tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60184302379308487422024-03-18T14:53:51.626-05:00Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical CenterThis blog was created for Niles Animal Hospital & Bird Medical Center by Peter S. Sakas DVM in an effort to provide information & discussion about animal related issues. It may move into some eccentric directions on occasion if the mood strikes me as I get more comfortable in this form of communication. I am open to suggestions & comments about the blog. Also view our hospital website www.nilesanimalhospital.com or Facebook page Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.comBlogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-78433525260217819382018-06-04T18:15:00.002-05:002018-06-21T07:24:33.569-05:00<br />
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Niles Animal Hospital has been AAHA accredited since 1953.</h1>
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AAHA - The League of Champions</h1>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;">Scott Smith</span><span class="publishing-at" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: 400;">Mar 21, 2018</span></div>
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In 1933, the United States was reeling. It was the fourth year of the Great Depression. Unemployment stood at 25%. A new and untested president had recently moved into the White House. It was a turbulent and uncertain time.</div>
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But amazingly, during America's darkest hours, seven leaders of the veterinary profession came together to form one of the country's greatest organizations: the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). It was and remains the only institution that accredits companion veterinary hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. It was built on the premise that pets deserve nothing less than the very best veterinary care.</div>
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Fast-forward to 2018. In 85 years, the country has changed in ways that were unimaginable in 1933. But AAHA has endured. Thrived. And today it is the most esteemed veterinary association in the country.</div>
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As Dr. Heather Loenser, AAHA’s Senior Veterinary Officer, put it recently, “Veterinary medicine is always evolving and improving. And AAHA has to remain flexible, ready to challenge previous protocols and upgrade them to the latest recommendations."</div>
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It is that flexibility that has maintained AAHA as the standard of veterinary excellence in a rapidly-changing world.</div>
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The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what is the matter--he's got to just know.” </blockquote>
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-Will Rogers</div>
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<figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><img alt="" class="" data-size="1200,630" src="https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5350/0afc3e65-4273-4148-a539-371fcd7d65cc.jpg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; margin-left: -42px; max-width: 107%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto !important;" /><figcaption class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines.aspx" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Canine Vaccination Guidelines - 2017</a> </figcaption></figure></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">AAHA Accreditation is a Very Big Deal</span> </h3>
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We know this because human hospitals have their own accreditation standards. For example, if a human hospital is not accredited by a <a href="https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/Hospitals.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">CMS-approved program</a>, they can't offer Medicare. Being AAHA accredited is not about prestige. Yes, that comes with it. Being accredited is actually about operating at a higher level. And when it comes to health, that's the only level to play on. The process of accreditation is challenging and rigorous. It is also voluntary and not guaranteed. When a veterinary facility steps up to become accredited, it means they are making a proclamation they are committed to excellence.</div>
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This doesn’t mean non-accredited veterinary practices are bad. No. It <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">does</i> mean they've not been measured by AAHA's roughly 900 accreditation standards. Some veterinary practices think good enough is good enough. And that's fine. But as AAHA's President-elect, Dr. Darren Taul says, "It also raises the question of how much more successful would they be if they truly reached for their full potential by obtaining accreditation."</div>
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As in any profession, some want to take their skillset to the next level. They want to be champions. AAHA can take them there. Since 1933, AAHA has charted a course to accreditation for approximately 3,700 practices. Dr. Bo Williamson, owner of the <a href="http://www.tennaah.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tennessee Avenue Hospital</a> in Cincinnati, Ohio, the oldest continuously accredited American Animal hospital Association Hospital in the world says, "Accreditation is a way to force yourself to be the best you can be. Owners and employees of accredited hospitals constantly look to make things better."</div>
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Currently, only 12 to 15 percent of animal hospitals are accredited. AAHA wants more practices to make the journey to accreditation. They invite you to take the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG7V17gPV4U" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">accreditation challenge</a> and go at your own pace. This allows prospective practices to know exactly what lies in front of them. </div>
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AAHA is considered, as their motto states, 'a standard for veterinary excellence.' It works to ensure excellence in companion animal veterinary care through accreditation, guidelines development, and education." </blockquote>
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- Dr. Jane Sykes, Chief Veterinary Medical Officer, <a href="http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/index.cfm" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital</a>.</div>
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<figure class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><img alt="" class="" data-size="3000,1274" src="https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5881/f0ad51f3-171d-4d44-b662-4b473527b6c3.JPG" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; margin-left: -42px; max-width: 107%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto !important;" /><figcaption class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic;">AAHA headquarters in Colorado </figcaption></figure></div>
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At its core, accreditation has two functions. First, it recognizes and objectively certifies great veterinary practices. This is valuable to pet parents as they search for the best possible care for their nonhuman family members. Second, it helps good veterinary hospitals become great ones by coaching their personnel and helping practices live up to their potential. Many practices are poised to take the step from good to great, but need the counsel and guidance that AAHA provides to fully realize their latent qualities.</div>
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High Standards and Real Results</h3>
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Those standards have very real life-and-death effects on animals and their human companions. Lori Seubert, an experienced cat rescuer from Toledo, Ohio is one of the many people who view AAHA accreditation as essential in choosing a veterinary facility. She recalls her capture of a rascally kitten who frequented a parking lot near a Rally’s restaurant and had evaded capture for almost two months. </div>
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Several weeks after she was finally trapped, Rally Sally began to pant and breathe rapidly. Ms. Seubert took her to <a href="http://sylvaniavet.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sylvania Veterinary Hospital</a>, an AAHA-accredited facility, where Dr. Bob Esplin diagnosed her with community-acquired pneumonia. He prescribed a multiple-day stay in an oxygen chamber and other life-saving therapies. It was a grave situation, but Rally Sally made a full recovery and was later adopted by a wonderful couple. "I’ve gone to several different vets in my area seeking affordable medical care for the rescue cats I’ve fostered," said Ms. Seubert, "but I knew this kitten was very sick and needed the best care possible. I took her to Sylvania Veterinary Hospital because I knew that she'd have the best chance at survival in a place that was accredited by the AAHA.”</div>
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Stacy Hamilton, a vet tech and practice manager at <a href="http://loving-family-vet.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Loving Family Animal Hospital</a> in Aurora, Colorado, AAHA’s 2017 Practice of the Year, has seen what accreditation means to her clients. “It tells them how much we really care about practicing high-quality medicine,” she remarked, “because we’re holding ourselves to the highest standard of care possible. Our clients know we will always provide them with the best options for their loved ones. As awareness in the community has grown about what AAHA is and does, many clients have come to realize that this is an optional accreditation that few hospitals hold. That really sets us apart.”</div>
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What Do Pet Parents Think About Accreditation? - Great Question</h3>
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<a href="https://www.tronebrandenergy.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Trone Brand Energy</a> did a study on just that back in 2016. The study found that pet owners are overwhelmingly attracted to animal hospitals that have the AAHA accreditation.</div>
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Some of the survey highlights below: </div>
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85% of pet owners would choose an AAHA-accredited hospital over a non-accredited one;</div>
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58% are willing to pay more to use an accredited facility; and</div>
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63% would drive farther to get treatment at an accredited practice.</div>
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The full study is available <a href="https://www.aaha.org/professional/resources/accreditation_awareness.aspx" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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We're always eager to add more veterinarians and staff members to our AAHA community whether they work in a single doctor practice with a small staff or with a team of dozens of specialists and credential technicians."</blockquote>
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- Dr. Heather Loenser</div>
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Dr. Heather Loenser and her Border Collie, Calvin. Dr. Loenser is AAHA’s Senior Veterinary Officer. She's passionate about strengthening the relationship between pet owners and their veterinarians. Through her TV appearances, videos, blog posts and monthly appearances with animal lover, <a href="http://jenniferhutt.com/the-show/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jenny Hutt</a> on the SIRIUS XM STARS channel, Dr. Loenser shares all sorts of health & safety tips for companion animals and the people who love them. </div>
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The Path to Accreditation</h3>
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Accreditation involves being measured against over 900 standards of veterinary care across 18 categories. Fifty are mandatory, and then a certain number of additional points must be accumulated across the 18 categories.</div>
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Here's how the process works:</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 28px;">A practice calls the accreditation team at 800-252-2242 or emails them at practice.accreditation@aaha.org.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 28px;">The practice spends three months corresponding with AAHA's accreditation team in preparation for evaluation day.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 28px;">On evaluation day, a consultant visits and conducts the accreditation evaluation on-site.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 28px;">The AAHA Practice Consultant will make another on-site visit two years after the initial visit. </li>
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Being accredited by AAHA doesn’t mean that a veterinary practice is accredited for all time. Instead, accreditation is a continuing process. Accredited practices are re-evaluated every three years. That way, AAHA can continuously guide animal hospitals through the changes in veterinary practice and technology to ensure they can deliver state-of-the-art services.</div>
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The process is collaborative and provides feedback and improvement concepts and ideas. It allows an organization to benchmark against best practices. And as a premier organization, it allows us to be part of the formulation of those best practices and pushes the industry as a whole to higher and higher standards.”</blockquote>
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Joy Hoover, MBA, Hospital Administrator, UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital</div>
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<figure class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><img alt="" class="" data-size="1216,790" src="https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5887/8a851e9d-6b06-4d1d-bc94-8a6eec77006e.jpg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; margin-left: -42px; max-width: 107%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto !important;" /><figcaption class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic;">Doctor performing surgery</figcaption></figure></div>
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Why do some animal hospitals choose to walk this path? Dr. Mike Cavanaugh, the CEO of AAHA, believes that the journey to accreditation effects a significant change in the morale and cohesion of a veterinary facility’s personnel. According to Dr. Cavanaugh, accreditation “means they care enough to be their very best on behalf of their patients, their clients and their staff. I often hear about the wonderful outcome of a hospital team working together to achieve accreditation and the bonding and team-building that results when they successfully achieve their shared goal of accreditation.”</div>
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The current president of AAHA, Dr. Mark McConnell agrees and notes that there are other benefits to accreditation as well. “Some choose to become AAHA-accredited because they want the structure and assistance in running a practice. Others want the best for their patients and AAHA provides resources for the practice team to deliver the best medicine. Some want a recruitment tool to attract skilled and dedicated employees who want to practice with high standards.”</div>
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<figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><img alt="" class="" data-size="2336,1495" src="https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5921/ba0114c4-cad1-4e00-aaf3-ef23a91c6261.jpg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; margin-left: -42px; max-width: 107%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto !important;" /><figcaption class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic;">Dr. Bo Williamson of Tennessee Avenue Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio </figcaption></figure></div>
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Standards and Guidelines</h3>
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AAHA has over 900 standards for accreditation of care. Those standards range from pain management and anesthesia, to medical records and surgery. The standards are the backbone of this organizations and are closely adhered to by over 3,700 practices.</div>
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Each standard is exhaustively researched and documented by a committee of experts in the field. The level of detail comes close to being granular, with specifications for what drugs a veterinary hospital must stock at all times, how different rooms in the facility are to be cleaned and disinfected, how clients are to be communicated with, how the practice should be run in an ecologically sound manner, what purpose-dedicated rooms the facility must have, and so on.</div>
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The standards that AAHA facilities must adhere to are grouped into 18 categories:</div>
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<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Anesthesia</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Contagious Disease </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Dentistry </td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Emergency and Critical Care </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Pain Management </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Patient Care </td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Surgery </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Client Services </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Continuing Education </td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Human Resources </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Leadership </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Referral Standards </td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Safety </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Medical Records </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Examination Facilities </td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">House Keeping and Maintenance </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Diagnostic Imaging </td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 12px;">Laboratory and Pharmacy </td></tr>
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It really demonstrates to the pet parent that this practice takes their role as an animal health care provider very seriously and they look to meet or exceed the best practices that have been developed overtime. It’s very much a ‘seal’ of approval and not easy to attain."</blockquote>
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CEO, Thomas M. Bohn of <a href="http://navc.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The NAVC</a></div>
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<figure class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><img alt="" class="" data-size="1920,1080" src="https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5892/f114b195-da2d-463c-8f25-070a750ff9b6.jpg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; margin-left: -42px; max-width: 107%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto !important;" /><figcaption class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic;">Monitoring Anesthesia at <a href="http://urbanvetcare.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Urban Vet Care</a> in Denver, Colorado </figcaption></figure></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333;">In contrast to AAHA’s standards, which are mandatory for all accredited facilities, AAHA guidelines are akin to a set of best practices that veterinary practitioners may consider in light of their own experience and in the context of the needs of the individual patient, the available resources, and the limitations unique to the practice setting. Some of its key guidelines cover diabetes management, dental care, canine and feline oncology, and end-of-life care.</span></div>
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<figure class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><img alt="" class="" data-size="1920,1080" src="https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5896/88a90dee-5f10-41a9-ae07-499bc601bee7.jpg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; margin-left: -42px; max-width: 107%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto !important;" /><figcaption class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic;">Pain management in action at<a href="http://www.vrcc.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"> VRCC</a> in Englewood, Colorado</figcaption></figure></div>
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To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?</h3>
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That is the question... and to this day the debate remains heated. AAHA has <a href="https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines.aspx" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">developed guidelines</a> that can serve as a conversation starter. For example, although it is well known that rabies is fatal and inoculation is required by law in all 50 states, other vaccines can be recommended or not recommended on a case by case basis. Things to take into consideration are the dog’s lifestyle, age, and health. Location is also important as some cities are more prone to certain diseases than others.</div>
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The core, or recommended, vaccines for all dogs are:</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 28px;">Rabies</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 28px;">The combined vaccine of distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and +/- parainfluenza.</li>
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In 2017, AAHA created the <a href="https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines/vaccine_calculator.aspx" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Life-Style Based Vaccine Calculator</a>. It's been accessed 45,000 times by professionals and canine caretakers.</div>
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The Human-Animal Bond</h3>
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Another facet of AAHA’s work involves research into the human-animal bond and the question of how it affects human health and well-being. In 2015, AAHA formally became a member of the steering committee of the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (<a href="https://habri.org/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">HABRI</a>). With AAHA’s assistance, HABRI’s research focuses on how the relationship between animals and people can be a beneficial factor in human health outcomes.</div>
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According to the American Veterinary Association (<a href="https://www.avma.org/Pages/home.aspx" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1261c9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">AVMA</a>), the Human-Animal Bond is defined as "a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both."</div>
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As Dr. Cavanaugh put it, “The practice teams at our AAHA-accredited hospitals celebrate the value of the human-animal bond each and every day. Ask any of them and they can rattle off a number of reasons why pets are good for their people. HABRI’s research is putting scientific evidence behind what many of us have been saying for years related to how animals affect a person’s well-being. With HABRI’s help, we’ll be able to say these things with strong evidence behind us and no longer have to make a leap of faith regarding what we know to be true.”</div>
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Among other things, HABRI is studying how companion animals contribute to psychological well-being in older adults, how interactions with animals may reduce children’s stress levels, how service dogs affect the mental health of war veterans with PTSD, and the long-term effects of pet dogs on children with autism.</div>
