Category: Dog

146 Early Spring

The calendar still says February, but everything outside is saying it’s Spring. And that means bugs and allergies (for some). We are already seeing fire ants, and next will be the fleas and ticks. Ticks really don’t die in the Winter and in some parts of the country are worse than Spring for deer hunters.

So, this is a reminder to everyone who has pets that go outside- start you flea and tick medicines NOW. Don’t wait until you are picking them off Fluffy, yourself, or your children. The new modern class of oral insecticides (isoxazolines) like Credelio, Simparica, Nexgard, and Bravecto are effective, safe, and easy to give. Here at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital, we carry Credelio since it pairs with Interceptor for larger rebates and makes it the least expensive per dose. The other products are made by different manufacturers, are excellent as well, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them on my own pets. If your dog is on Trifexis, remember that it kills fleas, heartworms, and many intestinal parasites, but NOT ticks. You can easiy order any of these products on our online pharmacy through VetSource. They are priced comparable to Chewy.

Topical flea and tick medicines like Frontline and Vectra also work but are a little less effective than the oral meds in heavy infestations. Just be very careful NOT to apply a dog product on a cat. It can be fatal. And make sure you have the right weight range on the box if it is an OTC product. When I used topical products years ago, I chose to apply just before bedtime so I wouldn’t be accidentally petting the dog and removing it with my hand.

Not all dogs are at risk for ticks. If Fido never leaves the yard, doesn’t walk around wooded areas, doesn’t go traveling/camping, and you have never found a tick on him, you probably don’t need tick prevention. But always be on the lookout. I have had many pet owners complain over the years that they suddenly got ticks in their yards/fences, and usually blame the neighbor. Ticks don’t hop and jump like fleas, but the do climb up on trees, shrubs, and fences and then “drop” on to pets. And many bugs hitch a ride on wildlife like squirrels, rabbits, possums, and stray cats that come into our yards when we aren’t looking.

Cat certainly can get fleas and ticks, but we just don’t see them on the pet as often because are such awesome groomers. Many times, I think the indoor/outdoor cat is the culprit that brings bugs into the house, where we then find them on the dog (or baby). We are using Revolution Plus on cats for topical flea and tick prevention, and it get some intestinal parasites, ear mites, and prevents heartworms from mosquitos! Bravecto also makes a topical product for cats.

So enjoy the Spring weather outside, but protect your pets.

145 Blog Review of Texas laws on Rabies Vaccination

I have been getting quite a few hits on my blog website about rabies vaccinations, and it’s been a while since I have written about it. Here is an updated review of Texas laws concerning Rabies.

All dogs and cats in Texas must be vaccinated for rabies by 4 months of age by or under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian using a vaccine licensed by the USDA. The vaccine must be approved for that species and given after the minimum age requirement and by the right route of administration. There are no exemptions to this requirement, even for medical reasons or by demonstrating measurable rabies antibody titers.

Animals should be boosted according to the recommended interval as established by the manufacturer, unless limited by local ordinances. Most rabies vaccines are boosted at one- or three-year intervals. For a USDA licensed triennial (3 year) vaccine, the typical interval is booster 1 year after initial vaccination, and then every 3 years. For a 1-year vaccine, boosters are given annually. As far as I know, all the local cities and counties recognize the 3-year vaccine interval.

What is the minimum age for dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies?This is usually regarded as 12 weeks. The sweet spot is to vaccinate for rabies between 12-16 weeks of age.

What vaccines does Garden Ridge Animal Hospital use? For dogs, I use Defensor 3 by Zoetis, approved for dogs, cats, and ferrets, has a 3-year label, and have use it for over 20 year with no problems. But for cats, I currently use Purevax Feline Rabies by Merial  since it is adjuvant free, but it only has a 1 year label. The non- adjuvant vaccine is recommended to reduce inflammation at injection site and prevent injection site sarcomas. No one wants their cat to get cancer because of a vaccine, but it can rarely happen. For ferrets, the Defensor 3 is approved with annual boosters.

