To make owners aware of this serious disease, a majority of veterinary clinics will have many pictures posted in the clinic, however many owners still gamble that their dogs will never be bitten by an affected mosquito (“My dog never goes outside”), and not contract heartworm.

Heartworm prevention is simple and involves a small blood draw to ensure that the parasite is not present, then regular dosing with preventive medication.

Heartworm infestation is very dangerous. Untreated dogs die, and treated dogs go through a long treatment and discomfort while the worms are killed and eliminated from the body.

About the parasite: 

Parasites need to go through a few life stages before becoming adults. The mosquito is an intermediate host of the larval stage called microfilaria. The mosquito ingests the larva from an infected dog and then when it takes the next meal from an uninfected dog, it can transmit the parasite. Microfilaria (the larvae) will go through a few stages before becoming an adult, when it travels to the right side of the heart to reproduce. An adult worm can be 12 inches long and reside in the dog’s heart for years.

The time lag between the initial infestation with the larvae and reproduction by adult is 6-7 months. Females will release thousands of larvae that can stay in circulation for months waiting for the mosquito to ingest them. In the mosquito, they will undergo a series of changes that can take 10 days in warm climates and 6 weeks in colder climates.

Symptoms of Heartworm Disease:

The first sign of heartworm infestation may not occur for a year or more from the initial infection, and starts with a soft cough that gets worse with exercise, and is often dismissed by the owner. More active dogs may show symptoms of infection earlier than less active dogs. The cough will get worse, and can lead to fainting from exertion. Dogs become tired very easily, are weak and listless, start losing weight, and may cough up blood in advanced cases. These pets often do not want to go for walks or run in the park. The progression is dramatic, leading to congestive heart failure. At that point the dog is in very grave danger.

Where is Heartworm found?

The disease is present in every continent (with the exception ofAntarctica) where these four factors are present:

• Susceptible host population (dogs)
• Reservoir of the disease
• A population of vectors which spread the parasite (mosquitoes)
• Climate that supports the parasite’s life cycle

The dog is considered the definitive host and reservoir of the disease.

Testing: 

There is a Heartworm test, which is a simple and quick blood test recommended to be done in the spring before the mosquitoes return. It is important to test for the presence of Heartworm before starting any preventive medications. Radiographs (X-rays) can also show a large population of worms in the heart or lungs.

Treatment:

 Treatment for existing heartworm can be risky depending on the severity and stage of the disease. Medications can be used for treatment, but can put the dog’s health at risk. Animals can die as a side effect of treatment., making prevention extremely important.

How can I prevent Heartworm Disease? 

This is the best option to deal with this devastating disease.

There is topical or oral medication that is very effective in the prevention of the disease. Many of these medications also treat intestinal parasites.

Contact us at Heartland Veterinary Clinic to discuss heartworm testing and the appropriate preventive program for your pet.

GIARDIA

Also known as “Beaver Fever”, Giardia is a protozoa that primarily lives in water.  Most dogs get Giardia by drinking or playing in contaminated water, such as streams, rivers, and lakes.  The major symptom is on-and-off diarrhea, but depending on how it affects your dog, symptoms may be as mild as weight loss and anorexia (not eating).  Giardia can be transmitted to people, but luckily it is easily treated once diagnosed.  A fresh stool sample will likely be collected at your veterinary clinic and examined for Giardia, among other parasites.

INTESTINAL PARASITES

Dogs and cats can get many different kinds of intestinal parasites, such as tapeworms and roundworms.  If a pet has worms in its stool, this actually means that the number of worms in the intestines is very high.  It is important to test a stool sample to find the microscopic eggs, even if worms aren’t visible in the stool.

Many worms can be transmitted to people.  Unfortunately, most human cases are children as they tend to put things (including their hands) into their mouths.  If their hands contain an amount of infected stool, the children will develop worms too.  In people, worms can travel in ways that they don’t in pets.  The most scary route is through the body (causing damage as they go) and ending up in the eyeballs, or brain.

Since intestinal parasites can be contracted so easily and at any time of the year, most veterinary clinics recommend deworming all pets in the household at the same time, and several times a year.  If there are children in the house, monthly deworming is highly recommended.

