PurinaCare Pet Insurance Blog

Veterinary Technician Specialists

Larry McDaniel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:13:00 PDT

You've probably heard about Veterinary Technicians. Heck, if you've been to a Veterinary Clinic lately, you've undoubtedly run into a Technician. In many good practices they perform most of the patient care and spend more time with clients and pets than many Veterinarians. My practice would have collapsed around me if it had not been for my Tech. In fact, I was able to get by as a solo practitioner for several years in large part because I had good technical assistance.

I learned something new about Technicians at this year's Western Veterinary Conference. I met Andrea Ball, the Executive Director of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians or NAVTA. I knew that Tech's did a lot these days but I didn't know that they had Specialties.

In fact they've had specialties for a while.

The Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties was formed in 1994 and they set about establishing guidelines for the skills and training required to qualify as a specialist. Each Specialty area is represented by an Academy and the Academy sets out the course for any Technician that wishes to pursue a specialty. The Academy also confers the recognition of Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) after the candidate has completed the course of study.

There are currently eight different Academies approved by NAVTA. Technicians can specialize in Dentistry after which they function pretty much like a Dental Hygienist for you dog or cat. They can specialize in Anesthesiology where they provide critical patient preparation and monitoring during surgical procedures.

The Academy for Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technician includes sub specialties in Dermatology, Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology and both Small and Large Animal Medicine. Other specialties include Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care, Behavior, Zoo Animal Medicine and Equine Medicine.

My guess is that most VTS's work in Specialty Practices or Emergency and Critical Care facilities. Their advanced skills would fit in quite well with a like minded Veterinary Specialist.

For my money this is just one more reason for an animal lover to pursue a career as a Vet Tech. They are critical members of the Veterinary Medical Team and now they can delve even deeper into particular areas of interest. If you know anyone that fits the bill have them check out the NAVTA web site.

Puppy fights sleep - and loses! Adorable!

Yvonne DiVita — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:29:50 PST

TGIF - don't we all feel this way on Friday's?

From the Purina PetCharts site (video from YouTube)

New Help For Broken Bones

Larry McDaniel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:05:47 PDT

I know something about breaking bones and how they heal. As a former mountain bike racer I've had two crashes, one that resulted in a broken hip and another that led to a series of problems with a broken wrist. In the latter case, I developed what is called a non-union fracture. That means that the two ends of the broken bone did not heal and grow back together.

There was too much motion at the fracture site despite the fact that I was in a cast for six weeks. Frankly, I was a bad patient and a lot of the motion was created by me in an attempt to keep my arm from withering away.

The non union resulted in the need for surgery, a bone plate and several screws, a new cast and a bone graft. The latter is the subject for today.

My bone graft came from a tissue bank where human bone is kept for use in fracture repair. The "replacement" bone is packed into the site to aid in healing and to bridge gaps where the patients bone is gone or compromised.

The other way to get a graft is to "harvest" the patient's own bone; usually from the hip bone, at the same time the fracture is being repaired. The only problem with this type of "auto" graft (meaning it comes from your body) is that you have to be under the knife for a longer period of time and that has risks. Plus it is surgery and 25% of autograft patients report pain at the donor site for a couple of years after surgery.

Sometimes it's impossible to harvest enough bone needed for the surgery from the patient.

With "allo" grafts (meaning the bone comes from someone else) you don't have these risks and potential complications.

Now, thanks to a company called Veterinary Transplant Services (VTS) the benefits of osteo (bone) allografts are available to our pets. They provide a bone tissue bank for Veterinarians that perform orthopedic surgery. The bone tissue comes from dogs and cats that have died and their owners have generously donated their remains to VTS.

That's exactly how human tissue banks work, by the way.

Osteoallografts have a couple of benefits besides those described above. In addition to providing a bone "scaffold" that can bridge gaps and serve as a surface for new bone to grow on, allografts from VTS provide "osteoinductive" properties. This means that there are substances in this material that stimulate the growth of new bone. These substances are called "bone morphogenic proteins" and they can stimulate the bone forming cells in the patients body to form new bone which speeds up the healing process. That's pretty cool. It's not just a chunk of bone tissue, it's biologically active.

