Fleas!

          I have been a pet owner all my life.  I was born into the care of a Border collie mix named Blue, a crazy Siamese cat and a Cockateil named Eli that sang Yankee Doodle dandy to your big toe if you took your socks off.  They were my siblings and they were followed by many more four legged family members in the years to come.  I wouldn’t have had it any other way and the bond we shared is very likely the reason that I am in the field I am today.

          When I was a kid, fleas were a fact of life.  If you had pets, you had fleas.  Some of my less fortunate friends did not grow up with pets, hence the horror their parents experienced when they occasionally came home from a sleepover with a sleeping bag crawling with little black hitchhikers.

          My parents certainly tried to get rid of them, my mom kept a pretty tidy house back then.  She vacuumed, sprayed, flea bathed and steam cleaned, but no matter how much we battled them, those little bastards only retreated further into the thick, green, shag carpet.  A month or so later they’d rear their ugly little heads and we’d start all over again…

          The only thing that ever made a dent in our population of freeloading houseguests was when professional exterminators were called in.  I remember that day.  The dogs and cats were sent to a kennel for two whole days and my sister and I were sent off to Grandmas.  We even had to move the fish bowl lest the nasty chemicals give us all cancer.  We didn’t see another flea in that house for years!  But was it worth it? 

Years later, while glancing through one of my mom’s Good Housekeeping magazines, I spotted an advertisement for a promising new flea treatment made by the trustworthy people at Bayer- the makers of Aspirin.  It just so happened that we were having a flea problem in our new house so off to the vet we went!  WOW!  Two applications and NO MORE FLEAS!  Amazing!

          Now, as a veterinary professional, I love being able to hand out such an effective treatment to pet owners.  It never fails: someone walks through the door, scratching just a little too much with just a hint of shame on their face, approaches the counter, and confesses… “We’ve got fleas…”  Then they glance over their shoulder just a little to see if there is anyone in the lobby listening and judging.  “No big deal!” I always say,  “We’ve all been there.”  Then I start in on the “flea talk”.  It’s a lot of information to hand out all at once, and there are so many choices for treatment now that it can get a little confusing.  Thus this blog entry J

          To understand flea control, you first need to understand a little about their lifecycle.  Adult fleas live, feed, and reproduce primarily on the pet.  They feed on the blood of the host animal, (which could be a human), then they lay eggs which roll off the pet into the environment (bedding, carpets, floor crevices and dirt).  In the environment, the eggs hatch and grow into larvae, the larvae then morph into pupae which hatch into adult fleas.  The average life cycle of the flea is approximately 6 weeks depending on environmental conditions.  If conditions are favourable (fleas prefer warm, moist conditions, ie: Vancouver Weather) the life cycle can be as short as 2 weeks.  A little known fact about fleas?  While in the pupae stage they can actually remain in their cocoon for over 12 MONTHS!!  When conditions are cold or dry fleas can decide not to hatch and remain in a kind of “suspended animation” for over a year!  This allows them to survive all kinds of unseasonable weather and re-emerge when you are least suspecting it. 

(Go to http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/flea-lifecycle.html for a diagram of the flea's life cycle)

How do you know if your pet has fleas? 

1.       You can actually see them crawling on your pet or hopping through your carpet like Heidi through the alpine meadow.  (This visual is especially accurate if you have the aforementioned green shag carpet) 

2.       Your pet is scratching and chewing frantically, sometimes to the point that they are losing hair and causing skin sores. 

3.       YOU are itchy and finding “mosquito bites” in the middle of February. 

4.       Flea dirt.   Fleas eat and therefore they poop.  Flea poop looks like little black specks of dirt.  If you brush some off your pet onto a white paper towel and drip water on it, it will turn red because flea poop is digested blood!

5.       Your vet saw any of items 1-4 and told you.  Just take our word for it okay? (Oh and there’s no need to expose yourself to show us your bites, we’ll take you at your word.)

          So, what do you do if you have fleas?  First off, don’t be embarrassed.  It happens to every pet owner, and it doesn’t mean that your house is dirty.  Don’t blame it on the neighbors, or your kids’ friends, or God.  Get to your vet clinic and ask for help.  We have some amazing, safe and effective products.

Capstar (nitenpyram)- This is an oral tablet. It acts very quickly, taking only about 15 minutes to kill all the adult fleas on your pet.  The problem with this drug is that it only lasts about 48 hours.  Capstar is meant to be used in conjunction with another product for long term flea control.

Program  (lufenuron) – This is an oral tablet for dogs and an oral liquid for cats.  This is flea birth control.  It inhibits flea reproduction and lasts for one month.  Given monthly it is a safe and effective way to prevent a flea infestation in your home.  This product is probably not the best one to use if there is an active flea infestation.  It does however work very well with Capstar.  For Cats this product is also available in an injection that lasts 6 months.

*Sentinel  (Lufenuron/Milbemycin) Oral tablet.  This is an oral tablet like Program, but with an added ingredient that deworms your pet monthly as well..  In areas affected by heartworm, this product is a lifesaver!  Once again, if there are a lot of adult fleas, this product should be used in conjunction with Capstar for more immediate relief.  This product is not available for cats.

