Why does my dog itch constantly?

The constant itching, scratching and biting that some dogs deal with can be a nuisance, to not only you having to listen to or watch your dog constantly tear at its skin, but you know the dog is miserable.  So why do some dogs scratch so much?  Often times the answer is called ATOPY.  Atopy is a very common diagnosis in dogs that are constantly itching due to allergies.  Those allergies come in three main classes: environmental, food and fleas.  The environmental allergies are by far the most common and can include the same things that humans are allergic too like pollen, grass, trees and mold.  Flea allergies occur when the dog has an allergic reaction to the flea saliva.  Lots of dogs have fleas and itch but a dog with flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) will scratch so much that they can lose hair and the skin becomes infected.  Food allergies are the least common allergens but they do still provide a source.  Food allergies result usually from the immune system responding to a certain protein.  Many pet owners get caught up with the brand of food or the main ingredients and want to blame the food or protein for the allergy.  Bottom line is the food or the protein in the food is not the problem, it's your dog's immune system.  As an example, many humans have a shellfish or peanut allergy, not because the shellfish or peanuts are bad but because their immune system over reacts to them.  The food and flea allergies are the easiest to treat.  If a food allergy is suspected or diagnosed, simply change the diet to one of the prescription diets that are designed for dogs with a food allergy.  Changing brands will not fix the problem.  Flea allergies are fairly simple, don't let your dog have fleas! By using the various preventatives that are available thru your veterinarian, you not only prevent the flea allergy but also prevent the spread of other harmful diseases.  Environmental allergens are by far the most difficult to treat because unless you want to move to a different climate, your pet will continue to be exposed to those allergens.  Certain shampoos and topicals can help to alleviate some of the issues, steroids are commonly used and can be very effective but are not without there side effects long term.  ATOPICA is a product designed for long term use in dogs with atopy without the major side effects of steroid use.  Each patient needs to be evaluated individually and treated appropriately.  For example, a dog that only scratches for a couple of months of the year can simply be placed on steroids for a short period.  Those with a flea allergy can use preventatives.  Those that itch year round are definitely candidates for skin testing or a food trial and possible ATOPICA use or hypersensitization therapy.  Often times atopy is not caused by only one of the things mentioned above, but a combination of a few or all.  Atopy can be an extremely frustrating problem for you and your pet, but there are definitely options that provide relief. 

Heartworm Disease, The Silent Killer

Many clients ask me if it is really necessary to put a dog or cat on heartworm preventative.  I answer that heartworm preventative is as important as vaccines in this part of the world.  Heartworm disease is spread when an infected mosquito bites your dog or cat.  It doesn't take fifty mosquitoes, it just takes one.  Once they are infected with the heartworm larva it takes close to 2 years before your dog or cat will start showing clinical signs.  That's the 'silent killer' part.  It looks like your pet is normal and has nothing wrong but inside the pulmonary vessels around the heart, the heart worms are reproducing and wreaking havoc.  They look like a piece of spaghetti with a sucker on the end and they will kill your dog without treatment.  Let me say that again, without treatment for heartworm disease your pet will DIE!  It's really that simple.  If your pet develops heartworm disease and is not treated, it will die.  With treatment, they can survive but the costs is approximately $1000-$1600 and the drug is in short supply right now.  Why would you want either of those options when you can prevent the disease very easily.  Prevention comes in multiple forms.  There are monthly topicals that prevent heartworm disease and they also prevent flea infestations like Advantage Multi and Revolution.  There are monthly chewable tablets like Interceptor and Heartgard.  We are getting ready to bring a product in called ProHeart 6 that is an injectable that lasts for 6 months.  ProHeart 6 takes the hassle of having to remember when to give it every month as well as the hassle of trying to get your pet to take a pill or keep still while you apply a topical.  I'm going to use it on my dogs and think it will be a great option for those that hate giving pills or have trouble remembering when to give them.  With ProHeart 6 we will call you every 6 months to schedule an appointment for the injection.  The dog will receive a fecal test, physical exam, deworming if needed and a Preventic collar for flea and tick prevention every 6 months all complimentary with the use of ProHeart 6.  Regardless of product you choose, I can't stress the importance of heartworm prevention enough, it is a matter of life or death.

What's up with Urinary Stones?

I had a female pug come in to the office last week because she had started urinating some blood.  Many of you have seen the pictures that we posted of the enormous bladder stone that was removed.  But how does that happen?!?!?  Urinary crystals and stones are not uncommon in our dogs and cats.  There are multiple causes from bacterial infections that produce the necessary components for stones to form to differences in pH of the urine.  There are also breed predispostions as well.  If you notice that your pet is urinating more often, straining to urinate, only urinating small amounts at a time but multiple times at once.  Those are all signs that can be associated with bladder stones.  There are other diseases that cause the same signs so diagnostic tests will need to be performed.  I usually start with a urinalysis, abdominal radiographs and some bloodwork to check internal organ function, such as kidney values and glucose.  Although the size of the stone that I removed from the pug last week is rare, smaller stones and urinary tract problems are not.  Last weeks' case was definitely a "wow" case, but shows the importance of routine visits to your veterinarian for a physical exam and to answer any questions about abnormalities that you might have noticed.  Something that may be small to you could turn into a giant bladder stone.  Fortunately for this pug, the stone was removed and the dog is doing very well.