In Veterinary Medicine surgeons use osteoallografts in serious fracture repair, non union treatment, and in other procedures like TPLO surgery on the knees of big dogs. We've talked about TPLO surgery before as one of the ways to handle cruciate ligament injuries in large and giant breed dogs.

Veterinary Dental specialists use similar materials to treat the effects of serious periodontal disease in dogs where bone damage and tooth loss can occur. In many cases these allografts can save teeth that would normally be lost to periodontal disease.

Having these treatment modalities available to our dogs and cats is a great advance in Veterinary Medicine. In the unfortunate event that your dog or cat suffers from a serious orthopedic problem or serious dental issue where bone is involved, you may see the benefits of osteoallografts first hand.

Here's hoping that you never get that up close experience with your pet. Even if you don't, you'll know how they work and why they help and that's good for cocktail party conversation at the very least.

Teeth Cleaning

Yvonne DiVita — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:37:28 PST

The resident feline, Wabby Wibby, is due for a teeth cleaning this Friday. I'm guilty of knowing she needed her teeth cleaned for awhile, now, and not following up as I should have.

It's hard to admit that but I bring it up to caution those of you who are ignoring your cat's teeth. The Wabby is okay, mind you. She is eating well and settling in nicely to our new home in CO. But, she has major tartar build up on her teeth (I should have been brushing them all these years, and I didn't ), and because of this, she will probably (a) be under anesthesia longer since it will take longer to clean her teeth, and she will probably (b) lose some teeth.

Losing teeth isn't the end of the world. But, if I'd been more attentive to her dental needs, she wouldn't need to lose any teeth. I don't think.

The vet was very positive when we were there a couple of weeks ago - he complimented us on her great condition, considering she's 17 years old. And, he doesn't think the teeth cleaning will be difficult - especially since she's not experiencing any problems, thank goodness. And her blood and urine tests came back okay.

However, she is far beyond the time for a real, good teeth cleaning. On Friday I will spend the day worrying, until the vet calls and says she is okay. I hope she doesn't have to stay overnight. I hope she comes home and wakes up fine and is back to her usual cuddly, fun and lazy self. (notice that the word fun when applied to the Wabby is relative - she's not a kitten!)

Let this be a lesson. Check your cat's teeth. Get a veterinary toothpaste and toothbrush and get your cat used to a gentle tooth brushing right at home. And make sure your vet checks your cat's teeth regularly.

We are very lucky Wabby's teeth have held up this long without causing abscesses or infection. Whew! Let's now hope she makes it home Friday, safe and sound.

Miles Heads into The Wilderness

Larry McDaniel — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:18:33 PST

We took Miles on his first back packing trip this weekend and it was a real learning experience for him. It was a learning experience for us too. We haven't had a dog with us in the back country since Darcie was a pup and that was a long time ago.

There are a few important rules for a successful camping trip with your dog and if you follow them you'll have lots of fun. For my money there is nothing better for a dog than to be in the back country running free without worrying about getting run over by a truck. They get to commune with the spirits of their ancestors, the wild wolves we hope to have roaming our wilderness in days to come.

Rule number one is to make sure dogs are welcome. We were in a National Forest Wilderness Area. Most trails in the National Forest are open to dogs and off leash travel is OK. Not so in National Parks or National Monuments. In these places you can't take dogs even if they are leashed. State Parks and Wildlife Refuges have their own set of rules. Check with the governing body before you go.

Speaking of wildlife; even if off leash travel is OK you want to be sure that your dogs don't harass the wild critters that call the back country home. Make sure your dog will come on command and that you can recall him if a bunch of Mule Deer cross your path. On our trip we had an encounter with a flock of Wild Turkey. Before we knew it Turkeys were flying everywhere and Miles and Alice were in hot pursuit. Miles even jumped headlong into a thicket wearing his back pack. He came out with more than a few scrapes. The Turkeys were unscathed. We'll have to work on recall with Miles.

