As veterinarians, one of the most serious — and preventable — diseases we see in dogs and cats is heartworm disease . Sadly, there have been increases in the percentage of infected animals in recent years. Many pet owners are familiar with heartworms, but few understand how they spread, the severity of the damage they cause, and the importance of prevention. What Are Heartworms? Heartworms ( Dirofilaria immitis ) are parasitic worms that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected pets. They can grow up to 12 inches long  and cause severe, potentially fatal damage. While dogs are the most commonly affected, cats, ferrets, foxes, coyotes, wolves, raccoons, opossums, seals, and sea lions can also be infected. The Heartworm Life Cycle Understanding the cycle helps explain why prevention is crucial: Mosquito bite  – A mosquito bites an infected animal and picks up microscopic larvae (called microfilariae). Mosquito spreads larvae  – When the mosquito bites another dog or cat, it transmits the larvae. Larvae develop  – Over 6–7 months, larvae mature into adult worms living in the heart and lungs. Reproduction – Adult worms release more microfilariae into the bloodstream, ready to be picked up by more mosquitoes. This cycle makes mosquitoes the essential carrier , which is why heartworms are a risk even for indoor pets. Heartworm Disease in Dogs Dogs are the natural host for heartworms, meaning worms can live and reproduce inside them. Mild infection signs : coughing, fatigue, weight loss. Severe infection signs : heart failure, lung disease, collapse, and sudden death. Heartworm Disease in Cats Cats are much more resistant to heartworms, but are still at risk. Even one or two worms can cause serious problems and even be fatal. Signs include coughing, vomiting, breathing difficulty, or sudden death. There is no safe treatment  for cats — only prevention. Prevention Is Key Heartworm disease is easier to prevent than to treat . Monthly preventives (oral, topical, or injectable) kill larvae before they mature. Dogs should be tested annually, even while on prevention, to ensure protection. Prevention should be given year-round, especially in mosquito-heavy states like Florida. There is evidence of some heartworms becoming resistant to heartworm preventives, primarily in the Mississippi River Valley. ✅  Bottom Line:  Heartworm disease is dangerous, widespread, and potentially fatal — but absolutely preventable  with consistent protection.

As pet parents, it’s often tempting to share our favorite snacks with our furry friends—but some human foods can be quite harmful, even toxic, to dogs and cats. And, of course, sometimes our pets get into food unintentionally. Knowing what foods to avoid helps keep your pets safe and healthy.  ----Common Foods to Keep Away from Pets----   Grapes and Raisins  – Even small amounts can cause kidney failure in dogs and even brain damage has been documented. The toxic principle is tartaric acid (yes, avoid cream of tartar also) and the amount varies markedly in grapes and raisins. The risk is huge, so grapes and raisins should just be avoided entirely.  Xylitol (found in sugar-free gum, candy, peanut butter, tooth pastes and a large number of food products)  – Can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar and life-threatening liver failure in dogs. This is one of the most hazardous food items, and it is quietly present in a large variety of food products.  Chocolate  – Contains theobromine and caffeine, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures and even death. The severity of the danger depends on the type and amount of chocolate and the size of the pet. Dark chocolate is especially dangerous due to higher theobromine levels.  Alcohol and Caffeine  – Both can be life-threatening, even in relatively small amounts. Ingestion of yeast dough can lead to alcohol toxicity also.  Onions, Garlic, Chives  – These can damage red blood cells, leading to anemia, A tiny amount isn’t usually harmful, but none at all is the safest bet.  Bones and Fatty Foods  – Bones can splinter and cause internal injuries such as bowel perforation while fatty foods may lead to pancreatitis.  Dairy  – Many pets are simply lactose intolerant, leading to stomach upset. Not truly poisonous, but it can make them sick.  Safe Alternatives   Instead of an array of human foods, try pet-safe treats like small pieces of cooked chicken (no skin), carrots, green beans, or store-bought treats made just for pets.   When in Doubt   If your pet eats something they shouldn’t, call your veterinarian right away or contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.    👉  Bottom line:  Our pets rely on us to make safe choices for them and protect them from their own indiscriminate “grazing”. Sticking to pet-approved foods and treats is the best way to prevent food-related illness. And if you have a “counter-surfer”, be aware of the more dangerous food products to help prevent accidental poisoning.      For further information, see related sites:    Grapes/Raisins: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=6137765     Xylitol :  https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/paws-xylitol-toxic-dogs     Chocolate: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/leave-chocolate-out-rovers-celebrations      Alcohol/Yeast Dough: https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/drunk-and-disorderly-ethanol-and-yeast-dough-intoxications     Caffeine: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-safety-tips/is-caffeine-poisonous-to-dogs/     Onion/Garlic/Chives: https://vetmeds.org/pet-poison-control-list/Onions-Garlic-and-Chives/#!form/PPCDonations

A professional dental cleaning involves many steps and CORE is actually a better description of the process as it is performed in our pets. Since they do not brush and floss daily, we see advanced periodontal and dental pathology in our pets regularly. A shocking 90% of dogs have evidence of periodontal disease by one year of age! The dogs at the highest risk of periodontal disease should have their first professional cleaning and assessment at one year of age. Our small breed dogs, those with an adult weight of 12lbs or less, are at the highest risk for early pathology. This is likely due to both crowding of the teeth in the small jaw and to heredity factors.                                                                          Young Pomeranian w/ Crowding and retained baby teeth   Some larger breed dogs also have higher than normal periodontal disease risk and that includes Dachshunds (all sizes), Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Greyhounds and the brachycephalic breeds like Boxers, English and French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers and Pugs.  Greyhound w/ Periodontal Disease   Most other dog breeds typically have their first professional CORE procedure at the age of 3 to 5 depending on their yearly oral exam findings. Most cats fall in that same range although along with periodontal disease, they have additional problems with tooth resorption, a peculiar problem where the teeth begin to reabsorb, a very painful process. By the age of 8, most cats have at least one tooth affected by this uncomfortable, progressive disease Dental X-ray of Cat w/ Resorptive Disease By addressing periodontal disease early, we can try to mitigate the problem and save teeth. If the pathology is not discovered until they have bone loss and deep periodontal pockets, the affected teeth often simply cannot be salvaged. And most importantly, those teeth are infected and painful and the dog is living with that all the while. Many pets reveal no symptoms of their dental disease to their owners. They must eat to survive, and so they soldier on even with very painful oral problems.   Twice yearly dental exams can help detect these problems before they progress to end stage teeth. Ultimately, only x-ray will reveal everything, but the dental exam during a physical often gives us many clues as to the likelihood of disease below the gum too. A complete professional dental cleaning includes: 1)      Pre-anesthetic evaluation and laboratory assessment for anesthesia 2)     Individualized anesthesia and intensive monitoring by trained professional staff using state of the art monitoring equipment 3)     Antiseptic pre-rinse to decrease bacterial load 4)     Supra-gingival cleaning above the gumline – ultrasonic and hand scaling 5)     Subgingival scaling – below the gumline – the most critical area 6)     Thorough polishing of all surfaces to decrease rough spots for tartar to attach 7)     Lavage of the sulcus of the gingiva to clear any debris & bacteria 8)     Complete oral exam and measurement of periodontal pockets (all charted) 9)     Full mouth dental radiographs (x-rays) to reveal the 60% of the tooth that isn’t visible as well as the crowns of the teeth 10)  Treatment planning and therapy as indicated on the exam and radiographs 11)   Application of Barrier sealant 12)  Anesthetic recovery and return to owner 13)   A home care plan for maintaining dental health after the professional care   The most common problems found on a CORE procedure: Ø  Periodontal disease  – like people, this is very common and the infection and inflammation leads to bone loss and damage to the periodontal ligament leading to painfully loose teeth Ø  Fractured teeth  – these are quite common and often the result of chewing on hard items such as antlers, cow hooves, bones, nylon toys, etc.. For cats, this is most often due to a clumsy landing and fractured front teeth. Some fractures are actually in the root below the gum and are not visible. Ø  Non-viable (or dead) teeth  – also the result of chewing on hard items or forceful play or trauma to the tooth Ø  Resorptive lesions  in cats causing painful exposure of the root structure (and less commonly in dogs) Ø  Dental abscesses , usually at the hidden tip of the tooth root and visible on x-ray. Many of these teeth may appear normal above the gum line. Ø  Crowded teeth  that have erupted obliquely because the jaw isn’t large enough to accommodate all the teeth – this leads to damage to the adjacent teeth and dental structures. Ø  Retained Deciduous teeth  (baby teeth) that never shed and cause crowding and decay of the adjacent adult teeth Dental X-ray of Dog w/ a Fractured Tooth Root   Dental X-ray of Dog w/ an Abscessed Tooth Root Dental X-ray of Fractured Crown of a Tooth   Is anesthesia necessary – absolutely yes! A safe, effective cleaning and dental x-rays can only be done with general anesthesia, although it is typically a very light plane of anesthesia as compared with general surgery.    A recent study demonstrated that patients who received anesthesia-free dental procedures had more severe dental disease than those who did not have such a procedure.

