Monthly Newsletter

Without proper oral care, more than 80% of dogs and cats will show signs of gingivitis or even periodontal disease by the time they are three years old. Watch this video to see the new advances in pet dentistry and what you can do to keep your pet’s mouth healthy!

Drawing upon an international database of some 16,000 dogs, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have pinpointed what's believed to be the first solid predictor of future arthritis. The scientists have found that laxity in the hip joint—several millimeters' worth of excessive play between the ball of the femur and the hip socket—correlates strongly with the advent of hip arthritis later in a dog's life.

"The relationship between hip laxity and arthritis in dogs is akin to the relationship between high cholesterol and heart disease in humans," said lead author Gail K. Smith, professor of orthopedic surgery and chair of the Philadelphia Department of Clinical Studies at Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine. "Hip laxity is no guarantee of arthritis later in life, but it is a very solid risk factor."

The finding, reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, could lead to new ways of averting or minimizing the occurrence of canine arthritis, which afflicts an estimated 70 to 80 percent of dogs in certain breeds. Since a canine generation is just 30 to 36 months, Smith said selective breeding to avoid high-laxity individuals could slash the incidence of canine arthritis within 10 years.

Smith, who began collecting data on arthritis in dogs in 1983, says the physiological similarities between dogs and humans make it very likely that joint laxity could similarly signal the likelihood of arthritis in people, whose laxity could be remedied in humans with medications. There is currently no such risk factor used to predict the onset of arthritis among humans.

In dogs, several larger breeds are most prone to arthritis: golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, Newfoundlands and St. Bernards. Conversely, certain breeds that have long been bred for speed or athletic prowess, such as performance borzois and racing greyhounds, almost never develop arthritis.

"This research gives dog breeders an additional tool they may use in their efforts to decrease the incidence of hip dysplasia," said Mary B. Mahaffey of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, who was not involved in the work. "The authors give good recommendations for breeders striving to decrease the incidence of hip dysplasia in their kennels, and should allow breeders to make reasonably good progress in reducing the incidence of hip dysplasia."

As in humans, canine arthritis becomes more symptomatic with age. More than half of 2-year-old golden retrievers show radiographic signs of degenerative joint disease, and more than 90 percent of susceptible dogs show signs by old age.

The current study grew out of Smith's development of a now-licensed system called the Penn Hip Improvement Program, or PennHIP. Some 1,400 veterinarians worldwide have been trained to use PennHIP to measure hip laxity among dogs; it's from these clinicians that Smith gathered data on the 15,742 dogs included in the JAVMA paper.

PennHIP positions dogs differently than traditional radiography of the hip, which images dogs with rear legs extended. With PennHIP, the veterinarian takes one image of a sedated dog's hip in the conventional position. Then, with the hips in a more neutral position, this image is supplemented with two others: one with the femoral head pushed in toward the hip socket and one with it pulled away from the socket. Comparing the latter images lets clinicians determine how many millimeters of play exist between femur and socket.

Source for this article: University of Pennsylvania, Office of University Communications

Dental care is vital to your pet's health! If you've already established a dental care program for your pet, you're off to a great start. But if your pet hasn't received a dental exam from your veterinarian, it's time to get started. February is National Pet Dental Health Month, the perfect time to schedule a dental exam for your pet and develop a home care regimen for your best friend.

Why is dental care so important for your pet? Periodontal disease is the number one diagnosed problem in pets - by the age of two, more than 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have periodontal disease in one form or another. The buildup of plaque and tartar on your pet's teeth leads to bacterial infections that can enter the bloodstream and infect other parts of your pet's body. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, osteoporosis and other problems.

The good news is that periodontal disease is easily prevented. Routine dental cleanings and a home dental care regimen can eliminate the plaque and tartar that lead to gum disease and oral infections. During a dental cleaning, your veterinarian also performs a complete oral examination of your pet. This includes screening for oral cancer, broken teeth and cavities. Spotting these problems early on makes them easier to treat and improves your pet's overall oral health.

Your pet's dental cleaning is more involved than the same process you go through at the dentist's office. Anesthesia is required to keep your pet still and comfortable during the procedure. Because of this, your pet undergoes a thorough physical examination before each dental cleaning. Laboratory blood tests, as well as other diagnostic procedures are also used to screen for potential problems and risks before anesthesia is administered. Using these results, we develop a safe anesthetic protocol specifically for your pet.