Do dogs need dental care?

One of the biggest recommendations that veterinarians make these days are for routine dental cleanings.  But why?  We've had dogs for years and we never had their teeth cleaned, why start now?  The easiest answer is.......Your pets overall health and their oral health go hand in hand, just like humans.  When is the last time that you saw an olympic athelete with rotten teeth?  When is the last time that you saw a beautiful smile in a person in terrible health?  Brushing a dog or cats teeth, chew toys and certain types of food can all help to decrease the amount of plaque and tartar build-up that they have, but they do not replace professional cleanings.  Just because you brush your teeth everyday (hopefully) that doesn't keep you from going to the dentist.  But it does decrease the amount of work that your dentist have to perform on your mouth.  We take dental x-rays before dental cleanings on pets just like your dentist.  That gives us a picture of what's going on below the gum line, which is the most important place.  Some teeth may look normal above the gum line but x-rays may show that the tooth is starting to decay.  Unfortunately, our pets can't tell us when their mouth hurts, but if you have ever had a tooth ache, you know how painful they can be.  Dental disease can also lead to heart and kidney disease.  The bottom line is, proper dental care can add years of quality life to your pet.  Starting early is the key.  if we start early and clean their teeth as a preventative, then they still have teeth to clean when they are older.

The dreaded PARVO!

Another case of parvo came into the office this week and it makes me ask the question, WHY?!?!  Parvovirus is a very common disease of dogs that attacks the cells of the intestinal tract.  It is much more prevelant in puppies but is not a puppy only disease, adults can contract parvo as well.  There is not a specific treament for parvo, we just treat the symptoms until the body's immune system can clear the virus.  Just like the flu in humans, it is much more devastating to the young than it is adults.  The difficulty with treating parvo disease is the fact that most patients are vomitting and have that distinct foul smelling diarrhea.  That foul smell is from the digested blood in the intestinal tract.  So when the patient has it coming out of both ends if you will, keeping the patient hydrated is very difficult to do at home.  Under those circumstances, treatment includes hospitalization of the patient and keeping them on isolation to prevent spread of the disease to other patients in house.  IV anti-biotics are often indicated to keep the patient form getting septic and anti-nausea meds can commonly help.  There is no set repsonse time to treament, ie some respond in 24-48 hours and some stay in the hospital for 7-10 days.  Obviously, when a patient is in intesive care with IV fluids and IV anti-biotics, not to mention the clean-up that is involved, the cost of that care can get espensive and there is a much better, less expensive, healthier option, VACCINATE!  Vaccines are very effective against parvo virus.  Now, I did not say that vaccines one time will prevent parvo.  I recommend at least 3 rounds of vaccines for puppies starting at 6 weeks of age and prefer 4 rounds.  Vaccines keep your pet and your checkbook healthy and are so easy.  Parvo virus on the other hand..... well let's just say you don't want your puppy or bank account to experience it>

My Dog Ate Rat Poison!!!!

So what do we do when a dog or cat eats rat poison?  The answer to that question all depends on how much time has passed between ingestion and the initiation of treatment.  If the patient ingested the poison less than 2 hours ago, I will most likely induce vomitting.  If we can make the patient vomit the poison back up then that takes away most of the risk.  If the poison was ingested longer than 2-3 hours ago, that changes our options since the poison will already have left the stomach for the intestine and absorption is imminent.  Rat poison causes coagulopathies, ie the blood doesn't clot.  In other words, when a mouse or rat ingest rat poison they bleed out internally.   Rat or mouse poisons are vitamin K antagonist.  Vitamin K is essential in the coagulation process.  It can also cause extensive damage to the kidneys, so treatment is aimed at decreasing the absorption of the poison, providing the necessary vitamin K and keeping the patient hydrated to prevent kidney disease.  I saw a large dog this week that had ingested an unknown amount of rat poison and the owners were not sure of the time frame, but it had been longer than 2 hours.   I sedated the patient after a physical exam and placed a tube into his stomach and pumped in activated charcoal which helps to decrease the absorption of the toxin.  I started an IV catheter and fluids as well as vitamin K.  This patient stayed in the hospital for 3 days and coagulation panels and general bloodwork was run daily to monitor changes.  This patient responded well to treatment and was sent home with vitamin K and should do well.  Unfortunately, not all patients are that lucky so it is imperative that poisons are kept out of reach.  You don't want to be the owner with the unlucky dog or cat!