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<figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><img alt="" class="" data-size="5159,2902" src="https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5915/d3442e27-1237-40dc-b0ed-90cd17dacd81.jpg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; margin-left: -42px; max-width: 107%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto !important;" /><figcaption class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic;">The AAHA staff in Colorado</figcaption></figure></div>
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The Future of AAHA</h3>
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Dr. Cavanaugh believes that in the coming years, AAHA will continue to focus on its core function: accreditation. The organization is looking at modernizing the processes of collecting and analyzing member-generated data. Additionally, the way AAHA runs its on-site visits is being reimagined.</div>
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AAHA also hopes to focus on developing healthy workplace cultures. Practice members experience all kinds of emotions in the course of serving patients with all kinds of ailments. While all practitioners feel depressed at times, coming into a positive work environment makes a big difference.</div>
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That kind of forward thinking has characterized AAHA since its inception. Though its goal has remained constant for 85 years, the ways of achieving excellence are constantly changing.<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"Article originally published by </span><a href="https://www.consumersadvocate.org/features/aaha-the-league-of-champions" style="color: blue; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" target="_blank">ConsumersAdvocate.org"</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-19639429702842392522017-11-30T16:00:00.002-06:002017-11-30T16:00:42.178-06:00<b><u>Dental Special Months at Niles Animal Hospital </u></b><br />
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Every year we offer a special discount off the price of a regular dental cleaning for dogs and cats during the months of December, January. and February, As February is National Pet Dental Health Month we would have the special during that month, but due to the overwhelming response we decided to extend our special for three months (and have done so for the past several years).<br />
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The dental special is a $50.00 discount off the price of a regular dental cleaning. Extractions and more extensive dental procedures are not discounted. The procedure is performed with the pet being placed under general anesthesia. One of our technicians monitors the anesthesia while the veterinarian performs the dental cleaning. Dental radiographs are also taken to be certain there is no underlying disease in the roots of the teeth. Following the cleaning the teeth are polished.<br />
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Contact the hospital at 847-647-9325 or through our website at nilesanimalhospital.com so we can set up presurgical bloodwork/evaluation and dental procedure.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.nilesanimalhospital.com/2015/11/does-your-pet-have-dental-disease.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">Does Your Pet Have Dental Disease?</a></h3>
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<em><b>Does Your Pet Have Dental Disease?</b></em></div>
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During our dental health months (December, January, and February), bring your pet in for an evaluation of their dental condition, as dental disease can lead to serious problems, as outlined in the article from the AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief below. </div>
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<strong>Exploring dental care for pets</strong> (Dr. K Dye from AVMA Pet Health SmartBrief)</div>
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<em>Q: Why does my dog's breath stink?</em><br />A: Most odors from a dog's mouth come from periodontal disease and bacteria in the mouth. Plaque and tartar build up along with inflammation cause periodontal disease (the periodontium includes the bone, connective tissue, and gingiva which surrounds and supports a tooth). </div>
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Please have your pet examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause of bad breath, but often it is some form of dental disease. Since most dogs do not get their teeth brushed daily, plaque and tartar accumulate quickly. Unhealthy gums (gingivitis) can also result from lack of brushing. Once the gums are inflamed, it is often appropriate to perform a dental prophylactic cleaning under anesthesia. </div>
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There are several stages of periodontal disease, from Stage 1 (the most mild) to Stage 4 (the most severe). Dental disease affects more than just the teeth and gums. Over time, bacteria accumulate in the mouth along the gum-line, where they enter the bloodstream. </div>
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Once enough bacteria are present in the bloodstream they begin to cause systemic damage, affecting the liver, kidneys and heart. </div>
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Bacteria in the bloodstream can also cause sepsis (generalized invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms). Obviously, an additional concern is tooth loss and pain associated with dental disease. These conditions can take years off your pet's life. Most studies show that 80% or more of all adult dogs have periodontal disease and at least 70% of all cats have some form of dental disease.</div>
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Dental disease is easily treated if done at the appropriate time. </div>
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A dental prophylaxis performed at periodontal disease stage 1 or 2 can help ensure that your pet will not suffer any of the aforementioned conditions. Once your pet has reached periodontal disease stage 3 or 4, irreversible damage may have already occurred and extracting teeth may be the only option to maintain your pet's oral health. </div>
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Dental extractions are uncomfortable for the patient and can be financially costly for their owners. </div>
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Therefore, detecting periodontal disease early and treating early with a prophylactic cleaning are important.</div>
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<em>Q: What happens during a dental cleaning?</em><br />A: We recommend pre-anesthetic blood work to detect any underlying disease that may affect our anesthetic protocol. Your pet will be under full anesthesia, while being monitored by a trained technician as well as monitored by pulse oximetry machines and Doppler blood pressure. Core body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate are also monitored. </div>
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Our patients all receive IV fluid support during the dental prophylaxis. The oral cavity will be examined closely for any unusual discolorations or masses. The teeth and gums will be evaluated to determine the degree of dental disease. Digital dental radiographs will be taken to better evaluate the condition of the teeth and the roots. The teeth will be checked for fractures, pulp exposure, irreversible gum recession, cavities and abnormal wear. The tartar will be removed using an ultrasonic scaler as well as hand scaling instruments by a licensed veterinary technician. </div>
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Using special curettes, the plaque, tartar and bacteria will be removed from the tooth surfaces as well as under the gum line. </div>
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At this stage of the procedure, the doctor will determine if the patient would benefit from additional therapy such as extractions or special antibiotics applied directly under the gum line. </div>
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Finally, the teeth will be polished and fluoride applied to help prevent re-accumulation of tartar and bacteria. </div>
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If necessary, the patient will go home with pain medication and/or antibiotics. After a dental prophylaxis, it is important to follow up with home care. There are several options including brushing (the best), oral rinses or water additives, and special dental chews.</div>
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(NOTE: We also follow the same protocol at Niles Animal Hospital, presurgical bloodwork, surgical monitoring by a certified veterinary technician, dental radiographs, and thorough cleaning/prophylaxis.)</div>
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It is also quite possible that your pet may need an additional dental prophylaxis in the future.</div>
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Hopefully with diligent home care we can increase the time between professional cleanings.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-12212238629086293782017-11-21T14:05:00.000-06:002017-11-21T14:05:14.153-06:00Thanksgiving Pet Safety<div class="_1dwg _1w_m _q7o" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 12px 12px 0px;">
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Thanksgiving Pet Safety</div>
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Thanksgiving is a special holiday that brings together family and friends, but it also can carry some hazards for pets. Holiday food nee<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">ds to be kept away from pets, and pet owners who travel need to either transport their pets safely or find safe accommodations for them at home. Follow these tips to keep your pets healthy and safe during the holiday.</span></div>
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Poison Risks<br />Overindulging in the family feast can be unhealthy for humans, but even worse for pets: Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest. Poultry bones can damage your pet’s digestive tract. And holiday sweets can contain ingredients that are poisonous to pets.</div>
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Keep the feast on the table—not under it. Eating turkey or turkey skin – sometimes even a small amount – can cause a life-threatening condition in pets known as pancreatitis. Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest, and many foods that are healthy for people are poisonous to pets – including onions, raisins and grapes. If you want to share a Thanksgiving treat with your pet, make or buy a treat that is made just for them.<br />No pie or other desserts for your pooch. Chocolate can be harmful for pets, even though many dogs find it tempting and will sniff it out and eat it. The artificial sweetener called xylitol – commonly used in gum and sugar-free baked goods – also can be deadly if consumed by dogs or cats.<br />Yeast dough can cause problems for pets, including painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating.<br />Put the trash away where your pets can’t find it. A turkey carcass sitting out on the carving table, or left in a trash container that is open or easily opened, could be deadly to your family pet. Dispose of turkey carcasses and bones – and anything used to wrap or tie the meat, such as strings, bags and packaging – in a covered, tightly secured trash bag placed in a closed trash container outdoors (or behind a closed, locked door).<br />Be careful with decorative plants. Don’t forget that some flowers and festive plants can be toxic to pets. These include amaryllis, Baby’s Breath, Sweet William, some ferns, hydrangeas and more. The ASPCA offers lists of plants that are toxic to both dogs and cats, but the safest route is simply to keep your pets away from all plants and table decorations.<br />Quick action can save lives. If you believe your pet has been poisoned or eaten something it shouldn’t have, call your veterinarian or local veterinary emergency clinic immediately. You may also want to call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 888-426-4435. Signs of pet distress include: sudden changes in behavior, depression, pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. Contact your veterinarian immediately.<br />Precautions for Parties<br />If you’re hosting a party or overnight visitors, plan ahead to keep your pets safe and make the experience less stressful for everyone.</div>
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Visitors can upset your pets. Some pets are shy or excitable around new people or in crowds, and Thanksgiving often means many visitors at once and higher-than-usual noise and activity levels. If you know your dog or cat is nervous when people visit your home, put him/her in another room or a crate with a favorite toy. This will reduce the emotional stress on your pet and protect your guests from possible injury. If your pet is particularly upset by houseguests, talk to your veterinarian about possible solutions to this common problem.<br />Learn about dog bite prevention.<br />If any of your guests have compromised immune systems (due to pregnancy, some diseases, or medications or treatments that suppress the immune system), make sure they’re aware of the pets (especially exotic pets) in your home so they can take extra precautions to protect themselves.<br />If you have exotic pets, remember that some people are uncomfortable around them and that these pets may be more easily stressed by the festivities. Keep exotic pets safely away from the hubbub of the holiday.<br />Watch the exits. Even if your pets are comfortable around guests, make sure you watch them closely, especially when people are entering or leaving your home. While you’re welcoming hungry guests and collecting coats, a four-legged family member may make a break for it out the door and become lost.<br />Identification tags and microchips reunite families. Make sure your pet has proper identification with your current contact information – particularly a microchip with up-to-date, registered information. That way, if they do sneak out, they’re more likely to be returned to you. If your pet isn’t already microchipped, talk to your veterinarian about the benefits of this simple procedure.<br />Learn more about microchips.<br />Watch your pets around festive decorations. Special holiday displays or candles are attractive to pets as well as people. Never leave a pet alone in an area with a lit candle; it could result in a fire. And pine cones, needles and other decorations can cause intestinal blockages or even perforate an animal’s intestine if eaten.<br />Travel Concerns<br />Whether you take your pets with you or leave them behind, take these precautions to safeguard them when traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday or at any other time of the year.</div>
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Your pet needs a health certificate from your veterinarian if you’re traveling across state lines or international borders, whether by air or car. Learn the requirements for any states you will visit or pass through, and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to get the needed certificate within the timeframes required by those states.<br />Learn more about health certificates.</div>
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Never leave pets alone in vehicles, even for a short time, regardless of the weather.</div>
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Pets should always be safely restrained in vehicles. This means using a secure harness or a carrier, placed in a location clear of airbags. This helps protect your pets if you brake or swerve suddenly, or get in an accident; keeps them away from potentially poisonous food or other items you are transporting; prevents them from causing dangerous distractions for the driver; and can prevent small animals from getting trapped in small spaces. Never transport your pet in the bed of a truck.<br />Learn more about properly restraining pets in vehicles.</div>
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Talk with your veterinarian if you’re traveling by air and considering bringing your pet with you. Air travel can put pets at risk, especially short-nosed dogs. Your veterinarian is the best person to advise you regarding your own pet’s ability to travel.</div>
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Pack for your pet as well as yourself if you’re going to travel together. In addition to your pet’s food and medications, this includes bringing medical records, information to help identify your pet if it becomes lost, first aid supplies, and other items. Refer to our Traveling with Your Pet FAQ for a more complete list.</div>
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Are you considering boarding your dog while you travel? Talk with your veterinarian to find out how best to protect your pet from canine flu and other contagious diseases, and to make sure your pet is up-to-date on vaccines.</div>
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Food Safety<br />Don’t forget to protect your family and loved ones from foodborne illnesses while cooking your Thanksgiving meal. Hand washing, and safe food handling and preparation, are important to make sure your holiday is a happy one. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers tips for handling, thawing and cooking turkey, as well as saving your leftovers.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-17736431230887089452017-03-21T13:50:00.001-05:002017-03-21T13:50:27.662-05:00<h1 style="background-color: white; color: #455660; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -8px;">
Money Tips for Caring Pet Owners</h1>
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By Julie Ciaramella<span id="ms-rterangepaste-start"><br />AVMA Communications Division</span></div>
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(This article is available as a <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/228978" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">free download from Smashwords</a> in a number of formats compatible with e-readers.)</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">Everyone is trying to save money these days, including pet owners. But in an effort to cut back on costs, you may hear advice that could end up compromising your pet’s health. Regardless of what you read, providing your pet with regular preventive care is the key to a <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pet-health.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">healthy and long life</a> for your pet. And an investment in preventive healthcare can reduce your long-term pet healthcare costs. How? Preventive care does just what its name suggests – it can prevent diseases that can put your pet’s life in jeopardy and be costly to treat. Regular exams also often catch budding health issues that can become bigger problems if left untreated, saving you hundreds – or even thousands – of dollars as a result and possibly even saving the life of your pet.</span></div>
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First Things First </h3>
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We recognize that cost is a major concern for pet owners, but selecting a veterinarian involves more than just price-shopping. There are <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/choosing.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">several factors to consider</a> when you choose a veterinarian, such as convenient office hours, how the veterinarian and staff treat you and your pet, and what type of payment options and plans they offer. Cost is often a factor, but it may not be the most important factor to consider. While some veterinary medical services may be offered at very low rates, remember that they also may not include comprehensive services. Make sure you compare “apples to apples,” so you know that the cost estimates you’re getting are for the same services. For example, one estimate might be for surgery alone, while another higher-cost estimate also includes some pre-operative bloodwork and post-operative pain relief; and when you add these services to the lower-cost estimate, the prices are more comparable than you originally thought.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"><br />And what about “Dr. Google?” More and more, people are resorting to the Internet to find information and guidance on health issues – for both themselves and their pets. Sorting out <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pet-health-information-online.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">reliable from unreliable information online </a>can be challenging, and the Internet is certainly not a reliable substitute for hands-on evaluation by your veterinarian or physician. Don’t get us wrong. Not all information on the Internet is wrong or misguided. But the AVMA urges you to be very cautious when relying on online information for decisions regarding your own health or your pet’s health. And steer clear of anyone offering online diagnoses or treatment recommendations, either for free or for a fee. They may be bogus, not to mention illegal. </span> </div>
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A Penny Now or a Pound Later?</h3>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">All of the veterinarians interviewed for this article emphasized that annual preventive healthcare exams and regular preventive care – such as <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/vaccinations.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">vaccinations</a>, heartworm testing, fecal parasite exams, dental evaluation and more – save pets’ lives by ensuring they’re healthy. They can also save pet owners money by reducing or eliminating the risk of health problems that can be more expensive to treat. The cost of preventive care usually pales in comparison to the cost of treating the disease or problem that would have been prevented. Regular exams can also detect problems early, before they become more serious…and probably more expensive to treat. In a nutshell, spending the money upfront on preventive care can save you a lot more in the long run. <span style="display: inline-block;"></span></span><span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span>“Routine monitoring for tick-borne diseases and parasites (including heartworm), as well as keeping your pets up-to-date on medications, can save their lives,” said Dr. Meghan McGrath of Radnor Veterinary Hospital in Wayne, Pa.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"><br />Pets should have annual <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/wellness-exams.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">wellness exams</a>, and some pets may need more frequent exams, said Dr. Michael Cavanaugh, DABVP, American Animal Hospital Association executive director.<br /><br />“Many people ask me, ‘How often should my pet see their veterinarian?’ My typical answer is at least annually, and it depends. Depending on the pet’s lifestage, lifestyle, and overall health status, they may need to be seen more frequently. The individual pet’s veterinarian is best positioned to determine how many visits per year are in order,” Dr. Cavanaugh said.<br /><img alt="Veterinarian with client and dog" height="749" src="https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/PublishingImages/vetclientgolden.jpg" style="height: 610px; margin: 5px; width: 407px;" width="500" /><br />Annual preventive healthcare exams can often reveal problems that, if left undiagnosed and untreated, could have bigger consequences later on. Dr. Nan Boss, who owns the Best Friends Veterinary Center in Grafton, Wis., shared a story about a cat named Gabby that hadn’t been to the veterinarian in years and came into her clinic with neurological problems. Gabby was so weak she couldn’t even walk.<br /><br />“She’d had a stroke because of high blood pressure caused by hyperthyroidism, which can lead to a number of other health problems including weight loss, and heart and kidney disease. If we had been checking her thyroid level regularly, we would have caught the disease earlier and had her on medication, plus we would have been monitoring her blood pressure. She would never have had the stroke,” Dr. Boss said.<br /><br />Gabby lived about four to five more years on thyroid medication, but Dr. Boss said that she was never the same cat and suffered from hind leg weakness until her death.<br /><br />That wasn’t the only story Dr. Boss had about a patient whose quality of life would have been better with preventive care. She also shared a story about a dog that came in for a routine dental exam and was diagnosed with atrial tachycardia, a potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm. Dr. Boss’ clinic offers ECG screens before administering anesthesia to pets, because, she says, “Most unexpected deaths under anesthesia are due to an undiagnosed heart problem.” The dog was rushed to an emergency clinic, where he had an echocardiogram and received medication. A routine dental exam ended up saving his life.</span> </div>
