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Pet Obecity    Canine Hip Dysplasia      Summer Pet Care Tips     Internal Parasite Control     The Komedy Kennel

Is your pet overweight?   

If your pet weighs over 15% more than it did as a young healthy adult, it is overweight. As a guide, if you have difficulty in feeling the ribs, then your pet has a problem. 

Why obesity is dangerous: Overweight pets suffer more physical ailments and do not live as long as animals of average weight. Obesity often reduces a pet's enjoyment of life, its performance and the owner's enjoyment of the pet. 

Obesity can cause, worsen or increase: 

• Heart/respiratory disease 
• Diabetes 
• Joint disease e.g. arthritis, back or spinal disc problems and ruptured 
  ligaments 
• Liver disease 
• Heat intolerance 
• Risk with surgery and anesthesia. 

The reason for obesity: You must admit to yourself that the animal is overweight and realize that although there are some slight aggravating causes, the only way an animal becomes and stays overweight is because it is having TOO MUCH TO EAT ! In other words, the total daily intake of calories is more than it needs. Many owners will not face this fact and try to persuade themselves and us that the animal is not being overfed. 

THE SOLUTION: Together with the veterinarian, set a specific goal for weight reduction and estimate the time required to reach that goal. Allow 8-12 weeks to reach this "target weight". We will want to see your pet at regular intervals during and after the weight-reduction program. Management of an overweight pet should include: 

• Reducing your pets calorie intake by feeding it a low calorie high fiber food specifically formulated for reducing weight. 
• Keep your pet out of the room when food is being prepared or eaten. 
• Do not feed overweight pets with other pets. 
• Do not feed anything other than the amount of food prescribed by the veterinarian. This includes ALL edible material taken by mouth including sweets, treats, milk etc. 
• Exercise your pet regularly as directed 
• At least once a week weigh your pet and record its weight.

Dietary management: Successful weight-reduction is rare if your pet is fed its regular diet. Decreasing the amount of regular food enough to produce weight loss may cause nutritional deficiencies and begging. Feed your pet a diet specifically formulated for weight reduction. 

Canine Hip Dysplasia   

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a developmental disorder of the hip that begins with joint laxity and progresses to arthritis over a period of several months to years. It is one of the most common skeletal diseases seen by veterinarians. The condition is very common in large breed dogs, but can be seen in any breed. 

Multiple genes are involved in the inheritance of hip dysplasia, and many other factors influence its development, including body type, size, growth rate, and nutrition. Overfeeding and dietary supplementation for maximal growth has been shown to increase the incidence of hip dysplasia in young, growing and large breed dogs. Conversely the development of hip dysplasia can be delayed, and its severity diminished when the growth rate of pups is restricted.

Diagnosis 
The diagnosis of hip dysplasia is based on history, physical examination, and radiographic evaluation. A typical history may include any or all of the following:

• difficulty or stiffness upon rising 
• rising using front legs only and dragging rear 
• "bunny hopping" gait 
• short stride in rear legs 
• reluctance to exercise or climb stairs 
• rear limb lameness 
• soreness in hips 
• waddling rear limb gait 

The clinical signs commonly begin between five to eight months of age or after skeletal maturity. Some dogs don't have noticeable problems until eight to ten years of age or older. The onset of clinical signs may appear sudden or gradual. This variability is due to the individual severity of the disease as well as pain tolerance of the pet.

Most dogs with CHD are most painful when the hips are extended by pulling the rear legs back behind the body. Palpation of the hips usually reveals joint laxity, although anesthesia may be required to detect it in some cases.

Radiographs are necessary to confirm the diagnosis and evaluate the severity of CHD. In young dogs or in very mild cases, joint laxity may be the only detectable abnormality. Later in the disease arthritic changes are seen. The standard radiographic position is with the dog lying on its back with both rear legs pulled straight back and parallel to each other. Most dogs with CHD are too painful to tolerate this position awake, so sedation or anesthesia is usually necessary. Proper radiographic positioning is very important to accurately evaluate the hips and to determine the best treatment.

Treatment 
Medical and/or surgical treatment may be recommended for CHD, depending on the individual circumstances. Medical management usually consists of exercise restriction, body weight management, and symptomatic pain management with analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. A non-weight bearing activity like swimming is the preferred type of exercise since it places minimal stress on the joints.

Several surgical options are now available for treating the various stages of hip dysplasia. They include the triple pelvic osteotomy, femoral head and neck excision, and total hip replacement.

Summer Pet Care Tips   

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer find everyone outdoors more, even dogs and cats. Here are some tips to help make sure your pets have a cool and safe summer! 

