Month: August 2019

124 Rebates on ProHeart 12 and Apoquel

Would you like to get money back after spending your hard earned cash during a vet visit? Now you can, if you spent it on select products made by Zoetis, specifically Apoquel tablets, new ProHeart 12 injection, and Convenia injection (long lasting antibiotic).

Zoetis has a rebate program called Zoetis Petcare Rewards that is easy to set up. You get on your mobile device, create an account with a password at zoetispetcare.com/rewards, and upload a photo of your vet receipt. Then wait for your reward.

Many dogs are taking Apoquel tablets to help manage their moderate to severe allergies, often long term. Plus this new medication is expensive. With the Rewards program, you can get back $5-37, depending on how many pills you purchased in the last 60 days.

The Reward for ProHeart 12 is even simpler. You get $20 back (200 points) after your dog gets the new simple twelve month heartworm prevention injection. I think of it as a rebate, like we have with many other heartworm prevention tablets.

The Convenia rewards depends on the dose based weight of the dog, starting at twenty pounds. The reward could be $10-30. And for cats, a box of Revolution Plus ( 6 doses) is worth $15.

The details are that you generate Reward Points based on their website, and the Reward Values are 10 point to $1. So the ProHeart 200 points = $20. The money is sent to you in the form of a debit Mastercard that you can only spend at any vet, good for your next purchase of the any product or service, for the next year.  Sounds better than Kohl’s cash.

123 Blue Green Algae Toxicity and Dog Days of Summer

You have read about it on Facebook or heard it on the news this month. Three dogs died in Austin after playing in a water front dog park called Red Bud Island, where 40% of the water was covered by blue green algae, and they died shortly afterward. Three more dogs died in North Carolina, beginning with seizures after only 15 minutes of exposure. These are the stuff of nightmares, for pet owners and veterinarians. I have thankfully never seen a case of this rare toxicity, but it is real.

Blue-green algae are single cell organisms, but make large colonies and filaments. They grow in a wide variety of conditions and can thrive in nutrient-rich stagnant bodies of water. They can form blooms so thick it appears that blue-green paint covers the surface of the water. Blue green algae are found all over the world, and there are many kinds.

Two forms, Anabaena and Microcystis, are found in Texas that are known to produce substances which cause taste and odor problems in water supplies, and they can produce toxins that are poisonous to fish and wildlife that drink water contaminated with the toxins. Fish kills have occurred in private stock ponds as a result of blue-green algal blooms and there have been a few reports of livestock dying from drinking water contaminated with blue-green toxins. In addition to toxicity to fish and wildlife, there are documented cases of blue-green algal toxins harming humans in other parts of the world through the consumption of poorly treated waters.

Symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning depend on what type of toxin (,microcystin vs. anatoxin) is present. Clinical signs of blue-green algae that produce microcystins, typically include:
• Malaise/lethargy
• Weakness
• Not eating
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Black-tarry stool
• Collapse
• Pale gums
• Jaundice (yellow) gums
• Shock
• Seizures
• Death
With blue-green algae that produce anatoxins, symptoms include:
• Inability to walk
• Hypersalivating
• Excessive (eye) tearing
• Tremors
• Muscle rigidity
• Difficulty breathing or blue gums
• Death
Either way, these are bad toxins, with no specific antidote. Best advice is to keep your pets away from stagnant mossy green ponds.

The City of Lewisville has our water checked out by state regulatory agencies and it always passes with flying colors. We normally have outstanding water here in Lewisville, but it can have a “dirt” taste in August. Some people say it is the lake “turning over”, others say it is from algae blooms that are harmless. But it is undeniable that sometimes in August the water can taste funny.

What I see as a vet is more bladder infection and stones in August that I believe might be related to decreased water drinking because of the off taste. Even dogs and cats can taste water and have preferences. If you see that your pet is drinking less water in the hot weather, please offer them filtered or bottled water, or maybe even put some ice cubes in it. We need to do anything to encourage lots of water drinking during these “dog days of summer.”

For more information:
http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-toxins-poisons/blue-green-algae-a-deadly-danger-dogs

https://consumer.healthday.com/general-health-information-16/pets-and-health-news-531/toxic-pond-algae-is-killing-dogs-how-to-protect-your-pooch-749354.html

122 New Heartworm Prevention 12 Month Injection

Heartworms in dogs aren’t new, but a 12 month prevention shot is! We have lots of great oral monthly preventatives, a few topical medications, but ProHeart Heartworm Injection is now approved to last 12 months. Imagine if your dog could get a “shot” when he had his annual exam and vaccines, and was protected against heartworms for a full 12 months! No pills to remember. I think a few clients would like to have another option.
ProHeart isn’t new, but it was previously labeled for 6 months, and has been in the US since 2008. The ProHeart 12 has been used in Australia since 2000 successfully and is the number one Heartworm prevention there. It is the number two Heartworm prevention worldwide.