During a dental cleaning, tartar is removed from your pet's teeth with a hand scaler. Next, a periodontal probe is used to check for pockets under the gumline - where periodontal disease and bad breath start. An ultrasonic scaler is used to clean above the gumline and a curette is used to clean and smooth the teeth under the gumline and in the crevices. Finally, the teeth are polished and an anti-bacterial solution is used to help delay future tartar build-up.

Dental care doesn't end in your veterinarian's office. Brushing your pet's teeth at home is an added level of protection against gum disease. In order to be most effective, brushing must be done at least three times a week; however, daily brushing is ideal. Brushing your pet's teeth can be supplemented with antiseptic rinses. Some pet foods and treats are also effective in preventing plaque and tartar buildup. However, there is no substitute for regular brushing and professional dental cleanings.

Schedule a dental examination and cleaning for your pet today. Your best friend will thank you!

This is Part I in a series of articles on caring for rabbits. Look for additional featured articles in upcoming issues of our newsletter.

Rabbits make intelligent, friendly and quiet house pets. The average life span for a bunny is 7 to 10 years, with records of up to 15 years of age being reported. The following information is designed to help you take the best care of your pet and enjoy a happy, healthy life with him or her.

Diet

Rabbit Pellets: A good quality rabbit pellet may be offered daily but in limited quantities. The uncontrolled feeding of a pelleted diet can lead to obesity, heart and liver disease, chronic diarrhea, and kidney disease which results from the high concentration of carbohydrates, low fiber and high calcium levels in the pellets. Make sure that you buy pellets high in fiber (18 percent or more), and that you buy small quantities. Oxbow Hay Company sells very reasonable, high fiber pellets. You can find them on the web. Keep the pellets refrigerated or cool and dry to prevent spoilage. Old, rancid pellets can cause a rabbit to stop eating.

The following chart shows daily amounts to be fed to your bunny. Do not refill the bowl even if the pellets are all eaten before the next day. Overfeeding of pellets is the number one cause of health problems we see. Keep your rabbit healthy by not overdoing it!

*Rabbits up to eight months of age can have access to pellets free choice, because they are still growing rapidly. However, after eight months of age, they should receive the following maintenance diet.

• 2-4 lb. of body weight—1/8 cup daily
• 5-7 lb. of body weight—1/4 cup daily
• 8-10 lb. of body weight—1/2 cup daily
• 11 - 15 lb of body weight—3/4 cup daily

*Please note that these food amounts are for the maintenance of the non-breeding, mature house rabbit. If you intend to breed your pet, then we suggest increasing the daily pellet amounts by 1/4 cup during the breeding season. For does that are nursing babies, the pellets should be increased over a 4 to 5 day period to free-choice until the babies are weaned. After the breeding period is over, resume feeding at the maintenance levels as listed above.

In some situations, your veterinarian may recommend that pellets should be removed totally from the diet. Do not become alarmed, because your pet will be able to receive all the nutrients necessary from the hay and fresh foods that you will be instructed to feed. This is commonly the treatment suggested by our hospital for very overweight bunnies that need to lose weight safely.

*Avoid pellets with dried vegetables and fruits. These are not healthy for bunnies.

Hay: Timothy, Orchard, or other grass hay(but not alfalfa) should be offered daily in limited amounts. It is important that hay be available at all times for your pet. In fact, 90 percent of your bunny's diet should consist of hay! Rabbits tend to eat small amounts of food frequently throughout the day and withholding hay for long periods of time can lead to intestinal upsets.

We prefer the loose, long strands of hay, as opposed to the pressed cubes or chopped hay. The fiber in the hay is extremely important in promoting normal digestion and for the prevention of hairballs. Hay also contains proteins and other nutrients essential to the good health of your pet. We no longer recommend the use of alfalfa hay, particularly if it is being used along with pellets (which are already high in alfalfa), because it may provide too much calcium and extra carbohydrates, which may lead to serious health problems and digestive upsets. If the rabbit is on a no pellet diet, then alfalfa hay may be used in unlimited amounts, but weight loss may be more difficult to achieve.