HEARTWORM

This disease is extremely common in places such as the southern United States, interior of BC, and Ontario.  However, due to pets travelling or being adopted from these areas (ie Hurricane Katrina dogs), heartworm is becoming a concern in Alberta.  Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitos and can be prevented by monthly medication.  In endemic areas, prevention is given year-round, but in Alberta we recommend it only during the summer months (May to October).

Heartworm can infect dogs and cats, but rarely humans.  Early symptoms in dogs and cats can include coughing.  Sometimes cats will hide the disease until they die suddenly.

EHRLICHIA/ANAPLASMA/LYME

These three diseases are spread by ticks, so tick prevention is key.  If you are in areas with tall grasses, or where wildlife such as deer frequent, it’s a good idea to check your pet thoroughly for ticks.  Do not try to remove the ticks yourself unless you have a tool for removing ticks.  Sometimes the tick’s head is left behind, imbedded in your pet’s skin, and can cause an infection.

It can be hard to search for ticks so topical products can be used monthly that will repel them.  Also, you can vaccinate your pet against Lyme disease so that their immune system will be able to recognize the Lyme bacteria and fight it more efficiently if they are bitten by a Lyme-carrying tick.

A dog who needs a dental cleaning

The same dog after having her teeth cleaned

Your veterinarian has examined your pet and says “Fluffy needs a dental cleaning.  Let me get a treatment plan together, so that you know what’s involved in cleaning his teeth.”  The estimate will only tell you about cost, so to better understand what’s involved, we thought we’d share what actually happens during a dental cleaning.

Once your pet is under anesthesia, he is moved to our dedicated dental area.  We keep everything related to dentals in this space, so that we don’t need to move very far to get the instruments we need.  This means that your pet is under anesthesia as short as possible.

In “dental land”, as we affectionately call it, we monitor your pet’s heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and EKG continuously during anesthesia.  Your pet has a technician dedicated to monitoring anesthesia while the procedure is performed.

The first step in a dental cleaning is a thorough dental exam.  This is where we examine every surface of every tooth, even the ones that are way in the back.  We clean the tartar off each tooth with an ultrasonic scaler that vibrates so quickly you can’t see it with the naked eye.  We also use a variety of hand scalers to be sure that every nook and cranny is free of tartar and plaque.

If any teeth are wiggly (mobile), broken (fractured), or infected (abscessed), we get your permission to take x-rays.  This enables us to see the whole tooth, both above and below the gumline, as well as inside the tooth.  The veterinarian assesses the tooth as well as the x-rays to determine if it needs to be removed.

Once the extractions are complete, we polish every surface of every tooth to be sure that they are completely smooth.  Every rough surface that is left behind is a magnet for plaque and tartar to stick to.  A smooth tooth, combined with daily tooth brushing, will stay cleaner for much longer.

After your pet wakes up, we call you to let you know how everything went.  We schedule a discharge appointment so that the technician and/or veterinarian can go through any questions you may have, as well as explain any medications that may be needed.

I’ve heard of people who scrape pets’ teeth while they are awake.  Can you do this?

Every patient is put under a general anesthesia, as this is essential to performing a proper and complete dental procedure.  First off, nobody in their right mind would put their fingers in the mouth of even the most patient animal!  Also, if any x-rays or extractions need to be performed, animals won’t understand that they need to sit still with their mouth open.  Plus, scraping teeth alone will only remove the tartar you can see, while leaving tiny scratches on the teeth where bacteria will collect even faster.

I don’t pay this much at my own dentist…why is the dental so expensive?

Keep in mind that to do a proper cleaning, your pet needs to go under anesthesia.  This is an extra expense that you probably won’t encounter at your dentist.  Also, your dentist bills your insurance company first, and then you pay what’s left over.  This is why we recommend pet insurance for all pet owners.

Can my pet eat with no teeth?

We only take out teeth that need to be removed.  We try to keep “strategic” teeth if at all possible.  Strategic teeth are mainly the canine teeth at the front of the mouth and the big molars on the side of the mouth.  Canine teeth are important in jaw health, because their roots are so large that removing them can compromise the strength of the bone.  Canines also preserve the appearance of the mouth in general, as far as the owner is concerned.  The molars are important for chewing, but pets who don’t have these teeth can still eat canned or softened food.

