DR. ALICIA’S NEWSLETTER

July 2017

Dr. Alicia Rueschhoff

This is a picture of me and so many adorable puppies!!

 Man, it has been hot outside! I hope everyone is staying cool.  My monthly newsletters are available for tidbits of information regarding pet healthcare. My intention is to educate clients and enhance their relationship with me. I am hopeful this will aid you in keeping your furry family member healthy!  Please feel free to share these with your family and friends.

What to expect from our monthly newsletters:

1. Fact or Fiction? We will provide a “True” or “False” statement for your consideration. The answer will be in the next month’s newsletter.

2. New information regarding any recalls or other matters pertaining to your pet’s health.

3. Updates on new recommendations

4. Seasonal recommendations for your pet.

5. Behavior training recommendations for your pet.

6. Question of the month. One client’s burning questions will be answered by a veterinarian.

7. Pet of the month

FACT or FICTION:

Picture from: https://draxe.com/grain-free-dog-food/

• June: Grain-Free food is better for your pet?
• FALSE, FALSE and FALSE! They are by no means worse for your animal, but they do not provide the benefit they claim. Below is a great link to an article that details this information: 
• http://www.petmd.com/dog/centers/nutrition/evr_dg_why-grain-free-dog-food-may-not-be-the-best-choic
• July: The Distemper Vaccine helps my pet's temperament. 

 Tune in next month to find out the answer for June. Let me know what you think in the comments or via my e-mail and I will post your thoughts in the next newsletter – dr.rueschhoff@gmail.com !

DID YOU KNOW?

My Clinic (Brentwood Animal Hospital) now has a heartworm preventative injection for dogs that lasts 6 months!!

You heard me right!! Are you someone who has trouble remembering to give your dog it's monthly chew like I do? In these cases I strongly recommend proheart. It slowly releases the medication responsible for preventing heartworm infection and the remembering is on your veterinarian :) 

Proheart does not cover intestinal parasites, but your dog will be sent home with a dewormer every time they get their injection at no cost! If you have more questions regarding this amazing product let me know :)

Picture from: http://www.lpm-adv.com/INCITEATWORK/AnimalHealth/CompanionAnimal/FortDodgeProHeart6SpreadAd.aspx

IMPORTANT MONTHLY INFORMATION

Picture from: http://www.inhamamatsu.com/recommend/fireworks-festival.php

Sorry for my delayed post (I have been busy this month), but I wanted to touch on fireworks since it is the 4th of July this month. Most animals are terrified of loud noises and this is the most common time of year for our pets to go missing. Ideas to try and use behavior modification to help your furry love:

1. Keep your pet at home. If you have to bring them with you, make sure they are secured tightly and have no way of escaping. 
2. Start making noises more enjoyable for your pet. When there are small thunderstorms or loud cars/trucks/sirens that go by, give your pet a VERY tasty treat (turkey hot dog, string cheese, peanut butter, etc.). Only give that treat to your pet when their are loud noises. Hopefully they will start having positive associations. 
3. Do not give your dog extra attention when they are acting frightened. This gives them the thought that you are rewarding their behavior. Instead wait for them to have a calm moment. When they are calm - give them love and/or a VERY tasty treat again :) 
4. Try pheromone sprays and/or a Thunder Shirt. Make sure to use these for 3-4 weeks at calming moments (before bed, while you are at home watching T.V., etc.) prior to using for anxious events. 
5. There are a lot of different medications that help calm anxieties. These can be used only as needed and are very common for loud noises. If your animal is extremely anxious, I recommend adding this on while trying all of the above. If your dog is only mildly anxious then try 1-4 prior to medications. 

Products recalled in June

• Rough-N-Ready Cattle Feed for Elevated monensin. Company name: ADM Animal Nutrition.
• Companion, Dentley's and more rawhide chew products for possible chemical contamination. Company names: United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands, Inc.
• Sunseed Sunsations, All Living Things and more Rabbit and Macaw diets for Listeria monocytogenes. Company: Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. 
• Loving Pets, Whole Hearted Dog Treats for Salmonella. Company name: Loving Pets
• Various brands: American Beefhide, Digesteeze, Healthy Hide, Healthy Hide Good n Fun, Healthy Hide Good n Fit Rawhide dog chews for potential contamination with Quaternary ammonium compount. Company name: United Pet Group.

SEASONAL REMINDERS:

It is Summer...and HOTTTTT!!! Remember that with summer comes heat-stroke (heat prostration). I know I covered this last month as well, but I find it important enough to remind people again, especially with the heat we have had lately. 

