News, Trivia and Fun Facts

Top 10 Reasons Pets Visit The Veterinarian:
Dogs:
1. Skin Allergies
2. Ear Infections
3. Stomach Upsets
4. Urinary Tract Infections
5. Benign Tumors
6. Skin Infections
7. Sprains
8. Arthritis
9. Instestinal Upsets
10. Eye Infections

Cats:
1. Urinary Tract Infections
2. Stomach Upsets
3. Kidney Failure
4. Skin Allergies
5. Diabetes
6. Skin Infections
7. Ear Infections
8. Tooth Extractions 
9. Colitis 
10. Hyperthyroidism 
(Source: Veterinary Economics) 

Feline Leukemia Testing 
The American Association of Feline Practicioners (www.aafponline.org)has developed new guidelines for diagnosing, treating and preventing feline leukemia (FELV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infections. Guidelines call for universal testing of all cats, regardless of previous testing history, when they are:
• first aquired
• following a high-risk event
• whenever they become sick
(Source: Clinicans Brief, August 2008)

Good News For Carsick Dogs 
If your dog gets carsick, there is help. Cerenia® helps prevent vomiting and prevents motion sickness. The tablet is given an hour before the car ride and lasts for a full 24 hours. So far, no side effects have been noted, and the medication is well tolerated.
(Source: Clinicans Brief, August 2008)

Top 10 Things Not To Forget When Traveling With Your Pet
1. A method of confinement for your pet (in the car and at the destination)
2. Identification (eg, tags and a microchip)
3. Proof of rabies vaccination
4. Contact information for your pet's regular veterinarian
5. Finding out what rules apply for their particular travel plans (eg, airline rules, health certificates, quarantine, etc)
6. Making reservations or obtaining a list of accomodations that will accept pets before starting out
7. Planning for pet rest stops and potty breaks
8. Bringing the pet's usual food along, or ensuring its usual food will be available at the travel destination
9. Taking along food and water bowls, familiar toys and bedding, and extra leashes
10. Planning for pet care at the destination during times the owner will be unable to bring the pet along (eg, restuarants, amusement parks)
(Source: Veteam Advisor, June 2008)

Pet Insurance is projected to increase dramatically by 2012 
A new report predicts that Pet Insurance will rise significantly by 2012. Currently, Pet Insurance currently has sales of $248 million in 2007, up 21% from $205 million in 2006. Pet Health Insurance is projected to grow to $1.1 billion by 2012.
(Source: Veterinary Practice News, June 2008)
(If you would like more information on pet insurance, please call our office at
295-8387 (VETS) or click on the link on this website.

Pet Owner Parasite IQ
• More than 80% of pet owners say they know parasites can be passed from pets to people, but they don't necessarily make the correlation with the importance of preventive care.
• Only 35% of pet owners are concerned about intestinal worms.
• 75% of pet owners are "not very" or "not at all" concerned with contracting a parasitic disease from a pet.
(Source: Companion Animal Parasite Council)

More than 2 million pet owners have pet health insurance for their pets, and it is projected to grow to 5% to 7% of all pet owners by 2010.
(Source: Veterinary Forum, May 2008)

Dental Top 10: The Top 10 purebred dogs at highest risk for periodontal disease:
• Toy Poodle
• Yorkshire Terrier
• Maltese
• Pomeranian
• Shetland Sheepdog
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Papillon
• Dachshund
• Standard Poodle
• Havanese
(Source: Veterinary Forum, May 2008)

Beware of Public Sandboxes
In 2006 Miami Dade County received notification of 3 cases of cutaneous laravl migrans (CLM) in chilren at a children's camp. Further investigation revealed 22 actual cases of CLM. The source of the the infection was cat feces in the sandbox. Cat fecal matter contained feline hookworm eggs which the children came in contact with while in the sandbox. The eggs then caused local rashes that itched. The patients were treated with medication to remove the worms.
(Source: Clinician's Brief, May 2008) 
*(Dr. Epstein's recommendation: First, make sure all of your pets are examined for intestinal parasites on a regular basis. We recommend at testing yearly, and make sure all pets are on parasite control. If you have a sandbox for your children at home, make sure it is covered with a plastic top or tarp, and always be on the lookout for stray pets using the sandbox for a litterbox. Allowing children to play in public sandboxes is risky and not recommended.)

