Newsletter

The staff at our hospital would like to develop a close relationship with you and your pet. You will find that among the members of our staff, we have interest and expertise in many species and specialties. Hopefully, your pet will never require more than routine care, but sometimes more complex issues arise.

In many cases, early detection and monitoring can help prevent problems and provide long-term management of existing conditions. We have found great satisfaction in keeping our patients comfortable and happy! Because some health conditions have a genetic basis, we know that puppies of certain breeds are more likely than average to show specific problems. We would like to offer you help with early detection of these, so that their effects, if present, can be minimized. Please scan the list below; it is an illustration of how pervasive genetic diseases are. If your breed is listed, please ask a member of our staff about the linked disease, screening test(s), and recommendations.

This list is just a sample and is not exhaustive; ask us if your pet is pre-disposed to something so that we can discuss how to help. Some problems, such as heart valve disease, dental/periodontal disease, and skin allergies are seen in many breeds. Some of our suggestions may be hospital-oriented (lab-work, X-rays, etc.) while some may relate to home management. For example: a large breed puppy that is checked for hip dysplasia may have a long, relatively comfortable life if he/she avoids games of Frisbee and long runs; a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel placed on cardiac drugs pre-emptively may significantly increase its life expectancy.

When should these problems be addressed? Before the problem is so severe that your pet is showing symptoms. More often than not, a few simple tests can give a diagnosis. From there, we work with you to keep your pet comfortable and symptom-free.

Despite their independent ways, your cats are very sociable animals. Of course, they will never let you know that, which is why they quickly hang up the phone when they hear you coming. But the truth of the matter is, they can get lonely and bored if you don't spend enough time trying to get them to play with you.

To minimize the chance of your cat feeling isolated, you may want to consider getting another cat. And to minimize the chance of that cat getting lonely, you may want to get yet another cat...and so forth. Here are some tips you might find useful for multiple cat households.

In general, the following combination of cats seem to work best: two kittens, a mature, neutered cat and kitten, or two mature neutered cats (either two females or a male and a female). The most volatile combination seems to be two uncastrated mature male cats.

Consider your current cat's personality before introducing a new cat. An active cat is more likely to accept a new kitten. A quieter, more reclusive cat might prefer a mature, adult cat as a companion.

If your cats exhibit personality conflicts, you can reduce the tension between family felines by making sure each cat has enough personal space and personal possessions to fulfill its needs.

Make sure you have at least one litter box on every floor and that they are easy to get to in an emergency. To avoid territory conflicts between cats, consider placing litter boxes in various locations throughout the house to avoid the exclusion of one cat from another cat's territory.

Be sure to keep plenty of clean, fresh water available for your cats at all times. Keeping bowls in multiple locations throughout the house might be a good idea.

Keep scratching posts and beds in several locations to accommodate all the cats in your household.

Pet owners vary in their level of comfort in clipping the nails of their dog, cat, rabbit or bird. But it is necessary to regularly clip nails to help maintain health and comfort. Nails which are uncared for can break or tear and can affect the animal's ability to move about comfortably or cause the animal to injure itself when scratching. If you are uncomfortable clipping the animal's nails yourself, your vet or groomer can do this for you. If you decide to do it yourself, here are a few tips:

1. Remember, the nail is living tissue. Do not clip too close to the quick. If this occurs, the animal will experience pain and the nail will bleed.



Clipping Nail Below the Quick (The quick is the pink area.)



2. There are two types of nail clippers available: the scissor type (which resembles a traditional scissors) or the guillotine type (which surrounds the whole nail). Both are effective. Choose the one that is most comfortable for you and your pet.
3. Many animals resist nail clipping. One way to get them accustomed to it is to handle their paws or feet from a very early age.

Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is a progressive disease that occurs in the joints of animals. It is not normal to the aging process; however, the condition affects about 15-20% of dogs over 8 years of age.

DJD results from injury to the articular cartilage, the smooth material covering the free surfaces of the bones in a joint. Normally this cartilage functions to reduce friction and helps absorb shock within the joint.

Trauma and aging are major contributors to cartilage destruction. Once the process begins, it cannot be reversed. The condition may occur in one or several joints. Treatment for the disease is primarily symptomatic.

DJD is often referred to as "osteoarthritis." This is not an accurate description, since osteoarthritis implies an inflammatory condition of the joint. DJD is not an inflammatory process.

Factors that lead to degenerative joint disease are listed below:

• Injury to the joint
  Example: fracture within the joint
• Instability of the joint
  Examples: hip dysplasia, ruptured anterior cruciate ligament of the knee
• Joint disease
  Example: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
• Infection in the joint
  Example: penetrating wound

Symptoms

By the time the symptoms of DJD appear, considerable damage to the joint is already present. As the disease progresses, the symptoms intensify.

The most common symptoms of degenerative joint disease are lameness, joint pain, and stiffness. Lameness and pain are generally more pronounced after a long period of exercise.

The affected joint is often stiff after a period of non-use, such as right after awakening from sleep. This stiffness tends to improve after a small amount of exercise. Often, a grinding sound is produced when the affected joint is manipulated.

Your veterinarian can diagnose DJD. X-rays are often required to confirm the diagnosis, as well as to show the progression of the disease. When radiographic lesions are present, the disease has already progressed significantly. Very early in the disease, no X-ray lesions are seen.

