Little Dog, Big Stone

Several weeks ago I saw a chihuahua mix for a problem of bloody urine.  I realized that this wasn't a routine urinary tract infection when I did my exam and felt something rather large and hard in her abdomen. A quick x-ray later and my suspicion was confirmed...there was a particularly large stone in her bladder.

For those who aren't used to looking at radiographs, the stone is the big egg-shaped object on the right near the femur.  

Unfortunately, the owner couldn't afford surgery and went home with antibiotics.  A couple of weeks later she came back because her dog seemed to be whining and uncomfortable.  After another exam and checking a few things I concluded that she was painful from the stone, and only removing it would help.  I sent her home with some pain medications, and thankfully the owner was able to get an extension on her Care Credit.  We scheduled the surgery quickly and I went to work.

**Graphic images to follow**

That object is the urinary bladder before I cut into it.  The surgical approach is actually rather simple, not much different than doing a spay.  In fact, we went ahead and spayed this dog while we were in the abdomen, something the owner said she wished she had done years ago.

This is the stone coming out of the bladder.  As you can tell, the stone pretty much filled the entire bladder, and the bladder wall was very thickened and inflamed because of the irritation.  In this particular case it was one single stone, which is less common than having several smaller ones.

Here is the stone after surgery with a scalpel handle for scale.  This is nowhere near the largest stone I've removed.  The winner would be one that was the size of my whole palm, removed from a large dog many years ago.

The patient recovered and is doing fine.  We're waiting on the results of analysis of the stone to determine its composition which will allow us to determine the best way of preventing it from happening again.

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A Tumor Or An Alien

A Tumor Or An Alien?

My technology detox went well (though my son complained daily about being bored because he didn't have TV or video games), so it's back to blogging.

Today I wanted to share a case I had from a few months ago.  Really the case was pretty straight-forward, but the images are cool.  The dog had a mass on it's back that had been there for a year or two but had recently begun growing larger.  I've seen a lot of things in my career, but this one actually impressed me.

Fair warning...some of these images are graphic to the faint of heart, but certainly aren't the worse ones I've shown.  Proceed at your own risk.

These pictures are from the beginning of the surgical removal.  The dog is anesthetized and the area shaved and prepped for surgery.  Notice how long the dog's hair is.  Now imagine this ulcerative, oozing mass covered with matted hair!  Yep, that's what I saw on the initial exam.

That's a pretty impressive mass.  I half-jokingly wondered if there was an alien somewhere in there, ready to pop out like the "chest burster" in the Alien movies.  Sadly, such was not the case.

The mass was pretty routine to remove, though there were a lot of large blood vessels going into it and I kept having problems with bleeders.  Nothing that vets don't face almost daily, though, and all vessels were easy to clamp and tie off.  As bloody as this may seem to some people, the actual loss to the patient is minimal and doesn't require a tranfusion.

Many people aren't aware, but skin is constantly under slight tension.  When you cut through skin that tension is relieved, causing a gap.  When you remove part of the skin (including a tumor) the gap becomes even more prominent.  When you have a large mass and want to get 2cm margins around it (to make sure it's all removed) you can end up with a pretty large defect, and closing such a large wound can be challenging.  Thankfully, we are trained in doing so!  There are actually several neat tricks and techniques you can do to get the edges touching each other so that healing is faster.

And here are the "after" pictures!  A bit tight, but considering how much I had to remove I was very happy with the results.

So what the heck was the tumor?  I'm glad you asked!  We sent it off for pathology and it came back as a hair follicle tumor.  It was benign, just locally aggressive, so the outcome was really good.  The patient did well and the incision completely healed.

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Some Dogs Are SEALs

SEALs are members of the Navy who have lots of special training, so that they can go on really dangerous and difficult and sometimes secret missions.  The word SEAL stands for sea, air, and land, which are all the places that these special troops are trained to fight.

Well, back in May, when that bad man, Osama bin Laden, got killed by Navy SEALs, it turned out that one SEAL was actually a dog.  And later on, we found out that the dog was a German Shepherd named Cairo. But that's all the information I could find about the dog, which is more than almost anyone knows about the human SEALs who were in the operation.  And the reason for this was to keep Osama bin Laden's buddies from getting revenge by trying to hunt down the guys who killed him.

