How to Keep Your Pets Safe During Your Super Bowl Party

From the AVMA Pet Health SmartBrief:

Super Bowl Sunday advice: 4 tips to keep your pets safe from screaming fans

January 29, 2013

By Jaclyn Bertner

If you’re an American, have eyes and ears, and enjoy eating, then you’re probably celebrating Super Bowl Sunday this weekend — that wonderful time of year when it’s all about delicious finger foods, screaming fans and, yeah, football too.
But while you’re shrieking at the TV and jumping around like you’ve never seen a football game before in your life, your poor, confused pets will be taking the brunt of your excitement.
That’s why animal behaviorist Dr. Debra Horwitz and “America’s Veterinarian” Dr. Marty Becker have partnered with Petco to help you help your pet cope with football fever.

1. Don’t forget your pets’ needs.

Just because the biggest game of the year is on TV doesn’t mean your pet can forgo his bathroom breaks and social needs. Record the commercials — or watch them online later — and use that time to tend to your four-legged friend. You can even take a quick trip to the dog park if you can stand missing a few minutes of the game.

2. Keep the greasy wings away.

We mean from your dog — although it wouldn’t hurt if you banned them from your own stomach as well. Do not be tempted to throw fattening foods to your pets — particularly chicken wings, which they can choke on. And make sure to remind your guests to refrain from the same.

3. Pause and pet.

There are moments during the Super Bowl when even humans can get a tad frightened by the screaming fans — especially when you’re not paying attention (or have no idea what’s going on). So how do you think your pets feel when your neighbor takes a flying leap at the television? Make sure to take a few moments during the game to show your pet some love. The best part? Stopping to pet your dog (or even watching fish swim) can help reduce your blood pressure and decrease cortisol, a hormone related to stress and anxiety.

4. Find a quiet place.

If you find your pet looking anxious, set aside a quiet room for him to retreat. It will calm him down and even give you some relief from the insanity.

Does Your Pet Have Dental Disease?

February is Dental Health Month. 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. We have a dental special at Niles Animal Hospital in February, in recognition of Dental Health Month.

Exploring dental care for pets

Posted: Monday, January 28, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 6:38 am, Mon Jan 28, 2013. 

 

Ask Dr. Dye - Dr. Karen Dye

 

Q: Why does my dog’s breath stink?

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). 

Please have your pet examined by your veterinarian to determine the cause of bad breath, but often it is some form of dental disease.  Since most dogs don’t 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. 

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. 

Once enough bacteria are present in the bloodstream they begin to cause systemic damage, affecting the liver, kidneys and heart. 

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.

Dental disease is easily treated if done at the appropriate time. 

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. 

Dental extractions are uncomfortable for the patient and can be financially costly for their owners. 

Therefore, detecting periodontal disease early and treating early with a prophylactic cleaning are important.

Q: What happens during a dental cleaning?

A: At Clevenger’s Corner Veterinary Care, 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. 

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.  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. 

Using special curettes, the plaque, tartar and bacteria will be removed from the tooth surfaces as well as under the gum line. 

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. 

Finally, the teeth will be polished and fluoride applied to help prevent re-accumulation of tartar and bacteria. 

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.

(NOTE: We also follow the same protocol at Niles Animal Hospital, presurgical bloodwork, surgical monitoring by a certified veterinary technician, and thorough cleaning.prophylaxis.)

It is also quite possible that your pet may need an additional dental prophylaxis in the future.

Hopefully with diligent home care we can increase the time between professional cleanings.

Chinese Poultry Products Investigated by FDA for Pet Illnesses

There has been a problem with Chinese poultry products and they are prohibited from exporting them to the US for human consumption, although there was no ban on pet foods. Numerous dogs were sickened by the chicken jerky treats from China. I am all for free trade, but with the tainted food from China, I am none to eager to have the US import their poultry for human (and pet!) consumption until it can be deemed safe.

Dr. Sakas

From DVM Magazine

Inspection of Chinese poultry-processing plants may signal opening for imported poultry for human consumption

FDA continues to investigate pet illnesses associated with Chinese chicken products.

Jan 25, 2013 DVM NEWSMAGAZINE

The export of poultry from China to the United States is currently banned--past food safety concerns, bird flu outbreaks, even the frequent turnover of Chinese officials involved in negotiations, are cited as reasons for the continued ban. However, reports indicate officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are scheduled to inspect Chinese poultry-processing plants in late January or early February in an apparent step toward lifting the ban.

Although banned from exporting chicken for human consumption in the United States, China is allowed to export chicken for pet food. Since 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conducted extensive testing on chicken jerky treats consumers claim are harming pets. According to the FDA, as of Dec. 17, 2012, it has received 2,674 reports involving 3,243 dogs, including 501 deaths, and nine cats, including one death.