Check with your local pet stores for timothy hay or other types of grass hay. They can be purchased on the web at Oxbow Hay Company. Also check with local feed stores and horse barns, because many of these places will sell you a "flake" of hay off a bale at a very nominal cost. Hay should be stored in a cool, dry place with good air circulation (don't close it tightly in a plastic bag). Discard wet or damp hay, or any hay that does not have a "fresh" smell. The best way to offer the hay is to use a hayrack on the outside of the cage. Your pet can pull the hay into the cage through the bars, as he or she needs it. This keeps the hay clean and eliminates much of the waste.

At certain times of the year and in certain locations, it may be difficult to obtain grass hay. At these times it is okay to use hays mixed with alfalfa, or use strictly alfalfa hay for a short period of time. The most important thing is to always have hay available to the pet. Remember, we are restricting the pellets, and the hay is a major source of fiber and nutrients.

Fresh Foods: These foods should be given daily. Rabbits in the wild eat primarily tough, fibrous leaves, bark and other difficult to digest plants. Their digestive tract functions best when it has the most work to do in breaking down cellulose. If your pet is not used to getting any fresh foods, then start out gradually with the green leafy veggies and add a new food item from the list every 5 to 7 days. If the addition of any item leads to diarrhea or unformed stools in 24 to 48 hours, then remove it from the diet.

Young bunnies should also be introduced to new foods gradually. However, once your pet is eating these foods, try to give at least three types daily. We find that the addition of these fresh fibrous foods, along with the hay, helps in the prevention of hairballs and other digestive upsets. Plus, your bunny will love you for it!

The following are all foods that you can try on your pet. The total amount of fresh food that can be given daily, once your pet has been gradually introduced to it as described above, is about one heaping cup per 5 pounds of body weight.

Carrot tops, beet tops, dandelion greens and flowers (these are excellent, but no pesticides, please), kale, collard greens, escarole, romaine lettuce, (don't give light colored leaf lettuce or iceberg lettuce), parsley, clover, cabbage, broccoli (don't forget the leaves), carrot, green peppers, pea pods (the flat edible kind), brussels sprouts, basil, peppermint leaves, raspberry leaves, radicchio, bok choy and spinach.

Try to feed at least three different types of greens daily. Feeding just one type of green food only (especially broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and spinach) may lead to nutrient imbalances.

Treat Foods: In a small amount, you can give one of these "treat" foods daily, (give about one level tablespoon per 5 lbs. of body weight) - strawberries, papaya, pineapple, apple, pear, melon, raspberries, peach, pear or dried whole grain bread.

One can alternately give one level teaspoon per 5 pounds body weight of banana or dried fruit.

*WE DO NOT RECOMMEND GIVING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING FOODS ROUTINELY BECAUSE OF THEIR POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING DIETARY UPSET AND OBESITY: Salty or sugary snacks, nuts, chocolate, breakfast cereals, and other grains (including oatmeal and corn). AVOID CRACKERS AND BREAD TYPE PRODUCTS.

Water: This should always be available and changed daily. A dirty water container can breed bacteria that can cause disease. The container can be either a water bottle or heavy bowl that is weighted or secured to the side of the cage so that it does not tip over. Do not use medications or vitamins in the water, because your pet may not drink if the taste or color is altered.

Vitamins: These are not felt to be necessary if the rabbit is getting pellets, hay and fresh foods in the diet. In fact, the indiscriminate use of vitamins may lead to over dosage and serious disease.

Salt or Mineral Block: Not necessary for the house pet on the described diet. You may want to have one available for those animals kept outdoors in warm climates and for breeding animals. (We do not recommend keeping pet rabbits outdoors.)

Night Droppings: It may seem strange to list this as a part of the diet, but these "special droppings" are an essential part of your pet's nutrition. During certain times of the day, usually in the evening, you may observe your pet licking the anal area and actually eating some of the droppings in the process.

These cecal (we are not confusing this with the word fecal) pellets are softer, greener, and have a stronger odor than the normal hard, dry round waste droppings. Your pet knows when these droppings are being produced and will take care of eating them himself. These cecal pellets come from the cecum, which is the part of the digestive system where fermentation of food takes place, and they are rich in vitamins and nutrients, which are needed by your pet to maintain good health. After eating these "vitamin pellets," he will redigest this material and extract all the necessary nutrients. This habit may appear distasteful to us, but it is normal and important for your pet.

