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Ask the Doctor: Holiday Hazards to Watch For

December 19, 2012 by Heather

Written by Dr. Robert Heidecker

Question: With the holiday season upon us, what should I know or be watchful for to keep my pets safe?

Answer: There are many types of holiday hazards that pet owners need to be aware of and on the lookout for that can be poisonous or detrimental your pet’s health. **It is very important to contact our office or your veterinarian should your pet ingest any of the listed items below. (When in doubt, a call will never hurt).

Plants

1. Holly & Mistletoe – Both are highly poisonous to dogs and cats, and any ingestion should be reported to your veterinarian immediately.

2. Poinsettia – Mainly just causes vomiting and diarrhea in both dogs and cats.

3. Pine needles – There are 2 concerns. First, the needles are sharp and can damage the throat or intestines of your pet. Second, the sap is very irritating to your pet’s digestive tract.

Foods

1. Poultry bones such as turkey or chicken bones – These bones are sharp and can splinter causing damage of the esophagus or intestinal tract including punctures or perforations. It is very important to avoid giving your pet the opportunity to ingest these bones from trash or your kitchen counters or tables.

2. Chocolate – The most dangerous or toxic chocolate to your pet’s health is dark or baker’s chocolate. Even milk chocolate, if enough is ingested, can cause toxicity.

3. Fatty foods – Vets see numerous cases every year of very sick pets due to eating human foods that they should not be eating. Fatty foods can cause vomiting and diarrhea and in some instances pancreatitis, which can be life threatening.

4. Year round toxic foods – As ALWAYS, avoid your pet ingesting macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, onions, and xylitol-containing candies/gum/food products.

Christmas Hazards

1. Ornaments – Avoid your pet ingesting tinsel, ribbon, or glass or sharp ornaments or decorations.

2. Candles – Candles are a fire hazard and your pet does not know that. Candles can get knocked over by wagging tails or curious cats investigating and catching their hair or tails on fire. A good recommendation is to use flameless candles or at least place lit candles in a safe location where your pets cannot get to them.

3. Electrical cords – Keep cords out of pet’s reach as the most common thing we see at our office is pet’s getting electrocuted or their mouths burned from chewing on the cords.

4. Christmas Tree – Make sure to secure your tree or anchor it well as pets are curious and frequently knock them over hurting themselves or damaging your house or decorations.

5. Christmas Tree Water – Do not allow your pets to drink the tree water. This could make your pet very sick due to the needles and sap that gets into the water.

Holiday Hazards

December 19, 2012 by Heather

Written by Dr. Nina Mantione

Turkey dinners, sparkly trees, pine scented candles and beribboned packages are all the wonderful things we look forward to during the holiday season. And who doesn’t love to spoil their cats and dogs? Certainly there should be new fluffy beds and yummy treats just for them too. While the holiday season gives us a reason to spoil our four legged family members, it can also hold some hidden health risks you should be watchful for.

Holiday Meals

It is hard to resist the soulful brown eyes of your dog or the sweet little meow of your cat when they beg for a taste of the big feast, but feeding them from the table this time of year may end up making them sick. Rich fatty foods can lead to a bout of vomiting and diarrhea that we refer to as a gastroenteritis, and in some cases, eating a high fat meal can lead to pancreatitis, a sometimes life threatening inflammation of the pancreas. We should also be cautious about what foods we give our pets. Certain ingredients, like onions, chocolate, or raisins, can be toxic to our pets. If you really can’t resist a special treat from the table, a tiny piece of turkey with no sauce or skin is a good option to share.

Decorations

There may be nothing more tempting to a cat or young dog than holiday decorations! All of those twinkly lights and holly berries look like such fun to play with, and the Christmas tree offers a fun fort to hide under and climb. Aside from wrecking your expensive decorations, ingesting foreign objects is a quick way to land your pet in our office. In a worst case scenario, an object could lodge itself in the intestine, a condition we call a foreign body obstruction. Typically (but not always) an obstructed animal will vomit profusely and lose their appetite. Diagnosed via our physical exam and x-rays, an obstruction is a life threatening emergency. We recommend only supervised access to these holiday temptations and discourage any use of tinsel, which is especially appealing to cats.