But anyway, I did learn some interesting things about the latest developments in doggy armor, which any military dog involved in an operation such as killing Osama bin Laden would be wearing, so I am going to tell you what I learned.

The company that makes canine armor is called K9 Storm, and they make all sorts of bulletproof vests and amazing stuff to protect dogs who do different types of work.  Some of the vests have lights, and some have cameras, and some have microphones.  The fanciest vest is called Intruder, and it costs between $20,000 and $30,000.  It has a collapsible video arm so that the dog's handler can see what the dog is seeing.  Also there is a microphone that makes it so the handler can give commands softly, and the dog can hear them through concrete walls or ship hulls or in tunnels, up to 400 yards away.

Also the vests protect the dog from gunshots and shrapnel and knife wounds.  Dogs that work as prison guards can get vests that are woven tighter, to protect against weapons such as ice picks and sharpened screwdrivers.  Also the vests are waterproof, and they are lightweight.  The average weight is between 3 and 7 pounds, depending on how many gadgets the armor has.

Just a basic vest is only $2,000 or $3,000, and every vest is made to fit a particular dog exactly right.  The vests are used by police dogs and by search-and-rescue dogs and by any other working dogs that might get hurt while they are doing their jobs.

The military knows how important war dogs are, so they don't mind spending the money to keep the dogs safe.  Gen. David Petraeus said, "The capability [the dogs] bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine.  By all measures of performance, their yield outperforms any asset we have in our industry.  Our Army would be remiss if we failed to invest more in this incredibly valuable resource."

One of the things that military dogs do best is sniff out IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), and the Taliban has figured out that the dogs are really good at this.  So snipers often try to kill the dogs.  But wearing armor helps save the dogs' lives so they can save soldiers' lives.  And that's a very good thing.

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WILD AFRICAN DOGS

There are lots of different names for these dogs, and here are some of them:  African Wild Dog,  African Hunting Dog, Cape Hunting Dog, Painted Dog, Painted Wolf, Painted Hunting Dog, Spotted Dog, and Ornate Wolf.  And those are just the names in English!  The scientific name is Lycaon pictus, and it comes from the Greek word for "wolf" and the Latin word for "painted."

The Wild African Dog is a canid, just like wolves and foxes and basenjis and golden retrievers are, but it is the only canid that's still left of the Lycaon genus.  That genus decided to branch off from the doggy family tree about 3 million years ago and do its own thing.  And the result is that now the Wild African Dog has such different genes that it can't even mate with a regular wolf or dog.  It can only mate with its own kind.

Painted Dogs are tall and kind of skinny.  They usually weigh between 40 and 75 pounds, and they are about 30 inches tall at the shoulder.  The dogs in southern Africa are mostly bigger than the ones in eastern or western Africa.  They are the only canids with no dewclaws, and that's not because their breeders cut them off when they are puppies!

Every Wild African Dog has a different pattern of spots, so it is pretty easy to tell them apart.  These dogs like to live in packs because they are very social animals.  And just like in wolf packs, only the alpha male and female make puppies, but the whole rest of the pack helps feed and take care of the pups.  In fact, the whole pack is so nice and thoughtful that everybody shares food with any weak or sick members, and not just with the puppies.

Mating can happen at any time of year, but it's more usual between March and June, which is the last half of the rainy season.  Then after about 70 days, the litter is born, and it can be anywhere between 2 and 19 pups.  When it's time for puppies to be born, the pack finds a den that was dug by some other animal, usually an aardvark.  The pups are weaned when they are about 10 weeks old.  Then when they are 3 months old, they leave the den and start running with the pack.  They learn to kill small animals by the time they are 8-11 months old, and they get really good at hunting by the age of 12-14 months.  The life span for a Wild Dog is about 4-8 years.