Occasionally, a rabbit will drop these cecal pellets along with the waste pellets instead of eating them. They will be soft, brighter green, come in clumps and are misshapen, but formed and have an odor. This is not considered diarrhea, and, if it only occurs occasionally, is not considered a disease problem.

If your pet seems to be exhibiting behavioral changes such as scooting around on its butt, tail chasing, and excessively licking or biting around the tail and anus, these are signs that your cat or dog may have a problem with its anal sacs. When this occurs, a veterinarian should examine your pet.

Anal sacs are structures similar to those used by skunks when they spray. These structures are present but less well developed in cats and dogs. Unlike skunks that can voluntarily control their sacs, dogs and cats cannot. Normally, the semi-liquid, smelly material is squeezed out when pets defecate, but sometimes things go wrong.

Problems associated with anal sacs include impaction, infection, abscess, and tumors. Impaction occurs when the duct or tube through which an anal sac empties becomes clogged. Pressure builds in the sac and on surrounding tissue, resulting in painful defecation and, in some cases, constipation.

Bacterial infections cause damage resulting in inflammation, pain and itchiness. This condition, similar to, but more painful than hemorrhoids in humans, sometimes leads to unusual levels of fear and aggression in pets. Left untreated, an anal gland infection can abscess. Pain associated with an abscess can become very intense as pressure and inflammation increase. If this stage of the disease is left untreated, the abscess could rupture and drain through the skin. When this occurs, the pain is somewhat reduced; however, the abscess usually reforms and the process starts over again. If the abscess proliferates and drains into deeper tissues, the situation gets much worse.

Tumors of the anal sac appear to be more common among dachshunds, cocker spaniels, German shepherds, beagles, English bulldogs, and Samoyeds. Some tumors are benign and others are very aggressive forms of cancers. The location of the anal sac makes even a benign growth a problem because it impinges on the surrounding structures.

Many impacted and some infected anal sacs can be treated by careful massage of the affected sac or sacs. Diseased sacs may be very painful and may require some level of pain relief medication or tranquilizer in order to keep the treatment from being a bad experience for the pet.

For some dogs and even some cats, anal sac disease becomes a severe, repeated, and persistent experience. In these cases, the most humane, efficient, and cost-effective treatment choice is surgical removal of the anal sacs. This is called anal sacculectomy. Most of the time, both sacs are removed at the time of the surgery.

Anal sacs have no known beneficial purpose for dogs and cats. As long as they are healthy, it's best to leave them alone. If severe or repeated problems develop, dogs and cats may be better off without them.

Avian influenza, though a recent concern, has appeared from time to time in regions all over the world, including in the United States. Avian flu spreads easily among wild birds, but can also infect domesticated birds including chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pet birds. Humans and a variety of other mammals are also affected. Because it is highly pathogenic and viral, avian influenza can devastate entire flocks of poultry, though it is uncommon in most commercial poultry and most identified with poultry raised outdoors.

Most often spread via direct contact between healthy birds and infected birds, avian flu may be spread indirectly through contact with contaminated equipment and materials. The virus is found in secretions from the nares (nostrils), mouth, and eyes of infected birds and is also excreted in their feces. Contact with contaminated fecal matter is the most common means of bird-to-bird transmission, though airborne secretions are another major means of transmission within poultry houses.

The most virulent form of avian flu can be spread from birds to people as a result of extensive direct contact with infected birds (i.e. de-feathering during home slaughter of poultry). Fortunately; however, transmission of the flu to humans is rare. Because the virus is found in the droppings, nasal secretions, and saliva of infected birds, bird-to-human transmission most commonly occurs when particles from contaminated feces are inhaled. Inhalation and contamination of mucous membranes such as eyelids are the most common routes of infection for humans. Currently, the risk of contracting avian flu for anyone who does not have close contact with infected poultry is quite low. Although human-to-human transmission is theoretically possible, so far, there are only a few cases where human-to-human transmission is thought to have occurred.

