Pet Care Tips!

Hit the Road Jack, Holiday Travel with Pets

12/03/2012 09:48:00

Hit the Road Jack

Holiday Travel with Pets

Taking a road trip with your furry family members can be a great experience, provided you do a little planning.

1. Pet travel anxiety: There are many natural remedies to reduce pet anxiety now available to us. The doctors at MetroPet Veterinary Clinic prefer to 1st try these methods before prescribing heavy sedatives for pets while traveling. Some examples include, Thunderjackets, Anxitaine, or DAP collars. If sedatives do need to be prescribed, it is important to first perform blood work on your pet to make sure that all of their organs are functioning properly. This is a conversation you should have with your vet during your appointment. Having plenty for your pet to do, both while traveling and while staying at your final destination will also reduce anxiety. There are some helpful suggestions on our website.

2. Diet: Make sure you bring plenty of your pet's usual foods and treats. Having to buy different foods while on the road can lead to diarrhea.

3. Accomodations: Modern technology makes it so convenient for us to travel with pets. Websites such as travelocity.com, orbitz.com, or others make it easy for you to do an advanced search for hotels in the area you wish to stay that are pet friendly. Recently, more and more hotels have become pet friendly and finding one to accommodate you is easier than ever.

4. Crating: Crate training your pet ahead of time will help you out in the long run. To crate train a pet, all you have to do is make the crate the "happy place" for your pet. In other words, the crate is the place where all good things come from. Feed your pet in it's crate. Give it treats and toys in there as well. Never use the crate as punishment. After a few weeks, you'll be surprised how much they love it!

5. Grandma: Well meaning family members can often wreak havoc on your pet's health. Certain toxic foods, or foods high in fat or calories will lead to illness. When you arrive at your destination. Provide Grandma with a bag of a low calorie healthy treat for Fido or Kitty with special instructions that they are only allowed to have treats provided by you. This method will reduce the likelihood that "illegal" treats will be given to your pet.

Dr. Alice Toriello

MetroPet Veterinary Clinic

298 N. Rocky River Drive

Berea, Ohio 44017

www.metropetvet.com

metropetvet@twitter

Driving Directions

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Celebrate Veterinary Technicians, A Day in the Life

10/11/2012 07:35:00

What Does a Veterinary Technician Do?

In celebration of veterinary technician week, October 14th-20th 2012, I'd like to explain some of the things our technicians do on a regular basis. If you think it's an easy job where you play with cute puppies and kittens all day, you're partially right. However, their job is often far more challenging. So let's take our hats off to vet techs this week. Below are some typical tasks assigned to vet techs in our small animal practice every day.

1. Phlebotomist. The vet tech is in charge of actually drawing the blood from the patient and running it through our blood machine, or prepping it to go to our outside laboratory. They then give the blood work to the doctor for interpretation.

3. Dental Hygienist. Cleaning pets teeth with a high speed water pick, polishing, and fluoride.,

4. Client Educator: Vet Techs have to know all of the diseases we vaccinate for and why, and all of the parasites we prevent and why.

5. Public Health Outreach. A veterinary technician is often times the front line in explaining and preventing zoonotic disease, or diseases that can pass from pets to people. Examples at capc.org

7. Janitor. When you deal with animals all day, urine and feces come with the territory. Proper cleaning and disinfection are a big deal in an animal medical facility

8. Nursing. Administering Medications, placing IV catheters, and daily patient care.

9. Communications Specialist and Counselor. Vet Techs are often the go between with a pet parent and the doctor.

10. Euthanasia Assistant. It's not easy, but someone has to help our pets go with dignity and compassion. This a job not a lot of us could do on a daily basis, it takes a very special person to put the animal above their own emotions and do what they can to help in that final hour.

9. Radiology Technician. They measure patients and set the radiographic equipment properly to take x-rays that the doctors can read.

11. Pharmacist. They are in charge of filling prescriptions the doctor writes. They must know all of the drugs and what they are used for.

12. Surgical and Anesthesia Nurse. They sterlize and prepare surgical instruments for the doctor, prep the patient for surgery, monitor the patient while it is under anesthesia, and help to recover the patient from anesthesia.

