As we leave 2015 behind and look forward to a brand new year, we just wanted to take a moment to appreciate our pets and also thank you, our clients, for your patronage.

At the risk of sounding nostalgic, for “auld lang syne” (which is old Scottish for “old times” sake), we remember our patients that are no longer with us. Part of the beauty of having an animal companion is their unconditional affection. Despite their shorter lifespan, the impact a pet can have on your life cannot be overstated.

As we see puppies and kittens during their first appointment that grow into adulthood and then become seniors, our hearts are touched by them, knowing they hold such an important role in their families’ lives, for whatever length of time they are with them.

We are blessed to have our clients share this special human-animal bond with us. We just wanted to say thanks!

May the New Year bring joy, good health and prosperity to you and your loved-ones, from the staff at Coventry Animal Hospital.

These games can be a fun way to keep your dog mentally and physically fit during the cold of winter, as well as during rainy weather and the heat of the summer.

1. Scent work: Place several containers or boxes upside down with a treat under one of them. Your dog will need to sniff out the treat and gets to eat its reward. You could also use a muffin tin and put several treats in some of the compartments, then cover them with tennis balls. Your dog will have to push the balls out of the way to win its prize.
2. Interactive toys: You can play fetch with your dog down the hallway or up and down stairs.
3. Play dates with other dogs
4. Clicker training and obedience training: There are lots of videos available that teach owners and dogs new commands and tricks.
5. Hide and seek or “find it”: You can hide an item (such as a toy) or you can even hide a person in another room

6.    Running: Your dog can be slowly introduced to a treadmill (while supervised). Be sure to start at a very slow walking pace.

Coventry Animal Hospital wishes you & your canine companions lots of entertainment while they are cooped up. Happy playing!!!

I am worried that my pet will be anxious if I leave it at the clinic for anesthesia.

If your pet has separation anxiety or gets very stressed when handled at the vet clinic, please let us know when you book the procedure, so that measures can be taken to minimize its anxiety.  We treat our patients as we would our own pets and want them to have as little stress as possible both before and after their anesthesia.

Will my pet be groggy after its surgery?

Some grogginess is to be expected for the first 24 hours after anesthesia.  We monitor each patient’s recovery and ideally like to see them walking, eating and going to the bathroom prior to discharge.  Monitoring them also gives us the opportunity to looks for signs of pain; we can give them more pain medication if needed.

Does my pet need to stay overnight?

After surgery, it is very important that a dog or cat is quiet and resting.  We recommend overnight hospitalization for female pets after spaying and for cats after declawing.  Those procedures are more invasive than neutering and require strict rest.  If you prefer to take your pet home the same day, please discuss alternate options with a technician.

Can I touch the incision?

It is encouraged to look at your pet’s incision site twice daily until it is seen for its post-operative recheck 10-14 days after surgery.  You may touch the incision while you are petting him, as he should have adequate pain control.  If you notice any excessive pain, redness, discharge, odour, bleeding or gaping of the site, please call the clinic.  If you see your pet licking its incision site, it will need to wear an Elizabethan collar (cone) or another form of barrier, such as a T-shirt.  We need to prevent licking of the incision site, which can introduce bacteria and cause infection.  Do not bathe your pet or allow it to swim until he has been seen for his recheck.

How long does my pet need to wear the cone?

A barrier should be in place to prevent a patient from licking its incision until the time of its post-operative recheck 10-14 days after surgery.  Some pets are reluctant to eat while wearing a cone.  If this is the case, the cone can be removed while the pet is supervised.

How long does he need to be quiet for?  What is “quiet”?

After a surgical procedure, we strongly recommend that dogs be confined to a crate or small room and that cats also are restricted to a single room while unsupervised.  Please ask a technician or veterinarian if there are any differing instructions.

Can I take my dog for a walk after surgery?

Your dog should be on short supervised leash walks, with the purpose of allowing it to go to the bathroom.  Running, jumping and playing is prohibited.

My cat/dog has not had a bowel movement since its surgery – is this normal?

After fasting followed by anesthesia, your pet’s gut motility may be altered.  Having softer bowel movements or 24 hours without a bowel movement can be normal as long as your pet appears comfortable.  Please call the clinic if your pet experiences diarrhea.

Can my pet eat the same evening after anesthesia?

On the day of recovery (while the effects of anesthesia are lingering), it is best to feed your pet a light meal.  If it has had tooth extractions or mouth surgery, you will be given instructions to offer canned or moistened kibble for several days.  Please call the clinic if your pet does not want to eat, seems painful or vomits after eating.