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Doing the Right Thing</h3>
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<a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/vaccinations.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Vaccinations</a>, along with <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/spay-neuter.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">spaying and neutering </a>your pets, will also cut down on medical bills and keep your pet healthy by likely reducing long-term costs. One thing to remember, however, is that pet owners shouldn’t try to vaccinate their pets at home. That job should be left to a veterinary healthcare team.</div>
<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"></span><span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">Dr</span><h3 class="av-rteElement-H3" style="color: #667274; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 5px;">
A Hard Pill to Swallow?</h3>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">Maybe not. One area where you may be able to save money is on your pet’s medications. Pet owners always have the option of purchasing their pet’s medications from a variety of sources, including large grocery or pharmacy chains, online pharmacies or your own veterinarian. But you should be careful when buying medications from any source other than the veterinarian you trust with your pet’s well-being. If you choose to purchase your pet’s medications from an online pet pharmacy, purchase only from reputable pharmacies with a valid license in your state. You can check license status with your <a href="http://www.nabp.net/boards-of-pharmacy/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">state pharmacy board</a>.</span></div>
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<br />Never purchase prescription medications from a pharmacy that tells you that you don’t need a prescription. Don’t purchase medications from pharmacies outside the U.S., because they may be selling medications that are not FDA-approved, which is illegal in the U.S. and could pose a health risk for your pet. They may also be selling counterfeit medications or marketing pills that don’t contain any medication at all. For more information on safely obtaining pet medications from online pharmacies, visit the FDA’s “<a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048164.htm" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Buyer Beware</a>” page.<br /><br />And never give your pet any human medications without first consulting your veterinarian. Although it may seem a quick way to save money, <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Poison-pills-for-pets.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">human medications</a> can be very harmful, even fatal, to your pet.<br /><br />If you purchase your pet’s medications from your local pharmacy, don’t accept any substitutions or alterations without your veterinarian’s approval. Although pharmacists are exceptionally well-trained when it comes to human medications, they may not be aware of the unique aspects of veterinary medicine and veterinary medications. If you have any questions about your pet’s prescription, always consult your veterinarian.<br /><br />When it comes to purchasing pet medications, it could pay to check with your veterinary clinic first. Your veterinarian might provide the medication at a cost that’s very similar to the price charged by local or online pharmacies. So don’t be afraid to ask about the cost; you might be pleasantly surprised.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"><span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">“When you purchase your pet’s medications from your veterinarian, you will usually get manufacturer’s rebates, coupons or even free products that can cut your costs down to those low online prices while ensuring you’re receiving a quality product,” Dr. Boss </span><span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"></span><span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"></span><span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">said.<span style="display: inline-block;"></span></span></span></div>
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Also keep in mind that some manufacturers will only guarantee their products if they are purchased from a veterinarian. Add in the convenience factor of taking the medications with you, and you may find that eliminating additional stops to get prescriptions filled saves you time as well as money<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">. </span></div>
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Sophisticated Healthcare Costs More</h3>
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When it comes to specialty care, it can be harder to cut costs without compromising your pet’s health. Being proactive and getting your pet treatment as soon as possible can often help you avoid costly surgeries and other procedures.</div>
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Dr. Chris Hill, a surgical specialist in Charleston, S.C., who is board certified in surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, said he generally only sees patients after something has either gone wrong or was simply ignored by the pet owner. He said he thinks the most important thing owners can do is to have small tumors and lumps removed from their pets early, during routine physicals.<br /><img alt="Veterinarian with dog" class="av-rtePosition-3" height="750" src="https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/PublishingImages/vetwithgolden.jpg" style="height: 507px; margin: 5px; vertical-align: text-top; width: 338px;" width="500" /><br />“Too many times an owner will ignore a small tumor that isn’t bothering the pet and watch it grow to become nearly inoperable before they decide to take their pet in to have it removed,” he said. “What could have been a relatively easy, inexpensive surgery performed at a general practitioner’s office now becomes a referral to a board-certified surgeon for a much more complicated and expensive procedure that may involve skin flaps, skin grafts or even multiple surgeries. On top of that, if it’s cancerous you’re more likely to get positive results if you begin treatment immediately. And even if it’s benign, it should be removed as soon as possible.” </div>
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A Simple Solutions Is Sometimes Cheaper</h3>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"></span>Dr. Hill also spoke about the importance of preventing obesity in pets, saying the condition often leads to a multitude of health problems.<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"></span></div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"><br />“We see obese pets that have broken a leg or become paralyzed from a ruptured disc just by jumping off the couch,” Dr. Hill said. “Oftentimes, just by losing weight a pet can avoid having joint replacement surgery or having to take lifelong pain medications.”</span>Obesity also increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and joint disease, including arthritis, so keeping your pet at a healthy weight is a great preventive measure that keeps costs down throughout your pet’s entire life. </div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;"><br />Dr. Tony Buffington, a professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, said he often sees inactive, indoor pets that are obese. By giving your pet the right amount of physical activity in an enriched environment and keeping their weight at a healthy level, he said, you may be saving yourself a walletful of trouble. In addition to keeping your pet at a healthy weight, the type of food you buy can also help you cut costs.<br /><br />Doing some homework about the type of food you are buying for your pet may also lead to money saved. Dr. Buffington explains that if you’re paying for “premium” food, there may not be much difference between it and other, regular pet foods. Good nutrition can be achieved by a range of pet foods, in a range of prices. Product marketing terminology can be confusing. Consult with your veterinarian about the best nutritional options for your pet.<br /><br />Making a homemade diet for your pets is possible, but it’s critical that you meet your pet’s nutritional needs. Dr. Buffington said he doubts homemade diets are cheaper. Before stocking up on all the foods and nutrients required for a nutritionally balanced home-cooked diet, he recommends that clients discuss their pet’s diet with their veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist, which is a veterinarian who has received additional graduate training and certification in animal nutrition. </span> </div>
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Help! </h3>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-Normal" style="background-color: transparent;">Even though you make sure your pet receives exercise, proper nutrition, vaccinations and regular veterinary exams, it can still get sick. And in an emergency situation, it’s best to remember that cost-cutting measures could mean the difference between life and death. The best ways to save money on emergency care are to 1) provide good preventive care, so that problems are caught early, before they become more difficult and expensive to treat; 2) prevent emergencies by being cautious and minimizing your pet’s risk of injuries, poisonings or other situations that can be avoided with some forethought; and 3) recognize <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/EmergencyCare/Pages/animal-emergencies.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">true emergencies </a>and don’t delay treatment.<br /><br />If you end up at a clinic or emergency facility with a sick or injured pet and you can’t afford treatment, ask the veterinarian about financial options. Dr. Boss said veterinarians are often willing to help clients find solutions.<br /><br />“For most serious problems there is a spectrum of care, and we need to have a discussion with the client as to what their financial status will allow them to do and what they are comfortable with,” she said. “It’s wonderful how much specialty care we have available these days, but we also are fully aware that not everyone can afford an MRI for their dog’s injured shoulder or endoscopy to look for inflammatory bowel disease. We are all very used to coming up with a solution that works.”<img alt="Veterinarian with puppy" class="av-rtePosition-3" height="708" src="https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/PublishingImages/vetwithpuppy.jpg" style="height: 469px; margin: 5px; vertical-align: text-top; width: 331px;" width="500" /><br />“I do think it’s sensible to tell your veterinarian when you truly can’t afford something,” explained Dr. Hill. “Oftentimes they can come up with a less expensive ‘Plan B’ that may not be quite as good but is still better than taking your pet home and doing nothing.”<br /><br />Dr. Edward Payne, whose practice is limited to emergency and critical care at Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, Ill., said there are different levels of care and treatment options that veterinarians can offer to pet owners.<br /><br />“We do realize finances are an important consideration. There’s never just one option. First, we’ll offer what’s medically best, and after that there are different levels of what we do and options we can offer,” he said.<br /><br />Dr. Payne also mentioned that many clinics offer financing programs that allow owners to pay over time. <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pet-insurance.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Pet insurance </a>is also an option; the AVMA “endorses the concept of pet health insurance that provides coverage to help defray the cost of veterinary medical care,” according to our <a href="https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Pet-Health-Insurance.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Guidelines on Pet Health Insurance and Other Third Party Animal Health Plans</a>.</span></div>
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Dr. Boss advised that, in the event your pet gets sick, it’s a good idea to have some savings put away for that rainy day and perhaps even consider buying pet insurance. Insurance, she said, can come in handy in a time of crisis or when a pet owner wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford an expensive surgery or other treatment. It’s important to purchase pet insurance before a problem arises, however, and not to wait until your pet is sick.<br /><br />Still, she said, being proactive about your pet’s health is the best solution to keeping your pet healthy.</div>
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Bottom Line </h3>
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“Even if you feed your pet the best food, provide the best preventive care and are alert to any problems early on, you still may end up with a sick or injured pet,” Dr. Boss said. “But you lower the odds if you are proactive about preventive healthcare and set aside some money or invest in pet insurance. That way, should the occasion arise, you can afford the technically advanced care that is available to your pet today.”<br /><br /><strong>Thanks to the following people for their help with this article:</strong><br />Dr. Nan Boss, Best Friends Veterinary Center, Grafton, Wis., <a href="http://www.bestfriendsvet.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">bestfriendsvet.com<br /></a>Robin Brogdon, President, BluePrints Veterinary Group, <a href="http://www.blueprintsvmg.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">blueprintsvmg.com</a><br />Dr. Tony Buffington, The Ohio State University and American College of Veterinary Nutrition, <a href="http://www.acvn.org/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">acvn.org<br /></a>Dr. Amanda Burris, Salmon Falls Veterinary Hospital, South Berwick, Maine, <a href="http://www.salmonfallsvet.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">salmonfallsvet.com</a></div>
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Dr. Michael Cavanaugh, DABVP, AAHA executive director, <a href="http://www.aahanet.org/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">aahanet.org<br /></a>Bobbie Marie Palsa<br /><br />Dr. Dean Gebroe, Culver City Animal Hospital, Culver City, Calif., <a href="http://www.thepetsvet.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">thepetsvet.com<br /></a>Dr. David Highsmith, Highsmith Animal Hospital, Wilmington, N.C., <a href="http://www.highsmithanimalhospital.vetsuite.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">highsmithanimalhospital.vetsuite.com</a></div>
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Dr. Chris Hill, surgical specialist, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, <a href="http://www.acvs.org/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">acvs.org</a><br />Dr. Meghan McGrath, Radnor Veterinary Hospital, Wayne, Pa., <a href="http://www.radnorvet.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">radnorvet.com<br /></a>Dr. Edward Payne, Veterinary Specialty Center, Buffalo Grove, Ill., <a href="http://www.vetspecialty.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">vetspecialty.com</a></div>
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Patrick Sklenar<br /><br />Sarajenie Smith, Marketing Communications Specialist, Veterinary Specialty Center, Buffalo Grove, Ill., <a href="http://www.vetspecialty.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">vetspecialty.com</a></div>
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Dr. Christina Stagner, recent graduate member of AVMA<br /><br />Members of the AVMA Communications Division also contributed to this report.</div>
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This article is available as a <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/228978" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">free download from Smashwords</a> in a number of formats compatible with e-readers.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-22360102338682133292017-03-14T08:22:00.001-05:002017-03-14T08:30:02.004-05:00<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Sakas will be speaking at the Michiana Elite Bird Fair this weekend. There will be all sorts of birds, vendors, and other speakers at the fair. It is well worth attending.</span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 26px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 76px 0.3em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Michiana Elite Bird Fair (Michiana Bird Fair)!</h1>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: navy; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Royal Wings Aviary Contact : (574) 273-1767</span><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></strong></h1>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Spring <span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">MICHIANA ELITE BIRD FAIR</span>, the ONLY trademarked MICHIANA BIRD FAIR, will be held <span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">MARCH 18, 2017</span>, at <span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BETHEL COLLEGE</span>, <span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10-4</span>.</strong></span><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></strong></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You won’t want to miss the <span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">OWLS</span> and <span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BALD EAGLE</span>, <span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">KESTREL</span>, <span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PEREGRINE FALCON</span>, AND <span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">RED-TAILED HAWK</span>. </strong></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="blpcm" data-offset-key="9jbp0-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9jbp0-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Updated Schedule</span> for Noted Guest Speakers at the Michiana Elite Bird Fair at Bethel College Saturday, March 18, 2017:</strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4kvdv-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10:30-11:15</strong></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="blpcm" data-offset-key="65df9-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="65df9-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shellie Hochstetler</span>– “4 Negatives of Owning Companion Parrots” and “7 Ways to Handle Spring Hormones Correctly”</strong></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="blpcm" data-offset-key="6gm3t-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6gm3t-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shannon Dingee-Kramer</span>-“Positive Reinforcement Training, Target and Station Training”</strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="887d3-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11:15-12:00</span> Dr. Peter Sakas, DVM<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">– “Recognizing Illness in Pet Birds”</span></strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="brm6i-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">12:00-12:45</span> Owls (Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rescue/Dr. Dennis Michels)</strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ef6qo-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">12:45-1:15</span> Dr. Peter Sakas, DVM<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">– “Household Hazards for Pet Birds”</span></span></strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="517tb-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="25lr4-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1:15-2:00</span> Bald Eagle, Kestrel, Peregrin Falcon, Red-Tailed Hawk</strong></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="25lr4-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> (Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rescue/Dr. Dennis Michels)</strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="dc85o-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="2care-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-offset-key="2care-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-text="true" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2:00-3:00</span></span></span></strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="as3cb-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shellie Hochstetler</span>– “7 Ways to Handle Spring Hormones Correctly”</strong></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="e2t71-0-0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shannon Dingee-Kramer</span>– “Rescue and Experiences in Rescue”</strong></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-19986029543306895582016-01-26T22:41:00.002-06:002016-01-26T22:41:15.809-06:00Information about dog influenza from the AVMA<h1 style="background-color: white; color: #455660; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -8px;">
Canine Influenza FAQ</h1>
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Questions, Answers, and Interim Guidelines</h2>
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See Also:</h3>
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<a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/CanineInfluenza.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;">Pet Owners' Guide to Canine Influenza</a><br /><a href="https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Canine-Influenza-Backgrounder.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;">Canine Influenza Reference Guide for Veterinarians</a></div>
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<strong>Client Handout (AVMA members only):</strong><a href="https://www.avma.org/PracticeManagement/ClientMaterials/Documents/CanineInfluenzaHandout.pdf" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Color Handout</a><br /><a href="https://www.avma.org/PracticeManagement/ClientMaterials/Documents/CanineInfluenzaHandout_BW.pdf" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Black & White Handout</a></div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">What is canine influenza?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> Canine influenza (CI), or dog flu, is a highly contagious respiratory infection of dogs that is caused by an influenza A virus. In the U.S., canine influenza has been caused by two influenza strains. The first strain reported in the United States, beginning in 2004, was an H3N8 influenza A virus. This strain is closely related to the virus that causes equine influenza, and it is thought that the equine influenza virus mutated to produce the canine strain. In 2015, an outbreak that started in Chicago was <a href="http://mediarelations.cornell.edu/2015/04/12/midwest-canine-influenza-outbreak-caused-by-new-strain-of-virus/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">caused by a separate canine influenza virus</a>, H3N2. The strain causing the 2015 outbreak was almost genetically identical to an H3N2 strain previously reported only in Asia – specifically, Korea, China and Thailand. In Asia. This H3N2 strain is believed to have resulted from the direct transfer of an avian influenza virus – possibly from among viruses circulating in live bird markets – to dogs. Since March 2015, thousands of dogs have been confirmed positive for H3N2 canine influenza across the U.S. </div>
