Archive for November, 2011

Overweight Kids & Pets in the US

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

According to a story in Slate, official’s  in Ohio’s Cuyahoga County  removed an eight year-old boy from his family’s home last month because they considered his mother’s inability to get the child’s ballooning weight under control a form of medical neglect.  The boy was over 200 pounds, more than triple the 60 pounds that government growth charts deem a healthy weight for boys his age. He is at risk for diseases like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure. 

The mother says , “ “Of course I love him. Of course I want him to lose weight. It’s a lifestyle change, and they are trying to make it seem like I am not embracing that. It is very hard, but I am trying.”

Now, I know that trying to put your child on a diet is really difficult, especially when your child will not cooperate; I know, my mother tried with me when I was ten and 50 lbs overweight.  It wasn’t until I decided to lose the weight (at 12) that it actually happened.

This article made me think about the overweight dogs and cats in the US.  Did you know that 50% of US dogs and cats are overweight?   It isn’t healthy for them and causes all sorts of health problems….Now, it is much easier for us to control the weight of our pets because they can’t really sneak food for themselves.

So for all you pet caretakers out there with overweight dogs and cats, what will you say when asked why your pet is overweight? Will you say, “Of course I love him. Of course I want him to lose weight. It is very hard, but I am trying?”

Quincy

10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – #10 Hydrocarbons

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

Here is # of 10 for the 10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – Hydrocarbons

Hydroc10arbons are in numerous products, including paints, varnishes, engine cleaners, furniture polish, lighter fluid, lamp oils, paint removers, and fuel oil (e.g. acetone, xylene, kerosene, gasoline, naphtha, mineral oil). GI signs such as vomiting and diarrhea are common in dogs ingesting hydrocarbons. Mild to moderate eye irritation and reversible ocular injury may occur after contact with most hydrocarbons.1 Acute but prolonged skin exposure to some hydrocarbons can result in dermal burns and, occasionally, systemic effects.

Low-viscosity, highly volatile hydrocarbons (e.g. those found in kerosene, gasoline, liquid furniture polish) are aspiration hazards. Pulmonary damage, transient CNS depression or excitement, hypoxia, inflammation, and, potentially, secondary infection (pneumonia) can occur. Hepatic and renal damage have been reported from a percentage of both experimental and field cases of hydrocarbon poisoning. Some hydrocarbons are also apparently capable of sensitizing the myocardium to endogenous catecholamines, resulting in arrhythmias and even complete cardiovascular collapse.

This information is from the “Toxicology Brief” ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Bottomline – Hydrocarbons are not only bad for the environment, but they are bad for our dogs!  Keep these locked away or sealed and use natural, green products in the house.

Simon and Quincy


10

Because of
the risk of aspiration, emesis is contraindicated in patients ingesting products
containing hydrocarbons. Dilution can be recommended. To treat topical exposure,
bathe the dog with a liquid dishwashing detergent. Flush the eyes copiously with
saline in cases of ocular exposure. Closely monitor patients for aspiration
pneumonia, particularly in vomiting dogs.16 Treatment is supportive
and symptomatic .

 

FDA Issues Warning about Chicken Jerky Products

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

The FDA sent out an alert about Chicken Jerky products from China a few days ago.

Here is the alert:

FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.

FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.

So, if your Mom gives you a chicken jerky treat, don’t eat it…I know that is going to be hard but better to be safe than sorry!

Simon

10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – #9 Fertilizers

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Here is #9 of 10 for the 10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – Fertilizers

Fertilizer products generally contain varying amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) compounds. Product ingredients are often listed as N-P-K 10-8-8, where each number is the corresponding ingredient’s concentration percentage. Fertilizer formulations include liquid, granular, and solid (e.g. stakes), and fertilizer additives may include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, iron, copper, or zinc. Because fertilizers are usually a combination of ingredients, several toxic principles are possible. In general, the ingredients are poorly absorbed, and most of the signs are related to GI irritation.

Fertilizers have a wide margin of safety.15 GI signs such as vomiting, hypersalivation, diarrhea, or lethargy are common in dogs after ingesting fertilizers, especially ones with high percentages of phosphorus and potassium compounds. In most cases these signs are self-limiting and resolve within 12 to 24 hours.

This information is from the “Toxicology Brief” ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

Bottomline – Keep you dog away from plants and lawns where you use chemical fertilizers!

Simon and Quincy

 

 

10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – #8 Thyroid Hormones

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Here is #8 of 10 for the 10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – Throid Hormones

Natural (desiccated thyroid) and synthetic (levothyroxine) derivatives of thyroid hormones are used to treat hypothyroidism in animals and people.

