Heartworms

Published June 8, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment

If you have a dog or cat, you’ve probably heard a lot about heartworm disease, as us veterinarians like to spend a lot of time talking about it. Heartworms, as you might imagine from the clever nomenclature, are worms that live in the blood vessels of the lungs and the heart of your furry friends. This is a problem because what is suppose to be in the heart and vessels is blood; a foot-long worm tends to obstruct and disrupt the blood flow. (This can result in lots of problems, including heart failure, coughing, pneumonia, nose bleeds and/or sudden death.)

How Did A Foot-Long Worm Get Into My Pet?

So how do these big ol’ worms end up there? Let’s follow the circle of life! Like just about every other living thing, a heartworm’s main objective in life is not to kill dogs but to reproduce. Yes, they’re not only hanging out, dancing around in the heart and lungs and generally wreaking havoc, they are actually breeding in there. They produce cute little micro-baby heartworms called microfilariae, which hang out in the bloodstream, just waiting for a mosquito to land on the poor, unsuspecting doggy host for a quick meal. The mosquito bites the dog and, just like an alien abduction, the microfilariae get sucked up into the mosquito-shaped UFO and away they go.

They spend their childhood in this mosquito, where they learn all about swimming and navigation, which will come in useful when it’s time to find a heart. One day, when they are mostly grown up, the mosquito bites a new host dog or cat and they are spit out, swimming under the skin where they finish up their education. Finally they are ready to enter the mammal’s bloodstream, where they travel to the heart and lungs, get big and yes, we are back to reproducing. (Well, only in dogs; in cats, the worms are kind of confused and just swim around, making kitty very sick or dead.)

That sounds awful, doesn’t it? We don’t want this happening to beloved Fido or Fluffy. That’s why your veterinarian keeps recommending heartworm prevention. There are several different kinds of heartworm preventatives; most of them have an added bonus of doing even more then kicking baby heartworm butts! Sadly, none of the preventatives kill the adult heartworms.

We will discuss the added bonus of preventative measures in the next post; but what happens if your best canine friend has mature heartworms? What can you do?

Treatment Options:

There are several treatment options for dogs and one for cats with adult worms and to be perfectly honest, I would say none of them are good.

For dogs, one option is surgical removal. If you’re never planning on eating again, here’s a video you can watch of the surgical  removal of some adult heartworms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLzFsNOJ-4.

Another canine option, probably preferable to surgery but also unpleasant, is a drug called Immiticide. This is a very painful drug that goes deep into muscle; it is given 2-3 times to kill adult heartworms. After each injection, the dog gets to sit in a cage for a month to minimize side effects, which is okay because his butt will probably be sore for that whole month from the injection. This will probably not be the most fun time in your dog’s life. The other downside of Immiticide is that it is not always available.

The final option for dogs is a medication called Ivermectin. This medication is found in some preventatives; it actually is not able to kill the adult heartworms, so it’s a little deceptive for me to put it in the option category at all. It is the “doing nothing” option. If you keep giving it, it will keep killing the babies and eventually the adults should die by themselves after a couple years.

In cats, if you can believe it, the treatment options are even bleaker. Immiticide is so potent that it will actually kill your cat, so that option is usually off the table. If I treat a heartworm-positive cat, I start her on steroids (This does nothing to kill the worms, but it does suppress her own immune system so that her symptoms are lessened) for a couple of years and wait and wait and wait for those worms to die, hoping that they don’t kill the kitty in the meantime.  Steroids themselves have a lot of side effects too, so for many reasons this is not ideal.

The good news is that heartworm disease is 100% preventable by using those products that we veterinarians keep talking about. So use them! 

Dental Care

Published April 10, 2012 Information , veterinarian Leave a Comment
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The most common problem I see in dogs and cats is dental disease. This is not that surprising, really, as very few of my patients brush their teeth. If you didn’t brush your teeth for eight years, what do you think they would look like?