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<img alt="Greyhound resting on a blanket" class="av-rtePosition-2" src="https://www.avma.org/PublishingImages/Greyhound-250w.jpg" style="float: right; height: 167px; margin: 5px; width: 250px;" />Two clinical syndromes have been seen in dogs infected with the canine influenza virus—a mild form of the disease and a more severe form that is accompanied by pneumonia.</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;"><strong>Mild form</strong> — Dogs suffering with the mild form of canine influenza develop a soft, moist cough that persists for 10 to 30 days. They may also be lethargic and have reduced appetite and a fever. Sneezing and discharge from the eyes and/or nose may also be observed. Some dogs have a dry cough similar to the traditional "kennel cough" caused by <em>Bordetella bronchiseptica</em>/parainfluenza virus complex. Dogs with the mild form of influenza may also have a thick nasal discharge, which is usually caused by a secondary bacterial infection.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;"><strong>Severe form </strong>— Dogs with the severe form of canine influenza develop high fevers (104ºF to 106ºF) and have clinical signs of pneumonia, such as increased respiratory rates and effort. Pneumonia may be due to a secondary bacterial infection.</li>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">Are all dogs at risk of getting canine influenza?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> Because this is still an emerging disease and dogs in the U.S. have not been exposed to it before, almost all dogs, regardless of breed or age, lack immunity to it and are susceptible to infection if exposed to the active virus. Virtually all dogs exposed to the virus become infected, and nearly 80% show clinical signs of disease, though most exhibit the mild form described above.</div>
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However, the risk of any dog being exposed to the canine influenza virus depends on that dog’s lifestyle. Dogs that are frequently or regularly exposed to other dogs – for example at boarding or day care facilities, dog parks, grooming salons, or social events with other dogs present – are at greater risk of coming into contact with the virus. Also, as with other infectious diseases, extra precautions may be needed with puppies, elderly or pregnant dogs, and dogs that are immunocompromised. Dog owners should talk with their own veterinarian to assess their dog’s risk.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">Do dogs die from canine influenza?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> Fatal cases of pneumonia resulting from infection with canine influenza virus have been reported in dogs, but the fatality rate is low (less than 10%). Most dogs recover in 2-3 weeks.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">How widespread is the disease?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> The first recognized outbreak of canine influenza in the world is believed to have occurred in racing greyhounds in January 2004 at a track in Florida. From June to August of 2004, outbreaks of respiratory disease were reported at 14 tracks in 6 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Texas, and West Virginia). Between January and May of 2005, outbreaks occurred at 20 tracks in 11 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). The canine influenza virus has been reported in at least 40 states and Washington, DC.</div>
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The H3N2 strain of canine influenza virus had been reported in Korea, China and Thailand, but had not been detected outside of those countries until 2015. In April 2015, an <a href="http://mediarelations.cornell.edu/2015/04/12/midwest-canine-influenza-outbreak-caused-by-new-strain-of-virus/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;">outbreak that started in Chicago</a> was determined to be caused by an H3N2 strain that was genetically almost identical to the one one in Asia. Since May 2015, thousands of dogs have been confirmed positive for H3N2 canine influenza across the U.S. </div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q: <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="font-size: 16px;">Is there a vaccine?</span></span><br class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;" /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A: </span>The first canine vaccine for H3N8 canine influenza was approved in 2009, and there are several H3N8 canine influenza vaccines available. It is not known whether the H3N8 vaccine will offer any protection against the H3N2 strain. Canine influenza vaccines are considered "lifestyle" vaccines, meaning the decision to vaccinate is based on a dog’s risk of exposure. Dog owners should consult their veterinarian to determine whether vaccination is needed.</div>
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In November 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a conditional license to Zoetis for the <a href="https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/CanineInfluenzaVaccineH3N2/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">first commercially available H3N2 canine influenza vaccine</a>. Later that month, <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/merck-animal-health-pioneers-h3n2-canine-influenza-vaccine-300182707.html" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Merck Animal Health announced</a> the availability of an H3N2 canine influenza vaccine, also conditionally licensed by USDA. </div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">How is a dog with canine influenza treated?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> As with any disease caused by a virus, treatment is largely supportive. Good animal care practices and nutrition assist dogs in mounting an effective immune response. </div>
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The course of treatment depends on the pet's condition, including the presence or absence of a secondary bacterial infection, pneumonia, dehydration, or other medical issues (e.g., pregnancy, pre-existing respiratory disease, compromised immune system, etc.). The veterinarian might prescribe medications, such as an antibiotic (to fight secondary infections) and/or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (to reduce fever, swelling and pain). Dehydrated pets may need fluid therapy to restore and maintain hydration. Other medications, or even hospitalization, may also be necessary for more severe cases. </div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">Is canine influenza virus transmissible from dogs to humans?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> To date, there is no evidence of transmission of canine influenza virus from dogs to people.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">Is canine influenza virus transmissible from dogs to cats, horses or other animal species?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> At this time, there is no evidence of transmission of H3N8 canine influenza from dogs to horses, cats, ferrets, or other animal species. The H3N2 strain, however, has been reported in Asia to infect cats, and there’s also some evidence that guinea pigs and ferrets can become infected.</div>
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Precautions to prevent spread of the virus are outlined below, in the answer to "I work in a kennel/animal care facility. What should I do to prevent transmission of influenza virus from infected dogs to susceptible dogs?" <span style="display: inline-block;"></span></div>
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<span style="display: inline-block;"></span><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">Do I need to be concerned about putting my dog in day care or boarding it at a kennel?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> Dog owners should be aware that any situation that brings dogs together increases the risk of spread of communicable illnesses. Good infection control practices can reduce that risk, so dog owners involved in shows, sports, or other activities with their dogs or who board their dogs at kennels should ask whether respiratory disease has been a problem there, and whether the facility has a plan for isolating dogs that develop respiratory disease and for notifying owners if their dogs have been exposed to dogs with respiratory disease.</div>
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As long as good infection control practices are in place, pet owners should not be overly concerned about putting dogs in training facilities, dog parks, kennels, or other areas frequented by dogs.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">My dog has a cough...what should I do?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> Consult your veterinarian. Coughing can be caused by many different medical problems, and your veterinarian can examine and evaluate your dog and recommend an appropriate course of treatment. If canine influenza is suspected, treatment will usually focus on maximizing the ability of your dog's immune system to combat the virus. A typical approach might include administration of fluids if your dog is becoming dehydrated and prescribing an antimicrobial if a secondary bacterial infection is suspected.<br /><br />Canine influenza virus can be spread via direct contact with respiratory secretions from infected dogs (via barking, coughing or sneezing), and by contact with contaminated inanimate objects. Therefore, dog owners whose dogs are coughing or exhibiting other signs of respiratory disease should not participate in activities or bring their dogs to facilities where other dogs can be exposed to them. Clothing (including shoes), equipment, surfaces, and hands should be cleaned and disinfected after exposure to dogs showing signs of respiratory disease to prevent transmission of infection to susceptible dogs. Clothing can be adequately cleaned by using a detergent at normal laundry temperatures.</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">I manage a kennel/veterinary clinic/animal shelter/dog day care center. How do I keep canine influenza out of my facility, and if it does enter my facility, what should I do?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> Viral disease is usually best prevented through vaccination. A vaccine against H3N8 canine influenza has been available since 2009, and H3N2 vaccines were conditionally approved in late 2015. It is considered a "lifestyle" vaccine, which means that the decision to vaccinate a dog against CIV is based on the risk of exposure. A veterinarian should determine whether vaccination is needed based on related risks and benefits, and should administer these vaccinations at least 2 weeks prior to planned visits to dog activity and care facilities (e.g., kennels, veterinary clinics, dog day care centers, training facilities, dog parks). This differs from "core" vaccines - such as distemper, parvo and rabies - that are required for all dogs, regardless of lifestyle.</div>
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Vaccination against other pathogens causing respiratory disease (such as Bordetella, adenovirus and parainfluenza) may help prevent more common respiratory pathogens from becoming secondary infections in a respiratory tract already compromised by influenza infection.</div>
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Routine infection control precautions are key to preventing spread of viral disease within facilities. The canine influenza virus appears to be easily killed by disinfectants (e.g., quaternary ammonium compounds, potassium peroxymonosulfate and bleach solutions at a 1 to 30 dilution) in common use in veterinary clinics, boarding facilities, and animal shelters. Protocols should be established for thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting cages, bowls, and other surfaces between uses. Employees should wash their hands with soap and water (or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are unavailable) before and after handling each dog; after coming into contact with a dog's saliva, urine, feces, or blood; after cleaning cages; and upon arriving at and before leaving the facility. (See "I work in a kennel/animal care facility. What should I do to prevent transmission of influenza virus from infected dogs to susceptible dogs?")</div>
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Animal care facility staff should be alerted to the possibility that a dog with a respiratory infection could be presented for care or boarding. If a dog with respiratory signs is presented, staff members should inquire whether the dog has recently been boarded or adopted from a shelter, has recently participated in dog-related group activities, or has been exposed to other dogs known to have canine influenza or kennel cough. The dog should be brought directly into a separate examination/triage area that is reserved for dogs with respiratory signs and should not be allowed to enter the waiting room or other areas where susceptible dogs may be present.</div>
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Dogs with suspected canine influenza virus infection discovered after entry into the facility should be evaluated and treated by a veterinarian. Isolation protocols should be rigorously applied for dogs showing signs of respiratory disease, including the wearing of disposable gloves by persons handling infected dogs or cleaning contaminated cages. Respiratory disease beyond what is considered typical for a particular facility should be investigated, and the investigation should include submission of appropriate diagnostic samples. (See "What diagnostic tests will tell me whether a dog has canine influenza?")</div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">What diagnostic tests will tell me whether a dog has canine influenza? What samples do I send? Where do I send the samples? How do I distinguish between canine influenza and kennel cough?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A: </span>There is no rapid test for the specific diagnosis of acute canine influenza virus infection. Nasal or throat swabs from dogs that have been ill for less than 3 days may be sent to a diagnostic laboratory for testing. Your veterinarian may also offer other testing, such as an in-house test to detect influenza types A and B.</div>
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Antibodies to canine influenza virus may be detected as early as seven days after onset of clinical signs. Convalescent-phase samples should be collected at least two weeks after collection of the acute-phase sample. If an acute-phase sample is not available, testing a convalescent-phase sample can reveal whether a dog has been infected with or exposed to CIV at some point in the past.</div>
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For dogs that have died from pneumonia or other conditions in which CIV is suspected, additional diagnostic tests are available to your veterinarian through reference laboratories. </div>
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<span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">Q:</span> <span class="av-rteStyle-QA_H3" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 16px;">I work in a kennel/animal care facility. What should I do to prevent transmission of influenza virus from infected dogs to susceptible dogs?</span><br /><span class="av-rteStyle-QA_cap" style="color: #01833f; font-size: 22px;">A:</span> Canine influenza is not known to be transmissible from dogs to people. However, caretakers can inadvertently transmit canine influenza virus from infected dogs to susceptible dogs by not following good hygiene and infection control practices. To prevent spread of canine influenza virus, caretakers should take the following precautions:</div>
<ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Wash hands with soap and water (if soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner):</li>
<ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Upon arriving at the facility</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Before and after handling each animal</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">After coming into contact with animal saliva, urine, feces or blood</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">After cleaning cages</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Before eating meals, taking breaks, smoking or leaving the facility</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Before and after using the restroom</li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Wear a barrier gown over your clothes and wear gloves when handling sick animals or cleaning cages. Discard gown and gloves before working with other animals.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Consider use of goggles or face protection if splashes from contaminated surfaces may occur.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Bring a change of clothes to wear home at the end of the day.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Thoroughly clean clothes worn at the animal facility.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Do not allow animals to "kiss" you or lick your face.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Do not eat in the animal care area.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Separate newly arriving animals from animals that have been housed one week or longer.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Routinely monitor animals for signs of illness. Separate sick animals from healthy animals, especially animals with signs of respiratory disease.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">There is no evidence of transmission of canine influenza virus from dogs to people. However, because of concerns about diseases that are transmissible from dogs to people, in general, it may be prudent for young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised persons to limit or avoid contact with animals that are ill.</li>
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<strong>For additional information and updates, please visit these websites:</strong><br /><a href="http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/DiseaseInfo/disease.php?name=canine-influenza&lang=en" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Iowa State University Center for Food Security & Public Health</a><br /><a href="http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine</a><br /><a href="http://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Cornell University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory</a><br /><a href="http://www.doginfluenza.com/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Doginfluenza.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sheltervet.org/" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Association of Shelter Veterinarians</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-10193823332193828862016-01-13T16:42:00.000-06:002016-01-13T16:42:01.533-06:00Importance of Performing Dental Cleanings Under Anesthesia <h1 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -8px;">
Below the surface of anesthesia-free dentistry</h1>
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Service is growing, but veterinary organizations say cleanings should be done under anesthesia</h2>
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By Katie Burns</div>
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Posted Jan. 13, 2016 </div>
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<img alt="" class="av-rtePosition-2" src="https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/PublishingImages/2016/160201/160201a_1.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 5px;" />The American Veterinary Dental College is waging a campaign against anesthesia-free dentistry for dogs and cats, complete with a new website for pet owners and general practitioners.</div>
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At the same time, Pet Dental Services Inc., a national provider of anesthesia-free dentistry, is moving forward on a study with the working title “A comparison of oral examinations and dental cleanings in non-anesthetized and anesthetized dogs.”</div>
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The AVMA and American Animal Hospital Association recently stated that dental cleanings should be performed under anesthesia. According to the 2013 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, “General anesthesia with intubation is necessary to properly assess and treat the companion animal dental patient.”</div>
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Anesthesia-free dentistry is growing across the country, nevertheless, as many pet owners perceive a need for pet dental care but fear the risks of anesthesia—and as more general practitioners offer the service, generally via a third-party provider.</div>
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AVDC position</h3>
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The 2004 AVDC position statement “Companion Animal Dental Scaling Without Anesthesia” states that the procedure is inappropriate for a number of reasons.</div>
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“Even slight head movement by the patient could result in injury to the oral tissues of the patient, and the operator may be bitten when the patient reacts,” according to the statement. Also, “access to the subgingival area of every tooth is impossible in an unanesthetized canine or feline patient.”</div>
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According to the statement, inhalation anesthesia with intubation provides three advantages: “... the cooperation of the patient with a procedure it does not understand, elimination of pain resulting from examination and treatment of affected dental tissues during the procedure, and protection of the airway and lungs from accidental aspiration.”<br /><br />Also according to the statement, “A complete oral examination, which is an important part of a professional dental scaling procedure, is not possible in an unanesthetized patient.”<br /><br />The AVDC launched its website on anesthesia-free dentistry, <a href="http://www.avdc.org/AFD" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">www.avdc.org/AFD</a>, about a year ago. The college collaborated on the site with the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. The sections of the site are “The Facts,” “For Pet Owners,” and “For Veterinarians.”<br /><br />Dr. Curt Coffman of Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, an AVDC board member, said providers of anesthesia-free cleanings are able to clean some parts of the mouth but cannot see or reach all the parts. The teeth look cleaner, he said, “but yet, there are other parts of the mouth that haven’t even been examined, let alone cleaned, and those parts can still be diseased.”</div>
<table cellspacing="0" class="av-rteTable-0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr class="av-rteTableEvenRow-0"><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="width: 100px;"></td><td class="av-rteTableOddCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1"><img alt="" class="av-rtePosition-1" src="https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/PublishingImages/2016/160201/160201a_2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px;" /></td><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="width: 100px;"></td></tr>
<tr class="av-rteTableOddRow-0"><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="width: 100px;"></td><td class="av-rteStyle-Caption av-rteTableOddCol-0" style="color: #455560; font-size: 11px;">Dr. Curt Coffman of Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists found multiple areas of periodontal disease below the gumline in a 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel during an oral examination and dental radiography, both performed under anesthesia. In all, Dr. Coffman extracted 15 teeth. The dog had received anesthesia-free dental cleanings by a veterinarian. (Courtesy of Dr. Curt Coffman)</td><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" style="width: 100px;"></td></tr>
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Effective in 2014, Dr. Coffman’s neighboring Nevada amended the state veterinary practice act to require that veterinary dentistry—including cleanings—be performed under anesthesia.</div>
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Dr. Coffman said clients need education about anesthesia. He said, “No matter what your dog and cat’s age or what your dog or cat’s condition, almost every pet can have anesthesia.”</div>
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The AVDC position statement does not address radiography, but Dr. Coffman noted that intraoral radiography allows for evaluation of the whole mouth above and below the gumline beyond what a veterinarian can see even in anesthetized patients. He noted that dogs and cats really do need to be asleep for radiography.</div>
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Pet Dental Services</h3>
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Joshua Bazavilvazo, Pet Dental Services founder and chief executive officer, said a pilot study of his company’s 11-step procedure for anesthesia-free cleanings sparked the interest of many in the veterinary community.</div>
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The pilot study involved 12 dogs, and the follow-up study now in progress involves 60. The investigators on the current study include two veterinary dentists and two veterinary technician dental specialists. The hope is to complete the study by the summer.</div>