At the present time, there is no treatment to reverse the process of degenerative joint disease. Most treatment regimes are based on rest, weight reduction, moderate exercise and medication. Your veterinarian can recommend the treatment that is best suited for your pet.

The first five reasons for barking are rarely the cause of "excessive" or "annoying" barking. They are usually specific to certain situations and are short-lived. The sixth and seventh reasons are those most likely to be considered problem barking, and they are not unrelated. Barking for companionship can turn into barking for reward: The dog barks to get its owner’s attention, the owner comes to the dog to tell it to be quiet, perhaps petting it or playing with it, and goes away again. The dog is quiet while the owner is there, but has learned that barking will bring the owner back. Thus the system of barking and reward is established.

A solution, again, is to spend more time with your dog and have it near you rather than tied up somewhere separate from you. However, if your dog is separated from you and it begins to bark to get your attention, do not immediately go to the dog. It must learn that barking will not guarantee your presence. By spending more time with the dog at regular intervals not instigated by barking, your dog will feel more assured that it will get sufficient attention from you and will not have as much inclination to bark for companionship.

How do you teach a barking dog to distinguish between friends and strangers?
The solution is to show the dog that certain individuals (garbage collectors, mailmen, milkmen) are, indeed, friends. To accomplish this, the dog has to be introduced to these people and given an opportunity to get to know them. While this is not always practical, it is nonetheless a potential solution. As you restrain your dog, stop delivery people and have a short conversation with them, letting them meet the dog for a brief period. Repeat and lengthen the process over the next few weeks. Eventually, your dog should accept these individuals and all should be well until your regular mailman is sick and another person takes his place.

What do you do with a dog that barks at guests in your house?
One solution is to take the dog to another room and give it something to do. Or, if the guest comes to your home often and you don’t want to have to lock up the dog every time, work to gradually introduce one to the other. Have the guest get on his knees, pet the dog, offer it a treat, and more or less become part of the family. Let your dog establish the speed at which this relationship develops: Don’t force it, or your dog may become alarmed by a "pushy" guest.

How do you deal with a dog that barks at the phone?
This is simply a case of a dog that has been rewarded for barking at a ringing phone. When the dog barks, someone eventually answers the phone and it stops ringing. To stop your dog from doing this, have a friend call and let the phone ring until the dog loses interest. Continue over a period of days, and in time, the dog will learn that barking at the phone accomplishes nothing.

Finally, what do you do with the dog that barks while you are away from home?
There are several possible solutions. One is to act as if you are leaving, then stand outside the door until the dog barks. When it does, return and scold verbally. Another is to get your dog a companion—but you might end up with two barkers! A third is to use a sound-activated tape recorder. When the dog barks, the sound switch turns on the tape recorder for a minute. The tape plays your voice scolding the dog. Some systems can repeat as many as 45 times while you are away.

The best way to reduce your dog’s barking is to pay attention to the reasons for the barking. If you can satisfy the dog’s needs, barking will automatically be reduced. By the same token, learned barking can be extremely persistent. Internal rewards can cause the cycle to go on for years.

The best solution to barking is prevention, so be aware of the possibilities and work to stop problem barking before it starts.

Dog owners in New York may be worried for the safety of their pets following the discovery of a rabid raccoon in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood on February 12. If you’re a resident of the area, keep reading to learn more about the situation and to find out what you can do to protect yourself and your companions.

While raccoons infected with the rabies disease have been common in other areas of New York in recent years, Dr. Sally Slavinski, assistant director of the New York City Department of Health’s Zoonotic, Influenza and Vector Borne Disease Unit, told New York’s Courier Life Publications that the finding in Brooklyn marks the borough’s first sighting in raccoons. While the agency does not yet know the extent of the infection in raccoons in Brooklyn, they are planning to enhance their surveillance of raccoons in the borough. “Right now, it’s an isolated incident,” she told the paper.

While other areas of New York City have seen more cases, it does not appear that raccoons that carry the rabies virus are all that common. According to CNN, health officials received 10 reports of rabid raccoons in Manhattan in 2009, eight of which were in December. In the five years from 2003 to 2008, only one confirmed case has been recorded. The last human case of the virus in New York City occurred in 1953.

New York City is taking control of the situation, according to WABC-TV. Starting in February 2010, wildlife experts began “humanely trapping” raccoons in various parks in the city. “The animals will be vaccinated, marked for identification, and released,” the television station reported. The process will be repeated in summer to vaccinate any raccoons born in the spring.

Raccoons are nocturnal animals, and the University of Texas at Austin’s Environmental Health and Safety department says that “although nocturnal animals are most active throughout the night, it is not an indication that something is necessarily wrong if seen out during the day.” However, the University says that it will be “fairly obvious” if a nocturnal animal is sick. Symptoms can vary but include slow or tame movements, excessive saliva or an apparent “foaming” at the mouth, and an attempt to bite at anything. Should you see an animal that appears to be sick, stay away and call your local animal control center or 311.

Prevention is the best method for ensuring your animal does not acquire the virus. New York State requires all domestic dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies no later than four months after the pet’s date of birth, and in New York City, the deadline for vaccination is three months after the date of birth. When outside, keep your dog on a leash as often as possible. Please follow these guidelines to prevent your pet from being infected and also to stop the spread of the disease.