When the temps go up, it's time to make some changes to your pets' environment and general care. The heat, and humidity, makes a marked difference in the ability to stay cool (thermoregulated) if you're a mammal or bird, and its the time for reptiles to become more active.
Riding horses: if the humidity and temp combined are over 120, riding becomes stressed. More humidity reduces the ability to cool by evaporation (sweat) and the higher temps make it all the more necessary. Dehydration occurs quicker. Consider the condition of your animal before embarking on any long rides with out water stops. Most average horses will need 20 or more gallons of water every day when the temps are over 90F (32C). Think about using electrolyte solutions and be sure to provide a salt block and shade.
Dogs and cats: don't sweat. Well, they do a little. Sweat glands are located on the pads of the feet. If you are covered in fur and can't sweat much, the body pumps blood to thin-skinned areas such as the ears to help maintain their normal body temp of 101.5F (38.6 C). Cool water and shade MUST be provided for pets that are outdoors. Consider trimming fur for long haired breeds, but don't shave it off to the skin. Fur also is an insulation device and protects skin from sunburn.
Bunnies and guinea pigs cannot tolerate heat well. No matter how much water, if they are left in a sunny area without access to hide or get away, they can die in a few hours. Hang wet bath towels over their cages to provide shade and act as an evaporative cooler. If possible, bring them indoors to where the temps are below 90.
Birds generally like hot weather if they are provided water and/or dust to bathe in. Chickens, pheasants, and outdoor birds need both shade, clean cool water, and dirt or DE to fluff themselves in. This helps keeps bugs off their skin and insulate them from sun rays. Parrots and passerines (finches/canaries) need water to bathe in and drink. Air conditioning can be detrimental to birds, so keep them away from the vents and above 72F (22C).
Reptiles become more active, and will need extra humidity. If they are in your home and the A/C is running, keep them away from the vents and give extra sunshine. They need the extra light to tell their brain that it is time to be active if the temperature doesn't fluctuate indoors like it does outdoors. Extra feedings can help them prepare for their winter metabolism.
Dont forget insect control. Flies and mosquitoes are happiest in hot weather, and carry all sorts of pathogens, many of them deadly (Parvo and West Nile come to mind). Keep water fresh - no standing more than 24 hours. Keep pet waste cleaned up every 24 hours to prevent outbreaks of flies. If you will be on holiday, have someone look after your pets (preferably a professional pet sitter) to make sure they are visited at least daily to check and clean water and see that they are not developing any heat related medical conditions.
If you're in Las Vegas, you can visit our website for more tips and how to contact us for pet sitting services. www.allpetscs.com
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Weed: a plant you didn't plant, don't like, and/or don't want, that is supremely adapted to its climate and resists all attempts to eradicate it ! I give you the Foxtail.
This noxious invention of nature is the plant world's version of the cockroach. It proliferates in yards across the west and will not only choke out other plants, but will always hitchhike on anything that passes it from your socks to your pets. Especially your pets.
Foxtails comes in a large variety of species and sub-species. They rise from the ground with the first Spring rain and pretend to be grass so you don't notice them until it's too late. Suddenly the grass sprouts fat seed pods, and they fan out like a broom, more or less. Don't confuse these with Fluff Grass or Fountain Grass, mounding grasses that are relatively benign. These things have sharp edges and pointed barbs that are adept at drilling into any object they touch, including, probably, solid rock.
Veterinarians see these things as magicians, wondering how on earth they get to where they get. Of course, they know, but did you know they have been found in ears, eyes, between toes, stuck in fur and burrowing into skin, up the nostrils, and even up into the bladder and uterus of, mostly, dogs. Cats are not at all immune to their evil ways. Long haired cats that travel in the yard will bring them in on their coats and end up with them in their stomachs.
The end of just one of these seeds is needle sharp. The barbs ensure that the thing hangs on and then augers its way inside your pet causing tremendous pain, abscesses, and infection in a very short amount of time, from days to just hours.