Lantana Bush Florida’s warm climate allows for a lush, tropical landscape—but it also means that many potentially toxic plants grow abundantly in yards, parks, and neighborhoods. While beautiful, these outdoor plants can pose serious health risks to your pets, especially curious dogs and cats that like to nibble, chew, or dig. As veterinarians, we see far too many cases of accidental plant poisoning. Here’s what every Florida pet owner needs to know about the dangers of outdoor plants and how to protect their furry companions. 🌿 Why Outdoor Plants Can Be Dangerous to Pets Many common landscaping plants contain natural toxins that help the plant defend itself from insects or animals—but those same chemicals can be harmful, or even deadly, to pets. Depending on the plant and the amount ingested, symptoms may range from mild gastrointestinal upset to life-threatening heart, kidney, or neurological damage. 🌴 Top Toxic Outdoor Plants Common in Florida Below are some of the most dangerous—and most common—outdoor plants you might encounter in Florida yards or gardens: 1. Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) Extremely toxic , especially the seeds (nuts) Toxins: Cycasin Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, liver failure, and death Note: Just one seed can be fatal for a small dog 2. Oleander (Nerium oleander) Toxins: Cardiac glycosides Symptoms: Drooling, vomiting, slow or irregular heartbeat, collapse, death Highly toxic even in small amounts 3. Lantana (Lantana camara) Common in landscaping Toxins: Lantadene A and B Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, liver damage, weakness 4. Azaleas and Rhododendrons Toxins: Grayanotoxins Symptoms: Vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness, heart arrhythmias 5. Hibiscus (Certain Varieties) Generally mildly toxic Symptoms: Vomiting or diarrhea (especially in dogs) 6. Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia) Ornamental plant with large, hanging flowers Toxins: Scopolamine, atropine Symptoms: Disorientation, tremors, seizures, respiratory issues ⚠️ What to Do If You Suspect Plant Poisoning If you think your pet has chewed or ingested a toxic plant: Stay calm  and remove your pet from the area. Identify the plant , if possible (take a photo or bring a sample). Call your veterinarian immediately  or contact: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center:  (888) 426-4435 Pet Poison Helpline:  (855) 764-7661 Time is critical—early intervention can save your pet’s life. 🌼 Safer Landscaping Options for Pet-Friendly Gardens Consider swapping toxic plants for safer alternatives like: Marigolds Bromeliads Spider plants Boston ferns Pet grass Be sure to double-check any plant’s toxicity status before planting. 🐾 Tips for Protecting Pets Outdoors Supervise pets  when they're outside, especially in new environments. Avoid allowing pets to roam unsupervised  in unfamiliar yards or parks. Teach dogs the “leave it” command  to avoid curious snacking. Know what’s growing  in your yard and remove any hazardous plants. 👩‍⚕️ From Your Veterinarian At Country Oaks Animal Hospital, we believe prevention is the best medicine. Knowing which plants are harmful and taking steps to limit your pet’s exposure can save you from an emergency visit—and potentially save your pet’s life. If you’re ever unsure whether a plant is pet-safe, don’t hesitate to call us.

Peace Lily Many pet owners love decorating their homes with beautiful houseplants. But did you know that several popular indoor plants can be toxic to dogs, cats, and other pets? At Country Oaks Animal Hospital, we often see cases where curious pets nibble on plants, leading to illness — or worse. Let’s explore the most common dangerous indoor plants for pets and how you can keep your furry friends safe.    Top Toxic Indoor House Plants for Dogs and Other Pets   1️. Sago Palm   Toxic parts:  All parts, especially the seeds (nuts)  Symptoms:  Vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, liver failure, and even death  Note:  Even a small amount can be life-threatening.    2️. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)   Toxic parts:  Leaves and stems  Symptoms:  Oral irritation, drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing    3️. Aloe Vera   Toxic parts:  Latex in the leaves  Symptoms:  Vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, tremors    4️. Philodendron   Toxic parts:  All parts  Symptoms:  Mouth and tongue irritation, drooling, difficulty swallowing, vomiting    5️. Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)   Toxic parts:  All parts  Symptoms:  Severe mouth irritation, swelling, drooling, difficulty breathing    6️. Pothos (Devil’s Ivy)   Toxic parts:  All parts  Symptoms:  Oral irritation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing    7️. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)   Toxic parts:  All parts  Symptoms:  Stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea    8️. Snake Plant (Sansevieria)   Toxic parts:  All parts  Symptoms:  Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea    Signs Your Pet May Have Eaten a Toxic Plant   If your dog, cat, or small pet has chewed on a toxic plant, watch for:  Vomiting  Diarrhea  Drooling  Lethargy  Loss of appetite  Difficulty breathing  Swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat  👉  If you see these signs, call Country Oaks Animal Hospital or an Emergency Veterinary facility immediately.     Pet-Safe Alternatives to Toxic Houseplants   Instead of risky indoor plants, consider these pet-safe options: 🌿 Spider Plant 🌿 Areca Palm 🌿 Bamboo Palm 🌿 Calathea 🌿 Boston Fern  These add greenery without endangering your pet’s health.    How to Prevent Plant Poisoning in Pets   ✅ Keep toxic plants out of reach (or better, out of the home) ✅ Train pets not to chew on plants ✅ Provide pet-friendly grass or herbs (like cat grass) ✅ Supervise curious pets, especially puppies and kittens    Final Thoughts: Create a Pet-Safe Indoor Jungle   Indoor plants can brighten up any Florida home but always choose greenery that won’t harm your pets. At Country Oaks Animal Hospital, we’re happy to answer any questions about pet-safe houseplants and what to do if your pet ingests something dangerous.    👉  Call us at 727-785-6524 if you suspect plant poisoning or need advice on keeping your pets safe.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection resulting from contact with infected wildlife, urine from infected dogs or contaminated water or food. Twenty and thirty years ago, this was primarily a rural disease and often associated with cattle. Unfortunately, the two strains (or serovars) that used to cause most of the Leptospirosis in pet dogs have been surpassed by two additional strains which are now causing the majority of disease in dogs. Furthermore, these two new strains (serovars) seem to be flourishing in suburban and urban environments and are increasing in prevalence nationwide. Pinellas, Pasco & Hillsborough counties have joined the ranks of Florida counties with confirmed cases of Leptospirosis in pet dogs. A vaccine to help protect against these four pathogenic strains is finally available from a reputable vaccine manufacturer (Zoetis). Two additional strains or serovars are currently being studied to determine if they are also contributing to the recent increases in cases of Leptospirosis in pet dogs. Most dogs in populated areas become infected from drinking contaminated water or coming in contact with contaminated urine. This water (puddles, ponds, outdoor water bowls, creeks) may become contaminated by infected carriers such as raccoons, opossums, citrus rats and other rodents. The Leptospira bacteria can live in the water for months. Leptospira bacteria infect the kidneys and liver, causing fever, anorexia, depression and generalized pain initially. Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that the early signs of Leptospirosis are vague and nonspecific. Most animals will progress to acute kidney failure and mortality rates in untreated, unvaccinated dogs may vary from 10% to 75%, depending on the serovar involved. Vaccination will not only help prevent the disease, but will also reduce the symptoms and prevent shedding of the bacteria should a breakthrough occur. Two vaccinations are given 3 weeks apart and then followed by an annual booster. Leptospirosis is also contagious to humans (although uncommon) and this further adds to our concern with this reemerging disease. It is also a potentially life threatening disease in humans, again primarily by causing kidney damage. The mortality rate in humans with the kidney and liver form is about 10%. There currently is no vaccination for humans. Given the current increase in prevalence of the emerging strains of Leptospira bacteria, we are recommending this vaccine for all our canine patients over the age of 10-11 weeks. Immunization against Leptospirosis is now required for canine visitors to the boarding kennel and medical facilities due to the increasing numbers of urban and suburban dogs contracting this insidious disease.