Decorative candles and menorahs can pose another holiday hazard when curious cats or boisterous dogs are around. We’ve seen plenty of singed whiskers on our feline friends and more than one puppy who has gotten too close to the hot wax or open flame. Make sure candles are kept high enough to avoid being knocked over by a happy tail, and never leave them unattended when your cats are exploring.

Holiday Travel

If you plan to travel with your pet over the holidays, make sure he or she is up to date on all vaccines, particularly if you plan to cross state lines. You may want to bring your pet’s vaccine records just in case of emergency, as well as any extra doses of medications your pet may be on. If your pet has a chronic or serious health condition, you should bring along a copy of his or her medical records in the event you need to make an emergency visit to an out of town veterinarian. Make sure your pet has identification in the form of an ID tag and/or microchip. If your pet is wearing a tag, make sure it has a number where you can be reached while you are away (such as a cell phone).

Have a very safe and happy holiday! Spoil your furry friends (but not too much!), and don’t forget to put a stocking by the chimney for them too.

How To Brush Your Dog’s Teeth – And Why You Need To

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

You know it has to be done, but exactly how do you brush your dog’s teeth?

Brushing your dog’s teeth, combined with professional dental cleanings by a veterinarian, is a very important part of maintaining the animal’s health. A dog with healthy teeth and gums is more likely to keep its teeth for life, continue to eat hard food, and have less breath odor. In addition, dogs that have a consistent dental health regimen are less likely to develop bacterial infections of the bloodstream. Bacteria from the teeth are known to colonize the valves of the heart, causing a type of heart disease called bacterial endocarditis.

Dogs, especially the smaller breeds, actually require the same kind of care for their teeth as people do for theirs. Smaller breeds tend to acquire a tremendous amount of plaque and tartar on their teeth. This is most likely because they often do not chew on bones and other hard items that help with the mechanical breakdown of plaque and tartar, or eat soft, canned food rather than the hard varieties.

It is important to start brushing your dog’s teeth as early in life as possible. Never use human toothpaste, since it contains foaming agents that can cause the dog to vomit if swallowed. Veterinary toothpaste does not contain these foaming agents, so a dog may safely swallow it. Most dogs love the taste of the veterinary toothpaste, which comes in a variety of flavors, including chicken, beef, and malt. (Most pets will try to lick it off the brush before their teeth have been cleaned!) Also available are fluoride sprays and gels that can be applied to the teeth after brushing in order to help prevent tooth decay.

There are many different types of toothbrushes designed for dogs. Some fit over the finger and are called “finger brushes,” while others are very long and angled, with a wide brush head. These can be purchased from a veterinarian or a pet store. Some people use a human toothbrush with soft bristles that will not damage the gums.

Use the toothbrush on all the surfaces of your dog’s teeth — especially the back molars — at least one to two times a day. You’ll quickly see results in the dog’s breath odor. The long-term benefits to its teeth, gums, and general health, will be rewarding to both you and your pet.

How To Get Rid of Doggy Body Odor

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

How can you get rid of your dog’s foul body odor?

It is very common for owners to think that odors are coming from a dog’s hair when they may be originating from other places, including the mouth, feet, ears, and perianal area. Dental disease, yeast overgrowth on the paws, ear infection, and full anal glands may be causing the foul smell. Be sure that you carefully wash these areas or around these areas when bathing your dog. It is important that a veterinarian rule out any such problems during an examination.

Many odors can be associated with skin diseases. Pyoderma, a bacterial skin infection, yeast infection, and seborrhea, or excessively oily skin, may also cause a foul smell.

