Ventana Animal Hospital - a snapshot

The great thing about our computer system (now a year old) is that it affords us the opportunity to really examine what we do on a daily basis. With a few clicks of a button I could tell you how many pills to treat valley fever we sold last week (985), or how many bags of prescription cat food we currently have in the building (21).

I may have had ugly battles with math in college, but when it comes to these kind of details I'm hopelessly enamored.

What we have not set up in our system is a diagnosis protocol that will tell me what the doctors said your pet has - this is often different than what you say your pet has. A coughing pet, for example is not diagnosed with a cough (which is a symptom) but with valley fever, or cardiac disease or collapsing trachea or something more obscure.

However, in the meantime, I have an even more interesting - at least as far as you may be concerned - database to mine: Presenting Complaints. Now, presenting complaints are not entirely scientific and can be wildly misleading as far as telling us about what is really going on in the population is concerned. A perfect example of this would be routine well care visits. The purpose of a routine well care visit is to look for things that may be wrong and address them - we know that - but the computer simply states: Exam.

However, presenting complaints tells us what you see as wrong with your pets. The chart below is a snapshot of presenting complaints over the past few weeks.


 



It shows us that most of our pets are healthy (YAY!). Well Care includes puppy and kitten care, vaccines and other exams. Now, just because someone says that they're here for an exam, that doesn't mean that we didn't diagnose ear, skin, or dental disease (the most common). Again, diagnosis is a whole different animal from presenting complaint.

Second, and not surprisingly are ears, eyes and skin, with the lion's share falling evenly between ears and skin. Skin can include anything from allergic dermatitis to lumps and bumps. Skin issues seemed to fall largely 60-30 in favor of allergy type issues over lumps and bumps.

GI issues come in right behind ears, eyes and skin. Pets get into things and then often have cause to regret it. Most GI issues are straight forward, and several were puppies with known parasite infestations.

Sick (general) is largely a grab bag called loosely defined in-hospital as ADR. ADR is veterinary-speak for 'Ain't Doing Right'. How many of these ended up being valley fever I have no idea, but it would be a fair estimation that at least a quarter were.

Blood work includes cases of routine follow up blood work for valley fever, diabetes, hypo and hyperthyroidism and the like, as well as diagnostic testing where the next thing on the list was blood work, and therefore the client asked for it by name.

Lameness falls into several categories: cuts and scrapes on the feet, and soft tissue injuries and fractures. Some of these may have ended up being diagnosed as valley fever too.

Dental care includes both preventive dentistry ("It's time for Fluffy to have her teeth cleaned again") and diseased dentistry (diseased gums, loose teeth and fractured teeth).

Last is surgery, I included spays and neuters - which was the bulk of our surgery over the past few weeks - as well as other surgeries triggered by disease and injury.

Again, this is hardly scientific, but it is a fairly representative snapshot of why we see pets on a regular basis. Of course some weeks are different than others. The snapshot I showed you would have included three drop-offs for hospitalization on the same day - something far outside the norm, and may be a bit shy of skin issues.

Regardless of the limitations of this little exercise, I hope that you found it as interesting as I did.

Thanks, and have a great day,
Liane

Snakes and pet safety

The other day, Miss Kitty (pictured below) leapt up from her nap with a startled bark and began to bark with an unusual hysteria (vultures, her nemeses, cause a completely different tone of bark). She continued to stare off my deck into the rocks below.

My border collie, Ketchum, stood up and helped Kitty stare off the porch. I recognizing the bark and walked out onto the porch to help them stare into the mixed brush and rocks on the slope below.

I recognized the bark because I had heard it just weeks before when kitty alerted me to a three foot black tailed rattlesnake that had slithered curiously onto my deck. The border collie had fled altogether that time.

What Kitty and Ketchum have in common is a shared terror of snakes. They gained this terror through the relatively easy method of snake aversion training rather than the much more difficult and possibly deadly route of getting bitten.

