Happy Mother's Day!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

From The Staff At Route 516 Animal Hospital

Dog Food Recall

There is a new pet food recall that affect humans in 9 states. Diamond Pet Foods is pulling nine brands and WellPet LLC is recalling one as a precaution.

At least fourteen infected people had contact with dogs or dog food a week prior to them contracting an illness identified as Salmonella.  Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and fever. To date – no deaths have been reported.

Cases so far have been in Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, Michigan, Alabama, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

These products were sold to 16 states in the US East coast and Canada.

Please click on the link for more information.

http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/default.htm#.T6qAhrliXfQ.facebook

Heartworm Disease

Heartworm Disease is actually an infection which is transmitted to dogs and cats from mosquitoes. Heartworm disease is 100% preventable. Make sure your pet is up to date on their heartworm blood test which is recommended to be done annually in our hospital.  There are a number of effective products on the market that will prevent infection. Medications such as Heartgard will kill the immature stage of the parasite so that it can never develop into an adult worm. The American Heartworm Society, www.heartwormsociety.org recommends year round preventative. Check out our informative article under Hospital News – Case of the Month for more information on heartworm disease. Our Hospital is also running a special on Heartgard. Buy a 12 month supply and get $12 rebate back!

Case of the Month - April 2012

The Truth About Heartworm Disease

by Melissa Rotella, DVM

Andrew is a sweet ten year old Golden Retriever who came into Route 516 Animal Hospital for his annual wellness exam and vaccinations. Andrew was an apparently healthy senior who did occasionally cough and had suffered from arthritis in his hind legs. A heartworm test was performed on Andrew, as it is recommended to test annually in our office. This test is performed using a small amount of blood and the results are obtained within minutes. The test will also notify the doctors of any exposure to Lyme’s disease and two other tick born diseases. This year, Andrew was found to be positive for Heartworm disease.

Heartworm disease is actually an infection from the parasite Dirofilaria immitis which is transmitted to dogs and cats from mosquitoes. Heartworm disease is most prevalent in warm areas, especially along the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic coastline, and along the Mississippi River. Many people falsely assume that NJ is not a risk factor area. Andrew is proof that this assumption is not true, having never left the state.

The immature heartworm parasite, or larva stage, is transmitted through a bite of a female mosquito. The parasite then makes its way through the bloodstream to the heart where it develops into an adult worm. This process can take up to seven months to complete. It is the presence of the worms in the heart that causes inflammation and damage to the pulmonary arteries. A number of factors contribute to the severity of the disease including the duration of infection, number of heartworms present, the animals response to the worms, and how active the dog is. There is a wide range of clinical signs ranging from no outward signs, cough, weight loss, exercise intolerance, collapse, heart failure, and death.

It is possible to treat an active heartworm infection but it is also expensive and sometimes dangerous. It can take weeks for an infected animal to recover. Patients must be on strict cage rest following treatment for 4 to 6 weeks and reactions to the drug are possible. After a thorough work up, Andrew was started on a medication called Immiticide and was able to make a full recovery.

Heartworm disease is 100% preventable. There are a number of effective products on the market that will prevent infection. Medications such as Heartgard or Interceptor will kill the immature state of the parasite so that it can never develop into an adult worm. The American Heartworm Society (http://www.heartwormsociety.org) recommends year round preventative.

Case of the Month-March 2012

A Beautiful Evil

by Melissa Rotella, DVM

Charlie is a seven year old domestic short hair cat that was recently seen at Route 516 Animal Hospital. Charlie’s owners had noticed that he had been more lethargic lately and started to vomit. The owners had received a floral arrangement that contained lilies and with closer inspection the owners noticed some bite marks in the leaves. As the owners had some knowledge of the danger of lilies, they made a wise decision in bringing Charlie in for an exam.

Despite being a very common and seasonal household flower, lilies can be quite dangerous to cats. These flowers are known to cause acute kidney disease in cats. In dogs, however, only mild gastrointestinal upset is expected. There is a range of different species of lilies that are considered toxic including Daylilies, Easter lilies, Japanese lilies, Stargazer lilies and Tiger lilies. Lily toxicosis is most prevalent during the Christmas and Easter holiday season, as they are a popular decoration. Despite their name, Lilies of the Valley and Peace lilies are not true lilies and therefore, do not cause kidney disease.