Much to the dismay of effected pet owners, the FDA has yet to indentify a contaminant or cause for illnesses associated with chicken imported from China and therefore will not enact a recall. It has issued a warning to pet owners of the possible dangers of feeding pets products such as Nestle’s Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands and Del Monte’s Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats. Presently, Milo’s Kitchen’s Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers treats are voluntarily recalled due to trace amounts of residual antibiotics.

Politically, the planned inspections could relax tense trade relations between the countries embattled in negotiations for the past seven years. China is anxious to import poultry, as the United States is interested in reversing China’s 2003 ban on American beef. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, representing U.S. ranchers and beef producers, estimated last year the U.S. could be exporting $200 million of beef to China per year if the ban was lifted.

However, it seems there won’t be one ban lifted without the other.

Bully sticks may lead to weight gain and infections in your pets. Many people do not know that bully or fizzle sticks are uncooked, dried penises from bulls or steers. Is that what you want to feed your pet? I am not a big fan because of the risk of  bacterial contamination, which can also be a threat to people.

Always deal with quality products to provide treats for your pets. Do not get rawhides from foreign countries due to the risk of contaminating chemicals used in the curing process.

Dr. Sakas

From the AVMA SmartHealth Brief

Dog Treats Can Pack on the Pounds, Vets Say

Study also found bacteria in some bully or pizzle sticks

January 28, 2013 RSS Feed Print

MONDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Popular dog treats called bully or pizzle sticks may contain more calories than expected and could be contaminated by bacteria, according to a new study.

The treats are made from the uncooked, dried penis of a bull or steer.

Researchers examined 26 bully sticks made by different manufacturers and found that they contained
between 9 and 22 calories per inch. That means that the average 6-inch bully stick had a total of 88 calories, which is 30 percent of the daily calorie requirement for a 10-pound dog and 9 percent of the daily calorie requirement for a 50-pound dog.

"While calorie information isn't currently required on pet treats or most pet foods, these findings reinforce that veterinarians and pet owners need to be aware of pet treats like these bully sticks as a source of calories in a dog's diet," study first author Dr. Lisa Freeman, a professor of nutrition at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, said in a university news release.

"With obesity in pets on the rise, it is important for pet owners to factor in not only their dog's food, but also treats and table food," she added.

The researchers also found that about one-third of the treats were contaminated with bacteria. One stick had Clostridium difficile, one stick had methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and seven had E. coli.

All pet owners should wash their hands after touching such treats, as they would with any raw meat or raw meat diets. Very young children, elderly people, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems should never touch or handle raw animal-product-based treats and raw meat diets, the researchers said.

The study was published in the January issue of the Canadian Veterinary Journal.

Ownership of Pets Has Dipped Slightly

From the Chicago Tribune, an excellent article by noted pet expert/writer Steve Dale.

Pet Ownership Has Dipped Slightly in the USA

Steve Dale My Pet World, Tribune Media Services

4:30 a.m. CST, January 23, 2013

The American Veterinary Medical Association U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook is the closest thing there is to a census of pet ownership, and is conducted every five years. According to the recently released 2012 Sourcebook, between 2006 and 2011, pet ownership decreased by 2.4 percent in the U.S., to 56 percent of all households. Still, there are more pets than children in America!

One of the most notable changes is that cats have fallen in popularity, by 9 percent since the last survey. Dogs have also had a better day; their numbers falling, as well, though only by 3 percent. To be exact, there are today 74.1 million pet cats and 69.9 million dogs in the U.S.

• Steve Dale
• 

The population decline is even more evident among birds and horses.

Bird ownership in the U.S. nosedived since 2006, dropping by 20.5 percent, and a total of 45.6 percent over the past 20 years. Today, there are a total of 8.3 million feathered friends at year-end 2011, according to the Sourcebook.

The horse population also took a hit, down about 33 percent, to 4.9 million, compared to 2006. Households owning pet rabbits hopped down by 25 percent. Even fish dropped in popularity (by 16.7 percent).

So, what's going on?

"There's no doubt the Demographics Sourcebook offers the best and most consistent methodology on pet ownership," says Dr. Douglas Aspros, White Plains, NY-based president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. "It's one thing to look at the facts, and it's another to interpret them. We simply don't know for sure (why pet numbers have fallen)."

Aspros does offer several ideas.

"Certainly, the economy plays some role, particularly in the decline in horse population," he says. "It's been devastating, but owning, feeding, housing and caring for horses is costly."

Aspros adds that the floundering economy over the course of this survey period may, in part, explain why ownership of large and expensive parrots has declined. However, he notes that budgies (often called parakeets), cockatiels and lovebirds are not particularly costly.

