July 3rd 2012-Animal Doc AM Multi-Media

Dr. Don DeForge

CANINES WITH THUNDERSTORM ANXIETY

Coping Strategies

We are now in the summer thunder and lightening storm time of the year and many dogs and some cats become very frightened by the sizzling, crackling, and loud bang of these storms.

          

Common signs seen in dogs with noise phobia are:

• Hiding
• Trembling
• Panting
• Whining
• Howling
• Pacing
• Destructive behavior in home
• Attempts to break through screens
• Pawing at the floor and scratching a door to escape
• Vomiting
• Urinating and defecating in the home
• Other violent behavioral changes

     These problems are serious and must be addressed.  I advise all pet owners to have an immediate consultation with their veterinarian.  Don't let these problems get out of control.  Your veterinarian may ask you to see a specialist, a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

     Discuss with your doctor a specific Behavior Modification Program for your dog and Systematic Desensitization.  There big terms combine many ideas from those trained in dog behavior to remove a problem before it becomes difficult to modify and/or remove completely from your dog's life.

    

 These programs can combine the following:

• Music Relaxation Systems-i.e. www.Caninelullabies.com
• Dog Appeasement Pheromone [DAP]
• Herbals and Botanicals
• Acupuncture
• The Establishment of a Safe Haven in your home
• Food Reward Systems
• Other ideas of well known behaviorists

These programs are too complex to present in detail in a summary of a Systematic Desensitization Program.  Many of the components are used alone and at other times are utilized in combination with other modifiers.  The most important fact from this review is to not attempt Behavior Modification on your own.  You could make the condition worse.  Never use punishment as a way to stop a noise or thunder--- abnormal behavior.  You will inadvertently set up a fear-anxiety in addition to an already serious anxiety problem.

If Systematic Desensitization does not work, the next step would be a discussion with your veterinarian about drug therapy or referral to a specialist.  Drug therapy is not utilized until all other Behavior Modification has failed.  Some of the drugs used to treat thunderstorm anxiety are:

• Clomicalm
• Zoloft
• Fluoxetine
• Diazepam
• Amitriptyline

Never use your own prescription medicines to treat your dog's behavioral problems.  Using the wrong medicine or the wrong dosage could prove fatal.  Your veterinarian is your personal source of information.  Utilize your doctor for the correct advice and for drug selection. 

Animal Doc AM wishes you a great summer with your beloved companions.  If you need help because of storm phobia seek that help immediately.  It will only result in a terrific quality of life for your pet and make your own home-life less stressful.

Dr. Don DeForge is Animal Doc AM

Silver Sands Veterinary Center

www.SilverSandsVeterinary.com

17 Seemans Lane

Milford, CT. 06460

203-877-3221

E-Mail DonDeForge@aol.com

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We always look forward to your comments on this blog.  Your questions can help others!

A Hidden Danger in Your Back Yard 

"Lyme Disease"

25June2012

There are two factors necessary for Lyme Disease to exist: the tick perpetrator, i.e. deer tick; and the bacteria, a spiral-shaped bacteria {spirochete}, Borrelia burgdorferi.  Lyme Disease can be found throughout the United States and, also, is very common in Connecticut.

In your special companion, the signs of Lyme Disease may include:

• Lack of Appetite
• Lameness
• Fever
• Acting distant or lethargic
• Resisting Exercise or play
• Swollen joints
• Kidney failure-documented with lab testing by your veterinarian

As the disease progresses, there can be serious injury to the joints and in some instances fatal kidney disease.

The Diagnosis of Lyme Disease is with a simple blood test by your veterinarian called the 4DXplus Test by IDEXX Labs.  This test will allow your veterinarian not only to check for Lyme Disease but also for three other tick born diseases.  From this test, you will also find out if your dog is Heartworm Positive or Negative.  Heartworm is a mosquito-borne disease and not a tick-borne disease.  

If your Lyme test on the 4DXplus is POSITIVE, your doctor will also want to do a urinalysis to check for proteinuria.  This allows your doctor to know if your pet's kidneys are  suffering from the Lyme disease [i.e. Lyme Nephritis]  If there is protein in the urine, your doctor will order a battery of kidney function tests along with a full Chemistry Profile and CBC.  Special Imaging of the kidneys may also be recommended after the completion of clinical lab testing.

Prevention is not 100% but it is strongly recommended.  Many Internal Medicine doctors recommend that you vaccinate your dog with one of the Lyme Vaccines that is available.  Along with vaccination, there must be a daily scrutiny of your pet for ticks.  They should be removed as directed by your veterinarian. Look carefully..... the Deer Tick can be as small as the head of a common pin.  Follow your veterinarian's instructions on tick removal.  Covering the tick with petroleum does not work.  Burning the tick with a match or cigarette will only cause a severe burn to your pet.  Use a tick removal instrument that can be found in your veterinarian's pharmacy or on the Internet. Have your doctor discuss with you the many new prescription topical products for tick control.  Choose the one that you wish to use, after veterinary consultation, and continue it 12 months per year.