All parts of the lily are considered toxic, including pollen. It is a common myth that removing the stamens from the flowers renders them nontoxic. The most toxin is found in the flower but even drinking the water in the vase can cause clinical signs in cats. Owner’s usually first notice vomiting in affected animals, with signs starting within 2 hours to 5 days of ingestion. Increased thirst, frequent urination, and kidney disease develop within 36 to 72 hours. There is no definitive test to confirm exposure to lilies and the diagnosis is made based on clinical signs and known exposure to the plant. Often plant material can be seen in the vomit.

The basis of treatment is decontamination. This is achieved by inducing vomiting, followed by activated charcoal to bind the remaining toxins from the gastrointestinal tract and limit absorption. This procedure is best achieved prior to any clinical signs developing in the patient. The second phase of treatment is to try and slow or prevent kidney failure. IV fluid therapy for a minimum of 48 to 72 hours is needed. Fluid therapy can be longer in situations where kidney values are already elevated. Additional treatments such as anti-nausea and pain medications are added in on a case by case basis. Blood work is repeated at 24, 48 and 72 hours and then as needed to monitor kidney values.                          

Usually if treatment is started within 18 hours of exposure, before the onset of kidney disease, the prognosis is good. After kidney disease has developed, the prognosis become guarded to poor. Therefore, any known exposure to lilies requires immediate attention by your veterinarian.

In Charlie’s case, his initial lab work revealed elevated kidney values and he stayed in the hospital for 7 days before the values came back down. Due to the lily ingestion, he has suffered permanent kidney damage. He is currently doing well at home, however he is now on a kidney friendly prescription diet and requires subcutaneous fluids two times a week to help manages his mild disease.

The take home message for this case of the month is: With Easter and Spring approaching, if you are a pet owner, take special care in making sure any holiday decorations or floral arrangements do not contain lilies.

Case of the Month-October 2011

A Sweet Escape

Chloe is an adorable six year old female French bulldog who presented to our hospital on October 13, 2011 for celebrating Halloween a little early! Her owner came home after work to find Chloe had gotten out of her crate and escaped to the kitchen where she consumed 1 1/2 pounds of chocolate, wrappers and all!! She enjoyed Mr. Goodbars, Kit Kats and Peppermint Patties! Chloe’s owner was not sure exactly when she ingested the chocolate, but knew it had not been more than six hours and that she was quite bloated.

Chocolate and its by-products contain theobromine and caffeine which can cause side effects to dogs. Severity and the onset of signs depend on the amount and type of chocolate ingested. The higher the amount of theobromine and caffeine, the more toxic the type of chocolate. The high amounts of sugar and fat, while not toxic, can lead to gastrointestinal upset.

      Most toxic to least toxic

• Cocoa powder
• Baker’s chocolate
• Semisweet chocolate
• Instant cocoa mix powder
• Milk chocolate
• White chocolate

Clinical signs usually begin around six to twelve hours after ingestion so Chloe could have been in definite danger. Signs include increased thirst and urination, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, and restlessness. In severe cases, signs can progress to heart arrhythmias, tremors, seizures, collapse, and coma.

When a dog ingests chocolate, it is important to always contact your local veterinarian or animal poison control so that calculations can be made based on body size of the dog and type of chocolate ingested. In most cases, it is recommended to induce vomiting. This is done so that any chocolate not yet absorbed by the intestines can be removed from the body. Following vomiting, activated charcoal is then given orally to the patient. Activated charcoal can then bind the toxins that have already moved into the intestinal tract to help minimize potential side effects. Additional procedures and medications may need to be administered depending on clinical signs. This includes medication for seizures and hear arrthymias, monitoring body temperature and controlling vomiting. Prognosis for chocolate toxicity is generally good with prompt and thorough care. Clinical signs should usually resolve in 12 to 72 hours.

In Chloe’s case, X-Rays were immediately taken and her stomach was found to be extremely full.  Even the metallic wrappers could be seen. Vomiting was induced while Animal Poison Control was contacted. It was determined that Chloe ate enough candy to potentially have severe side effects. Everyone was amazed at the amount of chocolate and candy wrappers that came out of such a little dog and how good it smelled! Chloe actually had a thin waist and a real girlish figure. Enough candy was vomited that she was no longer in severe danger from toxicity. Activated charcoal was given orally as a protective measure. She was then given fluids to help replace those lost from vomiting and gastroprotectants (pepcid) to help settle her stomach. Chloe did great and was able to make a full recovery!