Whew, I get tired just reading that list. So the next time you are at your vet's office, dont' forget to THANK you pet's technicians for all they do!

Dr. Alice Toriello

MetroPet Veterinary Clinic

298 N. Rocky River Dr.

Berea, Ohio

440-826-1520

www.metropetvet.com

Driving Directions

Could Your Dog Be at Risk While Grooming?

07/14/2012 18:07:00

Infectious Disease Risks of Grooming,

Keep Your Pets Safe!

Posted on Sunday, July 08, 2012 3:08 PM

The general public, as a whole, is not aware of the infectious disease risks that pets are exposed to at grooming salons. Many grooming salons operate under the general assumption that "just a rabies vaccine" is enough. This is a dangerous assumption. Many other highly infectious diseases are rampant in grooming salons across the nation. The majority of grooming companies neglect proper requirements in an effort to get pets in the door to make money from a "quick grooming". This is not the way we operate. We refuse to put pets' health at risk, therefore, we set minimum health requirements to ensure the safety of your pets.

Canine Health Requirements:

Up to date negative intestinal parasite screening
Up to date negative heart worm test
Up to Date distemper/ parvo vaccination
Up to Date "Kennel Cough" or Bordatella vaccination
Up to Date Rabies vaccination

Feline Health Requirements:

Up to date negative intestinal parasite screening
Up to date FVRCP ( or feline upper respiratory/ distemper)
Up to date Rabies vaccination

Your proof of veterinary records may be faxed to us at 440-826-1528, at least 48 hours prior to your appointment.

Driving Directions

MetroPet Veterinary Clinic

298 N. Rocky River Drive

Berea, Ohio 44017

www.metropetvet.com

440-826-1520

Heartworm is a year-round threat, but a bigger one in Summer!

07/09/2012 20:08:00

Summer time. It’s warm weather, swimming at the beach, and cold lemonade. What can ruin such a perfect time of year? Mosquitoes. Not only are they a nuisance to us but can be harmful to our pets! Mosquitoes can transmit heartworm, a disease that can be deadly to our pets. Even if cats or dogs are indoors only, mosquitoes can easily get into our homes when we open windows or doors. Mostly a common worry for our canine friends, heartworm can infect both dogs and cats. For dogs, the treatment of heartworm is not only expensive and painful, but not 100% effective in clearing up the heartworm infection. There is no treatment available at this time for feline heartworm, meaning if your cat gets heartworm, it will be fatal.

How can we help our four-legged family members? Dogs can be tested for heartworm once a year which will show us if your pet has been infected. This annual blood work is a small price to pay to ensure that our pets are healthy and happy. Once we have a negative heartworm test, we then prescribe a year-round heartworm preventative. We carry many parasite prevention products. Products such as Revolution and Trifexis not only have heartworm preventative in them but also protect against fleas, ticks and some types of internal worm parasites, some of which can be transmitted to humans! Heartworm preventative is relatively cheap compared to the high costs of heartworm treatment and the potential loss of your pet to this preventable disease.

Please call us for any information and we will gladly answer any questions for you. Our main mission is to keep your pets healthy and happy! 440-826-1520

By April: Receptionist and Pre-Veterinary Student

Employee at MetroPet Veterinary Clinic

http://www.metropetvet.com/

Pet Exercise Tips: Avoiding Heat Stroke and More

04/12/2012 17:28:00

Pet Exercise Tips: Avoiding Heat Stroke and More

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1. Bring Water: Make sure that you have enough for both of you and a bowl for your dog. An easy and free trick is to layer a plastic bag into a hat and use that as a bowl. You can wear the hat and put the bag in your pocket, and then you don’t have to carry a bowl.

2. Work Up to that 5K Gradually: Nobody wants to spend the season in pain, so make sure that you take it easy and then increase your level of activity over time. Your dog will thank you too.

3. Hit the Shade: It can be up to ten degrees cooler in the shade, which is a nice relief when you are working or playing outdoors. Your dog will show you where to go!