Advantage (imidicloprid) This product is applied topically to the skin over the shoulders.  It spreads out in the oily layer of skin and lasts for a month.  When fleas come into contact with a treated pets skin their nervous system is affected and they are unable to bite and feed and they quickly die.  This is an excellent choice for pets that have an allergy to flea bites.  This product will leave a crusty residue for a couple of days and does have a bit of an odour for a few hours after it is applied.  Dogs that get bathed frequently with shampoo may need to have this product applied more often than once a month.

*Advantage Multi (imidicloprid/moxidectin) This is a topical product,  the same as Advantage, except that it contains a de-wormer and heartworm prevention.  This product will leave a crusty residue for a couple of days and does have a bit of an odour for a few hours after it is applied.  Dogs that get bathed frequently with shampoo may need to have this product applied more often than once a month.

Advantix (imidicloprid/pyrethrin)  This product is Advantage with an added ingredient that repels ticks.  It is applied topically to the skin over the shoulders.  This is an excellent choice for people that live/hike in areas with a lot of ticks.  This product is for DOGS ONLY and should be used with caution in households where the cats and dogs share close quarters.  This product will leave a crusty residue for a couple of days and does have a bit of an odour for a few hours after it is applied.  Dogs that get bathed frequently with shampoo may need to have this product applied more often than once a month.

*Revolution (selemectin) This product is applied topically to the skin over the shoulders and is absorbed into the bloodstream.  Fleas ingest it when they feed.  It lasts for a month and kills adult fleas quickly.  This product dries quickly and has less odour than Advantage.  Because it is absorbed into the bloodstream, this products efficacy is not affected by bathing.

*Comfortis (Spinosad) This product is an oral tablet that kills adult fleas very quickly (within 15 minutes) and lasts for one month.  The drug remains in the bloodstream and thus the product is waterproof and not affected by bathing.

*Trifexis (Spinosad/mylbemycin) This product is the same as Comfortis but has an added de-wormer and heartworm prevention.  The drug remains in the bloodstream and thus the product is waterproof and not affected by bathing.

          Most of the above products are available from Sechelt Animal Hospital.  The products with * next to them are prescription products and require an up-to-date (within the past year) Wellness Exam with a veterinarian before they can be purchased.  If you are unsure which product is best suited for your situation, please contact one of our Client Service Team members.  They are well versed in parasite control and would be happy to assist!

          Finally, don’t forget to do a thorough clean-up of your pets environment once you have treated your pet.  Wash all bedding (including yours- you know they sleep on your pillows when you’re not home right?) in hot soapy water.  Vacuum carpets and crevices well and make sure to throw the bag away or empty the canister into an outside garbage bin.  In extreme cases you may need to use a premise spray to treat your home but in my experience, if you use one or two of the above products there is no need to spray.

~By: Meghan Graves

  

Pet Loss and Grief

                One of the hardest parts of my job is having quality of life discussions with owners, and euthanasias.  It’s difficult for all of the obvious reasons, like the sadness and the grief experienced by both myself and the owners, but it’s also difficult for me, personally, because I handle my emotions differently than most (or so I’ve been told).  I have a hard time relating to people on an emotional level, and I’m extremely uncomfortable with people being in my personal space.   So, when I’m confronted with a mourning client who is looking to me to make them feel better, I feel at a loss, and very out of my element.  I marvel at how my co-workers seem to instinctively know exactly what to say and what to do in these scenarios, and have often wondered why I seem to be unable to do so.  I’ve been told that it will come with time, seeing as I’m only 2 years into my career as a technician, but it’s still frustrating to know that when I see someone on one of the hardest days of their lives, the only things I can think of are clichéd condolences that always seem insincere simply because we’ve heard them all too often.

                When I am sad or grieving, I prefer to be by myself; if there are other people around me, for example, if I’m at work and a euthanasia hits me particularly hard (and it happens to everyone that works in the veterinary world), I’d rather they’d just be quiet, pretend I’m not bawling, and leave me alone.   It is due to this personal preference, that I have a really hard time being comforting to others; when your instinct is to leave a grieving person alone and in silence, that often comes off as being cold and un-caring.  Believe me, I DO care and I DO empathize, I’m just not very good at expressing it, and I usually feel awkward when I do try (I probably come across this way to the clients as well); when I say things like “I’m so sorry for your loss”, it feels so scripted and disingenuous to me that I generally elect to say nothing at all.  The worst is when someone wants a hug; I’m not a hugger, but I really want to support people during their time of need, so I have this internal battle between my own personal comfort level, and the desire to help.  What results is usually an incredibly awkward and lame half hug, which (I think) is less helpful than nothing at all.