Rattlesnake bites are sadly very common in pets and humans during our warm summer months. Just this week at Ventana, we rechecked three snake bites that had been rushed to emergency after hours or over the weekend. We carry the very expensive antivenin necessary to save a pet's life in case of snake bite, but, honestly we would rather not use it.

Working in a veterinary hospital, I have sadly seen the effects of snake bite in cats and dogs. Snake bites are extremely painful as well as possibly deadly. One patient has already lost his life to snake bite this summer.

I would do anything to save my dogs in the event of snake bite. I would gladly pour painkillers, antibiotics and antivenin into their bodies to save them from the horrible outcomes that I have seen over the years. But more important than treatment after the fact is avoiding the bite in the first place.

Dogs get bitten off leash and on, in the desert, washes, golf courses and back yards. Walls rarely keep snakes out, and bushes along roadways provided habitat.

Rather than try to avoid snakes, I decided to teach my dogs to avoid them for me, after all they have a better sense of smell and hearing than I do. Instead of snake proofing my habitat (impossible on the many acres where my dogs roam) I snake proofed my dogs.

My dogs have informed me about snakes on my porch and deck, and in Kitty's case a decorative metal snake. And so far, having lived in the desert with these and other dogs for 11 years, I have never had a snake bite. I have also never had a personal close encounter with a snake when my dogs were nearby.

Snake avoidance is not 100%. Few things in life are. Terriers are tougher to convince that this isn't a battle worth having, and some bird dogs may be too busy chasing birds to remember the lessons of snake avoidance.

As for the alert that brought me onto the deck last week: I finally saw coiled in the bushes 10 feet off the bottom of the deck the striped racer that I refer to as the front yard snake. Racers are not poisonous, and pose no threat to my dogs, which is why it is allowed to patrol the front yard unmolested. I praised the dogs for their alertness and went inside, confident that my dogs will continue to alert me in the event of snakes on my property.

To make things easier for our clients and others living on the northeast side of Tucson, we have put together onsite snake training with Central Pet and the snake handlers at Arizona Animal Experts. We do these several times in the late spring and early fall based on demand. If you have any questions about snake aversion training you can call me or Ronnie at (520) 299-1146. Our website at www.ventanaanimalhospital.com has up to date snake aversion information.

Senior Summer!

One of my favorite questions is: "how old is my pet in human years?" Interestingly that answer differs with the species and breed being discussed. A 10 year old chihuahua is a great deal younger than a ten year old mastiff. There are charts here in the hospital that will tell you that your ten year old cat is 56 years old while your 75 pound German Shepherd is 66 years old.

To make things simple we in the veterinary profession have created the phrase, "senior at seven" as a basic guideline to help us remember when we need to begin discussing senior care.

Senior citizens make up the vast majority of both the general pet population and the population here at Ventana. The good news about this is that it means that we are all doing something right.

Preventive care is what has allowed us all to reap the benefits of our pets' longer lives. Luckily as your pets have aged, and as the pet population too has aged, the veterinary community has adapted to to help this new population stay even healthier longer.

One of our senior citizens, Joy, resting after a hard day

Senior pets benefit from a holistic approach to care. Just as we have found that all things are interconnected in human medicine, it is the same with our pets.

Senior pets can suffer the same issues that humans. We see increased issues with joint mobility, weight gain, diabetes, thyroid issues, heart problems and the like. The good news is that many of these issues can be addressed if caught early enough.

Because pets age faster than humans, it behooves us to have them seen more often than yearly. A lot can happen in five years if you are in your sixties. We recommend twice yearly exams. This helps us better monitor fast changing issues such as dental health, weight and behavior.

Many things seen as a 'normal' sign of aging are not. Getting "slow" usually means getting sore. Changing behavior can be caused by early cognitive dysfunction, sight issues, hearing issues or pain. Drinking more or eating smaller meals can also be signs of illness.

