Monthly Archives: March 2011

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Ask a Vet About Overheating in Dogs

Ask a Vet About Overheating in Dogs

As the weather warms up and the southern states are already reaching temperatures in the 90s, it is important to brush up on your knowledge of heat stroke in pets.

Ask a vet what are some signs that your dog is overheated?

Panting is one of the most early and common signs, followed by the dog appearing dull or disoriented. Breathing is usually fast and noisy. They may even collapse or convulse. Their gums may either be bright red or blue. Vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding (manifesting as red/purple spots on the gums, skin, urine, or feces) may occur. Sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias is even a possibility.

If your dog is just panting and you aren’t sure if they are in danger for overheating, you can attempt to take their temperature. Heat stroke usually occurs at a temperature of 104 F and over . Keep in mind, rectal temperatures are the most accurate way to take your dog’s temperature, however, if they have stool in their rectum, it will be artificially lowered.

What should you do if you suspect your dog is overheated?

Grab your dog – wet him or her with cool tap water, and head to the veterinarian ASAP! Wrap your dog in a wet towel on the way to the hospital, as lowering the temperature (slowly, not rapidly) is of crucial and timely importance. Cool tap water, not ice, should be used. If you dog shows interest in drinking water, allow them by all means. If you dog is unconscious, make sure no water can get up their nose or mouth. Call your vet en route, so they can have a team prepared to act quickly!

What causes heat stroke?

Heat stroke is usually caused by high environmental temperatures, but can be precipitated by several factors, both external and internal within the pet themselves. Causes are usually divided into two categories: those that decrease the pet’s ability to disperse excess body heat, and those that increase body temperature.

A poorly ventilated space, sudden exposure to high temperatures, high humidity, and limited water access are all factors that may increase your pet’s chance for heat stroke. Other factors that increase your dog’s chance for overheating include obesity, respiratory disease, thick hair coats or jackets, and extensive periods of exercise, such as racing or sporting dogs. Breeds with shortened upper respiratory passageways, such as pugs, and English bulldogs, are also at increased risk. Certain hormonal problems or even a pet that is already suffering from a fever are also at increased risk.

What is the treatment for heat stroke?

As stated above, getting your pet to the vet is crucial and of timely importance. The goals of therapy are to safely lower the body temperature, treat shock or other negative consequences if they have occurred, and correct the contributing factors. While at the vet, applying alcohol to the ears, footpads, and groin are common tricks to safely lowering the temperature, as well as administering cool IV fluids. If your pet is suffering more serious side effects, a breathing tube may need to be placed and artificial ventilation began. Correcting electrolyte imbalances and controlling seizures are also of top importance. Depending on the severity of the heat stroke, hospitalization of multiple days may be required, especially if organ damage is suspected.

How likely or unlikely is my dog to survive heat stroke?

The prognosis again depends on how high the pet’s temperature was, and how long it was elevated. Survival is poor for comatose animals, animals with kidney or liver failure, internal and unresponsive bleeding. Also, please remember animals that survive heat stroke are more susceptible to repeat occurrences so proper care must be taken to avoid situations where your pet is at risk for hyperthermia.

If you have any questions about overheating or want to ask a vet about your pet’s health, VetLIVE.com provides 24/7 access to licensed veterinarians.

Dr. Laci Schaible, DVM is a veterinarian and writer. She works with her husband, also a veterinarian, in Pennsylvania.

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CBS : Al Qaeda Planted 160 Nuclear Bombs Across USA

Some are saying CBS is being completely irresponsible for publishing what appears to be a hoax. At least 25 letters have been mailed to random individuals and businesses stating, “The Al-Qaeda organization has planted 160 nuclear bombs throughout the U.S. in schools, stadiums, churches, stores, financial institutions and government buildings.” It also said, “This is a suicide mission for us.”

Of course because Al Qaeda sent snail mail to everyone before September 11th to let them know what was being planned. This isn’t typical Al Qaeda behaviour, nor is the fact that nuclear bombs generally leave a signature that one can detect with proper equipment miles away.

Roughly 3 years ago my father had nuclear medicine done due to a hyper active thyroid. A few days after his treatment he had to go on a business trip to Canada. On the return trip he was detained at the border because authorities detected elevated radiation “miles before he got to the border gate”.