What about very old pets or “inside only” cats? The law is clear that they must be vaccinated and stay vaccinated. Realistically, an inside only cat isn’t going to spontaneously get rabies, but if they bite or scratch a human a series of events will happen that puts your unvaccinated cat in rabies quarantine for 10 days, usually at a shelter. If a vaccinated pet bites a human, the quarantine time can often be served at home. All rabies vaccines are killed, dead, not alive. They seldom make pets even run a fever. The human rabies vaccine that I have been given is so safe I could get boosted even when I was pregnant. (Yes, vets are vaccinated against rabies)

What if my pet was vaccinated over 3 years ago, and overdue a booster? Upon receiving a single dose of vaccine, they will be considered current, and assigned the maximum vaccination interval based on the license of the vaccine.

Why does the state care about rabies vaccination and no other diseases like parvo and distemper? Rabies affects humans, is 99.9% fatal, no cure, and the other diseases don’t. We vaccinate pets to protect humans.

How does the state test for rabies in an affected animal that is euthanized? The head (brain) is sent off to the state laboratory. There is no blood test to confirm rabies for pet, livestock or wildlife.

How can I find out if my pet’s rabies vaccines are up to date? If you pet was vaccinated at Garden Ridge, we have record. You can access your pet’s vaccines history online through our Pet Portal, found on our website. You do have to log in the client number that is on your receipts, and then create a password. Many clients who board their pets elsewhere or use doggie daycare find the online portal convenient and always available.

For more information:
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/idcu/disease/rabies/vaccine/pets/
Actual legal state regulations; https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=25&pt=1&ch=169&sch=A&rl=Y

144 Watching Dogs Perform

The days before Valentine’s day usually mean hunting for the perfect card, getting reservations at a special restaurant, or ordering gifts for that “special someone” online. For Dog lovers, it means time to watch the Westminster Dog Show on TV. I have never been to a real dog show, but the Westminster is the Super Bowl of Dog shows in US.

I used to assume it was just a “beauty pageant” like Miss America, but it is so much more now. There are separate Agility and Obedience competitions also. Last night, the Standard Poodle won the Best in Show section. Siba was an outstanding examine of a standard poodle, even with the crazy hair cuts that are the breed standard. She was beautiful and “floated” around the ring. I was rooting for the gorgeous merle Sheltie or the crowd-pleasing Golden Retriever, but the poodle won. After over 30 years in vet practice, I have a profound appreciation for the sturdiness and intelligence of poodles in general, even though I see many more Toy Poodles than Standards.

I also enjoyed watching highlight of the Agility competition. I personally took a Agility class with my Sheltie, Sarge, when he was younger.  It was so much fun, but it was exhausting to do outside in June in Texas. Sarge loved it though. He could hardly wait for his turn to run the course.

On a similar note, my husband and I attended the Fort Worth Stock Show last weekend, on the last day. There weren’t many critters there, but my favorite thing was watching the Sheep Dog competition. We saw dozens of border collies, working 3 scared sheep around a large sand area, working only from the owner’s voice or whistle. They had to listen, read the sheep’s body language, and move a group around a course, around barrels, though a fenced area, and ultimately into a small 10’x10’ pen, all by himself. We saw several overexcited dogs be disqualified to nipping at the sheep. But in their defense, some of the sheep were pretty stupid and didn’t stick together. Sometimes it reminded me of trying to herd cats. Or the movie Babe about the pig.

Overall, it has been a pleasure watching dogs do what they were bred to do, whether it was herding, agility, or a beauty pageant. Dogs are amazing.

Westminster Best of Show   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh8Bot1OfkE&t=1s
Agility Championship   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZn7oWMHD90
Sheep dog competitions  https://www.texassheepdogassoc.org/

142 February is National Pet Dental Health Month

Good oral health is more than just a pretty smile.

Poor dental hygiene can put both your pet’s health and your pocket book at risk. “Dog breath” – or a cat with a foul-smelling mouth – can be a sign of untreated dental conditions. If left untreated, you may put your pet at risk for greater problems such as periodontitis or heart disease.

