Monthly Newsletter
The veterinarians and staff at the Carlsbad Animal Hospital are pleased to provide you with an online newsletter. This fun and fact-filled newsletter is updated on a regular basis.
Included in the newsletter are articles pertaining to pet care, information on our animal hospital, as well as news on the latest trends and discoveries in veterinary medicine.
Please enjoy the newsletter!
Current Newsletter Topics
Elderly People and Their Pets: Part 4, Estate Planning and Pets
Westminster: The Stuff (Dog) Winners Are Made Of Travelin’ Jack’s Surgical Adventure
Travelin’ Jack’s Surgical Adventure
Elderly People and Their Pets: Part 4, Estate Planning and Pets
If you are like most pet owners, you love your dog or cat and enjoy spending time taking care of it and making sure he or she is happy and healthy. In return, your pet provides companionship and unconditional love and affection.
However, what would happen if you were no longer there to care for your pet? What if you suffer a debilitating accident or sickness, or worse, die? The sad fact is that many pets each year end up unloved by unsympathetic caretakers or in shelters where they run the risk of being euthanized if a home cannot quickly be found.
Asking a friend or family member to take care of a pet if something should happen to you can provide some reassurance. However, you have to ask yourself if they really are capable of handling the responsibility and won’t simply pass the pet on to a shelter after you’re gone.
If you are concerned by what might happen to your pet, it is wise and important to include your pet in your estate planning. A good place to start is your pet’s veterinarian. This person should have some sense of your state’s laws as well as provide some suggestions of where to start and where else to find help, such as an estate lawyer with relevant experience.
My Will and My Pet
Wills can be a tricky area for ensuring your pet is taken care of because they are primarily a tool for distributing property and cannot be used to enforce demands, such as for the care of a pet.
The effectiveness of wills is also limited by the fact that in most if not all states pets are treated as property. Therefore, you will not be able to leave money or other property directly to a pet for their care because in the eyes of the law it is the equivalent of bequeathing an end-table to a couch.
You can select a trusted caregiver to whom you can bequeath the pet and assets to be used for the pet’s care. However, there is nothing forcing that person to follow through on that responsibility or to follow any care instructions you leave behind.
Also wills are not enacted immediately as they must go through probate. This could leave your pet in a legal limbo while the will is processed. If there is a challenge to the will, your pet could be in limbo for quite some time. Additionally, changes to wills are often left to the discretion of a court.
This is not to say you should not include your pet in your will. You should, but it should be buttressed with a pet trust.
Pet Trusts
This is a legal tool that helps provide assurance your pet will be cared for according to your wishes after you die or are incapacitated by illness or an accident. Basically, a pet owner creates a trust and selects a trustee either in their will or while alive. With the assets used to create the trust, the pet owner includes instructions for the care of the pet that must be followed.
The trustee then brings the pet to the appointed caregiver and ensures the money left for the pet’s care is available when needed. It is very important to select a caregiver that is willing and capable of caring for the pet as well as a backup caregiver just to be sure.
Instructions that can be left include stipulations for veterinary care, lifestyle, food, routines, cages, grooming, compensation for caregiver, liability insurance to protect the caregiver, and nearly any other aspect of the pet’s care that is important to you.
Other Alternatives
Not everyone has the financial resources to establish a trust or the ability to name a trusted caregiver. In this case, selecting an executor of your will capable of finding a good home for your pet and stipulating this in your will is a good idea. There are also organizations such as the ASPCA that for a modest donation will help find a home for your pet. Your veterinarian may be able to help you as well.
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Aside from an accumulation of dirt, a persistent and unpleasant doggie odor could be caused by many factors. Some of these factors include dental disease, ear infections and oily skin.
A closer look at your dog may help you find the problem.
Look in your dog’s mouth.
Are the teeth discolored?
Do you smell more than the usual “doggie breath?”
If so, a visit to the veterinarian for a dental checkup and treatment may be in order. During your visit, your veterinarian may explain how you can clean your dog’s teeth, in order to help protect against future dental disease.
Ear infections are frequently the cause of an offensive odor, especially among long-eared and floppy-eared dogs. The inside of the ear becomes moist and hot, providing the perfect environment for infections. Take a close look inside your dog’s ears. Is the skin red and sore? Does the dog cry out in pain as you try to examine the ears? Does the ear canal have a bad odor? Any of these may be warning signs of an ear infection which should be treated by a veterinarian.
