A "Pussy" Cat

Ah cat abscesses...

Ok...we all have a good laugh about this in vet medicine..discharge is not "pus-sy" but is more correctly described as "purulent." 

This is one of the most common things I see in cats that spend any time outdoors. It’s also one of my personal favorite problems to treat.  Some people find it a bit gross but popping a cat abscess is one of the most satisfying things to me. It’s a good thing too because you know there will be a successful outcome and you can immediately make the cat feel better.

These can appear a few days to a week or more after a bite or puncture wound. Most often it is another cat that has inflicted it. It’s often on the head/neck (the instigator!) or the tail/back (because they got it while running away).  

Sometimes the owner will see a swelling or the abscess will have even opened up and drained at home (on the cat or the couch). Cat pus is quite smelly so this is generally not something the owner is too pleased about. Frankly I am not either..I hate it when I don’t get to drain it! 

In any case, the cat can also come in for limping (if it happens on a leg), lethargy (many of these cats have a fever) or going off food.  

If it’s not already open and draining, we open it up, flush it out and let it heal. Sometimes, depending on where it is and how big it is, I may put a drain in it to keep it open for a few days. Cats are tremendous healers and sometimes they seal up too quickly! They need a rabies booster (any bite of unknown origin warrants this) and antibiotics. Even in cases where large amounts of skin are lost, these cats will heal! Sometimes it just takes a bit longer for the area to granulate in and close. 

The other concern is that these cats are at risk for contracting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) so they should be tested periodically if they go out and get into fights. 

Here's a cool link to a vet website that shows in a series of photos the draining of a nasty (or for me, AWESOME!) abscess:  Be Warned - for some this may be gross!

World Veterinary Year

I'm sure most of you don't know that this year marks the 250th year of veterinary medicine. Of course animals were likely treated for diseases well before this, but this year marks the anniversary of the founding of the first veterinary school in the world - Lyon, France.

Here's a quick bit from the AVMA website:

Veterinary medicine celebrates its 250^thbirthday!

Animal diseases and their treatment have played critical roles throughout history, with the earliest known documentation as long ago as 1900 B.C. The word "veterinarian" came into use in the mid-1600s, but veterinarians back then were trained by shadowing other veterinarians and learning by "trial and error," and there was no formalized education for veterinarians...that is, until the world's first veterinary school was founded in Lyon, France in 1761, revolutionizing the profession. In fact, many consider the year 1761 to be the true birth of the veterinary profession.

Since that time, veterinary medicine has rapidly evolved. The year 2011, or "Vet2011" as we call it, marks the 250^thanniversary of the first school dedicated to veterinary medical education and the birth of the veterinary credentialed profession — a celebration of two and a half centuries of protecting and preserving animal health, human health, and ecosystem health.

We have certainly come a long way in our ability to detect and cure disease and protect public health and I, for one, am very proud to be a member of this profession!

Rabies Vaccine: No excuse and plenty of good reasons!

Below is a list of just a few stories highlighting why you should have your pets vaccinated against rabies.  The story in Peru illustrates something else - we have bat rabies here in the US also - and there have been cases of humans being bit and NOT even knowing it. I know of one case where a young girl died and only after her death did they figure out it was due to a bat bite she got while sleeping.  So, the "well, my cat doesn't go out" excuse does not fly. There is no good reason to NOT vaccinate. Yes, it can be a 3 yr vaccine if your pet has had the initial one year vaccine. 


In many places there are free or discount rabies vaccine clinics. Even if you can't afford to do other vaccines or veterinary care, there is really no excuse to NOT have your pet vaccinated.  This applies to horses too as they often come into contact with rabid animals, including stray "barn" cats that many times are often NOT vaccinated. Cats are the top domestic animal to have rabies by the way.  


And for those of us working with animals, we need to be vaccinated too. We just never know what we are going to come into contact with! 


A Rabid Dog in a Shelter
A Big Problem in PA
A Horse in Virginia
Family Pets in GA Contract Rabies
Children in Peru Contracting Rabies from Bats
Rabid Racoon in FL

Why a Physical Exam is So Important

I love running diagnostics as much as the next guy. But it's days like the one I had earlier this week that remind me that there is no better test than a physical exam!  Now, having said that, there are MANY times when I cannot tell what is wrong just by looking, feeling and listening..ie you can't diagnose kidney failure or Lyme disease or Feline Leukemia WITHOUT blood tests.