Human Medications are the top household poison
A pet insurance company reported that human medications are the top household poison. Here is the list:
•Human medication reactions(3,455 claims) such as pain relievers, for example.
•Rodenticides (870 claims) (Dr. Epstein's comment: Make sure to keep all rodenticides away from pets. We recommend NOT using them at all when you have pets that could be exposed.)
•Methylxanthine(755 claims) includes caffeine and theobromine, both are found in chocolate.
•Plant poisoning(466 claims) examples include raisins, grapes, onions, tulips, oleander, hyacinths, poinsettas, lillies, azaleas and amarylis.
•Household chemicals(313 claims) examples include: bleach, deodorant and other toiletries.
•Metaldehyde(88 claims) found in snail bait.
•Organophosphate(60 claims) commonly found in insecticides.
•Toad poisoning(58 claims) some species of toads (particularly along the Gulf Coast) are toxic to dogs.
(Source: Veterinary Practice News, May 2008)
*(Dr. Epstein's comment: Antifreeze is also a very common poison. Please make sure you do not leave antifreeze out in the open where pets can drink it. Antifreeze tastes very sweet to pets and many will drink it readily.)

Inactive Cats have higher incidence of Diabetes
Indoor cats are often physically inactive, which may lead to obesity and an increased risk of developing diabetets. In a recent study, physical inactivity and and indoor confinement were significant risk factors for development of diabetes for cats. In this study, consumption of dry cat food did not increase the risk of developing diabetes, and it was suggested that high carbohydrate consumption was also not a risk factor.
(Source: Clincian's Brief, April 2008) 
*(Dr. Epstein's recommendations: Indoor cats need exercise as well as outdoor cats, so playing exercise games with your cat on a regular basis is beneficial. Try using a laser light to help your cat exercise. Here's how: Using your laser light, point the beam in front of your cat so that your cat sees the light, and starts to chase it. Make sure you do not point the beam into your cat's eyes or your eyes, this can cause eye damage.)

Dog owners are more active than non-dog owners
A study in the Journal of Preventive Medicine revealed that dog owners are twice as active as poochless peers, because dogs need daily walks.
(Source: Men's Health, May 2006)
*(Dr. Epstein's recommendations: Walk your dog at least 45 minutes daily)

New Parvovirus strain has been found in 12 states
Canine parvovirus type 2c has been found in 12 states, including California and southern Florida. There was no mention of new vaccines or any cross protection the current parvovirus vaccine gives against this strain.
(Source: Veterinary Forum, April 2008)

Salmonella in Pet Chews
A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in pet chews. Out of three hundred samples, Salmonlla was isolated from 5.7% of imported chews and 6.7% of domestically made chews. Pet chews from Australia had the highest incidence, at 14%.
(Source: NAVC Clinicians Brief, Jan 2008)
*(Dr. Epstein's recommendation: Never give your dog any pig ears, nor any pork products for that matter, this includes, ham, bacon, pork chops, pork hot dogs, and pig ears. Many dogs get very sick upon eating pork.)

Here are the top ten smartest dogs:
1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog
Visit our office today to find out which type of pet will be a good fit in your family.
(Sources: Veterinary Pet Insurance and petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html)

We would love to know what pet ownership means to you. Pets touch our lives in so many ways that if we didn't have pets, our lives would be much poorer. Pets can be therapeutic, fun and thrilling to watch when they are doing what they have been bred to do. Have you ever seen a Border Collie bring a flock of sheep in? You are watching a master tactician control sheep with with the sharpness of a scalpel. Pets are mortar that fills in the little cracks in our lives, allowing us to be complete. What does your pet mean to you? Tell me about you and your pet. I want to hear your story so I can share it with others here on our site. Write your story, send it to me, along with some pictures of you and your pet, and I'll post it on our site.