Do you feel a slight greasiness on your hands after you pet your dog? This may be an indication of seborrhea, a common skin disorder in dogs. These dogs have excess production of sebum, a normal product of the skin glands. The result can be flaky dandruff or an oily, waxy feel to the hair coat and a strong odor. Seborrhea may also dispose a dog to skin and ear infections. Frequent bathing with a medicated shampoo recommended by your veterinarian can help prevent much of the odor.
One other possibility for your dog’s odor may be its rear end. Infection or improper emptying of the anal glands can cause odor and discomfort to the dog, and a trip to the veterinarian may be in order. Long-haired dogs sometimes have a soiled rear from defecating. Without daily brushing, the rear can become matted and smelly. Monthly clipping around the rear end helps, as does daily brushing and grooming.
Once you have investigated the cause of your dog’s odor you can begin to help control it. Enlist the aid of your veterinarian in identifying the problem, treating it if necessary, and controlling it in the future. Never forget the importance of grooming on a regular basis. It is essential to keep a hair coat healthy by removing scale, dirt and dead hair; distributing the natural oils throughout the coat and preventing mats and tangles in long hair.
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Since many of us believe that a house is not a home without a cat, we need to ask ourselves if our home is a safe place for them. If you have children, many of the safety measures needed for cats are probably already in place. If not, then it is necessary to look around the house and fix potential hazards.
Even cats that spend most of their time indoors may be exposed to a number of potential hazards. Disinfectants, drain cleaners, and detergents are among the many household chemicals that are toxic to your pet. They should be stored in tightly closed containers and secured cabinets where pets are unable to reach them. Medicines should also be stored out of reach.
Good Thing This Cat Doesn’t Have Thumbs!
Sharp objects such as knives and forks, carpet tacks and pins should be kept out of reach. Children’s toys and small objects may attract a playful kitty and become lodged in its mouth or swallowed. Although kittens are sometimes pictured with a ball of yarn, a playful kitten and yarn are a bad combination. If ingested, yarn as well as any kind of thread, twine or ribbon could cause serious damage to the esophagus and intestinal tract.
According to the National Safety Council, as many as 5,000 house fires a year can be attributed to pets as a result of their chewing of electrical cords. In order to prevent this hazard, do your best to keep electrical wiring out of your cat’s sight and reach. Exposed lamp cords and other wires should be kept as short as possible. If extension cords are used, tack them against a baseboard or run them under a carpet so they cannot be played with or chewed.
If you live in an apartment, your cat may be vulnerable to “high-rise syndrome.” If your window screens are not securely fastened, a cat may fall from a window and suffer serious injuries, if not death. A cat should be sufficiently restrained or confined if allowed on an apartment balcony.
A Definite No-No!
According to the Center for Disease Control, 74 percent of homes in the United States built prior to 1980 contain hazardous amounts of lead paint. As with humans, any item containing lead can be extremely harmful to a cat. Harmful effects may not show up until weeks after ingestion. Signs of lead poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, loss of appetite, loss of muscle coordination, blindness, and seizures. Consult your veterinarian immediately if you think there is a possibility of lead poisoning.
In addition to indoor dangers, outdoor hazards are often found in the garage or shed. Harmful products include windshield cleaners, weed killers, insecticides, used motor oil and antifreeze. Many cats are attracted to the sweet taste of antifreeze (believe it or not!) containing the chemical ethylene glycol which is highly toxic to cats. If it is spilled on the ground or leaking from your car, it can combine with a puddle making it exceptionally easy for your cat to drink it. New antifreeze products have been introduced that claim to be non-toxic to pets, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Be sure to clean up spills of any questionable liquid to avoid injuring your kitty!
Wherever the hazard may come, it is important to remember that your cat is not so different from a child. Curious paws and noses may inevitably discover areas that have yet to be “kitty-proofed.” Once you get to know the likes and dislikes of your cat, it would be much easier to determine what is hazardous and what has not made your cat’s priority list of noteworthy attractions.
