by Dr. Nina Mantione

We’ve all heard the expression “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” But what about “man’s best friend?”  A patient of mine, Lola, lives with a loving family who shares everything with their darling girl – including their table scraps. So, is sharing caring? Not necessarily – especially when it comes to our pets’ diets.  

Lola is a four-year-old Beagle/Terrier mix who I have cared for since she was eight-weeks-old.  Her pet parents are a sweet mother and teenage daughter duo, and Lola is clearly a cherished member of their family.  A year ago, when I saw Lola for her wellness check up, I was dismayed when I walked into the exam room.  Lola had gone from a little bit on the plump side the year before, to grossly obese. As I entered the room, she struggled to her feet and waddled over to me, breathing heavily.

I think I let out an audible gasp, “Oh!  She’s gotten so fat!”  Tactful? No.  But I was upset to see this young dog struggling to move around the room. Mother and daughter looked anxious, and I had a heart-to-heart discussion with them about weight loss and exercise.  They both cited Dad as the source of a never-ending supply of table food and promised to set him straight.  Lola’s obesity was so remarkable that I ran some bloodwork to make sure nothing else was amiss.  Obesity in pets is a major contributor to health problems.  It has been implicated in orthopedic disease, pulmonary disease, and diabetes among others. 

Six months ago, I saw Lola again for a vaccine booster and was disappointed to see that she had gained two more pounds.  This time I was stern with her owners.  I told them that her quality of life was being diminished by her obesity.  At her age, Lola should be in her prime, chasing squirrels and playing ball, not waddling and wheezing her way across the floor for another nap.  I challenged them to get the weight off of her.  For the second time we discussed diet options and exercise programs.  Dad came up again as the source of extra calories and I gave them the task of laying down the law for NO MORE TABLE FOOD.  I told them to quote me.  They left my office with fire in their eyes. I watched them leave with Lola waddling after them. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling too hopeful this time.

I saw Lola last week. I opened the door to the exam room and a bouncy slim version of Lola ran over to me and jumped up on me.  Once again I gasped in surprise.  The owners were beaming at me. Mom and daughter rushed to tell me about extra walks and diet food, and that Dad was cooperating and not feeding Lola from the table. Here was Lola, almost 20 pounds lighter, acting ten years younger.  I beamed back at the owners with tears in my eyes. I actually hugged them (to their surprise).  They bragged about her speed and ball playing and I told them how proud I was of them, because no matter how well I do my job, it is a pet’s family that really holds the key to their health.

Playing ball in the backyard? Catching Frisbees in the fields? Chasing a puck in the pasture? (Enough alliteration yet?) Regular exercise for you and your pet is a must, but be aware that your canine quarterback can suffer from sports-related injuries in much the same ways as human athletes. In fact, the most common orthopedic injury in our dogs is directly analogous to one of the most well-known professional sports injuries – the dreaded ACL tear. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the supportive ligaments in the knee joint. Complete or partial tears of the ACL cause pain, swelling and often instability of the joint. In animals, because of a difference in anatomical terminology, we tend to use the term cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) more commonly, but the two terms are often used interchangeably.

So, how do these injuries occur in pets? Well, it usually takes a severe twisting or jarring motion to cause the CCL ligament to rupture, but studies suggest that around 75% of pets that suffer CCL tears have a degree of predisposition due to genetics, obesity, age or concurrent disease. Additionally, when one knee has suffered an injury, there’s a much increased chance of the other knee also suffering a tear within the next 12-28 months.

Fortunately, medical advances and better post-operative care mean that there’s never been a better chance of getting your superstar back on all four feet in record time. However, advanced surgical techniques like tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) and then after-care like hydrotherapy can come with a hefty price tag – surgery alone can top $5,000. When you consider that Americans spend over $1.2 billion dollars per year on CCL repairs alone, you can see why more pet owners are looking to pet insurance to help manage the financial trauma.

So, as head coach for your pooch:

-          Make sure they spend as little time on the bench as possible, make sure your pets stay lean and fit.

-          Look out for anyone that needs to go on the injury report; keep a keen watch out for any limping after exercise and contact your vet immediately.

-          Preparation before any big game is key; get a pet insurance policy in place BEFORE your pet runs into a problem.

by Dr. Nina Mantione

I love my shelter cats.  That is not to say I am immune to the blue-eyed charms of the beautiful Himalayan I saw in my office for her wellness visit a couple of weeks ago, but my cats from the “wrong side of the tracks” have a charm all their own.

Last September, our sweet 17-year-old cat, Lillith, passed away from kidney failure.  A month after we lost her, I read an article about how crowded our local shelter was becoming.  Still missing my Lillith, the article reminded me that 17-years-ago my husband and I chose her after she thrust her skinny little kitten leg through the bars of the cage at a shelter and beckoned us over.  This memory, along with the troubling article, prompted me to drag one patient husband and four excited kids to the overcrowded shelter to find a new feline addition to our family.  A shelter volunteer us  told us they had over 600 cats in need of homes!  I wanted to teach my children about animal shelters and adoption, so naturally we couldn’t leave empty-handed.  And even though we went there for just one cat, we couldn’t help but fall in love with two!

