Dr. Primm's Warm and Fuzzies

I see patients of all shapes and sizes with presenting complaints as individual as they are.  Although I can make an educated guess about what is going on with my non-verbal patients, if I do not perform basic diagnostics, it is still only a guess. There are certain points I want everyone to remember about a sick pet.  1. If your pet is sick, please see a veterinarian. 2. Once you see the veterinarian, please authorize as much testing as you can afford, so that he/she can get maximum information and not have to guess.
Gone are the days when a vet can declare a mass non-malignant without a biopsy or with any certainty at all, say for sure that a puppy has parvovirus without a test to prove it.  We know so much more now and new pathogens are developing every day. Guessing is like Russian roulette. Every now and then there will be a bullet in the chamber and the pet is the one who suffers from it.

Comments (0)     

I recently got this email from a loving pet owner.  She raises some concerns that I am sure others share.  Kudos to her for asking someone she trusts who has expertise in this area (me) and not basing her decision on forums posted by strangers! I am including excerpts from her original email and my reply.

"...I have a 10-month-old, 4-lb yorkie.  I was leaning toward not neutering him because I honestly didn't see the necessity, as he is in my presence 99.9% of the time.... I, therefore, started reading about the pros and cons of neutering...My husband also tells me that getting him neutered doesn't guarantee that he will stop "acting out."  There is also the concern of anesthesia in such a small pet. Can you share any facts you may have regarding neutering versus not neutering? There are a lot of places on line that have "forums," but they are mainly people's opinions and I am looking for facts.  My main reason for neutering would be if it curbed his behavior.

 Excerpts from my reply:

Kudos to you for wanting expert advice and for realizing that forums are only opinion!  I am going to tell you my opinion (educated, of course) . Firstly, I do not particularly enjoy or profit from sterilization procedures and if it were not for the medical and behavioral benefits to the pets, I would not recommend them at all.  Neutering of companion pets makes them focus on being pets.  They are protected from multiple hormone dependent disease processes. A neutered dog is more apt to focus on pleasing you than marking his territory or seeking a mate.  You would likely see a decrease in mounting, marking and roaming behaviors.  If you had ever seen a geriatric male dog with perineal hernias (weakened muscles around the anus from testosterone) , you would already be dialing to set up your appointment! Unfortunately, however, I do not know if your dog will be one that suffers from perineal hernia later in life.  Anesthesia comes with innate risks, even for humans, but with today’s current medical advances and careful monitoring, we can minimize any risk.  We do require pre-anesthetic testing so we can choose the right drug protocol for him that will be the safest for him.  Blood testing early in life also allows me the opportunity to screen for congenital abnormalities (unfortunately common in Yorkies) and anesthesia around the time the adult teeth are coming in allows me to do proactive dentistry as well, saving later tooth damage and additional anesthesia. Your husband is correct that there is no guarantee that neutering will abolish unwanted behaviors, but it is our only chance.  Any behavior that is strictly motivated by the presence of testosterone will be positively impacted. This is your choice and you will make the best one for you both. I want you to be able to make an informed decision that is not swayed by others.   The facts are summarized below:

1.  There is no guarantee that the unwanted behaviors will be abolished, but neutering is the best shot you’ve got.
2. You should not let fear of anesthesia immobilize you because we use the latest in anesthetic drugs and extreme monitoring.
3. There are documented health benefits to a neutered pet and related disease processes may require neutering late in life when you would not get any behavioral benefit.

3.

Comments (0)     

There are diseases that can be transmitted from pets to people.  Fortunately, if you follow all of your vet's preventive care guidelines, you can minimize an already low risk.   It is a bit frightening that according to the CDC, 14% of the US population that is infected with roundworms contracted them from dogs and cats. Roundworms can cause blindness and/or severe skin lesions in people, especially children who are more apt to be playing on the ground with pets.  The sad part is that there are affordable and readily available means to protect pets and people.
At Applebrook, we believe in prevention so much that we have formulated "Lifetime of Wellness" packages that include all of your pet's preventive healthcare for the whole year and dogs get 12 months of Heartgard free when they are a Lifetime of Wellness pet.
Please take advantage of how easy it is to prevent these problems for your pets and your family.  This climate is a great one for pests of all kinds.  As veterinary professionals, we are a great resource to answer questions about products, pests and pets! All you have to do is call! :)

Comments (0)     

I see lots of puppies and I always ask how the puppy is doing at home. I ask things like "Is he eating, drinking, playing and power napping? How about getting hiccups?" And the clients always look at me incredulously, like I have psychic powers.  "Yes! He does that ALL the time! Is that normal?"  When I was preparing this blog, I did some research to see if I could find anyone who really KNOWS why this is and I did not have much luck, so it seems that I am as much of an expert as anyone.
Hiccups are caused by a spasm of the diaphragm with a rapid intake of breath. They tend to occur in "runs" and puppies do get them frequently. It is a normal occurrence in puppies.  Because of the complex pathway involving nerves, brain and the structures near the diaphragm, continuous hiccups that do not resolve on their own, could be a sign of more serious illness. This is a rare syndrome that I have never seen in pets, but have read about in humans.
In my experience, they are even more frequent in puppies that will have a large mature body weight. My Doberman puppy definitely had them more than my Pug mix ever did.  When I was pregnant with my son (a time when LOTS of growth is occurring) he had hiccups relentlessly.
So my conclusion is that hiccups in puppies are a normal finding that might be related to rapid growth. They are not a cause for concern unless they do not resolve on their own. If you are worried about your puppy, bring him in for a visit. (Even if you are not worried, bring him in because we all LOVE puppies!)

Comments (0)     

Our newsletter, Applebrook AniMail is hot off the presses (or my computer screen) and ready to email to you all. I am experimenting with different ways to get them in your inbox without having to manually enter all of your addresses.  Make sure that we have your address so you can be included!

Comments (0)