Kennel Cough

What is Kennel Cough?
Tracheobronchitis, more commonly known as Kennel Cough, is a highly contagious canine disease that infects the upper respiratory system. This disease can be caused by viral infections such as canine distemper, canine adenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, or canine respiratory coronavirus, or can be caused by bacterial infections such as Bordetella bronchiseptica. Kennel Cough is so named because the infection is spread quickly among dogs in close quarters, such as in kennels.
How is it transmitted?
Both the viral and bacterial causes of kennel cough are spread through the air by infected dogs as they sneeze and cough. The virus can also be transmitted through exposure with contaminated surfaces and objects. Exposure mainly occurs in environments where there are multiple dogs in close proximity, such as in pet store, animal shelters, boarding facilities, and grooming facilities.
What are the Symptoms?
Symptoms of Kennel Cough include a harsh, dry hacking or coughing, retching, sneezing, snorting, gagging, and discharge, either watery or thick, from the nose. Symptoms usually begin within 3-5 days after exposure and can last up to 20 days. Most often the dog will recover from these symptoms and medical prevention is unnecessary. However, because of the infection to the respiratory system, Kennel Cough can lead to a severe form of pneumonia.
Are treatments available for Kennel Cough?
Antibiotics are given to treat any bacterial infection present, and to prevent the development of pneumonia. Cough suppressants can be used if the cough is continuous through the night. It is not recommended to use cough suppressants unless the cough is continuous because the cough suppressants can decrease the productivity of the cough, not allowing the dog to cough up the phlegm lodged in the throat.
How do I prevent Kennel Cough?
Prevention is by vaccination with the Bordetella vaccination. Most kennels and groomers will not accept your pet unless there is proof of current vaccination. If you dog is being groomed or boarded on a regular basis, it is recommended that you update this vaccination every six months.

Preparation For Whelping

When a female dog is pregnant there are several things you should do in your home to help the whelping process. Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for the big day.



1. A whelping box should be constructed using either plywood or sturdy cardboard. For a medium sized dog, the box should 4 feet square. Line the box with newspapers and blankets to provide some soft bedding for the puppies. The box should be built a few weeks before whelping so that the mother can become comfortable in the box. It should also be placed in a quite place where there is not a lot of traffic.



2. Radiographs or Ultrasound should be done prior to whelping. This is very helpful for several reasons. Radiographs can be taken between the 51-55 day . This will help determine how many puppies to expect and how big they are. You can take measurements of the puppy or kittens skull size and compare to the mothers birth canal. This can help predict if a Cesarean Section may need to be done. Ultrasound can be done as early as 3 - 4 weeks. Ultrasound in a great way to confirm a pregnancy early. However it is hard to get a definite estimate on how many puppies or kittens may be present.



3. There may be some pre-labor signs 8 - 24 hours before whelping. The mother can become restless, getting up, lying down, and changing her position frequently. She may paw or scratch at her bedding. This is called nesting behavior. She may also have a lack of interest in her food this is normal for most dogs. The rectal temperature will drop below 99.0 degrees 12 hours or less prior to whelping. Temperature can be taken with a rectal thermometer with lubricating jelly on the end. Milk can be expressed from the nipples near or at the time of birth.



3. Provide a warm place for the puppies to lay. Things that can be used at home are a heating pad or hot water bottle. Make sure you place the heating pad close to the mother so that they can stay warm and nurse. Keep heating pads and water bottles to a lower heat. You do not want to lay them directly on them. Covering them with a thin towel or cloth would be adequate.



4. Make sure the puppies or kitten are nursing. It is important that they stay warm while nursing to digest the mothers milk properly. If the mother has any abnormal discharge from the mammary glands such as bloody milk, or greenish yellow pus, she should be seen by a Veterinarian immediately. Some puppies can be shunned by a mother and will not nurse like the others. If you notice a puppy is not growing as rapid as the rest, you may want to buy a milk replacer and bottle feed the pup. When bottle feeding, puppies and kittens should be fed every 2 hours for the first 2 weeks. They should also be stimulated to go to the bathroom by taking a warm damp cotton ball and gently rubbing their bottom. You should do this after each feeding. Once the puppy or kitten is 3 weeks old you can feed them every 3 - 4 hours until they are 6-8 weeks old. At that age you can introduce dry dog or cat food. It may be easier to moisten the food with some warm water. If a puppy or kitten every becomes weak and or cold it should be seen by a Veterinarian immediately.