The diet of African Wild Dogs is all made up of meat, and their favorite animals to eat are gazelles, springboks, kudu, and wildebeest calves.  When they are hunting animals like this, they work together as a pack, and they communicate by making weird little chirping and squeaking sounds.  They don't try to sneak up on their prey.  They just find a herd of animals and make them start running.  Then they pick one animal to kill that is maybe old or sick, and they just keep on chasing it until it can't run anymore.  After that, they kill it by ripping its gut open, which is kind of bloody, but at least the prey dies quickly.

Wild Dogs are really good runners.  They can go as fast as 35 m.p.h. for 3 miles or maybe more.  Some packs are able to kill bigger, scarier animals such as zebras or warthogs by using a special strategy.  One dog grabs the tail of the prey, and another one bites its nose.  Then they hang on while the rest of the dogs try to rip open the animal's tummy.  This way of hunting may actually be something that the younger dogs are taught by the older ones, and not one that is learned by instinct.  At least that's what the researchers think who have studied this matter.

Anyway, the African Wild Dog pack hunts at least once a day, usually at dawn or dusk, because they hunt by sight.  In the middle of the day, they mostly hang out in the shade and sleep.  African Wild Dogs are probably the best hunters in the whole world because they kill almost 80% of the prey they go after.  Everybody thinks that lions are good hunters, but lions only kill 30% of their prey.

There used to be lots and lots of Painted Dogs in Africa, like about 500,000 in 39 countries.  But now there are only between 3,000 and 5,500 in maybe as few as 14 countries.  This means the species is ENDANGERED.  And there are several reasons for how they got that way.  One reason is that the Wild African Dog needs a really huge hunting range of 150 to 500 square miles.  Well, except for when the pack is busy raising puppies in a den.  And because they need so much territory, they don't fit very well into the African national parks.  So this means that the packs start running through ranches and farmland, which makes people unhappy, and then they want to shoot the dogs.

Game hunters sometimes also kill African Wild Dogs, and so do lions and hyenas.  Also there are diseases that might kill Wild Dogs, such as rabies, distemper, and parvovirus.  People are working to save the Wild African Dogs, which is a good thing.  There is something called the Painted Dog Conservation effort, which is based in Hwange National Park, in western Zimbabwe.  This group is working with local communities to try to keep some nice habitat for the Wild Dogs to live in.

Of course, there are a bunch of Wild African Dogs in zoos, but none of the information I read even mentioned them, so I don't know how many there are.  We have some here in the Kansas City Zoo, like probably 5 or 6.  They are one of Mom's favorite animals to see because she likes their spots and markings and giant ears.  But it's also sad to see them in a little fenced area instead of running around on the plains of Africa.  I wish there didn't have to be so many sad things in life, but there are, and I don't know how to make them be happy!

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OFFICIAL STATE DOGS AND CATS

You probably know that states have a lot of official stuff, such as state flowers and state birds and state mottos.  But did you know that some states have official animals and fish and insects?  There are a few that even have state dogs and state cats, but not enough of them do, if you want my opinion.

For example, I'm sad to say that the state of Missouri, where I live, does not have an official dog or cat, but it does have a state animal, which is the Missouri mule.  And Kansas, which is right next door to us, has the American bison, but it doesn't have a state dog or cat either.

Texas, which is where I was born, has a state dog that is called the Blue Lacy.  I have to admit that even though I am a Texas girl at heart, I had never heard of this breed of dog.  But it turns out that some brothers, Frank, George, Erwin, and Harry Lacy, invented this breed back in the 1860s.  They bred English Shepherds, greyhounds, and wolves together with maybe a little coyote thrown in.  The blue lacy dogs were meant to be herding dogs that could work the family's wild hogs, just like in the book Old Yeller.  So anyway, this is the only type of dog that started out in Texas, so that's why it's the state dog.

Maryland has both a state dog and a state cat, and so does Massachusetts.  The state dog of Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, which is a type of hunting dog that was bred to help duck hunters in the cold water and marshes around Chesapeake Bay.  Maryland has an official state sport, but it is not duck hunting, it is jousting.  So their choice of dog has nothing to do with their choice of state sport.