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When bacteria invade the body, a bacterial infection is present. Often, the bacteria are removed by our own immune system before there are any obvious signs of disease. But if bacteria multiply faster than our immune system can destroy them, an infectious disease develops. An infectious disease is treated by drugs that harm the bacteria – either by killing them or by preventing them from multiplying – without harming the host (animals). These drugs are called antibiotics.
Many people simply use the term antibiotics to apply to the broad group of drugs that prevent the spread of or kill microorganisms. Sometimes, though, a finer distinction is made. An antimicrobial is a drug that kills (or inhibits the multiplication of) microbes or microorganisms. Bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa are all microbes. Antibiotics, however, kill only bacteria. They have no effect on viral or fungal disease.
An antibiotic such as penicillin, is bactericidal. This type of antibiotic kills bacteria. A bacteriostatic antibiotic, such as tetracycline and erythromycin, stops the bacteria from multiplying. After the invading bacteria stops multiplying, the body’s natural defenses usually kills the existing bacteria.
The discovery and development of antibiotic drugs are two of the most important therapeutic advances of the twentieth century. Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1929, and was introduced into clinical use in 1940. Fleming was awarded the Nobel prize in 1945 for this discovery. Since then, antibiotics have dramatically changed the course of many illnesses (both in humans and in animals) from almost certain death to little more than an inconvenience.
The problem of resistance to antibiotics is very serious. Very often, an animal is treated successfully with amoxicillin (the most commonly-prescribed small animal veterinary drug in the United States) on three separate occasions for three different infections. Then, amoxicillin doesn’t work for the fourth infection. Since different antibiotics have different spectra of activity (only work on certain bacteria), this particular bacteria may not be sensitive to amoxicillin.
Another problem with antibiotic resistance occurs when an animal is treated for the same infection several different times with the same antibiotic. The antibiotic works perfectly during the first 2 or 3 episodes, then on the fourth episode, it fails to work. The most likely reason for this is that the organism has become resistant to that particular antibiotic.
Bacteria become resistant to some antibiotics through genetic mutations, which are then passed on to succeeding generations of bacteria. Amoxicillin is ineffective against infections from staphylococci, for example, because those organisms have developed resistance to the entire group of penicillin-type antibiotics (called beta-lactamins), including amoxicillin. These bacteria produce an enzyme, penicillinase, which changes the structure of the drug and makes it inactive. This is an example of bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics by inactivating the drug via specific enzymes. There are other mechanisms by which bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. These include alterations in the bacterial target enzyme as well as changes in the ability of the drugs to accumulate in or on the bacteria.
Here are some important things to remember when your pet is taking antibiotics:
1.
Antibiotics need to be given at specific times. Even though it may be difficult to give a medication every six or eight hours, it is necessary in order for these medications to work properly.
Antibiotics need to be given for a particular duration
. During the first few days on the antibiotic, our pet usually feels much better. The antibiotic zaps most of the bacteria; however, there are usually still some bacteria left in their system. At this point, if the medicine is discontinued, the surviving bacteria quickly grow and multiply, and may overwhelm our pet once again. Continuing the medication for the full course usually prevents this from occurring.
Antibiotics need to be stored properly so that they do not lose their effectiveness. Some call for refrigeration; especially those that are liquids. Also, be sure to shake liquid formulas before administering them.
It is crucial that you do not begin to give antibiotics to your pet without first talking to your veterinarian.
As a general rule, antibiotics are very safe and have few side effects. Loss of appetite, upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea are the side effects most commonly encountered.
Occasionally, an animal will develop an allergic reaction to an antibiotic. This usually occurs within the first 30 minutes after administration. Severe allergic reactions – panting heavily, difficulty breathing, intense vomiting or diarrhea, seizures or lethargy – are emergencies and should immediately be seen by a veterinarian.
If you have any questions regarding an antibiotic or any medication, please contact a staff member at your veterinary hospital.
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The Westminster Kennel Club Show is to dogs what the Olympics are to Michael Phelps, the US Open is to the Williams sisters, and Miss America is to its beauty queens. It’s the dog community’s showing of their crème de la crème. Dog owners, breeders and enthusiasts gather from around the nation to watch or put their dog – and its talents and beauties – to the test. The annual event took place in February of this year, announcing Hickory, the Scottish Deerhound, as its Best in Show. Hickory is the first of her breed to be crowned with this title in the event’s 135-year long history.