You must kill the weed in its green stage before they dry and cast their demonic seeds to the wind. They have shallow roots and I recommend pulling them out with your bare, or gloved, hands, and removing them to the nearest trash can and landfill. Don't put them in your compost pile as they are remarkably resilient (remember the cockroach).Another good way to remove them is with a sheet of black plastic over the top of their patch, weighted down with bricks along the edge. The lack of sunlight will all but melt them. Salt is another non-toxic weed killer, but it will kill your other plants as well, so use this only where the weeds grow. Vinegar, applied weekly, will kill the things so you can easily remove them - recommended for those that grow in sidewalk cracks as vinegar, like salt, kill other plants as well.
If chemicals don't bother you, try any herbicide with GLYPHOSATE in it. You SHOULD, however, use a mask and never use when it's windy (thereby eliminating the entire month of April).
Here is the problem with simply killing them. They croak and leave their seeds right where they die. Now what do you do? Remember the cockroach: they just don't die. As I mentioned, you must do this when they are GREEN and pretty, innocent looking and swaying gently like a field of wheat in the sun. You can try to blower them away, vacuum them, burn them (altho this can enrich the ground so more will grow back).
I felt an urgency to talk about this horrid plant today as yet one nasty seed head found its way into my dog's ear the other day. Of course, the family and I are pulling these nasties by hand over our one acre when the dog joined us. In 72 hours he was howling, holding his head to one side, doing his best to shake out the menace in his ear. Unable to see it, or hold him still for the pain, it was off to the vet ASAP. After sedation, the doc was able to pull out a 1 inch seed head with a still sharp-as-a-pin point on it that had been crafting its way into his ear drum. At the cost of $152 to remove.
I have personally removed them from between the toes of both cats and dog, the eye of a cat, the chest of a hunting dog, cat's fur, and the nostril of a particularly nosey dog that wouldn't stop sneezing. Being they are barbed this is not a pain free procedure nor an easy one. Thus, from years of personal experience with this wild weed, keep your pets as far away from possible from this by whatever means you have at your disposal. If you spend $150 that is less than a vet visit, and a lot less pain and suffering for everyone!
If you are looking for a compassionate and educated pet sitter in Las Vegas, be sure to look us up and see what we can help you with - from vacation visits to taxi, nail trims to exercise. www.allpetscs.com
 |
| The Evil Foxtail |
Foxtails comes in a large variety of species and sub-species. They rise from the ground with the first Spring rain and pretend to be grass so you don't notice them until it's too late. Suddenly the grass sprouts fat seed pods, and they fan out like a broom, more or less. Don't confuse these with Fluff Grass or Fountain Grass, mounding grasses that are relatively benign. These things have sharp edges and pointed barbs that are adept at drilling into any object they touch, including, probably, solid rock.
Veterinarians see these things as magicians, wondering how on earth they get to where they get. Of course, they know, but did you know they have been found in ears, eyes, between toes, stuck in fur and burrowing into skin, up the nostrils, and even up into the bladder and uterus of, mostly, dogs. Cats are not at all immune to their evil ways. Long haired cats that travel in the yard will bring them in on their coats and end up with them in their stomachs.
The end of just one of these seeds is needle sharp. The barbs ensure that the thing hangs on and then augers its way inside your pet causing tremendous pain, abscesses, and infection in a very short amount of time, from days to just hours.
You must kill the weed in its green stage before they dry and cast their demonic seeds to the wind. They have shallow roots and I recommend pulling them out with your bare, or gloved, hands, and removing them to the nearest trash can and landfill. Don't put them in your compost pile as they are remarkably resilient (remember the cockroach).Another good way to remove them is with a sheet of black plastic over the top of their patch, weighted down with bricks along the edge. The lack of sunlight will all but melt them. Salt is another non-toxic weed killer, but it will kill your other plants as well, so use this only where the weeds grow. Vinegar, applied weekly, will kill the things so you can easily remove them - recommended for those that grow in sidewalk cracks as vinegar, like salt, kill other plants as well.
If chemicals don't bother you, try any herbicide with GLYPHOSATE in it. You SHOULD, however, use a mask and never use when it's windy (thereby eliminating the entire month of April).
Here is the problem with simply killing them. They croak and leave their seeds right where they die. Now what do you do? Remember the cockroach: they just don't die. As I mentioned, you must do this when they are GREEN and pretty, innocent looking and swaying gently like a field of wheat in the sun. You can try to blower them away, vacuum them, burn them (altho this can enrich the ground so more will grow back).
