Like many of you, the animal hospital did experience some power blackouts. We were indeed closed for 4 days due to impassable roads for staff and lack of power. We had no animals in the building. We had no pipes freeze, no internal damage. We will see what happens with the shrubs and pansies.
Anyway, we are back, still doing curbside (for now), and short staffed. We expect that to change soon.
So, what did I do during the long hours at home? I completed Fear Free Level 2, and several other modules. I learned so much that I want to share and utilize. I especially like the extra classes on Fear Free Nail trims, and Canine Enrichment. I will be writing about those later.
Stay tuned……
Category: Dog
159 Going Back to Work Could Be Tough on Your Pet
As I prepare to return to being back in the building to see patients next week, I worry about my two little high energy terriers. They have LOVED this time when they were out in the country, running over acres, digging holes, and eating rodents and rabbits (yes Chuck eats rabbits now). I am anticipating some destructive chewing up the backyard, or the house if I keep them inside on a hot day.
https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2020-05/as-people-return-to-work-those-who-adopted-a-dog-during-the-pandemic-could-be-in-for-a-rude-surprise/
Many of the owners I have talked with in the last two months have described good quality time with their pets since many are home more. Many of the behavior issue clients describe are better, except the thunderstorm phobias.
Veterinary behaviorists are predicting an increase in problems as many of us go “back to work” outside the home. I read a great article, which I will share rather than write my own. The bottom line is we need to train our pets to be OK home alone. Here is the link.
https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2020-05/as-people-return-to-work-those-who-adopted-a-dog-during-the-pandemic-could-be-in-for-a-rude-surprise/
“People are preparing to go back to work, but their new pets most likely won’t be going with them. And those who adopted a pet during lockdown could be in for a rude surprise once they get home.
While the number of pandemic-inspired pet adoptions may be less than media reports suggest, there are still a lot of new pet owners out there whose pets have never known anything but 24/7 attention from their owners.
And those new best friends who kept their owners from going crazy during lockdown are going to be faced with a lot of unfamiliar alone time.
That could mean problems.
“I think we’re being a little naive to think we can spend 24/7 for [several months] with these guys and then abruptly leave,” says Leslie Sinn, DVM, DACVB, CPDT-KA, a certified veterinary behaviorist and owner of Behavior Solutions for Pets, a consulting firm in Hamilton, Virginia.
Does that mean Sinn is expecting a huge wave of unpleasantly surprised pet owners? “Truthfully, yes,” she says.
Sinn told NEWStat that the primary issue is going to be separation anxiety. “With these dogs being used to having that social support and that social contact, and now being left basically alone under house arrest, I think that’s going to be rough for some of them.”
Sinn doesn’t blame this plethora of new pet owners for not expecting anxiety issues when the time comes to go back to work. “I don’t know that people are aware of [separation anxiety] as a problem in dogs and cats. So there’s been no reason for them to anticipate it [or] to take any particular steps.”
But Sinn says there are steps veterinarians can take to help their new patients and clients prepare for it.
“Hopefully, veterinarians have been having conversations with new owners about appropriate socialization in general,” Sinn says. That includes “encouraging independence and encouraging exposure to as many different people, places, and things as has been physically possible during the pandemic.” She acknowledges that introducing pets to the wider world can be difficult, given the CDC’s recent recommendations on social distancing pets, but stresses its importance.
The most important thing, she says, is “accustoming the pet to some period of time alone.”
For example: “In the past, if I had to run an errand, I’d take my dog with me when I left the house because it was a chance to spend more time with him,” Sinn says. But that’s the opposite of what you want to be doing during lockdown. “Now, when I go out for my [semimonthly] grocery run, I make a point of leaving the dog behind.” This allows for some much-needed separation between owner and pet, and gives the pet a chance to practice being alone.
Owners should avoid taking their dogs with them every single place they go, Sinn says. That way, it’s not such a shock when they have to leave for work.