Florida summers bring intense heat — and with it, an often-overlooked hazard for our pets: scorching pavement temperatures . While we wear shoes to protect our feet, our pets walk barefoot, exposing their sensitive paw pads directly to surfaces that can reach dangerously high temperatures.  As your trusted veterinary care partner, we want to raise awareness about how hot pavement can become, what it means for your pet’s safety, and how to prevent painful injuries during your daily walks.  How Hot Does Pavement Get in Florida?   During summer, outdoor surfaces like asphalt and concrete absorb and retain heat much more than the surrounding air. Here’s how quickly things heat up:  Air Temperature   Asphalt/Pavement Temperature   77°F (25°C)  125°F (52°C)  87°F (30.5°C)  143°F (62°C)  95°F+ (35°C+)  150–160°F (65–71°C)  At 125°F , skin damage can occur in just 60 seconds .  At 140°F , burns can happen in under 5 seconds .  For our four-legged friends, that means even a short walk on a sunny day can cause second- or third-degree burns to their paw pads.    Who’s Most at Risk?   Dogs and cats , especially those with thin or light-colored paw pads  Senior pets  and animals with arthritis or mobility issues (slower movement = longer contact time)  Small pets  like rabbits or ferrets allowed outdoors  Puppies and kittens  with developing paw pads    Signs Your Pet May Have Burned Paws   Watch for these symptoms after outdoor exposure:  Limping or reluctance to walk  Licking or chewing paws  Red, swollen, or visibly blistered paw pads  Crying or whining when feet are touched  Darkened paw pad color (a sign of serious burn)  If you suspect burns, rinse the paws with cool water and call your veterinarian immediately.    Simple Steps to Keep Your Pet Safe   1. Use the 7-Second Rule  Place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you can't hold it for 7 seconds, it’s too hot for your pet’s paws.  2. Walk During Cooler Hours  Stick to early mornings and late evenings, when surfaces have had time to cool.  3. Stay on Grass or Shaded Routes  Avoid asphalt and concrete where possible — grassy paths and shaded sidewalks are safer.  4. Use Paw Protection  Dog booties or paw balms (like musher’s wax) can create a barrier between the paws and hot surfaces. Just be sure to introduce them gradually so your pet is comfortable.  5. Shorten Outdoor Time  Limit time outside during the heat of the day. Always bring water and take frequent breaks in the shade.  6. Never Leave Pets in Parked Cars  Even with windows cracked, interior temperatures can rise dangerously fast.    Our Commitment to Your Pet’s Health   At Country Oaks Animal Hospital, we see firsthand the injuries pets can suffer during the Florida summer — but with proper awareness and prevention, they’re completely avoidable.  If you notice signs of paw pad burns, heatstroke, or unusual behavior after time outdoors, don’t wait. Contact us immediately  so we can help your pet heal and stay safe.    Have questions about summer safety for your pet? Call us at 727-858-5056 or schedule a wellness exam today.   Stay cool, stay safe — and protect those paws!  🐾

Hey! You! Yes – you. You know that feeling when you get in a hot car after it’s been sitting, baking in the sweltering sun all day? That cloying, sweaty, Corinthian-leather-sticking-to-the-back-of-your-thighs, tight in the chest, oh-when-will-the-A/C-kick-in feeling? Well, add in a heavy fur coat and the inability to sweat and that’s your dog in a hot car.Dogs die in hot cars – it’s even the name of a band (pretty catchy tunes, too). But beyond the funny band names, the reality of the situation is no laughing matter. I don’t want to dwell on the morbid reality of just what goes on inside the car when a dog is stuck in there on a hot day, so instead I’ll provide this list of alternate things you can do inside a hot car: • Bake a pizza • Soft-boil an egg • Defrost some fish filets for making lutefisk • Science experiment: Magically turn ice into flowing liquid water! (Take that, Nova!) • Produce certain kinds of eastern European cheeses. Any of those would be better, ethically and pet-ownershipically speaking, than leaving your dog to suffer in the confines of a hot car. Your dog is better than lutefisk! And lutefisk is delicious, trust me.What does a dog look like in a hot car? Miserable is what. It looks like a miserable, sad, melting dog. And they’re not just uncomfortable – after just a few minutes, uncomfortable slides over into wretched agony which then runs right the heck into blood-boiling deadly. And dogs don’t sweat to get rid of body heat – they can’t sweat. Mother Nature let the summer intern design the whole canine HVAC system. Instead they pant to try and dissipate the extra heat. But since they are locked in with no ventilation, they only make more heat by trying to pant. After a bit, they give up on panting and just sort of droop like an over-boiled noodle. And after that…well, you get the picture. Just how long it takes to go from happy tail-waggity pup to one who is peeing on heavenly fire hydrants depends on the size of the dog and the heat and humidity of the day, but it is safe to say that in just a few minutes, you can go from new-car smell to hot car hell. So the first way to prevent this sad turn of events is to leave the pooch (or cat, or capybara or whatever) at home and ask Aunt Gladys to watch over them while you run to the store for more Mogen David (L’chaim!) or rutabaga to go with the lutefisk (Uff da!). In all the cases that I have ever treated ? and I have treated many, many, many, too many cases of heat stroke ? the situation was entirely preventable. The guilt and shame felt by those owners were immense, and they could have saved themselves a whole world of heartache (not to mention keeping a whole buncha dogs here on earth where they belong) if only they had stopped and thought for a sec about the dangers of heat stroke in a hot car, or made some alternate pooch plans. Is it still even a thing? Sad to say, but – yes. Dogs are left in hot cars every day. The only way to prevent it is to raise awareness, as we here at VetzInsight are trying to do. Plus we are pushing lutefisk as a nutritious snack for Norwegians and non-Norwegians alike – this PSA has been brought to you by a generous grant from the North American Lutefisk Isn’t as Gross and Slimy as You’ve Been Led to Believe Council®. If you do see a dog in a hot car, first try and (calmly, gently) find the owner and see if they will get the dog out. Go to the store that they are likely in and ask the management to make an announcement over the PA. Alternatively, you could hop the counter at Customer Service, grab the mic and start screaming “Will the troglodyte who locked their dog in a hot car please go get them out before I find you and go all Pompeii on your buttocks?” Either is an effective strategy, just one is more fun. The NA Lutefisk IAGASAYBLTB Council® frowns on property destruction, so smashing a car window with a brick and busting out the dog all on your lonesome is a step best reserved for desperate cases and those with adequate legal counsel. Calling for help from the police is always a good idea when you see a dog in a hot car; let them deal with the troglodytes and window-smashing bricks. Wouldn’t that leave you with more time to go soak your whitefish in lye?When you get the dog out of the scalding car, what do you do? Job #1 is to get them cooled down, and cold water is the best way to do it. Soak them, put a fan on them, and get them in the shade. Minus the lye, it is similar to preparing whitefish for lutefisk. If they can drink (meaning, no vomiting and they are able to hold their head up) then drinking cool water will help. If they can’t get up, have trouble breathing or just seem droopy and melty, stop making lutefisk and get them to a veterinary emergency hospital posthaste! (Which means ‘now’ only sooner.) The faster they are cooled off and the sooner they get medical attention, the better their chances are for recovery. You could also use their erstwhile instrument of destruction – the car – to save the day. Crank the A/C, and drive them to a vet hospital! It has a sort of beautiful ironic symmetry to it (kind of like the palindromic Finnish word saippuakalasalakauppias, which means “lutefisk smuggler.” I did not make that up!) Your course of action is now as clear as an unmuddied lake or a Norwegian fjord: • Don’t leave your dog in a cool car on a hot day as the car will become hot. Remember: time passes and the earth rotates and the day warms up! • Don’t leave your dog in a hot car • Help out those unfortunates who do by busting out the dog • Aid their inept owners by encouraging them to hit themselves in the forehead with a big hammer • Go home and enjoy some refreshing, cold lutefisk! You don’t have to be a saippuakalasalakauppias to love it anymore – anyone can! (Just don’t share it with your dogs – they’ll think it’s totally gross.)