The state cat of Maryland is the calico, which is not a breed, it's a color pattern.  But I guess it was nice of them to choose a state cat, even if it's not a particular breed.  And anyway, calico cats are pretty, plus they have the same three colors as the Baltimore Oriole, which is the state bird of Maryland, so that's why calicos got to be the state cat.

In Massachusetts, you can find the Boston Terrier as the official state dog.  This makes sense because Boston is an important city in Massachusetts, and it's where the Boston terrier got its start, which I told you about in a previous blog entry.  

The official state cat of Massachusetts is the tabby cat, which is a color pattern and not a real breed, the same as the calico cat.  I'm not sure why the people of Massachusetts chose the tabby cat to be their state feline, but I guess they had their reasons.

And while I'm talking about state cats, I will go ahead and tell you that the only other state that has one is Maine, and it's the Maine Coon Cat, which really is a breed, as my kitty brother, Charlie will tell you because he is supposedly a Maine Coon Cat, even though he has never been anywhere close to Maine.

Well, okay, now it's time to talk about more state dogs.  In Alaska, you've got the Alaskan Malamute, which is a good choice, since that breed got its start in Alaska, and it also takes part in the state sport, which is mushing.

The Catahoula Leopard Dog is the official dog of Louisiana.  I already wrote a whole entry about this breed, and it is my second all-time most popular blog entry.  But what I didn't tell you then, because I didn't know this, is that the state sport of Louisiana is boar hunting.  And the Catahoula Leopard Dogs are used to control the hogs by barking right in their faces.  Since hogs don't like this and since they also have sharp tusks, the dogs wear Kevlar vests, chest armor, and wide collars to keep from getting hurt.

New Hampshire has the Chinook as its state dog.  This is another breed I had not heard about, but it turns out that a man named Arthur Treadwell Walden, who lived in New Hampshire, developed the breed, and he did it all from one dog named "Chinook" who was born in 1917.  Chinook was Mr. Walden's lead dog when he went on the Byrd Antarctic expedition in 1929.  So he bred Chinook with huskies used in Peary's North Pole expedition.  What he ended up with was a sled dog that helped make the sport of mushing popular in New Hampshire, but the official state sport is not mushing, it's skiing.  

In North Carolina, people like to go coon hunting, so they chose the Plott Hound as their state dog because it is used in this sport.  Plott hounds came from Germany originally, and they were mostly used to hunt boars there, but in 1750 a man named Johannes Plott came to North Carolina from Germany and brought some hounds with him, and he got the breed started in this country.

South Carolina also chose a hunting breed as its state dog, the Boykin Spaniel.  A man named L. Whitaker Boykin did a lot of breeding to get a little spaniel for hunting and retrieving that could ride in the small boats that hunters used in the swamps. 

The Great Dane is the official state dog of Pennsylvania, but I don't know why.  Maybe the people in that state just wanted a really big dog to be their official canine.  Or maybe all the people who came over from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania happened to like Great Danes a lot.

Virginia picked the American Foxhound as their state dog, and this is because George Washington, who lived in that state, pretty much developed that breed.  But I already told you about that in my blog before.

And the last state I'm going to tell you about is Wisconsin, where the official dog is the American Water Spaniel.  This breed got started in the middle of the 19th century, and nobody knows where, exactly, but the best guess is that it was probably developed in the Fox River and Wolf River valleys of Wisconsin.

So that is the whole story of official state dogs and cats.  Maybe more of them will get to be officially chosen by states pretty soon.  I think I'm going to lobby the Missouri legislature to make the basenji the state dog of Missouri.  And the reason why basenjis should be chosen is because I live here!  Then maybe, while I'm at it, I can get them to make the Missouri state cat be the dilute tortoiseshell, like Chloe, or else the tuxedo cat, like Charlie.

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Oh, My Aching Joints

Gena sent in a question about her dog's arthritis. Apparently, little Piglet has problems with his knees bothering him. Many pets of all sizes suffer from osteoarthritis, so this is a good topic for discussion.