Usually, what I see on a physical examination is plaque and calculus. (Yellow or brown gunk that are really bacterial cesspools adhered to the teeth.) Often, I also see gingivitis, a thin, red stripe on the gum line that indicates inflammation or irritation on the gums, and other signs of periodontal disease, including loose teeth and drooling. Dental disease can cause halitosis (bad breath), fractured teeth (ouch!), and it has the potential for spreading infection to key organs of the body. The recommended treatment is a dental cleaning, with possibly dental extractions if the disease is extensive. As this can be a costly procedure that must be done under general anesthesia, I encourage brushing your pet’s teeth for them as a preventative measure.

Brushing your pet’s teeth doesn’t usually help with tartar  that is already present, but it will hopefully prevent it from getting worse. If your pet still has pearly whites, brushing should help keep them this way. A word of warning: not all pets, especially some cats are going to enjoy having their teeth brushed. Be careful not to get bitten!

So here’s how to brush your pet’s teeth: I recommend you take time once a day to work on a brushing routine with your pet(s).

Intimidated yet? Brushing your dog’s and cat’s teeth isn’t really that hard. With a little patience, it can even be a great way for you to spend time, and bond with your pet. Step one is to find a yummy toothpaste, flavored for pets. You shouldn’t use your toothpaste, because chances are that it contains fluoride, which is toxic if swallowed. Because it is very difficult to teach your pet to spit, you should buy doggy or kitty toothpastes. Besides, your cat or dog is probably not going to like wintergreen or mint, probably preferring something delicious like liver- or poultry-flavored toothpaste. Mmmm.

Once you have your toothpaste, you are going to squeeze a little on your finger and dangle it in front of your finger saying, “Cookie cookie cookie!” in a high pitched squeal so that your pet knows something VERY EXCITING is coming their way. If you know your pet’s flavor preferences well, you will likely be rewarded by a few sniffs, followed by lick and a gulp. “Yum,” your pet will think, “Toothpaste is delicious. This is fun.” Do this once a day for three days, and try to pick the same time (like right after breakfast or right before bed) so that your pet (and you) will get use to the routine.

Next, find a toothbrush. You can find a whole variety of shapes and sizes on the internet or in the pet store, but I find an old human toothbrush usually does the trick. Once you find a toothbrush, I recommend taking a sharpie pen and labeling it with your pet’s name: this will prevent the dismay your husband will feel when he realizes he has been sharing a toothbrush with Funyon the Pug’s poopy mouth.

Once labeled, take a pea-sized blob of toothpaste, apply to the toothbrush and hold it in front of your pets mouth. No brushing yet! Just let your pet lick the toothbrush clean.  Do this for a few days.

Finally, we are ready to try brushing! So now your pet has been getting a yummy treat for about a week, and should already feel comfortable with the routine, the toothbrush and the paste.  This time, when your pet starts to lick off the toothpaste, make small back-and-forth movements, brushing just the outside of the very front teeth. This may be comical, as you’re trying to brush while your pet is trying to lick. Only brush for a few seconds, and then let your pet finish his lick.

Do this for about three days, and then slowly start extending your brushing excursions to get teeth further back in the mouth. You do not need to brush the tops or the insides of the teeth. (And actually, that is a good way to get bitten.) See if you can get the toothbrush to the very-way-back teeth. Forget singing your ABC’s; brushing your pet’s teeth should take about 10 seconds tops. It is very important that your pet likes it, so that this is a positive experience not a battle.

Some pets just do not like having their teeth brushed. Although in my opinion brushing is the best way to prevent dental disease, it’s not worth doing if it creates stress in your relationship, or if there is any risk of you getting injured. If this is the case, you can talk to your veterinarian about prescription foods designed to help prevent dental disease, and various toys that might help cut down on plaque.

Soon your pet’s smile will be the envy of the neighborhood

Cyst-a-what

Published February 16, 2012 house call , Information , veterinarian Leave a Comment
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This week one of my patients needed a cystocentesis (cyst-toe-cent-pieces with a silent P) performed. “Wow,” you might say, ”That sounds horrible: A cyst on a toe as big as a penny in pieces?”