5. When the mother does go into labor there are a few things you will want around. You will need plenty of clean towels and a nasal aspirator for nasal mucus removal. If the mother does not seem interested in cleaning and stimulating the pups once they are born, you will need to assist. First thing is to break the membranous sac and free the puppy from inside. Then tie the umbilical cord off with some dental floss or string and cut it. Then using your dry clean towels rub the puppy or kitten gently stimulating it to breath and move. Clear the mucus from the nostrils with the nasal aspirator. Once the puppy or kitten is moving and breathing, snuggle it up to momma to stay warm and start nursing. This rarely needs to be done as most mothers give birth very naturally with no assistance.

6. After each puppy or kitten is born the mother will usually eat the placenta. They do not have to eat this, so if you want to dispose of it you may. Most puppies or kittens are born every 1 - 2 hours. They can go as long as 3 - 4 hours in between. If there has not been a pup/kitten born after 2 hours and momma seems painful and straining you should call your Veterinarian. Any sign of straining and pain usually means a problem. If momma is contracting but does not seem to be straining then she is probably fine. Most mothers do not have a problem giving birth but every once in a while a Cesarean section may be needed.

7. Once the mother is finished giving birth let her lie down with the puppies or kittens and rest. Take her out to use the bathroom and eat if she wants. Make sure she does not leave the puppies or kittens for to long. Momma and the puppies or kittens should be seen by a Veterinarian 24 - 48 hours later. With some dog breeds the tails and or the dewclaws may need to be removed. This should be done between 3 - 5 days with your Veterinarian. If any of the puppies or kittens are not nursing or thriving very well, contact your Vet.

Pet Advocacy & Treatment Plans

by Grant Madsen
I have recently been asked: Why do we send home a Treatment Plan with clients for services that they did not request?

Let me share a few thoughts that may help the explanation.

Our pets are like small children that either cannot talk yet, or clearly explain their feelings. I have a 4 yr. old daughter that sometimes cries when upset, but I cannot get her to explain whether her sister hit her, her brother teased her, she fell down, her tummy hurts, she just woke from a scary dream, or what. She just screams. My choices are to hug her and send her on her way since she’s not bleeding, stop what I’m doing to hold her until she settles down, or get mad at her for screaming for no apparent reason and send her to her room so I don’t have to listen to her. Many a mother is driven temporarily insane with helpless worry over a baby that fusses and cries at all hours of the day or night for no explicable reason. It may be colic, insecurity, a cold draft, diaper rash, a wet / soiled diaper, constipation, an ear ache, teething pain or something more serious or not serious at all. The bottom line: she just can’t tell. Sometimes a visit to the pediatrician detects a problem that is quickly resolved with simple treatments. Sometimes finding nothing at least provides some peace of mind. But how would you feel if the doctor examined the baby, thanked you for the visit and sent you on your way without explaining a thing? Or, worse, described scenarios with potentially serious consequences and then sent you home without offering any options for further testing or treatment? I have heard many a story of these exact same things happening within our illustrious medical professions.

Now for some evolutionary theory (No, it’s not Darwinism!). Pets, particularly dogs, developed as pack animals with a very defined social order and hierarchy. Cats have packs too, just more loosely defined and harder for us humans to recognize. Just look at a pride of lions: definitely pack animals with social hierarchy. It is not in a pack animal’s best interest to manifest or display behaviors that could put his social standing within the pack at risk. Animals higher up the social ladder, even the pack leaders, will have their positions challenged by younger, stronger, healthier rivals if weakness or illness should make them appear unable to maintain their position and lead the group. If a lesser position animal acts sick, it is often left behind, avoided, pushed out of the pack, or even attacked and killed, to prevent putting the entire pack at risk of attack by other predators or rivals. So, in order to maintain their social standing, animals camouflage their illnesses and symptoms, learning to cope with underlying pain or diseases (that often develop gradually to begin with) until the condition is so far advanced that they cannot compensate any longer.