Remember, if your pet is positive for Lyme Disease you may also be positive.  There is no direct transmission of Lyme Disease from your pet to yourself but, remember, you have been in the many places that your dog has visited and could also have been bitten by an infected tick.

Call your doctor about having a test for Lyme Disease, for yourself, if your veterinarian diagnoses Lyme Disease in your special friend.

Have a safe season; keep your grass groomed; keep your pet out of high shrubs and brush where ticks lurk; and always inspect yourself and your pet for ticks if taking a walk in the woods or in the marshes near your home.

This report on Lyme Disease has been presented by Dr. Don DeForge, Animal Doc AM. 

The earlier the disease is found the greater the likelihood for a full recovery from symptoms.  Unfortunately, not all Lyme infections can be cured completely.  The sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment is initiated the better it is for your special friend.

Dr. Don DeForge

Silver Sands Veterinary Center

www.SilverSandsVeterinary.com

1-800-838-3368

17 Seemans Lane

Milford, CT 06460

E-Mail CDRSVMD@yahoo.com

25June2012

Are You Poisoning Your Cat?

Animal Doc AM Multi-Media 19June2012

with Dr. Don DeForge

Are You Poisoning Your Cat?

There are three common poisoning areas in and around your home that can lead to serious toxicity in your cat:

• Over the counter and prescription medicines
• Plants
• Rodenticides, Pesticides, Herbicides, and Chemicals stored in your home

Category #1 Medicines

Be very careful with medicines.  Pills can be dropped on the floor that cats can lick up.

Cats can also break open foil wraps and ingest medicines.  Knocked over pill bottles with lids non-secured are also attractive to cats.  Keep all of your medicines in locked medicine cabinets.

Poisoning can occur with many medicines including: heart medicines, blood pressure medicines, anti-coagulant medicines, anti-depressants, and pain killers.  Never give your cat Acetominophen or Ibuprofen for pain.  Aspirin should only be used under the direction of a veterinarian in the new low dosage formulation.

Category #2 Poisonous Plants

There are many plants toxic to cats.  Below is only a partial listing.  Refer to the ASPCA Poison Control Website for a complete listing.  All members of the lily family can cause irreversible kidney failure in the cat.  Do not bring any variety of the lily into your home as growing plants or arrangements.  Even a tiny amount can cause death from kidney disease.

Partial Listing of Poisonous Plants to Cats to Read About and Avoid!

• All varieties of the Lily Plant
• Castor Bean
• Oleander
• Azalea and Rhododendron
• Cyclamen
• Yew
• Sago Palm
• Kalanchoe
• Marijuana 

Some of the signs that you might note that would lead to an immediate call to your Local ER Doctor could be:

• Confusion
• Tremors
• Muscle twitching
• Disorientation
• Difficult Breathing
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Inability to walk
• Pupil Dilation
• Not able to eat or drink
• Excessive Urination and excessive thirst
• Pawing at the mouth
• Pale gums or lavender gums
• Panting
• Hyper-agitation or Hyper-excitement

If you note any of the above, call your Local Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or your closest Animal ER Center.  Keep their numbers by the phone.

Also keep the number of an Animal Poison Control Center by the Phone.

ASPCA Poison Control: 1-888-426-4435

There is a fee for any Poison Control Center.  Have a credit card available as you prepare to speak to the toxicologist to avoid loss of precious time.

Category #3-Dangerous Chemicals Outside and Inside of Your Home 

As we enter summer, we have a plethora of rodenticides, pesticides, and herbicides in our yards.  Be sure you read the instructions carefully on the packaging.  Lock and secure these products when not in use.  When spraying, dusting, or applying make sure that your cat is not in direct contact with the product. Follow the packaging insert instructions exactly as stated. Read on the insert, also, when it is safe to allow the pet back into a treated site.

GO GREEN!  Find products that are environmentally safe and non-toxic for pets and children.  These products are readily available at most large garden centers.

Finally, household products should be kept in locked cabinets away from your pets and your special investigative feline friends.  Do not leave caustic agents in unattended buckets when cleaning.  Do not add products to the toilet bowl that are not listed as safe for pets if ingested.  Lock your garbage containers to stop your cat from getting into materials that have been discarded.

Practice C&C Safety

C&C stands for Cats and Children.  Use the same precautions for your cat as you would for a two year old child in that very investigative stage.  Remember prevention is the key to stopping 99% of poisonings.   Some risk factors will always be present but most can be eliminated by re-reading today's BLOG on Poisoning Risk Factors in Cats.  Enjoy your cat and always be alert.

