Veterinary Highlights: Routine Blood Work?

The first blood work Jasmine had done was a pre-anesthesia panel for her spay operation. It was presented to us as optional. Even though I didn't know much of anything back then, I felt it was a good idea.

I couldn't count how many times Jasmine had her blood tested since then.

One thing I learned is the value of blood testing. We don't only run the blood panel when there is something wrong, but every now and then just to make sure nothing is brewing in the background.

There are a lot of things that will show up on a blood panel long before the onset of visible symptoms. 

The sooner you discover a problem, the better the odds for your dog.

And even if your dog is perfectly healthy, it is good to have a baseline to compare results with when he does become ill.

Yes, it is an extra expense. But I believe it's well worth it. 

In fact, Jasmine will be getting her blood and urine tested again by the end of October.

Tails of Seattle: A Pets blog published a great veterinary Q&A on the subject, Why blood work in necessary. Please do read it.

Do I sound like a blood work and urine testing advocate? You better believe it. Such testing will allow you to see what the eyes cannot.

The Always-At-Hand Diagnostic Tool: Whoa, Girl Dogs Have Anal Glands Too!

A great diagnostic tool is right in front of your nose!

While we cannot measure up to our dogs in the olfactory department, it doesn't mean that our noses are useless. Our main disadvantage isn't how much information our noses can collect but how little of it we can interpret.

Bad or suspicious odor can be a (subtle) first sign of a problem.

Ever since Jasmine's back-to-back skin issues, I learned to pay close attention to the way her skin smelled—particularly around her tail where she got the worst of the infection last time. The fur is very thick there and can hold unwanted moisture.

I do regular sniff-checks to determine whether or not she is due for her next medicated bath.

Last week's check resulted in an immediate action.

Normally, when something is brewing in Jasmine's skin, it smells like a "moldy rag". You know, if you have a towel or rag that was damp for too long. (I say moldy, but it is actually bacteria what is causing the smell)

Last week I thought it smelled rather different, but wasn't sure what to make of it.

Jasmine got her bath and everything smelled right that night.

The next day though, the smell was back with a vengeance. 

I was quite sure we dried her really well but not to take any chances we bathed her rump again.

All was well that night but the next day the smell returned yet again.

What I found strange was that while the smell seemed quite strong, it seemed as it wasn't really coming from her skin. Also the nature of the smell was different; it smelled more poopy than anything. Which didn't make any sense because I checked and she was perfectly clean.

The thought of anal glands crossed my mind but I didn't say it out loud. There were no other signs of an issue in that department.

Fortunately, Jasmine had an appointment for catrophen (Canadian version of Adequan) injection for Saturday morning. To be on the safe side I included instructions for the vet to check the skin around her tail, and her rectum.

Expecting just to give a couple of quick injections, the vet walked in cheerfully, carrying coffee and a bag with breakfast. 

Little he realized we had a different plan for him.

He put the breakfast down, checked the skin and looked at the rectum. "Seems to look fine," he said, but because he never takes described symptoms lightly, he went on checking the glands. "There is a little bit of discharge ... oh, there it is. There is a bit of infection."

"Nothing like doing this just before breakfast."

He expressed the anal sacs.

Jasmine didn't know what to make of all that, "hey, didn't know that we were THAT friendly!"

Because the infection was still minor, no medication seemed necessary. He will check them again on Friday to see how they're doing. The smell seems to have gone away though, so I think that the expression might have just done the trick.

"You're never gonna underestimate my wife's nose again, are you?" hubby asked.

But the vet didn't underestimate it the first time either. That is one of the things that make him the great vet he is.

And I am glad that I paid attention to my scent findings too. Unhappy anal sacks can get pretty nasty.

So the next time your nose tells you that something is off, listen to it. You might save your dog a lot of grief.

It's your dog's health,
Jana

Did your nose ever alert you to a health problem in your dog?

Related articles:
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Bad Odor
Rump Scooting is Not a New Trick - It is a Serious Problem

Dog Cartoon Of The Week: Good Boy!

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Dog Cartoon of the Week is brought to you by Andertoons. Check out the website for more great cartoons.


Cartoonist Mark Anderson lives in the Chicago area with his wife, their children, two cats, a dog and several dust bunnies. You might have seen his cartoons in a number of publications including Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, Barrons, Woman's World, Harvard Business Review, Saturday Evening Post, American Legion Magazine, Funny Times.