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“I know what we do is beneficial for the pet, and it is a viable medical procedure that can be proven,” Bazavilvazo said. </div>
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Many pet owners want anesthesia-free dentistry, Bazavilvazo said. He said they are considering factors such as preventive care, safety, expense, and convenience.<br /><br />Pet Dental Services provides cleanings only under the supervision of veterinarians. Bazavilvazo considers anesthesia-free cleanings to be complementary to cleanings performed under anesthesia. He said, “At every single practice that we work in, the anesthetic dentals go up because we find so much pathology just during our oral examination, before the dental is even started.”</div>
<table cellspacing="0" class="av-rteTable-0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr class="av-rteTableEvenRow-0"><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="width: 100px;"></td><td class="av-rteTableOddCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1"><img alt="" src="https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/PublishingImages/2016/160201/160201a_3.jpg" style="margin: 0px;" /></td><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="width: 100px;"></td></tr>
<tr class="av-rteTableOddRow-0"><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="width: 100px;"></td><td class="av-rteStyle-Caption av-rteTableOddCol-0" style="color: #455560; font-size: 11px;">Pet Dental Services, a national provider of anesthesia-free dental cleanings, offers an 11-step procedure for cats and dogs, with all services provided under the supervision of a veterinarian. Joshua Bazavilvazo, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, considers the service to be complementary to cleanings performed under anesthesia. (Courtesy of Pet Dental Services)</td><td class="av-rteTableEvenCol-0" style="width: 100px;"></td></tr>
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Anesthesia-free cleaning might be an option for a young dog with mild buildup. “Veterinarians say, ‘Well, you’re not quite ready for an anesthetic dental yet,’” Bazavilvazo said. “So we would fit in and be able to take care of the pet’s teeth as a preventive measure.”</div>
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In another scenario, a dog might undergo dental procedures under anesthesia to address pathologic changes, then an anesthesia-free cleaning six months later to remove buildup. Bazavilvazo said anesthesia-free cleanings also might be an option for pets that truly cannot go under anesthesia.</div>
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Pet Dental Services employees learn behavioral management techniques to enable them to clean pets’ teeth without anesthesia, Bazavilvazo said. After ruling out animals on which anesthesia-free dentistry cannot be performed because of behavior or pathologic lesions, employees are able to work with almost all dogs and about three-quarters of cats, he said.</div>
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Bazavilvazo believes veterinarians’ main concern with anesthesia-free cleanings is that there is no certification process for individuals performing these procedures. Plus, some providers of the service don’t work under the supervision of veterinarians, even though state practice acts generally define dental cleanings for cats and dogs as part of the practice of veterinary medicine.</div>
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AAHA and AVMA</h3>
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Soon after the 2013 release of its dental guidelines, AAHA started requiring AAHA-accredited hospitals to anesthetize and intubate patients undergoing dental procedures, including dental cleanings.</div>
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“Cleaning a companion animal’s teeth without general anesthesia is considered unacceptable and below the standard of care,” according to the guidelines.</div>
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AVMA policy on anesthesia in veterinary dentistry </h3>
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The following are the sections of the AVMA policy “Veterinary Dentistry” that cover anesthesia:</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">When procedures such as periodontal probing, intraoral radiography, dental scaling, and dental extraction are justified by the oral examination, they should be performed under anesthesia.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 4px;">Sedatives, tranquilizers, anesthetics, or analgesics are commonly used during veterinary dental procedures to provide restraint and reduce animal pain and suffering. Visual or radiographic recognition of oral or dental pathology and accurate assessment of periodontal health by probing of pockets require sedation or anesthesia. An endotracheal tube is to be placed to protect the lungs from the water droplets generated during ultrasonic dental scaling or when a high-speed dental unit is used. Preoperative sedation, intra-operative local or regional analgesia and post-operative analgesics are used as indicated to reduce the dose of anesthetic agent required and ensure a smooth, pain-free recovery period. Federal law restricts such veterinary prescription drugs for use by, or on the order of, a licensed veterinarian to ensure their safe and effective use.</li>
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Dr. Heather Loenser, AAHA veterinary adviser for public and professional affairs, said anesthesia during dental procedures first allows for intubation to protect the airway. She said anesthesia also allows for thorough cleaning and for thorough evaluation of the oral cavity, including dental radiography.</div>
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“I think these points are very valid, and they resonate with veterinarians,” Dr. Loenser said.</div>
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Dr. Loenser believes that the biggest advance in veterinary dentistry recently has been an understanding of the importance of dental radiography. She said dental radiography has been a nonmandatory standard for AAHA-accredited hospitals since 2003.</div>
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In 2014, the AVMA House of Delegates approved adding the following statement to the AVMA policy on “Veterinary Dentistry”: “When procedures such as periodontal probing, intraoral radiography, dental scaling, and dental extraction are justified by the oral examination, they should be performed under anesthesia.”</div>
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The AVMA Council on Veterinary Service oversees the policy and has formed a subcommittee to investigate nonanesthetic dentistry. Dr. Christopher Gargamelli, a member of the subcommittee, believes the AVMA is unlikely to revise the policy before the regular five-year review unless scientific literature on the topic emerges.</div>
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After observing anesthesia-free dentistry, Dr. Gargamelli said that he personally can see a place for the service in veterinary practice but only under the supervision of a veterinarian and within a veterinarian-client-patient relationship as an addition to cleanings and radiography performed under anesthesia.</div>
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“Say you have a dental cleaning under anesthesia every one to two years. Some patients may need more dental care than that,” he said. “Having this nonanesthetic dentistry performed may be a good fit for that patient.”</div>
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In practice</h3>
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Dr. John de Jong, chair of the AVMA Board of Directors and owner of Newton Animal Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, offers anesthesia-free cleanings in his practice under contract with Animal Dental Care Inc., another national provider of the service.</div>
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Dr. de Jong was highly skeptical of the service until he saw a demonstration. All the dogs, including his two dogs, sat quietly as the company’s employees did a “very thorough and professional job,” he said.</div>
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He said, “For clients that refuse to have their pets undergo anesthesia or balk at the cost of a dentistry under anesthesia, I believe that a conscious dental cleaning can be a valuable adjunct to a complete and thorough oral health care plan.”</div>
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Dr. de Jong’s practice team tries to get clients to brush their animals’ teeth, but toothbrushing generally doesn’t happen. So when the veterinarians find tartar and plaque, they explain the options and costs to clients. If an animal obviously needs an extraction or further exploration, then an anesthesia-free cleaning is not an option.</div>
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Animal Dental Care refers to its procedure as preventive cleaning and assessment, Dr. de Jong noted, and the company still advocates for dental procedures and radiography under anesthesia.</div>
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Dr. de Jong considers anesthesia-free cleanings to be very successful at his hospital, and he has noticed the service growing across the country.</div>
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“I am hopeful that the AVMA and AAHA might consider changing their current positions on anesthesia-free dental cleanings,” Dr. de Jong said. “Like many other colleagues that I respect, I was willing to consider the possibility and clearly saw a place for these procedures.”</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-47271247147712582462015-11-29T12:22:00.000-06:002015-11-29T12:22:21.508-06:00Keeping Your Home Safe for Your Pets during the Holidays<div class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Keeping Your Home Safe for Your
Pets during the Holidays<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: center;">
Peter S. Sakas DVM, MS<o:p></o:p></div>
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<st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Niles</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">
<st1:placename w:st="on">Animal</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Hospital</st1:placetype>
and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Bird</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Medical</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">7278.N. Milwaukee Ave.</span></st1:street><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">
<st1:city w:st="on">Niles</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">IL</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">60714</st1:postalcode></span></st1:address><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">(847)
647-9325 FAX (847) 647-8498<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.nilesanimalhospital.com/">www.nilesanimalhospital.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Introduction <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The holidays are joyous and active
times for people and their pets. Our pets partake in many of the seasonal
festivities with us which makes the holidays that much more special. However,
many of the decorations and objects we have around the household during the
holidays may be dangerous to our pets. By taking a few precautions, we can make
this wonderful time of year a safe one for our pets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<st1:place w:st="on">Holiday</st1:place> Food/Cooking</h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14.15pt; text-align: justify;">Food is a very important aspect of
our holiday celebrations as many human waistlines can attest. Unfortunately,
many of these foods can cause serious problems in our pets and as any
veterinarian will tell you, this is the time of year that we see numerous
gastrointestinal problems in pets.</span></h4>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Food
Preparation</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> -The preparation of food can be a
problem, especially for pet birds. Birds have a very effective respiratory
tract and coupled with their relatively small size are susceptible to toxic
elements in the air. During cooking if food burns or smoke is produced, any
birds nearby the kitchen could be at risk of fatal smoke inhalation. If
non-stick cookware is used there is another risk for pet birds. Under normal
cooking conditions, the cookware is safe but if polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
coated products (such as Teflon, Silverstone, and Supra) are overheated (over
530 degrees F), they can emit toxic fumes which are fatal to birds. PTFE coated
drip pans achieve high temperatures under normal usage so they should not be
used around birds at all. If your bird has been exposed to smoke or fumes get
them to an area of good ventilation and seek veterinary care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Holiday</span></i></b></st1:place><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">
Food/Leftovers</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> -Avoid the temptation to feed your
pets leftovers from your holiday meals. Many of these foods are rich;
especially those that are high in fat, and can often cause severe
gastrointestinal disturbances in pets which could prove fatal. Inflammation of
the pancreas (pancreatitis) is a very common disease of dogs and is frequently
caused by the eating of table scraps. The pancreas plays a role in digestion of
food but when an animal eats a rich or fatty meal, the pancreas is
'overstimulated' and the organ oversecretes enzymes leading to inflammation of
the pancreas and surrounding tissues. Signs of pancreatitis include vomiting
and abdominal pain, sometimes quite severe. The condition is very uncomfortable
for the pet and sometimes can be fatal. If you notice these type of symptoms
seek veterinary care. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Be
cautious with any bones provided to your pet. Sharp bones, especially from
chicken or turkey, may become lodged in the mouth or throat of your pet. If the
bones move further into the digestive tract, there is a risk that the bones
could perforate the stomach or intestines. This situation may require surgical
removal and if they do not receive veterinary attention, they may die. Provide
your .pet with commercial chew toys to avoid any potential problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Be
cautious with guacamole around pet birds. Most bird owners know that avocado is
extremely toxic for birds and severe reactions can lead to death. However, some
people forget that avocado is the key ingredient in guacamole. When you are
having holiday parties and with all kinds of appetizers available, such as
chips and dips, be careful if there is guacamole around with your pet birds
present. They may decide to sample some of the dip, or an unknowing houseguest
may innocently provide a taste of the dip to one of the birds with potentially
tragic results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Chocolate -</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">
Providing a piece of chocolate to a pet may seem like an act of kindness but
there is a risk that this treat could have serious consequences. Chocolate may
be fatal to your pet, especially dogs, because they are sensitive to
theobromine, a compound in chocolate. It may cause vomiting, diarrhea, heart
irregularities, muscle tremors, seizures and coma, sometimes with fatal
results. Cats are rarely poisoned due to their more 'discriminating' habits.
Keep those chocolate goodies out of the reach of your dog. If your dog
accidentally eats some chocolate, seek veterinary care immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The Christmas Tree <o:p></o:p></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Decorations
go up once a year and for a brief period of time. Your pets will be very
interested in new and unusual objects scattered around the house believing that
these are special 'toys' for their own use. Often these playthings end up lodged
in the intestinal tract causing a blockage. Many dangers lurk on the Christmas
tree. Overzealous dogs or cats have felled numerous wonderfully decorated
trees. Support the tree securely with a sturdy stand and wires. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The Tree</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">
-There are several factors to consider with the tree. The trunk of a live tree
is often coated with chemicals, such as fertilizer or insecticide. When the
tree is placed in the stand and watered, the chemicals from the trunk
contaminate the water. If your bird, dog or cat drinks it, they may become
sick. The needles begin to fall out as the tree ages and dries. The needles are
not poisonous but are very sharp, can puncture the skin and produce abscesses.
If your pet tries to eat them, the needles can cut the tongue, lips and gums.
If swallowed they are relatively undigestible and can actually pierce the
lining of the stomach and intestines or cause a blockage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The branches from artificial trees can be easily
pulled out. The artificial needles can be sharp and are always non-digestible.
If you pet chews on the branches, they might take in some of the needles. Just
like the needles from the live tree, they can cause gastrointestinal problems
such as bleeding and blockage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Lights
</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">-The lights pose many dangers. They often
get very hot after being on for a while and could burn your pet if they are
touched. For some strange reason pets seem attracted to wires and like to chew
on them. So keep a watch on your pets for this type of activity and check the
lower strings of lights for evidence of chewing. You might want to ‘pet proof’
the tree by keeping objects, such as lights and ornaments, at heights that your
pets cannot reach. If you want lights all over the tree, then string them on
the lower branches, but place them away from the tip of the branches. The pets
will have a more difficult time reaching them if they are placed on the inner
portion of the branches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Electrical
Cords</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> -Electrical cords often seem delectable
to many pets, especially cats and young puppies. Chewed cords can cause severe
burns and sometimes fatal, electrical shocks. If your pet seems overly
interested in electrical cords, string or tape them in a position that is
inaccessible to your pet. If that does not work you can cover the cords with
hot pepper sauce or use bitter tasting commercial products sold in most pet
stores. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Ornaments
</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">-Avoid using glass ornaments around pets.
They are fragile, break easily and the shattered pieces are sharp. If any of
the pieces are swallowed, the glass can puncture the intestines, which could
lead to peritonitis and possibly death. Ornament hooks are also very sharp.
They can be picked up and swallowed, resulting in gastrointestinal problems
such as obstructions and punctures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Be
cautious with 'edible' type ornaments. Sometimes the store-bought varieties may
not be edible and contain hardening agents/preservatives that could be toxic.
If you make your own edible ornaments, your pet may try to eat them. They may
knock over the tree trying to get a string of homemade popcorn or a gingerbread
ornament. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
safest ornaments are one-piece, non-breakable and made of non-toxic material.
They should be too big to swallow. Also, have them out of the reach of curious
beaks, mouths and paws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Tinsel
</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">-One of the most dangerous materials to
put on a Christmas tree is tinsel. Animals are attracted to its bright finish
and flexibility. Cats are especially attracted to tinsel and if you have a cat,
it is recommended that you do not use tinsel on your tree. If your pet eats
tinsel, there is a good chance that it will become wrapped around the tongue.
As the pet struggles to remove it, the tinsel gets stretched out and wraps even
tighter. It can cut sensitive tissues in the mouth and stop the circulation of
blood to the tongue. If a strand is swallowed it can bunch up and block the
intestine. If this occurs, surgery is usually required to remove it. The best
advice is, if you have pets, do not place tinsel on your tree. You may lose the
aesthetics of the icicle effect, but your pets will be much safer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="margin-top: 13.4pt;">
<st1:place w:st="on">Holiday</st1:place>
Decorations/Packages<o:p></o:p></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Many
people place decorations throughout the house including lights, evergreen
branches, holiday knickknacks and other assorted objects to provide a festive
environment. We have discussed some of these dangers previously. Lit candles
can burn a curious pet or could be knocked over and start a fire. Centerpieces
of dangling streamers and feather fronds are enticing to the curious pet. If
chewed and swallowed, these materials can cause an intestinal blockage. Icicles
and tinsel draped on a mantle are as dangerous as tinsel on a tree. Monitor
your pets and watch out for any evidence of chewing on these objects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Wrapped
presents can pose a hazard to pets. They are attracted to the decorative bows,
ribbons and other frills placed on the packages. If your pet would chew and
swallow these materials, there is a risk of intestinal blockage. Food packages
wrapped as gifts and left under a tree can entice a hungry animal. With their
keen sense of smell they can sniff these out and decide to have a feast.
Exercise caution with these types of presents around pets, especially dogs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Poisonous Plants<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Many homes are decorated each year
during the holiday season with poinsettias and mistletoe. These plants do
represent the season; unfortunately they are toxic for our pets and represent a
problem for curious dogs, cats and birds. Poinsettias produce a milky sap that
is irritating to the skin and eyes on contact and to the gastrointestinal tract
if eaten. It may cause irritation and blistering of the mucous membranes of the
mouth and stomach. Intake of large amounts of mistletoe may cause nausea,
vomiting and gastroenteritis. Make sure that these plants are kept out of the
reach of your pets. If you do catch you pet eating a poinsettia or a few loose mistletoe
berries, seek veterinary care immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h5 style="line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 13.65pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Relieve Pet Stress during the Holidays<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The holidays are stressful times
for all of us. The commotion in decorating, purchasing gifts and entertaining
friends/relatives can be overwhelming to many people. Our homes can be filled
with people, especially young children. Many pets, even if not aggressive or
territorial, are stressed by the increased numbers of strangers 'intruding' in
their domain. The high activity level of children can be a new and stressful
experience for many pets unaccustomed to this behavior. Birds can become
especially upset during the holidays, particularly the larger varieties of
birds. Routine is very important to birds and if that routine changes, they can
become frustrated and engage in abnormal behavior. These types of behavior
include, aggressiveness, screaming, biting or development of vices such as the
picking off or chewing of their own feathers in frustration, which if allowed
to continue can become a habit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">If
possible, try to provide your pets with a consistent level of interaction with
you so they do not feel left out. This is especially important with parrots.
Try not to let the pandemonium of the holidays lead to stress in your pets. If
you feel that your pets are uncomfortable around new people, it may be best to
separate them from the holiday activity. Provide your pets with an area where
they can 'get away from it all' and be alone. Cats may enjoy an intricate
'kitty condo' set up or even a cardboard box or paper bags in which to hide.