4. Take Breaks: They are important for regulating body temperature and you can even say that it’s for your dog!

5. Glucosamine/Chondroitin: This supplement helps lubricate the joints and thwart any symptoms of arthritis. Any large breed or senior dog that is exercising would benefit from glucosamine. Since these are natural supplements and not regulated by the FDA, it is better to buy a reliable and tested product from your vet.

6. A special note for seniors: Any coughing or excessive panting after activity could be a symptom of early congestive heart failure. If you notice this, bring your pet to the vet ASAP for an examination.

7. No Pet Clothing: Remember, your pet is already wearing a fur coat. Adding additional layers will just increase the chances of heat exhaustion.

Finally, Some Reliable Reptile Information

03/15/2012 01:06:00

It can be difficult to find reliable reptile information. Here are some wonderful dietary recommendations from this year's conference by Dr. Boyer.

What To Feed Reptiles (EX28)

Western Veterinary Conference 2011

Thomas H. Boyer, DVM
The Pet Hospital of Penasquitos, San Diego, CA, USA

Most reptile and amphibian (herps) diseases are nutritionally related; therefore, it is essential that veterinarians be a solid source of nutritional information for owners. Always evaluate dietary history of your herp patients; never assume the owner has good nutritional knowledge regardless of their experience. Nutritional diseases remain rampant in herps including nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, hypovitaminosis A, hepatic lipidosis, and hypoproteinemia. Our goal is to prevent these diseases rather than treat them. To do this, veterinarians must be proactive with nutritional advice for their herp patients. On a very simplistic level herp diets can be broken down to insectivores, carnivores, and herbivores or omnivores. Many reptiles have specialized dietary needs that require extensive appreciation of natural history. The following information serves as a foundation for most common species in captivity.