Although dogs and cats have been domesticated into family settings for millennia, they have retained several traits of their wild ancestry to preserve their position within their modern pack, our family. Do not be mistaken. Dogs do not consider themselves as part of our family, as just another child with fur and four legs. They consider the family members their pack and see themselves somewhere within the social hierarchy with an assumed role. Just ask yourself if the dog obeys certain family members and ignores others. Usually our pets recognize either or both parents as pack leaders, while realizing that certain children (often the younger ones) are not their superiors and do not need to be obeyed, while another child may be idolized and followed regardless of age.

How often have you gone on a trip, even for a couple weeks, and upon return notice how much taller the kids have gotten, or how much the grass has grown, or how dusty the house is. Yet these changes are often not noticed amid our daily activities, even though they are happening right before our eyes! Only, with our pets it is happening at a more rapid rate. You’ve heard the adage that dogs age seven years for every human year. Over the course of a lifetime that is true. Yet, a dog’s first two years are the equivalent of our first 24-30 years, and even more for a cat. Later things slow down, but the fact remains that animals age more rapidly than you and me.

So, you have a pet that cannot speak, aging unnoticeably at an accelerated rate, developing painful and/or degenerative conditions with which they learn to cope without obvious symptoms, in order to instinctively retain their standing in the family. As a veterinarian, I have taken an oath to be your pet’s advocate, recommending those treatments, tests, nutritional changes and services that will maintain optimum health and longevity in the hopes of preserving a long and healthy relationship in your home. So when I detect conditions that could be painful or that indicate the possibility of underlying diseases, or detect a condition that would benefit from a special medication, better nutrition or diagnostic testing, I am duty bound to stand as an advocate for your pet, voicing what I feel would be in their best interest. I always present first the treatments that I consider to be the optimum level of care. Anything less that that is sub-optimum and it would reflect poorly on my reputation if I were to recommend anything less than what I felt would be the best course of action. Sadly many veterinarians subconsciously x-ray a client’s pocket book before recommending treatments, judging whether the client can afford care based on how they dress, the kind of car they drive, where their address is located, or what kind of job they have (if they even know), and often limit their options without even explaining them. My job is to determine what needs to be done and then let you choose whether you want the recommended level of care. Should you elect a lesser or more conservative level of care, whether for financial or emotional reason, it then becomes my duty to assure that you get the most value for your chosen level of investment. But you must first know what would be the best course of action.

If you are personally diagnosed with a joint problem, a dental problem, a chronic illness, or a nutritional imbalance, you can choose to pursue it further or not. You can choose to treat it or not. You can select the food that ends up in your grocery cart. These choices have many influences, including personal finances, health insurance options, family health history, personal fears, and individual lifestyles. The point is, you have a choice: your pet does not. They rely entirely on your goodwill and judgement for everything.

I will do my part in keeping you informed of your options and the best course available given our current understanding and then try to fit that within your personal guidelines. I try not to leave surprises that surface only when it’s time to pay the bill, but endeavor to prepare you for the reality of what good pet care costs ahead of time. So, the next time we present a Treatment Plan for your review, rest assured that we are recommending what we truly feel is best for your pet, but we will respect your decision if you can’t do it all today. We hope you will come to trust our recommendations and trust us enough to tell us where you need to draw the line.

Pet Nutrition

By: JaAnn Johnson

During the cold season do your pets seem a little slower?

Here is a food that can help their joints become more flexible and not so sore.
We have had many clients start to use Hill’s Prescription Diet J/D dog food, and have seen a drastic change within 2 weeks.

j/d™ Canine
Hill's® Prescription Diet® j/d™ Canine is an innovative dog food that helps maintain healthy joints and improves mobility in dogs. Its unique formula contains high levels of EPA (Eicosapentanoic Acid), an omega-3 fatty acid found in high concentrations in fish oil. Research has shown that EPA can help maintain joint function. Enhanced levels of glucosamine and chondroitin provide the building blocks of healthy cartilage, and L-carnitine, which helps maintain optimum body weight. j/d™ Canine improves the quality of life by helping dogs run better, play better, and rise more easily.

What to look for if you're pet has arthritis
Be alert and know the signs to look for in your dog. Watch for changes in mobility and quality of life that might point to a joint health problem. Watch the Videos on http://www.hillspet.com/ and see for yourself. A moving experience in as few as 21 days. See the dramatic difference Chandler and Gabby experienced after being fed Prescription Diet j/d dog food.

