StofftDVM

Do you Bother to Brush or Choose to Chew?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:20:00 +0000

With the start of February and National Veterinary Dental Month, I thought I would talk about some of the strategies and products that our available to help promote good oral health of our cats and dogs. Of course, the first step is to have your pet examined by a veterinarian and if periodontal disease is found, a anesthetic dental cleaning and polishing along with a good set of dental radiographs are in order. Previously discussed on our blog. Usually, our pet owners are very interested in tips and techniques to maintain a healthy mouth and reduce the need to have the teeth cleaned again (or at least cleaned less often).

I will start our discussion with a few ideas that are widely regarded as safe and efficacious for all dogs and cats and then we will go over a few ideas that are a mixed bag of pros and cons. Teeth brushing is the single most effective method for reducing plaque and tartar build up and preventing periodontal disease in our pets. It is also the most labor intensive. Some dogs (and many cats) are very resistant to tooth brushing. I always advise owners to just brush the outside (cheek surface) of the upper and lower teeth and be sure to use a fluoride free pet toothpaste. By keeping the mouth closed an just brushing under the lips, we tend to get better acceptance from our patients. A new product we like is Dentacetic wipes - think stridex pads for the teeth. It is antimicrobial and has clove oil that can sooth inflamed gums while removing the bio film. Here is a video showing a simple technique to introduce tooth brushing to your pet.

Another option for busy pet owners (is there any other type of pet owner?) is to use an additive in the water to reduce the bacteria in the mouth and slow the development of plaque and gingivitis. The Veterinary Oral Health Council has given its seal of approval to Healthy Mouth, a water additive that can be used every day. The company that makes our C.E.T. chews (Virbac) also makes a water additive called Aquadent. We recommend providing an alternate water source with out the additive to make sure your pets are not avoiding drinking water with a new taste.

Cookie Monster does not chew with dignity or self restraint.

Finally, there are lots of opinions about using chew bones to keep teeth healthy. The idea is that wild dogs and wolves will gnaw on bones and tendons to maintain healthy teeth and gums. I have had several patients who have benefited from chewing on raw meaty bones (large knuckle bones, or even raw, frozen chicken wings or backs). The danger is that not all dogs chew the bones with dignity and self restraint - some will aggressively bite down possibly fracturing a tooth, or may swallow large bone fragments which can be hard on the digestive tract to say the least. There is also a risk of bacterial infection from chewing raw bones - however cooked bones are much more brittle and can splinter easily.

Riley wonders where the next Bully stick is.

Alternatives to feeding real bones, are C.E.T rawhide chews, and bully sticks. The CET chews are rawhide chips treated with antibacterial Chlorhexadine. Bully sticks are dried bull penis. Yes, I know - a little awkward and gross to discuss, but really a good digestible chew stick that can last longer, and is more nutritious than rawhide. Bully sticks can be found at most pet stores, at Costco or from Best Bully Sticks. Some of the best looking teeth I have seen in a while were in the mouths of Abby and Riley - and they give two paws up for Bully sticks.

Holiday Cheers

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:53:00 +0000

Ah, nothing like a day full of gastroenteritis to remind us to be cautious around the holidays. The last few days has brought us cases of tinsel and poisonous plant ingestion, ribbon and Christmas package destruction and good old fashioned chocolate toxicity. Our previous article Holiday Safety Tips discusses some of these other issues but today we wanted to give chocolate toxicity a bit more focus.

We see a large number of dogs each year that have ingested chocolate. Fortunately for most of these pets they are partaking in milk chocolate treats, brownies or ice cream. Dark and baker's chocolate are the culprits responsible for most of the significant cases of toxicity or death, however any type of chocolate can be toxic depending on the size of your pet.

The primary toxin in chocolate is Theobromine which causes the signs listed below, however the large amount of fat and sugar alone can cause significant gastrointestinal distress or even pancreatitis, which in itself can be life threatening. To put this in perspective; milk chocolate contains 44 mg / ounce of theobromine while semisweet chocolate contains 150 mg per ounce, and baking chocolate contains 390 mg per ounce. This is why it takes very little baking chocolate to cause significant toxicity.

The main signs of theobromine toxicity include:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Hyperactivity
Tremors
Seizures
Racing heart rhythm progressing to abnormal rhythms
Death in severe cases

The calculator below is a great tool however it is always worth checking in with your veterinarian and letting them know about the exposure. If the chocolate was just eaten it is possible to induce vomiting; otherwise, hospitalization and support are needed until the chocolate has worked its way out of the system which can take up to 4 days. If you start to see any signs above seek medical intervention as soon as possible.

Calculator provided by Ask A Vet Question.

Itchin' and scratchin'

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Demodex mites

We see a lot of itchy dogs.

Commonly our itchy dogs have some type of allergy, either to something in the environment or sometimes to an ingredient in their food. We see skin infections from bacteria as well as yeast and occasionally an autoimmune disease that causes itchy skin.

Today I wanted to talk about the skin disease that makes our skin crawl even thinking about it; those creepy microscopic bugs called mites.

We have had a couple of recent cases that involved skin mites or mange. The more common type of mange is called Demodex and it usually affects young, immature dogs. Most often we see small patches of hair loss however sometimes this can be more widespread or "generalized". Demodex tends not to make the dogs itchy however they will frequently get secondary bacterial infections in the inflamed skin and hair follicles which causes them to scratch. Demodex in not contagious, and most mature animals have a strong enough immune system to prevent the mites from getting established and causing symptoms of dermatitis. However if we ever have a young dog (less than 1 or 2 years) with patches of hair loss, crusting dander, and occasional itching we need to perform a skin scrape to look for the mites under the microscope.

Treatment for demodex mites can be a simple as a topical ointment applied to a few small lesions, or in more extensive cases oral antibiotics, medicated shampoos, and systemic insecticide medications taken either by mouth or applied as a dip. Often when found in young dogs, the condition is controlled as the immune system matures. Some of the most difficult cases involve older animals who have developed serious illness that compromises their immune system and allows the mites to cause widespread damage. In these cases we not only treat the mites, but we need to correct any underlying systemic disease as well.