Your veterinarian will be able to determine if there is a medical cause for the smell and then recommend a specific treatment plan. Only rarely will a dog have severe odor radiating from the body for which a medical cause cannot be determined.

A specific prescription shampoo and possibly a rinse may be needed for the problem. Your veterinarian also will be able to guide you on how frequently you need to bathe your dog. Generally, a healthy dog should only be shampooed once a month or less, unless your veterinarian has prescribed otherwise.

Veterinarians frequently recommend that owners use a dog or pet shampoo and not a human shampoo because the pH of pet shampoos is different from that of human shampoos. General shampooing often will remove typical odors that dogs pick up on their hair coats.

The Right Exercise For Your Dog

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

What’s a good exercise routine for your dog?

There are many ways to exercise your dog, but the key is to start him out slowly and then steadily increase the length and intensity of his workouts. It is the same philosophy as with humans. Too much too fast will cause soreness and could even damage weak ligaments.

Walking is still one of the best exercises. A medium-sized dog should be walked about one and one-half to two miles a day. Some dogs also love to run, but I would recommend a two or three week walking routine before working up to short jogs. Use your own judgment as to when your dog has had enough by how he acts the following day. If he is getting stiff, or is slow to rise, you should slow things down a bit.

Games that dogs love to play also provide good exercise. Fetching thrown objects, or playing hide-and-seek when two or more people are present, are excellent diversions for dogs. We don’t recommend tug-of-war because it can cause damage to your dog’s teeth, and tends to increase aggressive tendencies.

Other means of exercise include agility training, doggy play-groups, and obedience classes. Most dogs enjoy these activities because it works their mind as well as their body. If you search out a play-group, try to find one that has dogs of similar ages and carefully “test” them together on leashes first. Sometimes play can get out of hand and escalate into a fight.

If you have any questions about your dog’s health and its ability to exercise safely, consult your regular veterinarian. A veterinary examination will reveal if an underlying heart condition or other problem exists that could make exercise dangerous.

Why Some Dogs Eat Feces

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

So your dog eats feces every time he goes outside?

Coprophagy, or eating feces, is an unpleasant but common behavior of dogs. Unfortunately, dogs can become infected with intestinal parasites by ingesting excrement, which may contain microscopic parasitic eggs. Since your pet has been eating feces, it is very important that your veterinarian evaluate a stool sample to look for infection.

There are several proposed causes for coprophagy. Boredom is one of them; the behavior is more prevalent in dogs that are crated for long periods of time without stimulation. In addition, dogs may eat their own waste as a way of “hiding the evidence” if they receive punishment for inappropriate defecation. Uncommonly, there are also some underlying medical conditions that are thought to be associated with coprophagy, such as a poor diet that is lacking in essential nutrients or vitamins. The problem also may be caused by a pancreatic enzyme deficiency.

Some behavioral experts feel that coprophagia may be related to a dog’s instinctual nature to scavenge for food. It is also possible that dogs eat their feces as a way of playing, learning, and sampling their environment.

Treatment of this problem can be challenging. The first step is to keep the area where the dog voids meticulously clean. This often means following the dog and immediately cleaning up the stool.

In addition, covering the stool with an ingredient that the dog dislikes may be helpful. Compounds such as red pepper sauce or bitter-tasting substances, which are available in pet stores, may discourage dogs from eating feces. You can also try sprinkling dog food with Accent meat tenderizer or MSG — monosodium glutamate — since these products may help discourage the eating of stool.

Try to deter your dog from this behavior early on, before it becomes a habit that is difficult to control.

Why Your Indoor Pet Needs Identification – ALWAYS

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

Does your indoor pet really need a collar with identification?

Yes! It is common for an otherwise indoor animal to escape outside and run away in fear. Therefore, all indoor animals should have a collar or some other type of identification on at all times. Identification information should include the animal’s name and the owner’s home phone number and address. This information can lead to the quick return of your pet.