Routine cleanings can help prevent periodontal disease and save money in the long run. A 2014 analysis conducted by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. showed that the average cost per pet to prevent dental disease is just one-third of the average cost of treating dental disease.

More importantly, a complete oral examination can detect hidden health problems. Even if your pet’s breath smells fine, there still could be dental conditions that are hard to spot without a complete veterinary exam.

Schedule your pet’s dental checkup with us now. We’ll do a thorough checkup to make sure your pet is at optimum health. We also can show you how to brush your pet’s teeth in between exams. Brushing is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your pet’s teeth healthy between dental cleanings.

We’re committed to your pet’s health and wellness, and we know that you are as well. Book your appointment today!

Periodontal disease video-https://www.youtube.com/embed/j6gNkXpRZkE
How to brush your dog’s teeth- https://www.youtube.com/embed/wB3GIAgrTPE

141 January Weather Tips

I know it is January, and we have had a few cold days/nights, but not really bad. Yet. Here are some refresher points about cold weather and pets

Sweater weather. Some dog need some extra insulation when it is really cold. Other dogs seem to love it and are friskier. My Sheltie is one of those cold loving breeds, but he was bred for it with a snow proof coat. My short coated terrier/doxie just seems cold all the time. He really shivers and won’t spend more than a few seconds outside. I wish he wouldn’t eat any sweaters I try to put on him. I see numerous small patients that are just more comfortable during the winter wearing a sweater even inside. So, look at your dog after being outside in the cold or rain and dress him appropriately.

Activity. Few of us want to play outside when it is cold, wet, or super windy. Too much indoor inactivity makes us all a little crazy. In people we call it cabin fever. Indoor dogs can get it too. My puppies manifest it by acting out, zooming around more inside, and generally being naughty for attention. I am trying to counteract that with lots more indoor play, interactive toys, and allowing them to just zoom around. I used a laser pen for my Sheltie years ago. It is important to match the play with the dog’s interests. Ball chasing is great for Labradors, but my terriers want to bite and shake stuff.   I am using a lot of stuffed KONGs lately or big rawhides, but sometimes they fight over them.  Food puzzles are great if your dog is food motivated, and not overweight. Many of my clients are still going to dog parks, they just pick the right day and time for comfort.

Frozen water. Make sure any drinking water outside doesn’t freeze or your pet can get dehydrated. Insulate any outdoor dog houses. Most dogs can tolerate a light freeze if they can get out of the wind and rain, off the ground, and can cocoon themselves in some material like hay or blankets.
Antifreeze/deicing compounds. It is true that antifreeze can taste sweet and attract dogs and cats to lick it. Avoid yellowish puddles in streets and driveways. Be careful applying deicing products (rock salt, “ice melt”) on driveways and porches as the chemicals can burn sensitive bare feet. There are pet safe deicing products available.

Emergency kit in the car. It is always a good idea to have an extra leash, blanket and some water for pets. You never know when the car won’t start, slips off the road, or you might be stranded somewhere.

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Cold-weather-pet-safety.aspx
https://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_dg_sweaters_for_dogs
https://www.poison.org/articles/2010-dec/ice-melt-products-harmful-to-pets-and-kids
https://www.chewy.com/safe-paw-ice-melter-dogs-cats-35-lb/dp/138554
https://barkpost.com/life/12-rainy-day-entertainment-ideas-for-dogs/

140 How Much Should My Pet Eat?

I get this question almost daily. The answer is “it depends.”

We have a complicated formula to calculate the Resting Energy Requirements (RER) of dogs and cats in kcal/day. It isn’t a straight-line graph, but we have chart. Some points on this chart is the RER for a 10-pound critter is 218 kcals/day, 20# is 366 kcal/day, 30# is 497 kcal/day, 40# is 616 kcals/day, 50# is 729 kcals/day. My chart goes up to 200#.

