes a thorough physical examination before each dental cleaning. Laboratory blood tests, as well as other diagnostic procedures are also used to screen for potential problems and risks before anesthesia is administered. Using these results, we develop a safe anesthetic protocol specifically for your pet.

During a dental cleaning, tartar is removed from your pet's teeth with a hand scaler. Next, a periodontal probe is used to check for pockets under the gumline - where periodontal disease and bad breath start. An ultrasonic scaler is used to clean above the gumline and a curette is used to clean and smooth the teeth under the gumline and in the crevices. Finally, the teeth are polished and an anti-bacterial solution is used to help delay future tartar build-up.

Dental care doesn't end in your veterinarian's office. Brushing your pet's teeth at home is an added level of protection against gum disease. In order to be most effective, brushing must be done at least three times a week; however, daily brushing is ideal. Brushing your pet's teeth can be supplemented with antiseptic rinses. Some pet foods and treats are also effective in preventing plaque and tartar buildup. However, there is no substitute for regular brushing and professional dental cleanings.

Schedule a dental examination and cleaning for your pet today. Your best friend will thank you!

Pet owners can't figure out why cats are friendly one minute and aggressive the next. Cat bites are very common and probably occur more frequently than dog bites; however, they are infrequently reported. Aggressive cats can be dangerous, so attempting to resolve a cat aggression problem often requires a specialist who is trained in animal behavior medicine.

There are several types of feline aggression. The list below includes some of the most common forms.

Aggression With Petting

This behavior isn't well understood, even by experienced animal behaviorists. Some cats will suddenly bite while they're being petted or held. For whatever reason, petting, which the cat was previously enjoying, apparently becomes unpleasant. Biting is the cat's signal that she has had enough. Cats vary in how much they'll tolerate being petted or held. Although people often describe their cats as biting "out of the blue" or without warning, cats do generally give several signals before biting.

Understanding A Cat's Body Signals Can Help Avoid Aggressive Behavior

You should become more aware of your cat's body postures, and cease petting or stop any other kind of interaction before a bite occurs. Signals to be aware of include:

• The cat becomes restless
• The tail begins to twitch
• The cat's ears turn back or flick back and forth
• The cats head starts moving toward your hand

When any of these signals become apparent, it is time to stop the petting or holding the cat. The best thing to do is put the cat down and stop petting her. Absolutely do not impose any physical punishment on the cat as she (or he) may bite. Physical punishment may make it worse the next time you try to pet her or pick her up.

If you want to try to prolong the amount of time your cat will tolerate petting, use a food reward. When your cat first begins to show an undesirable behavior (or even before), offer her a favorite tidbit of food. As you give her the food, decrease the intensity of your petting. In this way, she'll come to associate petting with something pleasant and may help her to enjoy petting for longer periods of time. Each time you work with your cat, try to pet her a little longer. Be sure to stop petting before she shows any aggression.

Play Aggression

Play aggressive behavior is usually observed in young cats who live in single-cat households. These cats are very active and generally less than 2 years old. This behavior provides kittens and cats the opportunity to practice the skills they would normally need to have in order to survive in the wild. Play incorporates a variety of behaviors, such as exploratory (explore new areas), investigative (investigate anything that moves) and predatory (bat at, pounce on, and bite objects that resemble prey).

Play Aggression Is Normal For Younger Cats - Learn How To Redirect It Toward Appropriate Items

Playful aggression often occurs when an unsuspecting owner comes down the stairs, rounds a corner, or even moves under the bedcovers while sleeping. These playful attacks may result in scratches and bites which usually don't break the skin. People sometimes inadvertently initiate aggressive behavior by encouraging their cat to chase or bite at their hands and feet during play. The body postures seen during play aggression resemble the postures a cat would normally show when searching for or catching prey. A cat may freeze in a low crouch before pouncing, twitch her tail, flick her ears back and forth, and/or wrap her front feet around a person's hands or feet while biting. These are all normal cat behaviors, whether they're seen during play or are part of an actual predatory sequence. Most play aggression can be successfully redirected to appropriate targets; however, it may still result in injury.

In order to correct this behavior, you need to redirect your kitten's aggressive behavior onto acceptable objects. Drag a toy along the floor to encourage your kitten to pounce on it, or throw a toy away from your kitten to give her even more exercise by chasing the toy down. Another good toy is one that your kitten can wrestle with, like a soft stuffed toy that's about the size of your kitten. She can grab this toy with both front feet, bite it, and kick it with her back feet. This resembles the way young kittens play with each other. Encourage play with a "wrestling toy" by rubbing it against your kitten's belly when she wants to play rough. Be careful and get your hand out of the way as soon as she accepts the toy.