Picture from: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/201048/
10-animals-that-know-its-a-heat-wave/

Picture from: http://www.our-happy-
cat.com/cat-food.html

This disease is defined by a state of increased temperature (hyperthermia). 106-109 degrees Ferienheight is when we will start becoming concerned. A normal temperature for our small animal friends is 100-102.5. This syndrome is rare in cats, but occurs commonly in dogs. Dogs at more risk are the Brachycephalic breeds (smashed-face breed), high energy dogs and dog’s with a condition known as Laryngeal Paralysis.

Animals left untreated can start exhibiting damage to their organs and can lead to death. Signs to watch for are increased effort and increased rate of breathing, acute vomiting and/or diarrhea, depression. As animal’s get worse you will also notice respiratory distress, blue color to the mucous membranes, collapse, seizures and bloody diarrhea/vomiting.

This is an emergency situation and you should rush your pet to the hospital if you are concerned. Cooling effects should be started during transport – soak the animal in room temperature water (DO NOT USE ICE WATER), place a fan on the animal or get them in air conditioning and place alcohol on the pads of their paws.

Call me at Brentwood Animal Hospital (314-962-2900) or the Emergency Center right away (Our phone # 314-842-0403 or ACC # 314-822-7600) if you are concerned.

BEHAVIOR: MY ANIMAL IS VERY LETHARGIC LATELY, IS THIS NORMAL?

Picture from: http://www.ayurveda-
florida.com/images/lethargy.htm

Picture from: http://www.ayurveda-
florida.com/images/lethargy.htm

This is a question I receive periodically. If you are noticing a serious decline in your pet's behavior the it is warranted to get them examined by a Veterinarian. It is possible that they are just aging or that the weather is changing their normal behavior. However, this can also indicate a numerous amount of health concerns. 

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

What common foods are poisonous to pets?

• Coffee. Coffee will cause an increase in heart rate, increased activity and can lead to seizures. Call your veterinarian if your pet ingests any coffee beans or a large amount of liquid coffee. 
• Chocolate. Small amounts of chocolate will not hurt your pet. However, if they ingest a large amount of darker chocolate, then they could be in trouble. This toxin causes similar signs to Caffeine - vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate and activity and seizures. 
• Grapes and Raisins. We unfortunately do not know the toxin, mechanism of action or toxic dose of this culprit. A 100 pound dog could eat one grape and that will cause significant disease while a 10 pound dog could eat 10 grapes without any problems at all. Grape/raisin ingestion causes acute kidney failure in dogs. You will see vomiting, diarrhea, increased drinking/urination and/or decreased to no urination. 
• Avacado. These are not toxic to your pet, but the pit can cause an obstruction in their GI tract. They can also cause vomiting and/or diarrhea. 
• Onions and Garlic. Do not feed your pet foods that you have cooked with these tasty seasonings. They can cause damage to their red blood cells - causing increased breathing, pale gums. They can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. 
• Xylitol. This ingredient is very common in sugar free gum and is also being used in some more natural peanut butters. This toxin will cause a severe drop in an animal's glucose (sugar) levels. You may notice shivering, tremors and/or seizures. It can also cause GI upset along with liver damage that may be irreversible. 
• Macadamia Nuts. These nuts are not generally life threatening, but can make your dog feel uncomfortable. They can start with aching joints, vomiting, trouble walking (especially hind ends) and a fever. Signs generally last for 24-48 hours. 
• Bread Dough. Unbaked bread dough starts "cooking" in an animal's stomach. This can lead to a gastric/intestinal blockage and even cause the stomach to twist. You will likely notice vomiting - unable to keep even water down, lethargy, inappetance and/or collapse.
• Alcoholic Beverages. In excess these beverages can cause drooling, retching, vomiting, bloated abdomen, increased heart rate, weakness, collapse, coma and/or death

If you know that your animal has ingested any of these common foods, you should contact your veterinarian right away for recommendations.

picture from: http://www.hennashappyhounds.co.uk/services/worst_human_foods.htm

         

Don’t hesitate commenting with any questions you have!!

PET(S) OF THE MONTH

There were no submissions for pet of the month for July.  PLEASE send me a picture or two with a small description of why your pet is so special! We would love to show them off!

Please send us a picture and a small paragraph about your pet to get them featured in our next newsletter. Send the information to dr.rueschhoff@gmail.com Attention PET OF THE MONTH.