The number we really want is the Daily Energy requirements (DER). This represents the average daily energy expenditure of animal, depending on life stage and activity (work, gestation, lactation, and growth). To get DER from RER, we multiple RER with a number from 0.8 to 4.0, depending on the species, growth vs maintenance, obese vs weight loss, light work vs heavy work.

For examine, for an average 20# house dog with normal weight, we multiple 366 kcal/day x 1.6=586 kcal, but it is already obese and need to lose weight at 20#, we multiple by 1.0 for just 366 kcal/day. If this was a fat 20# cat needing to lose weight, we multiple by 0.8 for only 293 kcal/day.
So how many cups of food is that? First, we need to know the calorie density of the food. I seldom see it on the bag, but it should be available on the manufacturer website. My young dogs eat a Science Diet adult food for tiny dogs, and the website lists the calorie density at 291 kcal/cup. So, my little guys should eat about 2 cups/day each. I do meal feedings so each should eat about a cup, twice a day. Right now, I feed them together, but if one starts getting chubby, and the other thin, then I will need to feed them separately. I checked the feeding guide on the website, and it suggested 1 .5 cups/day. Usually I find the feeding guides to be “generous” in their portions, but it never hurts to do the math.

Another part of the equation is that not all days have equal activity. If you have a high energy dog, that gets walked every day, that is great. Many have different activities depending on the day of the week and the weather. The weekend walker or dog park goer could have a little more on those high energy days but remember to cut back if we have a run of nasty weather with no playtime. Mine get extra chow on the high energy days after running around the pasture chasing cows or digging for hours after gophers (not sure if they are eating gophers, hard thing to calculate).

The last part of the equation is how any “extra” calories a day they get in treats or food from the table (or stolen from kids). A quick search on Chewey for popular dog treats listed Milk Bones Large original at 125 kcals/treat, Denta Sticks at 76 kcal/treat, and Pup-peroni at 28 kcals/treat. Just like fun sized Snickers bars, they are that many calories, but they can add up over time.

So, the short answer is “it depends.”

139 The Year in Review 2019

As the year winds down, I pause to look back on 2019.  Here are the new things that happened in 2019 at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital:

New exterior sign with new logo.

Added Portal on a new website (gardenridgevet.com) for new ways to stay in contact with us. Check it out, create a log in and experience the options. You will need an old receipt with your client number to access your pet’s data.

Proheart 12- an annual heartworm prevention injection for dogs was approved in the US and we started using it in August.

New Allergy control shot (Cytopoint ) that lasts 4-8 weeks. This gives us another option to Apoquel, and sometimes in cheaper than Apoquel.

Different flea product (Credelio) that are now by same manufacturer as Trifexis and Interceptor for better rebates

VetSource, our online pharmacy, now does autoship on food, even prescription ones.

The Flower Mound Emergency Clinic by Sprouts changed ownership, and we still recommend it

Windows 10 upgrade/new computers- pardon our printer glitches as we work through this one.

New air conditioners- we apologize if you experienced a warm exam room last summer. Things wear out after 29 years

I personally racked up 62 hours of continuing education. My personal best in 38 years of practice. One of the most interesting online courses was about cannabis and CBD. See the blog on CBD for more information. I am currently using a specific CBD oral product for my old sheltie, Sarge, for his arthritis but I see its main effect on his alertness.

And my puppies are now a year old, but still wild rodent hunting, digging, running, and sometime destructive little terrors. And I love them.

138 O Christmas Tree

Tis the season. O Tannenbaum. There are many kinds so Christmas trees: real, live, artificial. I love them all, but we must be careful as pet owners to keep our fur babies safe.

I hear stories every day about cats, especially kittens, climbing trees and possibly knocking them over. Some tricks to prevent this are to anchor the top to the ceiling or wall and to put up a baby gate/fence around the tree to block access.

Dog often drinking the tree water. If you have added preservative or nutrients for the tree, this might make the dog vomit or have diarrhea. That is no fun around the holidays.

Both dogs and cats are famous for eating ornaments. I had one special ornament that has never been the same since chewed on by my bored puppy many years ago. This year, even though my pups are a year old, I just did a tabletop tree. I don’t want to tempt them to be naughty.

