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MPV Newsletter March 2019 p
March 2019
In this issue: SPRING CLASSES p2 * New Federal Animal Cruelty Law p3
Lyme Disease p3 * Heartworm: a threat to cats and dogs p3 National Poison Prevention Week Articles
St Patrick’s Day and Marijuana p4 Household Dangers p5
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MPV Newsletter March 2019 p2
Obedience Classes: 8 week sessions Basic/Beginner $180 Three days/times to choose from Wednesdays @ 6:00 pm starting April 17th Thursdays @ 6:00 pm starting April 18th Saturdays @ 10:00 am starting April 20th Intermediate*/** * Level 1: $180 Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm starting April 17 ** Level 2: $180 Thursdays @ 7:00 pm starting April 18 Canine Sports & Specialty*/** ** Agility: Handling & Coursework $250 pkg or $150 each Alternating Mondays @ 6:00 pm starting April 1 * Nose Work $150 Every Other Tues @ 6:00 pm starting April 23 * Tricks Level 1 $150 Fridays @ 6:00 pm starting April 19 * Treibball $150 Fridays @ 7:10 pm starting April 19th Advanced Obedience** $250 Season Every Other Tuesday at 6:30 pm starting April 16
* Pre-requisites apply. Minimum of Basic Obedience Class completed. ** Pre-requisites apply. All students must be pre-approved by the instructors.
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Lyme disease, which is transmitted through the bite of a tick, affects domestic animals and humans. Any ticks found on your pet should be promptly removed to help prevent transmission of Lyme disease and other diseases spread by ticks. Tick avoidance plays a vital role in disease control. Preventative products must be used consistently in order to provide effective long-term tick control. We can help you choose a product that is appropriate for your cat or dog. We also recommend annual blood testing to determine if your pet has contracted Lyme disease. This test also checks for Heartworm, Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis If Lyme disease is contracted, one to two rounds of antibiotic treatment may be necessary. Additional therapy may be needed to help the affected organ systems, especially when the disease affects the kidneys, heart, or nerves. The most common symptoms in Dogs are Lameness, Fever, Lethargy and/or Enlarged Lymph Nodes. Highly Effective vaccines for the prevention of Lyme disease are now available!
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in pets, caused by foot-long worms that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body. Heartworm disease affects dogs, cats and ferrets, but heartworms also live in other mammal species, including wolves, coyotes, foxes, sea lions and—in rare instances—humans. Dogs. The dog is a natural host for heartworms, which means that heartworms that live inside the dog mature into adults, mate and produce offspring. If untreated, their numbers can increase [up to] several hundred worms in their bodies, and can be fatal. Heartworm disease causes lasting damage to the heart, lungs and arteries, and can affect the dog’s health and quality of life long after the parasites are gone. Prevention is by far the best option, and treatment—when needed—should be administered as early in the course of the disease as possible. Cats. Heartworm disease in cats is very different from heartworm disease in dogs. The cat is an atypical host for heartworms, and most worms in cats do not survive to the adult stage. Heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats, but immature worms cause heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Moreover, the medication used to treat heartworm infections in dogs cannot be used in cats, so prevention is the only means of protecting cats from the effects of heartworm disease. heartwormsociety.org edited for length
Congressmen Vern Buchanan and Ted Deutch have introduced the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, HR 724, to outlaw and prosecute those involved in the abuse and killing of animals.
PACT builds on the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act passed in 2010 by closing loopholes and prohibiting cases of animal abuse. While the previous act made the creation, sale, and distribution of animal “crushing” videos illegal, these acts of cruelty against animals remain legal.
“The torture of innocent animals is abhorrent and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Buchanan said. “Protecting animals from cruelty is a top priority for me and I look forward to working with Congressman Deutch on this important issue.”
The new legislation will amend the federal criminal code to prohibit intentional acts of crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling, or otherwise subjecting animals to serious bodily harm. If passed, those prosecuted and convicted will face federal felony charges, fines, and up to seven years in prison.
Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), said, “Decades ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recognized the seriousness of animal cruelty and its link to escalating violence toward humans. Representatives Deutch and Buchanan are tremendous advocates for animal protection, and we are grateful to them for seeking to eradicate malicious cruelty.” Visit usa.gov/elected-officials for information
on how to contact your congressmen. Article published in Veterinary Practice News, February 6, 2019
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The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center sees on a daily basis how serious pet poisonings can be, and that’s why They know the importance of National Poison Prevention Week. They provide great resources to share with you and our community. Hot topics, such as the surge in marijuana exposures, the latest about essential oils, and a fun, shareable graphic about toxin dangers room-by-room, are just some of the available resources. The hashtag #preventpetpoison2019 is one way to let them know when you’re sharing the information online.
These articles are from the ASPCA site, slightly edited for length and client readability.
In 2019 the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center noted a large jump in calls about marijuana ingestion by animals—in fact, in the first couple of months the APCC reported a 765 percent increase over the same period last year. With more states legalizing marijuana, it comes as no surprise. And APCC Medical Director Dr. Tina Wismer noted that the abundance of edibles makes marijuana more enticing to dogs, since they often smell and taste like regular baked goods. Cats, on the other hand, are more attracted by marijuana in its bud form. Exposures in indirect ways have also been reported – consumption of human feces or careless disposal of marijuana remnants in public locations, to name a couple. Marijuana is the dried material of the plant Cannabis sativa. Signs of Exposure Signs that an animal has been exposed to marijuana generally include depression, ataxia, mydriasis, bradycardia, hypothermia and urinary incontinence. While there are many toxins that can cause ataxia and lethargy, urinary incontinence is not as common and can be a clue as to the exposure. Pets exposed to marijuana may exhibit other signs such as agitation and tachycardia; seizures and coma, although not common, may occur as well. Without observation of exposure (or the owner admitting what happened), an over-the-counter urine drug screen may be a diagnostic tool for veterinarians, but false negatives are common with pets exposed to cannabis. Treatment for marijuana is usually symptomatic. Decontamination is often unnecessary and may do more harm than good. Due to CNS depression, aspiration may be a major concern if emesis is induced or activated charcoal is given. As your veterinarian, our primary concern is the health of your pet, not how he or she obtained the toxin. Please help us to help your pet by being completely honest about what happened, including amounts and form (baked, buds, etc).
TOP 2 St Patrick’s Day Toxins When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, you probably think of a few things: shamrocks, alcohol and the color green. While FD&C Green No. 3 is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the FDA, do you know what to do if your pet gets into the other 2? ALCOHOL Many dogs (and some cats) will happily lap up beer (green or not) that is left within reach, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control center notes that St. Patty’s day parties are a very common time for pets to get into unattended drinks. The onset of action with alcoholic beverages is typically fast (within 30 minutes, potentially faster with higher dosages) so please see your veterinarian or an emergency clinic as soon as possible. Ethanol intoxication can cause ataxia, depression, recumbency, hypothermia, disorientation, vocalization, acidosis, tachycardia, dyspnea, aspiration pneumonia, tremors, coma and seizures. SHAMROCKS The name “shamrock” can refer to several different plants, and it is always important to identify them by their scientific names to assess the risk. When we get a call about a shamrock around St. Patrick’s Day, Oxalis acetosella is typically the plant in question. The toxic principle of Oxalis is oxalates. The majority of the oxalates are insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which act locally to irritate the mucous membranes. The insoluble crystals can cause oral pain, hypersalivation, vomiting, diarrhea and/or swelling in the oral cavity, pharynx and tongue. If significant swelling occurs, it would be possible, though extremely rare, to see dyspnea or airway obstruction. Some of the oxalates present within the Oxalis plant are soluble. Soluble oxalates freely enter the bloodstream and combine with calcium, which can cause hypocalcemia. We can see vomiting, ataxia, weakness, panting, facial rubbing, muscle fasciculations and seizures. Renal damage is due to both the calcium oxalate crystal formation and direct cellular and vascular damage of the oxalates. Despite how scary this sounds, most companion animals are unable to get into a large enough amount of plant material to cause systemic signs. Many pets who ingest a small amount of plant material can be monitored at home; pets who ingest larger amounts of plant material and are at risk of hypocalcemia may need emesis induced and/or monitoring at the hospital. While this can be deadly in grazing animals, cases of true toxicity leading to hypocalcemia are rare in companion animals.
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