So, in an effort to better myself and to improve my job skills, I went off to North Vancouver for a 3 day Pet Loss and Grief Companioning Certification course.   The speaker was Coleen  Ellis, and she is the founder of the Pet Angel Memorial Center, which is a pets only funeral home that was the first of its kind in the United States.  When I walked into the room, she immediately greeted me with a firm two-handed handshake, the most intense eye contact I’ve ever had in my entire life, and a fervent “thank you, I appreciate you for being here”.  I felt a little uncomfortable; it’s very disconcerting for someone like me to have a complete stranger get in your space, grab your hand like they’re never going to let go, and stare directly into your eyes.  I think my only response was to look elsewhere (thereby avoiding eye contact), back up a little, and murmur a very quiet “Hi…Thanks…” into my shoulder. 

“Well,” I said to myself, “this is part of why you’re here: to learn how to be more comfortable in situations that involve invasion of personal space.”  So I sat down, and started to listen. 

There were a lot of things that I took away from that course (including hug-avoidance techniques), and I will write about them in separate articles, because there’s just too much to fit into one.  Perhaps the most important thing, was that my job is not to make the client feel better as soon as possible.  We live in a “quick fix” and death-avoidant society that says we should get through the stages of grief in an orderly manner, and as soon as possible; in reality, every person experiences grief differently and the stages of grief are not so clear-cut.  People and pets need time and the ability to mourn however they need to in order to heal.  My job is not to make everything better, but to let them experience their loss in whatever manner is best for them, without judgment and without hurrying them along to happiness and a new pet.   Our instincts are to try to take the suffering away by saying things like “at least you got 15 years with Fido”, “you did all you could for Fluffers”, and “I’m sorry to hear about FruFru, but you know they have lots of puppies at the SPCA that you can get.”  Fido’s family may have gotten 15 good years but they probably wanted 15 more, and I need to respect that sometimes 15 years is not enough, even if that is a good old age for any pet.  Fluffer’s owner did everything under the sun for her cat, but that doesn’t stop her from feeling like there was something else she could have done, and if I say “don’t feel like that because you did everything you could”, I’m actually arguing with her and telling her that what she’s feeling is wrong, and that’s something that Fluffer’s owner doesn’t need to hear.  There may be pets in need of a home at the SPCA (and I am a big advocate for adoptions), but FruFru’s owner needs time to mourn, and it would be disrespectful to suggest that she can just replace her old companion with a new one.  At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what I think or believe; what matters is what the owner thinks and believes, and it isn’t my place to tell them they should or shouldn’t feel a certain way. 

Another thing that was brought up a lot is that many “pet parents” feel shame for mourning their pet.  If they want to have a funeral or memorial, or if they take longer than a week to get over their loss, many people think they are crazy and over-emotional, because “it was just a dog/cat/fish/gerbil/whatever”.  This is something that I (fortunately) have never experienced, because the people I surround myself with tend to love animals as much as I do and, therefore, understand that the strong bond between people and their pets is not easily broken and discarded.  I was appalled to think that someone might think me “crazy” because I still acknowledge the anniversary of my dog’s death, even though she died a little over 7 years ago.  After all, no one would think twice about acknowledging the anniversary of a human’s death, so why not a pet’s?  So many times I’ve heard owners say that they feel ashamed because they mourned their pet more than a family member that passed away.  This doesn’t make them bad people and it doesn’t mean that they loved that family member any less; it does prove that the bond between people and their pets is unique, and that the relationships are different.  A pet is often closer than your own shadow and when they are gone, when that little (or not so little) soul that followed you everywhere suddenly isn’t there anymore, that sense of loneliness and that feeling that something important is missing, can be overwhelming.  I say again: it doesn’t mean you valued one life over the other, it just means that the relationships and the bonds formed are different, and therefore, they feel different when they are gone.  It should never be a source of shame.

The last thing I’ll mention here was one that really struck me, simply because I had never thought about it this way.  Many people who have lost their pet have expressed frustration that they just want to feel normal again, like they did before the loss.  I never knew how to respond to that, other than with the whole “time heals all wounds” speech, especially because I also sought out that sense of normalcy after the passing of my dog.   Instead, we talked about the “Old Normal” and the “New Normal”.  The “Old Normal” is the way you were before you got your pet.  “Normal” is how you were while you had your pet, and the “New Normal” is what you become after your pet passes away.  Each of these “normals” are accompanied by change, and as we all know, sometimes change is scary, but just as the arrival of your pet changes you, so does it’s departure, and the only way to start to feel better is to acknowledge that you will never be the same you were.  In order to move forward, you need to realize that you will never get back to the “old normal”, acknowledge the impact that your pet had on your life, and realize that the “new normal”, while it might be scary, is actually a positive thing.

This is just a small amount of what we discussed at the course, and I walked out of there feeling more confident about how to handle these types of situations.  I’m never going to be entirely comfortable with physical contact, and my first instinct will always be to remain quiet, but at least now I feel like I have some other options, some other “tricks of the trade”  if you will, and I know that sometimes the best thing I can say is nothing.  I know that no one will ever get over the loss of their pet, but they will get through it.  I know that my job is not to make you feel fine by the time you walk out of the clinic, but to assist in the expression of grief in whatever way I can.  I know that my job is to provide a safe and, above all, non-judgemental environment for the grieving client.  There is always a good-bye hovering in the shadows of our pets, and I hope that if I’m in the room with you when you have to go through it, that you leave the clinic feeling like I am a supportive resource and an asset to you in your grief journey, and not that quiet weirdo who gave you an awkward pat on the hand. 