Although, I like to use long scary doctor words, “cysto” means we are talking about the urinary bladder (very far away from the paws!) and the “centesis” means roughly ‘poking with a needle,’ which sounds scary but really isn’t! So, performing cystocentesis means that I stick a long, skinny needle straight through the animal’s belly, right into its bladder and use a syringe to retrieve a little bit of urine. Why on earth would I want to do this, you might ask. Cystocentesis is a fairly common procedure that is used in veterinary medicine to get a STERILE urine sample, which can be used for a number of diagnostic tests. The most frequent test that I run with my samples is called a “Urine Culture and Sensitivity,” which is considered the best way to diagnose a urinary tract infection. I usually run this test after I am already suspicious of a urinary tract infection based on the patients behaviors (symptoms include increases in thirst and urination, blood seen in urine, peeing in inappropriate places like the carpet instead of the grass) and other diagnostic tests like a urinalysis, which is performed on a sample of urine I have caught/collected while chasing the pet around with a piece of short Tupperware. While a urinalysis gives me lots of information and can often show me signs of a urinary tract infection, it functions more as a screening tool, as it is not always definitive. A urine Culture and Sensitivity is a great test because it will tell me for sure if a patient has an infection, in addition to giving me the specific organism causing the infection, which allows me to prescribe the best antibiotic to treat it. This helps me make sure that my patients are treated appropriately, and will get better as soon as possible.

FAQs

Does it hurt my pet? I’m sure it hurts a tiny bit, but only as much as poking with a needle to get some blood, or a sample of an abnormal growth. (Actually, I use an even smaller gauge needle so it probably hurts less.) My patient this week was so good for the procedure: she was super brave, and didn’t even flinch as the needle was inserted. Some dogs or cats are a little more sensitive, but it shouldn’t hurt very much or for very long.

Is it safe? Yes. Cystocentesis overall is a very safe procedure. There are a few rare times when it may carry some risks (for example if your pet has a bleeding disorder or bladder cancer) and if these are possibilities, your veterinarian should discuss those risks with you before they perform it.

Now, hopefully you won’t be worried if you hear your pet needs to have a cystocentesis!

Feline Obesity

Published January 30, 2012 Information Leave a Comment
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When people walk into my house and see my cat Jukie, the first thing they usually say is, “That is a BIG kitty.” Her response is to run to her food bowl. I tell people, “Jukie is very sensitive about her weight. We don’t discuss it.” But we should. Animal obesity is one of the biggest problems domestic pets suffer from. So many of our pets are overweight, but it’s easy to understand why the problem exists.

In the wild, cats hunt for their food. They evolved to eat about 8 small meals throughout the day, usually consisting of small rodents. For reference, a single mouse meal is about 35 calories. Our domestic felines usually get by on 1-2 (much) larger meals a day, and they don’t stay as limber, as the “hunt” usually involves following (at a walk or slow trot) their human friends around the house with an occasional tap, tap with the paw and a sad meow. My own lovely kitty only performs this particular charade if she needs a snack, as she is fortunate enough to have a machine dispense her food at set times of the day. Some families are lucky enough to have multiple kitties all living in harmony (or not) under one roof, sometimes leading to social and/or competitive eating, which can increase the amount of food that your cats would normally eat.

Overweight cats can be at increased risk for diabetes, arthritis, hepatic lipidosis (a serious liver problem), and decreased lifespan. Obese cats can have difficulty grooming their hind end, which can lead to skin conditions or a situation that I like to call “poopy butt.” If your pet is overweight, make sure you talk to a veterinarian, as there are some medical reasons for pets to be predisposed to weight gain.

So what ways can we combat feline obesity? Well, as just mentioned, it is important to start by discussing your individual pet with a veterinarian, since cats can sometimes get very sick if their food is switched or if they they lose weight too rapidly. And of course, your veterinarian can help develop a personalized weight loss plan for your pet to keep your kitty healthy while he or she gets in shape!

There are a few things you can consider when trying to determine why your fuzzy friend is overweight. If you and your vet have decided that you are feeding your feline too much food, you can try decreasing the calories SLOWLY.  Start by cutting out the extra treats (even when Fluffy is being adorable), switch to a lower calorie food, or try wet food (it generally has less calories) exclusively.