The High Points • Cats are carnivores and were never meant to eat high-carbohydrate diets • Commercial diet – especially dry diets – are too high in carbohydrates • Cats eating dry food are chronically dehydrated, and do not drink enough water to properly re-hydrate themselves • Dry diets are not that helpful in preventing dental disease • Experts are beginning to warn against feeding cats dry diets • If your cat is addicted to dry food or is picky, it is important to make changes carefully; don’t let your cat stop eating in protest Q. Dry food is best, right? A. Dry pet food is a dehydrated and processed mix of grains, meats, and added vitamins and minerals. Dry foods are typically 30-60% carbohydrate in composition. What isn’t well known among cat owners is that a requirement for carbohydrates has never been proven in cats (in contrast to dogs and people). Cats are carnivores, and in the wild eat nothing but meaty little rodents, bugs, birds and lizards. Our domesticated cats, on the other hand, are fed mixtures of meat and grain that produce a balanced diet over the long term. Many believe that those grains, aside from providing artificial balance, may be contributing to problems in the long run. Q. Look, my cat is doing well on dry food. Why should I change? A. Cats descend from desert animals that depended on their food to provide needed water. Their kidneys are adapted to this desert environment to conserve water and concentrate the wastes into the urine. When cats don’t get enough water from food or additional water intake, some feel that cats spend much of their lives chronically dehydrated, which is not good for those kidneys or the rest of the body. One common problem that seems to respond to more water in the food is the frustrating FUS, now called FLUTD () or interstitial cystitis. Most doctors recommend feeding only canned food to these cats to increase water going into the body and out through the bladder. Could this be a signal that cats don’t do well on dry food? Also, many people tend to leave dry food out all the time, leaving their cats to free feed. As convenient as it may be, this is a potentially harmful practice for the cat! Most cats given food all the time eat more than they should, and this practice is behind a growing epidemic of obese cats. And no, it doesn’t usually work to give them weight loss food free choice! In addition, free feeding these high-carbohydrate meals has been suggested to contribute to the rising incidence of insulin resistance and diabetes in cats (Rand, 1998). Since this is a chronic, potentially dangerous problem that sometimes requires insulin injections for the rest of the cat’s life, this is a major concern. Finally, many people have difficulty medicating their cats, and are forced to mix it in food. It’s much easier to mix medicine in canned food than in dry food. Cats who are addicted to dry food and won’t eat any canned food (a common problem) are a special challenge to medicate! Q. I was always told to leave food out all the time. Doesn’t this decrease urine pH and prevent lower urinary tract disease? A. It is true that eating small meals often lowers urinary pH. And cats are born to hunt constantly, catching little protein meals throughout the day. Remember, though, that dry food is not a meat protein like a lizard or mouse, and since it contains large amounts of carbohydrates (and often less fat) than real prey, we are essentially turning our cats into grazers.Worse, hunting cats are expending mental and physical activity between kills, and must work hard for those meals. The only exercise our dry food grazers are often getting is a jump off the couch! Q. OK, but what about my cat’s teeth? Isn’t canned food bad for them? A. Scientific evidence does say that cats eating canned food have worse teeth than cats eating dry food; however, if dry food were all that effective, we would not be seeing the large number of dental diets recently introduced to the market. Saying that dry cat food is great at preventing dental disease is like claiming that people could eat pretzels to maintain dental health! Teeth need proper nutrition (good quality diets increase all-around health and decrease susceptibility to gum disease), exercise (dental toys or safe meaty bones act like dental floss), and preventive treatment (brushing, where possible). Q. Well, maybe so, but I can’t get my cat to eat anything new! A. Well, this is a problem. Cats easily become addicted to certain types of foods. Like people who become addicted to cigarettes or drugs, this isn’t always good for them. A cat willing to eat only one kind of food will be much more difficult to support nutritionally when sick and we are forced to feed them something different! In addition, recent findings by some feline veterinarians suggest that this feeding practice – offering only one kind of food for years on end – actually contributes to the development of food allergies in cats (or inflammatory bowel disease, which is often synonymous). We recommend that all cats have a rotating diet, changing food types and food brands at least 2 to 4 times yearly. Cats are sometimes willing to go along with you on this, but if not, don’t force the issue by starving the cat. Cats who don’t eat are susceptible to a serious disease called fatty liver syndrome (hepatic lipidosis), which is a potentially fatal liver condition. If your cat is resistant to change, gradually try this technique: If free feeding, slowly but surely reduce the availability of the food so that the cat is finishing what’s offered during two mealtimes during the day. In other words, if food is usually available 24 hours daily, make it available for 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours at night, then 2 hours in the morning and 2 at night, and finally for only – 1 hour each time. Make sure to call your cat to meals so your cat doesn�t miss the opportunity to learn that a meal is available during set times of the day. Once you have turned your free feeder into a meal feeder, start mixing the new food into the old food. If your cat isn’t interested, stop mixing the new food in and return to the old food. Cut the amount of old food by 1/2 for ONLY 1 day. Your cat should become fairly hungry by the second day. This is when a cat is motivated to try the new taste, and you can once again begin mixing in the new food, very little at first and gradually increasing the amount. If your cat does not eat the new mixture then, try cutting the amount of food offered for 3 to 5 days, then add some of the new food. Remember that the object is to increase your cat’s motivation to try something new without starving him or her – just inducing a mild feeling of hunger. DON’T let your cat lose weight, and don’t push the issue too hard – some cats would rather get sick than switch. It’s best to work with your veterinarian’s scale during this process. Advantages The advantages to changing your cat’s eating habits are many-fold. By switching from free feeding dry food to meal feeding using canned with some dry, you can more easily control the amount and kind of food your cat gets. Cats fed this way are usually not as addicted to a single type of food, and rotating the diet will become much less stressful. And by rotating the diet, you will learn what foods your cat looks and feels best on. If your cat refuses to switch easily using the technique above, go ahead and give in, but keep thinking about how your next cat will be fed!