Scabies mite

Susan was treating a newly adopted puppy a few weeks ago who was very itchy and had crusty patches of hair loss on the top of his head and along his back and shoulders. She expected to find Demodex mites on the skin scrape. The puppy did have Demodex, but she also found Scabies mites as well. Scabies (also known as Sarcoptic mange) are a contagious type of mite that can affect people for and easily can be transferred to other pets in the same environment. While Scabies sounds more serious because of its potential to affect people, it is usually more responsive to treatment than adult onset Demodex. We use some of the same medications but we can usually eliminate the mites with shorter treatments and lower doses. Scabies mites can be picked up from stray dogs or wildlife that come in close contact with your dog or your dog's back yard. In our neighborhood, I have suspected coyotes and other wild life may be bringing these mites into our back yards.

Dog with Scabies

The only prevention for Demodex is to keep your dog in optimal health, with great nutrition, exercise, and working with your vet to detect and correct any illness that could compromise your dogs overall immune defenses.

The best way to prevent Scabies is protect your pet from animals that could be spreading the disease. Revolution is a topical heartworm, flea and tick preventative that also has been labeled to treat and control Scabies. For many dogs this is a convenient option, and especially here in Arizona where we see all of the above we find we are using this product more commonly.

If you see itchy skin, hair loss or crusting have your pet evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible.

On-line Pharmacy Blues...

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:43:00 +0000

We are so fortunate to live in a world today where everything is a click away. I'm fairly certain there is no greater bargain shopper than yours truly. I often find myself at the computer with 5 or more tabs open searching for products with the best reviews and the best prices.

When it comes down to the purchase, however, I always rely on the advice of friends and family.

When shopping for pet supplies, brushes, cat trees, food puzzles etc I encourage you to shop away. Ultimately there is no harm to your pet in choosing poorly -- we've all bought a dud product or two. However, when it comes to your pet's health there are far greater risks with a poorly chosen medication or bag of food. There is likely a reason you found a remarkable deal on a medication or diet through an on-line distributor. There have been numerous cases of counterfeit packaging and "grey market" products being sold through on-line pharmacies. Products have been sold that have been traced back to markets in India and Mexico (while not necessarily a sign that the product is of poor quality but hasn't had the benefit of FDA / USDA oversight) and passed off as American made.

Many of the major drug manufacturers such as Merial, Novartis, Pfizer (among others), report that they don't sell directly to on-line pharmacies and in most cases these manufacturers will void their product guarantee since the products can't be traced through legitimate means.

So what does this mean for the consumer?

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacies created the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) in 1999 to help control this issue in the human on-line pharmacies as well as Vet-VIPPS to help regulate the veterinary industry. These pharmacies are required to comply with state and federal laws and regulations and NABP's criteria. The few pharmacies that are Vet-VIPPS certified are holding a higher standard than those that aren't. I would certainly not trust a site that doesn't have the Vet-VIPPS seal but there is still a word of caution even with sites with this association. The manufacturers (Merial, Novartis, Pfizer) still report to us that they don't sell product directly to 1800PetMeds so we don't know exactly where these products come from. We assume directly through Veterinarians because they do still have to have proof of legitimate purchase for the Board of Pharmacy.

In order to provide our clients with access to the widest variety of medications and products, at compitive prices, and from a Vet-VIPPS pharmacy with a trusted veterinary supplier, we are now offering to fill prescriptions for our clients through Vetsource. Our online store can be accessed from our website, Sabinovetcare.com look for the tab for Vetsource, and order your medications, after approval from our veterinarians, your medications can be sent to your home in Tucson or wherever you are traveling!

We can also assist you to place an order in our clinic or over the phone. Almost any of your pets medications, heartworm or flea and tick prevention, and several types of prescription diets can be ordered on Vetsource and they will be shipped to your home, usually in 3-5 days. There are no shipping fees on medication purchase over $39. (Food items have shipping costs). Please let us know if you would like any information about this new service.

Open House

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Please join us for our

OPEN HOUSE

Grand Re-Opening Celebration

Saturday September 17th

11am - 2pm

4960 N. Sabino Canyon Road, suite 110

520.547.9320

Join us for lunch

Hot Dogs and burgers

Take a tour of the facility

Meet the Doctors and Staff

Door prizes

We hope to see you there

View Larger Map

Dog VS. Cat video challenge!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:10:00 +0000

I have had some great emails recently with a couple of very fun videos. One features a cat and one is about some athletic dogs. Now, I was raised as a dog person, but have enjoyed living with several cats over the last 10-15 years so I believe I have sufficient background to appreciate and enjoy both. I wonder which one you will find more entertaining?

I should point out that my friend, dog trainer April Bush sent me the cat video, and another friend, die hard cat aficionado Cory, sent me the dog video. So maybe these are videos that go beyond our preconceptions of "Dog VS Cat"

Missing Microchip

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:11:00 +0000

This article was prompted by a scary 24 hours our family had after our cat "Mousey" took advantage of a laundry room door that blew open during a monsoon and went on walkabout. I know that we are not supposed to have "favorites" but the fact is Mousey is our favorite pet - we bottle raised him from birth and he has always been the easiest, most friendly, curious, and funny cat we have had. Our daughter's were beside themselves and Susan and I were feeling very despondant over the prospects of finding him as the hours ticked by. Our desert neighborhood is not a welcoming place for house cats, and our only hope was that friendly Mouse had worked his way into someone's home for a visit.

Mouse couldn't escape from this bag, but he did escape from our house.

We quickly printed some flyer's with his picture and the whole family canvassed the neighborhood to see if anyone had seen him. We struck out on both of our attempts, and we were full of regret that we had never microchipped Mouse. As many of you know a microchip can be implanted under the skin of our dogs and cats ( and exotic pets ) to give another method of finding the owners of a lost pet. One of the first things a vet clinic ( or animal shelter ) will do with a newly found stray animal is to scan the animal for a microchip. Once found that microchip number can lead to a database with the pet owner's contact information. This is one of those situations where you need to have the foresight to get the microchip before you need it or hopefully, never need it. The wisdom of that foresight hit home as we were looking for our escape artist and we knew that if someone found him and checked him for a microchip none would be found.

Despite our poor preperation, and apparently without any assistance from any human neighbor, Mouse came back home early the next day after one of the longest 24 hour periods our family has experienced. He seemed no worse for the wear, and he refused to tell us anything about his adventure. After a long nap that day, he was the same old Mouse, except for the new microchip we gave him ASAP.

size of typical microchip

This is a link to information from the AVMA about microchipping. The microchip we use is the Home Again microchip which is ISO standard so it is acceptable for identification during travel with your pet to Hawaii or Europe. These microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and can be implanted under the skin with a syringe. We often do this while a puppy or kitten is under anesthesia for their spay or neuter, but this simple procedure can be done on awake animals very easily.

