Tag: Thoroughly Vetted

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Living

How to manage hot spots in dogs

Not only must you treat hot spots with ointment and medication, but you must keep your dog from licking and scratching at the skin. Courtesy photo

It definitely wasn’t there yesterday. She looked completely normal before bedtime, and now there’s an oozing 3″ sore over her left hip and she won’t let anybody near it. Some dog owners are all too familiar with this story, but if it’s your first time seeing a hot spot, it can be alarming. They appear with astonishing speed, and the nastier ones could easily lead you to think that something terrible is happening.

Ultimately, a hot spot is just a bacterial skin infection. In most cases, there isn’t anything particularly exotic about the bacteria involved—it’s the same staph bacteria that otherwise live peacefully on your dog’s skin every single day. So why are they suddenly staging a violent revolution?

Hate to say it, but it’s kind of your dog’s fault. You know how you aren’t supposed to pop pimples and pick at scabs because it just makes it worse? Hot spots are the result of dogs ignoring that age-old advice. Something drew your dog’s attention to the area, and she was a bit overzealous in responding. All that licking and scratching damaged the skin, giving those otherwise benign bacteria an opportunity to move in. They cause additional pain and irritation, triggering more intense licking and scratching—and more damage. It’s easy to see how this can spiral out of control in a hurry.

So what caused all that fuss to begin with? We don’t always know. If a dog comes in crawling with fleas, it’s easy enough to guess that they’re behind it. But there are dozens of other possibilities. Maybe a splinter burrowed into the skin or a burr got caught in the fur. In most cases, the skin is so badly damaged by the hot spot that any evidence of the inciting cause has been obliterated by the time I see it. But all it takes is some kind of annoyance to start the reaction, and the dog takes care of the rest.

Luckily, hot spots aren’t too hard to manage. The infection is suppressed with an antibiotic, while an anti-inflammatory is used to break the cycle of inflammation. In milder cases, these can be delivered topically in an ointment, but most will require oral medication. The area must also remain clean and dry. Often, this means shaving the fur away, especially in dogs with dense coats that tend to clump up over the hot spot.

It’s also imperative that affected dogs stop making things worse! If they keep tearing up the skin, no amount of medication is going to solve the problem. Sometimes, that means hauling out the old cone of shame. Bandages and wraps might seem like a good idea, but they tend to trap moisture and make these things fester.

Hot spots are hideous, but they’re common and generally easy to treat. Just make sure to get it taken care of quickly. If it can go from zero to nasty overnight, it’s not going to look any prettier tomorrow.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

Courtesy of the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA
Courtesy of the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA

You can meet us at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, where we’re all available for adoption. 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily  COURTESY Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA.

Bones is a very handsome, outgoing boy who isn’t shy about asking for a little lovin’. He’s playful and enjoys being around other kitties. His favorite pastime is eating, so with a few treats he’s sure to be glued to your side forever.

Chelsea is a cute, medium-sized ray of sunshine just waiting to brighten up your day! She’s a snuggly, sweet girl who loves to play and adores people. She didn’t have the easiest start in life but, even so, she’s one of the happiest dogs around.

Marco is a young adult with a lot of energy, but he also likes to snuggle up in his doggie bed. He used to live with another dog, but he gets overwhelmed in the shelter and needs a home of his own. Marco loves chasing and chewing tennis balls.

Like any queen, Cynthia loves hanging out at the top of her cat tree (aka her throne), where she can observe the world from
up high. She prefers to be the only kitty in the home, and is looking for a human companion to spend her days with.

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Living

How to live with animal epilepsy

Witnessing a seizure is an alarming event for pet owners, but in some cases it’s a manageable condition.

The first time you see your pet in the middle of a seizure, it’s like time has stopped. You feel helpless, not knowing how long it will last or what will happen next.

Seizures happen when electrical activity in the brain becomes disorganized, slipping free of the coordinated circuits that usually keep things running smoothly. Sometimes this is the result of an underlying problem like a toxin or brain tumor. But many cases have no underlying cause—or, at least, not one that can be found—and are called idiopathic. These animals have epilepsy.

A variety of symptoms can be seen during a seizure. Some animals are completely possessed by the episode, losing consciousness, stiffening up, twitching and urinating or defecating. But many will suffer partial seizures, with milder tremors limited to the head or a few limbs. In some ways, these can be even more upsetting because the animal may be alert enough to grow frightened or upset.

Whatever kind of seizure you observe, it is important to react without panicking. It may be hard to believe in the moment, but things will probably be fine. If this is the first time, it is wise to seek immediate veterinary care. Be careful moving your pet—even gentle animals may bite while in the throes of a fit. There is a very good chance the episode will have passed by the time you make it to the vet, but, if not, at least you’ll be in the right place.

The first step is to make sure this really was a seizure. This is especially vital in cats, because they are rarely epileptic compared with dogs, and almost always have something else brewing. There are several conditions that can effectively mimic seizures, and it won’t do any good to treat the wrong thing. Heart disease is one of the most common, capable of starving the brain of oxygen long enough to produce similar convulsions.