You can also make sure your cat is getting enough exercise.  Even if she doesn’t have to catch her food, most cats still love the hunt. Many cats are big fans of the feather-attached-to-a-stick toys and will attack the feather for hours. My kitty loves to chase her fuzzy catnip mice, and will bring them back so that they can be thrown again. (She also has been observed stalking and hunting insects and wagging dog tails.) Exercise is great for your cat and should be encouraged!

But what if your kitty is a couch potato that prefers lounging to chasing inanimate objects? You could consider a puzzle toy, a toy that makes your pet have to work for their food. They sell fancy toys in the store or you can find one by doing a google search. You could even do something simple, like closing your cat’s food in an egg carton, making her work to open it and get the food out. If your precocious kitty opens it up easily, try taping it shut. Another good idea is using the paper towel cardboard center to store treats. You can fold the ends in, and cut holes in the cardboard for treats to fall out.

Please watch your cat while she plays with the puzzle toys, as cardboard tape and Styrofoam should not be ingested.

While your kitty’s obesity may be linked to diet or medical problems, most cats love the fun of playing hunting games with their human friends.  Playing with your cat is a fun, easy way to keep her active, and make sure that her weight problems aren’t coming from a lack of exercise.  As always, be sure to check with your local veterinarian for more specific weight-loss plans for your chubby buddy.

Biscuit Recipes

Published January 19, 2012 Information , Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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So after everything that dogs can’t eat, what can they eat, anyway?

Generally, the best thing for dogs to eat is dog food. Pet food companies do a lot of testing to ensure that their products are nutritionally balanced, and made with high-quality ingredients.

But what if you feel your dogs deserve more than just dog food? Because even though they attack the food as soon as it hits the bowl, they look at you with those big round eyes, and you know that they would just love a dessert, too.  Well, I did a few experiments to see if I could find a way to make biscuit treats that are good for your best buddy.

First, take kibble dog food, add some water, and then stick it in a blender and blend it until it’s soft. (You could also use wet dog food to eliminate this step.)

I used 1 cup kibbles, and ½ cup water. You may need to adjust this ratio based on the dog food you use. (I should have used a little more water; Mine came out a little crumbly .)

Remove the blended kibble from the mixer, and make a blended kibble ball with your hands.

 

Next, you have two options.

Option One: Take a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Make the ball into a dog kibble roll, as seen below. Now wrap the roll in parchment paper, and put it into the freezer.  Wait a couple hours, open the roll up, and cut cookie slices for frozen treats!

Option Two: Roll out the blended kibble ball and make cookie cutouts. Place on cookie tray, atop a piece of parchment paper, and bake for 30 minutes. Now they will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Yummy!

These recipes are great because they are made from actual dog food, so they should not only be nutritionally healthy for your pet, but also will not cause any stomach upset. They are also really good for dogs that are on restricted diets, because they will think that the new treat is a completely different food.

If you are feeling disappointed that you didn’t get a recipe to make dog cookies from scratch, here is a biscuit recipe that my dogs practically inhaled. (Although, as previously mentioned, they will eat almost anything, so this is hardly an achievement.) While this can be a tasty, occasional treat for most dogs, they are in no way nutritionally balanced. This should in no way replace the diet recommended by your local veterinarian.  And remember, if your pet has any dietary restrictions, always check with your veterinarian before feeding him or her anything new.

Notes:

The quantities on everything after the first two ingredients were approximated. This recipe was designed using some ideas from the many Internet websites on dog treat recipes, as well as searching my cupboards for ingredients. It makes about a dozen soft dog treats.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 banana

¼-1/2 cup of peanut butter

½ cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cup flour (I used just regular white flour but whole wheat would probably be good too)

About 2 tsp honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix the eggs, banana, and peanut butter for one minute, then add the honey, stirring thoroughly.

Add the oatmeal and 1 cup of flour, a little at a time, stirring it into the mixture.

Then, on a floured surface roll out the dough. It should still be fairly soft and sticky.

You can then press out your biscuits with a cookie cutter, or if you don’t have one you can just cut out squares.  Most dogs do not concern themselves with aesthetics!

Place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes.

They are nice and soft so that you can break them into smaller pieces for little dogs.

