Pet Health Tip #27- Anti-Freeze Poisoning

Ethylene Glycol (anti-freeze) is highly toxic to pets.  It is one of the most common types of poisonings.  Cats have an especially low tolerance.  It has a sweet taste that pets love, so if it is available, they will drink it.  Pets usually gain access to Ethylene Glycol through spills, leaks, or improperly sealed containers.

Early symptoms of toxicity (usually within 30 minutes to a few hours) include: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, a wobbly gait, head tremors, rapid eye movement, increased urination, and thirst.

Advanced symptoms include: severe depression, dehydration, coma, seizures, oral ulcers, and death

Symptoms are dependent on amount of Ethylene Glycol consumed.  The toxicity is caused by the metabolites that are released as the body tries to breakdown the Ethylene Glycol.  These metabolites are toxic to the liver, nervous system, and kidneys.  The sooner the animal is started on treatment the more likely the Ethylene Glycol can be filtered out of the body before causing damage.  If you have any suspicion that your pet has consumed Ethylene Glycol, DON’T WAIT.  Get them to your veterinarian immediately.  Once organ damage has occurred, treatment is much more intense and the chances of recovery are severely diminished.

Pet Health Tip #26- Rat Poison

One of the common problems with fall and winter is as the weather cools, mice decided to set up residence in our homes, garages, barns, etc.  So, I thought I would put out a word of warning about the dangers of rat bait to pets.  Most rat poisons contain anticoagulants.  These work by stopping the synthesis of Vitamin K.  Vitamin K is essential for clotting to occur.  These poisons are not picky about who ingests them, meaning they will cause the same effect whether it is a rat, a dog, or a who eats it.  The rat poison smells good and with your pet’s keen sense of smell, it doesn’t take them long to find it, no matter how well you think you have hidden it.

Many times it is several days after the pet ingests the poison before they start showing symptoms.  Early symptoms include: Vomit/diarrhea that contains blood, bloody nasal discharge, and pale gums.  As the poisoning takes more effect the symptoms will progress to severe anemia which will cause weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, internal bleeding into the chest or abdomen, and eventually death.

Outdoor pets are at greatest risk for rat poison ingestion.  They can come in contact with it in a barn, neighbors trash, or by ingesting a rat who has been poisoned.  If you catch your pet in the act of eating rat poison, you'll need to induce vomiting.  Use a needleless syringe or even a turkey baster to squirt 3% hydrogen peroxide solution into the back of your pet's mouth.  Give between one and two teaspoons of solution for every ten pounds of weight.  Give the hydrogen peroxide, then wait five or ten minutes to see if your pet vomits. If he does, take him to the vet right away. If not, administer another dose.  REMEMBER- inducing vomiting is ONLY for immediate treatment.  For acute ingestion, the typical treatment includes giving Vitamin K.  However, if you are seeing the symptoms listed above, then it is important to get your pet to the veterinarian to start emergency treatment.  This may include whole blood or plasma transfusions to restore the blood volume.

 Not all rat poisons are toxic to pets.  Will help your veterinarian to determine the best treatment options, if you can bring the package with you on your visit.

Pet Health Tip #25- "Puppy Hair Loss"

There are a several different underlying causes of hair loss in puppies.  I am only going to address a few of them.

Patchy hair loss with associated pruritus (itchiness):  The most common cause for this is fleas.  However, this can also be caused by the Sarcoptes mites.  This is often referred to as “Sarcoptic Mange.”  Infestation with Sarcoptes mites causes severe pruritus.  The puppies will scratch constantly.  Because of the constant scratching, and the damage that it does, the puppies often also develop a bacterial skin infection.  These puppies will have red, crusty skin lesions in addition to the hair loss.  Sarcoptes lives on the skin, and treatment for the mite is usually topical.  However, due to the skin infection, the puppies will often also need to take antibiotics.  Sarcoptes mites easily transfer to other pets, and can cause itchiness in people as well.  They don’t infest humans, meaning they don’t set up permanent residence on our skin.  However, they will bite us if given the chance.