"As a kid, I could get a small bird at a five-and-dime store," he says. "It's true, they probably didn't have the best care. And advice about care was limited; at least the birds were available. Today, there's less availability. It's a shame; these (small birds) are great apartment pets."

The economy may also play some role in the dog and cat population decline. Aside from the cost of a pet, there's also veterinary care, food, grooming and more to consider.

"Absolutely, but more is going on," Aspros says. "There are several surveys which indicate people are willing to spend, arguably more than ever, on their pets. Of course, not everyone has the means to do that."

Aspros notes that the number of pedigreed dogs has been sliding (not measured in the AVMA pet demographic survey, but illustrated by waning American Kennel Club registration numbers). For various reasons, increasingly quality breeders have abandoned their hobby. And while all breeds are available through rescue, some may be harder to come by today than, say, 10 years ago.

Aspros is concerned that if pet ownership continues to slide, animal shelters and rescue groups could wind up in a bind, leading ultimately to more pets being euthanized, unable to find homes. But he adds that this is conjecture.

Here's some additional data from the survey:

Increasingly, dogs and cats are living together (presumably in peace). According to the survey, 36 percent of homes with dogs also have at least one cat. And of households with cats, today nearly 44 percent dare to live with at least one canine.

The state with the highest percentage of pet homes is Vermont, nearly 71 percent.

The state with the lowest percentage of pet homes is Massachusetts, at 50 percent.

Pet ownership among non-traditional families has increased by almost 17 percent since 2006, especially people who are single. (This may be due in part to the overall drop in married couples over the past decade.) Pet ownership is highest among those working full time and among those who own their own home.

(Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. Although he can't answer all of them individually, he'll answer those of general interest in his column Send e-mail to PETWORLD(at)STEVE DALE.TV. Include your name, city and state. Steve's website is http://www.stevedalepetworld.com; he also hosts the nationally syndicated "Steve Dale's Pet World" and "The Pet Minute." He's also a contributing editor to USA Weekend.)

Interesting Study About Dog Domestication and Diet

From the AVMA Pet Health SmartBrief:

Diet Shaped Dog Domestication

by Elizabeth Pennisi on 23 January 2013, 1:17 PM | 

Dog food. DNA studies show dogs became adapted to eating starch.

 

 

Fido may prefer steak, but his digestive system is also geared up for rice and potatoes. That's the conclusion of a new study, which finds that dogs have evolved to eat a more varied diet than their wolf ancestors. The shift parallels genetic changes seen in people and bolsters the idea that dogs and humans share similar evolutionary stories.

Dogs evolved from wolves more than 11,000 years ago, somewhere in Eurasia, though exactly when and how is under debate. The shift from wolf pack member to family pet involved more than just the ability to get along with people, says evolutionary geneticist Erik Axelsson from Uppsala University in Sweden. He and his colleagues compared dog and wolf DNA to learn which genes were important for domestication.

They sequenced DNA from 12 wolves from around the world and from 60 dogs belonging to 14 breeds. They first looked for individual letters in DNA, called bases, that varied from one genome to the next, identifying about 4 million of these so-called single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). They ignored regions with the most SNPs and instead focused on places where there were very few or no SNPs. That lack of variation signals DNA that was so important for survival during domestication that any variation there was lost, so most dogs have the same SNPs. Those regions were the ones the researchers were most interested in following up on.

The analysis turned up 36 regions, with 122 genes in all, that may have contributed to dog evolution, the team reports online today in Nature. Nineteen of these regions contain genes important for the brain, eight of which are involved with nervous system development, which makes sense given the importance of behavioral changes in the transition to becoming man's best friend, Axelsson notes.

More surprising were genes for digesting starch. Dogs had four to 30 copies of the gene for amylase, a protein that starts the breakdown of starch in the intestine. Wolves have only two copies, one on each chromosome. As a result, that gene was 28-fold more active in dogs, the researchers found. More copies means more protein, and test-tube studies indicate that dogs should be fivefold better than wolves at digesting starch, the chief nutrient in agricultural grains such as wheat and rice. The number of copies of this gene also varies in people: Those eating high carbohydrate diets -- such as the Japanese and European Americans -- have more copies than people with starch-poor diets, such as the Mbuti in Africa. "We have adapted in a very similar way to the dramatic changes that happened when agriculture was developed," Axelsson says.

Dogs and wolves have the same number of copies of another gene, MGAM, which codes for maltase, another enzyme important in starch digestion. But there are four key differences between the sequence in dogs and wolves. One difference causes dogs to produce longer versions of maltase. That longer protein is also seen in herbivores, such as cows and rabbits, and omnivores, such as mouse lemurs and rats, but not in other mammals, suggesting length is important to plant-eaters. These differences make the dog maltase more efficient, the researchers report.

