March 4th, 2013 by admin
Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) are both caused by retroviruses that can be transmitted it to other cats. Both viruses depress the immune system opening the door to secondary infections and diseases. The most common contagious infection is upper-respiratory. The most common non-contagious disease is cancer.
An individual cat can contract both FeLV and FIV.
Contracting the viruses:
FeLV is spread through close and prolonged cat-to-cat contact through bodily fluids (saliva, blood, urine and feces). Mother cats can give it to their kittens when they are pregnant or when they are nursing. Companion cats can spread it through shared food and water dishes and through mutual grooming.
FIV is spread when an infected cat bites another cat. This can happen when cats fight so unneutered male cats that are allowed outside have the highest risk of infection.
Progression and Symptoms:
FeLV can be caused by one of several types of viruses which have slightly different symptoms.
In the early stages, common symptoms include weight loss, dehydration and fever.
FIV also has a wide ranging group of symptoms. Since the immune system is depressed, upper respiratory infections can become chronic. The mouth can become inflamed there can be loss of weight due to chronic diarrhea, fevers, enlargement of the lymph glands, and chronic abscesses. Younger, healthier cats can live for years with the disease in remission.
Vaccinations:
There is a vaccine for FeLV although it may not be 100% effective. Your personal veterinarian will be able to discuss the pros and cons of vaccinating individual cats.
Treatment:
There is no cure for either FeLV or FIV. Some cats can live long and healthy lives while others contract diseases immediately. Blood tests can show the presence of both viruses. Your veterinarian should always be notified if your cat has been infected since this could affect his administration of vaccines and other treatments.
Remember: An infected cat should be kept away from uninfected cats. A healthy, balanced and nutritious diet and good general care is the best way to maintain your cat’s health for as long as possible. Minimizing stress and change is also helpful.
Tags: cats, feline, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Leukemia, FeLV, FIV
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October 7th, 2012 by admin
What is chin acne?
Feline chin acne is a poorly understood disorder of follicular keratinization, which refers to the overproduction of keratin, a protein found in the outer layer of skin. When this excess keratin is trapped in the hair follicle, comedones or “blackheads” form. These comedones may become infected with bacteria and form pustules or “pimples”. Feline chin acne is similar to the acne that humans get.
What causes chin acne?
While the exact mechanism is not understood, the abnormal follicular keratinization is thought to be related to a primary seborrheic disease such as seborrhea oleosa, to poor grooming or cleaning, or to excessive sebum production (the natural oily “moisturizer” produced by the skin). The end result is that the hair follicle becomes “plugged” and an infection with its accompanying clinical signs often results.
What are the signs of chin acne?
The most common sign associated with chin acne is the “dirty” appearance of the chin. Some people refer to this condition as “dirty chin syndrome” for that reason. The lesions, pustules and comedones, may appear on the chin, lower lip and/or the upper lip. The chin often appears dark and flaky. Careful observation will reveal the “blackheads” and infected follicles. Chronic cases may have hard, crusty lesions that are sore when touched. Both male and female cats can develop chin acne.
How is feline chin acne treated?
Treatment often involves improved hygiene. Cleaning with benzoyl peroxide facial preparations is often advised. Antiseborrheic shampoos and clipping of the hair are often recommended. Antibiotics, fatty acid supplements or oral isotretinoin may be used in more severe or chronic cases. In a significant number of cats, there is an association between using colored plastic food dishes and chin acne. In these cats, if the food dishes are changed to ceramic, glass, or stainless steel, the condition resolves. Most cases respond well to improved hygiene. Owners should closely follow their veterinarian’s instructions to ensure success. Some cases will often benefit from medications and more aggressive treatments.
Make sure to speak to your veterinarian if you think your cat suffers from chin acne.
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September 23rd, 2012 by admin
How common are ear infections in do
gs?
Infection of the external ear canal is one of the most common types of infections seen in dogs. It is called otitis externa. Some breeds, particularly those with large, floppy or hairy ears, are more prone to ear infections, but ear infections may occur in any breed.
What are the symptoms of an ear infection?
Ear infections are painful. Many dogs will shake their head and scratch their ears trying to get the debris and fluid out. The ears often become red and inflamed and develop an offensive odor. A black or yellowish discharge commonly occurs.
