Holiday Pet Stories from the Staff!

Please remember to be cautious when decorating this Holiday Season! Our pets are curious...and sometime too curious and playful for their own good!

Here are some of our personal accounts...

"When one of my cats was about 6 months old it climbed up into the Christmas Tree to play with dangling ornaments.  It made its way about 2/3 up the tree then out to the end of a branch and tipped the tree completely over!  Needless to say, the kitten had a field day with all the ornaments lying on the floor!"  -- Janeen "Coors (the cat featured above) may look innocent in this picture, but one year he ate multiple pine needles that bunched up in his stomach causing vomiting, pancreatitis, and secondary liver disease.  It took Dr. Preston and I  8 weeks to get make our own cat well again...now we have a fake tree!"   -- Dr. Nell "I'll never forget the year Pimpy, our Jardines Parrot, was accidentally left unattended.  He took the liberty of opening (shredding) all of the wrapped gifts under the tree"  -- Dr. Preston Remember to visit Lombard Animal Hospital for safe and nutritious stocking stuffers this year! We will be featuring our favorites all month long on Facebook! Facebook Page

Belle's Story: A Big Loser

Belle is now a healthy 11.2 pound, 11 year old Female Domestic Cat.  However, she wasn't always this svelte.  Her story at Lombard Animal Hospital begins in May 2008 when she was seen for her annual exam and weighed in at a whopping 21.3 pounds and a body condition score of 8/9.
 (Body Condition Score is a measurement veterinarians use in addition to body weight, in order to assess whether a pet is too heavy, too thin or just right for their frame. See links at the bottom of the page.)

Before - A bit Round, 21.3#!

After - Thinned Down, 11.7#!

Weight loss was discussed during the exam and she had no other health concerns at that time.  Then in June, Belle began to have issues with constipation and gastritis.  Like many overweight cats, Belle stopped eating which actually made her sicker.  Xrays and an ultrasound revealed that Belle had hepatic lipidosis, or "fatty liver."  

Hepatic lipidosis is a disease that occurs when overweight or obese cats stop eating due to an underlying cause.  This cause can be as innocent as a stressful situation to as devastating as cancer.  In Belle's case, we suspected stress related gastritis (stomach upset) leading to a loss of appetite.
"The modern house cat has every opportunity to become overweight and while this may not be of disastrous consequence on a day to day basis, should the cat get sick or lost and stop eating, a very big problem erupts. The fat stores mobilize. Normally, in starvation fat is moved from the body's storage depots to the liver for processing into lipoproteins but the feline liver was never intended to handle huge amounts of mobilized fat. The liver becomes infiltrated with fat and fails" (Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP , VIN Pet Health Library).

Hepatic Lipidosis is only one of many health issues that can occur in overweight pets. Luckily for Belle, her owners took her nutrition plan very seriously and she was able to safely lose 10 pounds over 2 years.  Belle's weight goal and a body condition score of 5/9 was mainly achieved by implementing a twice daily feeding schedule and measuring her caloric intake.  Calories in must be less than calories out! It sounds easy, but can be overwhelming for many pet owners.  When beginning a weight loss plan for your pet, it is best to seek the advice of your veterinarian. They can help you set realistic, healthy targets and ensure that your pet is eating a diet that is appropriate to their individual health needs. 

Below is a guideline for calculating caloric intake for gradual, healthy wt. loss:

{(Your Pet's Body Weight in Pounds X 15) + 70 } x 0.80 = _____ kcal daily for wt. loss

Below is a guideline for calculating caloric intake for maintenance once target is reached:
(Your Pet's Body Weight in Pounds X 15) + 70 = ______ kcal daily for maintenance

Charts to evaluate your pet's Body Condition Score (click on links below):

Cats

Dogs

*If you would like more information or to schedule a nutrition evaluation and consult for your pet, please give us a call: 503.285.2337

Pally's Story: Preventing Chocolate Toxicity

Pally, a super-sweet spayed female boxer mix, was about 7 months old and 40 lb. when she was able to sneak away approximately 2 oz of dark chocolate.  Luckily, being a young and inexperienced pup, she was brazen enough to do it right in front of her owner! (I know what you're thinking... hard to believe this little gal would cause any trouble, right?)

Her person quickly called Lombard Animal Hospital and, within 25 minutes of ingesting the chocolate, Pally was admitted by Dr. Preston.  Because her owner acted fast, Pally simply needed an injection of apomorphine to induce vomiting* and prevent the toxic effects of theobromine (the compound in chocolate that is toxic to pets).  Pally threw up 5 piles of chocolatey liquid from ingesting just 2 oz!
When Dr. Preston checked in on his patient the next day, she was acting normally and had already eaten her breakfast with no symptoms of gastritis (stomach upset).  Thus, no further treatment was necessary...good for Pally, and great for her person too!

*Note: Do not try to induce vomiting at home. There can be dangerous secondary effects, such as esophageal ulceration and aspiration pneumonia, when not performed appropriately.