After the initial examination, your vet may recommend lab work to begin screening for underlying causes. Although frustrating, it may not be possible to rule everything out at once. Hidden causes such as brain tumors may require advanced (and expensive) testing like spinal taps and MRIs, and these are not typically pursued right away. But in otherwise young healthy dogs, it is often safe to presume they are genuinely epileptic.

It is not a foregone conclusion that epileptic animals require treatment. If the symptoms are mild and sporadic, affected pets may do just fine without intervention. But as episodes become more frequent and severe, medical management can be of great help. Control is rarely perfect, and even treated animals may have breakthrough episodes here and there. It is important to discuss the benefits and risks with your veterinarian before deciding what is best for your pet.

In the long run, it’s not generally necessary to seek veterinary help every time you see an episode. Regardless of how terrifying that first one may have seemed at the time, owners of epileptic animals grow surprisingly accustomed to seeing this happen now and then. It is worth taking another look, however, if seizures start lasting more than a few minutes or begin happening more than once every month or two. Keeping a journal of seizure activity can make it easier to identify broader trends. And although it may not be your first concern at the time, obtaining video of an episode may help your veterinarian to better understand what is going on.

Epilepsy can be frightening for sure. But the good news is that its bark is frequently worse than its bite, and most epileptic animals live full and normal lives.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

spca

Up for adoption!

You can meet these animals from noon-6pm daily, at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, where they’re all available for adoption. 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org   

I’m Brandy, and I may be 2, but there’s nothing terrible about me! Like everyone I know, I enjoy cozy places, long naps and a good back scratch. Since I’ve lived at the CASPCA for 200 days, the thing I’d enjoy most, though, is a forever home.

Yo, I’m Bubba. And I arrived as a stray, but it didn’t take me long to become best buds with the shelter’s
staff and volunteers. I’m housebroken, and I like my chew toys, going for walks and lounging in bed—not necessarily in that order.

Sugar Plum’s the name, and affection’s my game. Alas, I’m currently sans family (mine moved and couldn’t take me along), so I have nobody to shower with love and warmth. I’m also a cool, versatile cat who’s happy both indoors and outside.

If you’re a big-dog person, Magnus (that’s me!) is your man. I’m a polite, handsome, calm dude who needs a pair of strong hands to take me on adventures. Oh, and cats aren’t really my thing, so I’m best-suited for a home with other dogs.

Categories
Living

The necessary chore of clipping a pet’s nails

Trimming a dog’s nails can be a painless experience for both owner and animal with the right mindset and approach.

It starts innocently enough with some faint clicking as your dog trots across the kitchen tile. It can wait, you figure. She hates having her nails trimmed and another week won’t hurt. Until she climbs into your lap and eight dull knives dig deep into your thigh. Reluctantly, you admit to yourself that this is overdue and pick up the clippers.

You lead her to the porch and give her a treat. She wags her tail, but seems suspicious of your motive. You remember the last time you clipped one nail too short. That tragic yelp still echoes in your mind. Was it pain? Betrayal? You set the clippers back down and pretend to clean the house instead.

Nobody likes to do this. I certainly don’t. But this isn’t optional. It needs to happen on a regular basis and it only gets worse otherwise.

Overgrown nails aren’t a cosmetic issue. They can get snagged in carpet or stuck in cracks. These nails often splinter, crack or get ripped right off, which is as traumatic as it sounds. I see claws growing full-circle, stabbing right back into dogs’ toes to create bloody, infected wounds. And with time, overlong nails will cause the toes to deform, twisting them sideways and making it harder for animals to walk at all.

Many people are paralyzed by the fear of trimming too far back, cutting into the sensitive quick that lies at the core of each nail. This is a valid worry, and it’s bound to happen now and then. Even if you’re well-practiced, sometimes an animal squirms at just the wrong moment. Don’t panic. Offer some treats as a distraction, and stay positive. If the nail is bleeding, you can calm it down with some styptic powder or corn starch.

Unfortunately, as a nail grows longer, so does its quick. And that means that any delay only compounds the fear and anxiety next time around. If you make a habit of trimming your pet’s nails weekly (yeah, I said it), you’ll likely find that the experience gets more pleasant each time.

For many dogs, the anxiety still escalates rapidly during a nail trim. In these cases, you may have better luck with a stealthier approach. Try trimming just one nail every morning before breakfast instead. You’ll have to do a bit of bookkeeping to remember which toe you’re up to, but it ensures that nail trims are brief and promptly rewarded. Plus, the daily routine helps prevent each trim from feeling like a big, ominous event.