WE'VE MOVED

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 02:48:00 +0000

It has been brought to our attention that it can be tricky finding our new address on this website (bottom right) so we decided to make it more visible and easy to locate. You can use the link below for directions. We're located at 4960 N Sabino Canyon Rd

between Sunrise and Snyder.

Our phone number is 547-9320.

We're very proud of this new clinic and are happy to give you a tour of this state-of-the-art facility. Watch for updates to the current website and facebook account. We plan to make this great clinic even better.

View Larger Map

Cool canine clips

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:11:00 +0000

We have been lucky to have many fellow dog and cat lovers send us links to videos or web sites that we love to check out and occasionally pass on to our readers. Most of these come from pet owners or other vets, or sometimes from a scientific journal. The first one a video from the band OK Go, was found by our daughter Anna,

and the other video was sent by our friend, dog trainer April Bush.

Inspiration for those of us who are struggling with "SIT" and "STAY".

enjoy.

Valley Fever

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Waiting for test results

I had a client come in today and we were chatting after the appointment. She shared that her father in law, a “snowbird” from the mid-west, had just gone through surgery back home to remove a mass in his chest that turned out to be Valley Fever.

Unfortunately, this is not uncommon with people or animals. I’ve heard of dogs in other parts of the country having their leg amputated for "cancer" just to find Valley Fever on the biopsy or even being euthanized when they were diagnosed with "cancer" from the appearance of a chest x-ray. Here in Arizona we’re so hyperaware of the varied appearance of this disease that we test everything with unexplained clinical signs. More times than not it does in fact turn out to be Valley Fever.

The actual organism name for Valley Fever is Coccidioidomycosis or Cocci for short (I know! that’s why we call it Valley Fever). It is a fungal organism present in the soil and contagious to many species including primates, dogs and cats. In the United States this disease is only found in the southwest, from Southern California, to western Texas.

The organism is spread primarily through the air and spores are inhaled. With more chronic disease the spores can spread or disseminate throughout the body. It is not contagious from animal to animal, however since it is in the environment, we will frequently see multiple animals in one household affected.

The most common presentation is with the primary or lung form. These pets usually present with coughing (or trouble breathing in cats), lethargy, fever, poor appetite and weight loss. The typical chest x-ray will show enlarged lymph nodes above the heart.

Typical appearance of Valley Fever - enlarged lymph node

We also see with great frequency a disseminated form, most commonly a limping dog with a bone lesion. We also find granulomas or funagl masses in skin, central nervous system and in the abdomen. We’ve had dogs and cats present with signs of meningitis, generalized pain, weakness, seizures, occasionally even vomiting or diarrhea and weight loss. We’ve had dogs with fluid in the heart sac (pericardial effusion) or around the lungs (pleural effusion), and testicular masses. Sometimes these pets don’t have any specific sign we can point to, they just don’t feel well, maybe losing weight or just “off” in some way.

Valley Fever in Bone

Bone Cancer

Metastatic Cancer

Valley Fever

There is a blood test for Valley Fever called an antibody titer where we measure the animal’s immune response (antibodies) to the organism. A titer test uses serial dilutions to give us an approximate level of antibodies in the serum. The titer corresponds to the highest dilution that still shows a positive reading. The results are posted as 1:2 (being the lowest titer), then 1:4, 1:8, 1:16, 1:32, 1:64, 1:128 and finally 1:256.

We know that most people and animals living in the desert southwest for any time will have been exposed to the disease and now carry antibodies (a positive titer) against Valley Fever. So how do we know when a titer means that they are actively sick with the organism?

With a positive titer of 1:16 or higher this is an easy diagnosis. When we have a low or negative titer (1:2 or 1:4) it can be a little more difficult. If the animal has classical symptoms we will generally just treat. When their signs are non-specific or could also be explained by another disease we have to look further into the blood work. Frequently we will also find a high white blood cell count, primarily along the monocyte line and high globulins (one of the blood proteins). When even those tests come up negative and we find no other reason for the signs or symptoms we will often try a course of treatment to see if the patient responds.

Some patients will have symptoms of illness before their immune system has made enough antibodies to test positive. This is where a little of the “art” of diagnosis comes in. Even with our knowledge of this disease and diagnostic tools, there will still be those cases that end up being diagnosed by biopsy.

Valley Fever in Multiple Bones

Treatment for Valley Fever is generally quite successful although it may take a long time. The medication we use most frequently is an antifungal called Fluconazole. This medication is a so-called “fungistatic” drug. This means that the medication can stop the growth or spread of the fungus, but doesn’t kill the organism. The patients own immune system is responsible for destroying the granuloma therefore it is very important that we support the immune system, feeding only high quality food and using nutritional supplements such as Immune Assist while they are being treated for Valley Fever. Some pets also require anti-inflammatory or pain medications or other supplementation to get through the most acute phase of the disease.

In general, most people see an improvement within the first month. Treatment lasts a minimum of 6 months with most pets being off drugs within a year. Sometimes we get a poor responder and they are on medications life long. The last scenario is rare.

So how do we know when to stop treating? We know we can't rely on clinical signs alone. Pets will be feeling great long before their titers drop and blood work improves. We frequently see cases where owners discontinue medication too soon and the disease comes back often worse than before. So again, how do we know? We use a few general guidelines.

A drop in the titer - ideally < 1:2 but at least below 1:4
Resolution of clinical signs
White blood cell count and blood proteins are back to normal
X-ray signs (if available) have resolved

Even after looking at all of this and using our best judgment, we till recommend monitoring the titer every 3-6 months for the next year to be sure it's not trending higher again.

It's always good to remember a little about this disease, especially if you or your family come and go to the desert southwest. Remember to discuss with your doctor or veterinarian your travel habits as this will hopefully help them in making a diagnosis.