My pet is only 3 years old…why does he need a  dental cleaning?

Pets, just like people, are individuals.  One dog may not need a dental cleaning until much later in life, while another dog (even a sibling from the same litter) may need dental cleanings starting at a younger age and needing to be repeated more often.  This is because each pet’s saliva is different due to their individual diet, environment, and genetics.

Also, at Heartland we believe in preventative medicine.  Would you rather see your pet have a Grade 1 dental cleaning so that you can start brushing teeth and put off future dentals?  Or would you want to wait for several more years and end up doing a Grade 3 dental cleaning with numerous extractions instead?

My pet’s report card was perfect except for the teeth.  Is this really something I need to worry about?

Your pet may seem otherwise healthy after a physical exam and screening bloodwork, but leaving dental disease is just asking for trouble.  The blood that runs through your pet’s gums also runs through the heart and the rest of the body.  Pets with dental disease may develop kidney and liver disease because these organs clean the blood.  The heart and lungs can also be negatively affected by dental disease.

Once dental disease is present, this inflammation will lead to irreversible damage to the surrounding tissues. Without plaque removal or control, dental disease always progresses in severity.  In the mouth, tissue damage and eventual tooth loss will occur. The rest of the body can be affected by bacteria traveling through the bloodstream, potentially affecting organ function.

Signs of Dental Disease:

-   plaque and tartar (light brown color)                                      -   bad breath

-   gingivitis (redness, swelling or bleeding of the gums)      -   pain

-   tooth mobility/movement                                                          -   gum recession

*Your pet may not exhibit all of these signs*

Pain:

Your pet may experience pain with any grade of dental disease. Pain can come from sore gums, exposed roots or cavities, fractured teeth, loose teeth, or even misaligned teeth. Some common signs are: chewing on one side of the mouth, chattering teeth while eating or drinking, pawing at the mouth, drooling, dropping food out of the mouth, avoidance of being touched around the mouth, or vocalization.

Food & Brushing Teeth:

Tooth brushing is a mechanical action to prevent plaque and tartar accumulation.  Some foods will try to mimic this action with specialized kibble, or have enzymes which break up plaque.  Tooth brushing may prevent tartar accumulation, but any existing tartar can only be removed by scaling and polishing under anesthesia

Dental Procedure:

A full dental examination is possible only under general anesthetic – have you ever tried to look in the back of your pet’s mouth!?!  The purpose of an exam is to visualize the plaque and tartar on all surfaces of the teeth, assess gingivitis or gum recession, tooth mobility, and exposed pulp or roots.  Digital dental X-ray can be used to see root structure, which helps us completely assess tooth health.

Scaling and polishing is the only way to remove tartar once it is deposited on the teeth.  Some practices may offer sedation dentistry, or dental work without any sedation or anesthetic.  For staff and patient safety, we find that this does not allow for proper evaluation and treatment.

Please contact the clinic for a complimentary dental exam with one of our technicians.  They can let you know where your pet’s dental health stands currently, and can advise you about how to proceed to maintain your pet’s best overall health.

Keep in mind that canned food generally contains 60-70% water, and dry kibbles are around 10% water.  This is why the term “dry matter basis” is so crucial!  Comparing foods on a dry matter basis is the only way to compare “apples to apples”, and get a true idea of what’s in food.

LOOK AT THE FIRST FIVE INGREDIENTS

The ingredients in a food are listed in order of weight on the ingredient list.  This means that if chicken is the first ingredient listed, it may not comprise most of the food, since meat is full of water.  That water will be mostly taken out of the food by the time it becomes the kibble you feed your pet.  If chicken meal is high on the list, this is actually a good thing, since the water has already been processed out of the chicken before it’s added as an ingredient.