Another important consideration for both man and beast is your level of fitness. Back packing can be really fun if you are physically prepared. Chris and I have been hiking and biking all winter and we've taken Miles for four mile hikes almost daily since we got him in January. Cardiovascular fitness is one thing but you have to be hiking tough, too.

Your feet really take a beating when you are carrying 20-25% of your own body weight on your back. The same goes for dogs. They have to be used to hard rocky trail and the pads on their feet need to be conditioned to hard hiking.

Miles is OK on this front since he hikes a lot but he still gets goat heads and Cholla spines in his feet all the time. We had to pull them out on several occasions on this trip. If your dog starts to limp suddenly check his feet for stickers. Miles has gotten so used to cactus country he'll pick up his paw and show us his owie.

Food is another important consideration. Most of what Miles carries in his pack is Purina ONE Large Breed Dog food. We ran a little short on this trip. We should have had just a little more dog food and a little more whiskey would have been nice around the camp fire at night, too.

Miles probably hiked twice as far as us on this trip. He swam the cold river just for fun and he slept out at night. We know he's originally from the Maritime Provinces of Canada and he has a thick undercoat to keep him warm in frigid water, but he still needs fuel for the furnace. We took his usual amount of food along and forgot to account for the extra calories he'd need for all that activity. We should have taken at least 1.5 if not 2X his normal food needs. As it was, he did the pre-wash on all our dishes and cleaned up anything that hit the ground. We'll bring more dog food next time. (And more whiskey.)

If you are prepared there is nothing better than a back country trip with your dog. Our National Forest Wilderness system is a true national treasure and a great place for well behaved dogs. Get out there!

Fancy Feast - The Wabby Loves It!

Yvonne DiVita — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:27:01 PST

We feed our cat, Wabby Wibby (baby talk for "baby kitty" - don't ask), Friskies, which she loves. I have to admit she's not a really fussy kitty when it comes to food, though. She eats just about anything. Mind you, she does have her preferences - she's not fond of salmon, strange enough.

A few weeks ago, shortly after the Grammys, I received a neat package in the mail from the good folks at Fancy Feast. The package contained all of the great prizes Fancy Feast handed out to cat lovers, at the Grammys - behind the scenes. W00t!

In the boxes were a beautiful rhinestone studded collar - which the Wabby actually seemed to like (channeling her inner Diva, no doubt!), a sterling silver heart to hang on the collar - which says "I Love You" on it. Not sure if it means "I" love her, or she loves me. Maybe both?

Also included in the package were some Fancy Feast Appetizers. While I wasn't too worried about Wabby eating them, I didn't know she was going to love them! As I said, she's pretty laid back and eats just about anything we put down for her; she's especially fond of chicken. But, she has rarely attacked her food as she does these Appetizers.

It's clear that she's enjoying the food, far more than her regular dinner. And, since I don't want to overfeed her, but at the ripe old age of 17 she does need a bit more food than she used to eat, these little containers of tasty treats are just perfect! (no, no one told me to say that!)

For awhile she was getting thinner and thinner and we were worried, but now she's not only eating better, she's looking better. Her coat is softer and shinier and she's a happy girl.

Oh, she's always been "happy" but not as obviously happy as now. I expect some of that is getting settled in here in our new home. But, I also think feeding her twice a day, using the Fancy Feast Appetizers is a part of that new-found delight. Why, there are times I actually think she's smiling!

Ha! Not an easy feat for the Wabby who is the master of the scowl!

Shaping Good Behavior Through Clicker Training

Larry McDaniel — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:01:28 PST

I've made a big deal out of the fact that we cover behavior issues under PurinaCare policies. If these conditions are not pre-existing and the behavior modification is done by a licensed Veterinarian, it's covered.

That's an important notion since far and away the biggest reason people take pets to shelters is due to some behavior problem.

Today I want to cover how to prevent behavior problems in the first place. Prevention, as with any other disease condition, is worth a pound of cure.