Dogs can maintain a remarkably normal physiologic state in the face of a massive L-thyroxine overdosage. Such resistance to developing hyrotoxicosis can be explained in part by pharmacokinetics, such as poor GI absorption, serum tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) being ighly protein bound, alternative metabolic pathways, and greater potential for biliary excretion and fecal loss. In addition, certain organs (particularly the liver and kidneys) can concentrate thyroid hormones intracellularly, thereby rendering these hormones unavailable to bind to tissue receptors and induce a physiologic effect. Thus, the liver and kidneys can act as buffers by releasing small or large amounts of hormones, depending on what the body needs, back into the plasma. In an overdose situation, these buffer organs can concentrate the extra hormone and not release the already stored hormone.

Dogs ingesting 0.2 mg/kg levothyroxine may develop mild signs, and dogs ingesting 1 mg/kg or more may need treatment. Hyperactivity and tachycardia are the most common signs of thyrotoxicosis.

This information is from the “Toxicology Brief” ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Bottomline – Keep your medicines in the medicine cabinet where dogs cannot accidentially ingest them!

Simon and Quincy

Green Festival – San Francisco

Monday, November 14th, 2011

I attended the Green Festival in San Francisco last weekend for the first time, and I was glad I did!

It was great to see so many young people (high school age)  at the show as attendes and as volunteers.  The fact that we are educating people at this stage of their lives just means that we have a chance of making a difference in the next generation.

Green is finally reaching the mainstream.  It wasn’t only the birkenstock crowd attending.  There were old Chinese ladies,  Latino families, suburban families and the birkenstock crowd.

Exhibitors included those you would expect, including Numi Organic Tea, Rainbow Grocery, Ben & Gerry…But I also found companies like Ford Motors, Safeway (O Organics & Bright Green), Calvert Investments…

More to come on what I saw and heard!

Quincy

 

But Salt Water is Good for Me!

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – #7 Pseudoephedrine (Cold Medicine)

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Here is #7 of 10 for the 10 Most Common Toxicoses in Dogs – Pseudoephedrine – Cold Medicines

Many cold medications contain pseudoephedrine, a sympathomimetic drug structurally similar to amphetamines. Pseudoephedrine ingestion can lead to dose-dependent stimulation of the cardiovascular system and the CNS. The most common clinical signs include agitation, hyperactivity,  panting, hyperthermia, hypertension, tachycardia, head bobbing, or mydriasis. Ingesting as little as 10 to 12 mg/kg pseudoephedrine can cause life-threatening signs.

This information is from the “Toxicology Brief” ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Bottom line – Keep your medicine in the medicine cabinet!

Simon and Quincy

 

 

Dr. Patrick on Cleaning Products & Your Pets

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Despite our best efforts at being clean, we must realize that the world in which our pets and we live is inherently toxic. Part of the problem is that in our quest to cleanse every environmental surface, there is a general tendency to leave behind potentially hazardous chemicals. These residual substances are easily transferred on or into our bodies with a single touch, breath, or merely being in the wrong place at an inopportune time.

The same concept applies to our pets, but their potential for exposure increases due to their inherent behavioral tendency to explore their urroundings with their sensory organs. Most pets have a smaller body mass and surface area than humans. Therefore, the margin of safety for toxic exposure for pets is lower than for people.

What can you do to keep your pet safe in this toxic world.

1. Recognize the routes of entry through which toxins enter your pet’s body. These include the eyes, nose, mouth, and skin. As pets commonly groom themselves, there is a high likelihood toxins will be ingested from the paw pads, feet, coat, or other areas of the body that is groomed.

2. Beaware of the clinical signs that your pet may have suffered a toxic exposure. Eye and nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence, lethargy, collapse, seizures, coma, and death may all potentially occur. Call your veterinarian immediately should your canine or feline companion show any concerning clinical signs.

3. Use fans and other ventilation systems to circulate household air instead of relying on spray fresheners. Replace your household air filters according to manufacturers recommended schedule, as infectious organisms and dangerous debris can accumulate over time

4. Avoid cleaning products not deemed pet safe. SeaYu makes Clean+Green, a great line of eco-friendly, biodegradable,pet appropriate products to promote the cleanliness of your home and car.

Dr. Patrick Mahaney enjoys a diverse veterinary career by combining clinical practice and media work in Los Angeles, CA. He started California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness (CPAW), Inc in 2008 to offer house call and in-facility (Veterinary Cancer Group) integrative veterinary medicine to dogs and cats in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Patrick also writes a veterinary column and connects to animal aficionados worldwide through Q & A, videos, radio interviews, and guest blog posts like this one.
You can reach Patrick on Twitter (@PatrickMahaney and @CelebrityPetNws), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patrick-Mahaney-Veterinarian-Acupuncture-Pain-Management-for-Your-Pets/110986255579285?ref=ts), and via email (patrick@patrickmahaney.com).

Entertain Me!

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011