While knowing the signs of illness are important, so too is well-checks with your veterinarian. We are better able to assess heart function, weight changes, dental health and feel the abdomen for abnormalities.

If you ask any one of us what we do for our own pets as they age you will receive the same answer - we all do annual blood panels on our senior pets. Even though all of our pets live with educated (one would hope!) veterinary professionals, we have all learned two valuable things over the years: 1) we cannot see what is going on inside our pets - no matter how good we are, and 2) vigilance pays off.

Everyone has a story about a perfectly healthy pet who came in for a routine exam or blood work and we found something that would have otherwise missed. We all like these stories, especially (obviously) if they have happy endings
. We hate seeing pets who have become symptomatic with disease and we catch things too late to help, or too far along to easily turn around.

We all love our pets or we wouldn't be in this profession. This is why often you will get the most candid answers when you ask us what we ourselves do with our own pets. At Ventana Animal Hospital, we consider that our gold standard. We offer nothing to you that we ourselves would not want offered to our own pets, and we will never offer you lesser care than we ourselves provide our own pets.

What are your summer plans?

If you're gonna ride a motorcycle, you've gotta wear shades!

Summer is a great time to head for the hills — literally. It gets stupid hot in Tucson in June. With many hotel chains becoming pet friendly, RVing, and camping options, taking your pet with you is a great option.

Pets (especially dogs) love cars, the open road and adventures that might include the opportunity to chase a squirrel up a tree. To ensure your trip goes smoothly we would like to offer up the following tips:

Make sure your pet is fully vaccinated — boarding kennels need bordetella (kennel cough) vaccines to be up to date — usually given within the past six months. Airlines will want to see proof of rabies. If you are traveling back east where there are unfamiliar diseases such as Leptospirosis and Lyme you may want to consider getting these vaccines before you leave (we carry Lyme but not lepto). If you have any questions about where these diseases lurk, you can consult the CAPC for Lyme info as for leptospirosis, the information is spotty and you should discuss it with a veterinary staff member who works in the location you are visiting.

Parts of Tucson have nasty tick populations. The Northeast side and Tanque Verde Valley seems to be largely immune to this, with very sporadic tick issues. Other parts of town, the valley and the state have varying problems with ticks. Because of this we recommend applying tick and flea control to your pet before they travel. If you are uncertain what you need you can call any one of our staff members at 520-299-1146 and they will be happy to help you out. Though high quality flea and tick products can only be sold through a veterinarian, they are not a prescription item. If you suddenly find you need such a product, any veterinary facility will be able to help you choose the appropriate product for your pet.

This guy was having a blast chasing sticks at Lake Superior last summer

Microchip your pet. Pets get lost, they slip collars — sadly in southern Arizona in a roll-over accident on I-10 someone lost 2 dogs — their posters were all over as a grim reminder that unexpected things happen. If you have a microchip in your pet have a veterinary staff member check it periodically to ensure that it has not migrated and that it is still readable. Make sure all contact information is up to date. If you don't have your pet microchipped we strongly suggest that you get it done.

Basic training and commands. I sat at a rest stop up near ShowLow last year and watched a puppy flail on the end of a (15 foot long flexi) leash like a carp before slipping her harness and sprinting across the parking lot, her elderly owners shuffling after her fruitlessly calling her name. The plates on the RV they were in? New York. Some kind soul was able to snatch up the puppy before she did herself damage, but that certainly served as a scary lesson. Apparently the puppy had never worn a harness before. She also had no recall to speak of. If your pet cannot walk on a leash and does not come when called do not take him on a road trip until he can do both with confidence.

Lastly, for everyone's safety ensure that your pet travels well in the car — not on your lap - preferably in a crate or harnessed to a seatbelt. Pets in cars cause distracted driving. Distracted driving kills people. This is a simple equation with an even simpler solution. If your pet is crate trained take her in the crate, if she is not but rides well in the back seat harness her to the back seatbelt.