Sinn says veterinarians can make these basic recommendations to owners to practice the healthy separation behaviors we want dogs to acquire while there’s still time: “The ability to be alone, the ability to be independent, the ability to settle without us having to encourage them to settle,” Sinn says. “Those are all things a new pet owner should be doing on a regular basis.”
Sinn adds that veterinarians who haven’t had this conversation with their clients yet should have it sooner rather than later.
“[Because] one way or another they will be having the conversation,” Sinn says. And if they’re having it later, then “it’s going to be a disaster-mitigation conversation versus a preventive conversation.”
158 Grief is Hard, Grief Hurts
I thought I knew everything about grief. I have had to say goodbye to numerous family pets, my grandparents, my father, a miscarriage, and a marriage. I give advice on grieving to my clients and have written blog posts on it. But the unexpected death of my little Sheltie, Sarge, had been much tougher. Perhaps it is because it was mostly unexpected. I haven’t done my “pre-grieving for Sarge like I had my other losses. Or maybe because of this social distancing thing I do not have the same community to cope.
So, I did more research on types of grief. Most experts start with 6 basic types, and then some add even more.
Anticipatory grief is what we go through when a pet or person is chronically ill, and we know the end is coming. It still hurts.
Absent grief is when someone does not acknowledge the loss and shows no signs of grief. This can be the result of complete shock or denial of the death. It’s important to note that in some instances, just because you can’t see the signs of grief, it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is not grieving.
Chronic grief can be experienced in many ways: through feelings of hopelessness, a sense of disbelief that the loss is real, avoidance of any situation that may remind someone of the loss, or loss of meaning and value in a belief system. If left untreated, chronic grief can develop into severe clinical depression, suicidal or self-harming thoughts, and even substance abuse.
Delayed grief is when reactions and emotions in response to a death are postponed until a later time.
Inhibited grief is when someone doesn’t outwardly show any typical signs of grief.
Unauthorized grief (disenfranchised grief) can be felt when someone experiences a loss, but others do not acknowledge the importance of the loss in the person’s life. Others may not understand the importance of the loss or they may minimize the significance of the loss. It is common with the death of a pet since some well-meaning people say, “it was just a dog”.
Common symptoms of grief include depression, decreased appetite, altered sleep patterns, physical pain, and disinterest in previous hobbies and activities. I also learned that grief increases inflammation and batters the immune system. Those are not good in this time of Covid-19. As if the emotional pain isn’t enough, the physical pain can cause headaches, chest pain (“broken heart syndrome”), stomach aches, and fatigue.
My coping mechanisms are mostly the same as depression. I have been trying to stay on a schedule, get regular exercise and plenty of sunlight. I have been eating small sensible meals and avoiding excess alcohol (I did not say ANY alcohol). Writing these blogs help. I have been also reviewing photos (to build a tribute scrapbook page), tending the grave site (I am planting flowers and propagating some Rosemary), and playing with my other dogs. The two terriers are a source of joy just watching them run, play, and hunt rodents.
Some owners would like a way to memorialize their companion animal. The following are some ways that others have found helpful:
• Conduct a memorial service• Keep your pet’s tags, toys, collars, bedding, etc.
• Keep your pet’s hair
• Save condolence cards or e-mails from friends and family
• Create a picture collage, scrapbook, story, or poem about your pet
• If you chose cremation, you may keep the ashes in an urn or locket, or you may choose to scatter them in a place that was special to your pet
• Journal your pet’s story; how, when, and where you met, unique personality traits, nicknames, what you love the most, and what you’ll miss the most
• Donate time, money, or talent in your pet’s honor
https://www.faithfulfriendspetcemetery.com/grief-support/
https://elizz.com/caregiver-resources/types-of-grief-and-loss/
https://edge.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/18.13_Types_of_Grief.pdf
https://exploringyourmind.com/6-types-grief/
https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/grief-stages/20190711/how-grief-affects-your-body-and-mind
157 Eulogy for Sarge
This is a really hard blog post to write.