When most people say "arthritis", they are meaning what doctors call osteoarthritis. This is different than rheumatoid arthritis, which is a disorder of the immune system. Osteoarthritis is wearing and tearing on the joint surfaces over time. Certain breeds can be prone to this and orthopedic injuries can increase a dog's risk of it developing. Within a joint there are some basic structures: synovial fluid, which acts as a cushion and lubricant; hyaline cartilage, which covers the bone and helps with smooth, low-friction movement; ligaments and tendons, holding bones together; and the bone itself, underlying these tissues. As a joint deteriorates, the cartilage begins to wear off. As it does, it exposes the underlying bone. When bone contacts cartilage or another bone, that touch and movement causes pain and inflammation.

Once degerative changes begin in the joint, they are pretty much irreversible. Truly degenerative joint disease (DJD) will never return to normal, and can result in some extensive changes in the shape of the bone as the body tries to compensate for abnormal movement or instability. Even surgery can only do limited things to improve the condition, and are usually small changes such as removing bone spurs.

The keys to improving the lives of arthritic patients lies in helping with pain and inflammation. This can be accomplished through several means. One that most people are familiar with is prescription anti-inflammatory medications. The category of drugs is called "non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs" and is commonly abbreviated as "NSAIDs". You are already familiar with these products for human use as acetominophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and many others. In veterinary medicine we have Rimadyl, Etogesic, Deramaxx, Melicam, and several others. Though they are all in the same category of drugs, they have slightly different efficacies between patients, and slightly different potential side-effects. That's why Tylenol works better for some people than Advil, or vice-versa. These medications help to reduce pain and inflammation, and can be the only thing to really help pets. They are not without potential dangers, though, especially with continual, long-term use. Currently these medications are available only by prescription (at least, in the US), and you should consult with your vet on these options. I do not recommend using human medications in dogs unless you are under a vet's instructions to do so. Dogs and cats are more susceptible to the side-effects than humans are.

Besides prescription analgesics, there are other things that can help, and I usually recommend them as a first choice unless the patient's pain is extremely bad. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements can work wonders, and are readily available over-the-counter. They help to increase the lubrication of the joint, and can rebuild some of the cartilage. Numerous studies have shown their efficacy, and I have seen many of my patients dramaticly improve on them. They will take 2-4 weeks to show an effect, so don't give up on them after a few days. Many pet foods now have them included in the diet, especially for large breeds. There really are no side-effects, so they're a great supplement to use. Make sure to use one designed for pets, though. Even if the basic ingredients are the same as a human equivalent, we have a different digestive system and so the ingredients may not be absorbed as well if you use a human product.

Along the same lines is MSM, a natural dietary sulfur. This is another nutritional supplement, and works differently than glucosamine. MSM will act as a natural anti-inflammatory, which can help reduce discomfort. Using glucosamine and MSM together form a two-pronged approach that may eliminate or prevent the need for NSAIDs.

It is also very, very important to get your dog to a normal weight. Obesity can dramatically increase the pain of arthritis. First, there is extra pressure on the joints that the body was not designed to hold. Second, fatty tissue has been found to produce numerous hormones and biochemicals. Rather than being an inert substance, it actually is a very active one. These chemicals have been shown to increase inflammatory reponses in the body, which is one of the problems with arthritis.

If you have a pet with arthritis problems, talk to your vet. They may recommend x-rays to assess the amount of damage, and whether or not surgery is an option (as it may be in certain types of hip disease). They will also help design a management program that best suits your pet's needs.

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Can You Hear Me Now?

And the questions keep coming! This one is from Steve...

I had a question regarding ear function in dogs. If pricked ears allow dogs to in general hear better, why would the majority of breeds not have ears of this type? For example, labs which are obviously used for hunting purposes, could benefit from the improved hearing while listening for game in the brush. My only speculation was that the floppy ears on sporting dogs may be beneficial to prevent poking the sensitive inner workings of the ear, but this theory does not hold as much weight after remembering that most wild canines have pricked ears. Unfortunately, I fear the answer may be simply "selective breeding" but was hoping you could offer a different insight.

I hate do disappoint you, but selective breeding is indeed the correct answer. Dogs in general have much more sensitive hearing than we do, and can hear more into the ultrasonic range than humans. Upright ears do help, but not necessarily how you would expect.

