Itchy Scratchy, Itchy Scratchy … my pet needs relief!

What do scratching, chewing, licking paws, scooting on yer bum, ear infection after ear infection, fur loss around your eyes, hot spots and crusts all over your skin have in common?

They’re all a response by your pet’s immune system to fix a problem. Many failures to treatment are because the cause it is not addressed.

‘Bandaid’ solutions which help temporarily typically do not remove the source of the problem and so symptoms recur after treatment has stopped.

Put a little cream there, have a bath here, clean a gland there, try this food and that food here often end in frustration simply because of not understanding the diagnosis (naming the source of the problem) and treatment completely.

You pet’s immune system is complex and as such it has many cards up its sleeve to respond to yeast, bacteria, mold, dust mites, pollens, foods, and in planet earth in general.

Get a diagnosis now. Stop guessing what your treating and you’ll find much more relief and help for your pet.

June is “Stop Your Pet’s Itchy Scratchy Month” at Sunrise Vets.

Get 15% OFF your itchy scratchy exam when you come to get relief in June.

Dr. Stacey Gastis

Our family caring for yours.

250-339-6555

www.sunrisevet.ca

When your pet has bad breath and dental tartar (the yellow brown rock-like mineral that builds up on their teeth) the number of bacteria in their mouth increases a lot. Over time (months) these bacteria are swallowed and get into the blood. They set up shop in the liver and kidneys and heart where your pet’s immune system works continually to knock them out. Eventually the inflammation (immune system) causes scarring of healthy organ tissue. Heart valves warp causing leaks and turbulence heard as abnormal heart sounds (murmurs) and kidneys begin to fail.  Liver goes on overtime trying to handle the bacterial toxins in the mouth. Pets succumb before their time.

Preventing tartar buildup will prevent mouth bacteria organ damage.

Your pet’s teeth may be cleaned with only a sedative provided the tartar buildup and gum inflammation is not severe enough to require full anesthesia. And there are steps you can take to help in between cleanings without brushing.

So come on in and lets have a look at your pet’s teeth together.

May is “Knock Out Stinky Pet Breath Month” at Sunrise Vets.

Come in for your complimentary dental exam and get 25% OFF the cleaning portion of you pets dental cleaning if they need it. Learn about what you can do at home to help too.

They’re coming! Is your family prepared?

 With the spring blossom so too comes the march of creatures older than the hills and you know what, they need to feed on your pets to survive.  Sound like a sci-fi epic, so it is and your dog and cat don’t even know what they’re up against. Here on the island we’re talking, fleas that transmit red cell popping bacteria to your cats and cat scratch fever to us, ticks that spread Lyme disease, roundworms that are transmitted to children.

The trouble is we don’t see them until our pets are overburdened. In other words “crawling with them”. No worms in the stool of your pet does not mean they’re not there. They don’t want to come out. What is there are worm eggs you cannot see without a microscope.

Now the danger to our children. We have cat scratch fever in BC. Spread between cats by the cat flea when a child is scratched or bitten they may develop fever, vomiting or  pneumonia. We have cat and dog roundworms that infect children where they do bizarre migrations through the body causing scarring of the retina, kidneys and other organs and there is no medicine in people to stop this. In the US 13% of 30,000 people 6 years and older tested between 1988 and 1994 were shown to have antibodies to pet roundworms (Source: Centres for Disease Control www.cdc.gov). That means they were infected. The sources of infection include pets, playgrounds, and sandboxes.

So what do I do in my home? I treat my dogs and cats with a flea and tick monthly control application like Advantix or Revolution all year long. I deworm my cats, who are hunters of mice, monthly from April fool’s day to Halloween, I deworm my dogs every 2 months year round and we wash our hands after every dog tussle and kitty snuggle. Yep probably 10 times per day.

So take control over what’s out there and in your home that you cannot see and get on a parasite plan like mine.

Is your kitty ready to go out, nibble the crocus shoots and catch butterflies? What perilous adventures will they write home about? Fact is most outdoor cats are left to their own protection. Consider what they’re up against with each walkabout. The raccoon, the little bandit who lives in your neighbourhood, as cute as he is, can really bite. Ouch! The little brown bat, cute as she is, can really bite! Only this one may transmit rabies which is life threatening to your family. Do we have rabid bats in our community? You bet we do!  The little flea who hops around your yard can be more than an itchy scratchy nuisance. They’ll transmit a bacteria to your kitty that POPS their red blood cells and this is a true life or death emergency. If your kitty’s a senior, she may not be able to climb that tree and get away from the neighbour’s little terrier who lives for the chase.

Spring is a fun time, and so it should be. Take the small precautions now. Put a little force field around your little one, and give him a better chance to make it through happy and without mishap.

Now you doggies, pay attention! You can’t only giggle at this. It could be you who gets the bite.

March is ‘kitty cat preparedness month’ at Sunrise Vets.

We’ll help you make your summer just a little bit safer.

2. Stash your chocolate in a Brink’s truck. 

3. Do you know what tinsel does to intestines? 

4. What family turkey? 

5. Careful how you light it up! 

6. Know where your cat drinks from? 

7.  How much of a good thing is too much? 

8.  Do you see the tree ornament? oh oh…Where did it go? 

Have a safe holiday season and if your pet needs help… well… our gift to you will be 10% off vet services in December.