Scottish Deerhound
Brief history of the show and winners
The Westminster competition began in 1877, with a first show of 1,200 dogs parading through Gilmore’s Garden in New York City. Today the event takes place in Madison Square Garden, and has capped its canine participants to 2,500 – each of which must be a champion in his or her own breed in order to even enter the ring. After the Kentucky Derby, the Westminster show is the second oldest continuously held sporting competition in the nation.
The Terrier Group has won the most Best in Shows of any group, taking home 45 top wins. It’s the Wire Fox Terrier, however, who appears to be the show’s favorite, winning 13 Best in Show titles. The Herding Group is last on the list, with only one win.
Want to treat your dog like a king or queen? Think your champion purebred has what it takes to be the next winner? Here is some information on how the Westminster competition works:
When and where:
Monday and Tuesday, February 13-14, 2012
Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
How to enter your dog:
Register your dog with the American Kennel Club (AKC) or an approved foreign registry. Only dogs in the AKC stud book or recognized pedigree registries are allowed to compete.
Once you complete the registration steps – including a confirmation of championship – you will be sent either an invitation or entry form to fill out and mail back. It costs $75 to enter your dog in the show.
Let the games begin.
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Like millions of dogs, and quite a few professional athletes, Jack the English Bulldog was sidelined with a knee injury. Thankfully, Jack has a great owner and a dedicated veterinary team. Together, they were able to repair his knee and get him back to work. Watch this video to learn more about cruciate injuries and the surgeries that help get our pets back on their feet.
I check my dog’s stool in the yard everyday and do not see any worms; therefore, he / she does not have intestinal parasites.
True
False
Which of the following is NOT a dog vaccine?
1. Rabies
2. Parvovirus
3. Distemper
4. FeLV
Of the following, which is the BEST way to keep my dog’s teeth and gums healthy?
1. Rawhide
2. Brushing with a vet approved dental paste and soft tooth brush
3. Chew toys
4. Tartar control diets
My dog has an ear infection. The best treatment is?
1. Use a prescription from my other dog’s ear infection
2. See your veterinarian immediately
3. Clean the ears with baby oil or rubbing
4. Clean the ears with a cotton swab
Which breed is known for its dark purple tongue?
1. Papillon
2. Chow Chow
3. Puli
4. Irish Wolfhound
My dog only goes out for walks in the yard, so he doesn’t need to be on a heartworm preventative.
True
False
My housebroken dog is suddenly urinating in the house. What could this possibly mean?
1. Bladder infection
2. Diabetes
3. Kidney failure
4. Any of these
My dog scoots his rear on the floor everyday after going to the bathroom. This is just a silly behavior problem.
True
False
The best way to treat my older dog’s achy joints is?
1. Tylenol
2. Acetaminophen
3. An approved canine anti-inflammatory drug
4. Any of these are fine
When is the usual time to spay or neuter my dog?
1. 5-6 months old
2. 1 year old
3. 18 months old
4. After he or she is fully grown
Answers
1. False, 2. 4, 3. 2, 4. 2, 5. 2
6. False, 7. 4, 8. False, 9. 3, 10. 1
You might see mostly cats, dogs, birds, and mice where you live. But there are many more animals all over the world that you have probably never heard about.The animals below are all part of the program run by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association that works to make sure certain wildlife species survive.
Take this quiz to see how much you know about other interesting animals. Match the animal with it’s corresponding name. Answers are given below.
Answers: A. Scimitar-Horned Oryx
Named for its long, curving horns, the scimitar-horned oryx stands about 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall. Its horns may add another .9 meters (3 feet) of height to its body.
Although the oryx lives mostly in desert and scrubland areas of North Africa, it likes to feed on grasses. The oryx must migrate over some distance in order to find enough food. The domestic cattle that compete for the same grasses and the game hunters who hunt the animal for its trophy horns both threaten the oryx’s survival.
No one knows how many oryx remain in the wild. Some people think there a few hundred left, while others believe none survive. About 10 captive-bred oryx were reintroduced to a national park in Tunisia in 1985.