I tasted these biscuits, and thought they were pretty good. My husband tried one too, and then told me that he understands why the dogs like them so much, as they are much tastier than their kibble.

“You eat their kibble?” I asked.

“Well I had to make sure it was good enough for Funyon.” He responded.

While this is a good occasional treat for your dog, remember, it is in no way nutritionally balanced. Treats are meant to be treats. So many of our pets are overweight due to excessive treats and that can have consequences to their health. Stay tuned for more information about fatty friends!

More than everything you ever wanted to know about anal glands

Published January 13, 2012 Information Leave a Comment
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Imagine the worst smell you have ever experienced. Now imagine that it is coming from your best canine friend. Welcome to the world of anal glands! Anal glands are these little sacs that hang out right next to your dogs rectum, on the inside. The material they contain varies in consistency widely from liquid to thick, cake-y material. We think evolutionarily, they were used for marking and for self-defense. Now they are used for stinking up your house. Anal glands can cause all sorts of problems in dogs, and even cats. Some pets have glands that need regular care and maintenance in the form of expression. (Squeezing the glands until they empty.) Expressing anal glands can be a little uncomfortable for your pet, but they often feel much better afterwards.

 

Usually, these glands are expressed when they are compressed as stool passes by. The material just helps make your pet’s poop a little extra stinky. Sometimes, dogs have a problem with being unable to express their glands normally. Occasionally, there is an good explanation for why: If their stool has been looser than usual, or their anatomy is a little different or they have a mild allergy, but often I am unable to identify a good reason for why those anal glands are stubborn. These dogs and cats with obstinate anal glands might try to lick their hind end, chase their tail, or even scoot their butt on the ground. If not expressed in a timely manner, sometimes they can get so full the sacs can form an abscess, an extremely painful condition that requires antibiotics and occasionally surgery to open the gland up and allow the infection to drain.

 

Some pets need these glands expressed quite frequently. Funyon needs his expressed every couple of weeks. If we are tardy, he just accidently expresses them himself. (Usually onto my husband’s lap, and then I send them both to the bath.) When I was learning to perform anal sac expression, I squeezed one that was very liquidly and had a remarkable trajectory. It sprayed right into the face of my teacher! She was not pleased at all. Now I have learned to make sure that no one is standing behind me when I perform this procedure.

 

If a pet has particular troubles with their anal glands, there is a surgical procedure that exists called an anal sacculectomy, which is an operation to remove these anal glands. This is a procedure that should be performed only by an experienced surgeon.

 

Oh, what we put up with in our pets. It is a good thing they are so cute!

What not to let your pet put in their mouths. Part 2

Published January 11, 2012 toxicity Leave a Comment
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Now, you might wish that you beloved pet whom you spoil with high-quality food and delicious treats should be smart enough to
not swallow anything and everything that he can fit into his mouth. Sadly, we find that is not always the case. Here’s a list of just some of the things that are bad for your beloved pet to eat.

A few of the most frequent things I’ve seen cause problems include clothing, towels, dog toys, human toys, feminine hygiene products and diapers. For cats, some of the more dangerous things they can eat include string and ribbons. (Especially when a needle is attached to one end.) Long, skinny (linear) foreign bodies like these can potentially be even more dangerous. The risk with all of these hazards is an obstruction. Foreign-body obstruction will cause your pet to feel awful, probably throw up quite a bit, and can result in intestinal perforation and peritonitis, a life-threatening emergency. If your pet eats a foreign body, they may need to have surgery to remove the object.

My sister’s cats love chewing on electric cords. They have learned that if they destroy a cable, they can make my sister dance around and yell. They find this endlessly amusing. However, electric cords have made the list as well, not because it is expensive to constantly replace them, but because cord chewing can cause burns in the mouth.

Corrosive materials will also do a number on the mouth as well as the intestinal tract.  You might recognize batteries and fireworks as objects that can leak corrosive material, and therefore should not be consumed, (seriously, some dogs will really eat anything) but did you know that fabric sheets contain cationic detergents? These detergents can cause corrosive injury to the mouth. They can also irritate the skin, so quit rubbing your cat with Bounce, she’s soft enough already.