We lost our 13-year-old beloved Sheltie, Sarge, last week to a farm accident. He was deaf and visually impaired, and as such was at risk for such things, but we were not ready to say goodbye yet.
He was my constant devoted companion. I told lots of stories about him over the years, especially about his agility classes, thunderstorm phobias, and farm escapades.
He loved the cold and snowy weather. His coat was made for breaking a trail in the powder. It was also incredible as a sticker magnet. He loved backing up to anyone to get his rump scratched.
He had definitely slowed down the last year or two. Like many shelties, he had arthritis that was managed. He could not jump up on furniture easily or get into cars on his own at the end. The saddest symptom was the dementia. He was starting to get lost, which was a problem out here in the country. I had him on a CBD product which helped.
I miss my buddy. I miss tripping over him. I miss his fuzzy rump.
154 Ivermectin to Treat Covid-19?
Some of you may have heard or read about a study that showed some efficacy of using ivermectin to kill corona virus. I was excited when I first read the headline because I have gobs of ivermectin and its cousins (selamectin, moxidectin, milbemycin) in the form of chewable dog heartworm prevention and large animal products (Ivomec) in pour on and injection forms. Heck, I even use diluted cattle Ivomec when I treat little hedgehogs and mice for mites!
But alas, the article is very clear that they were only testing infected cells in a Petri dish with ivermectin, and that is not going to help us right now. So, don’t go crazy and order some cattle Ivomec and ask me the human dose.
Ivermectin is used in many species, including humans (which I can’t prescribe for) as a tablet for parasitic worms (intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis) and topical formulations for the treatment of external parasites such as headlice and skin conditions such as rosacea.
When ivermectin was first approved for use in dogs as monthly Heartgard tablet (not even the chewable), it was a really big deal, because before that we had only had daily DEC ( Diethylcarbamazine= liquid Dirocide or chewable Marmaduke tablets) and it tasted nasty. Some good old boys figured out the ingredient, ivermectin, was in the horse paste, and started giving it to their dogs, based on the weight compared to a horse dose. It was highly inaccurate, and some collie type dogs have a weird genetic mutation (MDR1), that makes them VERY sensitive to ivermectin class drugs and other drugs, and these “horse doses” caused neurological signs, seizures, and death. True story. The research finally revealed that dogs need a super tiny dose to prevent heartworms (about 1.5% as much as the deworming dose/# for horse), and it was safe for all dogs, even those with MD1 mutation.
Veterinarians will be closely watching the research of why a dewormer will kill a virus, and I pray we find a simple, inexpensive cure for this darn Sars-Co-2 virus soon. Until then, don’t eat your dog’s heartworm prevention. He needs it more than you do.
153 Tiger By the Tail
As you may have heard over the last few days, one tiger in the Bronx Zoo in New York City recently tested positive for Sars-Co-2 ( the virus that is causing Covid-19 illness in humnas). It really did. And that contradicts what we have generally thought about this corona virus.
I have spent a lot of time this week learning more about this situation in animals. This virus, Sars-Co-2, is new but the first one (Sars-Co-1) that caused SARS in early 2000s has been extensively studied in animals. First, animal get many corona viruses themselves. Dogs and cats have at least 3 that I have clinically seen, so they aren’t rare. They are as common as “the common cold”. Some cause respiratory symptoms, some cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
Researchers over the last 15 years have been seeing if the human Sars-Co-1 could infected animal species like dogs, cats, horses, and ferrets. It can. It rarely goes to dogs, occasionally to cats, and easily to ferrets. So it stand to reason that the new coronavirus could theoretically be transmitted to those species.
Tigers are in the same animal family as domestic cats. The Bronx Zoo cats were not in close proximity to a known infected human, but must have come in contact through the bars to an asymptomatic human zookeeper. One zookeeper noted that several cats has upper respiratory symptoms, and the decision was made to anesthetize ONE to test, out of an abundance of caution. So one tiger did test positive, and we assume all would have but weren’t tested.