Author: Marie Haynes Publish Date: 4/13/2012 12:35:31 PM Editor’s note: There’s a common public perception that veterinary care is overpriced and that many veterinarians get rich at the expense of pets and their owners. Dr. Marie Haynes addresses that concern through a sympathetic, humorous and informative account from her experience as a companion-animal practitioner in Ottawa, Ontario. She wrote the following essay two months ago after a frustrating day in which she and her staff faced limited treatment options for an injured animal owing to the owner’s financial straits. The article, which she posted on her blog, went viral via Facebook. At last count, it had garnered more than 15,000 “likes” and 800 comments. The VIN News Service is reprinting the essay with Dr. Haynes’ permission. Sometimes I hate my job. Well, that’s not true. I almost always love my job. But what I hate is that everything I do costs people money. Multiple times per day, I am helping people make decisions for their pets based on how much they can afford. “All vets think about is money!” “You don’t care about my pet, all you care about is getting rich!” “Why does it cost so much to clean my pet’s teeth? My own dentist is cheaper!” Unfortunately, these are remarks that I hear on a regular basis. And I feel for you guys! It can be expensive to keep a pet healthy these days. I thought I would write this article to explain some of the facts about the financial side of veterinary medicine. A veterinary hospital is a business Doesn’t that sound heartless? But it’s true … a vet clinic is a business and needs to make money. Just like any other business we have bills to pay (and often these bills are huge). We pay rent, electricity and gas bills. And we pay large bills to buy and maintain equipment. An X-ray machine costs anywhere from $30,000 to $90,000. An ultrasound is going to cost about the same. And there is a lot of other equipment that needs to be purchased and maintained: dental equipment (most veterinarians have similar equipment to what a human dentist has), equipment to run laboratory tests, surgical instruments and on and on. We also have salaries to pay. The staff at veterinary clinics are, in my opinion, usually severely underpaid for the quality of work that they do. A veterinary technician is an extremely skilled individual, able to place a catheter, draw blood, do a dental cleaning, counsel clients and multitask animal care all day long. According to Payscale.com , a technician generally gets paid between $9 and $18 per hour. It’s a crummy wage for someone with so many skills. Most technicians have gone to school for three years and carry some student debt. Compare this to a registered (human) nurse who gets paid between $20 to $36 dollars per hour. Why are techs paid so poorly? It’s because we’d have to raise our prices in order to afford to pay them more. What about the veterinarian’s salary? I have a confession to make. I drive a BMW. There you go. Is this why vet bills are so expensive? To pad the pockets of greedy veterinarians? Well, here’s the rest of the story. My husband is a successful real estate agent. His recent business successes and hard work have paid for my car. Prior to this, for the last 10 years I have driven a 2002 Honda Civic. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a Civic … it’s a great car. But my point is that a veterinarian’s salary is not one that allows you to live in luxury. Veterinarians on average have spent seven years of their lives in college/university doing intensive study. According to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the average veterinarian graduates with a debt of a whopping $142,613! And, according to Payscale.com , a veterinarian generally makes between $45,000 and $106,000 depending on experience. Let’s compare this with a few other professions: Family physician: $75,000 – $204,000Pharmacist: $50,000 – $130,000Dentist: $61,000 – $201,000Ophthalmologist: $93,000 – $304,000General surgeon: $65,000 – $368,000 A veterinarian does all of the things that the professions above do, but usually gets paid much less. Many vets work 10- to 12-hour days, and some are on call throughout the night. We get scratched and bitten on a regular basis. A good amount of our day involves intensive grief counseling of clients. This is not a “cushy” job. It’s hard work! Explaining the charges for a vet bill I thought I’d explain the way that some things are charged for. I’ll occasionally hear people talking about their vet, saying things like, “I was in there for 20 minutes and paid $200! I’m in the wrong profession! Here is an example scenario: John brings his golden retriever, Andy to see me, Dr. Marie, because he has a problem with his ears. I have a good look at Andy from nose to tail and notice that the ears are red, inflamed and full of debris. The skin between the toes is a little red, as well, and there is saliva staining, which shows me that he has been licking at his feet. (This is likely a sign of allergies). Otherwise, he looks good. I put a swab in each ear and hand them off to my technician. We have a good discussion about underlying allergies and what kind of things we can do in the future if things are getting worse. (I decide not to do allergy testing or special hypoallergenic food now because I don’t want John’s bill to be outrageous. We’ll consider those things in the future.) We talk about the type of things that cause infection and what we could do to prevent further ones. Ten minutes later, my technician tells me that the ears have yeast and cocci (bacteria). She takes Andy to the back to thoroughly clean his ears. We send him home with some medication to put in the ears twice a day and instructions to come back and see me in a few weeks. Here are the costs for the visit, along with an explanation: Office visit: $68.00 What you’re paying for: The most important part of the office visit is the time and expertise of the veterinarian. In that 20-minute time period, the vet will examine the pet, make a diagnosis and share valuable information with you. I have had clients say things like, “ I knew there was an ear infection! I didn’t need you to tell me that. I just needed medication.” But it’s the vet’s experience that tells us how long we need to treat for, what medication is best, whether or not there are ear mites, whether we need to treat one ear or both, whether there is possibly a resistant type of bacteria present, whether the ear drum is intact (because if not, then regular ear medications could be dangerous) and whether there is an underlying problem such as allergies or a thyroid condition. This charge also covers the time that I take to make notes in your file. Did you know that almost everything that is discussed and done in your office visit is documented? This is often one of the most time consuming parts of the visit for the veterinarian. Cytology: $31.00 What you’re paying for: This is a lab test where we take the debris from the ear, put it on a slide, stain it and look at it under the microscope. Some clients will say, “Just give me the medicine that worked last time. I don’t need a test.” But this test tells me a lot. It usually tells me which medicine is best. It also tells me the severity. If I see a mild amount of bacteria I may just treat for 10 days. If I see lots, I could treat for 3 weeks. If I see rod bacteria, then I’m suspicious I’m dealing with a nasty Pseudomonas infection and I know that I should be doing additional tests such as culturing the ear to find out exactly what the bacteria is and what medication is going to work. At the recheck exam I do a cytology again and it tells me how well our treatment worked and whether we need to keep going. If we stop too soon then the infection will come back again. Spending a little money now and dealing with the problem properly can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. Ear cleaning: $28.00 What you’re paying for: The expertise of the technician. Cleaning an infected, inflamed ear takes skill and expertise. If the ear is not properly cleaned, then the medicine is not going to work as well. If you don’t know what you are doing, then you can damage the ear drum, which is a horrible thing. Medication: $38.00 What you’re paying for: The bulk of this charge is due to the cost of the medication. There is a markup on the cost, because (gasp) we are a business and yes, we do make some money off of medication. There is also a dispensing fee. This is another thing that people will gripe at. “Why charge me to put pills or cream in a bottle and slap a label on it?” The dispensing fee also covers the explanation on how to use the drug and answering questions that you have about it. Taxes: In my area, the taxes on this bill would be $21.45. Total: $186.45 What happens when clients can’t pay? This is the part of my job I hate the most. I think every new veterinary graduate goes through a phase where you want to just pay for the bill for anyone who can’t afford it so that no animal has to go without help. It truly sucks when an animal needs care but the owner is not able (or not willing) to pay for that care. So, whose responsibility is it to make sure that that animal gets help? Let’s take the above scenario. Let’s say the client comes in with a $50 bill in his pocket and says, “Doc, I love my dog so much and I’ll do anything for him but all I have is $50. I know you love animals and don’t want him to suffer, so please help.” What am I to do? On one hand, I could look at the situation like this: “Well, what does this actually cost me? The office