There are very few rules about how to list ingredients on pet food.  The items do not have to all be in one place on the list.  One ingredient can be broken into several smaller items to make it seem like there’s less of it in the food

SEE HOW MUCH YOUR PET WILL NEED TO EAT PER DAY

Some expensive foods scare people away because they’re pricier than the same size bag made by another company.  Be sure to look at how much your pet will need to eat, by looking at the feeding guide.  Often a higher quality food will require that less food be given to your pet each day, because the ingredients are of a higher grade.  If you factor the amount fed each day, you’ll often find that the price of each daily meal is much less than you’d think!

Keep in mind that the feeding guide is just a suggestion.  Each pet will need more or less, depending on individual metabolism.

There are a few other things to keep in mind when picking a pet food…

WATCH OUT FOR GIMMICKS

There are a few regulations on how to label pet food, but they aren’t always well known by the public.

If you want your pet to lose weight and are looking for a lower calorie diet, be sure the bag says “light” instead of “lite”.  Keep in mind that a light diet is lower in calories than that company’s regular pet food.  It may still contain more calories than another light diet.

The name of a canned food can tell you a lot about what’s in it:

If a food says it’s a “lamb and rice food for dogs” then you know that lamb is 95% of that food, excluding water.

A “salmon dinner” means that salmon is 25% of the food, excluding water.

If your dog eats “dog food with beef”, then beef is 3% of the food, excluding water.

FOOD FADS

Every few years, there’s a new school of thought that pops up about how to feed our pets.  The most recent is the high protein idea.  It says that especially dogs need higher protein diets than were commercially available as they are descended from wolves, which are carnivores.  We talked briefly in a previous article in this series about how dogs are omnivores, meaning that they consume both meat and plant material.

The main concern many people have about high protein diets is that the pet’s kidney’s have to work much harder to eliminate the waste products of protein break-down.  This can lead to early kidney failure.

Since there are few regulations about creating a pet food, often new diets are put onto the market without sufficient testing.  There’s no way to know that your pet will thrive on a food…in essence your pet is the test patient for that food!  Only two companies actually feed their diets to pets before the diets are put on the market for the general public.  These two companies are Medi-Cal/Royal Canin and Hills.

NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY STATEMENT

Look for a food that says it’s “complete” or “balanced” for your pet’s lifestage.  The basic lifestages are puppy/kitten, adult, and senior.  Be wary of foods that say they’re balanced for all lifestages.  When you think about it, young pets have much different nutritional requirements than an adult or senior pet.  Each lifestage calls for different levels of protein, fat, calories, and certain minerals and vitamins.  How can one food have enough of each nutrient for each lifestage, but not too much at the same time??

HIDDEN EMPLOYEE PERKS

Remember that employees at a pet store will have a reason why they recommend a particular food.  Often, it’s because they get a perk from the food manufacturer.  Maybe if they sell so many bags, they get free food themselves.  Also, many employees get their only nutritional training through the pet store.  Possibly they were told during training to always recommend a certain food, because the pet store is owned by that pet food’s manufacturer.  This is quite common and is something to keep in mind.

Ultimately your veterinarian will have your pet’s best interests in mind, and can recommend a food that will maintain your pet’s good health.

A by-product is simply something produced while making something else.  For example vitamin E is a by-product of soybean production.  High-quality meat meal by-products and by-product meals composed of internal organs are highly digestible and full of nutrients.  Just because an ingredient is a by-product meal does not mean that it’s composed of beaks and feathers as some would have you believe.

MYTH: Corn is just a filler.

Humans cannot digest corn, but the corn in pet foods is an excellent source of highly digestible carbohydrates for energy, essential fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, and beta-carotene and vitamin E – nature’s antioxidants.  Also corn is full of quality proteins needed to muscle and tissue growth.

MYTH: Raw foods help pets live longer.

Feeding raw meat, eggs, and bones can be dangerous for your pet because of the excessive levels of nutrients such as protein, calcium and phosphorous.  Pets eating these foods are also at an increased risk of broken teeth, damage to the stomach and intestines, and exposure to bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.

MYTH: Pet foods contain dangerous preservatives.

All pet foods need to contain preservatives or else they would spoil and rot.  Most companies these days use natural preservatives such as vitamin E, citric acid, beta-carotene, and rosemary extract.

MYTH: Dogs are carnivores.