~By: Lisa Horne

     

Getting drugs at your Vet vs. Retail Pharmacies and Wholesalers

       I hope you are sitting down as you read this article because I have shocking news.  Are you ready?  Ok here it is:

Things are cheaper at retail Pharmacies and Wholesalers.

I’ll give you a minute to process this information…

       Now that I’ve gotten some of the sarcasm out of my system, let us proceed to the point of this article.  Recently, the CBC wrote a piece (and featured it on the news) titled “Pet medicine much cheaper from pharmacies and wholesalers”.  After reading the article, as well as the comments left by other readers, I started feeling frustrated with (what seems to be) the general opinion that the veterinary community is nothing but a bunch of uncompassionate, money-grubbing jerks.  I could write a novel about how wrong this perception is, but for the sake of being concise, I will attempt to confine myself to the issue of the costs of drugs in the vet clinic vs. pharmacies and wholesalers.

Before I get started, there are a few things that I will mention later in the article that I’m just going to define now:

1) Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR)àThis is the foundation of   

effective veterinary medicine and animal care, and is required by law.  A valid VCPR can only exist if the veterinarian knows your pet well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions your animal develops; the only way this can happen is if the veterinarian has seen your pet in person, and if the relationship is maintained by regular veterinary visits to monitor your pet’s health.  Your part of the VCPR is allowing your vet to take responsibility for medical judgments about your pet, asking questions to make sure you understand, and following your vet’s instructions.  Your vet’s part of the VCPR is to make those judgments, accept responsibility for your pet’s care, advise you on the benefits and risks of different treatment options, keep a written record of everything he/she does regarding your pet’s health, and help you know how to get emergency care if the need should arise.  If a VCPR is not present, or is not maintained, then it would be illegal and unethical for your vet to either prescribe or recommend treatment without recently examining your pet; a VCPR cannot be established or maintained online, via email, or over the phone.     

2) Compounded MedicationsàThese are pharmaceuticals that have been formulated or reformulated into an different form.  For example, a pill that gets crushed up and mixed with a flavoured suspending agent to turn it into a liquid medication has been compounded.

3)Extra-label/Off-labelàUsing a drug “off-label” means that the drug is properly licensed and manufactured, but not for the ailment or species for which private practitioners intend to use them.

4) Drug Identification Number (DIN)à This is an 8 digit number assigned by Health Canada to a drug prior to it being marketed. It uniquely identifies all drug products sold in a dosage form and is located on the label of prescription and over-the-counter drug products that have been evaluated and authorized for sale in Canada.  It also uniquely identifies the following product characteristics: manufacturer; product name; active ingredient(s); strength(s) of active ingredient(s); pharmaceutical form; route of administration.

          The main point that the CBC article makes is that veterinary drugs and supplies can be purchased for a cheaper price at wholesalers (like Costco) and at retail pharmacies.  Although they very briefly mention a veterinary clinic’s increased overhead and a pharmacy’s/wholesaler’s ability to stock more than a vet clinic would ever need to, they certainly do not go into depth about it.   I would like to attempt to give you the whole picture, not just a fraction.

First of all, I’d like to point out that EVERYTHING is cheaper at a wholesaler; the whole point of a store like Costco is that you can buy in bulk at a cheaper price.  What many people don’t realize is that places like Costco can sell their products for less than what the vet clinic pays just to get the products in stock.  Furthermore, clinics keep very little in stock compared to pharmacies and wholesalers, which increases the cost of shipping.  On top of that, clinics have to make sure to cover their overhead, which is HUGE, and substantially more than in any retail pharmacy or wholesaler.  It includes (but is not limited to) consumable supplies, anesthetic machines, x-ray equipment, lab machines, maintenance for everything, as well as staffing the hospital with qualified personnel.  Contrary to popular belief, this overhead is not covered by exam fees and surgeries; the cost of overhead in most clinics is spread over everything the clinic offers, including pharmaceuticals and prescription fees.  The CBC article fails to mention the price of prescription fees, perhaps because you pay them no matter where you go. 

Another thing you are paying for at a vet clinic is the expertise of the vet and their staff, phone consultations and follow-ups regarding how your pet is doing on the prescribed treatment plan, and help if you are having trouble getting meds into your pet, or if you need clarification on how to do so.  No one at a wholesaler has that kind of training, and pharmacists know next to nothing about treating non-humans; even if your vet has prescribed a human drug for your pet, the pharmacist, unless they are also a trained veterinarian, knows nothing about how the dosing works with animals (because it is often wildly different between humans and other species), nor do they know about how the drug interactions change between species.  If you take any prescription, whether it’s for you or your pet, legally, pharmacists are allowed to change the dose and even the type of drug.  As far as that goes, I’ll say simply this: pharmacists are not trained in veterinary medicine, and even if they were, they have no access to the pet’s medical records so they do not know what is an appropriate treatment plan.  Your vet does.  If you fill your prescriptions at your vet clinic, you know without a doubt that you are getting the appropriate drug and dose for your pet.