Why have I been told to finish all of these medications?  My pet seems fine.

Pain medication is prescribed preventively after surgical procedures.  Your pet may not show signs of pain that are recognized by the untrained eye.  We feel it is mandatory that your pet experience minimal discomfort during recovery and pain medication is prescribed for a very good reason.  Pain medication is often used to reduce swelling and allow a pet to be comfortable enough to continue eating, interacting with its family and doing normal behavior.  If pain is not controlled, the pet can experience delayed healing.  Pain can also negatively impact a pet’s relationship with its family.  If you have concerns about possible side effects of a prescribed pain medication, please contact the clinic.

Antibiotics are prescribed to treat (or in some cases prevent) bacterial infections.  Signs of bacterial infection include pain, swelling, discharge, bad odour, redness and heat, but these signs are not always obvious.  Antibiotics are generally administered beyond the resolution of clinical signs.  If a course of antibiotics is not completed, over time such usage can promote antibiotic resistance.  Please consult your veterinarian before discontinuing prescribed medication.

Lastly, if there are any questions you have regarding anesthesia or surgery that haven’t been answered by this 3-part blog article, feel free to ask a staff member at Coventry Animal Hospital.  The goals of anesthesia and surgery for your pet are safety and extending or improving a pet’s quality of life.

What happens after I drop my pet off for a surgery or dental cleaning?

Remember that general anesthesia is a medically-induced state of unconsciousness where your pet cannot feel pain.  After your pet has passed the pre-anesthetic protocols, our anesthesia team will prepare the patient –

1. An intravenous catheter is placed – This is where injectable anesthetic drugs are administered and even more importantly, it provides a rapid way to give emergency drugs in the event that the patient requires it. You will notice that the fur is shaved around the site of the catheter. The site is cleaned with 3 different antiseptic solutions; this is known as sterile preparation for surgery. The catheter itself is a flexible tube that is inserted into the vein with the help of a needle. Sometimes if a pet is anxious or stressed, a sedative will be injected into its muscle first to calm them for the placement of the catheter.
2. Intubation – Anesthesia is induced by administering injectable drugs. Once the pet is sleepy enough, an endotracheal tube is placed in its windpipe and a balloon is blown up around the tube to prevent any fluid from a dental cleaning or any regurgitated material from being inhaled into the airways. This tube ensures that the patient will have a continuous flow of oxygen and it also provides inhalant gas to maintain it in a plane of unconsciousness.
3. Sterile prep – The surgical site is prepared by shaving away fur in the surrounding area and is then cleaned with 3 different antiseptic solutions. For a dental surgery, gauze is placed in the back of the throat and local dental blocks to numb the nerves that feel tooth pain are injected.
4. Eye lubrication – Animals do not blink during general anesthesia, so lubricant is applied to a patient’s eyes to prevent them from becoming too dry or scratched.
5. Monitoring devices

• This is the most important part of anesthesia, as changes must be made to the pet’s level of anesthesia or fluid rate based on trending the heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and blood pressure. There are instruments that track these vital readings but there is also a technician or doctor that will listen to the heart or feel the pulse and listen to the lungs, to make sure that the patient is at the right plane of unconsciousness.

1. Warming – When a patient is unconscious, it body’s ability to regulate its temperature is turned off. To prevent its core temperature from dropping below normal, it must be kept warm with heating pads and its temperature must be monitored with a thermometer. Padding is also important, especially in patients with arthritis. We strive to keep our patients comfortable while they are unconscious, so that they don’t wake up with pressure sores or joint pain.
2. Dental charting – Any time your pet is anesthetized for an elective procedure, its teeth and gums are assessed for any oral health problems. This is important because an animal will not allow such a thorough examination of its mouth when it is awake; problems can be detected early on.
3. Extubation – The inhalant gas is turned off, so that the animal can exhale the drug from its lungs and start to wake up. The patient is generally transferred to a bed in a run or cage while it is still sleepy and once it regains reflexes, the endotracheal tube is removed from its windpipe.
4. Pain management – Certain injectable anesthetic drugs provide pain relief and these are given BEFORE a painful stimulus in order to prevent pain response from the patient. If necessary, injectable pain meds can also be given during anesthesia and as the pet wakes up. If anesthetic drugs are chosen appropriately, the pet will wake up calmly and quietly and not show signs of pain that our veterinarians and technicians are trained to look for.

Why am I paying for IV fluids? 