Some pets may chew on electric lights and get an electrical burn in their mouth. I laugh at the cat scene in the Christmas Vacation movie, but I have never seen a Persian go up in a puff of smoke.

Here at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital, we put up our annual “Angel” tree to memorialize patients that have passed in last year. If you had a pet (that was a patient here) pass in 2019, please stop by and see your baby’s angel ornament. And feel free to take it home AFTER Christmas.

And we wish all our patients and clients a safe and Merry Christmas.

137 Pet Insurance Update

It is almost that time of year when we must sign up for next year’s health insurance for ourselves and our family. My brain is hurting from all the options, and I don’t like the price of any of it.

Pets can get insurance too. The process is much simpler, and it can be affordable, especially is you start when they are young. For example, I just looked up the monthly premium for my little terrier mix, Sally, who just turned a year old. On Pet Plan, endorsed by the AAHA, based on her size and age and my zip code, she would cost me $20/month. That’s $240/year. That is much less than 1 emergency visit or sick visits with labwork and xrays.

If I were to have a claim, it is an easy 3 steps. First, I seek treatment at any vet I wish and pay them directly. Next, I submit my receipt on my phone app to the insurance company. Lastly, I get reimbursed, usually about 80% of my bill.

All pet insurance covers illnesses, lab work, surgery, emergencies, specialists (no in-network/out of network), but some have exclusions of hereditary diseases, and many won’t cover old dogs or cats.

With the AAHA Pet Plan insurance,
• sick office exams are covered
• dental /oral procedures are covered
• all ages can be insured
• all conditions even chronic and hereditary diseases
• it can’t be cancelled
• alternative treatments are also covered.

I know that health insurance is expensive, but it just takes one trip to the emergency room, and pet insurance could easily pay for itself. I find owners that have pet insurance aren’t worried about the costs because they have peace of mind that they will be reimbursed. They can focus on getting their fur baby medical help to get better.

https://www.gopetplan.com/partners/aahapetinsurance?c=AAHA

136 Recent Wins

We have had a few “winning” behavior cases in the last two weeks and reunited a lost dog with an owner from the microchip.

The stray dog was found today by one of our clients, who was able to catch him and bring him in for scanning. Animal Control could also do this, but he thought of us first. The dog was microchipped, but with an address in Carrollton, and a phone number that didn’t work. My staff didn’t give up there, and contacted the email address linked to the microchip, and got a phone call shortly afterward that he was indeed the owner, and the story has a happy ending. The takeaway is always have your pets microchipped, and check the contact information years, and whenever you move.

One of the winning behavior cases involved a dog who has become terrified out us touching his toenails. And last week he presented with a broken dewclaw nail, that had already stopped bleeding. We gave the owner several choices: just buck up and wrestle to dog to examine the feet, give him sedation by injection now, or send him home with some oral anti-anxiety medicine, Trazadone, and see him the next day, knowing we still might have to sedate. She chose Trazadone, and the next day he wasn’t as anxious, we were able to cover his head with a towel with some calming pheromones and touch his feet without sedation. Things went so well we even did his annual exam, vaccines & blood test for heartworms. Success with Trazadone!

The other success story was a very “reactive” Malinois patient. He usually barks nonstop while here, protecting his owner. Last month we tried seeing him and we couldn’t approach him at all. This time, he came here on Trazadone, wearing his basket muzzle, and we gave the intramuscular sedation in the parking lot, before he was aroused. Then he walked in, stayed in the exam room with the owner until the drugs took effect. The exam went calmly, with the owner present, we did everything we needed, and then gave him the reversal agent for the sedation. Fifteen minutes later he walked out on his own, not having had a bad experience, and not stressed.

These are a few of our recent Fear Free success stories. It is ok to use anti-anxiety medicine for a scary situation, and often these same dogs need less and less each year. The pets are less stressed, the owners are less stressed, and our staff is less stressed. Win-Win-Win