The best way to prevent undesirable behavior is to teach proper behavior from an early age. Early socialization and basic obedience training are the pillars of good behavior as an adult.

We are taking our dog Miles through a clicker training class with a local trainer. For my money, clicker training is the way to go. Clicker Training relies on an animal behavior technique referred to as operant conditioning. The clicker, a small hand held thing that makes an audible clicking noise is the tool you use to condition the dog. The clicker is the device that forms the association between behavior and consequence, which in this case is a reward in the form of a treat.

The first step is to get the dog to associate the click with a tasty reward. Simply getting your dog to look at you when you say his name is an easy way to get started. If I say "Miles" and he looks at me I click the second we make eye contact. The click is then followed by a treat. Soon the dog starts to get the idea.

The clicker is the re-enforcer of the desired behavior and a signal that a treat is to follow.

When you start clicker training you spend a good deal of time "shaping" certain behaviors that may eventually be part of a command like "come" or "lie down."

For instance the "hand touch" is a precursor behavior to the recall or "come" command. The concept is to get your dog to touch your hand with his muzzle. You start by offering an open palm to your dog. Most dogs are inquisitive and will move to sniff your outstretched hand. At the second they make the move, you click and reward. Soon your dog is touching both the left and right outstretched palms to get the click. After they can do that you start throwing the treat a few feet away and getting the dog to come from a distance to the hand. You can see how "shaping" this behavior can evolve into a come command.

The timing of the click in clicker training is key and one of the things you have to master quickly. The idea is to click at the second the dog is involved in the action you are looking for. Using the sit command as an example, you have to click when you see your dog moving into the sitting position. That's how they eventually get the idea that the word sit is tied to the action of sitting which is tied to the click reward of operant conditioning.

It's amazing how fast they pick this stuff up. Food rewards are powerful motivators especially for chow hounds like Labrador Retrievers. Of course it doesn't hurt to have a brilliant dog like Miles to work with.

I'd enthusiastically encourage puppy owners of even people training older rescue dogs to look into clicker training. It's the best way to teach good behavior by rewarding good behavior and that's the best way to prevent bad behavior from becoming ingrained.

Inside of a Dog - Belonging to the House

Yvonne DiVita — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:01:03 PST

In my on-going report on what I think is the best book of 2010, so far, I want to write about "Belonging to the House." In this book, Inside of a Dog - What Dogs See, Hear and Smell, by Alexandra Horowitz, I learned so much more about our canine friends, from their perspective, that I have to continue sharing.

Alexandra Horowitz reveals insight into what dogs see, smell and hear using research, observation, and time. She did not rush into this book - it's clear she took lots of time and was focused on being as true as a human can be to the reality of looking inside of a dog. I was and continue to be amazed.

In this chapter, she discusses dogs as "domesticated" animals. She says, "the dog is an animal domesticated, a word that grew from a root form meaning, 'belonging to the house.'" That's her italicizing. She moves on to mention that we can look at the dog as a product of his ancestry - dating back to wolves. Something we all think we know - but which she explains in more detail, showing that "Although the two animals can interbreed, their typical mating habits, their social ecology, and the environments they live in are very different." (read excerpts here)

We all believe we know about dogs, because we learned about wolves in school. Or because we've read articles about wolves. Or because we watch our dogs and believe the behavior is instinctive - bred into them by thousands of years of ancestory - back to the wolves of old. We discuss Alpha - and packs - and how dogs need us to establish pack mentality. And then Alexandra discusses all the ways dogs are different than wolves. All the ways our domestication has changed them. All the ways we ignore their differences from their common ancestory.

She says, " Even a cloned dog, should you be tempted to replicate your beloved pet, will not be identical to the original: what a dog experiences and whom he meets will influence who he comes in innumerable, untraceable ways."

The chapter discussing "belonging to the house" is fascinating in how it uncovers myths and false beliefs, and how it shows us that our dogs are fully domesticated and not prone to run in "packs"... they are not subject to the trials and tribulations of packs; dogs are "social opportunists... attuned to the actions of others, and humans turned out to be very good animals to attune to."