Not all pets who ingest chocolate are as lucky as Pally! Some of them are not treated as quickly and can experience serious health effects from ingesting theobromine such as:

• Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
• Tremors, Shaking, Agitation or Hyperactivity
• Dehydration
• Seizures

Theobromine can stay in the system for up to 4 days.  When pets are not treated promptly, they may need to spend 1-4 days in the hospital on Intravenous fluids and supportive care.  Treatment is based on when the chocolate was ingested and the clinical symptoms of the pet during physical exam. 

In addition to theobromine, chocolate also contains fat and sugar.  These components can easily cause gastritis and pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) in our 4-legged friends.  Milk chocolate contains less theobromine, but more fat and sugar.

Take Home Points:

• Contact your Veterinarian as soon as you suspect chocolate ingestion...no matter how much or how long ago it may have occurred!
• Usually, if your vet is able to see the patient within an hour of ingestion, vomiting will be induced and further treatments may not be necessary as long as your pet is not symptomatic. 
• *Do NOT attempt to induce vomiting at home.
• If greater than an hour is passed, your vet will determine the best way to treat your pet. Some type of fluid therapy and supportive care will most likely be necessary.
• As a general rule, it only takes 0.25 - 0.5 oz of dark chocolate per 10 lb. body weight to cause theobromine toxicity.  The darker the chocolate, the higher the concentration of theobromine. 
• Gastritis and Pancreatitis can occur from any amount or type of chocolate ingestion.

All's well that ends well! -- Pally

Acupuncture Success Story - Corkie!

"Corkie and Alese"

An LAH Super Senior and an LAH Super Assistant

This is Corkie, a 9 year-old spayed female Chihuahua who came to see Dr. Preston for pain and difficulty walking.  During her exam, it was noted that Corkie had decreased neurologic function in her left front and both rear legs.  She was lacking conscious proprioception in these three limbs, the awareness of position and ability to move body segments correctly.  Corkie was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease.  In short, one or more of the discs that are found in between the vertebra were inflamed, causing pressure on the spinal cord and associated nerves.

Corkie did respond to anti-inflammatories.  She felt better and her conscious proprioception improved in the rear limbs, but she was not back to normal. Her left front limb was still markedly affected and she could not and would not go up and down stairs. Dr. Preston discussed acupuncture with Corkie's owners and she was referred to Dr. Nell for treatment.  Dr. Nell evaluated Corkie using both Western and Eastern exam techniques.  Specific acupuncture points were chosen to decrease inflammation, treat pain and restore appropriate circulation (Western). From a Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) standpoint, points were chosen to treat pain, resolve Phlegm, and restore the appropriate flow of Qi and Blood.

During the first treatment, conscious proprioception was restored to Corkie's left front limb.
After Corkie's second treatment, she went up and down the stairs of her own accord.
By the third treatment, Corkie's owner felt that she was 100% better.

Corkie will continue to be seen for acupuncture every 4 weeks or as needed for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).  It is important to have realistic goals when using acupuncture as treatment for disease, especially structural disease such as IVDD and arthritis.  Acupuncture can not alter structure, and therefore will not cure these medical issues. However, it can reduce inflammation, decrease pain and restore function.  In Corkie's case, it helped her to regain a normal quality of life!

"Corkie responded very well to acupuncture. It was really helpful and we will recommend it to others!"

-- Corkie's Family

If you would like to explore acupuncture as a treatment option for your pet, please call and schedule a consult with Dr. Nell.  We are here to help - 503.285.2337

Don’t let the heat drain you or your pets!

Getting outdoors with your pet is great, but....

We all know it is easy for us and our pets to get dehydrated during the hot, sunny days of Summer.  In Chinese medicine, this would be explained as Yin deficiency.  In short, excess heat dries up the Yin portions of the body.  Yin is the cooling, hydrating quality of our health.  Thus, it is just as important to boost Yin as it is to avoid heat!

• ·      Provide plenty of cool, fresh water for pets all day long!
•  
• ·      Ensure that your pet can get away into the air conditioning or shade!
•  
• ·      As a treat, offer 2 tablespoons (dogs) or 1 tablespoon (cats) of Greek, nonfat yogurt!

To learn more about Yin, Yang and the Energetics of Food as they relate to your pet’s diet, schedule a Nutrition Consult with Dr. Nell or consider attending her free Nutrition Class at Healthy Pets Northwest (Alberta St. Location) in September!

Welcome to Our New Blog!

The LAH Team feels very lucky to have such curious clients (and patients!) who have expressed interest in learning more details about specific pet health concerns.  As we can't fit all of the information in on Newsletters (and we don't want to flood your inbox!) we have chosen to feature interesting or helpful case studies monthly through this Blog.  Each month we will focus on a particular veterinary case: symptoms, diagnostics, treatment and outcome.   Our goal is to provide you - our clients and the public - with valuable information that will benefit you and your pets!

With Warm Thoughts...
Dr. Preston, Dr. Nell and the LAH Team