Dog Food Recall

If you haven't heard about the expanding dog food recall please check out this link.  The concern is Salmonella contamination and this can potentially impact both dogs and owners.  In fact 14 people have already become ill enough to need medical attention.  There are probably many more that had less serious illness.  It does not appear that very many of these foods have been distributed in WA but there are some major brands included in the recall including Natural Balance, Kirkland and Canidae.  Check the list then check your bag for the Production Code and Best Before dates to determine if your dog's food is affected.

And use this recall as a reminder to always keep the pertinent information from every bag of dog food that you buy.  Usually recalls are identified by the Product Code and the Best Before or Manufactured date.  If you use a separate bin to store your dog food keep an envelope taped to the lid that you can slip that information from the bag into each time you purchase a new bag. 

If you have any concerns about your dog please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Trick or treat or a trip to the ER

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1306743

I saw this title on a veterinary newsletter that I subscribe to and I had to steal it.  It is so true and there may be some dangers around Halloween that you have not yet considered.

The first and most obvious emergency we see around Halloween is chocolate toxicity.  Chocolate contains two compounds, both in the class of chemicals called methylxanthines, to which dogs and cats are particularly sensitive.  The first is caffeine.  The second is theobromine.  In general the more bitter or darker the chocolate the more theobromine the chocolate contains.  The smaller the dog the less it takes to cause toxicity.  Methylxanthine toxicity can cause increased heart rates, hyperactivity, tremors and even death.  Sometimes we also see increased thirst, increased urination and lethargy.

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/683215

Chocolate and other candies also contain a lot of fat and sugar.  Dogs and cats are not designed to digest this level of fat and sugar.  High fat meals can result in vomiting, diarrhea and in severe cases pancreatitis.  Pancreatitis is a severe inflammation of the pancreas in the abdomen.  The pancreas is the organ that produces insulin in the body as well as most of our digestive enzymes.  Pancreatitis leads to severe vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen and can be life threatening. 

Another toxin we are seeing more and more with candy or gum ingestion is toxicity from a sugar substitute called xylitol.  Dogs are extremely sensitive to xylitol and even a small amount can lead to a severe drop in blood sugar called hypoglycemia.  Severe hypoglycemia can cause seizures and collapse.  Xylitol also has effects on the liver leading to sudden liver failure, problems with the ability to clot the blood and hemorrhage.

It is very, very important to keep your Halloween candy away from your pets.  If you think that your pets have gotten into the candy contact your nearest open veterinarian immediately for emergency treatment.  If we catch the ingestion early it may be possible to induce vomiting, hopefully limiting the toxic effects.  This should be done under the supervision of a veterinarian so that the signs of toxicity can be looked for and treated as needed.

Photo Credit: www.dogtripper.com

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Emergency preparedness

Do you have an emergency kit and plan for your family?  Did you remember to include your pets in your plan and to include a supply kit for your pets as well?  If you did congratulations!  If you forgot to include your pets, or perhaps haven't put together your emergency plan September is Emergency Preparedness Month.  There a lot of resources out there for putting together an emergency plan for both yourself and your pets. 

Here are a few tips I picked up this weekend speaking with some members of the Washington State Animal Response Team (WSART). 

• Put together an emergency kit for your dog or cat.  For a small dog using some easy to find items this can cost less than $10.
• Use food samples that you pick up at pet stores or community pet events.  These often are packaged to last longer than baggies of food which should be changed out every 90 days or so.
• If you include canned food in your kit be sure to choose pop top cans in case you don't have access to a can opener.
• Include information about your pet including vet's name and contact information, description, identifications (tattoos or microchips), medical information.  Include some pictures of you with your pet to aid in reuniting you with your pet.
• Sometimes veterinary clinics, training facilities, boarding facilities will give out slip leashes.  These are a great addition to your pet kit as they are easy to use and quick to grab.  Also include a sturdy leash and collar but the slip leads can also be helpful if other animals are spotted in the neighborhood.  In a pinch then can even be fashioned into a halter for a horse, a muzzle or a harness for a cat.
• Think about the container you store your pet kit in.  A sturdy plastic tote can make an excellent water bowl or litter box in a pinch.
• In addition to a microchip purchase a pet tag or collar with a tag that includes your name and cell phone number.  In a disaster cell phones may be the best way to get in touch with you.
• Keep a supply of any pet medications you will need in your kit at all times.  Change these out every 90 days and replace with a fresh supply. 

There is so much other wonderful information out there about putting together a plan for emergencies.  The  WSART website has information for setting a plan, what to include in your kit, and putting together a pet first aid kit.  Check them out here then click on Documents on the left side of the page.  At the bottom you will see an article titled Disaster Preparedness for Pets.  This is one of the most comprehensive articles on preparing with your pet that I have seen.  You can find additional information at http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/pets.html.