Make sure to keep candy, especially chocolate, in a safe location away from pets. If you feel that your pet may have gotten into chocolate, please make sure to contact your local veterinarian.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Best of the Best Winner!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR US!

WE WON!!! 

The Home News Tribune Best of the Best of Central Jersey

  The Readers Choice Awards Contest for 2011

 in the Categories of

Veterinarian AND Pet Services!! 

We are very proud of these awards

 and we couldn’t have done it without all of our Clients and Pets!

 Best of the Best –  2 years in a row!!

AAHA Accredited!

We are now AAHA Accredited & Celebrating!!

Our hospital was recently evaluated on almost 900 rigorous veterinary standards of excellence.

We are proud to be one of the 15% of AAHA Accredited hospitals in the US & Canada.

AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) Standards of Excellence cover patient care, pain management, anesthesia, surgery and more that are crucial to the delivery of high quality veterinary care!

For more information on accreditation and pet health care, visit www.healthypet.com .

CareCredit

During these tough economic times,

we have a fast & easy solution to help with your vet bills.

No Interest and Extended payment plans are available.

At our hospital, we offer 18 months of no interest

and no finance charges if the bill is over $300

and 6 months if the bill is under $300 through CareCredit.

You can apply quickly, easily and get instant approval

and more information at www.carecredit.com.

CareCredit can be used for ALL our services, medications and even food!

Please call us with any questions.

May 2011

Ringworm

by Melissa Rotella, DVM

Alden is a one year old male cat from a local animal shelter that presented to Route 516 Animal Hospital for an upper respiratory infection. While treating the infection, the staff noticed an area of hair loss on his left front foot.  The lesion was grey with some scaling and crusting where the hair was missing. Based on the appearance and fungal culture results, Alden was diagnosed with ringworm and treatment started immediately.

Despite the name, ringworm is not an actual worm or parasite. In fact, ringworm is a fungal disease known as dermatophytosis. There are several species of dermatophyte fungi. Microsporum canis is the most common species of ringworm and dogs and cats are the normal host.  Microsporum gypseum, which is found in the soil and trichophyton mentagrophytes which has a rodent host are the two other species of ringworm. The fungus lives on skin and feeds on dead cells in the skin, nails, and hair leading to skin infections in mammals, including humans. The term “ringworm” is derived from the way the lesion appears on the skin of humans. The classic appearance in people is a red, irritated area of skin with a ring of scaling around the edge of the lesion.Ringworm can be seen in all our household pets, but tends to be more common in young cats and kittens. There are even some pets that can be a carrier of ringworm. A carrier animal does not show lesions but is still infected and able to pass the disease to other animals and people. Carrier animals, along with the fact that ringworm can survive in the environment (soil) for up to 18 months, make treatment and resolution difficult at times.

A diagnosis of ringworm starts with a physical exam and a suspicion by the doctor. The appearance of lesions can vary between animals but a typical lesion is a circular path of hair loss with inflammation, scaling, and crusting. Some owners will notice their pets scratching or chewing at the lesions, but the pet may not always be itchy. One species of the fungus will fluoresce an apple green color when the lesion is placed under a black light in approximately 50% of cases. A fungal culture is usually needed to confirm a diagnosis of ringworm. It takes at least 10 days for the fungus to grow and therefore many times topical treatment will be initiated prior to confirmation to prevent further spread of the fungus. 

Medial management and disinfection of the home environment are the two main approaches of treatment. The affected hair should be clipped and topical anti fungal creams applied daily. In addition, oral antifungal medications and antibiotics (to treat secondary infections) are added to the treatment plan. Oral antifungal medications can be relatively expensive and have the potential for side effects. It is important that any pet started on oral antifungal be closely monitored for side effects. In the home, affected animals should be confined to one room, away from other pets. Prognosis for most animals is good; however treatment may need to be continued for several weeks to months.

Alden was started on clavamox (an antibiotic) and itraconozle (an antifungal) along with topical medication and weekly bathing. After a month of treatment, Alden was found to be free of ringworm and adopted to a new loving home. His new owners report that he is doing wonderful!