The actual hearing organs are in the inner ear. Let's trace a sound going to the brain. The sound wave comes from the source and travels to the ear. The outer portion of the ear, called the pinna, serves to capture and focus the sound into the ear canal. When you see a dog or cat swivel their ears, they are trying to isolate where the sound is loudest, which helps them determine in what direction the sound is originating (called "triangulation"). The sound travels down the ear canal and strikes the ear drum (tympanic membrane). This membrane vibrates at the amplitude and frequency of the sound. This vibration is transmitted through three connected bones, collectively called the auditory (or acoustic) ossicles. These connect to a structure in the inner ear, the cochlea. As the ossicles vibrate, they move a membrane on the cochlea back and forth (similar to the movement of the tympanic membrane). Inside the cochlea there is fluid, which will move in waves because of this vibration. Imagine pushing against the side of a plastic bucket filled with water and you have the idea. Inside the cochlea are tiny hair-like structures, that will move back and forth as the fluid moves over them. When these hairs move, they cause nerve impulses to travel in patterns along the vestibulocochlear nerve and into the brain. The brain takes these raw impulses and interprets them with our memories to help us recognize the sound. This basic process is true regardless of the species of higher animal. Different sensitivities and hearing abilities are determined by the number and type of structures within the cochlea. So really "hearing" takes place within the cochlea, and not in the part of the ear that we can actually see.

Since the pinna helps to focus sound, upright and mobile ears do help an animal hear better. However, it doesn't help too significantly. Wild canines have upright ears because it serves a benefit to them. We have selectively bred the different breeds of dogs in large part because of our own preference in appearance. Dogs with floppy ears came to be this way because people liked the way they look and bred dogs until they had this appearance. It doesn't make them hear better, but truthfully it doesn't hurt them either.

Labradors also don't hunt like you might think. The key is the "retriever" in their name. They were primarily bred to go into the water and retrieve game that had already been found and killed. They weren't designed to find and track prey. Other breeds have been bred for this trait, but not based on hearing. Beagles, bloodhounds, and similar breeds hunt and track based on their sense of smell. "Sight hounds", such as greyhounds and wolfhounds, hunt based on vision.

I hope that this explains it a little better!

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Controversy Week: Pet Stores

I thought I'd do something a bit dangerous, and set up some controversies this week. I'm sure that one or more of these posts are going to rile people, but I'm also certain that those in the veterinary field will likely agree with most of what I say. So never let it be said that I avoided controversial issues!

Let's get it kicked off by starting with pet stores. First let me say that I have nothing against pet stores in general. I think that they're a legitimate business, and offer pets and products that you can't get any other place. If you're in the market for a bird, fish, or lizard, pet stores are generally your only source. There are also many products or foods I recommend to my clients that you can only purchase at specialty stores, and can't get in your standard grocery stores or Wal-Mart.

However, I think that you should never, ever buy a dog or cat from a pet store.

Let's start with cats. I have seen cats for sale at pet stores, and they're usually not pure-bred cats. There are millions of cats and kittens in shelters that will be euthanized if they don't find homes, so you should always start there. You can also pick up your newspaper and look in the classifieds. Pretty much any time you check, there will be listings for kittens that people are giving away for free. Why would anyone buy a cat that they could rescue from death or get for free?

Dogs are more complicated. Yes, there are also millions of dogs in shelters that need rescuing, and I fully support people doing that as a first option. However, many people want a certain breed, and shelters usually have mixed breeds. People also go into a pet store and see the cute doggies, falling immediately in love. There are several reasons why I recommend never getting a dog from a pet store. First, you don't know the quality of the breeding. Pet stores getting dogs from "puppy mills" is much less common, but still happens. Even if it's from a legitimate breeder, you don't know the history of the parents or the tendencies for certain behaviors or health problems. Second, I have found that pet store puppies are incredibly overpriced. I have seen consistently that you can get a better quality dog for cheaper by going through a reputable breeder.

One of the reasons I like PETsMART is that they don't sell dogs and cats. They donate space to local shelters and rescue organizations to come in and adopt out pets, but don't sell them directly. To me, that's the attitude more pet stores should have.