Since these symptoms usually mean an infection, why can’t I just get some ear medication?
There are several kinds of bacteria and at least one type of fungus which commonly cause ear infections. Without knowing the kind of infection present, we do not know which medication to use. In some cases, the ear infection may be caused by a foreign body or tumor in the ear canal. Treatment with medication alone will not resolve these problems. It is important that your dog be examined to ensure that the eardrum is intact. Administration of certain medications can result in loss of hearing if the eardrum is ruptured. This can only be detected by a thorough ear examination by your veterinarian.
How are ear infections treated?
The results of the otoscopic and microscopic examination usually determine the diagnosis and course of treatment. Cytologic study of debris from the ear canal determines which drug to use. Many dogs will have more than one type of ear infection present (e.g., a bacterium and a fungus, or two kinds of bacteria). This situation usually requires the use of multiple medications or a broad-spectrum medication.
How important is it to treat an ear infection?
Dogs with ear infections are miserable. Their ears are a source of constant pain resulting in head shaking and scratching. Head shaking and scratching can also cause broken blood vessels in the ear flap called an ear hematoma, which requires surgical treatment. Chronic ear infections can penetrate the eardrum and result in an internal ear infection and permanent hearing loss.
Make sure to speak to your veterinarian if you think your dog is exhibiting signs of an ear infection.
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September 7th, 2012 by admin
Acupuncture is one of the main components of TCVM (traditional veterinary medicine) along with herbal remedies, Tui Na (massage), food therapy and environmental modification. TCVM holds the belief that the body naturally wants to achieve balance. When the body goes out of balance, disease or injury result. By placement of tiny needles into specific points, acupuncture helps to stimulate the body to heal itself and regain natural balance. Acupuncture is a relatively pain free process that can also be very relaxing to many patients. It can be used in conjunction with Western medicine in an integrated approach. Acupuncture has been found to be most helpful with orthopedic pain and injury though we also have great success using its principles to treat allergies, endocrine disorders, gastrointestinal problems and anxiety. Call us today to schedule a consult to see if acupuncture is right for your pet.
Tags: acupuncture, allergies, anxiety, cats, dogs, herbal remedies, injury, massage, older pets, orthopedic pain, pet health, pets, senior pet care, senior pet health, senior pets
Posted in About, Pet Education, Pet Health, Seniors, Uncategorized | No Comments »
August 24th, 2012 by admin
Guinea pigs develop dietary preferences early in life and do not adapt readily to changes in type, appearance, or presentation of their food or water. The optimum diet for a guinea pig should contain guinea pig pellets, grass hay and supplemented with fresh vegetables. Guinea pigs are completely herbivorous and enjoy a variety of leafy greens. All fresh vegetables should only be left in the cage for a few hours and only a small amount of fruits should be offered. Good quality hay should be available at all times and pellets can be given free choice as well. Guinea pigs require a dietary source of Vitamin C and should be offered in the way of green leafy vegetables (kale, parsley, beet greens, chicory, spinach), red and green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes or small amount of kiwi and oranges. Make sure to speak to your veterinarian if you have questions about your guinea pig’s diet.
Tags: diet, guinea pig, nutrition, pet, pet health, pets
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August 10th, 2012 by admin
Monthly preventative parasite products can be a source of much confusion for pet owners. What does my pet need? How often should I give it? Which products work best? These are a few of the many questions we hear on a daily basis.
Here’s the scoop:
In the south, parasites (both inside and outside the body) run rampant for dogs and cats. Heartworms are the focus of many of the monthly preventatives because these parasites can cause significant damage, but are very preventable! Heartworms are transmitted through mosquitos, and because we live in the south, heartworms are a real problem for our pets.
Both dogs AND cats can get heartworms, even the pets that stay indoors all the time. Heartworm preventatives should be given EVERY 30 days for maximum protection. If you forget a dose, the best thing to do is bring your pet in for a heartworm test.
Intestinal parasites are very common in our pets. Dogs and cats can become infected with intestinal worms through their everyday environment. Hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and tapeworms are among the most common intestinal parasites we see. These worms can cause various problems including diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia. Like heartworms, intestinal parasites are preventable. We recommend that each pet has a fecal once a year to check for internal parasites.