Patchy hair loss without pruritus:  There are two common causes for these symptoms in puppies.  The first is Ringworm.  I discussed the details of Ringworm in a previous post.  The second common cause is another mite called Demodex.  This is often referred to as “Demodectic Mange.”  These mites live in the skin.  They do not typically cause pruritus, so the puppies don’t usually scratch.  The treatment for demodectic mange is oral, and usually requires a long treatment therapy.  However, it is not contagious to other pets or people.  The puppies actually obtain the mite from their mother, during nursing.  In addition, there is a genetic component that determines whether or not the animal will have any symptoms associated with the infestation.

5 star reviews of Heart of a Hero and Welcome Home by Critique de Book

 

Title: Heart of a Hero
Author: Billi Tiner
Genre: YA/Animal
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 28, 2012)
Available: $2.99 at Amazon
Rating: 5 stars
Rater: Lauri

From the author:

Lady, an Irish Setter puppy, is leading a simple life on a farm in Ohio during the 1940’s. Lady’s biggest desire is to become an expert hunting dog like her mother. She has no idea that her life is going to take her down a path where she will find herself in the middle of incredibly dangerous situations, including a world war. On several occasions, Lady will have to find the courage to risk her life in order to save someone she loves. The loyalty and bravery that Lady shows throughout her lifetime illustrate what it truly means to have the heart of a hero.

What I liked: Ms. Tiner’s second adventure story is just too cute. And the story really moves. This dog truly is the hero – she goes from situation to situation, and sometimes things are very sad. She carries on, keeps loving, and does her very best. It’s a story about some of the most important things that help makes us – dogs and people – good.

What I didn’t like: Neither my son nor I liked the dog’s name. It’s just too trite. Maybe Jenny, or Oya?

In sum: One for all animal-loving kids, and grown-ups who like this genre.

 

 

Title: Welcome Home Title: Welcome Home

Author: Billi Tiner

Genre: YA/Animal

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 24, 2011)

Available: $2.99 at Amazon

Rating: 5 stars

Rater: Lauri

From the author:

Welcome Home is the story of Jake, a black Labrador Retriever mix. For as long as Jake can remember, he has been having the same dream. In his dream, he lives with a wonderful man in a beautiful home. He has never seen the face of the man in the dream, but he knows his voice and is certain that they are meant to be together. When the day comes for Jake to be given away to his new home, he believes that he will finally get to meet the man from his dreams. However, when he is chosen, it is definitely not by the man from his dream! He is taken to a home where he is terribly mistreated. After suffering years of abuse, Jake finally escapes and is able to begin the search for the man he has been dreaming of his entire life. Along the way, Jake meets some interesting characters, survives amazing adventures, and forms life-long friendships. Join Jake on his incredible journey home.

What I liked: This is a sweet, sweet book, and I loved that the hero is a dog. My son, who is nine, loved this book, and really got into the story. It’s a gentle adventure, but delves deep enough to inspire warmth and teach a lesson or two.

What I didn’t like: Not one thing.

In sum: Well worth owning - for dog lovers of all ages.

 

Click to visit Critique de Book

 

Pet Health Tip #24- Chocolate Toxicity

We are moving into the holiday season.  This is the time of year when we go chocolate crazy; from Halloween candy to baking various candies for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  So, I thought I would write a post about the potential dangers associated with chocolate toxicity in dogs.  The symptoms of chocolate toxicity can range from mild diarrhea and vomiting to seizures and death.  They include:  Vomiting, Diarrhea, Fever, Muscle Spasms, Rapid Breathing, Increased Heart Rate, Seizures, Coma, and Cardiac Arrest.

The severity of the symptoms depend upon the amount and type of chocolate ingested.  The toxicity levels include the following:

Milk Chocolate: Mild signs at 0.7 oz per pound of body weight; severe toxicity at 2 oz per pound of body weight.  In other words one pound of milk chocolate can cause severe signs in a 20 lb dog.

Semi-sweet Chocolate: Mild signs at 0.3 oz per pound of body weight; severe toxicity at 1 oz per pound of body weight

Baking chocolate: This one is the most toxic and can cause severe symptoms with as little as 2 small 1 oz squares.