A week later we returned to pick up our two newly spayed and neutered young adult cats.  Shelter rules stipulate that no animal leaves if not spayed or neutered – even when the adopter is a veterinarian! This rule ensures that there are no “accidental” litters finding their way back to the shelter, and saves the adopting family the full cost of a spay or neuter.

When you consider the health benefits of spaying and neutering, as well as the fact that spayed and neutered pets receive a discount on their pet insurance, adopting a cat is a bargain that is hard to resist.  The adoption fee covers all of the medical care the pets have had while in the shelter, and any additional amount allows the shelter to help other animals in need. 

So, while they may not have the stunning beauty of a purebred, my scrappy duo is a charming pair.  Sookie, short and stocky, has an opinion about everything and has appointed herself “spokescat” for the household.  Godric’s Roman nose gives him character as he sprawls on our bed, looking  around as if he can scarcely believe his good fortune to have gone from a two foot square cage to a fluffy, clean, down comforter. 

Best of all is our family’s good fortune to have been able to provide homes for these two very grateful (and now somewhat spoiled) alley cats. Almost every day one of my children will say to me, “These cats are sure lucky we picked them!”  But I tell them that we are the lucky ones.

So, as I tell my clients all the time – do yourself a favor and visit your local shelter.  Find your own grateful new addition, and you may find yourself feeling equally as smitten!

Every Monday here at Petplan, I receive a list of the week’s more unusual pet insurance claims. This week, two of these jumped out at me because they were for a relatively unusual breed: the Vizsla. It’s not uncommon for a couple of our “I-ate-a-spatula-with-cake-mix-on-it” or “running-full-speed-into-the-tv-because-there-was-a-rabbit-on-it” claims to be for Golden Retrievers or Labradors, but it was surprising to see Vizslas featured twice.

For those unfamiliar with the breed, they’re a sporting dog originating over 1,000 years ago in Hungary as companions and working dogs of the Magyar tribes. Fancy heritage, no? As you can see from the picture, they’re easy on the eye, too!

My experiences with Vizslas in a clinical setting has been pretty wide and varied but speaks volumes of the breed. A couple of examples are below:

-          Severe chest lacerations – As with many sporting breeds, if a Vizsla spots a small, running animal (if they’re not on the leash) they can be off like a shot. In a recent case we saw, a rabbit caught the attention of our brave hunter but then a barbed wire fence made the hunter the hunted! Fortunately, the lacerations healed well but required several minor operations. Cost? Around $1,500.

-          Diabetic chocolate ingestion – Intelligent, curious, hungry. Not a good combination when Dad’s special valentine chocolates have been left lying around. Now, chocolate is bad news for dogs and ingestion of a mixed box of milk and dark chocolate can be tough to treat. However, in this case the bad news was compounded by the fact that diabetic chocolates tend to use the artificial sweeteners mannitol or xylitol. Unfortunately, xylitol can be highly toxic and, since the confectioner was closed, we had to treat this as a worst-case scenario and treat aggressively. Fortunately, everything worked out well but the bill topped $2,000.

-          Routine blood draws – One of the reasons vets and techs love athletic breeds like Vizslas, Weimeraners and Greyhounds is that their veins are fantastically easy to draw blood from! There’s nothing better than having a nice, plump vein to draw blood for annual heartworm and blood tests. The drawback? Being on the smart side, they often know something’s awry and the “blood-draw- 3-legged-dance” with a vet or tech hanging onto the other foot is not uncommon!

These days, Vizslas are becoming increasingly popular as pets because of their incredibly sweet nature, impressive athleticism and generally high level of intelligence – making them ideal dogs for young, active families.

A common question asked of me (and I suspect all vets) by friends, family and complete and utter strangers is, “What breed of dog would you get, if you had a choice?” Now, my normal answer is a Border Collie-mix. The inevitable next question? “Why?” OK, so, in today’s blog, by popular demand, I’ll try and justify my seemingly arbitrary choice with a melding of breed information, risk analysis and a little lesson in genetics.

Firstly, why a Border Collie? Having worked for a decent amount of time with trained sheep dogs, I have great respect for the breed. For my money, they’re the smartest kids in the game. On top of that, they are also one of the healthiest pure-bred breeds with a lower incidence of serious genetic disease than almost any other dog.

So, why not choose a pure-bred Border Collie? Well, the mixed-breed part is a little more complex. Essentially, using the law of averages and the basic tenets of genetics, while a sheepdog may be healthy, a mixed breed should be even healthier.

OK, so “mix breeds are healthier,” right? Why should that be the case? Well, in all animals, there’s evidence that mixing blood lines results in a healthier individual – a phenomenon known as “hybrid vigor.” A higher variation in genes means less chance of negative genetic traits in the offspring. Simple as that! (Of course, the same is true for pure-bred dogs – avoiding breeding within the same bloodline just makes good genetic sense.)

And the punchline? Just because a mutt doesn’t have designer “genes” doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve the best pet insurance available!