visit and tests really only cost me time. So, if I just charged for the medication, this dog could have some relief.” But, how is that fair to the next person who comes in with a dog with an ear infection? What if I give an inappropriate medication (because I didn’t do tests on the ear)? If the dog doesn’t improve, is it then my fault? And what happens the next time this dog has a problem? Do I always give this owner a huge discount? What happens when he tells his friends that I gave him a huge discount? I’m sure there will be others who want the same treatment! Here’s another, much more difficult, scenario: Need life-saving surgery — but can’t afford it! Susan comes in with her beloved Chihuahua, Peppy. Susan could not afford to spay Peppy and although she tried hard to keep her away from other dogs, a big dog jumped the fence in her yard and bred Peppy. Now, she is pregnant, in labor and struggling. Susan comes in crying. She and I both know that Peppy’s going to need a C-Section in order to survive. She has $100 to pay me today. And she promises to pay me $100 per month until the bill is paid off. A C-Section can cost anywhere from $800 to $2,500 or even more if there are complications. Often, extra staff needs to be brought in and the costs to the clinic are significant. What do I do? What would you do if you were the vet? Unfortunately, history tells me that if I set up a payment plan, I will not receive any of that money. Susan has good intentions, but good intentions don’t pay bills. In 13 years of practice, I have unfortunately been in this situation many, many times. In the past, when I have made arrangements for clients like this, it has been extremely rare that we have received the full payment for the bill. In most cases, we may get one or two payments. We end up spending money on collection agencies to try and get the rest of that payment back but usually it gets written off as bad debt. So, whose responsibility is it to help the animals in a situation like this? Do I do the surgery, knowing that I will likely not get paid, simply because the dog needs it? (Keep in mind that a situation like this can happen several times per week in a veterinary hospital. Where do we draw the line?) Do I send the dog away and tell her to come back when she has the money? Can you see why I hate this part of my job? What can be done? There are options for people who are in a difficult situation like this. These options are not always what the client wants to hear, but we have to set some limits. The first thing I do is give the client the option of using Medicard or Care Credit. These are financing agencies that will give you a loan to help you pay a veterinary bill. I hear the cries now: “I don’t want to pay interest!” “I have bad credit … I won’t get approved.” If a client’s credit rating is not good enough to be approved for one of these loans, then I ask the client to find a family member or friend who would be willing to lend them the money. Sometimes this is a solution. But what happens when you have bad credit and no family or friends at all to help? If this is the case, then why should the veterinarian pay for your pet’s treatment? If your children are hungry and you can’t afford groceries, is it the responsibility of the grocery store to pay for their food? Organizations Sometimes, we can draw on charity help in situations like this. In Ontario, where I practice, we have something called the Farley Foundation. This organization will give us up to $500 per year to help pay the veterinary bill of someone who has a documented disability. Five hundred dollars is not a lot, but it can help. I get to use this once a year. It’s often tough to choose which client gets the help. Before my mom succumbed to cancer in 2001, she went to the veterinary hospital where I had worked in high school and asked if she could set up a fund to help people who had trouble paying their vet bills. (She did this because when I was growing up, we struggled to pay our veterinary bills. She didn’t want others to be in that situation.) When she died, instead of asking people to donate to the cancer society, she asked for donations to the fund in her name at the animal hospital. This helped many animals and, to this day, people still contribute to this fund in order to help more pets. But, again, this can go only so far. I have compiled a list of similar charities that help as much as they can. You can find this list here: organizations that help with veterinary bills. If you know of other organizations that do this, then leave me a comment and I will add them to the list. Humane societies and the SPCA If an animal is suffering and needs care, in many areas an option is to take them to the local humane society or SPCA. In the case of the dog needing a C-Section this is likely what I would have suggested. Many times the humane society or SPCA will take in the pet and do whatever medical care is necessary. The unfortunate thing is that in many cases, you will need to sign the pet over to the care of the shelter and you may not get them back. Conclusion Oh, how I wish that I could do my job and not care about how much things cost! For those of you reading this, I would highly advise that you look into getting pet insurance to cover you in case you find yourself in a financial bind. Or, if you are an organized person, put some money aside each month in an account for your pet. I sympathize with you on how expensive veterinary bills are. It would be so wonderful, as a vet, to be able to practice and make decisions for animals based on what they need rather than what their owners can afford (or are willing to pay). I do all I can to work with my clients’ budgets and to do the best for their pets. But, sometimes we do face difficult situations!

Author: Edie Lau; Bill EnfieldPublish Date: 2/10/2012 1:33:22 PM Three young pet birds died one after the other within five months. The girl who owned them landed in the hospital soon after with a mysterious malady. Her family wondered: Might the birds hold a clue to the girl’s illness? It was a natural question, their veterinarian, Dr. J.C. Burcham, said: “Three birds died, now the girl is sick, they all shared the same room. What’s wrong?” The trouble is, no one knew what ailed the birds. Each died abruptly not long after undergoing a wellness exam that revealed no problem. A necropsy of the third bird failed to identify a cause of death. When their owner, a young teenager in Kansas, ended up in the hospital with septic shock, her father phoned the veterinarian to ask whether she thought the girl’s illness might be connected to the birds’ deaths. Burcham racked her brain, fretted over what to do, then put the question to colleagues on the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), an online community for the profession. “Should I call the state vet, even though I have no diagnostic results indicative of a human health concern?” she asked. One of the veterinarians who responded was Dr. Radford Davis, an associate professor of public health at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and an authority in diseases that can transmit to people from animals. His answer was no. “Guessing about a zoonosis is really just an academic exercise unless the physicians work to diagnose the human patient,” he said. Davis’s stance was consistent with answers he’s given over the years to similar inquiries. A VIN consultant on zoonoses and public health, Davis estimates that such questions pop up weekly on the organization’s message boards. In Burcham’s case, the series of bird deaths and their owner’s illness raised a logical question, but many times, veterinarians are asked to test apparently healthy animals — even if the human patient doesn’t have a definitive diagnosis. “That’s really jumping the gun,” Davis said. “We don’t even know the exact disease in the person, let alone whether the (animal) could have transmitted it. Those kinds of questions really put the vet in a predicament.” To help veterinarians respond to general requests for testing, Davis recently posted a commentary on VIN elaborating on his belief that, in many instances, testing should be discouraged. “Testing of healthy animals for zoonoses is not indicated in most instances unless there is a high potential for the animal to infect others or in outbreak situations where a source is sought,” he wrote. “Some diseases in humans and animal populations are reportable at the state and national level (as well as international level), which also might require the testing of healthy animals to identify the source. Testing requires time, money, effort, and results may not correlate to risk of pathogen transmission or risk to human health. Depending on the type of testing done, testing may identify other zoonotic pathogens, which then creates problems in addressing their true risk to human health. False positive and false negative results can occur with some testing, and shedding of pathogens is often intermittent, so samples might be negative at any given point. Also, it should be noted that tests results from the animal will not change the course of treatment in the human. “When testing an animal, the veterinarian should ask herself/himself: What will I do if the test is positive? What will I do if it is negative? What is the cost … in terms of money, time, effort, actionable answers, emotion and health to all involved? Is the quest more academic, or is there a real need to test and find a source? If the animal is negative, where will the physician and/or veterinarian turn to next to find