I recommend this book - in all of its excellence. Get it. Read it. Then, share. What you (and I) don't know about dogs, could fill a book much longer. What you will know about dogs after reading this, will fill volumes over many, many years, and through many, many friendships with man's best friend. I promise.

World Vets

Larry McDaniel — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:49:43 PST

I came across a really interesting group of veterinarians at last week's Western Veterinary Conference.

World Vets is an international animal aid group. Kind of the animal version of Doctors Without Borders, if you've ever heard of them. I spent some time talking to their representatives and came away very impressed.

World Vets currently works in 12 countries on five continents. They have a team scheduled to go to Haiti soon.

They work with local authorities, community leaders and organizations to establish sustainable veterinary aid programs in developing countries. They also provide donations of veterinary medications, equipment and other supplies. They provide training for local animal welfare advocates and promote cross cultural ties among their volunteers and participants in partner nations.

They also provide much needed public health assistance focusing on zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted from animals to people and are common in some developing countries.

World Vet CEO, Dr. Kathy King, has a sweet blog accessed via their web site, that you should visit. The most current post has lots of photos from a recent trip to Loreto Mexico. You'll get a real feel for what they do by checking out the blog.

World Vets is a volunteer organization funded by members and donations. The Veterinarians, Technicians and Vet Students that volunteer for these trips actually pay a fee to cover their travel expenses. If you think they do good work and feel like making a donation fire away.

Lots of animals in developing countries benefit from their time and expertise.

World Record Great Dane

Larry McDaniel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:49:06 PST

An article in the NY Times about a Great Dane caught my attention yesterday. It was about George, the tallest dog in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The title was awarded to George just this month after some controversy involving another Great Dane from California.

We all know that Danes are big, but George really stretches that definition. The breed standard on the AKC site says that males must be at least 30 inches and females 28 inches measured at the shoulder. George measures an amazing 43 plus inches at the shoulder and is over 7 feet long from tip of nose to tip of tail. He weighs in at around 250 pounds and he eats like a small horse.

I've written about big dogs before. Cedar the Mastiff has graced these pages often. Although Cedar is no longer with us, he was one big dog. He weighed about the same but I can't seem to fathom that he was at least 13 inches shorter than George. That's one Beagle shorter, if you can imagine that.

I must admit that I have a thing for big dogs. I like to be able hug my dogs like another person. Maybe it's because I've always loved wild wolves. Darcie, rest her soul, was a great dog, but she was more my Daughter's dog. Now, Miles fits the definition of big dog just fine. He'd be a dwarf next to George the Dane.

Giant breed dogs like Danes and Mastiffs are in a league of their own. They mature more slowly than other dogs and they don't live as long as most other breeds. I wish we knew how tall George was at two years of age. That's supposed to be when these guys reach adult size. I would imagine that George just kept on growing. There are photos of him as a puppy on his web site. He looks pretty big even then.

In one of the photos I noticed a bag of Purina ONE dog food. I would hope that it's the Large Breed Adult formula. Large breed diets are formulated with extra glucosamine for healthy joints and fewer calories so these big guys don't get overweight. Hip dysplasia and a host of other bone and joint abnormalities can be a real problem for giant breed dogs and excessive weight is a contributing factor.

Danes can also be affected with cardiovascular genetic defects. Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a particular problem for Danes. It appears to be passed on more commonly to male dogs from the mother. DCM causes the heart to enlarge and the heart muscle to weaken. The heart fails to function properly as a pump, under these circumstances.

All pure breed dogs have their own set of inherited genetic problems. Labrador Retrievers like Miles have over 100 known genetic problems. The list for the Dane is not that long. Like all breeds, Danes are dependent on breeders to be watchful for these conditions and to try to eliminate them through selective breeding.

George is only four. Let's hope he stays healthy and goes on to repeat as World's Tallest dog for some time to come.