I felt an urgency to talk about this horrid plant today as yet one nasty seed head found its way into my dog's ear the other day. Of course, the family and I are pulling these nasties by hand over our one acre when the dog joined us. In 72 hours he was howling, holding his head to one side, doing his best to shake out the menace in his ear. Unable to see it, or hold him still for the pain, it was off to the vet ASAP. After sedation, the doc was able to pull out a 1 inch seed head with a still sharp-as-a-pin point on it that had been crafting its way into his ear drum. At the cost of $152 to remove.
I have personally removed them from between the toes of both cats and dog, the eye of a cat, the chest of a hunting dog, cat's fur, and the nostril of a particularly nosey dog that wouldn't stop sneezing. Being they are barbed this is not a pain free procedure nor an easy one. Thus, from years of personal experience with this wild weed, keep your pets as far away from possible from this by whatever means you have at your disposal. If you spend $150 that is less than a vet visit, and a lot less pain and suffering for everyone!
If you are looking for a compassionate and educated pet sitter in Las Vegas, be sure to look us up and see what we can help you with - from vacation visits to taxi, nail trims to exercise. www.allpetscs.com
Thursday, April 4, 2013
poisonious plants
Spring brings the growth of all kinds of plants that you didn't even know were planted in your yard. Wild things can be poison to your pets, as well as the everyday houseplant and shrubs you tote home from the nursery.
I don't want to list the hundreds of plants and symptoms here in the blog. Instead, I want you to keep this website handy:
http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/
And when I mean handy, I mean write it down and stick it on your refrigerator or tape it to the inside of your medicine cabinet, or in your pets' medical record books, and so on. It can save a life. Pets often eat things we don't think of as food, like cigarette butts, rocks, flowers, bees, sponges, batteries, jewelry, wood, prescription pills, marijuana, cocaine, and a host of other things you'd probably not imagine had you not seen it (as those of us in the veterinary profession have on an x-ray or in the bloodstream).
So don't spend any more time looking at this post. Go to the Pet Poison Helpline website and take a look at what you never imagined could happen to your beloved beasties. Pre ready in advance. Eating junk isn't just for goats anymore.
I don't want to list the hundreds of plants and symptoms here in the blog. Instead, I want you to keep this website handy:
http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/
And when I mean handy, I mean write it down and stick it on your refrigerator or tape it to the inside of your medicine cabinet, or in your pets' medical record books, and so on. It can save a life. Pets often eat things we don't think of as food, like cigarette butts, rocks, flowers, bees, sponges, batteries, jewelry, wood, prescription pills, marijuana, cocaine, and a host of other things you'd probably not imagine had you not seen it (as those of us in the veterinary profession have on an x-ray or in the bloodstream).
So don't spend any more time looking at this post. Go to the Pet Poison Helpline website and take a look at what you never imagined could happen to your beloved beasties. Pre ready in advance. Eating junk isn't just for goats anymore.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
It's time to talk ugly - about fleas. It's starting to warm up, pets are spending time outside, and the fleas are gearing up to party.
In southern Nevada, we rarely see fleas. That doesn't mean they aren't there. But with humidity around 5% most of the time, these little buggers simply dry up and die in the environment. But many of you are not so lucky, and to you, I have empathy. When I was growing up, we tried flea collars, but for the most part, the nasty bugs lived in our carpets and yard, which was watered a lot. Seemed impossible to get rid of them. I remember watching them jump onto my bare legs, then I'd run into the bathroom to wash them off in the tub.
Nasty, yes. What's worse, they carry some pretty disgusting stuff. My two favorite are tapeworms and bubonic plague.
Tapeworms: white flatworms that live in the intestine, hooked on by mouth suckers that steal nutrients from the digesta. The worm regularly sheds little segments of its ever growing "tail" that contain eggs - eggs of tapeworms. If you've seen the little maggot like monsters creeping around on your pet's behind, you know what I'm talking about. Those are sections that have broken away, hoping they will fall off your pet and get to live in a nice moist carpet or grass where they will meet up with an errant flea.
The flea, often flea larvae, we will say, will eat what it can find until it morphs into the nasty jumping insect we all hate and it becomes a vampire. The egg manages to find its way into the flea, where it develops into a mini time bomb. What has this got to do with anything? It is the flea that your pet ingests when she is biting the spot where the flea is siphoning blood. You've seen dogs and cat do this, I know. A flea gets stuck between the teeth, swallowed, and yippee, the tapeworm is now inside the host (your pet).