the source? … “A positive test in a healthy animal might mean euthanasia for that animal, or repeat cycles of testing and treatment, despite a low risk for future transmission. The animal may no longer be shedding, yet have evidence of past infection. A negative test might not truly be negative, giving a false impression of risk and a false sense of safety to owners. A false positive test result can lead to unnecessary outcomes: more testing, a greater financial input by owners, unnecessary treatments (creation of antibiotic resistance), and perhaps rehoming or euthanasia of the animal. “Most zoonoses acquired directly from animals can be avoided by such measures as washing hands for 20 seconds after animal contact, washing hands after handling pet foods, avoiding contact with the animal’s nose and anal regions, keeping the animal in good health, good husbandry practices, wearing gloves when contacting feces/litter, preventing pets from hunting/scavenging, regular fecal exams and regular veterinary visits…” Perspectives differ Davis’s stance against liberal testing is appreciated but not fully shared by experts on the human medical side. For instance, Dr. Cheryl Scott, an RN and DVM who heads the Calvin Schwabe One Health Project at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, finds value in testing for “academic” reasons in some cases. “If you don’t look, you’re not going to know,” Scott said. “You’re just going to keep these blinders on.” As a general example of when looking and testing were productive, Scott pointed to the discovery that Lyme disease lurks in Northern California. Spread by ticks, Lyme disease was first identified in the Northeast, where it is most prevalent. “Years ago when I first got out in practice, we never looked for tick-borne diseases,” Scott recalled. “When I started looking for things in my practice in Solano County (in California), sure enough, I started finding Lyme disease everywhere. Nobody thought it was out here. Well, it’s out here … and it’s causing problems. It’s making dogs sick and it’s making people sick.” Likewise, Dr. Carol Glaser, an MD and DVM in the California Department of Health Services, said she agrees with almost all of Davis’s comments, with some caveats. “I don’t think it’s a simple yes or no (whether to test),” Glaser said. “It’s going to be highly dependent on which disease is being considered, how sick the human patient is, is it more than one patient, what type of animal is involved and the health status of the animal.” Underscoring the need to examine seemingly unrelated events in animal and human health, Glaser pointed to the baffling set of circumstances in New York City that led to the discovery in 1999 of West Nile virus in the United States. “There were dead birds on the lawn, people sick and zoo animals sick,” she recounted. “Nobody knew they were aligned. We didn’t even know West Nile virus was here. Having data from veterinary groups helped the people who deal with human medicine put it all together.” In her role as chief of the encephalitis and special investigation section of the communicable disease emergency response branch in California’s Department of Health Services, Glaser said she has at times gone to great lengths to sleuth the source of a disease. One such case occurred last May. An 8-year-old girl contracted rabies, and no one knew how. Her family owned a horse that died five months earlier, presumably of colonic torsion. We actually had the horse dug up and tested,” Glaser said. Unfortunately, the “brain tissue was not ideal for testing,” according to an account in the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and the source of infection remained unknown. Remarkably, the girl survived. While public health threats such as rabies call for aggressive action, Glaser said, other diseases don’t warrant the same level of response. “Say you have a child with diarrhea and the dog also has diarrhea,” Glaser said. “You might know it’s Salmonella in the child; should you explore the dog? In those circumstances, I’d say probably not, for a number of reasons. Even if … the dog had been the source, by the time you do the testing, the organism may be gone, so you’ve wasted the money and time. (And) if it’s positive, how do you know the kid got it from the dog? Maybe both ate (contaminated) chicken.” But sometimes testing that’s not medically or scientifically necessary could be useful in educating patients or their families, said Dr. Larry Pickering, a professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and a senior advisor to the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. For example, if a 6-month-old baby on a formula-only diet, living in a home with a turtle, came down with Salmonella sepsis, Pickering said, chances are that the baby contracted the pathogen from the turtle. Some doctors might forgo testing, figuring by inference that the turtle is to blame. But Pickering said he would opt to test the turtle, if only to help the baby’s parents understand the hazards of keeping such a pet. “Some parents want evidence,” he said. Cats and toxoplasmosis: a conundrum In some situations, Glaser said testing is “absolutely not warranted.” For instance? To allay concerns about toxoplasmosis. As most women who’ve ever been pregnant know, cats may shed the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in their feces. Healthy people may pick up and harbor the parasite with no problem, but a first-time exposure in a pregnant woman potentially is devastating to her fetus. However, Glaser said, infected cats typically shed the parasite for only a short period — one to two weeks — and never again. Chances are much greater that a person will become infected by eating unwashed contaminated vegetables or undercooked meat, she said. In fact, the CDC calls toxoplasmosis “the leading cause of death attributed to foodborne illness in the United States.” While cats play an important role in the spread of the parasite — they are its only known definitive host — targeting the household pet is not justified, Glaser and others say. Yet women widely believe that keeping a cat while pregnant is a significant risk. Dr. Michele Gaspar, a feline specialist in Chicago, said she once worked at a large animal shelter in which she saw “sobbing women bringing in their cats to give up” because of their fear of toxoplasmosis. Pickering explained the thinking of physicians who advise pregnant patients not to keep cats: “If you get rid of the cat, you won’t get any diseases from the cat; that’s 100 percent,” he said. “If you don’t get rid of the cat, make sure it’s immunized, make sure it’s dewormed, get rid of its fleas,” he said, naming precautions that generally keep cats healthy, “and don’t clean the litter box.” Pickering added: “If the obstetrician says ‘get rid of the cat,’ I’d support him or her. If you’ve seen a baby die of a disease that may have been acquired from a cat, that changes how you approach it.” He acknowledged, at the same time, that cats may contribute to an expectant woman’s well-being. He personally witnessed this. “When my wife was pregnant with our baby, she had to be down (in bed) for three months. The cat was a lifesaver. It was with her all the time,” Pickering remembered. “I think with the appropriate precautions, things can be handled well,” Pickering concluded. “We don’t want to go too far to the left or the right.” Better communication needed On one point veterinarians and physicians firmly are in agreement: they should talk to each other more. “If there’s (a) question that (a) pet might be a source of infection to somebody who’s under medical care and the client is talking to the vet about this, then the vet could say, ‘If you give me permission, I’d be happy to talk to your doctor,’ ” Davis suggested. Davis said he recommends this to colleagues all the time, but doesn’t believe such consultations happen frequently. “We (veterinarians and MDs) don’t really communicate too well,” he said. Pickering agreed. The problem isn’t lack of desire, he said, but lack of time. “It’s another step in another process and we have so many steps and so many processes (already),” he said. Whether in concert with physicians or not, veterinarians are playing a more prominent part in human health. The expanding role for small-animal veterinarians, in particular, in protecting public health was the topic of a 2007 commentary in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association. The authors, Drs. James S. Wohl and Kenneth F. Nusbaum, stated that small-animal veterinarians have assumed the job of primary educators “in the risks of emerging diseases such as West Nile virus infection and avian influenza for pets and pet owners; and the risks of animal contact for immunocompromised people.” They noted that “many Americans have more contact with their veterinarian than with their physicians.” Gaspar agreed. “Fact of the matter is that veterinarians are really at the forefront of public health,” she said. “We are not only the doctor for the pet; we have a role in the health of the family.” Epilogue In the case of the three dead birds and sick teenager in Kansas, the mystery has remained unsolved, although the girl reportedly has recovered. “It was all so weird that you wanted there to be an explanation for it,” said Burcham, the veterinarian who had seen the two cockatiels and one green cheek conure. “The three birds dying back-to-back seemed like a red flag for something but … it’s a reminder that just because there are animals dying doesn’t mean that is why the human is sick.”

