San Carlos Veterinary Hospital
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San Carlos Veterinary Hospital |
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Ask The Doc
A: This commonly asked question requires some understanding of how dogs and cats acquire immunity to infectious diseases. Some examples of familiar and commonly fatal infections are canine distemper, feline distemper, and canine parvo. These, as well as other bacterial and viral diseases, will typically require that your puppy or kitten receive multiple rounds of vaccinations. The reasons are as follows:
- The immunity to specific diseases that a neonate (newborn) has for the first weeks of life is acquired from the mother. The first milk (colostrum) produced by the mother is very rich in antibodies, enhanced by whatever the mother has been exposed to or vaccinated against. These antibodies, which are proteins, are absorbed intact through the intestinal wall of the newborn and rise to very high levels in the newborn’s blood. This process is completed during the first few days of the newborn’s life and additional maternal antibodies will no longer be absorbed from the mother’s milk. It is these acquired maternal antibodies that will attack, inactivate, and kill infectious agents the neonate puppy or kitten may be exposed to. Alas, these acquired antibodies will begin to degrade and disappear sometime between 6 weeks and 22 weeks of age, leaving the youngster with no immunity to protect it from attacks from viruses or bacteria.
- Enter vaccinations! Unfortunately, high levels of maternal antibodies will also inactivate vaccines, rendering them ineffective. It can be seen that inoculations given prior to 6 weeks of age will likely be useless because of the presence of high maternal antibody levels. Waiting until 22 weeks of age to vaccinate will likely confer immunity to all individuals. The "Catch 22" is that it is not practical to determine the exact date that maternal protection is lost for a given youngster. Waiting until 22 weeks of age to vaccinate will leave the majority of puppies and kittens unprotected and vulnerable to infections for several very critical weeks of their young lives. Thus, your veterinarian will typically recommend three or more visits for inoculations at the earliest possible time in an attempt to stimulate the youngster’s immune response to produce long-lasting immunity. The total number of vaccinations recommended depends upon the age of the puppy or kitten when vaccines are started and the length of time between vaccines preferred by the veterinarian. At San Carlos Veterinary Hospital, we usually recommend that vaccinations be begun at 7 to 8 weeks of age and be repeated approximately every three weeks until the youngster is about 22 weeks of age.
If a previously unvaccinated animal is given its first inoculation, the immune response is typically sluggish, incomplete, and short-lived. If, however, that animal is given a second inoculation within a few weeks, the immunity is vigorous and prolonged. Thus, having at least two vaccinations, a few weeks apart, may be needed to promote effective immunity, even in adult animals. It seems like a lot of needles, but it is what Mother Nature dictates we do to thwart some of her creatures and promote the health of others. It could be considered "cheap insurance" against the alternative of severe illness or even death.
A: "No food" is the most important one. Pets often require heavy sedation or general anesthesia for procedures that in human medicine would require only local anesthesia or slight sedation. This is because the pet does not understand that the doctor is trying to help him or her. A simple laceration, dental prophylaxis, or abscess surgery all require heavy sedation or general anesthesia for the pet patient. If the pet vomits while sedated, it could choke. This is the same advice doctors give their human patients before surgery that requires general anesthesia.
If you have an appointment with your veterinarian, and you suspect your pet might need minor or major surgery, take its food away twelve hours before the scheduled appointment. In our practice, we feel it is alright to offer the animal moderate amounts of water before surgery.
Another recommendation before scheduled surgery is to give your pet a nice bath if it is dirty or has external parasites. This will help to reduce the chance of infection during the surgical procedure.
Following these simple instructions will help insure a safer anesthesia and uneventful recovery for your pet.
A: Cat owners often report that their cat is urinating outside of the litter box. A medical problem such as a urinary tract infection should always be ruled out first. Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations on checking for this.
Once a medical problem is ruled out, you can focus on changing your cat’s behavior. If your cat is spraying on vertical surfaces, he is marking his territory. Have your intact cat neutered. If he is already neutered, try to limit his exposure to outdoor cats and place food, toys, citrus scent or foil on marking areas. As a last resort, your veterinarian may prescribe a mood-modifying drug. Incidentally, female as well as male cats can show marking behavior.
