Treats! Treats! (The Wonderful Fruit.)

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

 

As many of you have learned, I am not a big pet treat fan for several reasons, but I do understand that many of you are.

 

You may remember the discussions about Chicken Jerky treats causing real problems up to death in thousands of dogs since 2006. The problems occurred most often in treats that, though from American companies, were actually produced in China. To this day, we do not know the entire problem with the treats.

 

A recent report indicated that the problem with chicken jerky treats for dogs has reduced dramatically, though there still are cases. Not all the cases were from Chinese product, and, again, we never totally discovered the cause of the problem.

 

So, I recommend that you never feed chicken jerky treats to your canine friends in any case.

 

If you are a real pet treater, and feel you must treat…

 

– Use a product, preferably one made in the US that is known to be safe.

– Do not feed large quantities of treats, as they are often rich and cause upset stomach and sometimes diarrhea.

– Avoid “tipping,” meaning giving your dog a treat every time he does what he is supposed to anyway.

– Use lots of attention and petting and talking to in lieu of large amounts of treats, and your dog will be happier and lighter.

 

So, there you have it. My take on treats….

 

See? Something CAN be done about preventing pet illness.

 

 

That is all.

 

 

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic

The Heat

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

 

It seems like just yesterday that we had that cool, low humidity “California” weather that we and our pets enjoy. It left.

 

Welcome back to Louisiana, where it’s not just the heat… It’s the humidity. I agree that the combination of high heat and high moisture in the air can be stifling.

 

So, this update is to remind you that the Louisiana heat is returning, having evicted the California cool.

 

Remember your pets in the heat.

 

-No pets left in cars, since the car will become a convection oven within several minutes.

 

-All pets that are outside need lots of shade, water, and maybe even a fan or two.

 

-Be very careful with exercising your athlete pets. I have seen retrievers that would not stop, even when overheating, until they collapse. So, maybe training early in the morning or late in the evening, maybe in the water, with very close monitoring.

 

Just keep your pets in mind and be sure you help them “beat the heat”.

 

 

See? Something CAN be done about preventing pet illness.

 

 

That is all.

 

 

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic

Plop Plop Fizz Fizz, Causes a Stomach Twist???

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

 

The 1990’s internet rumor that is again beginning to gain traction is that your dog can become bloated and at risk for a deadly stomach twist from swallowing Alka Seltzers.

Though I cannot see why giving Alka Seltzers to your pet would be helpful for any reason, the legend does not appear to be true.

Dogs seem to be able to bloat with stomach twist (GDV) all on their own for reasons we humans cannot always fathom.

This condition (GDV) is usually a concern in large, deep-chested breeds such as the Great Dane and the German Shepherd dog, but it can occur in most large breeds. It’s sometimes thought to be triggered by the dog’s eating lots of dry dog food and then guzzling water. The theory is that the food swells in the stomach, causing swelling, and the stomach can then twist. While this theory may be true, we in fact do not really well understand exactly what triggers this condition.

One thing is true. If you see a sudden onset of swelling of your large breed dog’s abdomen, get veterinary help now. Your pet may die from this.

 

How to prevent?

-Feed your pet multiple smaller meals through the day.

-Some recommend water-soaking the food to allow it to swell prior to being ingested.

-I say feed a higher quality diet recommended by your DVM.

 

Remember that, proper steps and avoidance of Alka Seltzer or not, your large deep chested breed could get this condition. So be observant.

 

 

See? Something CAN be done about preventing pet illness.

 

 

That is all.

 

 

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic

Make Memorial Day 2016 a Good Memory

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

 

Memorial Day 2016 will be here very soon. This important holiday, which informally marks the start of the summer season, was established to honor all Americans who died while serving in the military. It was originally called “Decoration Day” and was first observed in 1868.

 

Every year, we all get together to celebrate, be together, maybe cook delicious food, and enjoy ourselves. And every year, we, as loving pet owners, determine to share “just a little treat” with begging Fideaux of the big sad eyes!

 

And every year, we at Pet Emergency Clinic treat a large number of those “begging Phydeauxs of the big sad eyes” for vomiting and diarrhea. Never fails.

 

So, why am I combining Memorial Day with diarrhea? Because they seem to go together as regards pets. That’s why!

 

Well, what can you do…???? I thought you would never ask!!

 

1- Do not feed your pet ANY new food during this time. Rather, give the pet lots of love and attention in lieu of diarrhea-causing treats and people food.

 

2- Keep your pet contained this holiday. The next most popular holiday fare at the ER is “Big Dog- Little Dog” fights and wounds.

 

 

Memorial Day is an important day on which we honor our American heroes. Do 1 and 2 above so the focus may stay on the heroes rather than the pets we have maybe made ill.

 

 

See? Something CAN be done about preventing pet illness.

 

 

That is all.

 

 

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic

Loosen up!

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

I was recently asked what the most common condition we treat at the ER. Was it hit by car, dogfights, overheating, heart attacks, etc. etc. etc.?