Since kittens need quite a bit of playtime, try to set up three or four consistent times during the day to play with your kitten. This will help her understand that she doesn't have to be the one to initiate play by pouncing on you.

Fearful/Defensive Aggression

Cats that are fearful may display body postures which appear to be similar to canine submissive postures - crouching on the floor, ears back, tail tucked, and possibly rolling slightly to the side. Cats in this posture are not submissive, they are fearful and defensive. They may attack if touched.

Fearful Or Defensive Posture In Cats

In order to figure out the reason for the fearful behavior, you need to closely observe your cat to determine the trigger for this behavior. Keep in mind that just because you know that the person or animal approaching your cat has good intentions, this does not mean that your cat feel safe. The trigger for her fearful behavior could be anything. Some common triggers are:

• A stranger
• Another animal
• A particular person
• Loud noises
• A child

To help eliminate the fearful behavior, you need to desensitize your cat to the fear stimulus. Determine what distance your cat can be from the fear stimulus without responding fearfully. Introduce the fear stimulus at this distance while you're praising her and feeding her a favorite treat. Slowly move the fear stimulus closer as you continue to praise your cat and offer her treats.

If at any time during this process your cat shows fearful behavior, you've proceeded too quickly and need to start over from the beginning. Working too quickly is the most common mistake and short frequent adaptation sessions work the best. If you are not having much success with the desensitization process, you may need help from a professional animal behavior specialist.

Redirected Aggression

When a cat is aroused into an aggressive response by a person or an animal, but then redirects this aggression onto another person or animal, this is called redirected aggression For example, if two family cats have a spat, the losing cat may walk up and attack the family child.

Territorial Aggression

Cats are highly territorial animals and usually only feel the need to defend their territory from other cats. Territorial aggression in cats isn't commonly directed toward people.

Suggestions

Take precautions. Your first priority is to keep everyone safe. Supervise, confine and/or restrict your cat's activities until you can obtain professional help. You're liable for your cat's behavior.

You should never attempt to handle a fearful or aggressive cat. Cat bites and scratches become infected easily. If you do receive an injury from your cat, clean the wound carefully and contact your physician.

Check first with your veterinarian to rule out any medical reasons for your cat's aggressive behavior.

Seek professional help. An aggression problem won't go away by itself. Working with aggression problems may require help from an animal behavior specialist.

Punishment won't help and usually makes the problem worse. If the aggression is motivated by fear, punishment only makes your cat more fearful and more aggressive.

Within the last few decades, advancements in veterinary medicine have caused a dramatic increase in the longevity of pets. Today, dogs, like humans, are living longer healthier lives. As a result of this increased longevity, a new branch of canine medicine has emerged called canine geriatrics.

Older Dogs Require Additional Care

The aging process can be defined as the time when deterioration takes place faster than regeneration or repair. When the aging process becomes greatly accelerated, this is known as the "geriatric stage."

Not all dogs age at the same rate. In general, the larger the dog, the earlier the geriatric stage occurs. St. Bernards and Great Danes age more rapidly and have shorter life spans than Poodles and Terriers. Certain breeds have a tendency to reach the geriatric stage earlier than others. This is true for the Brachycephalic dogs (flat-faced breeds) - Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Pugs, and Boxers. Aside from aging rapidly, the brachycephalic breeds do not age well. This is due to the respiratory problems associated with the anatomy of the face and head.

As a dog matures and reaches the geriatric stage, functional changes occur in most major organs and organ systems. Many of these changes can be anticipated and special care is required. Since each dog is unique, an individualized geriatric program must be discussed with your veterinarian.

Listed below are some functional changes that occur in geriatric dogs

General Metabolic Rate

A decreased metabolic rate is the primary change associated with the aging process. As a result, an older dog's diet must be altered. In general, compared to the diet of a young active dog, an older dog's caloric intake should be reduced by about 20%. This can be accomplished by increasing the amount of fiber in the diet. In general, diets specially formulated for senior dogs contain increased amounts of fiber.

Cardiovascular System

Heart disease is a major problem in geriatric dogs. In fact, 75% of dogs over 9 years of age have evidence of heart disease. Although this number is quite large, only about 25% of these dogs develop symptoms of heart failure during their lifetime.