Anesthesia free dentistry

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:02:00 +0000

This week I saw a young, otherwise healthy 5 year old poodle terrier mix that came in for yearly wellness exam. She has excellent owners that have been doing everything possible to keep her healthy. She was on a high quality, grain free diet. She was taken to the dog park and exercised twice a day. She was spoiled appropriately and the center of their lives. Not surprisingly she was perfect in every way but she hated her nails cut and her teeth brushed so every 6 weeks she went to a groomer. Recently the groomer made the addition of a “pet dental technician” who was performing dental cleanings (ie. scraping her teeth) every few months.

When she came for her exam we found that she had severe periodontal disease. Her teeth were so painful that examining with just my fingers caused her to flinch and pull away. I can’t imagine how much pain she must have been in to have these teeth scraped.

We anesthetized her and found that most of the normal bone around here teeth was gone (periodontitis), she had significant mobility and abscesses around the roots of her teeth. In all she lost 15 teeth. This was a tough lesson for these fantastic owners and a good reminder to me why this supposedly innocuous procedure can in fact be devastating.

It’s easy to see the draw for anesthesia free dentistry – we all have fears of placing our pets under anesthesia for what seems to us to be a fairly routine procedure.

In the human world a dental cleaning is easily performed twice a year without the aid of anesthesia so it seems very logical that our pets could also have a gentle cleaning procedure done twice a year without the assistance of anesthesia. The difference, obviously, is that most people will sit quietly and allow the hygienist to clean all sides of the teeth and to probe, sometimes uncomfortably, up under the gum line to look for periodontal disease. In addition, radiographs (or X-rays) are taken of our mouth to look for cavities and problems hiding below the gum line. None of this is possible on a dog that is awake.

A groomer or "pet dental hygienist" is able to remove the visible calculus from the crown of the tooth but in reality this does little good to the overall oral health of the pet. At best they are brushing the teeth, a procedure we recommend all our pet parents do, at worst they are using dental instruments to scrape the calculus from the crown of the teeth. This is where the simple procedure actually can becomes damaging. Dental equipment used without training can cause microscopic abrasions and damage to the enamel of the teeth. Without polishing to remove these pits and grooves the bacteria and calculus just form faster.

There are a number of things that owners can do at home to help prevent dental disease.

· Brushing their teeth even once or twice a week, can help slow down the formation of plaque and calculus.

· Dental chews such as Greenies, CET chews or Vetradent treats (VOHC* approved) can be helpful if the dogs actually spend time chewing. Pets that get too excited and just gulp them down obviously won’t get the benefit.

· Toys such as Nylabones, Kong dental and twisted rope toys can help to remove plaque but these toys should be used under supervision, some dogs have literally “chewed off more than they can swallow.”

· Avoid tennis balls – the rough surface can file down the teeth and lead to exposure of the sensitive root canal (balls are OK for fetch, they cause damage when the dogs use them as a chew toy)

· Water and food additives that may help retard the formation of calculus. HealthyMouth (VOHC approved) and Oxyfresh are two water additives on the market.

Most dogs will require professional cleaning and radiographs every 2 years. Some breeds such as Toy Poodles, Yorkies and Greyhounds require more frequent visits. Your veterinarian will examine your pet’s mouth and help you determine the best plan to keep your pet healthy.

*VOHC – Veterinary Oral Health Council

http://www.avdc.org/Dental_Scaling_Without_Anesthesia.pdf

I love the smell of litter boxes in the morning.

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:56:00 +0000

I could not have written this blog last week, as our family had finally reached its rope with the offensiveness of our 2 litter boxes. While we keep both boxes out of the normal traffic flow, recently our best efforts at litter box maintenance were not up to snuff (or sniff). We have tried a few different brands of litter and the Arm and Hammer Baking Soda additive but we were not keeping the smell down. We were handicapped by our reluctance to use any of the clay based clumping litter. I wanted to avoid it to cut down on dust for us and the cats, and because the plant based litters were reported to be safer for the sewer or septic system. I never was brave enough to flush the waste, but it had entered our minds. I have experience with the high potency perfumed clumping clay litter which is used at my Father's house. And while it seems to reduce the cat waste odor - I am not sure the heavy handed "Floral-Spring Scent" is much of an improvement.

"Floral -Spring"

Odor control and litter box maintenance are very important to encourage our cats to keep using the litter box. Some of the first questions a veterinarian will ask if presented with a cat pooping or peeing outside the box are about how many boxes do you have, how often are they cleaned, what type of litter, etc. In some cases cats are refusing to use a litter box, because of a substrate or odor aversion, or social pressure from other cats

In the past we have used Yesterdays News - from recycled newspaper, Feline Pine - wood shavings, and The Worlds Best Cat Litter - from corn. Finally we decided to try the Natures Miracle cat litter - also made from corn cobs, but with additional odor fighting enzymes and pine oil. This litter is also dust free, and reported to be flushable (if you want to live on the edge). So far this product has amazed us with its efficacy at odor control. I must state for the record that I have not received any financial consideration for this product endorsement, but if any company representatives are reading this blog and would like to shower me with money, I would listen to any and all offers.

Aliens, Balls and Bands! Oh my!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:31:00 +0000

What could these three things possibly have in common? They have all been removed from the stomach and intestine of our lovely 4-legged friends. Each year we remove a plethora of fascinating objects from dogs, cats and ferrets. From fish hooks and corn cobs, socks and underwear to toys and rocks. Animals seem to find a great interest in chewing things that don't belong to them.

Sometimes we are lucky enough to catch an animal quickly enough to induce vomiting however these cases must be chosen carefully, this is never indicated for sharp or jagged items that can cause more damage coming up than down.

This young dog had been seen to eat a soft rubber ball just 30 minutes prior so we discussed the options with the owner -- inducing vomiting vs. surgery vs. endoscopy vs. waiting to see if it could pass. Luckily this time we chose well and with a simple injection the problem was solved.

Unfortunately, 2 days later he decided to eat the ball again (hint: always discard of ingested toys).

Chloe, a 2 year old Calico is owned by one of our team members. Her family had known that she had a tendency to chew on rubber hair ties but didn't think she was actually eating them until

she stopped eating her food, started vomiting and became distant and lethargic. An X-ray confirmed the presence of the foreign material which did indeed turn out to be rubber hair ties. We removed 15 ties from her stomach.

One year later she was back in surgery after ingesting yet another hair tie.

This 2 year old dog managed to eat what appears to be a very passable foreign object.