For pet birds that are nervous, you might have to place the cage in a quiet
room or, if that is impossible, partially or completely cover the cage so that
the bird has the ability to 'hide.' Make sure that your young guests understand
that they must let the animals rest when they are put in their area of 'refuge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I hope that this discussion will
assist you in keeping your home safe for your pets during the holidays. During
all the activity, we must not forget the welfare of our pets and our
responsibility to keep them free of danger. If you practice the proper
preventative measures, the holiday season for your pet will be as happy as it
is for you and your family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The preceding discussion was
garnered from several excellent sources including: <i>Your Healthy Pet </i>by Amy Marder, VMD
and <i>A Dog for All Seasons </i>by
Jane Leon, DVM <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-74728503240322486252015-11-28T19:59:00.001-06:002015-11-28T19:59:17.594-06:00Wellness Plans Offered at Niles Animal Hospital<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>Wellness Plans Offered at Niles Animal Hospital</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
We now offer a variety of wellness plans at the hospital for all stages of life, including puppy and kitten plans (which include exams, vaccinations, fecals, lab work, as well as spay/neuters), general health care plans for adults, dental plans, and senior plans (all including exams, lab testing, vaccinations, and other procedures). In addition we are excited to inform you that we also have wellness plans for pet birds for both small and large birds. Check at the hospital or our website (nilesanimalhospital.com) for further details.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>Wellness Plan Frequently Asked Questions</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>What is a Wellness Plan?</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Wellness plans are a set of services, bundled at a discounted rate. We offer plans for dogs, cats, and birds of all ages. We also offer a dental plan for our canine and feline patients. Each wellness plan was designed by our doctors to benefit your pet's health at an affordable cost.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>How Can I Pay for a Wellness Plan?</strong></div>
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Wellness plans can be paid for monthly or in full at the time of enrollment. If you elect monthly payments, they are spread over the course of twelve months. This is beneficial for those who prefer to make payments rather than having a large invoice during a patient visit. Depending upon the wellness plan that is best for you and your pet, the plans may cover vaccinations, examinations, heartworm testing, fecal analysis, and other diagnostic testing. For pet birds the plans can cover examinations, bloodwork, fecal examinations, other diagnostic testing, and some grooming procedures.</div>
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<strong>Is a Wellness Plan Insurance?</strong></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.6;">The plans we provide for your pet are not insurance. They will not cover medications which are sent home. The various plans cover different levels of diagnostic testing. You are able to purchase VPI pet insurance separate for additional savings. For more information about pet insurance you can visit the VPI website. We have brochures available for our wellness plans and pet insurance at the hospital and information on our website.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-76519645296720368952015-11-28T19:46:00.002-06:002015-11-28T19:46:45.569-06:00Does Your Pet Have Dental Disease?<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<em><b>Does Your Pet Have Dental Disease?</b></em></div>
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During our dental health months (December, January, and February), bring your pet in for an evaluation of their dental condition, as dental disease can lead to serious problems, as outlined in the article from the AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief below. </div>
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<strong>Exploring dental care for pets</strong> (Dr. K Dye from AVMA Pet Health SmartBrief)</div>
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<em>Q: Why does my dog's breath stink?</em><br />A: Most odors from a dog's mouth come from periodontal disease and bacteria in the mouth. Plaque and tartar build up along with inflammation cause periodontal disease (the periodontium includes the bone, connective tissue, and gingiva which surrounds and supports a tooth). </div>
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Please have your pet examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause of bad breath, but often it is some form of dental disease. Since most dogs do not get their teeth brushed daily, plaque and tartar accumulate quickly. Unhealthy gums (gingivitis) can also result from lack of brushing. Once the gums are inflamed, it is often appropriate to perform a dental prophylactic cleaning under anesthesia. </div>
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There are several stages of periodontal disease, from Stage 1 (the most mild) to Stage 4 (the most severe). Dental disease affects more than just the teeth and gums. Over time, bacteria accumulate in the mouth along the gum-line, where they enter the bloodstream. </div>
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Once enough bacteria are present in the bloodstream they begin to cause systemic damage, affecting the liver, kidneys and heart. </div>
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Bacteria in the bloodstream can also cause sepsis (generalized invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms). Obviously, an additional concern is tooth loss and pain associated with dental disease. These conditions can take years off your pet's life. Most studies show that 80% or more of all adult dogs have periodontal disease and at least 70% of all cats have some form of dental disease.</div>
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Dental disease is easily treated if done at the appropriate time. </div>
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A dental prophylaxis performed at periodontal disease stage 1 or 2 can help ensure that your pet will not suffer any of the aforementioned conditions. Once your pet has reached periodontal disease stage 3 or 4, irreversible damage may have already occurred and extracting teeth may be the only option to maintain your pet's oral health. </div>
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Dental extractions are uncomfortable for the patient and can be financially costly for their owners. </div>
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Therefore, detecting periodontal disease early and treating early with a prophylactic cleaning are important.</div>
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<em>Q: What happens during a dental cleaning?</em><br />A: We recommend pre-anesthetic blood work to detect any underlying disease that may affect our anesthetic protocol. Your pet will be under full anesthesia, while being monitored by a trained technician as well as monitored by pulse oximetry machines and Doppler blood pressure. Core body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate are also monitored. </div>
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Our patients all receive IV fluid support during the dental prophylaxis. The oral cavity will be examined closely for any unusual discolorations or masses. The teeth and gums will be evaluated to determine the degree of dental disease. Digital dental radiographs will be taken to better evaluate the condition of the teeth and the roots. The teeth will be checked for fractures, pulp exposure, irreversible gum recession, cavities and abnormal wear. The tartar will be removed using an ultrasonic scaler as well as hand scaling instruments by a licensed veterinary technician. </div>
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Using special curettes, the plaque, tartar and bacteria will be removed from the tooth surfaces as well as under the gum line. </div>
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At this stage of the procedure, the doctor will determine if the patient would benefit from additional therapy such as extractions or special antibiotics applied directly under the gum line. </div>
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Finally, the teeth will be polished and fluoride applied to help prevent re-accumulation of tartar and bacteria. </div>
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If necessary, the patient will go home with pain medication and/or antibiotics. After a dental prophylaxis, it is important to follow up with home care. There are several options including brushing (the best), oral rinses or water additives, and special dental chews.</div>
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(NOTE: We also follow the same protocol at Niles Animal Hospital, presurgical bloodwork, surgical monitoring by a certified veterinary technician, dental radiographs, and thorough cleaning/prophylaxis.)</div>
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It is also quite possible that your pet may need an additional dental prophylaxis in the future.</div>
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Hopefully with diligent home care we can increase the time between professional cleanings.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-57441745346100224012015-11-20T08:50:00.003-06:002015-11-20T08:50:30.205-06:00Thanksgiving Pet Safety<h1 style="background-color: white; color: #455660; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -8px;">
Thanksgiving Pet Safety</h1>
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<img alt="" class="av-rtePosition-2" src="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/PublishingImages/Thanksgiving-dog-begging_200px.jpg" style="float: right; height: 317px; margin: 5px; width: 200px;" />Thanksgiving is a special holiday that brings together family and friends, but it also can carry some hazards for pets. Holiday food needs to be kept away from pets, and pet owners who travel need to either transport their pets safely or find safe accommodations for them at home. Follow these tips to keep your pets healthy and safe during the holiday.</div>
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Poison Risks</h3>
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Overindulging in the family feast can be unhealthy for humans, but even worse for pets: Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest. Poultry bones can damage your pet’s digestive tract. And holiday sweets can contain ingredients that are poisonous to pets.</div>
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<strong>Keep the feast on the table</strong>—not under it. Eating turkey or turkey skin – sometimes even a small amount – can cause a life-threatening condition in pets known as pancreatitis. Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest, and many foods that are healthy for people are poisonous to pets – including onions, raisins and grapes. If you want to share a Thanksgiving treat with your pet, make or buy a treat that is made just for them.</div>
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<strong>No pie or other desserts for your pooch.</strong> Chocolate can be harmful for pets, even though many dogs find it tempting and will sniff it out and eat it. The artificial sweetener called xylitol – commonly used in gum and sugar-free baked goods – also can be deadly if consumed by dogs or cats.</div>
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<strong>Yeast dough can cause problems for pets</strong>, including painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating.</div>
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<strong>Put the trash away where your pets can’t find it.</strong> A turkey carcass sitting out on the carving table, or left in a trash container that is open or easily opened, could be deadly to your family pet. Dispose of turkey carcasses and bones – and anything used to wrap or tie the meat, such as strings, bags and packaging – in a covered, tightly secured trash bag placed in a closed trash container outdoors (or behind a closed, locked door).</div>
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<strong>Be careful with decorative plants.</strong> Don’t forget that some flowers and festive plants can be toxic to pets. These include amaryllis, Baby’s Breath, Sweet William, some ferns, hydrangeas and more. The ASPCA offers lists of plants that are toxic to both <a href="https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank" title="Plants that are toxic to dogs">dogs</a> and <a href="https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank" title="Plants that are toxic to cats">cats</a>, but the safest route is simply to keep your pets away from all plants and table decorations.</div>
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<strong>Quick action can save lives.</strong> If you believe your pet has been poisoned or eaten something it shouldn’t have, call your veterinarian or local veterinary emergency clinic immediately. You may also want to call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 888-426-4435. Signs of pet distress include: sudden changes in behavior, depression, pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. Contact your veterinarian immediately.</div>
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Precautions for Parties</h3>
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If you’re hosting a party or overnight visitors, plan ahead to keep your pets safe and make the experience less stressful for everyone.</div>
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<strong>Visitors can upset your pets.</strong> Some pets are shy or excitable around new people or in crowds, and Thanksgiving often means many visitors at once and higher-than-usual noise and activity levels. If you know your dog or cat is nervous when people visit your home, put him/her in another room or a crate with a favorite toy. This will reduce the emotional stress on your pet and protect your guests from possible injury. If your pet is particularly upset by houseguests, talk to your veterinarian about possible solutions to this common problem.<br /><a href="https://www.avma.org/public/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="Dog bite prevention">Learn about dog bite prevention.</a></div>
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<strong>If any of your guests have compromised immune systems</strong> (due to pregnancy, some diseases, or medications or treatments that suppress the immune system), make sure they’re aware of the pets (especially exotic pets) in your home so they can take extra precautions to protect themselves.</div>
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<strong>If you have exotic pets</strong>, remember that some people are uncomfortable around them and that these pets may be more easily stressed by the festivities. Keep exotic pets safely away from the hubbub of the holiday.</div>
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<strong>Watch the exits.</strong> Even if your pets are comfortable around guests, make sure you watch them closely, especially when people are entering or leaving your home. While you’re welcoming hungry guests and collecting coats, a four-legged family member may make a break for it out the door and become lost.</div>
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<strong>Identification tags and microchips reunite families.</strong> Make sure your pet has proper identification with your current contact information – particularly a microchip with up-to-date, registered information. That way, if they do sneak out, they’re more likely to be returned to you. If your pet isn’t already microchipped, talk to your veterinarian about the benefits of this simple procedure.<br /><a href="https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Microchipping-of-Animals-Backgrounder.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="Microchipping of animals">Learn more about microchips.</a></div>
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<strong>Watch your pets around festive decorations.</strong> Special holiday displays or candles are attractive to pets as well as people. Never leave a pet alone in an area with a lit candle; it could result in a fire. And pine cones, needles and other decorations can cause intestinal blockages or even perforate an animal’s intestine if eaten.</div>
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Travel Concerns</h3>
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Whether you take your pets with you or leave them behind, take these precautions to safeguard them when traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday or at any other time of the year.</div>
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<strong>Your pet needs a </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GuQ7WXJ4rE" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">health certificate from your veterinarian</a> if you’re traveling across state lines or international borders, whether by air or car. <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/importexport?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/aphis_content_library/sa_our_focus/sa_animal_health/sa_import_into_us/sa_entry_requirements/ct_us%2Bstate_and_territory_animal_import_regulations" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank" title="State requirements for veterinary health certificates">Learn the requirements</a> for any states you will visit or pass through, and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to get the needed certificate within the timeframes required by those states.<br /><a href="https://www.avma.org/public/petcare/cvi/pages/default.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="Traveling with animals">Learn more about health certificates.</a></div>
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<strong>Never leave pets alone in vehicles</strong>, even for a short time, regardless of the weather.</div>
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<strong>Pets should always be safely restrained in vehicles.</strong> This means using a secure harness or a carrier, placed in a location clear of airbags. This helps protect your pets if you brake or swerve suddenly, or get in an accident; keeps them away from potentially poisonous food or other items you are transporting; prevents them from causing dangerous distractions for the driver; and can prevent small animals from getting trapped in small spaces. Never transport your pet in the bed of a truck.<br /><a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pets-in-vehicles.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="Traveling in vehicles with pets">Learn more about properly restraining pets in vehicles.</a></div>
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<strong>Talk with your veterinarian if you’re traveling by air</strong> and considering bringing your pet with you. Air travel can put some pets at risk, <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Short-nosed-Dogs-and-Air-Travel-FAQs.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="short-nosed dogs and air travel">especially short-nosed dogs</a>. Your veterinarian is the best person to advise you regarding your own pet’s ability to travel.</div>
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<strong>Pack for your pet as well as yourself</strong> if you’re going to travel together. In addition to your pet’s food and medications, this includes bringing medical records, information to help identify your pet if it becomes lost, first aid supplies, and other items. Refer to our <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Traveling-with-Your-Pet-FAQs.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="traveling with a pet">Traveling with Your Pet FAQ</a> for a more complete list. </div>
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<strong>Are you considering boarding your dog while you travel?</strong> Talk with your veterinarian to find out how best to protect your pet from <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/CanineInfluenza.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="Canine Influenza">canine flu</a> and other contagious diseases, and to make sure your pet is up-to-date on vaccines.</div>
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Food Safety</h3>
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Don’t forget to protect your family and loved ones from foodborne illnesses while cooking your Thanksgiving meal. Hand washing, and safe food handling and preparation, are important to make sure your holiday is a happy one. The U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/seasonal-food-safety/top-picks-for-thanksgiving" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank" title="Thanksgiving food safety">offers tips</a> for handling, thawing and cooking turkey, as well as saving your leftovers.</div>
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More Information</h3>
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<a href="https://www.avma.org/public/petcare/cvi/pages/default.aspx" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" title="Traveling with animals">Traveling with Animals</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets" style="color: #0079c1; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">People Foods to Avoid Feeding Pets</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-7405702542977719652015-10-27T19:51:00.002-05:002015-10-27T19:51:22.112-05:00Halloween Dangers for Pets<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 24px !important; padding: 0px;">
Halloween can be fun and festive for people, but for pets it can also be dangerous. There are many Halloween pet safety hazards that are well-known (such as chocolate toxicity) and some that are not (like xylitol toxicity). Here are some tips to help you ensure that your pet has a happy and safe Halloween.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #4d269a;" style="color: #4d269a;">Things to Watch For on Halloween</span></div>
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Halloween is fun for kids and adults, but it can be scary and stressful for pets.</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 8px;"> A constant ringing doorbell & strangely dressed people at the door can be stressful<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 24px !important; padding: 0px;">
for a pet. Some pets may experience diarrhea or even injure themselves if crated/ contained. Consider keeping your pet in a separate quiet room, away from the door, when trick-or-treaters arrive. Strange people in even stranger clothes can frighten some pets.</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 8px;"> Strangers in Costume may provoke an otherwise friendly pet into unexpectedly aggressive or fearful behavior.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 8px;"> Pumpkins or candles within a pet’s range are a fire hazard. Wagging tails and frightened cats zipping through the house can easily knock over a lit pumpkin and cause a fire.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 8px;"> Keep your pets indoors. Halloween pranks committed against pets can be vicious, and black cats are particularly at risk. Also, make sure that your pet doesn't run out of your home when you answer the door. In case your pet does escape, make sure it is wearing proper identification. Pets with identification are much more likely to be returned.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 8px;"> Halloween treats are for people, not pets. Be sure to warn children not to share their treats with pets. Candy wrappers and lollipop sticks can be hazardous if swallowed and chocolate is poisonous for some types of pets.<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 24px !important; padding: 0px;">
<span data-mce-style="color: #4d269a;" style="color: #4d269a;">Candy Concerns</span></div>
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Candies, gum, mints, baked goods and chocolate containing the “sugar-free” sweetener Xylitol are highly toxic, causing rapid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver failure in dogs and possibly other species (ferrets).<br /> Chocolate is also toxic to pets. A 50-pound dog would have to eat about 50 ounces of milk</div>
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chocolate (but only 5 ounces of baking chocolate) for a toxic dose, but much smaller amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Signs of chocolate toxicity: tremors, nerv- ousness, vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, and in severe cases, seizures and</div>
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death. If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate, contact your veterinarian.<br /> Lollipop sticks and other plastic parts can cause intestinal obstruction and poten- tially rupture the intestines, which is a life-threatening emergency.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #4d269a;" style="color: #4d269a;">Pet Costumes vs. Safety</span></div>
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If you dress your pet in a costume, be sure that it doesn't interfere with the pet's ability to breathe, see, hear, move, or bark. Also, consider reflective collars/gear for pets (and people).</div>
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For more information and tips about holiday safety for pets, call or visit your family veterinarian. Remember, your veterinarian is your very best source for advice on keeping your pet safe, healthy, and happy!</div>