Sounds incredible, but that's the way it is. To kill tapeworms you must kill fleas, primarily by disrupting their life cycle. You can give your pet a de-wormer of Droncit, but if you don't get rid of the fleas, you can bet your last dollar (in Las Vegas, please) that tapeworms will return.
Responsible for killing perhaps a quarter of Europe's population many centuries ago, Bubonic Plague, the Black Death, was blamed on rats, which were running rampant because cats were thought to belong to witches and rat terriers we not yet invented. Fleas that lived on the rats happily carried their plague wherever the rats went, and if the rat was too overpopulated, the fleas jumped off and found people to bite instead.
The bacterium Yersinia (aka Pasteurella) pestis would cause disgusting boils which usually overtook the host and killed it, and thereby releasing itself from the body and getting onto the next person. Bodies should have been burned, along with their clothes, but given they still believed cats were witches' familiars, they didn't think fleas were involved, just the rats (hence the love of cats returned).
So back to ridding ourselves of fleas. The cheapest and easiest item you can use is diatomacious earth (DE) the powdery grey stuff which is eensy weency crystals that cut and dehydrate the flea in its environment (namely, your carpet). You can get this stuff everywhere, and its cheap cheap cheap. Plant nurseries, swimming pool supply shops, your local big box department store retailer - use it liberally by sprinkling in your carpet near doors and sleeping areas. At the same time, wash your pet with an insecticidal shampoo. Use caution with this by putting some ointment in the eyes and cotton in the ears so this won't get in your pets' mucous membranes. Start at the head of the pet, at the nose, and make the fleas run away towards the tail, not into the nose. Leave a ring of suds around the pet's neck and rinse the head and dry. Now you can do the rest of the body.
If you want to make sure, use a topical (on the skin) oil that you can get from your veterinarian like Advantage, Frontline, or Program (Program is Droncit, the tape worm killer, by the way). These can be used if your pet ventures outside to keep new fleas from coming back via your pet taxi. After 3 weeks, vacuum your carpet and apply the DE a second time. You can leave it there, or vacuum it after 3 weeks. This should take care of fleas that hatched since the first treatment.
While you're at it, check for ticks - small round nasties that also carry a multitude of disease from Lyme to Spotted Fever.
My spell checker had a lot of fun with this post.
In southern Nevada, we rarely see fleas. That doesn't mean they aren't there. But with humidity around 5% most of the time, these little buggers simply dry up and die in the environment. But many of you are not so lucky, and to you, I have empathy. When I was growing up, we tried flea collars, but for the most part, the nasty bugs lived in our carpets and yard, which was watered a lot. Seemed impossible to get rid of them. I remember watching them jump onto my bare legs, then I'd run into the bathroom to wash them off in the tub.
Nasty, yes. What's worse, they carry some pretty disgusting stuff. My two favorite are tapeworms and bubonic plague.
Tapeworms: white flatworms that live in the intestine, hooked on by mouth suckers that steal nutrients from the digesta. The worm regularly sheds little segments of its ever growing "tail" that contain eggs - eggs of tapeworms. If you've seen the little maggot like monsters creeping around on your pet's behind, you know what I'm talking about. Those are sections that have broken away, hoping they will fall off your pet and get to live in a nice moist carpet or grass where they will meet up with an errant flea.
The flea, often flea larvae, we will say, will eat what it can find until it morphs into the nasty jumping insect we all hate and it becomes a vampire. The egg manages to find its way into the flea, where it develops into a mini time bomb. What has this got to do with anything? It is the flea that your pet ingests when she is biting the spot where the flea is siphoning blood. You've seen dogs and cat do this, I know. A flea gets stuck between the teeth, swallowed, and yippee, the tapeworm is now inside the host (your pet).
Sounds incredible, but that's the way it is. To kill tapeworms you must kill fleas, primarily by disrupting their life cycle. You can give your pet a de-wormer of Droncit, but if you don't get rid of the fleas, you can bet your last dollar (in Las Vegas, please) that tapeworms will return.