__Dental Health and Care__

February is Dental month for your pets. Believe it or not they need to have their teeth looked at just like us.

Feline Dental Cleaning

Canine Dental Cleaning

Hill’s Prescription Diet T/D is a food that we recommend and helps keep the tarter count down on their teeth by making them really crunch down on that tarter buildup.

Andrea, one of our nurses who loves to clean your pet’s teeth finished cleaning a feline client’s teeth. When we did our follow up call the owner stated that her cat is acting like a totally different cat, playing, loving and causing a little more mischief now.

Animals hide their aches and pains very easily. It could be as simple as a chipped tooth, abscess on the tooth or just tarter buildup. By fixing these simple aches and pains you can tell a tremendous difference in your pets.

A complementary check on your pets teeth by one of our nurses is recommended. Please call and make an appointment.

Until you decide to get those teeth looked at here are some methods and information that you can use to help your furry friends at home.

t/d® Canine
For the Nutritional Management of Dogs with Dental Disease
This painful and potentially serious problem is most usually a result of plaque and tartar buildup at and under the gum line. Prescription Diet® t/d® Canine dog food is formulated specifically for the nutritional management of dogs with dental disease. It's special fiber matrix scrubs the exposed tooth surface like an edible toothbrush, reducing bacteria-laden plaque. If left unchecked, this buildup can lead to gingivitis, a dental condition that can weaken the gums and tissues that support the teeth. The nutritional formulation of Prescription Diet® t/d® may also be useful for pets with a variety of conditions.

Dental Care for Your Dog/ Cat
There are several ways you can care for your dog/ cat's teeth every day.
A complete home dental care program for your dog/ cat often will include brushing as well as a special pet food that helps care for your pet's teeth while he or she eats. Learn more about pet dental care at PetDental.com

Even if you aren't able to brush your dog/cat's teeth every day, by incorporating a special pet food into there daily routine, you can provide the dental care needed to keep them healthy. Be sure to talk with your veterinarian about the options that exist and which are right for your dog.

At the Family Pet Hospital we offer a variety of dental tools to help with the at home dental care: toothpaste/ toothbrushes formatted for canines and felines, Biotene Drinking Water Additive (helps remove Plaque and inhibit Odor Causing Bacteria) that you put in the you're pet's drinking water. Plus other accessories.

Brushing Your Dog/ Cat's Teeth
STEP 1: Introduce a brushing program gradually. Avoid over-restraining him and keep brushing sessions short and positive. A small dog/ cat can be held in your lap. Praise and reassure your pet throughout the process.
STEP 2: At first, dip a finger into beef bouillon. Rub the soaked finger gently over your dog/ cat’s mouth and teeth. Make the initial sessions short and positive.
STEP 3: Gradually, introduce gauze over the finger and gently scrub the teeth in a circular motion.
STEP 4: Finally, you can introduce a soft toothbrush designed for pets. Use a sensitive or ultra-soft brush designed for people or a brush designed for pets. Special pet toothbrushes are available from your veterinarian or specialty pet store. Don't use toothpaste designed for people because it could upset your dog's stomach.

Pet Dental Disease

What factors contribute to dental disease in pets?

Andrea Goates
Studies show that 70 to 80% of dogs and cats suffer from some form of dental disease by 3 years of age!

Why?
· Lack of routine dental care at home
· Poorly positioned teeth due to crowding, rotated teeth, or retained baby (deciduous) teeth.
· Malocclusion (over or underbite) in which the teeth do not meet properly for chewing.
· Genetics: some breeds of dogs and cats (and some individual animals) are more prone to dental problems than others.

Dental disease starts with plaque, a colorless film, composed mostly of bacteria that forms continuously on the teeth and gums. As it mixes with food particles and minerals in the saliva, it becomes a brownish paste called tartar. Over time, it hardens into a cement-like material called calculus.

STAGE ONE The gums are swollen, red and sore (gingivitis). There may be a bright red line along the edge of the gums and the beginnings of bad breath. Note the inflammation (redness) along the gum line. This stage is reversible with early intervention and professional care. Left untreated, gingivitis progresses to periodontal disease. Calculus advances under the gum line, breaking the attachments between the teeth and their surrounding tissues. Bacteria invade the damaged tissues, causing inflammation and further damage to the teeth and gums.

