MESSENGER POST MEDIA PetTales SUMMER EDITION Advertising supplement for June 25, 2015 2 PET TALES • SUMMER EDITION 2015 How a pet friendly practice can make it easier How a “Cat Friendly” practice can make it easier BY EMBER COUTURE, DVM & JOANNE HACH, DVM While cats are the most popular companion Your veterinary team is at a disadvantage animal at this point, they lag far behind in assessing a cat’s health without this their canine counterparts in visits to their input. Observant families may provide key veterinarian. The goal of this article is information for this creature that is secretive to increase awareness of the benefits of by nature. seeking routine health care for kitties and The value of the second tool, the physical to explain how an American Association of exam, is drastically underestimated. Feline Practitioners (AAFP) certified “Feline Families are surprised at the amount of Friendly Practice” has worked to make this information our hands and eyes gather as sometimes stressful process easier. they roam from the nose to the tip of the Your veterinary healthcare team is dedicated tail. Every body system is assessed and the to preserving the health of your cat. information recorded in the patient’s record Examinations once or twice a year give us for future reference. the opportunity to gain familiarity with each Eyes: Is there conjunctivitis, pigment cat and to counsel their families on changing changes in any part of the eyes or retinal preventative recommendations. changes? Do both eyes look the same? Do Examinations also give us the chance to find they respond appropriately to stimuli like problems early when intervention may be light? less invasive. The more quickly we begin to Ears: Is there any redness, discharge or manage disease processes, or inappropriate itching? weight gain or behavior, the higher our chances of success. Lymph Nodes: Are they normal in size and texture? Two of the best tools we have to assess our patient’s needs are a thorough history obtained Thyroid Gland: Is it enlarged? from the patient’s family and a comprehensive Oral Health: How are the teeth, gums, mucous physical examination performed on each membranes and salivary glands? patient. Respiratory Tract - Nose to Lungs: Is there The history is obtained by discussing details of the sneezing or upper respiratory congestion or cat’s life and behaviors at home. The following are obstruction? Is there discharge from the nose? examples of questions that cat owners may be Is the breathing rate and effort normal? Are the asked to answer: lungs clear? Are the gums pink and moist? • Does your cat go outside or Circulatory system: Is the heart’s rhythm live with one that does? and rate normal? Is the color of the mucous Ember Couture, DVM Joanne Hach, DVM • Does he/she hunt? membranes and the quality of the pulses Cats & Critters Veterinary Hospital Cats & Critters Veterinary Hospital normal? • Has the kitty traveled to other areas Monroe Veterinary Associates Monroe Veterinary Associates of the country or world? Skin and Haircoat: Are there parasites, growths or wounds? Is there hair loss or itching? • Has there been any change in water consumption or urination? The Abdomen: We feel for the liver, stomach, kidneys, lymph nodes, intestines and urinary bladder. Is there discomfort? Is everything in its correct position and of • What do you feed your cat? normal texture and size? • How is his/her appetite? Musculoskeletal System: Does the cat move around normally and comfortably? • Have you seen vomiting or diarrhea? Are any of the joints thickened, swollen or painful? Is the musculature normal? Is • Tell us about your litterbox management. there muscle wasting? Is there weakness? What does the cat weigh? Is this weight appropriate? The history helps identify health risks for the individual patient so that appropriate preventative measures may be recommended. For example, making sure that litterbox Neurological System: Does the mental state appear normal? Is his movement management is optimal might prevent inappropriate urination or defecation in the coordinated normal and coordinated? home. Continued on Page 8 ... PET TALES • SUMMER EDITION 2015 3 CANINE INFLUENZA — what you need to know You may already be aware our patients from future of the canine influenza outbreaks of this strain and outbreak that occurred in the if there is cross protection Midwest earlier this year. This for the H3N2 strain then outbreak initially started in they may benefit from this Chicago, with the first cases as well. of cough starting in February. The CDC has information Currently thousands of about Canine Influenza for cases have been diagnosed pet owners, which can be based on history and clinical found at: www.cdc.gov/flu/ signs. Eight states have canine/index.htm