They detected something as small as a thyroid pill, and they can’t detect a nuclear bomb?

The end result is an operation of that size would include the following:

1 – stealing 160 nuclear weapons, something countries such as North Korea or Iran have been trying to do for decades. Osama Bin Laden from a cave somewhere in Pakistan doesn’t have the means to pull this off.

2 – training and recruiting individuals skilled in nuclear science to make those bombs work.

3 – distributing the weapons to 160 locations in the United States.

4 – Doing this all undetected… because of course step 1 wouldn’t raise hell massive alarms planet wide?

CBS, do you guys really need to pull out the 5 alarm fire for a hoax?

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UFO Video reaches epic levels of sharing

UFO recorded above Lafayette, Colorado

The 3 stationary lights over Lafayette are causing some notion of an internet sensation. The video was recorded from multiple angles by multiple individuals, and has spread like wildfire on the internet.

The triangle formation of deep red lights did not make any sound, and hovered for a period of about 8 minutes, roughly 20,000 or more people saw the UFO. In this video you actually here one of the individuals saying his friend called him because he saw the same thing from his location across town.

It’s an amazing story and it is gaining traction across the internet. The military or local authorities have not commented at this time regarding the object(s).

Also mentioned during the video (and that you can see) is that the lights are not blinking, hence ruling out aircraft as they are generally required to have blinking lights, not static ones.

Next time something like this comes up in the middle of the night, don’t use a standard camera, look up with a night vision scope… just a word of advice.. you might like (or not like) what you find.

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Apple White iPhone 5 – Confirmed – Exclusive Story

Apple will be providing the White iPhone 5 on all supported carriers (AT&T and Verizon) this year.

However the real story is why we never had an official White iPhone 4 wasn’t due to “production color problems” nor the often stated “camera issue”. The real reason we never had an official White iPhone 4 was due to Verizon.

We were told on good authority that Apple withheld the white iPhone 4 on AT&T’s network because they were planning on using it as a bargaining chip to get better pricing from Verizon.

We were told Apple wanted an additional $100 per iPhone from Verizon for the “honor” of being the exclusive carrier for the White iPhone 4.

At the end Verizon refused, and no one recieved the White iPhone 4 as the ball was rolling for the iPhone 5 (which would come out in White for both carriers).

So there you have it people, the Verizon iPhone 4 is the reason no one has an official White iPhone 4 on any network. For the record, our source was from Verizon. It’s also the reason the Verizon web development team went though the trouble of creating the full shopping cart and marketing material for the White iPhone 4. It was expected that Verizon and Apple would settle their differences before launch. However it never happened. (screen shot below of it actually going live on Verizon’s site, then removed).

This source was also the same individual that told us Verizon would have the White iPhone 4, which they did for about 10 minutes before it was taken down… So finally we have the real story.

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The world is on fire

This has been what one would consider an extreme month.

1 – Gas and Oil prices hit the roof
2 – Housing Hits Record Lows
3 – Tsunami
4 – Earthquake
5 – Radiation spreading across huge parts of Japan
6 – THIRD US lead War
7 – Increased Terrorism
8 – Unemployment hits the roof
9 – Record Food prices
10 – Middle Eastern countries collapse from Tunisia to Egypt.
11 – European debt crisis hits new highs
12 – Record Gold and Silver prices
13 – Severe weather patterns

The list goes on, much more than the thirteen items listed above, but it should start a decent discussion on what exactly is going on? The rapid succession of world wide crisis is now occurring one after another, or in some cases like Radiation, Tsunamis, Earthquakes and North African wars happening all in the same day are leading people to wonder what will be next?

Humanity is accustomed to catastrophes, in the US just a few years ago we had Katrina, a few years prior to that we had 9/11, but to have them happen in such rapid succession or in all the same month.

In this case we had countries overthrown, wars start, nuclear reactors going haywire, tsunamis, earthquakes… all in the same week.

Either things will slow down or they will speed up, and God help us if they choose the latter…. I don’t think the world can handle more emergencies.

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Online Vet Reviews Cats with Red round lesions on their chin

Online Vet Reviews Cats with Red round lesions on their chin

One of the more common cat skin problems I see in practice is eosinophilic granuloma complex (we’ll call it EGC for short). EGC derives it’s name from the classic finding of the white blood cells, eosinophils, in these skin lesions. Though other species can suffer from eosinophilic lesions and granulomas, this specific disease we will be discussing is unique to cats.