The other day a dog came in "ADR" - for those NOT In the vet world that means "ain't doing right" and yes, THAT is used in vet medicine. Some use NDR (n=not). 
This is all the owner can report sometimes..a non-specific thing but they just KNOW their pet is off. They are usually very right. And they are often picking up on subtle things too.


This was a middle aged large breed dog with nothing really major going on clinically - just down a bit on eating, lethargic, a little trembling at home..nothing crazy though. And in the exam room, the dog was wagging her tail and still bright and alert. 


Then I listened to her chest and heard something that REALLY concerned me - her heart sounded like it was literally RIGHT up against the left side of her rib cage. I couldn't really hear good heart sounds on the right side. Normally, we DO hear louder sounds on the left vs the right but this was beyond normal. It can take years and many dogs/cats to really "get" normal instilled in your brain to the point that something SHOUTS at you like this! I knew in MY HEART that something was physically displacing the heart TO the left...ALL the way to the left. 


I didn't want to be right because, uh..that doesn't happen for any good reason. The best case scenario would be some sort of diaphragmatic hernia with abdominal contents IN the chest cavity - at least that could be surgically corrected. But this dog had no history of any trauma (and that takes pretty BIG trauma in a large dog). And then the history had been one of waxing/waning - she'd be off, then sorta ok, etc.   


I knew when I ordered the chest x-rays it wouldn't be good. The dog had a VERY large mass on the right side of her chest - visible on both views but glaringly obvious on the VD view (dog on her back showing us really clearly the left and right lung fields).  


Unfortunately, this wasn't the only "bad news" case that day where I was "right" based on my gut and the exam. 

Diseases that Crossed Species

Ok, I was going to do something different today but I came across this cool article and since I'm a total science geek, I had to share it. It's a quick read with some neat pictures.


Check it out!

February is National Spay-Neuter Month

By Lauren Masellas Sanford News Guest Columnist

Thursday, February 17, 2011

February is National Spay-Neuter Month, which means there is no better time than now to get your pet "fixed."

For the record, the term "spay" refers to surgically removing the reproductive organs of a female animal. The term "neuter" refers to removing the reproductive organs of a male animal. Many people simply use the term "fixed" or "altered" to indicate that an animal has been rendered incapable of producing young.

But no matter what you call it — and despite the fact that there is no current law requiring it — spaying or neutering is one of the most important health care items you can provide your pet. And here are some great reasons why!


The rest of the article


This article highlights some of the things we hear as to why a pet is not spayed or neutered. A few things I didn't see:


"it'll make my pet fat"  - your pet's metabolism, especially if it's a puppy or kitten - WILL go down as they mature no matter what and a spay/neuter can cause a decrease in metabolism - but I have seen plenty of FAT, unspayed or unneutered pets! You have to adjust the calorie intake to suit your animals breed, activity level, etc.  


"it'll change their personality" - well, maybe - for the better - they are generally calmer nicer pets to have and have a much lower likelihood of having aggressive tendencies (esp true for some dog breeds)


"she's so sweet, I'd like a pup from her" - yeah, so are A LARGE number of pets in shelters and foster homes


Look for a shift back to some medical or surgical educational stuff and  a few stories from the "front lines."

Is This Really a Good Idea?

No pet-store ban on Fort Collins ballot

By Monte Whaley
The Denver Post

A 21-year-old biology major at Colorado State University failed in her effort to get a proposal that would have banned the sale of animals at pet stores in Fort Collins on the April ballot.

But Laure Molitor says she succeeded in starting a debate about "puppy mills" and "kitten factories" supplying local pet stores with animals.

"It says a lot that a 21-year-old girl can rile up a city this much," said Molitor. "I think we definitely opened up a lot of people's minds, we started a dialogue."

Molitor needed to gather at least 2,517 signatures of registered voters to qualify the measure for the April ballot, but fell short by about 1,135 signatures, according to a review by the Fort Collins City Clerk's office.

More

This proposed ban was for dogs, cats AND birds, reptiles and rodents.  I understand the issues with "puppy mills" and "Kitten mill."  I have always advocated either going through a shelter or breed specific rescue or a reputable breeder. However, the birds, reptiles and rodents - not sure what they are thinking here. Where are people going to get those critters? And is the problem more at the source of the dogs and cats and if we can make sure that things are being done right on that end, this wouldn't be an issue.