Adoption Monday: Rusty, Labrador Retriever, Clovis, CA

Rusty is a yellow male, approx. 10 mos. old and 53 lbs. 

Rusty came to Lab Rescue via a rural area where his people did not come looking for him. He was saved by a kind family that cared for him until he came into rescue.

Rusty is a sweet young boy who we think has a little something else in him, but whatever that might be, he's a wiggle butt happy kinda guy! 

His tail looks to have been docked, but that certainly doesn't bother him or hamper him in any way.

Rusty is very happy with another doggie friend and although interested, not overly so in the cat. 

Rusty loves to swim and play with the ball. He needs some leash work but we're working on that. Rusty, like any other lab puppy his age has a lot of energy and will need regular, consistent exercise to remain well adjusted, happy and healthy.

He will need positive reinforcement training and obedience class to help him become a good canine citizen.

Rusty is very smart and eager to learn and with proper direction, we feel he will be a wonderful companion dog for any family. 

If you are interested in adopting through Labrador Retriever Rescue of Fresno, you must first fill out an Adoption Application. Thank you for opting to adopt!

Rusty's Petfinder listing.

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Labrador Retriever Rescue of Fresno has been rescuing and re-homing Labrador Retrievers since 2008. The primary source of their Labs is from City and County Shelters. They  are an all volunteer organization covering Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Madera counties.

There is a huge number of Labradors ending up at the Fresno SPCA and surrounding area rural shelters. As so many Labs are being surrendered or abandoned due to the large number of foreclosures in Fresno County. As a direct result our resources are severely strained. 

Every Lab gets a veterinary exam, inoculations, test for parasites, heartworm, microchip, and spay/neuter. Labrador Retriever Rescue of Fresno takes care of broken bones and provides care for the neglected and abandoned dog. They take in senior and special needs Labs and provide for foster care until they can be placed in forever homes.

How Dog Massage Healed A Mystery Limp

This guest post comes from Sonia Singh, a dog supplies expert.  She writes about the big dog lifestyle on the Large Dog Blog at PawPosse.com.

Nala’s limp started first thing one morning, as soon as she tried to get up.

She stood up to greet me, then after putting weight on her front leg once immediately picked up her paw and hopped over to me.

That’s not normal.

I took her to the vet, where they couldn’t find anything abnormal from the physical exam. The vet recommended x-rays to check for skeletal causes and a blood test for valley fever. Here in Arizona, valley fever is a common ailment for both people and pets with recovery time up to a year, so it’s not something to mess with. The first symptom in dogs is often lameness as a result of lesions on bones and joints.

Price tag: $200 for the valley fever test, plus $300 for the x-rays and sedation.
Results: no valley fever, elbow dysplasia unrelated to the limp, and a calcium growth on her sternum possibly, but not likely, related to the limp. The vet prescribed a common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and sent us on our way.

Frustrated, I took Nala home with no real progress on her limp. 

She didn’t seem bothered by it – in fact, she had picked up speed on three legs and didn’t seem to care that one was unusable. But I didn’t want to keep giving her drugs that weren’t doing anything for her and leave the real problem to continue.

A couple days later, having seen no improvement in Nala’s leg and still in the dark about what caused it, I found myself at a free workshop on dog massage. 

It was conducted by a veterinarian who practices traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, something I had never heard of. She gave a phenomenal class on how to massage your dog, including where to focus for various symptoms.

That night I gave Nala her first doggie massage, with special attention on areas for pain relief and inflammation reduction. 

I thought it might be hard to get her to sit still, or that she would respond to areas that hurt her, but nothing. Nala lay on her bed and soaked it up happily. The next day, I gave her two more massages, one in the morning and one at night.

The next morning, Nala was walking normally on all four legs!

I kept up the massage for a day or two more to prevent any aggravation – after all, like most active dogs my Nala doesn’t know not to go easy on an injury. Still, the limp never came back. Price tag: $0. Results: A pain-free dog.

To this day, I have no idea what caused Nala’s limp. 

Her medical record shows no sign of an explanation or cure. Her dad swears I have healing hands, but of course there’s more to it than that. Massage based on thousands of years of medical understanding did the trick.

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PawPosse.com was inspired by Nala, an adopted pound puppy that had quite a growth spurt between 3 and 9 months old. She wasn't done growing and it was already tough to find good stuff for her.