Dogs are omnivores, which means that they eat both meat and plant matter.  When a wolf or other dog-like animal eats its prey, it will consume the intestines, which contain plant material.  In fact, many dogs will pick all the choice berries off a bush as they go past.

MYTH: Large breed puppies need extra supplements because they grow faster.

If you choose a high-quality food that is specifically for large breed puppies, you should not need any supplements.  In fact, these dogs need to be fed controlled amounts of protein, calcium and phosphorous so that they do not grow too fast.

Before even considering all the different companies out there, you need to understand that anyone can make a pet food.  As long as a laboratory analysis puts the nutritional values within certain ranges, the food can be sold.  There are few regulations on pet foods – and none where the terms holistic, and human grade are used.

The first thing to look for on a bag of food is the AAFCO seal.  AAFCO stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials.  This organization sets the nutritional standard for pet foods in the United States and Canada.

Second, look for a statement that goes something like this… “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Yummy Yummy Adult dog food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs.”  There are two important parts to that statement – the fact that Yummy Yummy pet food company has used feeding trials, and that their Adult dog food is meant to adult dogs only.

FEEDING TRIALS

Pet food makers produce a food that will supply a certain amount of protein, fat, and other nutrients.  They can do this using a formula set up by a laboratory to achieve these levels.  But there’s nothing to say that the pet eating the food will actually like the food and do well on it.

For instance, say you have some leather boots, motor oil, and sawdust.  If you sent this mixture to a lab, they would tell you that you have:

32% Protein

18% Fat

3% Fiber

As a label on a pet food, this might look pretty good but do you think a pet would thrive on this concoction???  That’s why it’s important that a pet food company actually feeds their food to pets to ensure that the nutrients are bio-available – that they are nutrients that the body can break down and actually use.

***Bonus points if you realized that the analysis above does not equal 100%.  This is because all foods contain a certain portion of water…even dry kibbles!  In another installment we’ll talk about how to compare pet foods to each other.  Hint – the words “dry matter basis” will be crucial!***

LIFESTAGES

Pets have specific lifestages, and they all have different requirements.  Puppies and kittens need a different nutrient balance than an adult or a senior pet.  This is why you should question any diet that claims to “provide complete and balanced nutrition for all lifestages”.

Coming next month…Pet Food Myths.

As a responsible pet owner, you may be aware that spaying and neutering your pet is highly recommended.

Spaying is the surgery where a female dog or cat’s uterus and ovaries are removed.  Neutering involves removing the testicles of a male dog or cat.  Both of these surgeries ensure that the pet cannot reproduce, and ideally the surgery is performed before sexual maturity (roughly between 4 and 6 months of age).

An intact pet is one who has not been spayed or neutered.

There are many reasons why we recommend spaying and neutering…

MEDICAL

Not only does spaying and neutering control the pet population, but it is medically important in the life of an individual pet.  There are many cancers and other diseases related to the reproductive tract.  If the pet’s reproductive tract is removed, the chances of developing these medical issues is greatly reduced.

Intact males can develop prostate enlargement and testicular cancer, while females are at risk for mammary and uterine cancer, as well as pyometra – a life threatening infection of the uterus.  Neutering can greatly decrease the risk of these diseases.

COMMITMENT OF TIME AND MONEY

Many people want their pet to have “just one litter”, not knowing that there is a lot of care involved with a litter of puppies or kittens:

-        The mother needs special food and care

-        Ultrasound or x-ray to determine size of the litter

-        Risk of emergency cesarean surgery if there are problems in birthing (emergency fee, surgery cost, hospitalization)

-        Extra food and care for the litter

-        Vet visits for vaccines and dewormer before the puppies or kittens go to their new home

-        Potential extra care needed if the mother rejects any babies (such as bottle feeding every 2 hours for 8 weeks)

BEHAVIOR MYTHS

There is a misconception that a female who has a litter with become more “motherly” toward the family members, especially children.  A pet’s attitude and behavior is based more on training and how that pet is treated as it grows up.

It would be more beneficial to expose your pet to many different people and animals when it’s young; this promotes tolerance in the pet, which becomes more accepting of any new people or animals later in life.