It is the gold standard of veterinary medicine.  Having a patient on intravenous fluids can help stabilize its blood pressure and in turn, promote enough blood flow to its internal organs while it is unconscious.  IV fluids are particularly important for pets with pre-existing kidney disease.  IV fluids prevent dehydration that causes that “hangover” feeling and allow a smoother recovery in patients by flushing drugs out of their bodies more quickly.

All of these precautions are in place to maximize your pet’s safety during general anesthesia.  Our next article will discuss the protocols after anesthesia, during the recovery period.

If you missed Part 1 click here.

During this time of Remembrance, Coventry Animal Hospital would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the bravery of not only all the men and women in our services, but also the animals who served and sacrificed with them. Here are just a few stories of the millions of brave animals who served alongside our soldiers. 

Warrior the Horse

Warrior was a horse who served in World War One. He was the warhorse of General Jack Seely and served on the front lines for the duration of the war, surviving many battles including the Battle of Somme. He survived being trapped under debris, two stable fires and being stuck in mud at Passchendaele. He was dubbed “the horse the Germans could not kill”. Warrior survived the war and returned home to the Isle of Wight to live out the rest of his life to the age of 32. He was awarded the Dickin Medal (Victoria Cross medal for animals) in 2014.

Gander the Dog

Gander was a Newfoundland Dog that served during World War Two. He originally started his career as a mascot for a group of soldiers stationed in Gander, Newfoundland. When these soldiers were sent to Hong Kong, they brought Gander with them. Gander would often charge at Japanese soldiers who approached injured Canadian soldiers on the field, saving numerous lives. On December 19^th, 1941, a grenade was thrown towards Canadian soldiers during a battle. Gander immediately picked this up and ran away from the injured Canadian soldiers nearby. This bravery saved many lives, however, it cost Gander his own during the ensuing explosion. Gander was awarded the Dickin Medal in 2000 for his bravery.

G.I. Joe the Pigeon

G.I. Joe was a pigeon that served with the United States Army during World War Two. He is credited with saving the lives of at least a thousand British troops. On October 18^th, 1943, the American Airforce was set to bomb a city in Italy to allow the British troops to move in. However, the Germans retreated, and the British troops took hold of the city far ahead of schedule. Numerous attempts were made via radio to cancel the air raid, but were unsuccessful. G.I. Joe was sent with the message and flew at an incredible spend, covering 20 miles in 20 minutes. He arrived at the air base with the message just as the planes were warming up to take off, preventing a horrible tragedy. In 1946, G.I. Joe was awarded the Dickin Medal. He lived out the rest of his life in the Detroit Zoological Gardens, where he passed away at the age of 18.

Able Seacat Simon

Simon was a cat found by a member of the crew of the British ship HMS Amythest in 1948. He was smuggled aboard the ship, but soon became a favourite of the crew due to his adeptness at catching and killing rats. He would often leave these as “gifts” in beds and even in the captain’s hat.

During a mission, the ship was to travel up the Yangtze River when they came under fire. The gun fire killed and injured many crew members and seriously injured Simon. The medical staff were able to treat Simon, and even though he was not expected to live the night, he recovered and was back to hunting rats within a few days. This was a very important duty, as the ship was stranded and food stores were low. Rats were known to eat and contaminate food on ships. More importantly, Simon would visit the injured sailors and kept morale up on the ship. Because of his important duties, he was awarded the rank of “Able Seacat”. The ship did eventually escape the area. Unfortunately, while in quarantine for entering England, Simon died of a viral infection. Simon was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1949, shortly after he passed away.

It’s the morning of surgery/anesthesia – here are some things you may want to know as your pet is about to undergo general anesthesia.

General anesthesia is a medically-induced state of unconsciousness where your pet cannot feel pain.

Why does my pet need an empty stomach?

We advise lifting food dishes away from cats and dogs after 6pm the night before anesthesia.  The purpose of fasting a patient is to limit the chance of them regurgitating ingested food into their mouth and then aspirating that material.  While they are anesthetized, they do not have the ability to cough out that material.  There are a few exceptions where a veterinarian may give different recommendations, such as a very young or small patient or a diabetic.

Do you perform a physical examination if they have already been recently examined for their vaccines?

It is important that you share any health concerns with our team before your pet undergoes anesthesia. If your pet is taking any medication, the anesthetic team needs to be made aware of when they were last given.  On the day of anesthesia, the technician will collect a brief history and the veterinarian will perform a physical exam on your pet.  In particular, the veterinarian will listen to your pet’s heart to assess for abnormalities, like a heart murmur.  For example, if your pet has a fever, rescheduling and treating the underlying cause would be appropriate.  If a female dog is in heat, her spay will be rescheduled.