Traveling with your pet is both fun and rewarding. Pets get to share your adventures and have their own. They get to explore new places, experience new things and meet new people. Dogs who travel tend to be well-behaved, more relaxed and all around better pets.

Even in Arizona's high country, water may be tough to find on hikes.

Enjoy your summer, whether you are through hiking the Appalachian Trail, RVing the Great American Parks, or driving up Mount Lemmon, we wish you and your dog a safe and happy summer.

Best Regards:
Liane Ehrich
Ventana Animal Hospital
Tucson, AZ
520-299-1146
www.ventanaanimalhospital.com
Liane@ventanaanimalhospital.com

Cats have teeth too

Remember when your pets didn't have teeth? We all remember when cats and dogs went to the vet annually like clockwork, got vaccinated, got a free rubdown by their veterinarian and were sent out the door with a recommendation to be seen again next year.

Times have changed. Veterirnarians have upped their game, and pets are the better for it. Also, It turns out that pets do, indeed, have teeth. And those teeth get dirty, infected and broken just like ours do. It also turns out that if we are proactive we can keep them healthier in the long run.

With one caveat, and sadly that caveat is cats. Yes cats do get tartar; they do get infections, and if they do enough in-home acrobatics they may even break a tooth now and again. Cats also get cavities. Unlike our cavities which our dentist likes to cruelly and unfairly pin on our candy and soda addictions, cats' cavities seem to be caused by bad genetics and some viral diseases.

Seem to be, because we (the veterinary profession) has yet to completely nail down the cause(s). We know genetics plays some roll because Asian cats (Siamese, Burmese, etc..) are notoriously prone to these cavities.

Which, whoops, brings us to the real name of kitty cat cavities, which is not kitty cat cavities, even though that sounds awesome, and I would have named it that, but I'm not a veterinarian. Veterinarians when given half a chance to give something a complicated name will jump at it, so: Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions (FORLs)

Resorptive because unlike our own cavities these ouchy guys start down below the gum line when the body begins destroying the tooth from the roots. Often all we see on exam is redness at the gum line.

However, if you've ever lost a filling, you know that these things hurt. Which brings us to regular veterinary visits (you know I was going there). We can't diagnose what we don't see, and guess what, your cat isn't going to yowl, scream or starve itself to show you it has a painful mouth.

At every visit we look in your cat's mouth. We do this not merely to annoy the cat (though that is an added bonus) but to look at the teeth and assess the gums.

Red gums equals pain, and both of us know that no pet should ever be in pain if we can help it. So, once again, if you cat has not seen a vet, any vet, in a while, make an appointment now. Your cat will thank you for it - well not really, but she will be healthier for it.

Our Winner! Maya Martin

Remember if you want your cat's photo in our blog, please post to our Facebook page. The kitty with the most likes by next Tuesday WINS!

How cats benefit from regular veterinary care

And the winner is: Jamie Dyan Carpenter's cat Gracie. Thank you everyone for posting your kitty pictures. The contest will restart now, so get those pictures posted and collect those likes, and remember, if you haven't liked Ventana Animal Hospital yet, please do!

As we have already mentioned repeatedly, April is Cat Health Awareness Month. Cats need veterinary care too, and though many cats are dearly loved by their pet parents, these same cats are receiving inferior veterinary care to dogs, often in the same household.

We at Ventana are working hard to make veterinary visits more relaxing (like Gracie up there) for our feline patients.

As was brought up in our last blog post, inferior cat care is often due to misperceptions made by owners, and it is our duty as pet care professionals to help everyone understand the importance of regular pet care. 

Alaina, our in-house cat care specialist has compiled a series of blog posts to help us all out (as I confess fully to my own dog bias - having exactly zero cats).

Annual visits to the veterinarian can be stressful to both beloved cat and loving owner, but neglecting these visits can lead to missed opportunities to catch a little problem before it becomes a big one. There is a misconception that these visits are merely for the cat to “get their shots.” The purpose of the annual exam is not to vaccinate your cat; rather it is to do a head to toe examination to assess their health.