It is a shocking fact, but one in three pets will get lost during their lifetime. Without identification, 90% of them will not return home. In fact, according to The Humane Society of the United States, only about 17% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats ever find their way back to their original owners.  
 
There are different types of chips available from different manufacturers; your vet will be able to advise you on which chip is best for your pet. An added bonus to getting your pet microchipped is that you will be able to receive a 10% discount off any Petplan insurance policy! 
 
Though there are many identification systems available to pet owners, microchipping and tattooing are the only real forms of permanent identification. The “microchips” used for pet identification are actually a tiny transponder encased in a special type of plastic or surgical glass. The microchip can be implanted at your veterinarian’s office. The standard site for implantation is underneath the skin between the shoulder blades. This procedure does not require anesthesia, but many young pets are chipped while undergoing their spay or neuter procedure.
 
Most of the microchips are active for at least 25 years. The chips are detected by special scanner that pick up a unique combination of numbers and letters that can be traced back to your pet. In order for this trace process to be successful, make sure that any microchipped pet has been properly registered with the chip manufacturer. And be sure to update the information if your address changes!

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and chances are, every time you are out in the garden, your dog is right there beside you, putting all four of his green paws to work on your flower beds.

Over the past year, Petplan has paid out numerous claims to pet owners whose dogs and cats have helped themselves to the fruits (and nuts, and mushrooms) of their labor. And the reasons range from accidentally breaking a plant pot with one’s head (vet bills totaling $250), to swallowing too many cypress nuts (with vet bills totaling more than $1,200).

To avoid an unexpected, and costly, trip to the veterinarian this spring, keep these top 10 tips at hand. Of course, if you do end up at the vet, at least you’ll have Petplan to help defray the costs!

10) Gardening organically is good for the planet, and your pets. The herbacides and pesticides used in some popular gardening products can potentially make your dog sick. If you do choose to use these products in your garden, try to prevent your dog from digging-in/eating/licking the treated areas. 

9)  If you have especially curious dogs, consider planting raised beds to protect your garden from the ever-popular ‘what’s under the soil’ game. Funnily enough, that game isn’t as much fun for you as it is for your dog.  A raised bed could do wonders for helping you enjoy spending time in the garden with your ‘inquisitive’ pets.

8)  Avoid planting too much around the perimeter of your yard. Dogs instinctively (and repeatedly) check out fence lines and boundaries. Keeping an area clear for your dog will help keep both your stress levels down!

7) Copper barrier tape, which deters snails and slugs from crossing into your garden by emitting a tiny positive electric charge, is a good alternative to snail bait. A lot of snail bait contains metaldehyde, which is highly poisonous to dogs and cats.

6) Know your onions! When dogs eat large amounts of onions, they may suffer red blood cell destruction. Try to keep your dog away from any onions, including chives, you are growing in your garden.

5) Rhubarb leaves are toxic for you and your pets! They contain oxalic acid and in quantity, the acid damages kidneys. Rhubarb stalks are delicious (mmm, rhubarb pie!) – but are better enjoyed by you, not your pets.

4) Avoid trees with toxic bark, such as cherry (contains cyanide-like components). And, be careful around trees that yield stone fruits (apricots, plums). If your dog gobbles up some fallen fruit, their pits could cause an obstruction, landing you with an unexpected trip to the vet.  

3) Tannin is a canine toxin, and almond and walnut hulls (found in great quantity near the base of walnut and almond trees) contain lots of tannins. Watch out for moldy walnuts as well, as they are also problematic for dogs.

2) Be sure to put a fence or other barrier around plants of the nightshade family –which includes common plants like eggplant, tomato and potato.  Their foliage and stems contain dangerous alkaloids that can actually kill a dog, if too much is ingested. Also, flowers such as Foxglove, Belladonna and Larkspur can have toxic effects on the heart and circulation.  

1) Avoid cocoa bean mulches. Their chocolaty smell is very enticing to your puppy or dog, but just like chocolate, cocoa bean mulches contain theobromine, which is toxic for dogs.

By keeping these simple tips in mind, you can help your pet stay safe this summer. Happy gardening!

Similar to hay fever in humans, pets can suffer from seasonal allergies too. Whether it is to a certain type of pollen or something in the leaf litter, the common signs are licking and chewing at paws or skin, increased scratching at ears and sometimes obvious reddening or scabbing of the skin. While many pets may require medications to help them through these tough times, there are some steps you can take to help lessen the signs:

If your pet chews at their paws, make sure to gently clean them when they come in from playing or walking outside. Using even just plain warm water, or adding a little bit of a gentle pet shampoo can help to remove some surface allergens.

Add fish oils to their diet. Using Omega-3 oils (e.g. cod liver oil or salmon oil) can help to increase the overall health of their skin.

Use a hydrating shampoo. Ask your vet their advice on gentle hydrating shampoos to increase their skin’s natural resistance to irritation.

Despite these simple steps, many allergic pets will continue to have signs; consult with your vet on what they feel is the most appropriate form of treatment long-term.