STAGE TWO includes edema, which is noticeable swelling and bleeding of the gums upon probing. The tartar is thickened and the tooth becomes discolored. You may notice the tooth looks yellow, brown, grey, green, or black.

STAGE THREE includes inflammation, edema, pus, loss of bone around the teeth. When the infection spreads to the tooth roots and jaw, abscesses form and teeth are lost. At this point your pet may have difficulty eating due to pain. You may see bleeding when your pet chews. At this stage you will notice a severe foul odor to your pet's breath.

STAGE FOUR includes exposure of roots due to gum recession and bone loss.
Once severe periodontal disease has developed, much of the damage is irreversible. We can only do our best to improve the situation as much as possible with professional periodontal treatment followed by faithful home care.
As if this is not enough, the danger of dental disease is not confined to the mouth. The chronic infection in the mouth allows harmful bacteria to be absorbed into the blood stream. The kidneys and liver, which cleanse the blood, are damaged by constant exposure to bacteria and their toxic by-products. The lungs and heart are also at risk of damage due to long-term systemic infection. It has been shown that consistent dental cleanings and home care can add 2-3 years to your pet’s life.

Please call the Family Pet Hospital at 489-MEOW (6369) to set up an appointment for a complimentary dental evaluation with a nurse.

Pet Parasites

Are Your Pets Protected?
Amberly Pearce

There are six types of intestinal parasites most commonly seen in dogs and cats. The most used way of testing for these parasites is with an intestinal parasite screen. This test requires a small amount of fecal material to look at under the microscope.
The six common types of intestinal parasites are:

Roundworms: The adults live in the small intestine and the eggs are passed in the stool. Animals are infected by ingestion of other infected animals (ex. rats), fecal-oral transmission, or, by pre-natal infection. Eggs are passed in the stool 3 weeks after infection. Infection with roundworms can cause poor hair coat, diarrhea, ill-thrift, pot-bellied appearance, and sometimes a secondary bacterial pneumonia. Worms can sometimes be vomited up or seen in the feces.

Hookworms: These worms are most commonly seen in young dogs and cats. Adult worms live in the small intestine. Animals become infected with hookworms by eating infective eggs or larvae; penetration of footpads or skin by larvae; transmission through the milk while nursing; or, transmission from the mother into the fetus while still pregnant. It takes three weeks from the time of infection until eggs are passed into the stool. Hookworm infection can cause a severe and sometimes fatal anemia in the young, weak, or malnourished animals. Clinical signs are weight loss, diarrhea, and bloody, tarry stools. Sometimes the worms are seen in the feces.

Whipworms: Adults live in the large intestine and eggs are passed in the feces. Diagnosis can sometimes be difficult because whipworms are not prolific egg-layers. Infection is via fecal-oral transmission. Eggs do not appear in the feces until 3 months after infection occurs. Clinical signs that can be seen are weight loss and diarrhea, which may or may not have blood.

Tapeworms: Adult tapeworms live in the intestine of dogs and cats. Tapeworm is obtained by eating infected fleas or can be transmitted by eating infected mammals such as rats. Diagnosis is by visualization of the small, ‘rice-like’ segments in the stool, or seeing the eggs on a parasite screen. The eggs and worm segments are inconsistently shed in the feces. A negative intestinal parasite screen does not completely rule out the possibility of tapeworm infection. Clinical signs are rare since tapeworm infection rarely causes a problem. Some clinical signs can be unthriftiness, shaggy coat, irritability, diarrhea, or lethargy.

Giardia: This parasite lives in the small intestine. Infection is via the fecal-oral route. The incubation period is 1-2 weeks. Clinical signs can be inapparent, continuous, or persistent with diarrhea and weight loss.

Coccidia: Transmission is fecal-oral and usually due to unsanitary conditions. It is commonly seen in the young and immune suppressed animals. Clinical signs can be inapparent or entail weight loss, lethargy, and a mucoid diarrhea, with or without blood present.

Not only can these parasites cause problems for our pets, but many of the larvae can penetrate human skin and can cause skin and organ problems. It is recommended that no one goes around barefoot for 5-7 days after treatment to prevent infection.