Responsible for killing perhaps a quarter of Europe's population many centuries ago, Bubonic Plague, the Black Death, was blamed on rats, which were running rampant because cats were thought to belong to witches and rat terriers we not yet invented. Fleas that lived on the rats happily carried their plague wherever the rats went, and if the rat was too overpopulated, the fleas jumped off and found people to bite instead.
The bacterium Yersinia (aka Pasteurella) pestis would cause disgusting boils which usually overtook the host and killed it, and thereby releasing itself from the body and getting onto the next person. Bodies should have been burned, along with their clothes, but given they still believed cats were witches' familiars, they didn't think fleas were involved, just the rats (hence the love of cats returned).
So back to ridding ourselves of fleas. The cheapest and easiest item you can use is diatomacious earth (DE) the powdery grey stuff which is eensy weency crystals that cut and dehydrate the flea in its environment (namely, your carpet). You can get this stuff everywhere, and its cheap cheap cheap. Plant nurseries, swimming pool supply shops, your local big box department store retailer - use it liberally by sprinkling in your carpet near doors and sleeping areas. At the same time, wash your pet with an insecticidal shampoo. Use caution with this by putting some ointment in the eyes and cotton in the ears so this won't get in your pets' mucous membranes. Start at the head of the pet, at the nose, and make the fleas run away towards the tail, not into the nose. Leave a ring of suds around the pet's neck and rinse the head and dry. Now you can do the rest of the body.
If you want to make sure, use a topical (on the skin) oil that you can get from your veterinarian like Advantage, Frontline, or Program (Program is Droncit, the tape worm killer, by the way). These can be used if your pet ventures outside to keep new fleas from coming back via your pet taxi. After 3 weeks, vacuum your carpet and apply the DE a second time. You can leave it there, or vacuum it after 3 weeks. This should take care of fleas that hatched since the first treatment.
While you're at it, check for ticks - small round nasties that also carry a multitude of disease from Lyme to Spotted Fever.
My spell checker had a lot of fun with this post.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Emergency Evacuation for Pets
Hurricane season is coming. No, not quite yet, but now is the time to prepare. Take tips from the people who live in earthquake country. You know how to prepare for yourself: flashlights, candles, food, water, blankets. What if you must evacuate? Full tank of gas, emergency cash; you take your valuables, one category of which should be your pets.
Do not leave your pets behind. It is cruel and you will most likely never see them again. Your pets very likely cannot accompany you to the people shelter. Let's talk dogs and cats.
Collar, microchip, tattoo, these are a start. You should have a plastic zip bag with information in it to attach to the collar, identification of where you are, how to reach you, and a phone number of someone out of state who can take messages for you. Your veterinarian's info is also important, and any info on medication your pet is taking.
For each pet, you should have a kennel/crate, collar (dog) and harness (cat). Most of these will store in two pieces nested; nest from largest to smallest for easy access. Put the rest inside the nested halves of carriers. Be sure the cat carriers are large enough to accommodate a small kitty pan and a small pair of dishes. Think 72 hours for your pets' confinement and plan accordingly. Dogs will of course have to get out to potty, on a leash, but otherwise that may be their home and they will need room for two small dishes also.
LABEL each carrier. Do this BEFORE a disaster strikes. On a sheet of paper, list all pertinent information including address, phone numbers, veterinary information. Put this in a large zip bag and tie it or tape it securely to the top of the carrier. For dogs (and cats) place a copy of their vaccine record in the bag, if nothing else, a rabies certificate. Don't forget to store blankets and a toy or two, plus plastic dishes and a kitty box, with the crates so all is ready to go.
Importantly, include a photo of yourself with your pet in the bag attached to the animal and/or carrier. This could help you reclaim your pet if lost. Keep a second photo on your body as well. And, make and keep a list of pet friendly hotels and boarding facilities within a 100 mile radius in case you need to rent a room for you and your pets.
Also, in a plastic 18 gallon or smaller tub with lid (much larger and it will be too heavy to carry), pack the following and rotate out every 6 months.
Remember to evacuate as early as possible to secure resources, and take advantage of escape routes that may be jammed later. Remember, a secure collar or harness on every pet with identification. If you are ready to move your animals beforehand, you will stand the best chance of saving the WHOLE family.
 |
| A wagon will not be sufficient to transport your animals to safety. |
Do not leave your pets behind. It is cruel and you will most likely never see them again. Your pets very likely cannot accompany you to the people shelter. Let's talk dogs and cats.