When we look at each case and decide whether or not surgery is the best option we take into consideration a number of factors including: level of pain, fever, signs of infection, X-ray appearance of the bowel, and finally (when we're lucky), the appearance and size of the foreign body. In this little dog' case the only indications we had that we were in trouble were that her pain wasn't improving after intravenous fluids and pain medication and her fever was worsening. We fortunately made the decision to take her to surgery.

We were lucky enough to have a videographer capture the surgery (warning, the footage is graphic at times)

Not this Alien

This Alien

was removed. The reason it wasn't passing is that the parachute was stuck in the stomach attached by a string. We call this a "linear foreign body" which may be the most dangerous type of foreign body because as the intestine attempts to pass the object through the bowel, it bunches or telescopes along the string. The string then tightens and tears through the wall of the intestine causing perforations and leakage of bowel contents into the abdomen. This surgery required us to cut into her stomach and bowel to remove the parachute and alien, as well as to remove a 3 inch piece of her intestine that was irreparable.

The owner's were doubly pleased because we also found 3 felt pads that went missing 6 months ago. Today she is recovering nicely and getting back to her mischievous self.

Holiday Safety Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:41:00 +0000

Holiday season is here with all the joys of family gatherings, holiday food and festive decorations. At our clinic this month we have seen chocolate intoxication, ingestion of Christmas tree ornaments and ribbons, and pancreatitis from eating large amounts of those fatty holiday foods! Here's just a short list to remind us of some of the hazards of the holidays.

CHRISTMAS TREES

Tinsel, ribbons and ornaments

Bright shiny objects are always interesting to dogs and cats, especially when they are "new". An entire tree full of inviting objects is a recipe for disaster for a curious pet. Ingestion of tinsel or ribbons can become "linear foreign bodies” bunching and cutting through the intestine as the body tries in vain to move the string or ribbon through. Ingestion of glass ornaments can cause damage to the stomach and intestine leading to a perforation or obstruction. Any of these are life-threatening conditions requiring surgery for correction. Supervise animals around your Christmas tree at all times.

ELECTRIC LIGHT CORDS

Cords seem to be particularly interesting to cats and young dogs. A bite through an electrical cord can lead to burns in the mouth and fluid (edema) building up in the lungs. If not treated this can lead to respiratory failure and death. Seek emergency care as soon as possible.

CHOCOLATE

Most people understand that chocolate is toxic to pets. Unsweetened baking chocolate carries a much higher dose of the toxin “theobromine” than does milk chocolate, but even normal milk chocolate can be dangerous in higher amounts. Clinical signs of chocolate poisoning include hyperexcitability, nervousness, vomiting, and diarrhea and death. Inducing vomiting to empty the stomach is the first step in treatment but if the toxin has been absorbed your pet will likely need to be hospitalized for further treatment.

POINSETTIA

Contrary to popular belief, poinsettia is not specifically toxic. Consuming this festive-looking plant can be irritating to the mouth and stomach of the dog or cat that chews on or eats it.

MISTLETOE

The fact that there are several types of mistletoe makes it difficult to predict the clinical signs of poisoning. Some mistletoes produce only stomach upset while others may lead to liver failure or seizuring. Consider mistletoe to be a hazardous substance and keep it inaccessible to pets and children.

COOKING

Keep pets out of the kitchen during the hustle and bustle of the season. The last thing you want is for someone you love to get underfoot and get burned from spillage.

DIETARY INDISCRETION

We all like to include our pets in Holiday meals along with the rest of the family, but try to keep in mind that sudden rich diet changes are likely to upset a pet’s stomach. Vomiting and diarrhea are not uncommon. If leftovers are of an especially fatty nature, the pancreas may become inflamed and overloaded. This condition is serious and may require hospitalization.

My cat has a drinking problem

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:16:00 +0000

Now that researchers at M.I.T. have discovered the physics that allow a cat to drink water, it is time to talk about why water intake is so important. Several common medical conditions that we find in our cat patients benefit from increasing their water consumption. We recommend increasing water for our older cats with kidney disease, with bladder infections or bladder stones, and for cats with constipation, or other digestive problems. Sometimes it is very challenging to convince your cat that they need to drink more water to stay healthy. I often have trouble convincing my (human) kids to drink water.

We can measure the effectiveness of increasing water intake by measuring a cat’s urine concentration – the more dehydrated the higher the concentration of their urine. One of the most fundamental ways to increase water consumption is to feed more canned food or eliminate dry food completely. Cats that are taken from all dry food to all wet food will have their urine concentration drop dramatically. Unfortunately, some cats are very set in their ways and refuse to eat anything other than their traditional dry kibble. We wrote an article about canned food a few months ago and had a link to a very detailed document describing the best techniques to introduce wet food to finicky cats.

For some cats with chronic kidney failure or recurring bladder disease, we need to go further. Try to provide water in multiple dishes in varying locations throughout the house, and change them frequently. Many cats are attracted to moving water so using a pet water fountain will often increase water consumption. We can add water or dilute chicken broth to their food to make a “cat food soup”. You can provide a separate water container that is flavored with chicken broth or with ice cubes made from a canned tuna and water puree made in your blender.

Thirsty Cats

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:25:00 +0000

A new study has come out, performed by researchers at M.I.T., that sheds new light on one of the fundamental questions of science, how are cats different from dogs? Sure you may think that answer is obvious, dogs don't make deposits into a litter box, only withdrawals. But it turns out that their are many other important differences including the way that cats and dogs drink water. Some of you may have been hip to the fact that dogs tongues curl forward like a ladle to scoop water into their mouth and onto their face and surrounding area. Cats, in contrast, use a precise backwards tongue position to carefully drink without any unseemly wetting of the face.

Researchers in Fluid Dynamics have uncovered the secret technique of cats - they rely on surface tension of the water touching the curled back tongue to elevate a column of water out of the bowl and into their mouths. They have also found that most house cats lap about 4 times a second and acquire 0.1 ml of water with each lap.

Here is a link to the article on MSN which includes some cool slow motion video of cats drinking milk. I know, you were thinking that MIT would come up with a cold fusion reactor that would solve our dependence on foreign oil, or maybe a time machine. Well, they are still working on that, but this is what we have for now.

Research subject No. 4

Evidently, researchers at Arizona State University were studying cat's drinking behavior as well, but they haven't gotten around to publishing their results yet. We did find a photo of their research lab however.