What about those nasty fleas and ticks? External parasites are not only ugly to look at, but can also transmit dangerous diseases to your pets. Fleas can result in tapeworm infections and ticks can harbor a whole host of organisms that cause serious illnesses in pets. The tricky part with flea infestations is that only 5% of the fleas are actually on your pet. The remaining 95% of the population is buried in deep carpet, couches, and rugs. If you are noticing fleas on your pet, monthly preventatives will help, but they won’t eliminate the problem. Vacuuming daily will help remove eggs and larvae from the environment. With severe infestations, professional exterminators may be necessary.
So what products should I use?
There are many different products on the market that do a great job preventing these harmful parasites. At Animal Medical Hospital, we recommend Sentinel combined with Vectra 3D each month for dogs. Sentinel is an oral tablet that prevents heartworms and intestinal parasites and acts like a “flea birth control.” It does not kill adult fleas, but makes fleas sterile, which helps with population control. Vectra 3D is a topical liquid that kills adult fleas, kills and repels mosquitos and ticks. Vectra 3D also has the advantage of being waterproof. Both of these products in combination will protect your dog for 30 days. For cats, we recommend Revolution, which is a topical product that prevents heartworms, fleas, intestinal parasites and ear mites for 30 days.
Tags: cats, dogs, fleas, heartworms, hookworms, parasites, pets, prevention, revolution, roundworms, sentinel, tapeworms, vectra
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July 25th, 2012 by admin
There are numerous toxins in a typical household to which our pets could become exposed. Toxic substances range from obvious hazards such as rat poison, to seemingly benign substances such as over the counter flea medications and raisins. It is impossible to remember all of the potentially harmful household items, but there a few key facts that every pet owner should know.
Whenever a pet has been exposed to a potentially harmful substance but seems normal, call a poison control hotline for advice. Animal Medical Hospital recommends the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline at (888) 426-4435. This organization has the most accurate and expansive database of toxins, and they will be able to calculate the toxic dose your pet received and advise whether or not your pet needs to be treated. If your pet is already showing signs of illness, bring him/her into the hospital and we can call the Poison Control Hotline once your pet arrives. There is a fee for the hotline’s services but it is well worth your while and may prevent an emergency visit to the hospital. If possible, have the product label available during the phone conversation so that you can provide information as to the product ingredients, concentration, and quantity. Also, bring the container/product label to the veterinary hospital – including the quantity spilled and vomited.
TOPICAL EXPOSURE: If your pet has had a topical exposure to a toxic substance (over the counter flea medication, household cleaners, 100% tea tree oil, antifreeze, etc) wash your pet immediately with mild dish detergent and copious amounts of water. It is best to wear gloves in case the product is toxic to humans as well. For powders, vacuuming the pet’s fur prior to bathing is ideal. For eye exposure, immediately flush the eyes with water, or ideally saline solution prepared for eyes. Then follow up with a phone call to Poison Control or Animal Medical Hospital.
INGESTION: For ingestion of a potentially toxic substance it is best to seek advice prior to treatment. If the substance is deemed non-caustic and the ingestion has occurred within the hour, it may be recommended to induce vomiting. This is best performed at a veterinary facility with an intravenous injection because the injection is less irritating to the stomach lining than oral induction. However, if unable to bring your pet to the hospital, vomiting can be induced at home using FRESH 3% hydrogen peroxide. Feeding a small amount of dog food or bread prior to induction of vomiting is commonly recommended. It is helpful to keep a turkey baster, bulb syringe, or large medicine syringe on hand in order to administer the hydrogen peroxide.
INGESTION OF CAUSTIC SUBSTANCES: It is extremely important to contact your veterinarian or Poison control center prior to induction of vomiting because vomiting is contraindicated when the ingested material is caustic. Caustic items are corrosive and cause mild irritation to necrosis/sloughing of the mucosal tissue of the mouth and esophagus. Common caustic household items are alkalis (in cleaning products), turpentine, and petroleum products. In these cases it is best to dilute the toxin by giving milk or water and head to the emergency facility immediately.
The list of toxic substances is very long and is often time dose dependent. For complete lists of toxic substances, please go to www.ASPCA.org.
