Welcome to a new feature for subscribers of The Meowing Vet: Top Catnip Snippets! At the beginning of each month, you will receive a summary of sorts from the previous month’s articles, highlighting the key points that The Meowing Vet wants you to remember about your pet’s health. We’ll also give you a sneak peek of the upcoming month’s new article topics. See below…
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MAY 2017 NEWSLETTER: THE MEOWING VET’S “TOP CATNIP SNIPPETS” FOR APRIL 2017
Let the Sunshine In: Spring Safety Tips for Pets and Wild Animals
April 3, 2017
- Lilies can be fatal to cats if ingested. A variety of other common household plants can be deadly to both dogs and cats, including sago palms.
- Some wild mushrooms can also be extremely toxic to pets, such as the death angel and fly agaric mushrooms.
- Baby rabbits, chicks, and ducklings don’t make good Easter gifts.
- Just because you found a baby wild animal on its own in the outdoors does not necessarily mean that it’s abandoned. Learn when you should and should not intervene with wildlife.
- Black widow and brown recluse spiders as well as various venomous snakes pose health risks to your dogs and cats… and to you!
You Make Me Want to Barf!: Causes of Dog Vomiting
April 14, 2017
- Distinguish regurgitation from true vomiting. Regurgitation occurs with passive expulsion of ingested food from the esophagus, indicating esophageal disorders. Abdominal contractions occur with vomiting, a sign that ingested food or foreign material has reached the stomach; stomach or small intestinal disorders may result in vomiting.
- Many things can cause sudden (or acute) vomiting in your dog. Some cases of vomiting are mild and resolve on their own (self-limiting). However, other cases can quickly escalate to life-threatening conditions. Schedule a vet visit ASAP if: you dog is vomiting more frequently than every couple of hours, has bloody vomit or concurrent bloody or black diarrhea, is lethargic, is “acting drunk,” has swallowed a foreign object, has a distended or painful abdomen, or is suddenly drinking a lot more water and urinating more frequently.
- Puppies, geriatric animals, and dogs with other medical conditions can quickly become more dehydrated than other dogs experiencing vomiting, so they should see a veterinarian promptly.
- If your dog has a sudden bout of mild, self-limiting vomiting, you may wish to withhold food and free access to water for several hours to allow the GI tract time to “settle down,” and give an appropriate dose of famotidine (an antacid). When vomiting has ceased for 12 hours, you may offer your dog a small amount of a bland diet, such as plain cooked chicken and rice.
Disease Spotlight: Heartworm Disease
April 24, 2017
- Heartworms are transmitted by infected female mosquitoes which have fed on an infected pet or wild animal. Adult heartworms live in the blood vessels surrounding the heart and lungs of infected animals and can cause heart failure and thromboembolism.
- Heartworm disease is not just a risk to dogs… cats and ferrets are susceptible as well in regions of heavy infestations.
- An annual heartworm test is extremely important to ensure the efficacy of monthly heartworm preventatives and to screen for other infectious diseases (such as canine Lyme disease).
- Administering a heartworm prevention product to a heartworm-positive dog can be dangerous, so it’s important to know your pet’s status prior to starting a prevention routine.
- Treating a heartworm infection takes months!!! and can be more expensive than the cost of a monthly preventative for your dog’s lifetime.
- Severe, end-stage heartworm disease (known as caval syndrome) is often fatal in dogs and cats, requiring emergency removal of adult heartworms by a veterinary specialist.
- Heartworm disease in cats can result in sudden respiratory failure and death. Treatment options for feline heartworm disease are unfortunately lacking.
- A monthly, year-round heartworm prevention protocol is advisable in areas where heartworm disease is a concern.
Preview of The Meowing Vet’s upcoming article topics for the month of May:
- May 5: A Comparison of Common Flea, Tick, and Heartworm Preventive Products
- May 15: Feline Asthma
- May 26: Food Allergies
Many thanks for your continual support of The Meowing Vet! The world needs more dog and cat owners like you! For more information, visit www.themeowingvet.com.
xoxo
Maranda Elswick, DVM
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