Axelsson thinks these results support the idea that wolves began to associate with humans who were beginning to settle down and farm. Waste dumps provided a ready source of food, albeit not meat, the usual diet. Thus early dogs that evolved more efficient starch digestion had an advantage, he notes.

The finding of these diet-related genes is "very surprising and very exciting," says Elaine Ostrander, a geneticist at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, who was not connected to the study. "It hints that there are a lot more [genes] to be found" involved in domestication, she adds. As more researchers compare wolf and dog DNA, Ostrander expects more genetic differences between dogs and wolves to emerge. "We are really going to figure [dog evolution] out."

Robert Wayne, an evolutionary biologist who studies dogs at the University of California, Los Angeles, but was not involved with the work, is also pleased with the study. He says he gets contacted often by pet owners wondering if dogs, like wolves, should eat primarily meat. "This [study] suggests no, dogs are different from wolves and don't need a wolflike diet," he says. "They have coevolved with humans and their diet."

Never Underestimate the Danger of Cat Bites!

Having been in the veterinary field for many years I have suffered my share of cat bites. Mostly there is no complications, but sometimes the next day you can have a great deal of swelling and express pus out of the wound. All too often, people ignore the bites and sometimes end up in the hospital.

Cat bites and scratches can be fatal to pet birds. The Pasteurella multocida bacteria can go systemic reapidly and a bird who looks fine after a bite or scratch can be dead in the next couple days. That is why whenever a bird has had an altercation with a cat I always put them on antibiotics preventatively.

Here is an article about the danger of cat bites in people, from the AVMA Pet Health SmartBrief.

Cat bite puts woman in the hospital with a serious infection

© Juniors Bildarchiv GmbH / Alamy - A cat that bites and scratches while play wrestling may not be getting enough of the right sort of play.

By Marie Joyce, Published: January 21

With sleepy eyes and a comically kinked tail, Sammy does not look like a dangerous character. But Sammy put me in the hospital.

For four days as I lay in that bed, hour after hour, hooked up to an intravenous cocktail of antibiotics, I had plenty of time to rue the stupidity that put me there.

Sammy bit me. Although I didn’t take it seriously at the time, a bite from a small cat can be a big problem, thanks to the nature of the bite itself and the kinds of bacteria carried by cats and people. For some people, in fact, it can be deadly.

“A cat bite is nothing to trivialize,” said Nancy Peterson, cat programs manager at the Humane Society of the United States.

Up to 50 percent of cat bites become infected, said Princy N. Kumar, head of the infectious-diseases division at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. But, like me, many people don’t take the injury seriously enough.

“People underestimate” the danger, Kumar said, and don’t realize they should get a bite looked at right away. “They don’t realize, being bitten by a cat, you’ve got a 1-in-2 chance of getting infected.”
My first mistake was getting in the middle of a fight.

Sammy, a street cat who had just joined our family, did not like established resident Blue. When I heard a blood-curdling yowl from the spare bedroom late one night, I decided to remove one of the combatants.
When I reached down to pick him up him, Sammy wrapped his legs around my right arm and plunged his teeth into my wrist. Deep-red, venous blood ran out of two puncture wounds, and the area began to swell. I washed the wound well (after shrieking and dropping the cat), put some ice on it and kept it elevated for a while. I figured the swelling would be gone by morning.

The next day, my arm was puffy and I couldn’t move my fingers well. My wrist felt hot to the touch. I tried more ice and elevation.

That was my second mistake: minimizing the problem and treating the bite myself. A significant cat bite always requires medical intervention,

“If you got a really bad bite, you should get prophylactic antibiotics,” Kumar said. A light nip is not a problem, she said, but seek help if the cat has really sunk its teeth in — “if you see a puncture wound and blood coming out of it.”

Unlike dogs, which tend to deliver superficial, crushing bites that don’t penetrate far into tissue, cats inflict puncture wounds with their long teeth, which inject bacteria from the cat’s mouth and the environment deep into tissue.

And, Peterson said, “cats have a pretty potent bacteria.” While cats have a variety of microbes living in their mouths, the real trouble comes from Pasteurella multocida, a bacterium that can cause bad infections. One study found that 90 percent of domestic cats are carriers. Dogs also carry this bacteria, first isolated by Louis Pasteur and named after him, but the infection rate from their bites doesn’t come close to cats’ 50 percent. (Pasteurella is not the microbe that causes cat scratch disease, which is usually transmitted by kitten scratches and nips, and in most people causes only swollen lymph nodes, not severe local infection.).