I had decided previously to NOT use ProHeart 6 previously, but I will be offering ProHeart 12 when it becomes available in mid-August. My previous concern was the slightly less efficacy for intestinal parasites. ProHeart does control hookworms, but not roundworms or whipworms. Zoetis does offer to pay for any deworming treatments if dogs test + for hooks, rounds, or whips, just like other oral heartworm preventions. No preventative controls coccidia or giardia.  Two of my staff members have worked in clinics that used ProHeart 6, with great experiences.

How does it work? The active ingredient in ProHeart 12 is moxidectin, in tiny time release spherules, that slowly release the moxidectin, not all at once. It is a thick solution, and is injected under the skin just like vaccines, not deep in a muscle. Very few dogs have reactions, and it is safe enough to give to any healthy dog at the same time as vaccines, with a current heartworm test.

What is the cost? For most dogs, the cost is about the same as a year’s supply of oral heartworm prevention.

What is the downside/reactions? ProHeart must be administered by a veterinarian after an exam to make sure they are healthy, and is based on an accurate weight. They must be an adult dog, not a growing puppy. The needle is larger than regular vaccines and might hurt a little more than a regular infection due to size. Adverse events are rare, between 1-10 per 10,000 doses given. The most common adverse events are vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. Less commonly mild injection site reactions (warmth, swelling) have been noted in some dogs. In a field study, ProHeart 12 had a similar adverse events profile to Heartgard® Plus.

121 Xylitol Update

We already knew that xylitol is poisonous to dogs; researchers figured that out back in the 1960s.  When dogs eat xylitol, a popular sugar substitute commonly found in sugarless chewing gum, it’s quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and causes a rapid release of insulin. This insulin spike can cause their blood sugar levels to plummet to dangerous levels, leading to hypoglycemia. Other symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, decreased activity, staggering, collapse, and seizures. Xylitol isn’t dangerous to humans because it doesn’t stimulate the release of insulin.

But it turns out there’s way more of it out there than we realized—and in a lot more products than just sugarless gum. So many that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a xylitol update.

Other Foods Containing Xylitol
Gum isn’t the only product containing xylitol. Slightly lower in calories than sugar, this sugar substitute is also often used to sweeten sugar-free candy, such as mints and chocolate bars, as well as sugar-free chewing gum. Other products that may contain xylitol include:
• breath mints
• baked goods
• cough syrup
• children’s and adult chewable vitamins
• mouthwash
• toothpaste
• some peanut and nut butters
• over-the-counter medicines
• dietary supplements
• sugar-free desserts, including “skinny” ice cream

Xylitol can be used in baked goods, too, such as cakes, muffins, and pies — often because the baker is substituting another sweetener for sugar, as in products for people with diabetes. People can buy xylitol in bulk to bake sweet treats at home. In-store bakeries also are selling baked goods containing the sweetener. Some pediatric dentists also recommend xylitol-containing chewing gum for children, and these products could end up in a dog’s mouth by accident. It’s a good idea to keep all such products well out of your dog’s reach.

Why is Xylitol Dangerous to Dogs, but Not People?
In both people and dogs, the level of blood sugar is controlled by the release of insulin from the pancreas. In people, xylitol does not stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. However, it’s different in canines: When dogs eat something containing xylitol, the xylitol is more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may result in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas.  This rapid release of insulin may result in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur within 10 to 60 minutes of eating the xylitol. Untreated, this hypoglycemia can quickly be life-threatening.

A note to cat and ferret owners: Xylitol does not seem to be as dangerous for cats and other pets. Cats appear to be spared, at least in part, by their disdain for sweets. Ferret owners, however, should be careful, as ferrets have been known to develop low blood sugar and seizures, like dogs, after eating products containing xylitol.

Symptoms to Look For in Your Dog
Symptoms of xylitol poisoning in dogs include vomiting, followed by symptoms associated with the sudden lowering of your dog’s blood sugar, such as decreased activity, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse and seizures.

If you think your dog has eaten xylitol, take him to your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately. Because hypoglycemia and other serious adverse effects may not occur in some cases for up to 12 to 24 hours, your dog may need to be hospitalized for medical monitoring.

What Can You Do to Avoid Xylitol Poisoning in Your Dog?
Check the label on products, especially those your dog can get into.
• Keep products that contain xylitol (including those you don’t think of as food, such as toothpaste) well out of your dog’s reach. Remember that some dogs are adept at counter surfing.
• Only use pet toothpaste for pets, never human toothpaste.
• If you give your dog nut butter as a treat or as a vehicle for pills, check the label first to make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NUK-kWaN4w&feature=youtu.be