Keep the Poison Control Center Phone number and your local ER Center's Phone number by your phone.  You are your PET'S ADVOCATE.  Show your love with attention to prevention!

Dr. Don DeForge

Animal Doc AM

Please post questions on this Blog or write

DonDeForge@aol.com

Silver Sands Veterinary Center-www.SilverSandsVeterinary.com

17 Seemans Lane Milford, CT. 06460

1-800-838-3368

Visit us on Facebook at Silver Sands Veterinary and Animal Doc AM-[Become a friend]

Visit us on Twitter at Time to Talk Fact with Don DeForge 

  

The Greatest Summer Threat to Your Companion

THE GREATEST THREAT TO YOUR COMPANION DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS!

Flea Allergy Dermatitis: Comments from Animal Doc AM MultiMedia 12June2012

Summer is just around the corner [8 DAYS AWAY] and the fleas are on parade.  With fleas comes that dreaded flea allergy dermatitis.

As the temperatures rise and with the humidity of summer the life cycle of the flea and time needed for development reaches optimum conditions.

Female fleas lay their eggs 24-36 hours after a blood meal from a dog or cat.  Hatching takes place in 1-10 days.  A single female flea can lay 1000 eggs within 30 days.  Many females will lay 2000 eggs during their life time.

Eggs most commonly hatch in the environment or home.  Larva soon develops and feed on adult flea feces.  Larva are sensitive to heat and after molting become the resistant pupa stage.  Fleas can pupate up to six months.  After emerging from the pupa or cocoon adult fleas migrate to a dog or cat [or other species] where feeding and mating takes place in 24 hours. 

It is stunning to know that an adult female flea can consume 15 times their body weight in blood each day.

The flea allergy is very uncomfortable for the dog or cat.  Flea saliva contains histamine like compounds.  These compounds are released into the dog or cat during feeding.  This triggers and immune or allergic response

It can be one of the most frustrating conditions for dogs and cats, as well as their owners: THE ITCHY SKIN OF THE FLEA ALLERGY.

 

Clinical signs of flea allergy dermatitis in dogs include moderate to severe itchiness, multiple skin irritations and excoriations. papules, and overall redness of the skin. Self-trauma from biting is a common finding.  The patient presents with multiple areas of hair loss at the base of the tail, over the back, the backs of the thighs, and the hind legs.

 

Even in the absence of fleas or flea dirt, physical exam findings consistent with these described signs warrant flea treatment with other testing for other causes of itching skin.

The difficult part for the veterinarian is to explain to the pet owner that a flea allergy is present without fleas being seen.  Only one or two fleas can initiate the abnormal immune response to make the pet very uncomfortable.

To treat the problem, the pet, other pets in the home, and the environment must be treated.  Do not use over-the-counter foggers.  Call in a professional exterminator to make sure your home is flea free with an environmentally safe product.  Make sure the company is informed if anyone in the home has pulmonary problems or if there are young or old people in the home that are not in good health.  The top exterminators only utilize environmentally safe products.  Check the credentials of the company you are using with the Department of Consumer Protection in your state.

The flea allergy must be treated by a veterinarian.  Your veterinarian will advise the use of glucocorticoids, antibiotics, and topical anti-inflammatory products.  The newest topical flea products that are safe for your pet will be recommended by your veterinarian.  Do not rely on over the counter products. 

Only prescription products should be used with a prescription from your veterinarian.  Rechecks may be needed until your pet is allergy free and the skin is fully healed.  

Over the counter flea collars, sprays, and dips should be avoided.  Some can actually be toxic to cats.  The new topical prescription flea products are used 12 months per year because of the resistant pupa stage of the flea and hatching when heating systems are turned up in the cooler months in the north east.

Contact Animal Doc AM at the below address with any questions or write the question on this Blog.

E-Mail DonDeForge@aol.com

Silver Sands Veterinary Center  www.SilverSandsVC.com

A General and Urgent Care Practice

17 Seemans Lane-Milford, CT-06460

203-877-3221 & 1-800-838-3368

Fax 203-877-8301- E-Mail CDRSVMD@yahoo.com & DonDeForge@aol.com

Visit our New Website at www.SilverSandsVeterinary.com

“Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky
There seems to be some confusion out in radio world; I am no longer on WICC 600 AM Radio; the veterinarian that you heard this past Tuesday morning was not Dr. Don DeForge....I am still Animal Doc AM but not on WICC-I truly miss WICC and not being with Tony and Mike on their Morning Show-each Tuesday was a special delight being with all of you on your drive in or listening on the Internet.
Continue to follow FB[Animal Doc AM] and Twitter-Time to Talk Fact with Don DeForge to find out more about the NEW Animal Doc AM Multi-Media....thanks to all...I will miss all my listeners from WICC...stay tuned to FB for new developments. Don DeForge-always Animal Doc AM!

07 June 2012