The average stuff you find at big-box pet stores was just not going to work here.  So PawPosse.com was born: to give big dog owners a resource for useful products and helpful tips.

Veterinary Highlights: Insulin Delivery Patches for Dogs

An Australian molecular biologist, Dr. Esra Ogru, has teamed up with a Swiss-based Novartis Animal Health to perfect insulin delivery patches for dogs.

These patches will deliver an insulin gel through dog's skin. 

The technology is based on research into targetted penetration matrix (TPM) technology, which allows the delivery of drugs though the skin.

No more needles! 

Wouldn't that be a wonderful news for owners of diabetic dogs? (And I'm sure the dogs would appreciate it too. As much as Jasmine loves vets and is willing to put with a lot she does hate needles)

Unlike injections, the patch would deliver constant dose of insulin over a period of time.

I think it's a wonderful and exciting idea but two questions come to my mind.

• It seems that insulin is quite sensitive and needs to be stored very carefully to maintain potency. It needs to be stored in a refrigerator (but never in the freezer). Will the insulin in the patch maintain its potency?
• In a healthy dog, insulin enters the bloodstream after a meal when the glucose levels are the highest. Is a continuous constant dose going to control the glucose spikes after meals?

I know, I always have a why or how question to everything.

Overall though, sounds like a great idea to me. What do you think?

Original article:
Diabetic pets escape the insulin needle 

Causes of Vomiting in Dogs

by Lorie Huston, DVM  

There are many different diseases and disease processes that can cause vomiting in dogs.

Vomiting is only a symptom, not a disease in itself. 

If your dog is vomiting, especially if he is vomiting persistently or severely, finding the proper treatment relies on finding the cause of the vomiting.

Gastrointestinal Causes of Vomiting in Dogs

There are many diseases that affect that gastrointestinal (GI) tract that can cause your dog to vomit. These diseases range from mild and self-limiting in their nature to life-threatening. They may be accompanied by other symptoms such as diarrhea, lack of appetite, dehydration and more depending on the individual disease and severity of the illness.

Commonly encountered causes of GI vomiting include:

• dietary indiscretion (also sometimes known as “garbage can enteritis”)
• food intolerance/food allergies
• parasites (roundworms, hookworms, Giardia, coccidia, etc.)
• viral infections (canine parvovirus, coronavirus, canine distemper, etc.)
• bacterial infections (Salmonella, E. coli, etc.)
• foreign bodies
• intestinal obstruction
• intussusception (telescoping of the intestines which causes a functional obstruction)
• tumors/growths in the GI tract

Non-GI Causes of Canine Vomiting

While it is easy to always assume that vomiting is caused by gastrointestinal disease, this is not always the case. Systemic diseases can also cause vomiting, often as a result of toxins which build up in the blood stream.

There is a relatively long list of systemic diseases that can potentially cause vomiting. While there is not room here to list each and every one, these are some of the most common:

• kidney disease/kidney failure
• liver disease/liver failure
• pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• pyometra (infection of the uterus)
• diabetes mellitus
• Addison’s disease (a disease of the adrenal gland)
• toxins/poisons

Diagnosing Vomiting in Dogs

In cases of mild vomiting, absolute diagnosis may not be necessary as the disease may be self-limiting. In these cases, fasting for a few hours followed by feeding a bland diet may be all that is necessary for recovery.

However, if vomiting is severe and frequent or accompanied by other serious symptoms, pursuing an accurate diagnosis will be necessary. If there is doubt about how serious your dog’s symptoms are, pursuing diagnosis immediately, rather than attempting the fasting/bland diet approach, may be advisable.

The basic diagnostic approach for vomiting is likely to include one or more of the following:

• fecal examination, checking for parasites and ova (eggs) of parasites
• a Giardia Elisa test on the feces
• a basic blood screen consisting of a complete blood count and blood chemistry profile, including blood electrolyte measurement
• abdominal radiographs (x-rays) and/or and abdominal ultrasound

Additional testing may or may not be necessary, depending on the results of these tests.

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Lorie Huston, DVM is an experienced veterinarian with over 20 years in practice caring for dogs and cats. 

She is an expert in pet health and pet care as well as being a talented free-lance author and blogger. 

In addition to numerous articles and posts both online and off, you can also find Lorie at her blog Pet Health Care Gazette. She is a co-host at the popular Animal Cafe and also works as a blogging/social media consultant and an SEO strategist. 

Her social media blog is Social Savvy Pets.