HEALTH OF THE BREED

Most people who have only one litter will not pick the mate based on genetic soundness and who will produce the healthiest offspring.  They often breed their pet and their friend’s pet because “they would make such cute puppies/kittens”.

Responsible breeders, however, research their animals thoroughly and have a long-term goal in mind that ultimately will benefit the breed as a whole.  They base their choice of mates on very specific criteria.

OVERPOPULATION

Finding appropriate home for all the puppies or kittens can also be difficult, with all the animals in shelters needing homes desperately.

 Ultimately it is a medically and socially responsible decision to have your pet spayed or neutered.

In honor of World Rabies Day (September 28, 2011), here is some information about rabies.

Rabies is a virus that is most commonly transmitted by contact with infected saliva.  It affects the central nervous system and causes brain disease and eventually death.  There are two forms of rabies – furious and dumb.

Furious rabies is the more common variety. A dog with furious rabies becomes dangerously aggressive, followed later by paralysis of the jaws.  It will drool and the vocal cords become paralyzed, which leads to a change in the tone of the dog’s bark.

Dumb rabies is less common, and is characterized mainly by paralysis. The paralytic features start with the muscles of head and back regions. Quite often the pet has difficulty in the swallowing, prompting the owner to try and help feed it, potentially exposing themselves to the disease.

Cats mostly exhibit the furious form of rabies. For instance, the cat may strike in air as if trying to catch mice.

In Alberta, bats are the biggest rabies carrier.  The bat doesn’t have to bite; it can scratch someone with its nails and pass rabies that way.  Wild animals with rabies quite often lose their fear of people making it very important that you not handle a wild animal!

In Canada this year there have already been 44 reported cases of rabies, mostly in wild animals (foxes, bats, and skunks).  3 of those cases were in household pets – 2 cats and 1 dog.

Preventing rabies is as easy as keeping vaccines up to date.  There is no test for rabies that can be done on a live pet, so prevention is key.

Vaccines contain all or part of an organism that causes a particular disease.  When a vaccine is given, the body reacts to the organism and the immune system learns how to attack it in the future.  However, over time the immunity decreases, required a booster of the vaccine.  By boosting a vaccine, we can “remind” the immune system about the organism, giving the pet better protection against a disease.

Newborn animals have not yet had a chance to make their own immunity, but still need protection against infections present in their environment. They receive this immunity from their mother, partly across the placenta before birth, but mostly through the “first milk” or colostrums they drink in the first day or two after birth.  Maternal immunity is only temporary. It declines steadily over the first few weeks of life and is largely gone by twelve weeks of age.

Every pet is individual and the levels of antibodies decline at an unpredictable rate.  This is why we traditionally vaccinate puppies or kittens at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age.  The pet will be seen one year after the last puppy or kitten visit to boost all the vaccines.

What is somewhat more controversial is when to further boost the vaccines as the pet becomes an adult.  Generally, veterinarians follow the instructions provided by the vaccine manufacturer.  Some vaccines have been tested to be effective for up to three years, while some are only proven for one year.

Some pet owners chose to have the pet’s annual physical exam done routinely, but instead of vaccinating, a blood sample is collected and tested for the level of specific antibodies.  This is called titre testing, and indicates the level of the pet’s immunity.  The titre levels help to guide the owner and veterinarian as to when the pet’s vaccines need to be boosted next.

Titre testing is only available for certain viruses, and is more expensive than vaccinating.  If the titre is low, then the pet will need to have those vaccines boosted anyway.

Keep in mind that immunity is not absolute. Immunity (as reflected by an adequate titre level) can sometimes be overcome when there is:

• an overwhelming exposure to a high dose of a virulent or particularly harmful strain of the microorganism
• a higher level of stress (i.e. – boarding, travel, high anxiety pets)
• an already weakened immune system due medical conditions, diseases, or from fighting other infections
• a history of immuno-suppressive medication, such as a steroid.

Every pet and every family is different.  A veterinarian’s duty is to educate a pet owner and present appropriate courses of action.  Please consult your veterinarian to determine how to effectively maintain your pet’s health.