Stay tuned the rest of the week for more controversial pet-related topics! Tomorrow....designer breeds!

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The Solution To Chronic Ear Infections

If the title of this post suddenly grabbed your attention, then you are very aware of the problems some dogs face with ear infections. Most dogs never have any problems with their ears. But others have life-long issues that can lead to permanent damage. If you have struggled with recurring infections in your dog, then this article is for you.

If your dog has more than two ear infections in a year, then this is very abnormal. In these cases, the ear infections are not the problem. The infections are indeed a concern, but they are a symptom of a larger problem. Infections do not happen on their own. There must be some underlying reason for it. And you will never get it fully under control until you discover and treat that primary cause.

Breed has a lot to do with these problems. Certain breeds have long, heavy ears that hang close to the ear canal, preventing good air flow. This allows moisture to be trapped in the canal, creating a warm, moist environment that is a great breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. Cocker spaniels are one of the worst breeds in large part because of this ear structure. Some breeds, such as Labrador retrievers, produce more cerumen (wax) than other dogs, which can trap microorganisms. Small, fuzzy dogs, such as shih tzus and poodles, often have hair growing from deep inside the ear canal, which can clog the canal like hair blocks a sink drain. All of these physical factors contribute to enhance conditions for microorganism growth. However, they may not be enough to make a bad problem.

Low thyroid levels are one of the most common metabolic disorders in dogs. One of the issues hypothyroidism causes is to make the patient more susceptible to infections, especially of the skin and ears. Chronic ear infections can be a result.

However, one of the primary causes of chronic infections is related to allergies. I'll likely talk about allergies in detail later, but for now realize that we're not talking about the sniffles and sneezes that people get with hayfever. With pets, allergies can be to food, fleas, grass, pollens, dust mites, and many other things. Itchy skin and ears is the result, as well as infections. Veterinary dermatologists have shown that sometimes the only sign of a food-related allergy is chronic ear infections!

If your dog is having more than two ear infections a year, you need to do more than simply putting more medicine in the ears. This doesn't really treat the problem, and can lead to more serious problems down the road. If this describes your dog, here's what you need to talk to your vet about. First, have the thyroid level checked. This is inexpensive, and many vets can do it in their hospital. If they have to send it out, the results usually come back the next day. If the thyroid level is normal, then start talking about allergies. A food trial is usually the first step, feeding a special hypoallergenic diet for 2-3 months. If that doesn't work, medication such as prednisone or cyclosporine may be needed to reduce the body's reaction to allergies. If these don't control the problem, your vet may recommend sending you to a veterinary dermatology specialist.

Treating ear infections should always involve trying to cure the current outbreak with appropriate medications. But if it keeps coming back, you and your vet should try to figure out why, and treat that main problem. Doing so will save you money and your pet discomfort.

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Why Do You Have A Pet (a.k.a. Pet Peeve #4)?

This is perhaps a subset of Pet Peeve #1 (go back and find it at the very beginning of my blog). I talk to people who have a pet and sometimes hear "it's only a (dog/cat/hamster/parakeet/etc.)." I have clients who put their dog or cat outside, and pretty much let it fend for itself. Sure, they provide food for it, and maybe get vaccines done, and if I'm very lucky they will make sure it's on heartworm and flea preventions. But they don't spend time with it, don't train it, don't interact with it, and don't really make it a part of their family. The pet just kind of exists as something they have.

We have come a long way in Western Civilization in our attitudes towards pets. One hundred years ago they were largely there to help around the farm, kill mice, and protect us. However, there have always been dogs and cats raised purely for companionship. Look at the history of some of the breeds, and look at pictures of royalty. There were often ornamental dogs, bred to be small and exotic-looking, and bred to have behaviors that make them good companions with no ability to hunt or otherwise provide a useful skill. In the last century, we have progressed to where the "working" dogs are the big minority, and most people have them as family pets. It's also gotten to the point that we now have monogrammed dog beds, sweaters, Halloween costumes, and other things that make them into little people. The bond between pets and people has grown closer, until now they sleep in our beds and we treat them as our children. And I am of the opinion that this is a good thing.