Articles by Dr. Huston:
Lyme Is Lame (Pun Intended)
The Ticking Bomb
Don't Let Heartworm Become A Heartbreak!
Summer Perils: Blue-green Algae
Your Dog And Leptospirosis
Canine Parvovirus
Canine Distemper Virus
Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Top 5 Causes Of Itching In Dogs 
Vaccination Concerns and Potential Side Effects 
Natural Flea Control for Dogs 
Vomiting in Dogs: Is He Actually Vomiting? 


Related articles:
What's In The Urine? (Part I)
What's In The Urine? (Part II: Urinalysis)
Excessive Drinking
Bad Odor
Excessive Panting
Bad Breath (Halitosis)
Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire: A Symptom Is Your Friend!
When Is It An Emergency?

Dog Cartoon Of The Week: Rescue Mission

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Dog Cartoon of the Week is brought to you by Andertoons. Check out the website for more great cartoons.


Cartoonist Mark Anderson lives in the Chicago area with his wife, their children, two cats, a dog and several dust bunnies. You might have seen his cartoons in a number of publications including Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, Barrons, Woman's World, Harvard Business Review, Saturday Evening Post, American Legion Magazine, Funny Times.

Adoption Monday: Chauncey, Hound/Pit Mix, Hillsboro, Texas

A friend of mine has asked for help finding a new home for this sweet guy.

His name is Chauncey, but it has been changed to Norris by the family he is with. I think you could name him whatever and he would answer to anything.

He just desperately wants someone to love him!

I rescued him from the Dallas SPCA and they told me he was a Hound/Pit mix, but I think he looks a little like a black lab is in there somewhere.

He is mostly black, with a little white on him and a brindle coloring on his back.

He is extremely playful, still has some puppy behavior in him, very energetic, and he needs a lot of attention. 

He is not for someone that just wants to put him out in the backyard to watch the house. I can tell that he was an indoor dog before I got him, but has been an outdoor dog for the last 6 months. I would like to find him a home where he can be indoors at least half the time because he is house trained and he is extremely social.

He is very loyal to whomever he knows that loves him. 

I have never seen such a dog that shows his emotions on his little face so openly.

I went to the SPCA back in the winter earlier this year and he had the saddest face and looked so adorable that I had to save his life. I considered keeping him myself, but my dog was so territorial that they wanted to kill each other. So then I placed him in a home with 2 boys and it seemed like a match made in heaven, but they never built a fence for him and the poor guy has been starved for attention and living outside. I am afraid it wasn't a good match.

I think Chauncey really just wants to be a human. 

He is sweet with kids and adults that he knows, but there was one instance where he lunged at a man that he did not know that was visiting his owners. He is a watch dog and needs a good secure fence (if he is to be outside) but he is house trained and loves being indoors the most.

He is fixed and micro-chipped and has been given all of his shots. 

I paid $95 for him at the SPCA. He is really a gorgeous dog!

He is in Hillsboro, Texas right now but I can get him up to the DFW area easily if you are located there. 

I had him checked up at the Animal Hospital in DeSoto earlier this year and they have him on record. I also have his papers from the SPCA and you can switch over the information on his microchip to your address. He tested in perfect health with no worms when I placed him, but I don't think his current owners have been giving him heart worm medicine like they should, so he might need to be tested for that before you put him on medicine.

He is around 2 years old, maybe younger. 

I love him and because my first attempt in placing him didn't work out so well, I am really going to stress that he is a dog that is really in need of attention.

I don't want to have to place him again, but I will always take him back because I NEVER want that sweetie to see the inside of a shelter again! He is a very sensitive soul and he was so freaked out in the pound. You should have seen the sad look on his face. He is a very loving creature and he really loves to sleep in your bed and sit on you, if he could get away with it.

Whomever adopts him will find a loyal buddy for life. 

He has SO much love and he needs the right person or family to share his love with. If you think you might be that person, then please contact me at lphiddleston@aol.com and type "Chauncey" on the subject line so that I see it right away. Thanks for your time in reading this and feel free to share with others.

Chauncey was current on all of his shots as of February 2011 when I took him to the DeSoto Animal Hospital in DeSoto, TX and they gave him a check-up. I adopted him in January and the Dallas SPCA had him completely evaluated and he is healthy.
He is micro-chipped and neutered.
He is house-broken.

Please contact me by email at lphiddleston@aol.com or on my mobile phone at 214-325-8028.