The most common heart disease in older dogs is endocardiosis. Endocardiosis is a degenerative disorder of the heart valves. The valves of the heart become thickened and distorted, leaking blood to other chambers when the heart contracts. Four valves are present in the heart: the mitral valve, the tricuspid valve, the aortic valve, and the pulmonic valve. The mitral valve is most commonly affected.

Symptoms associated with heart failure include coughing, respiratory problems, fatigue, and exercise intolerance.

Medical management is often effective in controlling symptoms associated with heart disease. This includes reducing the amount and intensity of exercise, decreasing stress, lowering salt intake (homemade diets or special commercial low-salt diets), and administration of prescription medication.

Understanding How to Care for Geriatric Dogs Improves their Longevity

Respiratory System

Tracheal Collapse in Small Dogs - This condition primarily occurs in toy and small breeds. This results from a weakening of the tracheal cartilage or the tracheal muscles. Obesity is a predisposing factor for tracheal collapse.

Bronchitis and Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - As dogs age, the normal elastic tissue of the lungs is replaced by fibrous tissue. This fibrous tissue decreases the capacity of the lungs to stretch. As a result, breathing becomes more difficult and less oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Small and toy breeds are predisposed to bronchitis and obstructive pulmonary disease.

Urinary System

As a result of the aging process, dogs' kidneys undergo degenerative changes. The kidneys normally filter waste material from the blood and concentrate urine. Older dogs' kidneys function less efficiently, and the ability to concentrate urine and eliminate waste products decreases. Symptoms associated with decreased kidney function include increased thirst, increased urine production weight loss, and occasional vomiting.

Kidney failure is a life-threatening disease of animals. It is one of the most common medical problems encountered in older dogs. Regular veterinary exams, along with blood tests, are extremely important for detecting early changes associated with kidney disease.

Bladder infections(cystitis) are also quite common in older animals. Straining during urination, increased frequency of urination, and blood in the urine are common symptoms associated with cystitis.

Dental Care

Periodontal disease (the progressive inflammation and destruction of supporting structures of the teeth) is an important cause of teeth loss in older dogs. Dental care is often neglected and should begin at an early age. Veterinary teeth cleaning is the first step in maintaining healthy gums and teeth.

Symptoms associated with advanced periodontal disease include bad breath, oral pain, and reluctance to chew food, and weight loss.

By combining regular veterinary visits with special home care, your dog can live a long healthy life. If your dog is approaching the twilight years, discuss blood testing and geriatric care with your veterinarian.

Do you have a dog that can’t stop chewing or licking its own flanks? Compulsive behavior such as tail chasing, pacing, chewing, snapping at imaginary flies, or sucking on blankets affects approximately 8 percent of the dogs in the U.S. Obsessive-Compulsive disorder also affects humans and causes behaviors like excessive hand-washing, checking and rechecking door locks, and even pulling one’s hair out.

In a recent study at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, researchers compared the genetic codes of a group of Dobermans that exhibited the compulsive behaviors and a group that didn’t. The Dobermans in the compulsive group repeatedly curled up and sucked or chewed their flanks. The groups were labeled “sucking” and “nonsucking” for identification.

The dog genome was successfully mapped by this same group of researchers last year, giving a big boost to genetic studies in humans. Heart disease in Boxers was mapped to a genetic characteristic on one chromosome. Applying this information to the human genome may have saved researchers ten years in the study of heart disease in humans.

Building on this previous research, scientists searched for a genetic source for the compulsive behavior by scanning and comparing the genomes of 94 Doberman pinschers that sucked their flanks, with those of 73 Dobermans that did not. The researchers found variations in the genetic code on chromosome 7, specifically in a gene called Cadherin 2, when the sucking and nonsucking dogs were compared. Knowing the location of the gene that caused the compulsive behavior allows further research into specific proteins that may be involved in the development of this disorder.

The results, says Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the animal behavior clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts, have implications for both humans and dogs. Using this new information, the genetic defect might now be mapped in the human genome. This means we may be able to find the genetic cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and possibly other disorders -- such as autism -- which are closely related.

Since the mapping of the Boxer’s genome, researchers have rushed to see what implications the new information has for human medicine, as the painstaking process of mapping the human genome continues. The information gained from the dog genome has allowed researchers to take shortcuts in investigating genetically caused disorders in humans. It seems the Doberman and the Boxer have helped advance human medicine by leaps and bounds.

New drugs and medical equipment are making our pets more comfortable before, during, and after surgeries. The use of laparoscopes in veterinary medicine is just one more example of how advancing technology is helping our pets. Also known as minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopy is reducing the pain of surgery and even helping to save lives! Watch this video to see actual footage of laparoscopic surgery.