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Provided by Chicago Veterinary Medical Association</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-15477261032366117562015-10-27T19:47:00.001-05:002015-10-27T19:47:02.203-05:00Halloween Pet Slide Show<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hNdXyw-OEmo" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-80281531741889620362015-08-21T08:05:00.000-05:002015-08-21T08:05:00.793-05:00Yard Sale Sunday August 23rd at Niles Animal Hospital from 9 AM til 3 PMYard Sale Reminder<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">A reminder about our yard sale. The yard sale will be at Niles Animal Hospital in the parking lot on Sunday August 23rd from 9 AM to 3 PM. The sale will benefit "A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife" a parrot rescue organization in Northbrook.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">We will be collecting the materials this week before the yard sale at the hospital. We will be open until 6 PM today and until 2 PM this Saturday before the sale to ease the gathering of materials. We will also be at the sale at 7 AM to also ease drop off of materials if you want to drop materials off in the AM. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Stop on by to find some treasures and also support a great cause. We would also appreciate any volunteers who would like to help the set up and sale as well.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-10113276892196678422015-08-17T21:00:00.001-05:002015-08-17T21:00:39.704-05:00Dr. Sakas Back on National Catholic Radio Monday August 24th at 1 PM CST<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
Dr. Sakas is Back on National Catholic Radio Monday August 24th</h3>
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<span style="font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 1.4;">Dr. Sakas will be back on the radio again next Monday.</span></h3>
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<br />Dr. Sakas will be on the nationally broadcast radio show, "On Call" hosted by Wendy Wiese, on Relevant Radio, Monday, August 24th from 1-2 PM CST. It can be heard on 950 AM, 930 AM, 1270 AM or accessed through your computer at www.relevantradio.com and listened to online. It is a call in show and Dr. Sakas had been a regular guest on the show in the past. Their phone number for call ins is 1-877-766-3777.<br /><br />Future dates are being set up....all between 1-2 CST. We will keep providing updates.<br /><br />If you cannot listen to it live, go to the "On Call" portion of the Relevant Radio website at www.relevantradio.com, where you can hear an archived version of this show. (Typically it is posted a day or two after the broadcast and then kept up for a few months).</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-76004887754030614282015-08-16T08:42:00.001-05:002015-08-16T08:42:40.634-05:00A chicken rescue we were involved in with Robert Grillo from "Free from Harm" a chcicken rescue organization<header class="trb_article_articleHeader" data-sharelines="" style="clear: both; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="trb_article_articleHeader_head" style="float: left; width: calc(100% - 340px);">
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Backyard chicken rescuer tries to seed compassion for birds</h1>
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Robert Grillo, director of Free From Harm, discusses the rescue of abandoned backyard chickens after bringing Rosa home to his backyard coop Aug. 4, 2015, in the Edgewater neighborhood. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune)</div>
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<a class="trb_shareline" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_toggleState socialshare_container" data-socialshare-content-id="84173873" data-socialshare-content="story" data-socialshare-context="shareline" data-socialshare-default-image="" data-socialshare-description="Backyard chicken trend's sad consequence: Abandoned birds." data-socialshare-newspapername="Chicago Tribune" data-socialshare-slug="ct-backyard-chickens-rescue-met-20150809" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55c781e4/turbine/ct-backyard-chickens-rescue-met-20150809" data-socialshare-title="Backyard chicken rescuer tries to seed compassion for birds" data-socialshare-url="/news/ct-backyard-chickens-rescue-met-20150809-story.html" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block; height: 35px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: calc(50% - 22px); transition: all 0.1s; width: 50px; z-index: 12;"><span class="trb_shareline_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="twitter" style="color: #333333; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; font-family: trb_Icons; font-size: 21px; height: 43px; line-height: 23px; width: 40px;"></span></a><span class="trb_sharelines_text" data-role="socialshare_sharetext" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin: 14px 1px 14px 60px; width: calc(100% - 60px);">Backyard chicken trend's sad consequence: Abandoned birds.</span></div>
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<time class="trb_article_dateline_time" data-datetime-clock="1:25 PM" data-datetime-day="10" data-datetime-month="August" data-datetime-year="2015" datetime="2015-08-10T13:25:00CDT" itemprop="datePublished"></time></div>
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The orphan chicken came to Robert Grillo in the usual way.</div>
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A woman who'd found the injured bird slumped on the side of the road on Chicago's South Side scooped up the chicken, came across Grillo's name online and sent an email. It happens about five times a week to Grillo, a soft-spoken, part-time graphic and Web designer who has a pet white king pigeon named Elba and a chicken run in his backyard.</div>
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Grillo rescues chickens, a mission that exposes an unsettling consequence of the popular backyard poultry movement. For a number of reasons, would-be urban and suburban chicken farmers ditch the birds in significant numbers.</div>
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But Grillo is attempting to do something more than save a few chickens from a catastrophic end. He's using the rescues as marketing device, trying to foster widespread compassion for an animal he says is largely underappreciated and mistreated.</div>
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<span class="trb_embed_related_galleryToggleCaption" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption" style="color: #999999; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; line-height: 13px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-top: 3px; text-transform: uppercase; z-index: 10;">CAPTION</span><span class="trb_embed_related_title" style="clear: both; color: white; display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px;">Backyard chicken rescuer</span><div class="trb_embed_related_credit" style="clear: both; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 5px; word-break: break-word;">
Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune</div>
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Robert Grillo picks up a rescued chicken named Rosa on Aug. 4, 2015, from Niles Animal Hospital. Grillo began rescuing chickens in 2009.</div>
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<span class="trb_embed_related_galleryToggleCaption" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption" style="color: #999999; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; line-height: 13px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-top: 3px; text-transform: uppercase; z-index: 10;">CAPTION</span><span class="trb_embed_related_title" style="clear: both; color: white; display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px;">Chicken rescue</span><div class="trb_embed_related_credit" style="clear: both; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 5px; word-break: break-word;">
Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune</div>
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Robert Grillo places rescued chicken Rosa in his backyard coop Aug. 4, 2015, in the Edgewater neighborhood.</div>
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"Backyard chickens need to be rescued for the same reasons as other animals we care about need to be rescued," Grillo said one recent afternoon in his backyard. The rescued South Side chicken, who Grillo named Rosa for the reddish hue of her feathers, rolled in the dirt in her enclosure.</div>
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"They have the same kind of needs," Grillo said. "They have the same capacity to form companionship and lifelong bonds with us." When those bonds are established, he added, humans value the birds differently and care for them more deeply.</div>
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"And, that's the vision we're aspiring to," Grillo said, "a different vision for chickens; not just as resources but as animals that actually have tremendous capacity to be loving, affectionate, wonderful companions with us."</div>
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Precisely how many chickens are abandoned is unclear. News reports as recently as 2013 said hundreds were being returned each year to individual sanctuaries and rescue centers across the U.S.</div>
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In the Chicago area, Cook County animal control reported it receives very few calls to pick up abandoned chickens. A spokesman for DuPage County Animal Care & Control said the office has received five calls this year. But Richard Weiner, CEO of the Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, a parrot rescue nonprofit based in Northbrook, said he gets one to two calls a week from people who want to get rid of a chicken.</div>
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Grillo is selective about which chickens he brings to his neat, brown shingle house in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Each month, he said, he receives nearly two dozen calls from various sources for rescues and ends up taking on two or three that are in the most dire need. There was a badly neglected hen a farmer abandoned after the animal stopped laying eggs; a severely injured chicken found in an alley on Chicago's Northwest Side; a rooster that lost its feet and part of a leg to frostbite and gangrene.</div>
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Robert Grillo places rescued chicken Rosa in his backyard coop Aug. 4, 2015, in the Edgewater neighborhood. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)</div>
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In most cases, Grillo arranges for treatment with Dr. Peter Sakas, a veterinarian at Niles Animal Hospital who has been working on birds for 32 years. Once the chicken is on the road to recovery, Grillo often houses the animal in the enclosure behind his back porch for a few days until he places the bird in a compassionate setting.</div>
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And, for each rescue, Grillo composes a blog post, including photos and, if possible, video, of the entire experience. That message delivery system is aimed at promoting sympathy for the birds.</div>
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Each individual story, he said, is much more effective at creating affection for chickens than video of hundreds of them on a farm.</div>
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"It's important," Grillo said, "because reconnection is the key step in overcoming the prejudice, the obstacles that we have, the biases that we have, the reasons these animals are treated the way they are. If we can reconnect with them, that's the first major step to progress in that direction."</div>
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"True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power. Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this...</div>
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CHAJAMJEN</div>
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AT 5:36 PM AUGUST 13, 2015</div>
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Born and raised in Chicago, Grillo came to the work in 2009, when "on an impulse" he adopted three chicks from a teacher friend who had used them in a classroom program.</div>
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"It was baptism by fire," Grillo, 50, said, adding that his perceptions of the animals as dirty, mean and stupid changed quickly. The chickens followed him around his place, hopped in his lap and took naps.</div>
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"They just bonded with me," said Grillo, who practices a vegan lifestyle. "They became members of the family, like a cat or dog."</div>
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The same year he adopted the three chicks, Grillo established Free From Harm, a nonprofit charitable organization that its Web site says promotes "farmed animal rescue, education and advocacy." And, he started rescuing chickens. He estimates that he has saved about 45 of them.</div>
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The conventional explanation for why abandonment occurs is that the would-be caretakers were caught up in the popular movement of raising backyard chickens and then became decidedly less enthusiastic after discovering — too late — that the birds require a fairly complicated commitment.</div>
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But Jennifer Murtoff, an urban chicken consultant in Oak Park, said the reasons vary. Some chickens wander away; chicken owners move to an area that prohibits the birds; hens stop laying eggs and the owners no longer want to care for the chickens; people mistakenly purchased a rooster.</div>
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It's a problem that worked its way up to the governor's mansion. In spring 2014, then-Gov. Pat Quinn welcomed nine chickens to a pen in the home's rose garden. When Quinn left office, the chickens were left behind, and Gov. Bruce Rauner returned the birds to the woman who had provided them.</div>
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The solution to the problem of chicken abandonment, Murtoff and others say, is taking a class on raising them before acquiring a bird, or reviewing various websites.</div>
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Grillo's efforts also include an online educational component, part of which he uses to cast a critical eye on the commercial poultry industry. It already has a dubious reputation in the U.S.</div>
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The Humane Society of the United States reports that "hundreds of millions of chickens" in the egg industry spend their entire lives in extraordinarily harsh, filthy conditions, many packed in spaces so tight they are unable to spread their wings.</div>
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"It's a moral race to the bottom," said Paul Shapiro, vice president of farm animal protection for the Humane Society.</div>
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At the same time, recent research indicates that the birds are smarter, more social and more complicated than had been thought.</div>
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"Our attitudes toward these animals may stem in part from simple lack of understanding," the society stated this year in a report on chickens, "and this has largely led us to disregard their suffering as they are raised for meat and egg production."</div>
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The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association disputes those depictions, contending that the animals are raised in spacious, sophisticated, climate-controlled barns where they have 24-hour access to clean water and feed, spokeswoman Gwen Venable said. Chickens also benefit from professional veterinary attention, advances in nutrition and protection from predators and disease, she added.</div>
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Against that backdrop, Grillo wages his campaign, one chicken at a time.</div>
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Rosa, his latest, is making progress. A couple of days after he retrieved her from the animal hospital, Grillo let the chicken roam his fenced backyard while he sat on a lounge chair.</div>
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The bird hopped in Grillo's lap, made herself comfortable and started purring. When he went to place her in the coop, she resisted, climbing up his arm.</div>
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"You can't help but be moved by their connection to us," Grillo said, "when we open ourselves up to the possibility."</div>
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</section>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-62001629487924132532015-07-28T21:42:00.002-05:002015-07-28T21:42:39.990-05:00Yard Sale at Niles Animal Hospital 8/23/15<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Finally, our long awaited yard sale. We will be holding a yard sale at Niles Animal Hospital in the parking lot on Sunday August 23rd from 9 AM to 3 PM. The sale will benefit "A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife" a parrot rescue organization in Northbrook.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
So bring your material for the sale to the hospital for donation to the sale. We will be collecting the materials the week before the yard sale at the hospital. We will be open until 4 PM the Saturday before the sale to ease the gathering of materials. We will also be at the sale at 7 AM to also ease drop off of materials.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Stop on by to find some treasures and also support a great cause. We would also appreciate any volunteers who would like to help the set up and sale as well. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-73878978268233039722015-07-26T13:08:00.005-05:002015-07-26T13:08:38.547-05:00Dr. Sakas Speaking at National Avicultural Convention July 30thDr. Sakas will be speaking at the American Federation of Aviculture National Convention on Thursday July 30th at 10:45 AM in the London Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont. The topic will be "The Amazing Cloaca and the Fine Art of Poopology (The Importance of Dropping Evaluation).<br />
<br />
The convention speaker schedule -http://www.afabirds.org/pdf/2015_full_schedule2.pdf<br />
<br />
The main convention info site -<br />
https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=1590331Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-71792005323069700432015-07-22T14:37:00.003-05:002015-07-22T14:37:45.466-05:00The Natural Dog Company Recalls Treats Over Salmonella RiskThe Natural Dog Company Recalls Treats Over Salmonella Risk<br />
By Lauren Coffey<br />
<br />
The Natural Dog Company, Inc. is recalling 12oz bags of 12" Tremenda Sticks over Salmonella concerns.<br />
Updated at 3:19 PM EDT on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2015<br />
<br />
The Natural Dog Company, Inc. is recalling some dog treats due to a possible contamination with Salmonella.<br />
<br />
The Colorado-based company is recalling its 12oz bags of 12" Tremenda Sticks after a Colorado Department of Agriculture inspection showed a presence of Salmonella in a sample taken from one of the packages, according to the company's press release.<br />
<br />
The Salmonella could affect the dogs as well as humans handling the treats, especially if the person did not thoroughly wash their hands after being in contact with the Tremenda Sticks.<br />
<br />
Common symptoms in infected people with Salmonella include, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Consumers exhibiting those symptoms should contact their doctor. If a pet has been infected, they may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. If a pet has consumed the recalled treats and has these symptoms, you should contact your veterinarian.<br />
<br />
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled product, the company said.<br />
The recalled treats were distributed in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Montana,<br />
<br />
North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, and Washington. The product comes in a 12oz bag without a lot number or expiration date with UPC number: 851265004957. Products with new packaging, which includes both a lot number and expiration date but the same UPC are not affected by this recall.<br />
<br />
Product production has been suspended while the FDA conducts an investigation. Consumers are encouraged to return the treats to the place of purchase for a refund.<br />
<br />
Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-888-424-4602/<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-32754645128757767712015-07-08T18:15:00.001-05:002015-07-08T18:15:45.900-05:00Pet Food Company Recalls Products After Finding Listeria in Sample<b><u>Pet Food Company Recalls Products After Finding Listeria in Sample</u></b><br />
<br />
Updated at 1:42 PM PDT on Monday, Jul 6, 2015<br />
<br />
Pet food maker Stella & Chewy's is recalling some of its products because a routine test found Listeria in a sample of its chicken freeze-dried dinner patties for dogs.<br />
<br />
Listeria can cause serious illness and even death in children, the frail and the elderly. Healthy people may suffer flu-like symptoms, such as high fever, headache, nausea and diarrhea.<br />
<br />
The Milwaukee-based company said there have been no reported pet or human illnesses.<br />
A complete list of recalled products can be found on the company's website.<br />
<br />
Consumers can look at the lot numbers and UPC codes on their pet food to determine if their pet food is part of the recall. If they do have pet food that is part of the recall they can return it to the place of purchase for a full refund or should dispose of it.<br />
<br />
The recalled items include some batches of the following:<br />
<br />
Carnivore Crunch - Chicken Recipe<br />
Carnivore Crunch - Turkey Recipe<br />
Chalupas on Demand: Taco Bell Starting Delivery Service<br />
Freeze-Dried Chewy's Chicken Dinner for Dogs<br />
Freeze-Dried Chick, Chick, Chicken Dinner for Cats<br />
Freeze-Dried Tantalizing Turkey Meal Mixers<br />
Freeze-Dried Tummy Ticklin' Turkey Dinner for Cats<br />
Freeze-Dried Salmon & Chicken Dinner for Cats<br />
Frozen Duck Duck Goose Dinner Morsels for Dogs<br />
Frozen Chewy's Chicken Dinner Morsels for Dogs<br />
Frozen Surf 'N Turf Dinner Patties for Dogs<br />
Frozen Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties for DogsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-78686965484091501572015-07-01T11:16:00.002-05:002015-07-01T11:16:32.713-05:00Pet Safety During the Fourth of July<section class="storytopbar-bucket story-headline-module" id="module-position-OO9A4MfqCIg" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><h1 class="asset-headline" itemprop="headline" style="color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 0px 0px 70px;">
Keep your pets safe, secure for Fourth of July</h1>
</section><section class="storytopbar-bucket story-byline-module" id="module-position-OO9A4Mh1wzA" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><div class="asset-metabar" itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); margin: 20px 0px 23px 70px; width: 878px;">
<span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Debbie Elert</span></div>
</section><section class="storytopbar-bucket google-survey-module" id="module-position-OO9A4MgJL4I" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"></section><div class="asset-double-wide double-wide p402_premium" itemprop="articleBody" role="main" style="color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative; width: 600px;">
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<section class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" id="module-position-OO9A4gzNSE0"><aside class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin-bottom: 20px; position: relative; z-index: 100;"><div class="image-wrap" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgb(200, 200, 200) 1px 1px 5px; cursor: pointer; padding: 3px; position: relative;">
<img alt="ginger" class="expand-img-vertical" data-mycapture-src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/2015/06/25/Tallahassee/B9317867651Z.1_20150625220631_000_GU3B6CGKE.1-0.jpg" itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/eb9bcbc779936d0b4d3f1fc63d944d1a67bf426e/c=0-216-2582-3659&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/2015/06/25/Tallahassee/B9317867651Z.1_20150625220631_000_GU3B6CGKE.1-0.jpg" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 232px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span class="toggle" style="background: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/tallahassee/static/uscp-web-static-667.0/images/sprites/asset-sprite.png) 0% 0% no-repeat; bottom: 0px; height: 21px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 21px; z-index: 200;"></span></div>
<div class="image-credit-wrap" style="color: #646464; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">
<span class="js-caption-wrapper"><span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 400;">(Photo: Animal Service Center)</span></span></div>
</aside></section></div>
</div>
<div class="story-asset inline-share-tools-asset" id="module-position-OO9A4gysExo">
<div class="inline-share-tools asset-inline-share-tools asset-inline-share-tools-top" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; white-space: nowrap;">
<span class="inline-share-count inline-share-count-twitter" style="border-right-color: rgb(214, 214, 214); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: 'Futura Today Bold', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; height: 28px; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 10px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">If your pet had to pick a favorite time of year, it probably </span></span><span class="inline-share-count inline-share-count-twitter" style="border-right-color: rgb(214, 214, 214); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: 'Futura Today Bold', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; height: 28px; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 10px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">wouldn't be July!</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