Fireworks in particular can contain a variety of toxic substances, so store them carefully. Often, they contain chlorates (also present in matches and naphthalene moth balls) which can cause methemoblobinemia, a blood disorder that prevents oxygen from getting to the tissues.

What do sunblock, desitin, and most pennies minted since I was born all have in common? They all contain zinc! There are a number of
household items that contain zinc: The danger with this material is that when it reaches high levels in the blood stream, it causes another type of blood problem called hemolytic anemia in addition to irritating the intestinal lining.

There are many, many toxic plants that can do lots of bad things when chewed or swallowed. In general, keep plants away from pets.

It’s always fun to see brightly-colored vomit after a dog eats a paintball, but ingesting them can cause fluid to move into the gut,
causing electrolyte changes and leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and tremors.

Okay, hopefully we don’t need to talk about baits and poisons because I’m sure you know if it is used to kill animals, it is not good for your pets. This goes for anything designed to kill mice, rats, ants, slugs, snails and flies.

While you are securing your poisons, please also secure your
medications: Drugs all have side effects, and a dog is not a big cat or
a small human. Only give your pet medication that has been prescribed to her, and then only as indicated. Do not take medication advice from the Internet! I cannot emphasize this enough. I have seen more toxicities from owners giving pets their own medications because the Internet told them to than any other type of toxicity. It is never okay to give your pets any medication unless your veterinarian says it’s all right. Some of the most problematic and life-threatening medications for pets are human pain medications, vitamins, antidepressants, cold and flu medications and chemotherapy drugs.

Antifreeze is a bad combination of extremely sweet and extremely deadly, even in small doses. There is an antidote (fomipazole), but it must be given within the first few hours of ingestion. Otherwise, toxins that are produced result in non-reversible kidney failure, which leads to death. If you keep antifreeze in the house, and you’re worried about being able to get ahold of the antidote in time, talk to your local veterinarian for emergency options (you might be surprised by what they have to say.)
Tell your pets not to put toads, spiders, snakes, or insects into their mouths either. These can all cause stomach upset, among other
things.

Who would have thought it would be so tough keeping our furry friends from destroying themselves? In case you’re starting to think that you’d better duct tape your pet’s mouth closed, look out for a biscuit recipe in the next few days. I promise it will be pug-tested and approved!

Funyon just wanted to relax and listen to his ipod today.

Published January 10, 2012 Photograph Leave a Comment
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What not to let your pet put in their mouths. Part 1

Published January 8, 2012 toxicity Leave a Comment
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Just some more things to worry about!

What not to let your pet eat is a very long list and the following is far from exhaustive. There are so many things that your pets shouldn’t put in their mouths, it’s hard to know where to start. I thought I would try to share some of the more common no-no’s for dogs and cats. The good thing about a lot of these cases is they have happy endings.If caught early and treated aggressively, often we have success with treating dietary indiscretion. So if you see your dog eating anything below, call up your vet or the ASPCA poison control center at (888) 426-4435 ($65 dollar consultation fee) to see if your pet needs medical attention.

Everything below is specific for dogs and cats only. Other pets have additional things they should never eat.

Let’s start with the food category. My dogs think that all human food (except lettuce) is delicious (which is not surprising since they also eat poop… which is also on this list as that is also not an ideal snack) and they would eat everything in the fridge if they could open the door. Obviously, this is not a good idea as there are many things in my refrigerator, which could kill them.

First, keep your pets away from onions and garlic. They can cause damage to red blood cells, which are important because they bring oxygen to all the other cells of the body.

Second keep Fluffy and Fido away from the grapes, raisins, even the yogurt-covered ones and probably the wine too. There is an unknown toxin in grapes that causes renal (kidney) failure in some dogs. This is very bad as kidneys are one of those really important organs you can’t live without, so quick intervention is very important if your pet eats any grapes.

You probably already know that chocolate is bad for your pets. Aside from the potential for pancreatitis and big belly-ache from the fat and sugar, chocolate contains methylxanthines. (Caffeine and theobromines.) In animals, these chemicals can reach high levels where they activate the nervous system causing excitation, restlessness and a soaring heart rate. This can eventually lead to seizures and death if not treated. The danger depends not only on the size of the dog but the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate, Bakers chocolate, and cocoa are the most potent and therefore the most dangerous.