We will assume all reptiles (except snakes and a few nocturnal geckos) need and have adequate ultraviolet light.InsectivoresThis group includes many lizards, amphibians and some turtles. Insects are calcium deficient. Feeding store bought crickets and mealworms without supplementation will cause calcium and protein deficiency. For example calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) ratios of commonly fed insects are as follows; crickets 0.2 (0.07:2.6), mealworms 0.1 (0.08:1.2) and wax worms 0.1 (0.11:0.9). Healthy Ca to P ratios for most vertebrates are generally considered one to two parts Ca for each part P. However, many insectivores grow rapidly from hatchling to adult within a year and may require higher calcium diets. For example, consider salt-water crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus, the largest of all living reptiles. Juvenile salties eat insects, amphibians, crustaceans, small reptiles and fish, with an overall Ca:P ratio of 6.7 to 1, primarily because of crabs and shrimp which have calcium rich shells. Adult salties eat any animals they can get a hold of but less crabs and shrimp. The Ca to P ratio of their diet drops to 1.85 to 1. The take home message is that rapidly growing reptiles require much higher Ca:P ratios.Improving the calcium content of feeder insects is simple, feed a calcium rich diet and dust insects with calcium. Originally feeding a calcium rich diet was called gut loading. Unfortunately, over time this has degraded into just feeding any cricket diet. Not all cricket diets are equal. One study showed three out of four commercial calcium fortified dry diets designed for crickets to be fed to reptiles contained no more calcium than unfortified diets. Despite claims on their labels, only one actually increased the calcium content of the crickets (T-Rex® Calcium Plus Food for Crickets). Calcium fortified high moisture cricket waters or high moisture foods are ineffective at increasing calcium content. Assume store bought insects are nutritionally inadequate at purchase. Rather than have owners search for a good cricket gut loading diet the author purchases one in bulk (Mazuri® Hi-Ca Cricket Diet), repackages it in 60-dram vials and forces owners to purchase it. It can be fed to crickets and mealworms and greatly improves calcium content within 24–48 hours. Provide crickets with water (damp paper towel or sponge) but no fruits or vegetables or they will consume those preferentially over the calcium enriched diet.An additional essential method of improving Ca content is dusting with calcium. To dust insects, place Ca powder in a plastic bag with the insects and lightly shake. This method can produce variable results because of the type of calcium used, particle size and electro-static properties. Multivitamins never contain enough Ca to prevent Ca deficiencies regardless of what the label says. Ca carbonate is the most biologically absorbed Ca so it makes sense to use. No P should be in the Ca. A good commercial product is Rep-Cal (Zoo Med Laboratories, San Luis Obispo). Crickets will groom all calcium off themselves, within 30 minutes to several hours at most, so only offer what will be consumed quickly. The author prefers Ca without vitamin D or P as long as ultraviolet light is present.The third aspect to feeding insectivores is to offer a wide variety of insects. Store insects such as crickets, waxworms, mealworms, and super mealworms should be supplemented with commercially available silkworm larvae and tomatoe horn worms, as well as wild caught seasonally available insects including moths, cicadas, fruit flies, flies, grasshoppers, bees (remove stingers), and cockroaches. Insects are easily collected at night around lights or with funnel traps. Sowbugs (pill bugs or rolly pollys) are terrestrial crustaceans which are rich in Ca and avidly consumed. Many insectivores can be trained or naturally take baby mice which are an excellent dietary supplement. Owners often are concerned about pesticide hazards but this author has never seen that to be a problem. Fireflies are toxic to bearded dragons and should not be fed.CarnivoresThis group includes all snakes and crocodilians, many lizards, and some turtles. One reason snakes remain popular is that rodents are a completely balanced diet and are easily procured; therefore snakes are well fed, remain healthy and thus are easy to keep and breed. Most pet stores now sell frozen rats and mice which should be quickly thawed in plastic bags in hot water to prevent a bacterial bloom in the prey's gut (possible if it were allowed to thaw slowly over several hours) which could upset the predator's gastrointestinal tract. For the die-hard reptile breeder still producing mice and rats make sure they feed pelleted rodent diets, not seed mixes or dog food. Live rodents should be stunned or killed prior to becoming prey so that they don't injure the predator. Hamster, gerbils, chicks, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads or fish are also appropriate food items depending on the reptile's preference. It is important for owners to appreciate the natural history of the species they keep as an insight into what the reptile naturally eats. There are no vegetarian snakes!Aquatic turtles do well on Purina® Trout Chow, Hikari® Aquatic Turtle Diet, Nasco® Turtle Brittle, Mazuri Fresh Water Turtle Diet, earthworms, waxworms, crickets, whole