The veterinarian carefully chooses injectable anesthetic drugs and their dosages based on your pet’s individual needs. We take pain management, the age, breed and health status of each patient into consideration.  Different drugs are metabolized through different organs.  By using a combination of low doses of drugs, we can limit the impact on any one organ.

Why should I consider pre-anesthetic bloodwork for my pet?

Bloodwork is an internal health screen, in the same way that a physical exam is an external health screen. Bloodwork looks at:

• Red blood cell (RBC) count
  • a low RBC count means the animal is anemic from blood loss or inadequate RBC production
  • an elevated RBC count often means the patient is dehydrated
• White blood cell (WBC) count
  • a high WBC count often means infection or inflammation
• Protein level
• Sugar level
• Liver values
  • high liver values can suggest some form of liver disease or toxicity
• Kidney values
  • high kidney values may be caused by kidney disease or dehydration

All of these precautions are in place to maximize your pet’s safety leading up to the time of anesthesia. Our next article will discuss the protocols during anesthesia.

If you have any questions contact our team at Coventry Animal Hospital and we would be happy to answer them for you.

Coventry Animal Hospital has recently had some clients concerned about peanut butter being toxic to their dogs and we wanted to address this concern.

Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute that is commonly used as a sweetener. It has an anti-bacterial benefit in the mouth and is used to help fight cavities.  Xylitol is found in many sugar-free gums, as well as mints, toothpastes and mouthwashes and even lip balm.  It is also becoming more widely used in sugar-free baked goods, candies, supplements and some peanut butter.  Beware, as items are not always clearly labeled as containing xylitol.

Symptoms

Normally when a dog eats food, its pancreas releases insulin, which signals the body to remove sugar from the blood stream and store it in their liver. Xylitol causes the pancreas to remove sugar from the circulation but does not offer calories.  Xylitol results in severely low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia.  Signs of hypoglycemia: weakness, wobbling, tremors, seizures or coma.

Xylitol can also cause serious damage to the liver. This leads to sudden liver failure.  The liver is responsible for making factors that allow blood to clot – without these, patients can experience internal bleeding.

As little as a stick of gum could be toxic to a small dog. If you suspect any amount of ingestion, call a vet clinic immediately.  Effects of xylitol can be seen as early as 30 minutes after ingestion.

Treatment

If treated promptly, the dog can be made to vomit up the xylitol. To correct low blood sugar, it is recommended to maintain the dog in hospital on intravenous dextrose.  Bloodwork is recommended to check its liver function.  Despite treatment, some dogs still do not survive.

Cats

There are no known reports of xylitol poisoning in cats, so it is unknown whether it is toxic to felines.

Use of xylitol for oral health

Pet toothpaste does not contain xylitol or fluoride and is safe for dogs to ingest.  There are water additives for cats and dogs that are added to drinking water at a prescribed dilution; this weak dilution is safe to be swallowed.  If you are questioning whether a dental product is safe for your pet, please ask one of our veterinary team members.

Did you know that this past week was Animal Welfare Week? We all have roles to play in ensuring good animal welfare. One of the first places where you can make a difference is with the purchase of your puppy. Unfortunately, many puppies come from puppy mills where the animals are kept in horrible conditions and are mistreated. By avoiding purchasing from these places, we can put an end to them.

What is a Puppy Mill?

A Puppy Mill is an intensive large scale commercial dog breeding operation that can range from having tens to hundreds of dogs. Dogs are bred solely for profit with no care for the health of the dogs nor the puppies produced. In these mills, the dogs are kept in deplorable conditions; often in overcrowded and dirty cages with little human interaction and no environmental enrichment. Females are bred at every opportunity and will be euthanized when they no longer produce enough puppies. They also receive very little to no veterinary care. Unfortunately, that means that most puppies from these mills come with medical conditions.

How to Avoid Puppy Mills:

• Do not purchase dogs from pet stores. This is the primary way puppy mills sell their dogs. Even though pet stores will often claim their dogs are from reputable breeders, if you are not able to get the information to go visit that breeder, they are likely from a puppy mill. Even if the puppy comes with registration “papers”, this does not guarantee it is not from a puppy mill. Most reputable pet stores will have adoption centers for rescues as opposed to selling dogs.
• Rescue or adopt instead of buying. Even if you are looking for a purebred dog, there are many breed specific rescues out there that could have one for you. One of the benefits of going through a rescue is that they usually already know the personality and health concerns of the animal you are adopting, so you can find the perfect fit.
• Do not buy online. This is now also becoming a popular way for puppy mills to sell their dogs and should be avoided at all costs.