While you can certainly get some medications for your pet from the pharmacy, there are some veterinary exclusive drugs that you can only get through your vet.  But that’s just another example of money hungry vets, right? Wrong. 

Let me give you a brief summary of how a drug gets licensed for use (bear with me, it’s a little boring).  All drugs, whether for humans or other species, are governed by the same federal regulatory authority; this means that they must undergo stringent testing to demonstrate safety and efficacy for the specific species and disease that it is meant to treat.  Once it has passed all that testing, it is granted a DIN, and the product then must be manufactured according to the approved practices.  In other words, just because a drug has been approved for use in humans, does not mean it has been sufficiently evaluated for its effects on animals, and vice versa. So why doesn’t the vet just use human drugs because they are cheaper for the owner?  A vet often uses drugs off-label because the veterinary market is small, so sometimes the drug they need isn’t available for animals; however, in doing so, the vet places his/her veterinary license on the line.  If the drug causes an adverse reaction in the pet, then it’s the veterinarian’s fault for using a drug off label. 

If your vet does decide to write a prescription for something you can get at the pharmacy, they’ll still charge you a prescription writing fee.  Many people view this "nickel-and-diming" as unfair because they feel like they are paying for the 10 seconds of time that it takes to scribble on a piece of paper.  In actuality, that fee is not for the prescription itself; it’s for the time it takes to read and analyze the file of the pet in question, to decide if that drug is appropriate, to do research into how (or if) that drug will affect any other drugs that your pet is currently on, and to do research into the risks involved in that specific drug for whatever species it’s being used for, not to mention all the follow-up afterwards.  This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour for complicated cases, and the people in veterinary medicine, just like any other profession, deserve to get paid for that time and effort.

Some drugs are approved for both human and non-human use.  For example, meloxicam (commonly known in my world as Metacam) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that we use for pain control and to bring down fevers.  I don’t pretend to know what it’s used for in human medicine, but I would guess the same thing; however, clinics do not usually write prescriptions for Meloxicam to be filled at the pharmacy.  This is not because we want to squeeze your wallets, it’s because Meloxicam made for humans often does not come in a small enough dose for a dog or a cat.  After all, a pill made for a 60kg person would be an incredible overdose for a 3kg cat.  You can compound a medication to make the dose suitable for a 3kg cat, but compounding changes the form of the drug, thereby bypassing the federal regulations for manufacturing that drug; this means that the potency, efficacy, and stability of the drug is no longer guaranteed, and once again, the vet assumes 100% responsibility.

So ask yourself this: Is saving $100, or even $20, worth risking my pet’s well-being if there is a more expensive but species appropriate drug available?  Is it worth my vet losing their license?  I would say a very emphatic “NO”.

The last point I’ll make regards the very last line of the article, which really burned my bacon.  It’s another topic that I could write a novel on, and it’s one that doesn’t apply exclusively to drug costs, but it’s one that I feel needs to be addressed; it’s also one that I, personally, feel very strongly about.  The article finishes with quotes from one of their interviewees who mentions the “lack of regulation” to make veterinary care more affordable, and then closes off with this gem: “in the meantime, [he] recommends finding a compassionate vet.”  I’m going to write this in big, bold capital letters to make it very clear:

LOW PRICES DO NOT EQUAL COMPASSION

It’s true that the CVMA publishes guidelines about how much to charge, and it’s also true that they are simply guidelines, and individual clinics can charge whatever they deem necessary.  The cold hard truth is that vet clinics are businesses that need to make money in order to function.  I, and my fellow veterinary professionals, do this job because we love it.  The fact that we get to help animals every single day makes our less-than-amazing wages and salaries more acceptable.  Just to make a point: many technicians get paid on par with, or less than, some baristas at Starbucks, and vets graduate with a debt load that is just as large as human doctors, but most get paid less than half of what a human doctor makes; in other words, we are NOT in this for the money.  Many clinics also have funds in place to help people in emergency situations, not to mention the fund-raising that many do for worthy causes like the SPCA; in other words, we ARE compassionate people who will try to help out in any way we can. 

          I do encourage people to do some research (through reliable internet sources, not just random chat-room/blogger/I-have-an-axe-to-grind-webpage information), tour the clinics, and meet the vets so a discussion about standards of care can take place.  That being said, I also beg people to remember that low prices do not equal better care, and that includes prices related to pharmacy costs.

          Ultimately, it is up to you, the owner/pet parent.  If you know your cat requires $150.00 of drugs per month to stave off kidney failure, you have to plan for that.  Pet insurance is an invaluable asset here, as are the PetCard Finance companies.  Many people have set up bank accounts specifically to save for their pet’s care. 

          To sum up: Yes drugs are cheaper at retail pharmacies and wholesalers, but you may not be getting safe, species appropriate drugs, and you don’t get the veterinary expertise and care that your pet deserves.  As an added bonus, by buying your pet’s medications at the vet clinic, you support the clinic and the people who love and care for your pet.       