During this visit our doctors will check teeth for tartar and gums for gingivitis. We will examine his eyes and ears. The doctors will listen to your cat’s heart and lungs and then palpate his abdomen to check for any pain or abnormalities. During the exam you will be able to address any concerns you may have, in fact we encourage you to make a list of any questions you have to bring to the appointment with you. After the physical exam is complete the doctor will administer any vaccines that may be due. 

Alaina Rhodes

Okay, I admit, Christina Jones' cats Oscar and Bombadill did not actually win the contest. But, for dog people, orange cats are a close to dogs as cats get, so I have a weakness for them.

Have a fantastic week. Stop by and see us at the SAHBA Home and Garden Show this weekend. Please, if you have not already, Like us on Facebook so that your cats too can become famous, check out our web page and most importantly, if we have not seen one of your cats recently, please bring her in. You can follow this link to make an appointment today.

Heartworm Prevention month

For those of you who may not be aware, Dr. Burrows, who lives in the Tanque Verde Valley got West Nile last fall. It took a bit of chasing to diagnose it, and when they finally did, all they could tell her to do was wait it out. Luckily for Dr. Burrows other than feeling pretty punky for a few weeks and having a bizarre tingling in her fingers that lingered for a month or so, the symptoms were very mild.

Which brings us to heartworms; heartworms do not affect people or they would be far more frightening than West Nile. They affect cats and dogs, and as the name suggests these worms migrate and live out their lives in the arteries around the heart.

What links these two diseases is the mosquito. Mosquitos account for more human deaths worldwide than any other animal. Arizona, with its dry climate is home to 46 varieties of mosquito according to the Arizona Department of Health. Mosquitos, the things that we, as Arizonans, take great pains to claim that we do not have are very much a part of our world. And as Dr. Burrows shows, not only do we have them, but they are carrying dangerous illnesses. (and yes, she picked up West Nile here)

No one wants to see their pets get sick, and every decision that we as pet owners take is a part of a balancing act between cost (not neccessarily financial) and benefits. We elect to put our dogs on tick prevention in the off chance that they may come into contact with a tick carrying a debilitating or fatal disease, or we deem the annoyance of tick products, their cost, their unsavory feel in our pet's coat, their toxicity no matter how small, too high and use them sparingly during travel.

This is a cost/benefit analysis and we, as pet owners do it every day. However, the only way this equation works is through education.

So, what we want pet owners in Southern Arizona to know, and what we strive to reinforce every day, is that the tightrope between cost and benefit that we have been walking for some time when it comes to heartworms has swung and that the danger of this disease, its rising prevalence in our coyote population, the increased interstate travel of your neighbors (and yourself) have all made the risk of doing nothing too high.

No one, not even veterinarians talked about heartworms in Southern Arizona even 15 years ago. But part of the belief that something isn't here is not looking for it. It was the advent of easier heartworm tests that saw an upswing in positives across Pima County. After Katrina and the dispersal of heartworm positive Katrina dogs into area shelters, veterinarians who hadn't already, felt a need to step up monitoring and prevention efforts.

Sadly, the numbers indicate that at least two or three of the dogs in our practice are, at this very moment, positive for heartworm. Perhaps they have no symptoms, or they have an occasional cough, or they are slightly more lethargic and the owners have put it off on age. We want to find these pets and help them feel better, and more importantly, we want them to stop carrying this deadly parasite in their blood.

The hearts represent all of the dogs who have come in so far this March who are protected against heartworms

We urge you, if you haven't already, to come in, have a heartworm test done and put your dogs on heartworm prevention.

Heartworm disease is devastating. It is expensive and awful to treat, while being largely inexpensive (around a $120 a year for a 100# dog) to prevent. The prevention that we use, Heartgard Plus also prevents against roundworms and hookworms.