fish (guppies, minnows, chopped trout and freshwater smelt) and pinkies or chopped skinned mice. Some species will take dark leafy greens as they get older.HerbivoresThis group is the greatest challenge to feed correctly and includes turtles, tortoises and many lizards. Calcium and protein deficiencies remain a frequent problem for herbivores. A common misconception is that herbivores will select a balanced diet from the foods offered. While this may be true in natural habitat, this certainly is not true in captivity. A common finding in tortoises on screening bloodwork is hypoalbuminemia, which is often indicative of liver dysfunction. The author has been recommending Mazuri® Tortoise Diet with marked improvement in blood proteins within several months. Mazuri recommends feeding Tortoise Diet with good quality grass hay, fresh fruits and vegetables as less than 20% of the total diet. Shell growth is excellent with the Tortoise Diet, no pyramiding or shell softness; the author soaks it for several minutes in shallow water to soften it first then adds it as a top dressing to dark leafy greens and other vegetables. Foods listed below in bold print have a positive Ca to P ratio and are better than light leafy greens.Vegetables: Dark leafy greens that are rich in calcium include collard, mustard, and turnip tops or greens, alfalfa, Bermuda or Timothy hay, kale, Chinese cabbages (Bok-choy, Pak-choi), broccoli rabe (leaves and stems from the broccoli plant, not the florets humans are fond of), clover, and dandelions (flowers, stems and leaves). Note that the outer darker leaves have a higher mineral content than the inner lighter leaves. Other dark leafy greens include red or green cabbages, beet greens, escarole, parsley, spinach, watercress, savoy, and kohlrabi. Flowers such as roses, nasturtiums, carnations, dandelions and hibiscus are excellent. Mulberry and hibiscus leaves are good if available. Backyard grasses (particularly Bermuda and St. Augustine) and weeds can provide free forage which is particularly good for tortoises. Leafy greens with a light green color, such as all types of lettuce (including Romaine), have lower mineral content but are avidly consumed. They should provide only a small portion of the diet. Spring salad mixes and prepackaged salads typically qualify as light leafy greens. Other types of vegetables include alfalfa, radish, clover and bean sprouts, soaked alfalfa pellets, asparagus, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, green beans, jicama, mushrooms, okra, shredded parsnips, peas and pea pods, prickly pear cactus pads (shave off the spines), shredded summer or winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and uncooked thawed frozen mixed vegetables (corn, green beans, lima beans, peas, carrots).Be aware of several rampant misconceptions. If fed exclusively long term members of the cabbage family can cause thyroid problems (goiter), but are harmless in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Spinach, beets, Swiss chard and rhubarb have a high oxalic acid content. Oxalic acid can bind with calcium in the intestinal tract and decrease calcium absorption and theoretically contribute to kidney damage. In moderation spinach, beets and Swiss chard should not cause any problems except tortoises won't eat Swiss chard. Rhubarb should not be fed at all.Fruits: Fruits, in general, are mineral poor yet tasty enough that herbivores will consume them preferentially over more nutritious foods. Therefore, limit fruits to a miniscule portion of the diet, more of a treat than a staple. Apples, apricots, dates, figs, grapes, kiwis, melons, mangos, peaches, papayas, pears, plums, prunes, raisins, star fruit, strawberries, tomatoes and raspberries are all fine in small amounts. Herbivores are fond of bananas; unfortunately, they have very little calcium present.When making salads be careful to remove and discard any wires or rubber bands. It is better to chop salad by hand. Food processors tend to turn the salad into mush and reduce roughage. If hand chopped the vegetable portion can be stored for 6 days in the refrigerator but must be allowed to come to room temperature for an hour before feeding. If not using Mazuri or other fortified diets the salad should be lightly dusted with powdered Ca that is phosphorus and vitamin D free. Once or twice a month a very light dusting of multivitamins (Centrum or Herptivite are good ones) can be substituted for the Ca (again if not using a fortified diet).With this information you can make a tremendous impact on the health of herps in your practice.References1. Boyer T. Essentials of Reptiles: A Guide for Practitioners. AAHA Press, Lakewood, CO, 1998.2. Allen M, Oftedal O. Dietary manipulation of the calcium content of feed crickets. J Zoo Wildlife Med 1989;20(1):26–33.3. Finke M, Dunham S, Kwabi C. Evaluation of four dry commercial gut loading products for improving the calcium content of crickets, Acheta domesticus. J Herp Med Surg 2005;15(1):7–12.4. Finke M, Dunham S, Cole J. Evaluation of various calcium-fortified high moisture commercial products for improving the calcium content of crickets, Acheta domesticus. J Herp Med Surg 2004;14(2):17–20. Speaker Information
(click the speaker's name to view other papers and abstracts submitted by this speaker) Thomas H. Boyer, DVM
The Pet Hospital of Penasquitos
San Diego, CA, USA

