Monday, November 5, 2012

Continuing Education

The State of Iowa requires veterinarians to have 60 hours of CE hours in a 3 year licensing period. How does the Iowa requirement compare to our surrounding states?  The states vary in their licensing period (either 2 or 3 years). The per year requirement is 10 hours in Missouri, 15 for Wisconsin,  16 for South Dakota and Nebraska , and 20 for Illinois and Iowa.  This year I attended the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association annual conference in September taking classes on hematology, cytology, pain management, ultrasound, and parasitology.  Next week I will be in Davenport for the Midwest Small Animal Association taking classes on practice management, Lyme Disease, flea control, utilizing compounding pharmacies, and anterior cruciate repair.  Then on November 28th I will attend a half day surgery lecture here in town.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Halloween Hazards for Pets

Halloween can be a scary and dangerous holiday for pets. For some pets the steady stream of "intruders" to their territory can lead to extreme anxiety which may cause your pet to bite or scratch  a trick or treater or  may cause it to escape through an open door where it could get injured by a car.  Its best to keep your pets out of the action by placing them in a quiet part of the house.  If you think sedation may be necessary see your veterinarian about getting a tranquilizer to give prior to the arrival of trick or treaters.

 Another threat is the possibility is the accidental access to treats that can be toxic to pets.  Calls to the Pet Poison Helpline peak around Holloween.  Please see their website for an excellent article on this potential problem.   www.petpoisonhelpline.com/petowners/seasons/halloween

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Lyme Disease Update

I recently attended a meeting on Lyme Disease and have results of some studies that apply to our area.  Iowa State University Entomoloogy Department routinely tests ticks for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi).  In 2010 8 to 17 percent of the ticks in Iowa tested positive for the bacteria.  In Polk County in 2011 none of the tested  ticks were found to be positive.  That does not mean however that we don't have Lyme Disease in Polk County.  According to the Center for Disease Control the State of Iowa recorded 78 cases of Lyme Disease in humans in 2010 the last complete year that we have data for.  The CDC also reports that it is now believed that only the black legged tick (Ixodes) also known as the "deer tick" is the only tick that transmits Lyme Disease.  It was previously believed that other species of ticks may carry it also.  They also report that the permethrine based tick repellents are now preferred over DEET containing products. Vectra, one of the flea and tick products for dogs, contains Permethrin. The cat Vectra does not contain Permenthrin as it is toxic to cats. If you would like to have a tick tested for Borrelia burgdorferi wrap it in tissue, add a small drop of water and seal it in a zip-top bag and mail it to Department of Entomology Lyme Disease Project 436 Science II Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011-3222.

Lyme Disease in dogs is preventable with good tick control and vaccination.  Each dog's risk in our area should be determined by a veterinarian individually before deciding on a prevention program.

For a good review of Lyme Disease in dogs go to http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/. and search "lyme disease".

Monday, May 14, 2012

Dog Bite Prevention Week

May 20-26 is National Dog Prevention Week.  Did you know that :

4.7 million people in the country are bitten by dogs every year.

 Children are by far the most common victims.

800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites each year.

Children are far more likely to be severly injured;  approximately 400,000 receive medical attention every year.

Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.

Senior citizens are the second most common dog bite victims.

For additional information see the AMVA's National Dog Bite Prevention Week website and a list of things you can do to avoid dog bites.  www.avma.org/public_health/dogbite/

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

National Pet Week

Happy National Pet Week (May 6-12)!
National Pet Week is about ways we can promote responsible pet ownership, celebrate the humal-animal bond and promote public awareness of veterinary medicine.  For the A.V.M..A. National Pet Week website go to www.petweek.org/about-npw.html.

Monday, March 19, 2012

2011 Most Common Pet Poisonings


According to the Pet Poison Hotline the 10 most common pet poisonings, based on calls to their hotline, were:

1. Foods-such as chocolate(stimulant), xylitol, a sweetener used in candy and gum,(liver damage, hypogycemia), and raisins and grapes (kidney failure)

2. Insecticides

3. Mouse and Rat poison-rodenticides

4. NSAIDS human drugs such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen

5. Household Cleaners

6. Antidepressant human drugs, such as Prozac, Paxil, Celexa

7. Fertilizers-especially organic products such as blood meal, feather meal, and
iron.

8. Acetaminophen human drugs, such as Tylenol (toxic to both dogs and cats) A single
tablet can be fatal in cats.

9. Amphetamine human drugs, such as drugs used to treat ADD/ADHD.

10. Veterinary pain relievers such as Rimadyl, Dermaxx, and Previcox.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Nutrition Fact #8

If a pet food label includes the phrase" with ingredient X", the pet food is required to contain only 3 percent of X (beef, chicken, seafood etc.)

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Nutrition Fact #7

Pet foods that are labeled "dinner", "platter", "entree", or "formula, etc. are required to include only 25% of the main ingredient (chicken dinner, beef entree, etc.). If you purchase a can of cat food labeled as "seafood entree", the manufacturer is required to include only 25% seafood in the product.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Nutrition Fact #6

Ingredients are listed in descending order by their predominance by weight. However, weight values are not included in the ingredient statement, meaning that the listed ingredients could vary by weight only 0.1 percent, or by 20 percent.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Nutrition Fact #5

Formulation method v. feeding trial method: If your pet's food label says something to the effect of "This food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials..." rather than "Animal feeding test using AAFCO procedures substantiate that this food provides complete and balanced nutrition...", it means that the food did not undergo actual feeding or digestibility trials. The formulation method is quicker and cheaper, but does not document the effect on animals.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Nutrition Fact #4

Are by-products bad? Not really. They may actually be the best thing to feed pets because of the nutrition they contain and because they use parts of animals that would otherwise be thrown away when producing human food. By-products include vegetable oils, chicken fat and pork, chicken, and beef liver-the internal organs of animals used for human consumption that would otherwise be trashed.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Nutrition Fact #3

So what is organic? Foods that are labeled "organic" must be certified as organic in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and AAFCO regulations. In order for a product to carry the USDA organic seal, at least 95% of its content must be organic by weight. To be organic, the components of a product must be grown with only animal or vegetable fertilzers, such as manure, bone meal, compost etc.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Nutrition Fact #2

We hear the word "natural" all the time. When it refers to pet food what does that mean? According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) the term "natural" requires a pet food to consist only of natural ingredients that have not been subjected to chemical synthesis. (My note: that would include most pet foods whether they are labeled "natural" or not). Natural does not mean that the food is also organic.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Nutrition Fact 1

Does your pet's food boast the label "holistic"? Don't believe it. There is no legal definition of the term under pet food laws. Anyone can claim that their food is "holistic".

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

New Year's Resolution

I resolve to blog more in 2012. The past few months have been extremely busy, not just with patients but we are in the process of computerizing the practice. We also started a facebook page and a website. The website for now is just a "canned one" that we'll be personalizing as we have time (www.southviewanimalclinic.com).

I'm going to start a series of blogs on 9 nutrition facts that appeared in an Article in "Trends" a publication for veterinarians published by the American Animal Hospital Association taken from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Some of these surprised me.