Collars are not the only means of providing an animal with identification. Microchipping, which involves placing a tiny chip under the skin between the shoulder blades, is becoming quite popular. When a lost animal is picked up or brought into a veterinary hospital, humane society, or animal shelter, a scanner is used to detect the presence of a microchip; the identification information contained within the chip will appear on the scanner’s screen. These microchips can be placed by your veterinarian, and are a great way of permanently identifying an animal. A collar is still recommended, however, in case the pet is found by someone who does not have access to a scanner.

Why Your Dog Twitches During Sleep

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

What does it mean when your dog “twitches” or “jerks” while he or she is asleep?

This means that your dog is in a state of sleep that in humans is termed rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. It is during this time that humans, if awakened, say that they were dreaming. Veterinarians speculate that pets also dream. Although this has not been extensively studied, many veterinarians feel that dogs probably dream about chasing things, and playing with other animals and people. It is not necessary to wake REM-sleeping dogs up, as they will not harm themselves. A good, undisturbed nap will allow your dog to wake up feeling refreshed and able to play.

How To Help Your Dog Accept Your New Baby

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

You’re having a baby! But how can you help your dog accept the new addition to your family?

It is much better to give thought to this question now than to wait until after your baby is born. You have allowed yourselves some time to become educated and to train your dog to interact with the new family member.

Get at least two training books dealing specifically with children and dogs. There is a large amount of information available on how to make this transition as pleasant and stress-free as possible.

In addition, if your dog has not already completed a basic training course, we recommend enrolling it in one now. For the best chances of success, you and the other family members need to have complete control of your dog.

You should also carefully assess how your dog reacts to children of different ages. There are some dogs that do not tolerate children well, and they can be very difficult and dangerous to deal with. In extreme cases, it may be in the best interest of both your dog and baby to place the animal in a home that has no children.

The most important thing that you should remember is that you should NEVER leave your baby and your dog alone together, under any circumstances. Accidents happen, even with dogs that have shown no previous signs of aggression. Take the few seconds that it takes to put the dog in a crate or some other secure place. Do not risk your child being bitten or even killed by any dog, including your own. We hate to be so grim, but there are many sad stories of this very thing happening when it could have been prevented.

Other Preparation Tips:

Try to establish a workable feeding and exercise routine before the baby arrives.
Do not lavish your dog with extra attention that it will miss after the baby is born.
Allow the dog to explore the nursery and become familiar with the new items there. Train your dog to recognize that baby items are not dog toys. This may take some practice, since many baby toys look similar to dog toys.
Have someone bring home from the hospital a baby blanket with the baby’s scent on it. This will allow the dog to become familiar with the baby’s odor before it arrives.
Make the first meeting between animal and child no big deal, with little fan fare. Once you and the baby are calm and settled, let your dog come over to investigate. Do not force a dog to interact with the new “intruder.” Praise the dog calmly when it is near the baby.
Did you know that barking is less startling to a baby that has been exposed while in utero to the regular barking of a dog?

These are just a few suggestions but there is a lifetime of monitoring and training that you will need to do. If you are having any fears or trouble, you should contact a professional trainer immediately.

What’s With Your Dog’s Butt-Scootin’ Boogie?

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

Is your dog always scooting around the floor on his rear?

Anal gland impaction is a common reason that dogs scoot. Full anal glands cause irritation and pressure around the anus. Dogs scoot in an attempt to relieve the sensations. Your veterinarian can check your dog’s anal glands and express them, hence eliminating this as a potential problem.

Your dog should be checked for tapeworms and other intestinal parasites, as these may also cause dogs to scoot. Tapeworms commonly appear as “white rice” segments around the dog’s anus or in the stool. If you have seen this, tell your veterinarian.

Other potential causes of scooting can include sensitivity to diet, flea allergy, or skin infection.

Consult with your veterinarian for a specific diagnosis.