In most cases, you will only see mild signs of chocolate toxicity.  However, if enough is ingested, it could cause severe toxicity.  Therefore, it is extremely important to keep chocolate stored away from pets.  If you know your dog has ingested chocolate, then keep in mind the above information when determining whether or not your pet will require veterinary attention.  If it is just a piece or two of milk chocolate, then be prepared for some mild diarrhea.  On the other hand, if your dog ingested an entire bar of bakers chocolate, then you will need to seek veterinary attention.

Pet Health Tip #23- Intestinal Parasites

There are several intestinal worms that infest dogs.  The most common intestinal worms are: Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms, and Tapeworms.  However, the one that is most commonly SEEN by the owner is the Tapeworm.  It looks like a small grain of rice.  The dog is not actually passing the whole worm.  It is actually passing an immature worm that breaks off the mature worm.  The mature tapeworm can be several inches long and is flat.  Occasionally, if the worm burden is high enough, the owner may also see Roundworms.  These are long spaghetti shaped worms.  Most of the time the dog is only passing the worm eggs which are microscopic.

Symptoms of intestinal parasite infestation include: weight loss (or failure to gain weight) and loose stools.  Occasionally in small puppies, you will also see vomiting.  Hookworms can also cause bloody stools.

Another common intestinal parasite is Giardia.  This is not a worm, but is a protozoa organism.  Dogs with Giardia infections usually have very loose stools to runny diarrhea.

Puppies will often times have multiple infestations.  It is common for them to have Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms, and Giardia all at the same time.  This is why it is very important to deworm puppies.  Typically, your veterinarian will deworm your puppy at the same time that it receives its vaccinations.

Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms, and Giardia are all transmitted fecal-orally through the ingestion of the eggs.  The infested dog will pass the eggs in their stool and then the next dog usually picks the eggs up on their feet.  Then, when they groom themselves, then ingest the eggs.  The eggs then mature into adult worms.

Tapeworms are transmitted by the flea.  Dogs typically get tapeworms from the biting at the fleas that are biting them.  They then accidentally ingest the flea and the immature stages of the tapeworm are released and mature into tapeworms.  Cats often become infested with tapeworms by eating a rodent (rat/mouse) that has fleas.

Most Heartworm medications also contain medication that will kill Roundworms and Hookworms.  So, you are giving them a monthly heartworm and intestinal worm treatment with each monthly dose.

Tapeworms are not killed by most Heartworm medications.  Also, most over-the-counter medications DO NOT kill Tapeworms.  It is important if you see evidence of your pet passing Tapeworms to make sure you are using a dewormer that kills them.

FRIENDS FOR LIFE

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Bo and Rico are two puppies who meet at a pet store.  The puppies are dognapped from the pet store by two goons.  Realizing they are in danger, Bo and Rico must work together to escape the dognappers.  After their escape, Bo and Rico find themselves scared and alone on the mean city streets.  They are rescued by a streetwise stray named Tank.  Tank takes the puppies under his wing and teaches them how to survive on the streets.  Bo and Rico embark on several adventures including avoiding the local Animal Control officer, Jimmy; several run-ins with a pack of dogs led by a stray named Mongrel; and rescuing a beautiful lost Poodle named Pearl.  Through it all, Bo and Rico form an incredible friendship that will last a lifetime.

 

REVIEWS:

"Tiner manages to breathe life into the book's four main characters...An entertaining read..."- Kirkus Reviews

5 star-"Friends for Life" is so much more than just your ordinary dog story...It is such a feel good tale that you will want to mark this as one that will be a classic..."-Reviewed by Lorraine Carey for Readers Favorite

"Friends for Life" is a strong pick for youth readers who enjoy a dog-driven tale."- The Midwest Book Review

"Friends for Life may be a children/teen book but any true dog lover will fall in love with Rico and Bo and their mentor Tank. The book formed pictures in my mind of the dogs as they grew and lived their lives. I could hear the doggy voices just from the words Billi used to describe the dogs. The story is a glove on a cold day..sun after the rain...a soft pillow after work. It made me smile and laugh and cry. I am 49 and am an avid book reader. This is one i will never forget . All my dogs (3 of whom are at Rainbow Bridge) have always and will always be my Friend gor Life. So happy i found this book. I hope to meet Rico and Bo again...maybe on a playdate with Tank."- Amazon Reviewer 

 

 

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