Cheers, Dr. Stacey

Facts: Our Comox Valley fleas transmit bacteria that pop cat red blood cells, transmit tapeworms and deer ticks that transmit Lyme disease.

Sending your pet outside is like sending them into battle with an enemy they can’t see. Did you know a tick is the size of a pin head when it latches on? By the time you notice one on your pet, looking like a grey-coloured small grape, it will have injected the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a crippling disease for life if undiagnosed.

Imagine being bitten by a flea that passes a bacteria which plants itself in your red blood cell. Your immune system then sends antibodies to kill it by bursting your red cells. Pale gums and difficulty getting oxygen occurs. If not diagnosed early, your on your way out. This is what your cat is up against with every potential flea bite.

So an ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure. Easy prevention with a monthly applied, vet approved and safe medicine is available. These critters become really active in April. We’ll help you get started with your complimentary application of a flea or tick preventative when you visit us in April.

Send them out to play with peace of mind and protection.

Happy Spring,

Dr. Stacey

Cameron

Great questions Cameron, having cats (plural) is just plain fun. They chase, play, pounce, yowl, sometimes fight, but mostly get along much like we do. This social play really goes a long way to keeping them active and getting exercise. Many cats can be fed all the time and they won’t get fat. The problem is some do. If you have one of these guys, then everyone has to pull for him and be on a feeding schedule. The more small meals a day the better, but twice a day will do and separating their feed bowls to different rooms will decrease competition, fast eating and vomiting.

A recent U.S. study found 35% of cats to be obese. If you have a fat cat studies suggest they won’t live as long as their leaner mate. Ever tried to get weight off a cat? Oh boy! It’s not easy. So the trick is to prevent it as a kitten. What you feed is everything as well as watching your cat’s body fat condition.

Nutrition and dental health care have done more to extend the life of cats than any other health advancement in the past 20 years. No two cats are alike and so diet recommendations need to be tailored especially of you have more than one.

The real enemy your cat faces is that it will hide a problem from you for a long time. This is where routine wellness exams, not more than one year apart, shine. We’ll give you a health report card and your cat will have its best chance of living a long and healthy life ‘cause they’re worth every 3 am hallway ruckus.

All the best,

Dr. Stacey

Sunrise Veterinary Clinic in Comox.

250-339-6555

www.sunrisevet.ca

A: While not all heart diseases are preventable, you can certainly help those that will develop because of bad teeth. If your pet will accept the brush and you have the fortitude to brush every 2 to 3 days without fail, then you’ll give them fighting chance to avoid this. Bacterial burden in your pets mouth, when teeth become loose and really smelly, will cause seeding of bacteria to the heart valves and other organs. Over time, as the body fights the infection, the inflammation will warp the heart valves and cause turbulent blood flow. This is heard as a heart murmur or abnormal ‘swishing’ sound. The heart will have to work harder and will enlarge to compensate for this. When it can no longer stretch it fails and coughing and decrease in exercise is seen.

Tooth health needs to be strted as a puppy and kitten and throughout your pets life. Anything that can keep the bacteria down and the gums healthy will go a long way. There are dental pet foods, dental biscuits, antiseptics, gels and more. But nothing does the job like a good brushing. If your pets teeth have tarter staining and buildup then a cleaning is in order before it gets to gum disease. If your pet won’t let you lift the lips or you just want to know, find out from a professional who knows about pet teeth. That’s a vet.

Dr. Stacey

In the last 2 years, there has been an increase in the number of complaints of dog illness associated with chicken jerky products FROM CHINA. Signs may include:  loss of appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea sometimes with blood, increased thirst and peeing (kidney). If your dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the treats and call us.

No one has identified what’s causing it only that there have been the links mentioned.

We’ve had some really sick dogs at our vet clinic and we believe it was the chicken jerky.

These products are sold in the Comox Valley too and dogs love them!

Check your labels.

Dr. Stacey

As posted on facebook

Dear Glen,

Awesome Question!

Soy proteins are excellent quality proteins for people but in regular pet food… not so much.

It’s used because it’s cheap.

Soy beans contain anti-nutritional factors (e.g., anti-trypsin) that stop protein digestion and proper absorption of nutrients.

They also contain non-digestible carbohydrates (sugars) that are likely to ferment in the colon and produce gas as well as other digestive disturbances.

If the soy is treated with enzymes then it becomes very nutritious for humans (tofu) and for pets with allergies, but only if treated this way.

In the enzyme digested form, soy is a great protein.

The soy enzyme hydrolysate is more than 96% digestible, which is similar to casein (whey) and egg and is actually more digestible than high-quality animal proteins like red meat.

In human and animal nutrition, soy hydrolysate has become very useful.

The quality of this protein source is such that it is used as milk protein substitute for allergic infants and in protein supplements for athletes or recovering patients.

In human medicine, soy hydrolysate-based diets are used to prevent the development of inflamed intestines in patients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.

In regular dog foods it’s not the enzyme digested soy that’s used.

So your pet will probably not get much nutrition out of it.
More likely they’ll just clear the room.

All the best,

Dr. Stacey

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