Dog bite prevention

I wanted to share with you an article I wrote recently for a local publication called Pet Connection Magazine.  This free publication can be found in groomers, vets and pet focused businesses throughout the South Sound.  You can also find them on the web at http://petconnectionmagazine.com/.

Each year in the United States there are an estimated 4.7 million dog bites.  Of these, 800,000 require medical treatment.  Children, especially young children, are the most likely victims of these bites, followed by the elderly and postal carriers.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  There are things we can do, things we can teach our families and things we can teach our dogs to reduce the number of bites.

First, be a responsible dog owner. 

• Be sure your animal is healthy and well vaccinated.  Disease and pain can increase the chance that a dog will bite. 
• Choose a pet that has a friendly, trainable personality.  Any dog, whether 2 lbs or 200 lbs can bite.  Meet the dog and talk to the breeder or shelter caretakers about the dog’s personality. 
• Neuter or spay your dog.  Un-neutered dogs are at increased risk of aggression and biting behavior. 
• Socialize your dog.  Puppies need to be exposed to a wide variety of people, situations and other dogs early in life.  The prime socialization period is before 12 weeks of age.  Look for puppy classes where the attendees are screened for health and appropriate vaccination schedules.  Older dogs can still be socialized.
• Do not allow roaming. Dogs roaming loose are much more likely to display abnormal aggressive behavior then dogs kept close to home.  They may also form a pack making them even more dangerous.

Second, teach your children how to be safe around dogs. 

• Teach your children how to handle the dog.  Gentle petting on the back is good.  Avoid hair or tail pulling, fingers in or near eyes and mouth.
• Teach children when and how to approach a dog. Never approach a dog that is eating, sick, caring for puppies, or restrained in any manner.  
• No running or screaming.  This can trigger abnormal behavior.
• Ask to touch.  If the owner is present, ask them if it is ok to pet their dog before approaching.  Then let the dog sniff you before gently petting them on their back. If the owner is not present, do not approach the dog.
• Supervise children.  Never leave young children alone with dogs.  They will experiment even if they are good at following rules in your presence! 
• Be BORING.  Teach your children “Stand like a tree. Lay like a rock.” when approached by dogs.

Finally, train your dog. 

• Give your dog a job.  Use positive reinforcement training methods to teach your dog what is expected when they are approached by a stranger. 
• Give your dog a break.  Allow your dog to avoid stressful or fearful situations.  Don’t take them places that cause stress, give them a safe place in your home to retreat to such as a bedroom or always open kennel that is off limits to visitors.
• Get help.  Work with your veterinarian and a recommended positive reinforcement trainer.  Be willing to accept that some situations may never be right for your dog and need to be avoided.

Dogs are wonderful companions and a great deal of fun.  Regular contact with dogs has many benefits including reducing blood pressure and anxiety.  By taking some simple and proactive steps we can enjoy the company of dogs while significantly reducing the risk of dog bites.

Additional resources:
    www.avma.org
    www.preventthebite.org
      

Microchips

This one is going to be a short post but SO important.  Are your pets microchipped?  Do you know if they are registered?  Have you updated your contact information from when your puppy got microchipped 8 or 10 years ago?

Microchips can be amazing at reuniting lost pets and their loving families.  It can happen to any of us, no matter how careful and loving a pet owner.  They slip out when your back is turned, get frightened when traveling and bolt away into the woods or fields, or just wander off when your child leaves the door/gate open!

Humane societies, rescue organizations, animal control officers and veterinarians almost all have microchip scanners and often more than one type of scanner!  They will check your pet for a chip and call the company that has that chip registered.  But here is where they may hit a dead end.  If the information that company has for you is not up to date they don't have anyway to track you down!  They can call the shelter or vet that implanted the chip and hope that there is more information there.  But that may not be accurate either.  The only way to find you is if you provide the information and update it regularly.  This is especially critical in an emergency situation.  There is chaos enough during these types of crises and rescuers do not have time to spend hours trying to track you down.  Make sure they only have to make one phone call.

To register your pet's chip you will need the chip number.  Many companies will allow you to register any chip your pet has, however, I would encourage you to at least register it with the manufacturer as this will be the most likely place a rescuer will call when the chip is found.

Here are the contacts for some of the most common chip manufacturers.

• Home Again http://public.homeagain.com/index.html  1-888-HOMEAGAIN
• AVID  1-800-336-2843
• ResQ (Bayer)  www.petlink.net  1-877-PETLINK (1-877-738-5465)
• 24PetWatch 1-866-597-2424  www.24petwatch.com
• AKC Companion Animal Recovery https://www.akccar.org  1-800-252-7894

You can also check to see if the chip is registered anywhere with this website.