Judge Dismisses Emotional Distress Claims in Loss of Pets

By COURTNEY POTTS

Observer-Dispatch

Posted Feb 17, 2011 @ 04:08 PM

Last update Feb 17, 2011 @ 04:25 PM

UTICA —

A year and a day after a Rome family lost their two dogs to a fire, a federal judge Tuesday dismissed the couple’s claims for emotional distress in a related civil lawsuit.

Bruce and Lisa Entelisano lost their dogs, Kimmy and Trevor, when a fire caused by a faulty kitchen stove destroyed their Massena Avenue home on Feb. 14, 2010. The couple later sued Sears Hardware and Electrolux Home Products for $150,000 on each of five causes of action – three related to actual damages and two related to the emotional distress caused by the death of their pets.

Read the rest here

So what do YOU think? Be careful...remember that while we all feel bad about situations like this, once you set a precedent, there are often many unwanted and unintended consequences. 

Like what you say? Well, a person takes the dog to the groomer and the dog has a medical condition and stresses out and dies (through NO fault of the groomer)...now she can be sued for maybe not only medical bills or the cost of the pet (maybe?) but emotional distress. Can the groomer sue for the emotional distress of losing a business due to attorney fees and possible the loss of the case? I don't think so.

Or you are a vet who loses a dog or cat (again, NOT even through any type of malpractice). Now it's not only maybe paying for the cost of the treatments, surgeries, etc AND maybe the replacement cost of a similar animal but MUCH more (depending on the judge, the owner, how VIP they are - think about it..this is how it often works in the world). So the vet's insurance goes up and guess what, so does the cost to the pet owners.  

I could think of of a ton more examples. 

Love Stories from Tabby's Place

One last nod to Valentine's Day from one of my favorite places: Tabby's Place

The Cape May Snow Leopard Cubs in Action

I was down at the zoo last week and got to see the "babies", which are now 9 months old. They have been moved to a separate area. Mom and Dad are back alone together...with the hope that romance will blossom once again and we'll have new cubs to go see!  


Note: I didn't bring my good camera this time. I was glad though because mom was sound asleep on a perch facing away from me..and these two, well..I wouldn't have a good shot with the way they were pacing around. So, you get video from my cell phone!

Something Vets Hate

...well, ok there is probably more than ONE thing but this is a big one (for me anyhow): Not having all the answers.  


Something this week prompted me to bring this up. I work at a variety of locations as a relief vet so I don't always know how things turn out with a particular case.


I found out this week that a sweet cat owned by some very nice folks passed away the day after I saw him.  The upsetting thing was that he came in for something NOT serious and even in the worst cases of this condition, they don't die from it.
He got some treatment and was sent home. Now this happened several weeks ago.  At this point, other than guessing based on what the owner's observed, there is no way to truly know.  I have a few ideas based on what they reported observing later that day and frankly, it sounds like it's truly a totally separate condition. Yes, that happens in the world of medicine - be it with animals or humans. You can be given a clean bill of health and then BOOM..I haven't met anyone yet who has that crystal ball. 


Ideally it would've been helpful to at least do a necropsy and see if there were any obvious causes but from what I suspect, that may have been difficult without some tissue being sent into the pathologist. And of course, if this isn't done in a fairly short window after death, all sorts of things can make this moot. 


This is the kind of stuff that truly torments your heart and mind. You wonder...


I prefer the mystery of why an animal I gave a very grave prognosis to is alive months to years after I predicted his demise.

A Controversial Topic

Poll: Most American pet owners okay with declawing cats

By SUE MANNING

The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 15, 2011; 5:09 AM

LOS ANGELES -- Cats scratch and dogs bark. Is declawing or debarking the answer?



Nearly 60 percent of American pet owners, including 55 percent of cat owners, say it is OK to have a cat declawed, but only 8 percent approve of having a dog's vocal cords removed, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll.


Experts say both surgeries are painful and alter the way the animals walk or talk.


Declawing a cat "is amputation. If you look at your fingers, declawing would be like amputating the last section of each finger. If you were declawed, you would have 10 little short fingers. It's amputation times 10," said veterinarian Louise Murray, vice president of the Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City. The hospital is part of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.


Read the rest of the article

This is one of those topics that can spark some intense debate among pet owners, veterinarians, and animal welfare groups.  


Most people don't really get into the debarking issue. It is illegal in some places, like NJ, unless deemed medically necessary (some vocal cord tumor, for example - RARE..never seen or even heard of one personally..but...). It came about because drug dealers like to have guard dogs that they debarked so as not to alert would be intruders, police, etc and then boom, someone gets bit! Yeah, nice people right?