On thinking about this, I realized that the most typical problem we see at Pet Emergency Clinic is DIARRHEA.

Though this does not seem very glamorous, it is true. And, since there are a large number of conditions that cause diarrhea, there are also a large number of possible treatments.

People ask if their pet’s diarrhea is an emergency, and I answer with a very definitive “IT MAY BE.”

A pet may have diarrhea as a symptom of serious disease, or it may just have loose stool because it ate the wrong thing.

How do we tell? We have to examine the pet!

Since diarrhea may be a symptom of major disease, and since, over time, it may cause dehydration, best to get it checked ASAP.

Often, treatment of the symptoms using hydration and medicines and bland diets will handle the problem. But, in other cases, the pet needs IV fluids and injectable meds.

How to avoid the big D?

1- Feed a high quality name brand food and avoid scraps in general.

2- Avoid treats, since I relate these to diarrhea.

3- Keep your pet’s preventive medicine updated by yearly (or more often) visits to your DVM.

4- And if you see diarrhea, DEAL with it now rather than later.

That is all.

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic

Here I Come…. Rock Me Like A Hurricane

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

We recently observed the 10-year anniversary of Rita, the “forgotten” hurricane.

In the past, I had rather smugly concluded that our area responded to Rita in a far superior way to New Orleans’s response to Katrina, which occurred just a few weeks prior.

And I suppose that is true. But the idea that Calcasieu people were just hardier and more self-sufficient than those from New Orleans may need re-thinking.

I believe that we responded better to Rita because we were PREPARED and ready after watching what had occurred in New Orleans.

Katrina in New Orleans made us all at least consider what we would do “if,” and we were better for it.

So, what is my point?

It is this: Make some sort of plan for disaster. Whether it be a hurricane, fire, or flood remember your pets. Have a “go kit” for your pets that may include proof of vaccination, possibly a small supply of food and water, medicine if appropriate, carriers for evacuation, etc. … etc.

You get the idea.

ANY plan, no matter how simple and unsophisticated, is far superior to nothing.

So … right now! Create your pet emergency plan. (And maybe a human one too!)

That is all.

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic

Peanut Butter Poisoning?

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

You may have seen in the news that some peanut butters may be toxic to dogs because they contain the sweetener Xylitol. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that is fine for people and is most often found in sugar-free gums.

But, in dogs, the product radically lowers the blood sugar to a point that could even be fatal. (This would be similar to a diabetic having an overdose of insulin) Do understand that the severity of the problem is usually related to just how much your dog got. That is, a tiny amount may be zero problems but a large amount may be a big problem.

So, if, like many pet owners, you give your pet pills in peanut butter, avoid any that are sweetened with Xylitol.

Some brands that use xylitol include: “Go Nuts,” “Hank’s Protein Plus Peanut Butter,” “Krush Nutrition,” “Nuts n More,” and “P28.”

There are several other names used for xylitol that include anhydroxylitol, birch bark extract, xylite, xylitylglucoside, and zylatol.

We have seen xylitol poisonings at the ER related to ingesting sugar-free gums, but so far no peanut butter problems.

As always, preventing problems with superior knowledge and planning trumps treating problems every time!

And finally,” Choosy Mothers Choose Non-xylitol-sweetened Peanut Butters.” So true!

That is all.

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic

Taxing!

Dear Fellow Pet Lovers, 

When I practiced veterinary medicine in Texas right out of school in the early 1980’s, nothing about veterinary care that clients paid for was taxed. No tax on surgery, exams, vaccines, prescription foods, and no tax on veterinary prescriptions.
Moving back to Louisiana, I had to get used to the idea that veterinary prescriptions, often the exact drugs used on people and NOT taxed, were charged sales tax. This did not really seem right to me, but it was how it was done and it was what we did. 
Now a new idea is popping up that could be very harmful. This is taxation of veterinary SERVICES, which we have never in the past had to deal with. It would, of course, immediately raise your costs by around 10%, and maybe more. (More because admin would have to be created to report and pay it, which costs)
Though this seems like a bad idea and discriminatory to one group, pet owners, it actually exists in 3 states, Hawaii, New Mexico, and South Dakota. It is being considered in North Carolina as well. 
Why do this? Governments are ALWAYS looking for ways to increase revenues, and this looks like a good one to them. 
Why NOT do this? Arguments against it include the idea that people are taxed enough already, the idea that this tax discriminates against one particular group, pet owners, that the tax will reduce number of pets getting proper veterinary care, because the price would become too high. This would increase animal disease, eventually costing lots more than the tax raised. (There are probably lots more arguments on both sides)
But imagine if your veterinary visit cost, say $200, your new price would be around $220.
I, of course am against such a tax, for many of the reasons listed above. Whatever happens tax-wise should be fairly assessed and shared by all, in my opinion. 
Hopefully, we will not have such a cost added to your pets’ health care in Louisiana any time soon.

That is all.

Dr. John Emerson, Pet Emergency Clinic