Tags: antifreeze, cats, dogs, flea medications, household cleaners, pets, poison control, rat poison, tea tree oil, toxins
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July 16th, 2012 by admin
Neutering is a sterile surgical procedure that involves removing both testicles from a male pet. Spaying refers to the operation where the ovaries and uterine horns are surgically removed from a female pet. It is recommended to spay and neuter your pets between 5 and 8 months of age, before they reach sexual maturity. This is for both medical and behavioral reasons. The only reason not to spay or neuter is if you are going to breed or show your pet.
For male pets, there are several medical reasons for neutering. The first is to eliminate the risk for testicular cancer, which is the 2nd most common cancer in unneutered male dogs. If the testicles are removed, they can’t get cancer there. Neutering reduces the risk for prostate cancer and prostatitis, and reduces the risks of diseases associated with hormones such as testosterone. As for behavior- there will be a decrease in the need for roaming as your dog will not have the urge to reproduce, as well as decreased aggression. It also decreases the urge to “mark” their territory, so inappropriate urination is less likely to be an issue.
There are medical and behavioral advantages to spaying your female pets as well. Medical reasons include the eliminating the possibility of false pregnancy, uterine infections known as pyometras, decreasing the risk of breast cancer and eliminating the chances of uterine and ovarian cancer. As with males, behavioral benefits include reduced aggression and other undesirable behaviors such as inappropriate elimination.
There are serious medical complications and behavioral issues that can arise from not spaying and neutering your pets, as outlined above. In addition to these, you will be preventing the risk of unplanned pregnancies. If you take away the urge to reproduce, they will be much more suitable as pets because they will no longer have to answer the “call of the wild.”
Tags: aggression, breast cancer, cats, dogs, neuter, ovarian cancer, pets, pyometras, spay, testicular cancer, uterine cancer
Posted in About, Pet Adoption, Pet Education, Pet Health, Services, Uncategorized | No Comments »
July 11th, 2012 by admin
Feeding your ferret a proper diet is extremely important. Ferrets, like cats, are strict carnivores that are designed to eat whole, small prey animals. In nature, ferrets would only encounter carbohydrates in the partially digested stomach contents of their prey. The most common diet fed to pet ferrets in the United States is dry kibble, however these diets still contain high levels of grain. The most important thing to look at when choosing a food for you ferret is the label. The optimal diet contains 30-35% crude protein (high-quality meat sources) and 15-20% fat content. The first three ingredients of a ferret diet should be meat products. Dry diets can also be supplemented with: fresh raw organ or muscle meat and raw egg. Fruits should be avoided and fresh water should always be available either in a sipper bottle or a heavy crock-type bowl. If a bowl is used it should not be easy to overturn. Supplements should never be added to the ferrets’ water because they will degrade quickly. Make sure to speak to your veterinarian if you have any questions about your ferret’s diet.
Tags: diet, ferrets, nutrition, pets
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June 30th, 2012 by admin
It is tempting to reach in the medicine cabinet when our pets are not feeling well, but this can ultimately result in more harm than good. Many over the counter medications that are safe for use in people are toxic to dogs and cats. Even those medications that are safe for use in dogs and cats are not safe at the same dosages as those used in people.
Tylenol for instance is extremely toxic to cats and dogs and can lead to kidney failure as well as severe bleeding ulcers. It should never be used. Neither should Aleve as it can cause similar problems. Even milder forms of pain relievers such as aspirin can cause these signs at the human dosages listed on the bottles. In addition, aspirin can be extremely dangerous if given with other forms of medications such as steroids and anti-inflammatories dispensed from your veterinarian.
Antihistamines dispensed over the counter often have additional drugs in them for decongestion or to prevent drowsiness in people. These extra ingredients can cause dangerous heart arrhythmias in pets. Even something as mild as vitamin supplements often contains concentrations of certain ingredients that can be harmful to pets. For these reasons it is always advisable to consult your veterinarian before administering ANY over the counter medication to your pet.
Tags: antihistamines, aspirin, bleeding ulcers, cats, dogs, kidney failure, medications, over the counter, pets, toxins, Tylenol, vitamin supplements
Posted in Pet Education, Pet Health, Uncategorized | No Comments »
3832 Monroe Rd, Charlotte NC
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