~By: Lisa Horne

Furbabies and Toddlers

By: Samantha Haines, RAHT

First a bit of background information.

For those of you that do not know I am a Registered Veterinary Technologist and a Certified Canine Master Trainer. I have worked at the Sechelt Animal Hospital for almost 7 years, after moving to the Sunshine Coast to get married and start a family.

Koda

My Smudgie Cat

Simone (aka Brown Dog)



 

I have always been in love with animals.  My fur babies include my 9 year old border collie mix named Koda, my 6 year old German Shepard named Simone, and my very special cat named Smudgie.  For most of my adult life these creatures have been the loves of my life, my secret keepers and my companions.  I have been involved with the Canadian Kennel Club (C.K.C.), Canadian Association of Rally Obedience (C.A.R.O.) and have competed with my dogs in both.  The decision to have a child was made, and I knew this might be difficult for my fur babies.

My dogs were the ring bearers at my wedding and were escorted down the isle by my bridesmaids.

After my son was born in 2009, the usual life changing events occurred for them.  Suddenly they were not my whole world, but only just a part of it.  They were still loved, fed and well cared for, but our lives had changed.  Their daily walks were reduced, they spent more time sleeping on the floor instead of on the bed, and training became nil. 

In the early days, Smudgie stayed always just out of reach

At first adjusting to the newborn was easy: they were curious, got up with me in the middle of the night, and snuggled close by with me and the baby.  But as my son started to get older things started to change.  My son became louder, mobile and as all babies do...rough.  The dogs in particular became agitated and afraid.  This was extremely painful for me to watch.  Not only did I feel bad for them but I also worried for the safety of my son.  My oldest dog, Koda, even began to growl at my son.  I knew that I had to do something before something worse happened.  A baby gate was used to keep the dogs and the baby separate, allowing the dogs to only be in the family room when my son was sleeping in his room.  I was mortified and embarrassed that this is what I had to do to them, but it was the only option to keep both parties safe. 

As my son grew he became more capable of biting, hitting and harassing the pets.
Occasionally he would manage to pin the cat down, but thankfully my cat is very patient and never used claws or teeth.

After my son's first birthday, things started changing again.  Now that he was on the move he was of course infatuated with the dogs.  He wanted to pat them (although still quite rough), occasionally pull on their fur, and chase them around the house.  This only increased their anxiety and fear.  So whenever he would come towards them, (possibly not even to see them) they would scatter on the laminate floors often knocking him over in the process, ending in tears from him and again banishment to behind the gate for the dogs.  This actually resulted in both parties being afraid of each other.  My heart was broken. 

Over the next 3 months (my son was now 18-20 months) every time he came close to the dogs, I gave them a treat.  My son thought that this was a very fun game, and so it went on.  The dogs eventually decided that it was easier to just sit still and wait for the cookie.  The game progressed so that instead of me giving the dogs the cookie, it came directly from my son.  The dogs' fear and anxiety became less and less.   We are constantly teaching him how to be gentle and the proper way to approach the dogs and cat. Now as he runs around the house thrashing his toys and yelling "dogdogdog" they don't scatter but calmly wait for the cookie; or if need be just slowly walk away, being careful not to run right into him.  Simone now allows him to pet her and enjoys playing chase and fetch with him.  Koda is still not so forgiving, but has definitely become more tolerable of him.  I still am always watching when they are in the same room, and allowing the dogs to retreat behind the gate when they choose to; but now it is their choice, not a mandatory banishment. 

 

 

Living with pets and toddlers can be very difficult.  Not all pets are going to enjoy the manhandling that comes along with  having small humans around.  The important thing is to not force the relationship but to allow a safe environment for each to coexist.  It is imperative to remember that your dog (regardless of size) and cat can turn and very seriously harm a child very quickly.  They can be a very dangerous combination and should never be left without supervision.  We cannot expect that our pets will instantly want to be apart of our children's lives, but it is up to us to teach both child and pet the right way to behave in each others company.

Snuggle time with the cat

Tipping the scale

Written by: Samantha Haines
Registered Animal Health Technologist

As a society we are trained from a young age to watch our weight.  We are constantly bombarded by ads, supermodels and movie stars.  Many of us might even be on the Atkins diet, weight watchers, or other diet/excercise programs. While we are counting each calorie that we reach for, we are tossing treats to our pets without a thought as to how this might affect our best friend.

Many times I find myself saying "Buster is overweight," and the owner will always have some excuse to explain why he might be that way.  "Oh he just filling out," "Thats just his breed," or "He's just fluffy."  I'm sorry... filling out what?  Supersize my Yorkie?  Obesity is just as real for them as it is for you and me, and until we can accept and recognize obesity in our pets, we can't help them.

So how do we know if Buster is actually overweight?  How can we possibly know, when a dog can come in every size imaginable? Each patient is scored on a scale from 1-9 or 1-5, regardless of breed, size and weight.