Never leave your pet in a locked car.
It may be tempting to roll up the windows, lock the doors, and leave Fido in the car as you dash into the drug store. But please don't. The summer heat and no ventilation can turn your car into an oven in no time. In these conditions, your pet can become uncomfortable, even seriously ill, quickly. That's why even a pet who enjoys car rides is better off left at home when you run errands. 

Check your pet's water bowl often.
All pets need a steady supply fresh water. This is especially true in the summer heat. Make sure your pet's water bowl is always full. 

See that all windows have secure screens.
Every summer, house cats are seriously injured falling from upper-level windows. 

Learn which common plants are poisonous to pets.
Many lovely garden plants -- including avocados, daffodils and marigolds -- can be toxic if your dog or cat eats them. Ask your vet for a list of plants to beware of. 

Be prepared!
Even though we try to keep our homes and yards safe for our pets, accidents do happen. That's why you should ask your veterinarian for an emergency number you can call should your pet require medical care when the office is closed.

Internal Parasite Control   

Perhaps your pet will never have intestinal parasites. But, unpleasant as it may seem, pet owners should be aware of worms and other parasites that can affect their animals' health.

Cats and dogs are the favorite nesting grounds of four principal groups of worms and a few species of microscopic protozoa. The four worms are roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Among the protozoa are coccidia, toxoplasma, giardia, and ameba.

Proper identification is vital. Unfortunately, in the case of parasites, identification isn't always easy because adult worms release their eggs sporadically. Knowing exactly what the problem is, is the first step in finding a solution.

It's very important to bring your pet's fecal sample (bowel movement) to your veterinarian as often as requested up to one year of age. Collect fresh fecal sample within 12 hours of an examination. It is also very important to keep the samples cool or refrigerated. A microscopic examination of the fecal sample will be performed to identify the worm's eggs.

An annual fecal check is also good preventive medicine.

Treatment begins once the specific parasites are identified. It's important to realize that different parasites will require different medications. Your veterinarian can administer the proper treatment for your pet. There are also some new preventive medicines on the market. Check with your veterinarian about whether these are appropriate for your pet.

Tapeworms are of special concern. Tapeworm segments resemble small pieces of rice. They are one of the few parasites that may be seen in a bowel movement or clinging to the hair near your pet's tail. If you notice these segments, carefully place them in a small container and take them to your veterinarian for positive identification along with a fecal sample. Several types of worms may be involved, and it is important to identify all of them for proper treatment.

Once identification is made, the proper deworming medication must be administered. With some intestinal worms, treatment of the environment also may be needed.

Most treatments take only a few days. However, periodic checking is necessary to be sure that all intestinal worms have been eliminated. A fecal sample should be reexamined about three to four weeks after the deworming. Your veterinarian may request an additional fecal sample at a later date.

Once the problem is treated, it makes sense to prevent reinfection. Bowel movements are the greatest source of most worms. To avoid worms, keep your pet away from areas where other animals have relieved themselves and dispose of bowel movements as quickly as possible in your own yard.

Under some conditions of poor hygiene, worms can be transmitted to humans. Discuss the risk of human exposure with your veterinarian.

A change in appetite, coughing, diarrhea (sometimes with blood), weight loss, a rough-dry coat, or just an overall poor appearance are symptoms caused by intestinal worms. If you suspect the presence of parasites, consult your veterinarian immediately. Sometimes healthy, well-fed pets do not show signs of intestinal parasites.

Always seek veterinary advice before deworming your pet.

Things Dogs Have To Remember   

• I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.
• The garbage collector is NOT stealing our stuff.
• I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.
• I will not roll my toys behind the fridge.
• I must shake the rainwater out of my fur BEFORE entering the house.
• I will not eat the cats' food, before or after they eat it.
• I will stop trying to find the few remaining pieces of clean carpet in the house when I am about to throw up.
• I will not throw up in the car.
• I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc.
• I will not lick my human's face after eating animal poop.
• "Kitty box crunchies" are not food.
• I will not chew my human's toothbrush and not tell them.
• I will not chew crayons or pens, especially not the red ones, or my people will think I am hemorrhaging.
• When in the car, I will not insist on having the window rolled down when it's raining outside.
• We do not have a doorbell. I will not bark each time I hear one on TV.
• I will not steal my Mom's underwear and dance all over the back yard with it.
• The sofa is not a face towel. Neither are Mom & Dad's laps.
• My head does not belong in the refrigerator.
• I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for Mom's driver's license and car registration.