Cat's - Carnivorous, Canned Food Cravings

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:32:00 +0000

We wrote an article a few months back that gave an overview of our philosophy about feeding our dogs and cats. One of the main concepts that we discussed was the importance of high protein (high quality and high %), and low carbohydrate. Our house cats are true carnivores, some of us have witnessed the "preferred diet" of these adept hunters, when they try to share their bounty with us. I have always discouraged cat owners from allowing their cats to spend time outside - the risks from coyotes, and cars and other traumas is too high in our environment. However, outdoor cats do have some health benefits that some indoor cats don't have.

If we compare a sedentary indoor only cat that is obese, and eating a poor quality dry cat food that is high in carbohydrates and has a low quality protein to an outdoor barn cat living on rodents and small birds, you would find to very different animals.

Of course the indoor cat would not be at risk for fight injuries or trauma from other predators or car accidents, but he might be dangerously prone to diabetes, liver disease and urinary tract problems.

It has been said that the ideal diet for house cats would be whole canned rats - but the challenges of marketing this to the cat owning public would be insurmountable. My friend David, has a get rich quick scheme that solves 2 problems at once. First we locally harvest a sustainable population of organic, free range pack rats - preventing the destruction of houses and automobile wiring throughout the desert southwest. Then we produce a healthy, nutritionally complete and balanced high protein cat food and market it as.....

"Packed Rats - let your cats go swingin' with the Rat Pack."

There is a great resource online for people who are more interested in nutrition for their cats. The website catinfo.org is written by a feline veterinarian, and it has a ton of information about choosing good cat foods and what to look for on food labels. She also has an eight (!) page article helping cat owners transition their cats from all dry food over to canned food. Believe it or not, many cats that have eaten one type of food their whole life will not be amenable to change. Although that applies to a lot of us.

Scorpions

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:08:00 +0000

I Scorpions are a rather creepy, unpleasant but relatively inevitable part of desert dwelling. Most of us have been stung by a scorpion or know someone who has, and for the most part these little critters just cause us a lot of pain. In human medicine, they report a number of deaths associated with scorpion stings, and in the US this is primarily from the Bark Scorpion (Centruroides). Unfortunately for us, this is the predominant scorpion in Southern Arizona. Less than 1% of stings from Centruroides are lethal to adults; however, children younger than 5 years who are stung have a 25 % mortality rate without treatment.

In animals we see a far less significant response, and until recently, I’ve assured clients that the worst we see is pain. We rarely recognize significant symptoms in cats, despite their willingness to hunt and even eat scorpions when they find them. Dogs can present with acute pain or lameness, generally on a foot but occasionally elsewhere on their body. The scorpion doesn't leave any visible signs on the skin so this is a diagnosis made by ruling everything else out. We treat for pain and within 24 hours they are typically back to normal.

Recently we did have a severe response to a scorpion sting in an older dog that started with the typical severe pain and non-weight bearing lameness but quickly deteriorated into panting, restlessness, dilated pupils, racing heart rate, severe high blood pressure, salivation and vomiting. If untreated, these signs could potentially progress to heart or respiratory failure and death. There is an antivenin available here in Arizona but as far as I know this is only available for human use and is still quite controversial. This type of reaction to a scorpion sting is so infrequent that there are no published studies available regarding frequency or outcome. This only confirms to me that this is a very rare occurrence.

I will continue to assure clients that these creepy little critters are more benign than our other desert pests such as snakes but prompt medical intervention to control pain and monitor for more serious systemic signs is always in your pets best interest.

Penguin chase

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:34:00 +0000

For those of us living through the end of a hot summer here in Tucson, Arizona; frolicking penguins. Hope this makes you as happy as it made us. As a former zoo veterinarian, I believe this is what is known as "environmental enrichment".

Cats hate water

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:43:00 +0000

Ernie Longlegs came to the Stofft house a little over a year ago. He was a typical foster kitten - a little mouthy, slightly odd but quite lovable despite all his foibles. One of our favorite quirks was his interest in water, not just for drinking but we quickly found that if you were luxuriating in a warm bath you would frequently get a wet hairball swimming in the tub with you.

So, being of the scientific nature, this summer we decided we needed to test his swimming prowess in the pool. We found, to the kids delight, that not only was he not fearful he was actually a fairly good swimmer. Having thus deduced the inaccuracy of the notion that all cats hate water we decided to push the hypothesis further by taking Ernie’s little brother Mousie into the pool as well.

Mousie was one of our little foster kittens the kid’s bottle raised. This kitten, however, has never shown an interest in water although hasn’t fought us for the occasional bath. Despite his lack of interest, we felt that it was in the greater need of scientific knowledge to take Mousie into the pool as well. To our delight we found we had two excellent swimming cats, although to be quite honest, Mousie’s main objective is to leave the pool as quickly as possible however will remain calmly attached to your arm if given the chance.

Therefore we have come to the understanding that not all cats hate water. It may be more our approach to introducing cats to water that makes us feel that they are fearful. I try to place a towel or an oven rack at the bottom of the tub / sink so that they have something to cling to other than the front of your shirt. Have the vessel already filled with water – I believe the sound of rushing water is part of what makes them fearful and use a cup to gently wash the soap / grime etc from their fur. Never wet their head down except with a washcloth. Slow and gentle will get the job done with most cats.

Have fun and remember, do not try this experiment at home, we are professionals.

Adoptability

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:05:00 +0000

The last several months have been brutal on the dogs of the Stofft Family. Although we knew several years ago that someday we would be faced with 4 dogs of the same age and breed type growing old simultaneously, we didn't expect to lose all 4 within about a year and a half. Our last boy, Bodhi passed away this week. He was perhaps my favorite dog of all time and I wish that we could have brought in a new dog for him to mentor before his time came. Susan and I had been trying to find a new companion for our family over the last several months, but Bodhi's condition had progressed to the point that we thought a rowdy new dog would be more of a challenge than he could handle.

Working in a veterinary clinic, we both expected that the right dog looking for a good home would simply walk into our lives. It is very typical for those of us in this field to see many (and turn down most) potential pets in need of a better life. We also decided that adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue group would be better that purchasing a dog from a breeder. That has led us to the amazing world of online pet adoption sites. One more example of how technology can make information gathering so much more efficient. It is also a lot of fun to look at pictures and descriptions of hundreds of possible candidates. These sites allow you to search under very specific parameters, like breed, age, size etc. The Petfinders website shows animals from the Humane Society, Pima Animal Control, and dozens of local animal adoption groups. It is also nationwide so friends and family can look for pets in their local area. The website is full of great videos and tips about pet adoption and ownership.