So cats (all types) CAN contract the corona virus from humans. That is confirmed.
But can cats be carriers and spread it back to humans? That is the big question and several veterinary laboratories have been doing extensive ( >5000 tests) on cats, dogs, and horses worldwide since February to see if we have any positives in the population. All tests have been negative so far, and they think they have a very specific test. The test by Idexx isn’t available commercially where a vet like in me in private practice can order it, but if the situation changes, it might be.
So YES CATS CAN BE INFECTED from humans (reverse zoonosis), but we don’t believe them to be INFECTIOUS TO HUMANS.
We kind of already knew that after the 2 positive house cats in Europe (that were in households with sick humans) recently. Both of those cats has respiratory symptoms but neither required hospitalization.
Scarier still for my practice with ferrets, is that FERRETS are MORE susceptible to coronaviruses than cats.
In conclusion, if you are sick, stay away from your pets, especially cats and ferrets. Let someone else take care of them. And if we see a sick cat, we will assume it is a cat virus, keep it away from other cats, and maybe run some cat virus panels before we even think about Sars-Co-2.
151 Coronavirus Anxiety can be Contagious to Dogs and Cats
Many vets are getting phone calls from clients who are concerned that their pets are “acting out” in this time of anxiety. This would be completely normal whenever owners are experiencing anxiety or depression themselves. And it would be surprising if any pet parent who is watching the news isn’t experiencing stress,anxiety,fear, or depression. I have been using Fear Free Techniques to manage fear, anxiety and stress in pets for over 3 years now with fantastic results.
Ways Pets Act Out
Seeking attention
Destructive behavior
Not being able to settle down
House soiling
Aggression
Depression
Things Pet Parents Can Do
Keep a normal routine for yourself and pets
Stay calm yourself
Lots of exercise-go for a walk (if allowed); throw the ball in the backyard
Give your pet at least an hour alone for their “me time”
Try to stay on the same diet, feed at the same time
Calming OTC pheromones like Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats that can be purchased online
Things Vets Can Do To Help
Behavioral consults over the phone/telemedicine
Medications for anxiety like Trazadone for dogs and Gabapentin for cats
And lastly, plan proactively for your pets care in case you get sick and someone else has to care for your pets temporarily. Decide who the caretaker would be and write down what your pet eats, when they eat, what are three favorite treats, what medications they tske, and special habits they have. Try to keep two weeks worth of food and 30 day supply of meds.
Our pets can give us great emotional support at times of high stress like this, but we have to be there for them too. Give them a hug- as long as it doesn’t stress them out!
150 We were still open!
Yes we are still open! That seems to be the Number One question my staff is getting on the phone. We are using “Curbside appointments “ like most vets. I am using telemedicine to examine the patients. So far we have “seen” dogs, cats, and even a rabbit!
We are doing grooming ( until the city , county or state says we can’t), but no boarding.
Dr Frank Pena is here in person on Fridays.
We are filling medications, medicated diets, and doing lab work. It is now fully Spring so it is very important to keep those dogs and outside cats on heart worm, flea, and tick prevention.
We are referring truly sick pets that need hospitalization or surgery to the Center for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care at 2700 Lake Vista Drive on Hwy 121 near Costco. They are open 24 hours a day. 972-820-7099.
In the vet news: a cat in Belgium who lives with a corona virus positive owner has tested positive. That makes 2 dogs and 1 cat in the whole world. In the US, my laboratory company Idexx, has run thousands of Covid-19 tests on dog and cat samples with no positives. Should the need arise to tests pets, they are ready to go. I don’t think it will happen, unless this darn virus mutates.
Until something changes, we will be open and ready to serve your pet needs, while staying safe. Let’s all use this time to slow down, reconnect with our new 2 legged and 4 legged families, while staying healthy. We are in this for the long haul.
