Too much waste?

Have you ever wondered what to do with your pet waste? Here and here are great sites for information on pet waste composting!

Tax breaks for pet owners?

Take a look at NPR's story about Republican Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan sponsoring a bill that would allow pet owners to deduct animal care expenses from their taxes.

Submit your photos!

It's that time again - time to embarrass your pets!

Send in your Halloween pet photos and we'll help with the public humiliation by posting them on our blog. Be sure to include your pets name and any other information that you'd like included. Our e-mail address is Trianglevec@yahoo.com.

And don't forget, keep the chocolate far away from the four legged kids!

Upsetting our world view!

Christopher Meehan of Villanova University in Pennsylvania has discovered a species of spider that eats acacia leaves. This is the first confirmed example of a spider that feeds primarily on plant matter.

Acacia plants have a fascinating mutually beneficial relationship with ants - resident ants will fiercely attack any potential marauders (such as caterpillars and browsers) that may harm the plant. In return, the plant supplies a home in large, hollow thorns and uses specialized glands to produce a sugary food for the ants.

This amazing spider has not only developed the ability to survive off of plant matter, he must also avoid these "vicious, biting ants". What an amazing world!

October 11-17 is National Veterinary Technician Week

Veterinary Technicians are a vital part of your pet's health care team. Read here and here for information about what they do and how much they care.

From our friends at Pet Poison Helpline

Pet Poison Helpline Offers List of Fall Toxins to Keep Pets Safe: Tips on seasonal foods and common household items that can put your pet at risk

The start of fall brings new seasonal household items that pose a threat to the safety of our pets. These common household items can cause serious problems if ingested by animals. Here is the list of seasonal products that the veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline recommend keeping away from pets.

• Mothballs: While you may think these white balls are benign, they are not. Mothballs typically contain either paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene. While the old fashioned mothballs (naphthalene) are often considered more toxic, both can be deadly. Symptoms include vomiting, severe abdominal pain, tremors, weakness, possible kidney or liver failure, and severe abnormality of your pet’s red blood cells.

• Mushrooms: While most mushrooms are generally non-toxic, certain types can be very dangerous. One of the most dangerous is the Amanita phalloides or death cap mushroom which is found throughout the United States. The proper identification of mushrooms is extremely difficult and often only done by experts. Therefore, it is wise to consider all ingestions of unidentified mushrooms as toxic until proven otherwise. Depending on what type of mushroom is ingested, symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, depression, tremors, and seizures, with liver and kidney damage occurring later. Pet owners should scour their yard frequently to get rid of any mushrooms.

• Antifreeze: As people prepare their boats, cars or cabins for winter, pets may inadvertently be exposed to antifreeze. As little as one teaspoon in a cat or a tablespoon or two for dogs, depending on the size of animal, can be fatal. Signs of early poisoning include acting drunk or uncoordinated, excessive thirst, and lethargy. While signs may seem to improve after eight to twelve hours, internal damage is actually worsening, and crystals develop in the kidneys, which result in acute kidney failure. Immediate treatment with an antidote is vital.

• Mouse and rat poisons (rodenticides): As you prepare to winterize your garage, cabin, or house, make sure to place poisonous baits in areas where your pet cannot reach them (i.e., high up on shelves, hidden behind work spaces, etc.). “Rodenticides also pose the potential for relay toxicity,” said Dr. Ahna Brutlag, assistant director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. “In other words, if your dog eats a bunch of dead mice poisoned by rodenticides, they can experience secondary effects.” Because there are several different types of chemicals in mouse and rat poisons, all with different active ingredients and types of action, it is imperative to keep your pets away from all of these potentially dangerous poisons.
  

• Compost bins or piles: Piles of decomposing and decaying organic matter and molding food products in your backyard compost pile have the potential to contain ‘tremorgenic mycotoxins’, meaning molds which cause tremors. Even small amounts ingested can result in tremors or seizures within 30 minutes to several hours.

• Red maple leaves: Horse lovers, beware. As little as one pound of dried maple leaves blowing into your horse’s pasture can be toxic. When ingested, these leaves result in a severe hemolytic anemia – it causes red blood cells to rupture, causing weakness, pale gums, an elevated heart rate and shock.

The best thing any pet owner can do is to be educated on common household toxins, and to make sure you pet-proof your house appropriately. Make sure to keep all these products in labeled, tightly-sealed containers out of your pet’s reach. When in doubt, if you think your pet has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 with any questions or concerns.

About Pet Poison Helpline
Pet Poison Helpline is a service available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners, veterinarians and vet techs that require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Staff can provide treatment advice for poisoning cases of all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline’s fee of $35 per incident includes follow-up consultation for the duration of the poison case. Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by calling 800-213-6680.

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Do you think they're spoiled?

Think you spoil your pets? Check out these pet mansions!

What's the matter, cat got your tongue?