• http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org/

Many companies will charge you a one time fee to register your chip.  Your chip may already have been registered by your veterinarian in which case you may just pay a smaller, update fee.  I know we are all trying to save money these days but this one time lifetime registration fee is worth it if your beloved dog or cat gets away from you.

Don't know if you pet has a chip?  Ask your vet to scan your pet for you and write down the manufacturer and chip number.  Then you can use one of the above sites to confirm and update your pet's registration.  

Diet trial: a diagnostic test

"My dog is allergic to....." I hear all kinds of things that people have determined their dog cannot tolerate. And in some cases those may be true allergies. In other instances that may be less than accurate. Perhaps the processing of that food doesn't agree with the dog. Or there are additives that cause some intestinal distress. I think we can all agree that there are some things that perhaps do not agree with us (beans and some green vegetables, for example) but we are not truly allergic to them. This is often true of dogs and cats as well.

The only way to determine if there is a true food allergy is to test for the food allergy. Step one of the food allergy test is to choose a food that is least likely to cause an allergic reaction. This can be tricky if we don't have a good complete history of what the animal has eaten in the past. We do know what the most common food allergens are in dogs and cats. Here they are in order:

Dogs: beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb/mutton, soy

Cats: beef, dairy, fish, lamb, poultry, barley/wheat

Dogs and cats can display some allergies to carbohydrate sources such as corn, rice and potato but these are much less common. However, as I said yesterday animals can develop an allergic reaction to any food protein that it has been exposed to. So just because you have been feeding a Kangaroo/sweet potato diet for your dog's entire life does not mean that it doesn't have a food allergy. It just means that your dog's allergy is much more likely to be to kangaroo than to beef or chicken.

There are three ways to choose a food. The first is to create a home cooked diet. For animals with intestinal signs of food allergy a simple diet of a single whole protein and a single carbohydrate plus some vegetables is probably safe enough for the 2-3 weeks it takes to see an improvement. However, to see improvement in skin itchiness we need to feed the trial diet for at least 2-4 months. If you are doing a home cooked meal it is important that you do this in consultation with your veterinarian and a veterinary nutritionist to be sure the home cooked diet is complete and balanced to meet all your pets needs.

A simpler way to conduct a food trial is to use a commercially prepared food. When choosing a novel protein diet you will need a food that does not contain any of the food allergens that your dog has been previously exposed too. It is very difficult to find a food that meets this criteria with an over the counter diet. You may be feeding your dog or cat small amounts of beef, chicken or soy proteins inadvertently since these are often sources of other vitamins and minerals, even in diets that market themselves as fish or other "novel" protein diets. And it may not be obvious from reading the label whether or not these proteins are found in the diet. So if you really want to know if you dog has a food allergy it is worth using a prescription novel protein diet that guarantees that there is no other protein sources in the food. Down the road it may be possible to switch to an appropriate over the counter diet in consultation with your vet but it is not a great choice when conducting this diagnostic test.

Another commercial option is to use a diet with hydrolyzed protein. These diets have been specially treated to break down all the intact proteins into a small enough size to prevent them interacting with the immune system in the body. Your pet will still get all the benefits of the protein (which the body would be breaking down anyway in the stomach and intestine) without the chance of interactions with the immune system.

Once you have chosen your food option, in consultation with your vet, it is time to start the first stage of the test. And it can be both simple and difficult! Feed your pet. Not too hard, right? True, but while you just have to feed your pet the chosen diet you must be very careful not feed your pet anything else. That includes treats, table scraps, food your kids dropped, eating via hunting, treats from the neighbors, chews such as rawhide and bones and flavored medications.

If your pet is showing primarily intestinal signs of a food allergy you will be looking for at least a 50% improvement in 2 to 3 weeks. This would include no more vomiting, improved stool quality, and stabilization of weight or weight gain (if that is needed). If your dog has Itchy and Scratchy on board it is going to take a bit longer to see improvement. You will need to feed the trial diet for a minimum of 8 weeks and as long as 16 weeks. In that time you will be looking for at least a 50% improvement in level of itching. It is often best to keep a log, rating the amount of itchiness on a daily on a scale of 1 to 10. Remember, many dogs have both environmental allergies and food allergies so the symptoms may not completely resolve.

So you have fed your pet the trial diet and only the trial diet carefully for 8 weeks. You feel pretty sure that your pet is feeling better and is less itchy. So we are done, right? Well, not quite. To truly prove that there is a food allergy present we need to challenge the pet with the previous diet or protein. This means stopping the trial diet and putting them back on their old food. Good news is this part of the test is usually pretty quick. We often will see the problems come back within a week or two on the old food and then we can say with confidence that our diagnostic test has proven the existence of food allergy in this dog. If we choose to expose the dog to individual proteins, one at a time, as opposed to a complete food we may even be able to say specifically what the dog is allergic too.