Having a pet is a big responsibility. You are their sole provider, and it's your duty to provide them with good shelter, adequate medical care, proper nutrition, and see to their well-being. But many people forget about their mental well-being, and this is just as important. These are not wild animals, and have been specifically bred for millenia to be close companions to us. Do you keep your dog outside in a pen or on a leash and only see it when you dump some food in its bowl? Do you cringe when the dog tries to play with you or jump on you out of love and seeking attention? Does your dog have some behavioral issues because it's been left by itself and you never really gave it proper training and socialization? Is your pet becoming an inconvenience and a frustration because caring for it hampers your lifestyle? If you answered yes, then I have to be blunt....why do you have a pet at all?

Many people get dogs and cats (and other pets) because they think it will be fun, and don't really think about the responsibility. When the pet turns out to need care and attention, it bothers the people. Basically abandoning that pet and ignoring it is actually potentially cruel. And it really frustrates people who strongly care for pets and have close bonds with their own. Those readers who are in the pet care or veterinary fields know exactly the people I'm talking about.

If you're one of the people these people that I'm talking about, please stop, look outside, and look at your pet. Is what you're doing really fair to them? Do they have a good life? Is ignoring them really being a responsibile pet owner? Starting today, make a promise to me and yourself that you will embrace that pet, give them the care and training they need, and make them a member of your family. If that dog or cat is really an inconvenience to you, then please consider giving it to someone who really wants to care for it properly, and will give it a better home...because I promise you that if you see it as an inconvenience and are mostly ignoring it, then you are not the right person to be caring for it. And if you end up giving this pet up, please, please, PLEASE think long and hard before getting another pet, and make sure you're fully 100% ready for what it takes.

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The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Winter is coming, and that means we need to be aware of the weather changes with our pets. Here in the US there are huge differences in weather, from Maine to the Dakotas, Florida to Oregon, California to Georgia. But regardless of where you live there are some guidelines to remember. Most of our pets, especially dogs, aren't really well designed for living outside. We've bred them to be dependent on us, and often have bred coats that don't do well in cold weather. Smaller breeds are especially at risk for this.

Most dogs can do well outside, though long-haired breeds are much more likely to have problems with matted fur. However, dogs that aren't arctic breeds shouldn't be outside in cold weather. A dog house with fresh straw or hay is needed to help keep them warm and well-insulated. The bedding should be changed regularly to keep it clean and hygenic and to prevent insects and parasites from growing. Outside dogs should also have shelter from rain or other precipitation. Don't use heaters in dog houses, as they are a potential fire risk, and we definitely don't want that to happen!

As a rule of thumb, I tell my clients that if the weather is going to dip to freezing or below, pets should be brought inside. Certain breeds, such as huskies, malamutes, St. Bernards, and other thick-furred dogs can do well outside in cold weather with appropriate bedding and insulation. But most breeds cannot tolerate these temperatures, especially small dogs or breeds with short hair. I know that many people have kept dogs outside year-round, so I can't completely argue that. But often that is in warmer climates, or they have very well insulated dog enclosures. The average pet owner likely isn't going to have good preparations for that.

What if your dog is large, or messy, or particularly rowdy and you simply cannot or are not willing to bring it inside your house? Well, a garage is always an option, and is going to be warmer and have better conditions than being outside. If you still can't or won't do that, I'd have to be blunt and ask why you have a dog (again, I can be more direct here than with my own clients). As a pet owner, you have a responsibility to provide them with proper care. Pets can also be extremely rewarding, and bring a lot of joy, fun, comfort, and companionship. If a dog is simply going to be outside all of the time, you might want to seriously think about why you have it.

Now, those of you who have kennels with many dogs for breeding or hunting, I'm not really talking about you. I know plenty of people with these circumstances that interact with and train their dogs daily, and give them excellent care. Admittedly some people simply have so many dogs that it's impossible to bring them all inside. In that situation, make sure they have appropriate places to stay when outside.

The weather is getting colder, and we need to think about our little fuzzy friends. Take care of them and think about whether or not you would want to sleep outside during the winter.

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