But declawing is a much more common procedure that comes up. I know vets that will not do this procedure. It is their right to choose that. 


I do them and have 6 cats (including a 3 legged - front leg missing - cat) that are all front declawed. I can assure you none of my cats are in pain, suffering or lame or mutilated.  You wish you were one of my cats in fact..ugh. If I think about last night alone, I'm wondering if I should learn how to de-meow! (just kidding..please!).  


First of all, I do encourage this to be done at a young age - at the time of spay or neuter - one anesthesia, the kittens heal better the younger they are AND they are smaller (less weight on those healing feet). It does involve removing P3, which is the final bone at the tip of the toe. That is where the nail grows out of and if you don't remove all of it, guess what? Sometime in the future, including YEARS later, you will get nail regrowth - often at an odd angle and maybe through the pad, etc.   


Is it painful? Yes. We use pain medications during and after surgery. Spaying is painful too but I don't see anyone arguing about that.  Ear cropping is very painful but breed standards STILL dictate that a Great Dane or a Doberman have them done. Personally, I think the dogs are CUTE as heck with ears!  


I HAVE done them in older cats - with caveats to the owners that it WILL take longer to heal - especially if they are (and often they are) FAT cats.  I have done ALL FOUR paws but only in VERY special households - diabetic owners, owners on blood thinners or on immunosuppressive drugs or with cancer/HIV, etc. This is not a large number of cats by any means. Even people with these issues, often find that the rear claws do NOT cause a problem.  


As with any procedure you can have complications but it's also dependent on the surgeon AND on the post-op home care (and if the owners follow instructions as to litter type and making sure kitty isn't licking and chewing at her feet!). 


Here's my issue: this is totally up to the owner and their veterinarian and a discussion of risks and issues for EACH INDIVIDUAL situation. Well, in West Hollywood, CA, they have OUTLAWED this. Yes, they are NOT veterinarians (though they have some vets that support them). BUT this is the government getting involved in what should be a medical decision between a client and a veterinarian.  Who are they to decide that? You know what? I love my cats. Anyone that knows me, knows they are spoiled and I've totally rearranged my house, my life and even lost HOURS of sleep due to them but I can't go through couches and I work hard for a decent home. If a cat is clawing through my furniture (and they were AND let me tell you that ALL the scratching posts, herbal sprays and squirt guns, etc do NOT always work), would it be better for me to give kitty up or have her declawed?  A dangerous precedent has been set by this city council to dictate what a veterinarian can and can't do.  It's a slippery slope my friends.  And be aware of the same in the human medical world too!
Leave the medical and surgical decisions up to those best trained to know - veterinarians and pet owners. 

A Sugar Substitute That is Toxic to Pets

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is used as a substitute for sugar in many candies and gums. There are others out there of course so to KNOW for sure, you must read the packaging. 


This compound is potentially deadly - yes DEADLY - to your pet should they ingest it. The scary thing is that it doesn't necessarily take a lot and it's not necessarily that a large dog can eat "x" amount and be ok, while a small dog can't. It does not appear dose dependent at all!

What is seen is mainly a drop in blood sugar to dangerously low levels and in some animals, acute liver failure. Some animals have survived but others have died from eating just a few Tic-Tacs or getting into some chewing gum.


I have had a few clients come in for either a routine visit or another problem altogether and non-chalantly mention that "the other day my dog was bad..yeah she ate some of the gum I had laying on the coffee table."


Then I have to explain to them how serious this can be and NOW we need to get some bloodwork and very likely some follow up bloodwork in a few days.  For animals that are affected clinically, they need to be hospitalized and given supportive care (IV fluids, dextrose, liver support supplements, etc).


The worst thing about this is that there seems to be a lack of awareness among most pet owners on the dangers of this product.  


Now we are also facing an issue because this has been used in some liquid human (and  especially children's) medication formulations. It IS a great product and diabetics and dentists alike love it. It doesn't have these detrimental effects on humans. But sometimes, as vets, we have to prescribe a human formulation and in many cases, the liquid version may be easier to dose, especially for our smaller patients. Be aware of this and always check the labels of any products you are giving your dog that have come from a human pharmacy.  

What Flu Season Means for Your Cat

I just received a notice from the AVMA about a cat that had confirmed H1N1 influenza. This cat caught this from it's owner. This is the not the first time a cat has caught the flu from it's owner. In those cases, there was one that died but others that survived (they were not all from the same household or state). There was also confirmed cases in ferrets, which are already known to be susceptible to human respiratory bugs. This cat, and a second cat in the household which did NOT test positive, both died of respiratory disease. Thus far, no cases have gone from cat to human.