Answers: B. Tree Kangaroo
While the tree kangaroo is related to the land kangaroo found in Australia, it has shorter, wider hind feet and a longer, narrower tail than its cousin. The tree kangaroo’s heavy, curved claws help it climb and stay in position while it sleeps.
Like the land kangaroo, the tree kangaroo has a pouch to carry its young. Once the animal is born, it climbs into its mother’s pouch and grows there for several months before coming out for food.
Tree kangaroos are mostly found in northeastern Australia and New Guinea. They tend to live alone in tropical forests, where they feed on tree leaves, flowers, grass, and fruit. Their existence is threatened by hunters seeking them for food, and from forest destruction for logging, mining, and agriculture.
Answers: C. Okapi
Looks kind of like a zebra, or maybe a horse, right? Well, the okapi is actually more closely related to the giraffe! Like the giraffe, the okapi has a very long tongue that can reach out and pull tender new leaves off forest trees—it can even use its tongue to groom its ears!. The males in both species also have skin-covered horns.
The okapi isn’t nearly as tall as the giraffe. It only stands about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. It’s also a very hard to study because its stripes and dark color help to hide it in the forest and its quick speed allows it to make a fast getaway whenever it senses danger.
The rain forests in northern Zaire are the okapi’s main habitat, where this animal mostly roams alone and is protected by the government. Still, the okapi faces threats from commercial poaching and habitat loss due to increased human settlement. Most okapis seen in zoos have been obtained from captive breeding programs rather than having been taken from the wild.
Answers: D. The Chacoan Peccary
The Chacoan peccary looks a lot like a big, hairy pig. And it grunts and snorts like a pig, too. Yet, while the peccary shares a common ancestry with the pig, the two animals are very different, both anatomically and genetically.
The Chacoan peccary is the largest of three different types of peccaries, weighing in at about 45 kilograms (100 pounds). It lives mostly in the Gran Chaco area of Paraguay, South America, an area that makes up 60 percent of the country’s land. There, where the land is flat and dry with seasonal floods, the Chacoan peccary feasts on tubers, roots, cactus pads and fruit and flowers (sometimes snacking on small invertebrates such as snails).
You would likely find the Chacoan peccary in small groups of three to seven males and females. They are considered endangered in Paraguay, where they are threatened by a loss of natural habitat due to development, and are also hunted as a food source.
Answers: E. Micronesian Kingfisher
The Micronesian kingfisher is native to Guam, where it thrived until the brown tree snake was accidentally introduced to the island. The snake made easy prey of many species of birds which were unaccustomed to snakes as predators, including the Micronesian kingfisher, which now appears to be extinct in Guam. The only surviving birds reside in captivity in zoos.
Many kingfisher birds actually hunt and eat fish as part of their diet. The Micronesian kingfisher, however, survives mostly on a diet of grasshoppers, lizards, insects, and small crustaceans. This bird’s large, strong beak is useful for drilling nest holes in trees and rotting wood.
Answers: F. The Cotton-Top Tamarin
Aptly named for the tuft of white hair on its head, the cotton-top tamarin is only found in the wild in northwestern Colombia. The cotton-top tamarin can survive in both Colombia’s dry thorn forests and wet tropical forests, where it maintains a steady diet of fruits and insects.
The tamarin weighs only 400-700 grams (about 1 to 1.5 pounds). Its body and tail (the tail is used to balance during climbing and jumping) measures in total about 46 centimeters (18 inches).
While only one female in a troop gives birth, all of the tamarins care for the infants, in a system where parental care is learned rather than instinctive. Before the species was declared endangered and banned from exportation in 1973, the cotton-top tamarin was threatened by its heavy use in biomedical research. Now its biggest threats are deforestation, and its popularity in the local Colombian pet trade.
Answers: G. The Siamang
The siamang belongs to a family of apes called gibbons, and is well-known for its morning songs in the rain forests of the Malaysian peninsula and Sumatra. Male and female pairs sing a duet for about a half-hour to help establish their territory to other siamangs in the area.
Siamangs, who live their entire lives in the treetops, mate with one partner for life. They mostly feed on fruits, flowers, and young leaves. Siamangs face threats from logging and agricultural practices that shrink the forest, and from poachers seeking them out for the pet trade.
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