What if you didn't feel like your pet improved while on the chosen diet? Does that mean your dog or cat does not have food allergies? Maybe. Unfortunately, as with many of our diagnostic tests there are grey areas. There are many reasons why your animal did not respond to the food trial. Perhaps they were getting some other food that you didn't know about (is someone sneaking food under the table?). Perhaps our diet history left out a food and we inadvertently chose a trial diet that contained that protein. Perhaps there is enough similarity between a protein in our chosen trial food and what your dog is allergic too that we are still getting an allergic reaction. If we saw a little improvement but not enough it might be worth considering trying another trial diet. Or it may be more important to pursue other causes of your pets symptoms, perhaps with a referral to a dermatologist for environmental allergy testing.

Itchy scratchy

Meet Itchy and Scratchy. They are the two most common complaints my clients call me about. Now sometimes, this is just a simple case of an ear infection or bug bite or even a nervous animal that chews itself like people chew their nails. But most often Itchy and Scratchy are present because of allergies.

An allergy is an abnormal response of the immune system to a normal, non-harmful, part of the pet's environment. This may be a pollen, bug bite or component of their food. The most common type of allergy that we see in dogs is called atopy. Next most common is flea allergies. Not all flea bites will cause a dog to itch. But a flea allergic pet will have a strong, very uncomfortable reaction to even a single flea bite. And finally, food allergy which is an abnormal reaction to a protein in the animal's food.

Atopy is also identified as environmental or seasonal allergies. Atopy is triggered by substances that the animal comes in contact with through the skin or respiratory tract. In animals, the allergy shows itself with skin reactions. These are the dogs and cats with itchy feet, red itchy armpits and groin areas and chronic ear infections. They may show all of these symptoms or only one. They may become worse at certain times of year as certain pollens increase. They may be worse in one part of the country than another. Atopy typically develops when the animal is about 1 to 3 years old. It would be rare for atopy to show up after about 7 years of age.

Atopy is treated in a couple of different ways. The ideal treatment for atopy would be with hyposensitization, also called "allergy shots". In this treatment the animal is tested to determine the exact things that it is reacting too. These allergens are then made up in a vaccine type injection and the animal is given a series of injections to try and train the immune system to stop overreacting to the allergens. This is the only treatment that really treats the underlying cause of the allergy symptoms. Sometimes this treatment may not be possible or may not work for a particular pet. Other treatment options include suppression of the immune response with drugs. Cyclosporine is one option. This was originally designed as a post-transplant, anti-rejection drug. At lower doses it is safe and can be very effective at controlling the symptoms of atopy. Another treatment option is steroids like prednisone. While steroids are safe enough for short term treatment and can be life-saving in certain disease processes we have to be careful with long term use. Therefore, steroids are not an ideal way to treat atopy unless the symptoms are mild and the steroids can be used infrequently for short periods of time.

Flea allergies are the easiest allergies to treat. Prevention is key here. Keep your pets on regular, year-round flea control and you will never have to worry about them being allergic. If you get behind and your pet gets fleas, removing the fleas and treating the symptoms of the allergy will fix the problem. Flea allergies are usually identified by a very characteristic area of irritation, usually around the base of the tail, extending up the spine and sometimes around the base of the ears. The area will be come very red, possible swollen. Often hair will fall out and the pet may develop secondary bacterial infections leading to more irritation and hair loss. And, of course, if we find fleas on the exam we become even more suspicious of a flea allergy.

And finally, food allergy. Spend any time in a pet store and you are going to hear stories about food allergies and food allergic dogs. However, the actual incidence of food allergy is probably fairly low in the general pet population. And there are a lot of myths out there about food allergies. I hear two most commonly. The first is that their dog is on a "special" diet that doesn't cause allergies. But the truth is any diet can potentially result in an allergic reaction regardless of the components. All it takes is protein from the food, and all food contains protein, to interact with the immune system leading to an abnormal reaction by the immune system and resulting in an itchy dog. The second myth I hear a lot is that their dog has been eating the same food for years so it can't be allergic to it. But it takes multiple exposures, possibly over months to years to lead to an allergic response. So a dog that suddenly develops itchy skin at 7 or more years of age is more likely to have a food allergy than atopy.

And just to complicate matters all of the allergies look pretty much the same: Itchy and Scratchy rear their ugly heads. And sometimes more than one type of allergy is present. It is thought that up to 30% of dogs with atopy also have a food allergy. This is especially true in those itchy dogs that may also show some intestinal symptoms such as soft stools, weight loss or vomiting.

Later this week I want to talk about how to diagnose a food allergy through a diagnostic test called an elimination diet. This is where you get to be the scientist or doctor at home, running a well designed experiment (no risk involved, I promise) on your dogs diet.

And if you have any interest in more myths about food allergies in dogs check out this link.