If your cat is urinating on horizontal surfaces, he may not like the type or condition of the litter, the location of the litter box, or he may prefer a different type of surface on which to urinate. Find a type of litter that your cat prefers, clean out urine and feces daily and the entire box weekly , remove the hood on a hooded litter box and provide one box for each cat in the household. Make sure that the box is in a quiet area and separated from the feeding area, and never punish your cat near the box. For surface preference, you can change the preferred surface by covering carpet with plastic or leaving water in the bathtub then removing it gradually, or place food, toys, foil, double-sided tape or citrus scent on the preferred surface. You can also place the box at the preferred location and gradually return it to it’s original location. In addition, remember to clean all soiled areas with an enzymatic cleaner.
Inappropriate urination can be a more complex problem than described here. Each case should be evaluated on an individual basis. See your veterinarian for advice!
A: There are several reasons why dogs exhibit this behavior.
- If a dog has fleas, a flea allergy or other allergy that causes the anal area to itch, they will scoot across the carpet or lawn to relieve the itch.
- If a dog has tapeworms (caused by the dog chewing a flea) it may pass the tapeworm segments in the bowel movement. Some of these segments may stick to the animal's fur and cause intense itching. The dog relieves this itching by scooting.
- Dogs and cats have two small anal glands situated on either side of their anus, at eight o’ clock and at four o’ clock . These glands help to lubricate the bowel movement. If they become impacted or infected, the animal will scoot to relieve the pain and itching.
- Some dogs are very meticulous about cleanliness. They will scoot on the carpet or grass after a bowel movement in order to clean their anal area.
- A pet may scoot on its rear end if there is a mass, such as a tumor, growing or ulcerating in that area.
A: Yes, there are currently three microchips available for implantation. The one we use is distributed by Schering-Plough Co. and is called HomeAgain. The microchip is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades of both dogs and cats. The needle we use is slightly larger than one used to give your pet a vaccination. The injection is done with the pet awake and causes about the same discomfort as a regular vaccination. All animal shelters and most veterinarians in San Diego have detectors that can scan for all three types of microchips. The cost for the microchip and implantation is about $35. We also recommend that you spend an additional one-time fee of $9 to register the implanted microchip with the American Kennel Club (AKC). If your pet is scanned and the microchip is detected, the animal shelter or vet calls an 800 telephone number at the AKC, gives them the microchip number, and they give us your name and telephone number so we can contact you to let you know we found your lost pet. If the pet is sold or given away, the microchip registration information can be modified at the AKC to reflect the new owner. We have successfully found the owners of lost pets using microchip information several times. It is very gratifying to know that, even if a collar and identification tag is torn off or removed from a pet, we can still identify the pet and locate its owner.
A: Good question. He are some that we advise our clients at SCVH to follow:
- GENERAL - Dogs and cats are curious about unfamiliar objects in their household. Often pets explore these objects by pulling or chewing on them. Be aware of these hazards during the holidays - this can avoid accidents.
- TINSEL - Hang tinsel only from high branches, if at all. Monitor your tree to make sure it has not fallen within reach of your pet. Cats especially love to chew on tinsel. Swallowing it can cause choking or obstruction of the digestive track.
- TREE ORNAMENTS - Fallen ornaments or decorations may get broken and cause severe cuts. Hang breakable ornaments on high branches and secure them with wire if you suspect your pet may jump on or shake the tree.
- ELECTRICAL CORDS - Chewing on electrical cords can result in an electric shock, burns, or even electrocution. Try to make Christmas tree lights and other electrical cords as inaccessible as possible.
- CANDLES - Never allow candles to burn where they could fall or otherwise be accessible to your pet. The flame often attracts dogs or cats.
- BONES - Dispose of bones in a pet-proof manner, as your pet may search through the trash to find them. Small sharp bones or splinters from larger bones can cause choking, perforation of the intestine, and severe gastric problems.
- CHOCOLATE - Sweets containing chocolate should always be kept out of your pet's reach. Ingestion of chocolate can cause hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, heart irregularities, damage to the kidneys, and even death. Click here for more information.
- TOBACCO - Your guests may have left behind a cigarette or cigar butt. If your pet eats it s/he could suffer from nicotine poisoning.
- ALCOHOL - Be careful of alcoholic beverages around the holidays, especially the sweet ones. If a cat or dog become intoxicated, they can present a diagnostic nightmare to the veterinarian, especially if the animal's owner did not see it partake.
- ANIMAL VISITORS - Avoid inviting other pets into your home if you have a new puppy or kitten until they have been fully vaccinated. Make sure the visiting pet is up-to-date on their vaccinations and boosters. Your adult pet should be current with his/her boosters as well.