On that same note: Anything with caffeine is bad. Tobacco and alcohol are also very bad for your pets. Avoid. Something you might not think of is raw bread dough can cause ethynol toxicity. Bread dough that contains yeast will rise in the warm doggy belly. As part of their fermentation the yeast takes sugars and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. This can lead to a drunk doggy with such a swollen belly that can be so severe it can even cause breathing problems.

Xylitol is another danger that a lot of people are unaware of. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is in lots of candy and gum. It doesn’t take much for this chemical to make your dog’s blood sugar (glucose) drop. The brain is very particular as to which energy source it likes to use, and if it doesn’t get the glucose it needs, well, it won’t be good for your doggy friend. This toxin can also cause liver failure. The liver is also one of those important organs, so we like to keep it happy and in good working condition.

Macadamia nuts can cause neurologic signs such as tremors, and weakness. I don’t know, but be sure to keep them from falling into the wrong mouth.

Avocados, (specifically the pit) and corn (specifically the cob) cause the same potential problem: A large non-digestible item that can get stuck in the gut. Underpants, socks, and towels all fall into this category too, but we are still talking about food.  (On a side note, avocado’s are extremely toxic to birds.)

Bones can be somewhat controversial, as some people are very fond of feeding their dogs bones. Like the rest of this list, this is just my personal opinion: never feed your dog a cooked bone. It can cause damage to the intestinal tract. As far as uncooked bones go, sometimes they can cause fractured teeth, stomach upset, and internal foreign bodies, so I don’t recommend them.

Please give your compost bin the moldy food, not your pets. Moldy food might contain mycotoxins which can cause neurologic symptoms.

Fatty foods in general can cause pancreatitis, a life threatening condition, so don’t give your darling pooch the leftovers. This is especially a problem around holiday season.

And finally in the food category, too much of anything is not good.

One time, Funyon, my dog, went to the doggysitter’s house and when we picked him up, something was clearly wrong. His abdomen was completely distended and rock hard to the touch. He cried when picked up and didn’t want to eat a treat when offered so we knew something was really wrong. Fortunately his mom is a veterinarian and she immediately identified the problem: Funyon had clearly eaten about a weeks’ worth of food in one sitting, and now had an enormous belly ache. Food bloat is a very painful condition caused by eating too much. Some dogs will continue to eat no matter how much food is in their stomach. Fortunately for Funyon all he needed to do was poop. (Which he did all night long.) And then he felt much better.

Of course as you might be able to deduce on your own, non-food and non-edible items should probably not be swallowed either. We’ll discuss some of the most problematic non-food items in the next edition of what not to let your pets put in their mouths.

Mystery of the Day

Published January 8, 2012 Mystery Leave a Comment
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We have a whodunit…

Who is responsible for….

EATING MY RAZOR?!?

Here are the prime suspects!

Jukie: Sweet, innocent kitty cat or devious feline?

Funyon: Innocently sleepy pug? Upon questioning he rolled over and yawned.

or…

Lancelot: He looks concerned.  Could it be because his tongue hurts?

Jukie … Funyon… Lancelot…

That’s the whole crew. Who could possibly be so destructive? So mischievous?

While you are contemplating this mystery, realize that dogs and cats eat lots of things that they are not suppose to (even veterinarian’s pets). In general, I recommend that dogs eat dog food and cats eat cat food, but sometimes they have other ideas of what to put in their mouths. Hopefully, you can figure out why razors, and more specifically razor blades, might be a bad idea, but there are a lot of household items that can be particularly hazardous to your furry friends. Tomorrow, I am planning to get together a short list of some of the things that are particularly bad for pets to eat.

In case there was any doubt in your mind, I won’t leave you hanging. Here is the culprit. Yes, cuteness does come with consequences. Please note the Kong Dog Toy not one inch from his body. The razor was clearly much more tasty . In case you were concerned, he was 100% fine. Unscathed and extremely proud of himself.

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