Lesions may either be flat (called plaques) or ulcerated (also called indolent or rodent ulcers) or granulomas. Granulomas are firm nodules of inflammation The underlying cause of all types is considering to be an allergic reaction.

Granulomas can be round and raised or oblong. They are typically red/pink, hairless, and raw or ulcerated. They are usually not itchy. An online vet will tell you that the most common place to see them is at the chin. The lesion may resemble a swollen pouty chin. Back of the legs and footpads may also be affected.

Plaques are hairless, raised, raw sores within the skin. Lesions are commonly on the belly, thighs, armpits, neck and back. Itchiness is common with plaques.

Indolent ulcers are actually raw ulcerated and depressed lesions. They are typical around the mouth–usually the upper lip, roof of mouth or even throat. They are not usually itchy or painful, despite their rather dramatic appearance.

Diagnosis is often suspicious just based on clinical signs alone, but cytology is needed to confirm the diagnosis. A smear examined under the microscope is usually conclusive, but occasionally a biopsy is needed, though I have never encountered a situation where it was necessary.

Treatment:

Unfortunately, an online vet cannot recommend a magic pill or easy fix for EGC in cats. Treatment involves several different steps, and eliminating the underlying allergens is the key. The underlying cause of EGC is believed to be a form of an allergic reaction. The immune system overreacts to something to which the cat is exposed in the form of a granuloma or plaque. Possible inciting agents include the following:

-External skin parasites, such as fleas, mites, or lice
-Environmental allergens
-Foods
-Bacterial or fungal skin infections
-Viral infections, such as feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus

Goals of treatment include flea control, a hydrolyzed prescription diet or a homemade diet with novel protein source, and allergy testing. Allergy testing is more invasive and involved, and most owners don’t proceed to it until the first two goals are met.

Antibiotics may be necessary if the lesion is infected, and in some cases, they may be needed for up to one month. Steroid medications, available by oral meds, transdermal meds, or shots, may be used to shrink the lesions themselves. I have had success with injectables, and recommend starting with the mildest ones to see if they are effective before moving on to “the big guns.” This is because using steroids, especially long-term, does include the risk of diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s disease, and other problems such as increased susceptibility to disease and delayed healing. Essential fatty acids added to the food may also help. An online vet can help you come up with the right questions to ask your vet about essential fatty acids.

Prognosis:

With proper control of the allergy, the prognosis is quite good. Some allergies are difficult to identify and eliminate, which can make this a frustrating and recurring problem for cats and their owners. If the lesions are the result of food allergy and/or fleas, avoiding the allergen is much easier and more easily controlled than environmental allergies. Overall, this disease has a good prognosis compared to other skin lesions that can affect cats, such as skin neoplasms or overwhelming fungal infections.

Should you have questions about your cat’s health, you can ask an online vet from the comfort of your own home and even upload pictures of your cat’s lesion.

Dr. Laci Schaible, DVM is a veterinarian in PA. She practices with her husband, also a veterinarian. In their spare time, they are avid writers for numerous pet publications.

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US Forces bomb Libya

Unconfirmed reports that US forces have started a sustained air campaign against Libyan air defenses. We are hearing reports that US planes have took off from Italy and have completed several simultaneous missions against Libyan radar installations. We have also heard that the French and British have also joined on several of their own missions.

This is happening prior to the UN vote on Libya.

As expected Libyan insurgents are rejoicing at the change of heart from the United States. The mood has gone from “it’s over” to “Tripoli we will go”

This will be the third “hot war” that the United States is entering at the same time, with the other two being Iraq and Afghanistan.

Already some discussions have been to what extent the US will be involved, as the country as a whole isn’t really interested in another 10 year long war.

The concept is to push Qaddafi to leave the country or surrender, then leave it to the interim government to maintain order.

The story is breaking.

