Category: illnesses

58 This is National Pet Week. Thursday’s (May 10) focus is spaying and neutering.

This is National Pet Week.  Each day has a theme. Today in spaying and neutering.

We all know that spaying and neutering are important for reducing pet overpopulation. Every year, millions of unwanted dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, are euthanized. By having your dog or cat spayed or neutered, you’ll do your part to prevent the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens.
It used to be very simple: Dogs and cats, male and female, all had surgery at 6 months at age. This has changed in the last decade to a wider range of ages. Many dogs and cats are spayed (ovarian-hysterectomy) and neutered (castration) through shelters, often at 8-12 weeks of age. This solves the problem of adopting a pet that hasn’t had surgery, the owner NOT getting around to spay/neuter, and accidental pregnancy happening. This early surgery has been shown to decrease behavior problems associated with sexual hormones and improves adoption retention rates. It also helps prevent some cancers, especially breast cancer.
We have also learned from the large Golden Retriever study  that early neutering was associated with an increase in the occurrence of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and lymphosarcoma in males and of cranial cruciate ligament tear in females. The new recommendation on giant and large breed dogs is to wait to 12-18 month before neutering. And some of these dogs also get an elective gastropexy (stomach tacking surgery) to prevent bloat!
Cats seem to do well getting spayed or neutered at a young age OR at the standard 6 months. Just get it done!
If you have a puppy or kitten that isn’t “pre-neutered”, I recommend discussing your options with your veterinarian to make the right decision for your pet. http://bit.ly/1qpuVXG #LifetimeofLove #PetWeek

54 Just Add Water

Last week I attended a veterinary seminar on IV fluid therapy. We reviewed when to start intravenous fluids, how much, and which kinds to give depending on the pet’s illness and blood test results.
I was reminded about how important water intake and basic hydration status can affect the health of our pets and us. If Fido or Fluffy become just 5% dehydrated, it is significant. And that can happen easily on a hot day without fresh water to drink, or with diarrhea and vomiting. When they get to 8% dehydrated, they are seriously dehydrated, and we need to intervene quickly.
Most of the time, my patients can drink water and stay hydrated. I was taught “if the gut works, use it.” Sometimes we give fluids subcutaneously instead of oral or intravenous. But I don’t hesitate to go IV if I have to. Staying hydrated all the time is critical to life.
Drinking plenty of water is also very important for my older patients with kidney disease, diabetes, bladder infection, or bladder stones. I talk to owners every day about this.
http://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/common-conditions/warning-signs-dehydration-dogs/
I was pondering this as I was flattened by kidney stone pain a few days later. I have passed numerous kidney stones in the last 10 years, and I know I need to stay hydrated and drink lots of water, but I fail sometimes. I like tea and coffee which are diuretic, and they can leave me a little dehydrated.
We are fortunate in Lewisville to have outstanding local water, rated “Superior Public Water Supply,” so I can’t blame the tap water or justify buying bottled water. Good old tap H20 should be just what the doctor ordered to prevent more stones. But I struggle following my own advice.
https://www.cityoflewisville.com/about-us/departments-services/public-services/water-production
The bottom line is pets and humans need to stay hydrated. So watch your pet’s water consumption and urination. Make sure they have access to fresh water at all times. And if they aren’t drinking normally, or having losses like vomit and diarrhea, bring them in immediately. Dehydration is serious, but sometimes we just have to add water.