Important FDA Information About Pet Medications

02/15/2012 22:56:00

Purchasing Pet Drugs Online: Buyer Beware

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"Discount pet drugs—no prescription required" may appeal to pet owners surfing the Web, but FDA experts say it can be risky to buy drugs online from sites that tout this message and others like it.

Some of the Internet sites that sell pet drugs represent legitimate, reputable pharmacies, says Martine Hartogensis, D.V.M., deputy director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance in FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). But others are fronts for unscrupulous businesses operating against the law.

FDA has found companies that sell unapproved pet drugs and counterfeit pet products, make fraudulent claims, dispense prescription drugs without requiring a prescription, and sell expired drugs.

Pet owners who purchase drugs from these companies may think they are saving money, says Hartogensis, but in reality, they may be short-changing their pet's health and putting its life at risk.

CVM regulates the manufacture and distribution of animal drugs, while individual state pharmacy boards regulate the dispensing of prescription veterinary products.

Some foreign Internet pharmacies advertise that veterinary prescription drugs are available to U.S. citizens without a prescription. But, says Hartogensis, "There is a risk of the drugs not being FDA-approved."

A foreign or domestic pharmacy may claim that one of its veterinarians on staff will "evaluate" the pet after looking over a form filled out by the pet owner, and then prescribe the drug. "A veterinarian should physically examine an animal prior to making a diagnosis to determine the appropriate therapy," says Hartogensis.

CVM is especially concerned that pet owners are going online to buy two types of commonly used prescription veterinary drugs—nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and heartworm preventives.

"Both drugs can be dangerous if there is no professional involvement," says Hartogensis. "It's not generally a concern if the owner uses a legitimate online pharmacy and mails in a prescription from their veterinarian, who is monitoring the animal. But if there is no veterinarian–client–patient relationship, it's a dangerous practice."

Veterinarians often prescribe NSAIDs to relieve pain in dogs. NSAIDs should not be purchased on the Internet without a veterinarian's involvement because

dogs should undergo blood testing and a thorough physical examination before starting NSAIDs
dogs should be monitored by a veterinarian while they are taking NSAIDs
veterinarians should discuss possible side effects of NSAIDs with the owner
the prescription should be accompanied by a Client Information Sheet that explains important safety information to the owner

Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition transmitted by the bite of a mosquito that is carrying infected larvae of the heartworm parasite. Dogs, cats, and ferrets can get heartworm. Heartworm preventives, given daily, monthly, or semiannually, depending on the product, kill the larvae before they become adult worms.

The American Heartworm Society recommends

using heartworm medication for dogs year-round, no matter where you live in the United States
getting dogs tested yearly to make sure they're not infected with heartworm

"Testing is important even in dogs regularly treated with heartworm preventive products due to the occasional reports of product ineffectiveness," says Hartogensis. An Internet pharmacy veterinarian cannot draw blood from the animal to perform the test. If the test isn't done, a pet owner could be giving heartworm preventives to a dog that has heartworms, potentially leading to severe reactions

The Above is a direct quote taken from www.fda.gov. Please visit this website for futher information.

Dr. Alice Toriello

Does My Pet Have Periodontal Disease?

02/06/2012 14:28:00

Does My Pet Have Periodontal Disease?

1. Does your pet have bad breath, otherwise known as "halitosis"?

2. Is your pet's gum line red or bleeding?

3. Are there any loose teeth in your pet's mouth?

4. Is there recession, or moving upward, of their gum line?

Any of the above could mean that your pet has periodontal disease, or infection and inflammation of the gum line. When the gum line recedes and begins to bleed, these bacteria from the teeth and gums can enter in to your pet's blood stream, leading to more serious health concerns and systemic infections.

Many people view having their pet's teeth cleaned professionally as a cosmetic procedure, but it is not. It is an important treatment for an often overlooked disease. If you think that your pet may have periodontal disease they should be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible to determine the treatment course.

What Healthy Teeth Should Look Like

How To Prevent It

Many types of tooth brushes and toothpastes are available for pets. Try to brush their teeth daily if possible as shown below. It is very important to lift their lips as shown and reach the teeth far in the back of the mouth, since often times these teeth tend to be the most affected. If your pet will not allow you to brush their teeth, there are prescription diets available through your veterinarian that are specially designed to help with oral care.

Alice Toriello, DVM

MetroPet Veterinary Clinic

298 N. Rocky River Dr.

Berea, Ohio 44007

440-826-1520

www.metropetvet.com

Canine Influenza: A Highly Contageous Dog Disease

11/18/2011 11:10:00

With all of the headlines in the last couple of years about seasonal flu and the swine flu, another influenza virus outbreak has not gotten the attention that it deserved. I'm talking about Canine influenza, or Dog Flu, and it's worth talking to your vet about it.

Canine influenza is similar in many ways to the human types of influenza, both in the ease of spread and the symptoms that it causes. The only main difference is that it causes them in your dog. People are not at risk for dog flu, as there has never been a case of dog-to-human transmission, but humans are able to spread the disease between dogs.

How serious is dog flu?

While most dogs will have a mild form of the disease, one fifth will develop a more serious form. The real problems with dog flu are that nearly all dogs are susceptible, and that dog flu is highly contagious. It spreads easily among dogs, either directly or through airborne transmission. It can also spread on surfaces or by the owner, so any dog that sees other dogs or owners is susceptible. Hotbeds of dog flu spread have been places where a lot of dogs go, groomers, kennels, shelters and dog parks. If you or your dog goes to any of these places, then your dog is at risk.