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Ask a Vet: Online Vet Reviews skin lumps and bumps

Ask a Vet: Online Vet Reviews skin lumps and bumps

Throughout the course of your dog’s life, it is likely you will at one point or another find a lump or swelling either on their skin or underneath it. Skin masses, whether they are benign swellings or more serious in nature, are one of the most common problems we see in practice. Let’s review some of the more common:

Lipomas: Lipomas are rare in cats but common in middle-aged to older dogs where the mass is usually soft, smooth, and somewhat squishy, lesion underneath the skin. You can almost move the mass around a little bit unless they are really large. They are often found on the trunk and neck areas, but they can be on the limbs as well. Lipomas require no treatment unless the size or location of them causes a problem.

Liposarcomas are much less common, but are the malignant form of lipomas. This is a good example of a biopsy or aspirate needing to be performed even when your vet feels the mass and suggests a lipoma. Remember, our hands can tell what type of cells make up a mass, and if your vet thinks he or she can diagnose upon palpation, they are either delusional or have become complacent.

Papillomas are benign tumors that develop from squamous epithelial cells. In puppies, they are caused by a virus, but the cause is unknown in adult dogs. The lesions are usually small in size (pea size or smaller) and not a problem unless they become infected or bleeding or cause pain to the pet. Cats get them much less commonly than dogs. They often have a wrinkled wart-like appearance.

Epidermal inclusion cysts (commonly just called cysts) usually occur secondary to obstruction of a hair follicle. They usually contain thick white to brown material. You can think of these as a plugged pore, giant zit, or ingrown hair.

Sebaceous gland adenomas or adenonocarinomas arise from the epithelium of the sebaceous glands. They are common in older dogs, but less so in cats. They can have the presence of a firm pink or skin-colored lobulated growth. The adenomas are generally not a problem and require no treatment unless they have become infected or bleed recurrently. Sebaceous gland adenocarcinomas are rare, but another reminder that aspiration or biopsies are crucial.

Mast cell tumors are much more serious. While some mast cell tumors are benign, many aren’t. They are the most common type of skin tumor in dogs are fairly common in cats as well. Like many forms of cancer, they are more common in older animals, but I have diagnosed them in juveniles more times than I can remember. They can either be cutaneous or subcutaneous lesions in dogs. They can be single or multiple, and have a variety of appearances. In addition, they can grow inside the pet. They are many different stages and types of mast cell tumors, and treating them is necessary. They are often fatal, as they can spread to organs.

Melanomas in dogs are most commonly seen as a black-bluish tumor on the face, trunk, feet, genitals, nail beds or the junction between mucosa and skin. Just like in humans, they develop from melanocytes or melanoblasts. They are likely to be malignant and are not to be taken lightly.

Squamous cell carcinomas are malignant tumors. Repeated exposure to UV rays on less pigmented skin is believed to be involved. The lesion usually appears as a red raw or ulcerated mass that doesn’t heal. In cats, areas on the face are commonly involved: nose, lips, ears, and eyelids. In dogs, these areas, in addition to the abdomen, limbs, toes, and scrotum.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it does touch on some of the more common skin tumors. The key to when you find a lump on your pet, make an appointment with your vet ASAP. Ask a vet what they think, and be prepared to have a fine-needle aspiration performed.

With skin lumps that could potentially be a mast cell tumor, you want to be sure that the vet pre-medicates with Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to prevent the procedure from causing a reaction from histamine release (histamine can be released from MCTs if they are messed with). Potentially your vet might look at it and feel it and say it is not necessary because they have ruled out the probability of mast cell tumor,, but if mast cell tumor is on the list of diagnostic differentials, that should be done 10-20 minutes before the aspiration procedure (before the needle goes in). It is really safe, so I do it in all cases of aspiration where mast cell tumor might be be on the list- even remotely. Mast cell tumor aspiration without premedication can cause anaphylactic shock in the most extreme cases.

Dr. Laci Schaible, DVM is a veterinarian that practices in Pennsylvania with her husband, also a veterinarian. In their spare time, they write for numerous pet publications.

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Ask a vet about what it is like to become a veterinarian

Ask a vet about what it is like to become a veterinarian. Will you be warned about the work-life balance issues, burnout, and debt?

As a veterinarian, I have more often than not, heard from my colleagues that the reason they became a veterinarian is because they wanted to help animals since they were a child. The profession is chock full of A-type personalities, the type of personality that helped them work so hard to maintain superior grades, be admitted to vet school and complete vet school.