confirmed cases through viral testing/isolation that Hopefully this outbreak will have been performed at not continue to spread into Cornell University (Ohio, other states. Please be aware Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, of the clinical signs related to Georgia, New York, Iowa and Canine Influenza. Massachusetts). There were • Lethargy five confirmed cases of canine • Depressed appetite influenza which resulted in death in the initial outbreak • Runny nose/nasal in Chicago. discharge The strain of the influenza • Cough virus is H3N2. This strain • Low-grade fever originated from Asia in avian More severe cases may have species and it has adapted to a high fever with increased infect dogs. It is not infective to people (as far as we know) and respiratory rates indicating the potential of pneumonia. it has no relation to the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 that originated in Washington State and If you think your dog may be showing signs related to Canine is now very prevalent in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Influenza, make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon Dakota. as possible. Based on the current numbers the morbidity (those dogs who Dr. Herrema is the director of Penfield Veterinary Hospital. He get sick) is very high, but mortality (death as a result of infection) was awarded his VMD degree in 2003 from the University of seems to be lower (0.5 percent) than what has been documented Pennslyvania. Dr. Herrema was the recipient of the Leonard in Previous H3N8 outbreaks (five percent). Pearson Prize (the schools highest honor awarded to the fourth-year student who demonstrates the best potential for There are currently two vaccines on the market for the H3N8 professional and/or academic leadership in veterinary medicine) strain. They are Vanguard CIV made by Zoetis and Nobivac CIV. Erik Herrema, VMD and The American College of Veterinary Radiology Award at his There is no evidence to show that our current vaccines would Penfield Veterinary Hospital graduation. With professional interests in internal medicine, give cross protection for the H3N2 strain. The current vaccines we Monroe Veterinary Associates cardiology, radiology and ultrasonography, Dr. Herrema enjoys use for the H3N8 strain are safe and effective. So by vaccinating practicing general veterinary medicine and surgery at Penfield our at-risk dogs for this strain we would minimally be protecting Veterinary Hospital. The Puppy Bumper The Puppy Bumper is a safety collar that attaches to the existing collar to keep your dog from squeezing between fence or balcony rails or under gates! The bumper is light, comfortable and machine washable and can be tumbled dry products for your on low heat. Made of 100% cotton material with polyester fiberfill stuffing and has ribbon loops on the inside of the neck hole that allow the bumper to be attached to the collar to keep it from being pushed over the dog’s head. Never fear for Fido’s safety near a fence again! Measure your dog’s neck to ensure correct sizing. $19.95 at amazon.com. 4 PET TALES • SUMMER EDITION 2015 HOME BANDAGING may not be best for your pet There comes a point in every pet movement of the knee and ankle owner’s life when his or her little joints, the bandage will often roll furry one gets a cut or wound down the leg and fall off. Once on their body. Your first instinct, again, leg bandages that are too as a pet owner, is to wrap up tight can stop circulation to the the wound or stick a Band-Aid limb, causing necrosis similar to on it for protection and healing. that seen with the tail. Severe Our pets have a thick set of fur, skin infections underneath overly which makes it very tough for tight bandages are a less serious, homemade bandages to stay but still a very common problem in place long term. I am here to that can occur. tell you why it is so important to Sticky tape (such as duct tape) take your pet to your veterinarian is another method that we have to have bandages applied and seen pet owners use to try to maintained safely. keep bandages in place. This When attempting to bandage causes the animal’s fur to be pets at home, bandages are often ripped out whenever it moves or placed very tightly to make them when the bandage is finally taken stay in place. If properly cared off, which can be very painful. for, this technique may not cause Imagine if we had a ton of fur any major problems. However, underneath a Band-Aid when we if left unattended for extended went to pull it off, it would hurt periods of time (potentially a even worse than it already does! few hours to a few days), this Lastly, making sure the bandage technique can cause major issues. For example, “happy tail” is a stays clean and dry is essential.