We also looked at some dogs from some of the breed specific rescue groups. This is a great alternative for people that have a specific dog breed in mind. Many of these dogs are great companions but were not suited for their initial home for many possible reasons. Some of them were too energetic and needed more exercise, training or attention. Some were not compatible with other dogs in their new "pack". Sometimes people move away or into housing that forces them to give up the pet. If you have a specific breed in mind and can't find what you are looking for in a shelter, try googling "(the breed) rescue group."

Our search had a happy ending as we ended up with a great dog. He is currently named Cody - subject to Family Council on Renaming ( we are taking suggestions). He is justifiably nervous around our big cat Ernie - who needs to work on his hospitality skills. Here he is:

Rattlesnake Bites: Avoidence training and treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:53:00 +0000

Background:
Rattlesnakes are a common issue across most of the western states and Arizona is certainly no exception. Every year we are plagued by snake bites to dogs and cats as well as our other 4-legged friends.

Reactions to snake bites varies on the location the animal was bitten, the type of rattlesnake and even on the amount of venom injected. As many as 20 - 25% of snake bites are "dry" bites, meaning no venom has been injected; 30% of bites are mild, meaning they cause local pain and swelling in the bite area and no systemic symptoms; 40% of bites are severe with approximately 5% being fatal. The 3 most common rattlesnakes in Arizona are the Western Diamondback, the Sidewinder and the Mojave.

Rattlesnakes in Arizona have a long season - first bites are often reported as early as February and as late as November. There have been reports of rattlesnake activity in every month of the year. Snakes are most active in cooler weather during the day but for most of the season they are active primarily at dawn and dusk, hiding during the heat of the day.

The venom from most rattlesnakes is the hemotoxic type of venom that destroys tissues, can lead to organ destruction and causes a coagulopathy (inability to clot blood.) The Mojave rattlesnake is considered one of the most toxic snakes in North America. Their venom is primarily a neurotoxic venom which can also lead to muscle weakness, difficulty breathing and respiratory failure. The faster the bite is recognized, the more effective treatment will be. Treatment of snakes bites generally includes IV fluid therapy to prevent circulatory collapse, Antivenin (an IV injection of antibodies toward the venom collected from horses) and pain control. Animals are closely monitored for at least 24 hours after the snake bite.

Typical facial swelling 10-12 hours after rattlesnake envenomation.

To Shock or to Stick:

Now comes the most important and controversial subject in regards to rattlesnakes. How to prevent snake bites in the first place and how to protect animals from the severity of the bites.

Aversion Training:

Rattlesnake aversion training has been a well accepted means of deterring dogs from the lure of snakes. When done well it can help dogs associate the snakes with a painful, unpleasant experience. When not done well it may only make your pet afraid of the parking lot or park where they were trained. I cannot stress enough the importance of researching the trainer - this should be someone trained in handing snakes (live, FANGED snakes must be used - if they have been de-fanged they will die.) and the must be well trained or certified as a dog trainer. There is an art to "reading" your dog and to be able to deliver the shock when the dog is focused on the snake. I spoke to a client just this morning who told me that her dog is now terrified of this specific park, but yesterday went after a snake in the back yard. Clearly this was not an appropriate training. For some dogs (terriers and hunting dogs come to mind) training may not be effective or will need to be reinforced a few times before they understand. Terriers have such strong drive to kill a snake that they get bit multiple times (at least once on the tongue as they try to swallow the snake!) Hunting dogs tend more to be so focused on their job they just step on or over the snake and get a bite on a leg.

Rattlesnake Vaccine:

Rattlesnake vaccine. This is where the controversy comes in. If you have read previous posts you know that we selectively vaccinate our dogs and cats, choosing only the most important core vaccines and vaccine intervals. To date, there have been no studies performed that show a benefit to the vaccination. Dr. Ahna Brutlag, DVM from the Pet Poison Helpline, Bloomington, MN, reported at the Western States Veterinary Conference in 2010 that "... to date there is little published evidence regarding the efficacy of this vaccine and many in the toxicological community remain skeptical. No scientific literature about the product could be found in a Pub Med literature search and repeated requests by the author to speak with a technical services representative from Red Rocks Biologics went unanswered."

The idea behind the vaccination is good and theoretically could minimize the reaction to a snake bite. You can read anecdotal accounts on-line that state that the pets have reduced reaction if vaccinated or that you don't have to give antivenin thereby making cost of treatment less. The current recommendation, however, is to still give antivenin whether the dog was vaccinated or not. So, considering that 25% of bites are dry and 30% of bites are mild, how do we truly assess the efficacy of the vaccination? I can tell you from my own experience that most dogs given appropriate treatment do well. In fact I can only remember one patient that died from snake bite and that one was suspected to be a Mojave.

Our doctors have 2 main reservations with the vaccination. The first is that researchers tell us that the venom of snakes is so complex and variable even within a single species of snake that there is no realistic way to create a vaccine that will cover all of the proteins. Additionally we see significant local reactions to the vaccine itself. This includes sterile abscesses or even sloughing large patches skin in the site of the vaccination. Since we don't give the vaccination, I can't report on incidence however at our practice we have seen 5 reactions that all required medical intervention. All cases were for a second opinion.

In short -- yes there may be benefit for some dogs in high risk situations, this risk must be weighed individually by owner's and their veterinarian. I personally feel there are too many unanswered questions to ever give this to one of my dogs.

Hamster Agility Course

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:57:00 +0000

Many of our dog loving clients exercise their pets of all shapes and sizes in the exciting sport of canine agility. Many months of training and dedication on the part of the dog and the handler go into a successful performance in the agility ring. Here is a little inspiration for anyone who is interested in this fun sport. This video was sent to me by our friend April Bush who runs Puppy Steps and Beyond dog training. She does a great job with new puppy socialization, and obedience, as well as working with problem pet behaviors. I hope to have her write a post or two about behavior or training topics in the future. Her email is puppysteps@comcast.net, and her phone number is 520-749-9121. I am not sure what her fees would be for coaching your hamster in agility. Perhaps she would agree to a percentage of the prize money?