 

Get yourself accustomed to this chart, and know what to look for. An ideal dog/cat is a 3/5 or  4-5/9 Be honest with Buster and yourself. You are not doing him any favors by sugar coating the truth. 

So why do we care so much about obesity?  We estimate that 60-70 % of our patients are overweight.  Obesity leads to the same things that it does in people.  Heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, arthritis, pain, reduced mobility and a decreased quality of life, need I say more?

Weight loss in our pets can be challenging, especially with cats.  Try telling your cat to get some excercise.  I am sure that will go over well!  Together through nutrition, excercise and veterinary care we can help your pet shed those extra pounds.

Your veterinarian will help decide if there are any underlying conditions that might be contributing to weight gain (hypothyroidism, cushings disease, tumors etc.), and other medical conditions that need to be taken into consideration when selecting a weight loss diet.  We can then help you to find a diet that might be a suitable solution for weight loss for your pet.  Our goal is not to starve your pet, or deprive him of nutrients, but to put him on a controlled weight loss program based on nutrition and science. 

Our Veterinary Technicians are trained in canine and feline nutrition and can assist you in making good choices for your pet.  Please call the office to book a Nutritional Consultation for your pet today.

How do I know when it is time to say goodbye?

This is always a very difficult question.  The choice of euthanasia is a difficult one, but can also be one of the kindest desicions we make for our furry little friends.  "How do you know when it is time?" is a question that I hear on a daily basis in my job.   The veterinarian and the staff can assist you in making an objective assessment of the patient, but it ultimatley comes down to you.  Your endpoint is going to be different from your neighbours and your friends.  So how do we make this objective assessment?

Dr. Alice Villalobos, the veterinarian who started Pawspice, a quality of life program for terminal pets, has published a scoring system for life quality called The HHHHHMM scale. The letters stand for: Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, and More Good Days than Bad.

Quality of Life Scale: The HHHHHMM Scale
Pet caregivers can use this Quality of Life Scale to determine the success of pawspice care. Score patients using a scale of 1 to 10.  (Where 10 is a healthy animal)
Score	Criterion
1-10	HURT - Adequate pain control, including breathing ability, is first and foremost on the scale. Is the pet's pain successfully managed? Is oxygen necessary?
1-10	HUNGER - Is the pet eating enough? Does hand feeding help? Does the patient require a feeding tube?
1-10	HYDRATION - Is the patient dehydrated? For patients not drinking enough, use subcutaneous fluids once or twice daily to supplement fluid intake.
1-10	HYGIENE - The patient should be brushed and cleaned, particularly after elimination. Avoid pressure sores and keep all wounds clean.
1-10	HAPPINESS - Does the pet express joy and interest? Is the pet responsive to things around him or her (family, toys, etc.)? Is the pet depressed, lonely, anxious, bored or afraid? Can the pet's bed be close to the family activities and not be isolated?
1-10	MOBILITY - Can the patient get up without assistance? Does the pet need human or mechanical help (e.g., a cart)? Does the pet feel like going for a walk? Is the pet having seizures or stumbling? (Some caregivers feel euthanasia is preferable to amputation, yet an animal who has limited mobility but is still alert and responsive can have a good quality of life as long as caregivers are committed to helping the pet.)
1-10	MORE GOOD DAYS THAN BAD - When bad days outnumber good days, quality of life might be compromised. When a healthy human-animal bond is no longer possible, the caregiver must be made aware the end is near. The decision needs to be made if the pet is suffering. If death comes peacefully and painlessly, that is okay.
*TOTAL	*A total over 35 points represents acceptable life quality

Adapted by Villalobos, A.E., Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, VPN, 09/2004, for Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, by Blackwell Publishing, Table 10.1, released 2006.

How is euthanasia performed?
Euthanasia is performed using an overdose of an anesthetic drug.  This drug is injected into the vein, so it is necessary to place an IV catheter.  We will carefully do this with the least amount of stress possible for you and your beloved pet.  Should the patient stress or struggle the Veterinarian may give a sedative.  Once you are ready, the veterinarian will inject the drug through the IVport.  This overdose will stop her heart quickly.  The veterinarian will confirm that there is no heart beat using a stethoscope.  You are always welcome to hold her in your arms during the final moments if you wish.  After the procedure you may stay as long as you wish to say your final goodbye.

If you prefer, this service can be done at your house, or in your pet's favorite place under the apple tree. Please call to discuss this with a staff member.

What happens after the procedure?
You have 3 options for your pet's aftercare.  You can have her cremated, either privately or in a group. A private cremation means that he will go in alone and her ashes will be returned to you in a beautiful urn. You may also choose to bury her on your property. Please ensure the grave is deep enough to prevent other animals from digging her up.

For more information about cremation please visit Until We Meet Again Pet Memorial Center

If you are considering euthanasia, discuss your pet's condition with your veterinarian.

Should Pitbulls Be Banned in BC?

By: Samantha Haines
Reg. Animal Health Technologist

 
Before I even start, I would like to make one thing very clear: The following is my own personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Sechelt Animal Hospital.