Author: Tony Johnson, DVM, DACVECC Publish Date: 8/4/2014 10:06:32 AM I have a cat. Since I’m a veterinarian, that probably doesn’t come as a big surprise to many. But I have a…radioactive cat! That’s right – I have a dyed-in-the-wool, glowing green, isotope-emitting, half-life-y radioactive cat. And I paid actual money to make him that way. Lemme ‘splain. Crispy, the isotope-y cat of the hour, has had a rough life. He is currently about 15, but at the tender age of 2 or 3, some antisociopathic troglodytic knuckle-dragger with a can of lighter fluid and the will to use it set him aflame (and then was promptly captured and ground down into a fine powder, which I sprinkle on my oatmeal daily…I mean incarcerated. That other part was just a dream of mine.) Anyway, he was set on fire, but recovered and other than a scarry head that would make Freddy Krueger envious, he’s more or less normal. Normal until a few months ago, when my wife, the smarter and better looking of our little world of two, noticed that the litter boxes were filling up with extra bonus pee and the water dish was getting as dry as a really dry thing (sometimes analogies fail me). To a veterinarian, drinking too much water and forming too many piss biscuits in the litter box leads us to a short and fairly unhappy list of diseases: diabetes, kidney failure, liver failure, some adrenal gland disorders, hyperthyroidism and a smattering of lesser diseases. So we were a might alarmed, and after a round of Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who would haul him in for blood work (I won), she took him in and we discovered that he was hyperthyroid. Given the baddies on that list, hyperthyroidism isn’t all that bad. We were secretly hoping for it to be a phenomenon known as “psychogenic polydipsia,” which is just medicalese for “he’s drinking more water than he should because he likes to,” but as far as diseases go, hyperthyroidism is pretty mild. Except for the radiation, which I will get to in a bit. When your thyroid gland decides to go all whoopsy and hyper, it’s like the accelerator pedal on your metabolism is pressed to the floor. No one really knows what causes it. It’s like one morning, it just wakes up, downs three venti lattes and says “I’m working overtime today!” and starts churning out abnormally high levels of thyroid hormone, the substance that regulates how fast you burn energy. The cause is elusive, and everything from space rays to preservatives in pet food has been blamed, but the reality is in most cases it just does this spontaneously. Most cats with hyperthyroidism lose weight, eat ravenously and drink and pee too much. Crispy, ever the iconoclast, only did the last bit with the water, the peeing and such, but we caught it early and his levels were only mildly high.Years ago, one of the few options for therapy was to have a madman with a scalpel go in and cut the darn hyperactive thing out. The problem is that the thyroid glands sit right atop some important nerves, and, like a game of Operation, has wee little secondary glands within it that get upset when these tiny giblets (creatively known as parathyroid glands) are yanked along with the thyroid gland. There is also a medication called methimazole that is every bit as hard to administer as it is to pronounce. Luckily for Crispy, treatment has advanced of late.The current treatment of choice is radioactive iodine, also known by t.he less scary and cuddlier moniker I131. Iodine is taken up by the thyroid and forms a core portion of the thyroid hormone molecule. When you attach a little radioactive bit to some regular old iodine, it becomes a thyroid smart bomb and detonates right inside the thyroid, destroying the overactive gland. If it is dosed just right, it leaves enough normal gland to still provide some thyroid function. It’s not unheard of for cats (and humans, too – this treatment is used in people with hyperthyroidism) to swing from hyperthyroid to hypothyroid and need thyroid supplements, but the ideal end result is destruction of the excess tissue only. Once we had a diagnosis, we signed Crispy up for treatment at a nearby clinic. The actual nuts and bolts aspect of the treatment is ridiculously simple: wearing lead-lined gloves and in a special room, a technician trained in the ways of nuclear medicine injects the stuff in the scruff of the neck, lovingly tosses him in a lead-lined cage for three days and the I131 does all the rest. He gets to cool his heels (literally) for a little 72-hour radiation vacation and then gets to come home, as long as the Geiger counter agrees that he’s no longer (all that) radioactive. When we picked him up after all was said and done, he shrugged his shoulders and said “Meh” when we asked him how his stay was. Most of the radiation was gone from his body by the time he was picked up, but the discharge instructions still offer some vaguely ominous warnings against overly close cuddling for 2 weeks, and some instructions for handling the selfsame piss biscuits that started this whole episode; most of the radiation is eliminated through urine and feces, while some just evaporates into the cosmos. We set him up with a little Chernobyl-esque dacha in the basement for his two weeks, and bought the special litter required for safe handling of his nuclear waste. All went well, but as I scooped the odd, flushable waste, a couple of scenarios started to form in my mind. The litter was made of wheat (somehow) and formed these gooey, pancake-like clumps that allegedly could be flushed down the commode. First, I pictured the residual radiation getting into the local water supply and leading to a horde of sentient fish from nearby streams with opposable fins walking up my driveway and ringing the doorbell, wanting to have a word with me about my environmental sensibilities. Once I convinced myself that this was unlikely to happen, as the local lakes are devoid of fish, I became concerned that “flushable” might be a relative term and that I was filling up the bowl with too much at one time. In my mind, a scene like the one from Fantasia where sorcerer Mickey overfills legions of (sentient, opposable) buckets from the enchanted well started to take shape. One scoop too many, one flush of the flush-knob (does that thing have a name?) and a wheaty brown mess started to overflow the bowl with alarming, nuclear speed. I pictured myself doing all the desperate things you do when a toilet overflows – the mad scramble for towels, old T-shirts, anything that would soak up the mess, the rapid-fire removal of the toilet top to press the little floaty bar thing to stop the bowl from filling more, the cramped and uncomfortable grab for the knobby bit that allows water to flow into the reservoir thing that is stopped by the floaty bar thing…. In that moment, I realized that I don’t know many of the names for toilet parts. Next, I pictured the inevitable call to the water damage restoration company:“Hello, Psychogenic Polydipsia Water Damage Restoration Company “Hi there. My toilet just overflowed and I need a plumber and someone to come out and deal with the water damage.”“Certainly, sir. We can help you with that. There is a surcharge if this is soiled water, due to the contamination hazard. Was the toilet full at the time?” (Up to this point, this is a nearly verbatim representation of an actual conversation I had once when a toilet overflowed. After this point, it’s all wheels turning in my tortured brain.)“Well, yes. It had cat poop and pee in it.”“Ah, I see. Animal waste carries an extra sur-surcharge, due to the contamination hazard.”“Ummm, OK. I need to get to this cleaned up, so I guess I’ll have to pay it. There is one more thing, though.”“What’s that, sir?”“The waste is…radioactive.”*click* Luckily for me, my family and all the nearby sentient, opposably-finned fish, the toilet did not overflow, the restoration company did not need to be summoned and all the peepee pancakes swirled merrily down the tubes without incident. It was all a dream. A fevered, radioactive, Three-Mile-Island dream. Crispy is just about done with his 2-week period of home isolation, and we can let him rejoin the family fairly soon. All in all, it was worth it, and certainly better than a lifetime of bitter pills or surgery. If only I can get the specter of those sentient fish and the overflowing, radioactive toilet out of my mind, I think life will return to normal for all of us. Now, I just need to get the manual and learn the names for some toilet parts.