Although dogs and cats are not usually susceptible to influenza type infections, there have been cases of cats contracting avian flu. In each case, however, the cat either consumed raw meat from an infected bird or lived in an animal shelter in close proximity to infected chickens. Since the dangerous strain of avian flu that has been circulating in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe has not yet been identified in the United States, the risk of a cat contacting the disease in this country is currently very low. Preliminary recommendations for cat owners living in high risk areas include keeping domestic cats indoors, avoiding contact with semi-domestic and feral cats and refrain from feeding raw poultry to cats. Owners are also encouraged to have their cats examined by a veterinarian if they have been exposed to sick or dead birds.

The number of nontraditional pets in the United States (frequently called "exotic pets" or simply "exotics") is about 44 million. Each year, the number of exotic pets increases and presently, this number almost equals the number of cats registered as pets in the U.S.

There are several reasons suggested as to why nontraditional pets have become popular in recent years.

The first reason is simply a physical problem or an impossibility of keeping dogs and cats in an urban environment. Urban or city dwellers want to have a pet, so they consider a smaller nontraditional pet like a reptile, rodent, or bird.

Secondly, people have just become more interested in exotic pets. Dogs and cats are wonderful, but there's something a little unusual and imaginative about nontraditional animals.

People should realize, however, that out-of-the-ordinary pets require out-of-the-ordinary care. Nontraditional pets often require precise diets and living conditions that are more difficult to provide than the average pet owner may realize.

The most common problems encountered in exotic animal medicine are not related to infectious diseases but rather management and nutritional related diseases. This is due to the fact that most people who purchase exotics know very little or nothing about them.

When it comes to sickness and disease, exotic animals are usually very adept at concealing their problems. Sick animals in the wild are often singled out as easy prey. Because of this, owners may not recognize symptoms of illness until the animal is very sick or in a near-death situation.

Helping injured nontraditional pets is difficult. The actual surgical procedures and medical treatments are very similar in most mammals; however, unexpected complications may result. One such complication is keeping the animal rested or immobile during the post surgery recovery period. This is particularly difficult for an animal recovering from fracture surgery where the convalescent period is extremely long (weeks or months).

Another problem associated with keeping certain non-domestic animals as pets is that certain animals are not used to interacting with humans. A wolf or a wolf hybrid is not a dog, and the owners should never forget that fact. At times, this animal may not react the way you expect a normal animal to react. The same is true for other wild animals.

There are also legal issues associated with owning nontraditional pets. Local and federal laws prohibit taking, keeping, and confining native animals without a special license.

Before purchasing or obtaining an exotic pet, it's important to talk to your veterinarian and several people who have similar pets. These animals should not be purchased as a gift or on a whim without some serious research. Specific articles and books on caring for exotic pets can be found in libraries, book stores, pet shops, online pet supply websites, and from your veterinarian or your veterinarian's website.

Ever wonder if Fido prefers a blue toy over a pink toy? Believe it or not, he doesn't. Man's best friend is colorblind, but fortunately, his survival does not depend upon the ability to see colors. His keen sense of smell compensates for his inability to see colors and enables him to differentiate between objects. Extensive scientific testing on dogs supports the conclusion that they live in a colorless world, though there is some evidence that they may be sensitive to blue and green light. The testing done has focused primarily on the dogs' responses to colors for food. The enlisted dogs were unable to tell the difference between the signal for food (one color) and that which was not for food (another color). The same tests were conducted on cats and, not surprisingly, our feline friends produced similar results.

Birds on the other hand have exceptional color vision, and it is widely believed that it may be better than our own. Up until the early 1970s, it was thought that birds had tri-chromatic (3 color) vision. After several studies, it has been accepted that the avian eye, not the human eye, is the quintessential color vision system.

Why is it that dogs and cats have such poor color vision and birds have such superior color vision, with humans (and monkeys!) somewhere in between? It has to do with the number of cones, or cells, that make up the retina of the eye. Dogs and cats only have two cones, leaving them with mostly monochromatic vision.

Birds, however, have four (or sometimes more) cones, allowing them to see not only more colors or hues, but more saturated color. We, as humans, fall into the middle with three cones, allowing us to see a variety of colors, but not quite as many as birds. So the next time you go shopping for a dog, cat or bird toy for your pet, remember that while Fido or Kitty may not have a preference, Polly may prefer something to match her feathers!