Another option is to file the nails back rather than clipping them. This is perfectly fine and easiest to accomplish with an electric rotary tool (like a Dremel), but it comes with a few caveats. There is always a risk of stray hair getting caught up in the rotation, causing significant injury. Fur should be trimmed back with scissors first, or the nail can be poked through a small hole in a nylon stocking to keep hair out of harm’s way. Some devices (like PediPaws) are designed specifically for this purpose, and have built-in guards and motors that cut out with any resistance. But that safety measure also causes them to seize and fail against the tougher nails of larger dogs, which can be frustrating.

Regardless of what technique works best, regular nail trims are something we sign on for when we adopt pets. It’s annoying, and it’s tempting to do it some other day. But done correctly, it should be a genuinely painless experience. More often than not, the anxiety is far worse than the event.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

SPCA Spotlight

spca You can meet us at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, where we’re all available for adoption. 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily.

From left:

Elena: I’m a spunky young kitty who gets along with other cats (as long as they give me space when I’m playing). I can get a bit riled up, so I’d be best in a home with adults and older children who can read my body language.

Copely: Hi! I’m one hyper little dude who just loves to have fun. I enjoy running after toys and chasing balls. I’m a little unsure when people pet me at first, but with the right family, and with a little time and patience, I’ll open up.

Ryder: I’m the strong, silent type. I like having other cats around and will even give them a bath before we curl up together. If you take me home with you, all I’ll need is a cozy place to sleep or maybe even a comfy lap.

Moa: You don’t have to tell me twice—I know what a pretty girl I am! I prefer to be the only pet in the house-
hold and to be left alone during dinnertime. I’ve already mastered several commands, and I’d love to keep learning new tricks.

Categories
Living

The uncertain science of purring

Cat owners will argue the incomparable joy of snuggling with a purring pet.

Sharing my home with both a dog and a cat, I’d be hard-pressed to say which one I prefer to keep as company. They bring such different kinds of joy, and feel like two halves of a lovely whole. But my cat does have one clear advantage that no dog can match. She can purr. Is there anything more comforting than the gentle thrum of a contented cat atop your chest while you lie down for a midday nap? In that moment, it’s as if the universe has singled you out to be deserving of the deepest kind of peace.

We should feel lucky to enjoy this unique feline trait, because it is not universal to cats as a whole. Most of the larger cats such as lions and tigers have no ability to purr, having apparently exchanged it for the privilege of roaring instead. It just turns out that the felines that eventually came to live with humans were of the purring persuasion.

Despite several millennia of domestication, we still don’t know exactly how cats do it. They don’t appear to have any specialized anatomical equipment that we don’t. It is primarily thought that their vocal folds are induced to vibrate under direction of a central oscillator in their brain, although it seems that the diaphragm and rib muscles may play some role as well. Whatever the mechanism might be, it is capable of engaging on both inspiration and expiration, allowing cats to purr essentially nonstop for extended periods of time.

The purpose of purring seems clear at first glance, communicating that a cat is pleased with the current state of things. That can certainly be true, but doesn’t tell the whole story. Cats will likewise purr under adverse circumstances, when they are severely ill or afraid, or even near death. That may seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense when interpreted as a peace sign. A purring cat, for better or worse, is letting you know that it doesn’t intend to fight.

Under normal circumstances, you can presume purring to be a good thing. As a veterinarian, I’m generally glad to have a cat purr its way through a visit, except for one problem. That otherwise endearing rumble makes it all but impossible to hear their heart with a stethoscope. If you’ve ever seen a vet carry your cat over to a running faucet in the middle of an exam, this is the reason. The water gives them just enough of a fright to halt the purring for a few moments, allowing a proper listen. Happily, most cats get back to it once the tap is off again.

Beyond communication, there are a few bits of evidence that suggest purring may come with unexpected health perks. Contact with purring cats is known to reduce stress and blood pressure in people, and it is thought that cats might be able to soothe themselves in a similar manner. Some have even suggested that the particular frequency of feline purring is able to stimulate physical healing, although this may be more fancy than fact.

In the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Purring is one of the most delightful benefits of living with a cat–one that I intend to go enjoy as soon as I finish typing this sentence.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

Ready to adopt from the SPCA!

spca_cats

Bob (top left)

Everyone needs a Bob—that guy who sticks by your side. Bob doesn’t let his one bad eye hold him back, either; he’s the first one to greet folks who come to visit him. He’s a happy cat who is most content when he has a best friend—human or feline—to hang out with.

Robin (top right)

Sweet, sleek, soft and jet black, Robin is one special girl. She loves to run and play, and sit up high where she can check out all the action. This affectionate and active gal would be happiest in a home with other feline friends or a human who is home during the day.

Uma (bottom left) 

Uma was adopted as a kitten from the CASPCA three years ago, but was returned when her family moved to a place that did not allow cats. All the activity at the shelter has been a little overwhelming for this mellow girl, but she quickly warms up to friendly new people.

Buffy (black-and-white male) and Buster (gray-and-white male) 

Buffy is the small, agile, outgoing one, while Buster is a bit more cautious. These disparate bros are a bonded pair and need to go to a home together, where they could potentially be the stars of their own buddy-cat YouTube series.