Collar, microchip, tattoo, these are a start. You should have a plastic zip bag with information in it to attach to the collar, identification of where you are, how to reach you, and a phone number of someone out of state who can take messages for you. Your veterinarian's info is also important, and any info on medication your pet is taking.
For each pet, you should have a kennel/crate, collar (dog) and harness (cat). Most of these will store in two pieces nested; nest from largest to smallest for easy access. Put the rest inside the nested halves of carriers. Be sure the cat carriers are large enough to accommodate a small kitty pan and a small pair of dishes. Think 72 hours for your pets' confinement and plan accordingly. Dogs will of course have to get out to potty, on a leash, but otherwise that may be their home and they will need room for two small dishes also.
LABEL each carrier. Do this BEFORE a disaster strikes. On a sheet of paper, list all pertinent information including address, phone numbers, veterinary information. Put this in a large zip bag and tie it or tape it securely to the top of the carrier. For dogs (and cats) place a copy of their vaccine record in the bag, if nothing else, a rabies certificate. Don't forget to store blankets and a toy or two, plus plastic dishes and a kitty box, with the crates so all is ready to go.
Importantly, include a photo of yourself with your pet in the bag attached to the animal and/or carrier. This could help you reclaim your pet if lost. Keep a second photo on your body as well. And, make and keep a list of pet friendly hotels and boarding facilities within a 100 mile radius in case you need to rent a room for you and your pets.
Also, in a plastic 18 gallon or smaller tub with lid (much larger and it will be too heavy to carry), pack the following and rotate out every 6 months.
- 5 day (or more?) supply of canned and dry food
- 5 gallons of water (this will weigh 40 pounds!) for each large dog,
- 1 gallon ( 8 pounds) for each cat or small dog
- Pets' medicines, and instructions (refrigerated medicine? take an icepack in Styrofoam)
- Information on pets' diet including what not to feed
- Copies of pet information and proof of ownership in those handy zip plastic bags
- First aid kit with matches*
- Lighting with fresh batteries or solar lanterns
- Trash bags, stakes/tie outs, litter scoop
- Newspaper, kitty litter
Remember to evacuate as early as possible to secure resources, and take advantage of escape routes that may be jammed later. Remember, a secure collar or harness on every pet with identification. If you are ready to move your animals beforehand, you will stand the best chance of saving the WHOLE family.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Gosh, where did I go the last couple weeks? It's been a busy time here. Booking clients who are going out of town, but also taking care of my own pets. Thought I'd pass on some notes to you about them.
Taffy is our puppy mill rescue, a nightmare of genetic dysfunction, a product of irresponsible breeding and profit. She has a wonderful personality, very sweet, affectionate, a tiger at the doorbell, but has lots of medical issues that we have had to deal with (and the accompanying bills, upwards of $2000 so far). She has bi-lateral luxated patellas, which caused her to walk like a bunny rabbit. Although our excellent surgeon, Dennis Olsen, DVM, here in Las Vegas, repaired the deformity, years of bunny hopping left her muscles too weak to hold her up once the mechanics of her condition were solved. Over the last 2 years she has improved, however, to at least being up on the toes, although no longer taffy knees, more like Chaplain feet.
She also has an underbite, and a malocclusion of her incisors. Therefore, her teeth don't meet or match, and tartar builds up twice as quickly than on a normal bite. We can live with that. She has epiphora, runny red at the eyes. We found a supplement that helps with that.
Her latest issue was a bladder stone. Not just a little stone, mind you, but a huge one. It has been the cause of her incontinence, the blood in her urine, her bowels going without her knowing it, and a few other unplesant symptoms. Take a look at this thing:
She also has an underbite, and a malocclusion of her incisors. Therefore, her teeth don't meet or match, and tartar builds up twice as quickly than on a normal bite. We can live with that. She has epiphora, runny red at the eyes. We found a supplement that helps with that.
Her latest issue was a bladder stone. Not just a little stone, mind you, but a huge one. It has been the cause of her incontinence, the blood in her urine, her bowels going without her knowing it, and a few other unplesant symptoms. Take a look at this thing:
That round white oval just in front of the hips shouldn't be there! THAT is the stone. No wonder she was having troubles. Of course, in this radiograph you can see the pins in her knees, also, from her patella repair, which involves the tibia as well.