 There was an editorial in The Province today entitled “It’s time to ban Pit Bulls in B.C.”.  The opinion of the author was that B.C. should follow Ontario’s lead in breed banning.  The author mentions an attack on a little girl named Emma-Leigh, and my heart goes out to her family.

I don’t pretend to know exactly what went down that day with Emma, but in the article it says that the dog was owned by a neighbor, and that everyone was together at a BBQ. I know that even the best of dogs can become agitated when confronted with children, delicious food and lots of people, especially if it’s all at once; given the circumstances, I am certainly not placing blame on anyone. Now don't get me wrong, in light of what happened I agree that this particular dog should be put down, but is banning the breed really going to solve anything?

I know of a few people that have moved to BC specifically because of the Pit Bull ban in Ontario. If we start banning the breed here, we are going to lose more people to other provinces, particularly young people, which (according to the article) are the primary owner of the breed, and we all know that BC is drastically lacking young families (especially around the Sunshine Coast).

I am a veterinary professional, I have never been bitten by a pitty, and in fact I prefer working with Pit Bulls over Chihuahuas or Dachshunds (aka: the Land Sharks)! At the end of the day, I treat every dog that I see, in or out of my job, with caution, because they are ALL potentially dangerous; however, they also ALL have an equal potential to be wonderful.  

Pit Bulls are generally gentle creatures and have a high tolerance for pain, but when and if they bite they can do a lot of damage. True, their jaws are stronger than most breeds, and they are bred to fight, but they are bred to fight other dogs, not their owners. There are many other breeds that have been bred for fighting and/or taking down their prey - Karelian Bear Dog, Akita, Rottweiler and even the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Should we start banning these breeds by association?

Then there’s the child-dog dynamic. This can be a wonderful relationship, but the fact is that 73% of dog bite injuries involve children (regardless of breed). A child and a dog should never be left alone together. I don't care if your Aunt says its ok, or your dog has never had a problem with kids. Kids move fast, they are not always aware of the things in their surroundings, they are even less aware of canine body language and behavior, and children can be unpredictable (just like dogs).  Should we never allow our children to experience the joy that having a dog can bring? Of course not, but just as we teach our dogs to play nice with children, we must also teach our children to play nice with dogs.  This involves teaching them about body language, warning signs, and appropriate responses.

In the online poll this article presents, the public is asked to vote “Yes” or “No” on whether or not B.C. should ban Pit Bulls. 60% of readers are saying "NO" to breed bans. This, in my opinion, is not a wide enough margin to draw conclusive results.  The author talks about how “Pit Bull owners say many things in defense of their dogs”, but fails to mention the people who speak against the breed based on hearsay and myth.

There are only bad owners not bad dogs right? I have heard this many times, and I agree to some extent, but, as with most things in life, there are two sides to every story.  Owners do need to take more responsibility for their dogs, and learn to seriously evaluate if a breed is right for their lifestyle and personality; for example, a young person who has had no experience with dogs should not be getting a Pit Bull just because they like the look of the dog, or just because they like the breed.  However, a young person with both dog and breed experience, who has a good understanding of dog behavior and appropriate training methods would be a great Pit Bull owner.  Unfortunately, people are not always smart about the decisions they make, and all too often this ends in disaster for the animals involved.  By the same token, I believe that any dog has the ability to seriously harm a person under the right circumstances. Even the most well trained dog is just that... a dog. Their basic instincts remain unchanged, and we cannot expect them to be little humans in fur coats.

Why must we all feel the need to take our pets to public events where they may be put in a circumstance that they are uncomfortable with? I am the first one to admit that my dogs are part of my family; they were even included in my wedding ceremony. Yet, I know my dog’s limitations: I know that they are not comfortable with parades, fireworks, and other large gatherings. It’s not that I feel that they would hurt someone, but I can tell that they are out of their comfort zone, and are not enjoying themselves. Now many dogs do, but it is up to the owner to be able to read your dog’s body language and speak for your dog. Your dog trusts you and your leadership, therefore you should never put your dog in a situation where he/she would feel uncomfortable or threatened.

The article says "watch a dog park clear" when a Pit Bull arrives on the scene. This says absolutely nothing about the dog; however it paints a very clear picture on society’s perception of the breed. It just means that we have been made to believe that these dogs are dangerous. I have a German Shepard, so I often get a similar reaction from the poorly informed public.  People and their dogs cross the street so they don't have to be near her, but I often find that both frustrating and enjoyable. On the plus side, I don't have people begging me to pet her, but on the negative I feel unfairly judged.

IF the breed is to be at fault, perhaps we can make the breeding and ownership of these dogs more difficult. The people who buy these dogs need to understand that their dog can be both a dangerous weapon AND a beloved family pet, and as such should be treated that way.  Instead of banning the breed, make spaying and neutering mandatory, as well as training in obedience and body language for both owner and dog.  Breeders should be regularly evaluated according to strict standards, and dangerously aggressive animals should be culled from breeding programs.  Maybe this should be the norm for all dogs regardless of breed.

Links: Editorial in The Province

Karen Pryor Children and Dogs

Video for kids Part 1, Part 2

Dog bite support group