Sunscreen for Pets

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:32:00 +0000

Here in the desert we see a lot of sun induced skin disease and cancer in animals just as we do in people.  Keeping your pet indoors or in a shade protected area is the best way to avoid sun damage.  When they are outside you can keep them covered with a UV protected shirt or use sunscreen on exposed areas.

There are a number of factors that may make your pet more susceptible including breed, hair coat, pigmentation and amount of time outside. Some pets like to "sunbathe" and expose their bellies to the sun and these pets seem to be particularly sensitive.
Any of our light coated dogs but especially Boxers and Pitbulls seem to have an increased incidence of skin cancers. Dogs and cats that have pink noses and pale eyelids are more prone to cancer in these non-pigmented areas. Pets who have suffered hair loss from allergies, hot spots, disease, surgical preparation, or radiation can benefit from sunscreen. Don't forget that if you give your pet a "summer hair cut" that their newly exposed skin will be very sensitive.

In pets, sunburn can appear as red skin or hair loss. The photo below shows sunburn on the nose. Sunburn can irritate or exacerbate existing conditions, such as allergies or hot spots. The dog on the left has discoid lupus which is an autoimmune disease however the sun exposure on the raw, damaged skin can make this disease even more painful and difficult to control. If your pet has a non-healing scaly patch, dark red or purple raised lesions on the skin or black, irregular freckles, these lesions should be looked at by your veterinarian.

Sunscreen can be applied to the bridge of the nose, ear tips, skin surrounding the lips, and any area where pigmentation is low. The sunscreen should be fragrance free, non-staining, and contain UVA and UVB barriers similar to SPF 15 or SPF 30 for humans. (SPF labeling and claims are not permitted in products marketed for use on pets, however, because the FDA has not established a test to determine SPF values in pets.) Some protective ingredients include Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Octyl Salicylate, Homosalate and Benzophenone-3. Octyl Salicylate products should not be used on cats. Avoid zinc oxide as this can be toxic if ingested as well. I like the non-greasy spray formulas. They are more quickly absorbed and tend not to stain furniture or clothing.

There are some sunscreens created specifically for pets, but using children's sunscreen is also an option. Most human sunscreens have ingestion warnings because the ingredients can be toxic if a child or dog ingests them, so if your pet is likely to lick it, look for a pet-specific sunscreen. Doggles has an SPF 15 spray sunscreen. Nutri-Vet offers an SPF 15 sunscreen both in a lotion form and a spray. Epi-Pet Skin Care Line has just introduced Epi-Pet Sun Protector. It's labeled for use in dogs and horses and all animals except cats and has SPF equivalency of 30-40.

One thing to remember about sunscreen is that you need to use plenty of it, and you should re-apply regularly during sun exposure. It is recommended to use at least 1 tablespoon of lotion or cream for each body area treated! Sunscreen should be re-applied every 4 to 6 hours during the brightest time of the day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you have a pet that spends most of his time outdoors, consider a UV protective sunsuit. Designer Dogwear makes male and female dog suits to help protect the skin on their trunk. Tuga makes UV t-shirts and hats for dogs as well.

Photos: (from left to right and top to bottom)
1: belly showing signs of chronic sunburn
2: discoid lupus
3: solar dermatitis
4: skin on belly with squamous cell carcinoma
5: cutaneous hemangiosarcoma on a white boxer
6: basal cell carcinoma on the face

Monsoon Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Jim and Susan Stofft) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:21:00 +0000

No, we are not having a major blow out sale on fine used furniture. For veterinarians in Tucson, monsoon madness refers to the challenges our pets face during our rainy season. While this is the favorite time of year for many of us, it can be highly stressful for our pets. Two of our most common problems are storm anxiety and Colorado River Toad toxicity.

Storm Anxiety:

Those of us who look forward to the annual monsoon season are starting to glance skyward and sniff at the wind for even a hint of rain. July arrives with the expectation of dramatic and productive thunderstorms. For our dogs, these loud, sudden cloudbursts can cause mild to severe storm phobias – sometimes to the point of needing medication or behavioral conditioning.

Desensitizing a storm phobic pet requires a lot of patience and dedication and sometimes the assistance of a dog trainer or behaviorist. There is a well established protocol involving desensitizing a dog with an audio recording of a thunderstorm set very quietly and slowly increased in volume over many weeks. Herbal supplements with Valerian Root, Kava kava or tryptophan can help reduce some of the destructive or stressful behavior. Prescription supplements such as Anxitane have been effective for many animals. Other over the counter medications such as Benadryl can be used to help them sleep through the storm. Dogs with severe anxiety or that are self destructive need anti-anxiety medications like Clomipramine or Alprazolam. I like to advise pet owners to try to find the most insulated and protected room in the house – like a closet or utility room, and consider getting a dog crate or kennel to allow a fearful dog to feel protected in a "den " like environment. While we want to be calming and reassuring for our anxious pet, you have to really limit the contact time during a phobic episode to prevent giving positive reinforcement of the fearful behavior. I have had some good feedback from two behavior modification products: The Anxiety Wrap or the Storm Defender Cape. The Storm Defender cape gives dogs a calming sensation as it reduces static electricity on their coat and prevents the anxiety build up that some dogs develop with approaching thunderstorms. The Anxiety Wrap uses accupressure to help reduce anxiety.

Colorado River Toads:

One of the unusual creatures that live in our Sonoran Desert, the Colorado River Toad, are frequently encountered during our rainy season and have a justifiably notorious reputation among dog owners.

These large, grey-green toads are irresistible to most curious dogs as they hop around our back yards after an evening thunderstorm. They secrete a hallucinogenic toxin from glands on their skin and when picked up in a dogs mouth will cause a spectacular reaction. Dogs will typically drop the toad, hyper salivate, pant, and stumble around with dilated pupils. In rare cases dogs can have more severe neurologic symptoms including seizures and hyperthermia. The most important action to take if you think your dog has been exposed to a Colorado River Toad is to thoroughly rinse out the mouth with a hose and a wet washcloth. Some of these dogs will also need supportive care treatment by a veterinarian, but many will stabilize quickly at home. It has been reported that the toxin is strong enough to kill an adult dog, but that is very unusual. I had one case of a Jack Russell Terrier that actually swallowed an entire toad and died en route to the emergency clinic. Many of the trainers that offer rattlesnake avoidance classes also train to avoid these toads.