Although the job can be very rewarding on a case by case basis, often by the time a vet student actually gets to the point where they feel the weight of the profession on their shoulders, from clients, the long hours, a skewed work-life balance, and debt, it is too late to for them to redirect their careers. The new generation of vets that are graduating tend to butt heads with the older generations of vet employers who feel that the new graduates are unwilling to “put in their time” and instead are more demanding of a decent work-life balance which translates into a higher expense for them, as employers.

Over 14 studies have shown that the suicide rate is significantly higher for veterinarians than for other professions. Furthermore, more females than males are practicing vet medicine and a New Zealand study showed that female vets suffered more work-related stress and depression than their male colleagues. The reasons for the work-life balance issues are many. Vets have a very high debt to earnings ratio because the average new vet graduates with student debt at $133,873 and some are responsible for $1,700 or more in monthly loan repayments. This significant debt is not easy to repay given that many vets make salaries in the mid $60,000’s.

Beyond financial stress, veterinarians often constantly think about work, are very affected by angry clients, worry about lawsuits from dissatisfied clients, board complaints, malpractice, and suffer from compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue according to the American Animal Hospital Association is “being traumatized by the work you do with [those] who are sad and suffering, whether it be with humans or other kinds of animals.” In addition, veterinarians are often required to work long hours, take less vacation time, work weekends and holidays, and many have the additional stress of simultaneously running a small business with little or no business training.

Ask a vet about their freedom to use vacation days. Veterinarians often can’t take vacation when the rest of the nation does. Some corporate hospitals even have “black out” times during popular vacation times such as Spring Break, the summer, Christmas, New Years, etc. etc. Veterinarians soon learn that they are accountable for their “production” and that their ability to cover their cost to their employer is directly correlated to their compensation above their base salary. This causes veterinarians to be torn between trying to help pet owners on a budget versus selling products and services to maximize their production-based compensation.

It is not uncommon for senior veterinarians to require new graduates to be on call and work undesirable shifts at a time in their life where they are trying to plant their roots, nurture a new marriage, and start a family. Add a recession, and the trend of decreasing veterinary visits, and work-life balance can quickly turn south. All vets are at high risk for burnout, but those vets with families, especially single parent female veterinarians, can be more susceptible.

When I ask a vet colleague how they are doing post-graduation, I often hear complaints that veterinary school was so demanding that they lost touch with their network of friends and family at home. They often return home after eight plus years of school to find that they have few friends, are four years behind their peers with no children, single, with high debt, and cannot afford a home.

There may be hope in sight with the high debt of veterinarians. The North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC), have been brainstorming since 2007 to overhaul the veterinary education system. Their goals are to streamline the education process by making it more cost-effective, and economically viable. Although their mission is less than revolutionary and if implemented would only moderately affect the debt portion of the work-life balance issue, their efforts to improve the economics of the supply and demand of veterinarians are aligned with what is best for the profession.

Jed Schaible, VMD, MBA, is co-founder and owner of VetLIVE. VetLIVE provides pet owners the ability to ask a vet pet health questions through Q&A, live chat and more. Online vets are standing by 24/7 on VetLIVE.com.

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$100 dollars a tank becoming the norm due to gas prices

Unless you have been living under a rock you have most likely noticed that gas prices have hit the roof recently.

We have been receiving reports of people filling up their cars with an eye popping 3 digit result. One individual stated “It now officially costs me two fill ups per week.” 2 fill-ups per week averaging 100 dollars a fill-up now total $10,400 a year after taxes, most likely the individual in question had to earn about $14,000 dollars pre-tax to afford that level of gas.

And people wonder where the trade deficit comes from?

The solution has been since the 1970′s to get off the oil standard. Instead our auto manufacturers have been building gas guzzling monsters OR have been making electric cars that have a price tag of nearly 50,000 dollars… or half a decade worth of gas at 100 dollars a fillup based on filling up 2 times a week, 52 weeks a year.

Want to know where the trade deficit comes from? Look in your garage.

We’re not advocating everyone buying a Chinese made set of Nike’s to get to work, but we are calling for the auto companies to meet the consumer need. That’s a car that is sub $10,000 that runs on 110 volt electric and can get about 80 miles per charge..

Need a boost, add a solar panel to the roof…

You get the idea.

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