Fireworks and thunderstorms can be traumatic for pets, causing many to bolt in fear and become lost. There is a 30-percent increase in the number of pets reported lost in the week surrounding the Fourth of July. The following tips from Lost Dogs Florida will help keep your dog (or cat) safe during the summer months:</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> If you don't have clear, current photos of your pet, take them today. This could be the key to finding him quickly. Take photos from all angles to include his entire body, face and any unusual features.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Have your pet microchipped. This tiny device is the size of a grain of rice, and when implanted under the skin, can be scanned by a shelter or vet clinic to provide your contact information. Keep your information up-to-date, since the chip is only as effective as the information you provide. (The City of Tallahassee Animal Service Center offers microchips for $17.20 most weekdays and $10 during special monthly clinics. Call ahead for details: 850-891-2950. You do not have to be a Leon County resident to participate.)</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Both dogs and cats (even indoor-only cats) should have a properly-fitting collar with a legible tag with your current phone number on it. This will greatly increases the likelihood your pet will be returned to you. The person who finds him will immediately be able to contact you.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Check your fence for loose boards or openings. Can you dog get over or under? Is your gate secure? Even if your dog is normally happy in the yard he might try to escape if panicked. If your pet has to go outside during fireworks, put them on a leash — even if your yard is fenced.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Exercise your dog during the day so he's tired when the fireworks start. A tired dog is a better- behaved dog.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Keep your pets in the house during fireworks. Secure them in a small interior room with a radio or TV playing to drown out noise. Windows and doors should be closed, not only to keep the noise out, but to keep your pet in. Neighbors may light fireworks during the day or other nights of the week also, so be prepared.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Use baby gates to secure doorways if you have friends or family over. Talk to your guests and small children about the importance of keeping doors and gates closed at all times.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">
<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Talk to your veterinarian about medication to help your pet feel more comfortable during storms and fireworks.</span></div>
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<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Leave your dog at home when attending crowded events such as parades and fireworks shows. He doesn't enjoy loud, crowded events and will be happier at home where he is safe.</span></div>
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Accidents happen even in the most careful homes. If your pet does escape, don't panic. Immediately place food, water and an article of clothing you have worn next to your body in the area he was last seen. The familiar scent will often lure him back home. Pets who are lost during stressful situations often don't go very far unless they're chased. They may hide for several hours or days until things quiet down and they feel safe before trying to return to the area they went missing.</div>
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<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Do NOT call, chase or whistle to your dog or let others do so, which may cause him to run farther from home or even into traffic! When it becomes quiet and things calm down, he may come home on his own.</span></div>
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<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Do NOT let people congregate in your yard or "help you search." Any commotion will scare him more.</span></div>
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Instead:</div>
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<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Put your friends and family to work delivering fliers door-to-door in your neighborhood.</span></div>
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<span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-108-FRT7-187">•</span><span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133"> Notify your local shelter immediately if you have lost or found a pet!</span></div>
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We hope these ideas help keep your pets safe this summer. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-19812828184038984732015-06-27T19:44:00.001-05:002015-06-27T19:44:09.424-05:0010 Essential Facts About Lyme Disease<div class="row-fluid" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px; width: 948.21875px;">
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10 Essential Facts About Lyme Disease</h1>
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<li class="byline" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="display: inline; font-size: 0.875em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.786; margin-left: 5px; padding: 0px;">By <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/the-everyday-health-team/index.aspx" itemprop="url" rel="author" style="color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;"><span itemprop="name">Allison Pohle</span></a></li>
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Ticks are most active from April to September, which means now is prime time for infection.</h2>
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You can’t get Lyme disease from contact with another person, only from a tick bite.</h3>
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Fast Facts</h2>
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Blacklegged ticks are responsible for spreading<a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/paging-dr-gupta/what-do-i-need-to-know-about-lyme-disease/" style="color: #005cb7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Lyme disease</a>.</div>
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Symptoms include a <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-and-beauty-pictures/common-ticks-and-tick-bite-symptoms.aspx#04" style="color: #005cb7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">rash that looks like a bullseye</a>, and a summer flu, with fatigue, headache, joint swelling and dizziness. </div>
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<a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/my-health-story/surviving-lyme-disease-missed-diagnosis/" style="color: #005cb7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Antibiotics are effective</a> in treating most cases of Lyme disease.</div>
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Every year, U.S. state health departments report about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/faq/index.html" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">CDC</a> says the true number of cases in the United States could be ten times as high.</div>
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Lyme disease is transmitted to humans from tick bites. The ticks that transmit the disease are most active from April to September, which means spring and summer are the prime times for infection. With the right steps, and regular tick checks, however, you can prevent Lyme disease.</div>
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Here are 10 things you should know about this tickborne disease:</div>
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<strong>1. You can only get Lyme disease from a tick bite.</strong></div>
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There is <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">no evidence that Lyme disease can be transmitted from person-to-person</a>, according to the CDC. You also can’t get Lyme disease from your dog, but your furry friend can bring ticks into your home or yard, so check your pet for ticks before letting him in the house.</div>
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<strong>2.</strong> <strong>Not all ticks carry Lyme disease.</strong></div>
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Blacklegged ticks are the ones you need to avoid. Also known as deer ticks, these parasites spread the disease in northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central states, while western blacklegged ticks transmit infection on the Pacific Coast. <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">According to CDC data</a>, in 2013, 95 percent of Lyme disease cases occurred in 14 states, most of which were on the East Coast.</div>
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<strong>3. </strong><strong>You can probably remove the tick by yourself if you notice it in time. </strong></div>
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To remove a tick before it’s too late, you can purchase a tick removal device, but a pair of fine-tipped tweezers will do the trick. The <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/removal/index.html" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">CDC recommends</a> that you avoid “folklore remedies,” such as painting the tick with nail polish or using heat to detach it. The goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible after you notice it.</div>
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<strong>4.</strong> <strong>In most cases, it takes 36 to 48 hours for an infected tick to transmit Lyme disease after it attaches itself to you.</strong></div>
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Nymphs, which are immature ticks that measure less than 2 mm in size, are the<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">primary transmitters</a> of Lyme disease. Because they’re so small, nymphs can go unnoticed in difficult-to-see areas such as the scalp, armpits, and groin. Adult ticks can also transmit the disease, but because they’re bigger, many are noticed and removed before they can transmit the infection.</div>
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<strong>5. There used to be a Lyme disease vaccine, but it was discontinued in 2002.</strong></div>
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The vaccine manufacturer said demand was insufficient, so production stopped. Because the protection given by the vaccine lessens over time, even people who received the vaccine in 2002 are no longer immune to Lyme disease.</div>
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<strong>6. The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a bullseye rash.</strong></div>
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In 70 percent to 80 percent of infected people, the bullseye rash, also known by its technical name, erythema migrans, will appear 3 to 30 days after becoming infected. The CDC says the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">average time for the rash to show up</a> is a week. As the rash spreads, parts of it might clear up, which is how the bullseye becomes evident.</div>
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But, says Phillip J. Baker, executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation, not all patients notice the rash, and a significant percentage will not develop a “textbook case” of the rash at all. He says other symptoms can be described as “flu-like,” and include fatigue, headache, joint swelling, and dizziness, to name a few.</div>
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<strong>7. Lyme disease is officially diagnosed with a blood test.</strong></div>
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If done in the early stages of infection, however, most tests will come out negative. Baker says it usually takes four to five weeks for antibodies that fight Lyme disease to appear in the bloodstream, which means that anyone tested sooner may not get will not receive an accurate diagnosis.</div>
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<strong>8. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics.</strong></div>
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Marina Makous, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University’s Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center, said antibiotics are effective for most cases of early Lyme disease if started in time, and the earlier the better. “It’s best if they’re started within the first two weeks,” Dr. Makous says. “But that can be difficult because tests won’t pick up on Lyme disease that early.”</div>
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<strong>9. There is controversy surrounding Lyme disease.</strong></div>
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The CDC’s criteria for Lyme disease was established to make it easy for state departments to report cases back to the agency, Makous said. But she says it is too narrow, and doesn’t include an accurate representation of “post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome,” which the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/postlds/index.html" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">CDC says</a> affects 10 to 20 percent of Lyme disease patients. Symptoms of post-treatment Lyme disease include extended fatigue, pain, and joint and muscle aches, according to the <a href="http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/lymedisease/understanding/pages/chronic.aspx" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases</a> (NIAID). “It can be hard to make a correct diagnosis because the symptoms are too similar to other diseases,” Baker says. However, “if people continue to have symptoms, they should persist and not give up,” says Makous, who is opening her own clinic in Exton, Pennsylvania, specifically to treat post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.</div>
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<strong>10. You can take precautions to prevent Lyme disease.</strong></div>
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If you’re going outdoors in a shady grassland or densely wooded area, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease recommends <a href="http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/lymeDisease/understanding/Pages/intro.aspx#prevention" style="background: rgb(220, 241, 255); color: #005cb7; text-decoration: none;">wearing light-colored long-sleeved pants and shirts</a> to make ticks easier to spot. Spray clothing with permethrin repellent, and spray DEET directly on your skin. Once inside, you should check for ticks in hairy areas of your body, and be sure to wash all clothing.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-40840328777418358352015-06-23T21:55:00.000-05:002015-06-23T21:55:09.031-05:00Summertime Dangers for Pets<h1 class="node-title" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 3em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 1.22222em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span itemprop="headline" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 36px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Watch your pets for summertime dangers</span></h1>
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Dr. Laura Kiehnbaum</div>
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<span style="line-height: 28.7999992370605px; text-align: left;">Warm weather is here, and with it comes the season for cabin time, weekends at the lake and summer vacations.</span></div>
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As pet owners, many of us want to experience all that summer has to offer with our animals. After all, they’re part of our families. But a few basic tips, as well as the constant need to think ahead — just as we would when vacationing with children or other family travelers — can make the difference between an outing of summer fun and a more difficult vacation experience. Here are some suggestions for successfully enjoying all that summer has to offer with our pets.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fleas and ticks:</strong> When in the woods — or really anywhere in our region — keep your pet protected against fleas and ticks that can carry illnesses such as Lyme disease by using flea and tick preventatives or repellents during the summer. Products include collars, which can be left on for several months, as well as monthly topical treatments and oral chews.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On and around water:</strong> If your dog isn’t a swimmer, and even if he or she is, consider using a doggie personal floatation device, or life jacket. These are available at most pet stores, as well as at outdoor and general retailers. In addition to supporting your pet in the water should he or she fall overboard, pet life jackets provide an added layer of insulation against cold water and even cold air, and most dogs don’t seem to mind them. Many of these devices also have a handle on the back to easily lift your dog back into the boat or onto the dock.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Other water dangers:</strong> Lake, pond and river water can contain parasites such as Giardia and blue-green algae, which is a photosynthetic bacteria. If dogs ingest parasites such as Giardia, they can experience digestive ailments, usually first noticeable in loose stools. Blue-green algae contain toxins that can affect the liver and the neurological system. Toxins can enter the dog either from drinking water containing blue-green algae or from licking fur and skin following a swim in contaminated water.</div>
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To avoid waterborne parasites and toxins, keep your pet out of water that looks stagnant or discolored, and rinse your animal with clean water if you have any question about whether it has come in contact with contaminated water.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Watch the sun and heat:</strong> Sun and heat affect dogs and cats just as they affect people. Prolonged exposure to heat and high humidity can cause heat exhaustion, also called heat stroke. Long-haired, older and short-faced dog breeds such as pugs, as well as obese animals, are more likely to be affected by heat. Long periods of exercise also can pose a risk for heat exhaustion.</div>
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Symptoms of heat exhaustion include panting, drooling, rapid heart rate, vomiting and diarrhea, muscle tremors or seizures, dehydration and sudden lethargy. Heat exhaustion is an emergency. If you suspect this problem, seek veterinary treatment immediately.</div>
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The best way to prevent heat-related problems is to make sure your dog or cat has plenty of water and access to shade when it’s warm and humid, even on days when he or she is simply spending time in the back yard. Also remember to never leave your pet in a hot car. And consider dabbing a bit of sunscreen on the ears and snout of your dog if he or she is going along on a sunny outing. Dogs’ skin, especially in more exposed areas not fully covered by fur, can burn just like ours.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cabin concerns:</strong> Do you use mouse or rat bait? Do your neighbors? It’s easy to forget about these products when you visit the cabin every few weeks. Mouse and rat bait causes internal bleeding, kidney failure or neurological problems. If you know or even suspect that you’re your pet has ingested mouse or rat bait, seek veterinary care for your animal as soon as possible.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boarding during vacations:</strong> Most dog kennels require updated vaccinations for rabies and Bordetella, more commonly known as kennel cough. Talk to your boarding facility for requirements before heading out of town. Your vet usually can provide quick vaccinations if your pet is not up to date.</div>
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Summer is a fun time, and those of us with pets need to factor our animals into our travel plans, whether they are going along or staying behind in the care of others. The best advice is to think ahead about the needs of your pet, just as you would any other family member, and then take precautions to ensure the travel experience is enjoyable for everyone.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-91793735689618571362015-06-17T13:15:00.001-05:002015-06-17T13:15:17.524-05:00Animal Young and Parents<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TPolebn0Mjk" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
Demonstrating my sensitive, schmaltzy, and creative side. A collection of wonderful photos I received in an email (thanks, Chuck) that I put to a slide show with a very appropriate song. I hope you enjoy this show.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770025910037064474noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018430237930848742.post-3057345955850262082015-06-16T19:23:00.000-05:002015-06-16T19:23:13.462-05:00Temporarily avoiding the dog park could save your puppy's life<div class="single-summary-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: 'Open Sans Semibold'; font-size: 2.8em; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
<a href="http://phys.org/news/2015-06-veterinarian-parvo-puppies.html" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; outline: none 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Temporarily avoiding the dog park could save your puppy's life</a></div>
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6/16/2015</div>
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<a class="single-summary-image" href="http://phys.org/news/2015-06-veterinarian-parvo-puppies.html" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0079bb; cursor: pointer; display: block; outline: none 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" height="353" src="http://cdn.smartbrief.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_summary_full_width/public/externals/f8e7c3cc26b55a6ff9c01bc2e4756797.jpg?itok=Y24mkc_0" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="728" /></a><div class="single-summary-image-block-credit" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-family: 'Open Sans Light Italic'; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1; margin: 6px 0px 0px;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If you're planning a trip to the dog park or a walk around a crowded park with your new puppy, you might want to wait a few weeks. A Kansas State University veterinarian says taking your puppy out before it has been fully vaccinated for parvovirus could be deadly, especially at this time of year.</span></div>
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"Parvovirus—parvo—is a highly <a class="textTag" href="http://phys.org/tags/contagious+virus/" rel="tag" style="color: #313d57; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">contagious virus</a> that is something we do see year-round because it is always in the environment, but the Veterinary Health Center has been seeing more cases recently," said Susan Nelson, clinical associate professor of clinical sciences.</div>
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The increased number of cases is because the weather is nicer, which is a better environment for the virus to survive, and owners are taking advantage of the warmer temperatures to take their pets outside and interact with other <a class="textTag" href="http://phys.org/tags/dogs/" rel="tag" style="color: #313d57; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">dogs</a>. But owners may not realize their puppy is at risk of getting parvo until they are fully vaccinated, according to Nelson.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4;">"We usually see cases in young dogs, primarily puppies, that have had one</span><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> </span><a class="textTag" href="http://phys.org/tags/vaccine/" rel="tag" style="color: #313d57; line-height: 1.4; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">vaccine</a><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.4;">as a puppy but didn't complete the series or had no vaccines at all," Nelson said. "This is definitely a preventable disease, so it's important when you have puppies to get them into your veterinarian starting around 6 to 8 weeks of age for their first vaccine of what is commonly known as their 'puppy series.' Then they will need to get that vaccine every three to four weeks and receive their last booster around 14 to 16 weeks of age for the best chance of avoiding parvo and other diseases included in this vaccine series. They aren't considered fully protected until a few weeks after that final dose at 14 to 16 weeks of age."</span></div>
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Nelson says the number of shots may concern pet owners, but the protection is vital. A mother gives immunity to her pups through her milk. As long as this immunity is around, it will keep the puppy from responding to a vaccine. While the mother's protection is good for the puppy, at some point it goes away. If it has already rendered a vaccine ineffective, it leaves the puppy at risk for infection until the next round of boosters. For some pups, mom's immunity disappears as early as 6 weeks of age, while for others, around 14 to 16 weeks of age. To protect as many puppies as possible, vaccines are started around 6 to 8 weeks of age and ended around 14 to 16 weeks.</div>
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<br style="line-height: normal;" /><br style="line-height: normal;" /><span style="line-height: normal;">Read more at: </span><a href="http://phys.org/news/2015-06-veterinarian-parvo-puppies.html#jCp" style="color: #313d57; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://phys.org/news/2015-06-veterinarian-parvo-puppies.html#jCp</a></div>
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