• Visit breeders. If you do decide that you want to get a puppy from a breeder, make sure to visit the breeder. A good breeder will allow you to meet the parents (at least the mother as the father may not be on site) and see the conditions that the parents live in. He should also show you how the puppies are kept. Breeders should also have certain health certificates for the parents (depending on breed) showing that they are free of particular genetic defects (for example hip dysplasia in German Shepherds). If a breeder will not allow you to visit his facility, avoid them.

The only way that we can put an end to the mistreatment of dogs in puppy mills is to make sure we do not purchase dogs from mills. As long as mills keep making money, they will keep doing what they are doing. It is up to us to put a stop to it. If you are considering getting a puppy, contact our veterinary team at Coventry Animal Hospital. We can help guide you to ensure you end up with a healthy and happy puppy.

The causes of arthritis in dogs and cats have been discussed in our previous blogs – arthritis is a progressive chronic painful condition that involves inflammation of the joints.

What happens after a veterinarian has recognized arthritis in your pet?

A treatment plan should be tailored to your pet’s individual needs – usually with a combination of several therapies.

1. Surgical correction

If your pet has an underlying orthopedic condition that could lead to secondary joint disease, it is important to surgically correct this condition as soon as it is diagnosed.

2.  Weight loss

Arguably the most important thing you can do for your pet’s joint comfort is to keep your pet at an ideal body weight. Over half of the pets that we see are overweight and losing those “few extra pounds” can drastically improve your pet’s quality of life. The first step is learning what your pet’s healthy body weight is – you may be surprised by how much of a waist your cat or dog is supposed to have.

3.  Gentle and controlled exercise

Pets with arthritis are generally quite stiff when they first get moving in the morning. However, short frequent walks with your dog and brief play sessions with your cat helps their joints stay lubricated through motion.

4.  Supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin and omega 3 fatty acids

Glucosamine and chondroitin are building blocks for cartilage repair. It has been suggested that consuming them can help rebuild damaged cartilage and possibly decrease joint inflammation.   Omega 3 fatty acids are also believed to have anti-inflammatory benefits when taken orally. Not all products are created equally – our article on nutraceuticals elaborates on this. It is also possible for your veterinarian to inject certain cartilage building blocks (such as polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) into your pet’s body. Polysulfated glycosaminoglycan is also believed to have anti-inflammatory benefits on joints.

5.  Specialized diets

There are veterinary therapeutic diets that are formulated specifically for pets with arthritis. In addition to being optimally balanced, these diets incorporate supplements including glucosamine, chondroitin and omega 3 fatty acids. Scientific trials are run on these diets to show improved joint health in pets with joint disease. The veterinary pet food industry invests significantly to research ways of treating conditions through diet.

6.  Anti-inflammatory and pain medications

There are a number of veterinary medications that can block pain receptors and also bring down the swelling in joints. These drugs can improve a pet’s mobility and quality of life. These meds are best discussed with your regular veterinarian. Please never give your pet human medication.

7.  Rehabilitation therapy

Animal rehab is a growing field and there are veterinarians that specialize in this field. Rehabilitation uses custom physiotherapy exercises, hydrotherapy (in the form of a water treadmill), therapeutic laser, and electrical nerve stimulation. These tools help strengthen a pet’s muscling and improve joint function/range of motion and decrease pain.

8.  Alternative therapies

Acupuncture: A veterinary acupuncturist inserts needles to stimulate the healing process or releases hormones that help with pain or inflammation.

Chiropractic: An animal chiropractor uses spinal or joint manipulation to attempt to re-establish normal movement and improve the pet’s sense of well-being.

9.  Environmental changes

Modifications can be done in your pet’s home to decrease stress on its joints; gripping surfaces on the floor, thick padded bedding, heating pads and ramps or steps to avoid high jumps or excessive stair use.

The goal of arthritis treatment is to maintain your pet’s comfort level and to delay the progression of its joint disease. Arthritis management is possible by keeping your pet at an ideal body weight and by collaborating with a veterinarian to create the best plan for your pet.

If you have any questions about your pet and arthritis give our team at Coventry Animal Hospital a call.