This is not a cause for panic. But if your cat has any signs of upper respiratory disease - including sneezing, eye or nose discharge, going off food, lethargy, not eating and anything that seems "off" to you, please call your vet.


Let me just add that testing for this can take time and often the animal is either better or not. There is no specific "flu" treatment. We would treat this as any other respiratory infection - antibiotics to cover primary or secondary bacterial infections, fluids, appetite stimulants, etc  +/- hospitalization depending on how sick the cat is.  


A great resource is here at AVMA. This includes more info - via links you can click on - on "swine flu" and  FAQs for Pet Owners.

What NOT to Give Your Dog for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! 

There are several holidays during the year - such as this one - where there is more access for our dogs to chocolate and candy.  

Most of the chocolate we consume  - M&M’s, Snicker’s bars, Reese’s peanut butter cups, etc - are not going to contain enough of the stuff we worry about to cause a problem - esp in a large dog. AND of course, this is as long as they didn’t eat the whole bag or bags of it (then wrappers sometimes become a problem too = obstruction).   I am not advocating GIVING them any of this as it can still cause gastrointestinal upset and sometimes, pancreatitis (a potentially more serious medical problem) but if your dog gets into a few m&m’s don’t panic!  But do call your vet and let them know how much you know or think he got into and when you think it happened. They can best advise you on what to expect.

The compounds that cause the problem in chocolate are called methylxanthines. These include theobromine and caffeine. The affect the gastrointestinal, nervous and cardiovascular systems. 

The worst offender is the cocoa beans themselves, followed by baking chocolate. Here’s a breakdown of the mg of methylxanthines per gram of chocolate:

Cocoa bean 14-53

Baking chocolate     16

Semisweet chocolate       9

Milk chocolate               2

Hot chocolate                   0.4

White chocolate   0.05 (not really chocolate!)

  ---this has a lot of fat and sugar though..so you have a better chance of pancreatitis  with  this “chocolate”

According to the ASPCA Animal Posion Control Center as little as 20 oz of milk chocolate or 2 oz of baking chocolate can cause problems in a 10 lb dog. Of course lower doses may not be fatal but still make the dog very sick!   

The most common signs are vomiting and diarrhea but in more severe cases, we see restlessness, hyperactivity, tremors and seizures. On exam, the dog will have an elevated heart and respiratory rate and a low blood pressure.  Death can occur from heart failure. 

Fortunately most of these cases respond to supportive care. If the dog has JUST eaten it, we can advise you on how to make him bring it back up - hopefully! If he doesn’t vomit or it’s been too long OR he’s already showing signs of toxicity, we’ll have you come in and we’ll administer activated charcoal and give IV fluids and gastrointestinal medications. 

Let me add another possible thing you MAY not think would tempt some dogs (unless you own a Lab and then you know that NOTHING is off limits!) - coffee beans or grounds. I recall a patient that ingested some around Christmas - they were flavored beans so they smelled like dessert! 

Westminster Dog Show - New Breeds This Year!

In honor of a friend who is showing her French Bulldogs at Westminster this year, I thought I'd share a bit of news about this prestigious show. 


First good luck Terri!! 

NOT her dog..just a pic of a Frenchie

So this year, they are having 6 new breeds represented in the show (where they have a total of 179 breeds and varieties being shown!). Now these are not "new breeds" that were recently developed. It's just that sometimes breeds are not recognized by the AKC. They still exist of course! But the AKC has certain standards they look for - including conclusive, documented proof that a certain breed was consistent through so many generations and that there is enough interest in that breed in the US. There are MANY breeds in Europe and elsewhere that you've never heard of! 
If you want more info on any of these, Google the breed name. 


They are:


1. Icelandic Sheepdog

 -never saw one


2. Leonberger

-had one client in Sussex County that had a few - nice dogs


3. Boykin spaniel

-never saw one but I recall a tech mentioning it once..she thought it was something someone made up...admittedly the name sounds funny...think about it..


4. Cane Corso

-have seen and dealt with several - some people are afraid of them - but they are protective dogs that have been used as guard dogs - I have seen very sweet ones (that were properly socialized!)


5. Bluetick Coonhound

-seen these guys...very nice dogs


6. Redbone Coonhound

-seen these too - maybe 1 or 2 in 13 yrs but hounds are generally nice dogs


The Official Westminster Website