148 Covid 19 and Garden Ridge Animal Hospital
As this pandemic reaches the US, Texas, and now Dallas, I have four concerns:
1) This is an airborne human virus. We are ramping out our sanitation even more than usual. I am sure no one wants to get sick or infect their loved ones. People might not have symptoms and still be infectious. Please don’t be offended if we not only sanitized the exam table, but also the chairs, doorknobs and light switches. I won’t be shaking hands or hugging people for a while. We will have Clorox wipes out for clients to use at the checkout counter, and our credit card Point of Sale Debit terminal can use “tap” as well as chip insert, if your phone or card is enabled. I want our clients to be assured we are doing everything we can to keep our hospital virus free.
2) We might be short staffed if we get sick. We are a small business and will soldier on. We might have to get creative (telemedicine) for rechecks and refills of medicines. If we have to close temporarily, we will post it on the website- www.gardenridgevet.com
3) We might have future drug shortages. The AVMA is monitoring the manufacturers closely, but there could be interruptions in our supply lines. If your pet is on a prescription medicine or diet, you might try to keep a 30-60-day supply at home “just in case”.
4) There might be fears that dogs (or cats?) might be “carriers” of the disease. As of March 4, 2020, there was one asymptomatic dog in Hong Kong that has tested positive twice whose owner is sick with Covid 19 . Pet hair could certainly carry this aerosolized virus around. If you get sick, it is recommended you let another family member take care of the pet and avoid contact.
147 Lessons from the Parvo Epidemic in 1970s
All the news about the human novel Corona virus outbreak is bringing back faint memories of the Canine Parvo Epidemic in 1978/79. Actually, dogs do get a Corona virus, mostly with mild GI signs like mild Parvo. It was never contagious to humans. Humans get a respiratory parvo disease, called Fifths Disease, that has a rash like a face that has been slapped.
Way back in the dark ages of 1979, I was just being accepted in the Texas A&M Veterinary College, so I wasn’t in clinical practice yet. There was a mutation of a suspected feline or mink parvo virus, CPV2, that ran through dogs of all ages all over the world with severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, shock, and death if not aggressively treated. It stripped the linings of the gut, allowed for bacteria to enter the bloodstream, caused septicemia, and wiped out the white cells that fight infection, which often lead to death because NO dogs had any immunity. It hit puppies and even old dogs, with a high fatality rate. Fortunately, Parvo is mostly an unvaccinated puppy disease. Many of us seasoned citizens remember with horror how devastating this disease was. And how bad it smelled.
First we discovered it was transmitted from the vomit and diarrhea, not airborne. We had to figure out the incubation (5-10 days), and how long the recovered dogs shed virus AFTER recovery(2-3 weeks!). We had trouble getting good confirmatory tests and the treatment (though mostly fluids and antibiotics for days) was expensive and cost prohibitive for many. Many dogs died. Fortunately, it didn’t affect people or cats. Some vets had whole parvo wards. I treated a 12-year-old dog for parvo in 1981 at vet school. We had a special Isolation Ward for highly contagious cases. We used a lot of bleach to disinfect cages, so we wore gloves and boots. We were worried about tracking around the hospital or bringing it home to our own dogs.
Initially, vets reached out to the only vaccine we had, feline panleukopenia. It was for the wrong species and didn’t work well. It was several years before we had good vaccines, that had lasting immunity. I remember when we vaccinated every 6 months for parvo. The technology for diagnosis took years to mature, but now we have a quick in-house swab test that gives us results in minutes. It still has flaws, and have false negatives early in the disease, or if the puppy is still nursing and has maternal antibodies. We even rarely see a false positive for a few days after vaccination. The virus had a few more minor mutations over the last 40 years, so we do see occasional outbreaks, but we have it mostly under control now. Some breeds seem more susceptible, like the Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, Labs, and Pit bulls.
I hope and pray we get this Covid 19 virus under control quicker than we did Canine Parvovirus. I am optimistic about improvements in testing, treatments, and vaccination. But I am realistic, so for now am focusing on sanitation and avoiding this novel virus in humans.