This dog is just now 4 years old.
SO, a word to anyone looking at small dogs available at pet shops: Yorkies, Chihuahuas, Maltese, ShizTsus, and the like - BEWARE. Just because it says AKC on the papers doesn't mean it had healthy parents, a clean environment, or any love until the day you end up with it. This girl was at the shelter, and because of her disabilities, destined for the euthanasia room but for my rescue of her, and even though it's been expensive, it's hard to put a price on the love this dog returns to us.
I will save the adventures of our horse's medical issues for another time.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Continuing Education
The annual Western Veterinary Conference held here in Las Vegas offered hundreds of opportunities to earn annual continuing education units that are required to maintain a professional license in medicine; in our case, veterinary medicine. I was lucky enough to get a whole day in this year, although in the past I have attended most every day, gone to the special Veterinary Technician concerts and events, and participated in the hands on labs that are not at the convention center but at the designated Oquendo Center, an affiliate of Western Veterinary Conference itself.
The Oquendo center is a fantastic facility, newly completed, with a theater, barn, conference rooms, and concierge service for groups. Among the annual events are interspersed regular opportunities to advance knowledge for medial professionals. There is a 12 table surgery suite, with 12 prep stations; a formal dental suite (for animals) that includes 5 wet tables; classrooms, radiology with digital equipment, a freezer and necropsy room; lab stations.
A learning session at Oquendo is nothing to pass up.
But I digress to the labs, when I spent most of my time at the lectures this year. I had an opportunity to hear about wild animal diseases, behavior, training, and emergency care for patients in shock, this last one being what I wanted to discuss.
SHOCK: life threatening condition where oxygen isn't getting to the tissues. It can be caused by many events, trauma being the primary reason most pets are seen at he emergency center. What can you do if your pet is in shock? Know the signs/symptoms of shock (cats and dogs).
just above the "elbow", inside, of the front legs).
What causes shock, besides being hit by a car or other obvious trauma? Heartworms can cause shock by blocking blood flow to and from pulmonary systems. It can be induced by severe dehydration or diarrhea. Poisons can cause shock. Heart disease can cause shock. Shock is a general term for several different pathologies that result in the tissues not receiving adequate oxygen, which can cause damage and eventually death. It pays to keep an eye on your pets' condition every day, and don't let little problems mount in huge ones.
I'll post some photos on the website for you to reference.
The Oquendo center is a fantastic facility, newly completed, with a theater, barn, conference rooms, and concierge service for groups. Among the annual events are interspersed regular opportunities to advance knowledge for medial professionals. There is a 12 table surgery suite, with 12 prep stations; a formal dental suite (for animals) that includes 5 wet tables; classrooms, radiology with digital equipment, a freezer and necropsy room; lab stations.
A learning session at Oquendo is nothing to pass up.
But I digress to the labs, when I spent most of my time at the lectures this year. I had an opportunity to hear about wild animal diseases, behavior, training, and emergency care for patients in shock, this last one being what I wanted to discuss.
SHOCK: life threatening condition where oxygen isn't getting to the tissues. It can be caused by many events, trauma being the primary reason most pets are seen at he emergency center. What can you do if your pet is in shock? Know the signs/symptoms of shock (cats and dogs).
- Profuse bleeding that cannot be stopped (don't forget about internal bleeding)
- Fainting, Unconsciousness
- Bright dark red or white/blue gums
- Fast heart beat (varies, but generally above 200 beats per minute)
- Weak pulse (feel at neck or inner thigh)
- Fast breathing (more than 60 breaths per minute)
just above the "elbow", inside, of the front legs).
What causes shock, besides being hit by a car or other obvious trauma? Heartworms can cause shock by blocking blood flow to and from pulmonary systems. It can be induced by severe dehydration or diarrhea. Poisons can cause shock. Heart disease can cause shock. Shock is a general term for several different pathologies that result in the tissues not receiving adequate oxygen, which can cause damage and eventually death. It pays to keep an eye on your pets' condition every day, and don't let little problems mount in huge ones.
I'll post some photos on the website for you to reference.
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