What are the symptoms?

Most commonly, the symptoms of dog flu are what you would expect from a flu, fever, coughing, runny nose, and aches. However, about one fifth of dogs that are infected develop a serious pneumonia (also like that seen in human flu). This pneumonia can be life threatening, and it requires hospitalization, which can end up being very expensive. Dogs can be contagious before showing symptoms.

My dog is coughing, how do I know if it is the flu?

There are lab tests to confirm canine flu. If you think that your dog might have the flu, ask your vet to check them out, they will be able to an exam and determine if your dog is sick, and if the dog should be tested for flu. Often, canine flu is missed at home or in a shelter because it may be misdiagnosed as kennel cough. As always, if you think that your animal is sick, schedule a visit with your vet.

What are the treatments?

Unfortunately, there are few specific treatments for influenza, and are limited to treating the symptoms. Hydration is important, and sometimes pain killers are prescribed to help the dog remain comfortable. Hospitalization and observation are often necessary in severe cases. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses.

Is there a vaccine?

The best way to combat canine flu is through vaccination. The vaccine is a two part injection, given months apart, that usually costs around $50. This has been shown to be protective against the dog flu. Ask your vet about canine influenza vaccine and whether your dog is at risk. MetroPet does offer the vaccine.

Is canine flu a problem in my area?

The short answer is that it probably is. Canine influenza has been documented in most of the US, Ohio has seen a recent outbreak in 2011, and it is a big problem in the Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey area. Even if it has not been seen in your area, because canine influenza is so contagious, it can easily spread. It wouldn't take much for a sick dog to go on a road trip, or the owner of a sick dog to spread it to another dog. Generally, dogs are spreading the disease before they show symptoms. On the right is a US map of dog flu cases from www.doginfluenza.com

What can I do to help prevent the spread of canine flu?

The same thing that you would do if you had the flu. If you think that your dog is sick, keep them at home and schedule them a doctors visit! Avoid dog parks, kennels, groomers, pet stores, or anywhere that you think your run into other dogs (going to the vet is an exception, but let them know that your dog has a cough). The most important thing is to wash your hands after you pet your dog, and especially before you pet another dog.

Where can I learn more about Canine Influenza?

Below are a couple of links to some medical sources about dog flu

CDC - Canine Flu Page

AVMA - Canine Flu Page

Lost and Found, The Details of Pet Micro Chipping

09/29/2011 20:30:00

Lost and Found

The Details of Pet Micro chipping

Micro chipping is the single easiest and cheapest way to ensure that your pet comes home safely. At our hospital, MetroPet Veterinary Clinic, in Berea, OH, we strongly recommend it for all dogs and cats. This procedure does not require anesthetic and is as simple as giving a vaccine, taking little more than 30 seconds to implant. Most pets respond the same way they would to a vaccine, a short pinch and then it's done.

Today, nearly all veterinarians, shelters, and even some rescue groups have microchip scanners. Before re-adopting or euthanizing a pet, the shelter will scan it for a microchip. If one is found, the company who made the chip can be contacted and the database searched for the owner's contact information.

The majority of pets who are found as strays arrive with no known history and no form of identification. Dogs slip their leads and collars, and cats who have always been "indoor only cats" venture outside and have difficulty finding their way home. In this case, the microchip may be the only chance of getting your pet back.

I personally recommend microchips since I was so lucky to get my dog DaVinci back. Yes, even vets can lose their pets. He ran away to try to find me while we were traveling together in another state. Some good Samaritans brought DaVinci to a vet in the area. This vet scanned him and I was contacted within 30 minutes. Unfortunately, this story could have had a very different outcome. Which is the case with so many pets, both dogs and cats, that end up in our shelters.

Dr. Alice Toriello, DVM

October is MicroChip Month!

All MicroChips are only $35

MetroPet Veterinary Clinic

298 N. Rocky River Drive

Berea, Ohio 44017

440-826-1520