- HOLIDAY PLANTS - Many decorative holiday plants are poisonous. The following plants should be kept out of the reach of pets. Many of these plants have leaves, berries or blooms that might make them attractive to your pet. The California Poison Control System, San Diego has a more extensive list of poisonous plants.
Christmas Berries - berries
Heteromeles arbutifoliaChristmas Rose - all parts
Helleborus nigerHolly - leaves and berries
Ilex spp.
Mistletoe - berries
Phoradendron leucarpumPoinsettia - leaves and sap
Euphorbia pulcherrimaRhubarb - leaves
PolygonaceaeStar of Bethlehem - all parts
Ornithogalum arabicumPeach, Pear, and Plum - seeds
RosaceaeAlso see Carole Schatz's Behavioral Tips for keeping you pet safe at the holidays.
A: Relatively speaking, they're not. One reason they may seem more costly is that we, as a society, have made our pets more a member of our family. Like other family members, when our pets are sick or injured we want to give them the best care that we can. Because few people have health insurance for their pets, when you pay your vet bill you see the total cost of the services rendered, not just the co-payment or deductible not covered by insurance.
If you are interested in more information on this subject, the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association has reproduced on their Web site a pamphlet that was originally printed, I believe, by the Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation of Tampa, FL. It discusses various aspects of the cost vs. the value of good veterinary services.
A: Dogs (and cats) occasionally eat grass or other leafy things because of a particular attraction to that piece of greenery (or a flower, bulb, etc.). However, they most often eat grass because they have an "upset stomach". B
y eating grass, this stimulates vomiting in an attempt to "clear" their digestive system. If your dog or cat eats grass then seems to lose its appetite, you should have your pet examined by your veterinarian to eliminate the possibility of more serious problems.
A: There are several good choices. There are also several factors to be taken into account: The size of your yard, the size of your children, the trainability of the breed, the amount of special care that may be involved, the amount of time the parents have to spend with the dog, etc.
A good place to start looking is at the Excite Decision Maker Web site, under the selection "Need help choosing the perfect dog?" It allows you to plug in the various factors that pertain to you, then see how they rank the various breeds of dog based on your choices. You can have a lot of fun varying the different factors to see how the choices change. You can also discover more about the different breeds and compare one breed to others. Once you have narrowed down your choices, check out the links on our Web site to various breeds and kennel clubs.
A: So far, we've been lucky in America's Finest City. We are the "flea capitol of the world," but, thanks to products like Advantage®, Program®, and Frontline® we have been able to get a handle on those problems. Frontline® is also effective at preventing ticks.
Heartworm is a parasitic nematode (Dirofilaria immitis) that is transmitted by mosquitoes and found mainly in dogs. Most cases of heartworm in San Diego County are brought in from other parts of the country. The only areas with endemic heartworm (so far) in Southern California are mountainous regions; specifically Idyllwild in Riverside County and Julian in San Diego County. Your biggest concern about heartworm involves taking your pet out of San Diego (on vacations, to visit friends or relatives, etc.). If you are planning such a trip, you might want to have your pet checked by your veterinarian to be sure it is not a heartworm carrier - which is unlikely. Start your pet on a once-a-month preventive pill before leave on your trip. Click here for other Web sites with information about heartworm.
Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete bacterium (Borrelia burgdoferi) that is transmitted by ticks, often of the genus Ixodes. It has been identified in a few cases in San Diego. There is a vaccine to help prevent your pet from getting this debilitating disease. We recommend this vaccine if your pet is likely to come in contact with ticks (such as on hiking trails or playing in canyons or in heavy brush). Click here for other Web sites with information about Lyme Disease.
Here are facts about Lyme Disease you can use in your next trivia game:
- Lyme Disease gets its name from the town in Connecticut where the first major outbreak of the disease occurred.
- Scientist believe Lyme Disease is not new; it's been around in the United States for at least 100 years.
- The bacterium that causes Lyme Disease is named for the person who discovered it, Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D..
A: Cats that groom themselves a lot are likely to swallow some hair, which clumps in their stomachs, coalesces into a ball, then acts as a periodic obstruction to outflow of stomach contents into the small intestine. When the hair ball acts as an obstruction, the cat vomits. You can help your cat "pass" the hair balls before they get too large by giving him or her a "Vaseline-like" product by mouth (there are several to choose from) on a weekly basis. These products cling to the hair balls and help them "slide" into the small intestine and pass out with their bowel movements. If your cat vomits frequently, with only small amounts of hair in the vomitus, you should see your veterinarian. Occasionally, the hair balls get so large that surgery may be required to remove them from the cat's stomach.