Let me introduce you to Bernice, a thirteen year old cat that was referred by her regular veterinarian to my care this summer. As a veterinary specialist, I often see cases that need specialized diagnostic tests (ultrasound, endoscopy) and critical care. Bernice was not eating, and she was vomiting and swallowing in an exaggerated manner. And, oh by the way, Bernice had lost her meow. She would open her mouth and try to meow, but nothing came out. Quite the opposite of the old saying – cat’s got your tongue. Something was wrong with Bernice and she needed help. Her owner was concerned that something might be stuck in her throat, which was a definite possibility given the sudden onset of her concerns. We also had to consider that there might be a tumor or other abnormal growth in her throat.

Basic x-rays of her neck and chest did not reveal any problems. She was sedated and an endoscope (a small camera used to examine various areas of the body) was used to look in the dark recesses of her mouth, windpipe and throat. Lo and behold, just above the roof of her mouth, was a blade of grass. Bernice, being a cat who loved going outside for her daily constitutionals, had eaten some grass and apparently vomited the grass, as animals will do. Unfortunately for Bernice, a large blade of grass had lodged itself above the roof of her mouth and caused her distress. She had lost her voice and appetite because of this one piece of grass. Within minutes of discovery, the blade of grass was extracted. No damage to her throat was noted. She recovered well from anesthesia and she is back home, meowing again and hopefully avoiding grass as part of her diet.

Cindy Stubbs, DVM, MS, DACVIM

The irrepressible nature of cats!

National Geographic Program

Airing this weekend, National Geographic's program on unlikely animal bonds.

An Interview with Dr. Frank

Dr. Paul Frank is a Board Certified Veterinary Radiologist, and has been with TVEC since September 2008. Recently we sat down for a conversation with Dr. Frank.

So, tell us, what exactly is a Veterinary Radiologist?

Well, the easiest answer is that I do the same job as a human Radiologist, I just work with different species. The long answer is that a Radiologist helps other veterinarians determine which imaging studies are most appropriate for their patients, helps acquire the images (in some cases), and interprets the images for the other veterinarians. We work with x-rays (radiology), ultrasound, MRI, CT (‘CAT scan’), and nuclear medicine as ways to image the patient. Each modality has its own pros and cons, and radiologists are trained to use them on all different types of species. The American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) has a good website that explains this in more detail. Currently at TVEC, radiology and ultrasound are available in house, and MRI is available off-site.

Wow! I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as “specialists” in veterinary medicine, not to mention Veterinary Radiologists.

Yep, we exist! In reality there are only about 300 Board Certified Veterinary Radiologists in the ACVR (and not all of those are in this country). But there are also Internists, Surgeons, Dermatologists, Ophthalmologists, Oncologists, and on and on. If a medical procedure/test/therapy can be done for people, chances are it can be done for animals. And since many people these days are asking for the same quality of care for their pets as they get for themselves, it only makes sense that there are Veterinary Specialists to help provide that level of care.

When my pet gets x-rays made at my local veterinarian’s office, do they get interpreted by a Radiologist?

Probably not. Considering there are about 52,000 veterinarians who do some form of small animal practice in the USA, and only about 300 radiologists, it’s not really feasible for a Radiologist to review every case. And, General Practitioners are trained in proper ways of obtaining and interpreting x-rays, so it may not even be necessary in many cases. But for those cases that are challenging, or need a second opinion, a radiologist can be consulted. Just ask your veterinarian to submit the images to TVEC and they’ll usually get an answer the day the images arrive, with a written report to follow the next business day. Some veterinarians chose to submit all cases to a Radiologist, similar to the situation in human medicine, because they want the best possible care for their patients. And with the recent growth of the digital imaging in veterinary medicine, many vets can send their digital images to me via the internet (teleradiology), and get an answer sometimes in minutes!

What’s the most interesting species you’ve worked on in the past?

Probably the beluga whales. An aquarium asked me to help them get radiographs (x-rays) of their whales. It was quite an experience. My part was extremely limited, but watching the staff expertly pull-off this complicated procedure (they did much more than just get x-rays) was amazing. Of course, I had never seen any other beluga whale radiographs, so it was hard to really know what was ‘normal,’ but I think we helped the patient a great deal in any case. I’ve also worked with just about everything else imaginable. Birds, huge snakes, fish, lizards, ferrets, rats, all types of barnyard creatures. But my real passion is dogs and cats, and I’m fortunate to be able to really concentrate all of my energies on those two species here at TVEC.

Any interesting cases recently?

Really, people get into radiology for a variety of reasons, but one of the common things is that we like helping other veterinarians. It’s really rewarding to be able to help them make the pets feel better. So the recent case that sticks out in my mind isn’t really all that ‘amazing’ or ‘gee-whiz’, but it’s interesting to me. It was an 11-month-old Golden Retriever who was limping. The local veterinarian didn’t see anything on the x-rays and asked me for a second opinion. I was able to help them find that the pet had panosteitis, a relatively harmless and self-limiting, but painful, condition. As far as the ‘gee-whiz’ factor, it always comes down to ‘animals eat the craziest things.’ It's always fun to try and figure out how much the coinage in a stomach is worth, and I remember one cat that had a big stomach full of the owner’s hair bands. What are they thinking!?

Above, the original image showing a coin in the stomach.

Above, the same image, manipulated to show the details. It's a dime!

Kitty with a stomach full of hair ties/bands.

Thanks Dr. Frank!