Something Special Award November 2009 Winner

Melissa

I asked my groomer for a puppy cut, but what I got wasn’t what I expected.  Can you tell me what a puppy cut is supposed to look like?

A puppy cut is how show poodles under one year of age are groomed.  The face and feet are shaved close and the rest is hand-scissored.  The top knot and neck are left very long, and only scissored enough to produce the correct outline.

If your dog isn’t a poodle, there is no standard “puppy cut,” so everyone has a different idea about how it’s supposed to look.  For some, it’s fairly short all over, like a newborn puppy.  For others, it’s long and fluffy, like a four- or five-month-old puppy, or it might be anywhere in between.

My advice is to just tell your groomer what you want your “puppy” to look like.  Be specific about the length you want, how you’d like the ears and tail trimmed, and what shape you’d like the face – round or broad like a terrier.  A picture may help, but remember that your dog’s coat texture will affect the final outcome.  Your groomer can’t make a Maltese look like an Airedale, after all!

On Monday, November 9, 2009 Striegel, Lakeside and Spears Animal Hospitals will have a new Animal Emergency Service telephone number.  It is (866)799-9908.

For the past fifteen years, our three hospitals have been joined in a partnership to ensure quality emergency service to you and your pet 24 hours per day, seven days per week.  In order to ensure that service, we have changed our emergency service phone number that we believe will streamline the process of direct contact with the Veterinarian on call within minutes of your initial call.

You and your pet are important to us and we believe that your concerns should be addressed as quickly and professionally as possible – when you need those most! 

We look forward to your feedback on our new answering service.

Your Staff and Doctors at Striegel Animal Hospital

In observance of the following holidays, Striegel Animal Hospital will use the following holiday schedule:

Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 25th Open 8:00am – 12:00 Noon

Thursday, November 26th   - Closed

Christmas

Thursday, December 24th  - Closed

Friday, December 25th  - Closed

New Year’s

Thursday, December 31st Open 8:00 am – 12:00 Noon

Friday, January 1st – Closed

Plan your Boarding Reservations Early!

In the event of a medical emergency, please call (866)799-9908.

We Wish You the Happiest of Holidays!

Research shows that 1 in 6 dogs suffer from motion sickness and, sadly, only 25% of these cases are reported to the pet’s veterinarian.

Rather than treatment, the common solution among owners is to limit travel with their dog.  This is upsetting to many owners who want to travel and enjoy the companionship of their pet. Or pet owners use over-the-counter medications, such a Dramamine and Benadryl, but with limited efficacy and some undesirable sedative effects.

With the new medication, Cerenia, pet owners can prevent vomiting due to motion sickness with a once per day tablet!

In all clinical trials, Cerenia has been proven safe and well tolerated.

Now, are you ready for that Holiday trip?  How about your canine companion? 

Don’t forget their Cerenia! 

Available at Striegel Animal Hospital.

Happy Birthday, Elliot!

Successful flea control has two aspects.  Fleas must be controlled on your pets, and fleas must be controlled in your pets’ environment.  Since cats and dogs share the same fleas, the presence of both species in your pets’ environment can make flea control much more difficult.  All pets in a household must be effectively treated, even if it appears that only one pet is being bothered by fleas. 

Diagnosis of Flea Infestation

 When a dog or cat is heavily infested with fleas, it is easy to find the fleas.  If the numbers are small, it is best to quickly turn your pet over and look on its belly.  If you do not find fleas there, look on the back just in front of the tail.  Be sure to part the hair and look at the level of the skin.  Also look for "flea dirt."  Flea dirt is digested blood left behind by the fleas.  Flea dirt is actually fecal matter from the flea.  Finding flea dirt is a sure indication that fleas are present or have been present recently. 

Flea dirt looks like pepper.  It varies from tiny black dots to tubular structures about 1/32" (1-2 mm) long.  If you are not sure it is flea dirt, put the suspected material on a light colored tabletop or counter top.  Add one or two drops of water and wait about 30 seconds.  If it is flea dirt, the water will turn reddish brown as the blood residue goes into the solution.  Another trick is to put some of the material on a white paper towel and then wet the paper towel with water.  A red stain will become apparent if you gently wipe the material across the surface of the paper towel.

Many people find tiny drops of blood in a pet's bedding or where the pet sleeps.  This is usually flea dirt that was moistened, then dried.  It leaves a reddish stain on the bedding material and is another sign that fleas are present.

Life Cycle of the Flea

To appreciate the complex issue of flea control, you must understand something about the flea's life cycle.

Although you are only able to see the adult flea, there are actually 4 stages of the life cycle.  The adult flea constitutes only about 5% of the entire flea population if you take into account all four stages of the life cycle.  Flea eggs are pearly white and about 1/32" (1-2 mm) in length.  They are almost too small to see without magnification.  Fleas lay their eggs on the pet, but the eggs do not stick to your dog or cat's hair.  Instead, they fall off into the pet's environment.  The eggs make up 50% of the flea population.  They hatch into larvae in 1 to 10 days, depending on the temperature and humidity in the environment.  High humidity and high temperature favor rapid hatching.

Flea larvae are slender and about 1/8-1/4" (2 - 5 mm) in length.  They feed on organic debris found in their environment and on adult flea feces, which is essential for successful development.  They avoid direct sunlight and actively move deep into carpet fibers or under organic debris (grass, branches, leaves, or soil).  They live for 5 to 11 days before becoming pupae.

Moisture is essential for their survival; flea larvae are killed by drying.  Therefore, it is unlikely for them to survive outdoors in areas of strong, direct sunlight.  Outdoor larval development occurs only where the ground is shaded and moist and where flea-infested pets spend a significant amount of time.  This allows flea feces to be deposited in the environment.  In an indoor environment, larvae survive best in the protected environment of carpet, along baseboards, under and inside upholstered furniture, or in cracks between hardwood floors.  They also thrive in humid climates.

Following complete development, the mature larvae produce a silk-like cocoon in which the next step of development, the pupa, resides.  The cocoon is sticky, so it quickly becomes coated with debris from the environment.  This serves to camouflage it.  In warm, humid conditions, pupae become adult fleas in 5-10 days.  However, the adults do not emerge from the cocoon unless stimulated by vibrations, carbon dioxide, and heat. 

Pre-emerged adult fleas can survive up to 140 days within the cocoon.  During this time, they are resistant to insecticides applied to their environment.  Because of this, adult fleas may continue to emerge into the environment for several weeks following insecticide application.

When the adult flea emerges from its cocoon, it immediately seeks a host because it must have a blood meal within a few hours to survive.  It is attracted to people and pets by body heat, movement, and exhaled carbon dioxide.  Following the first blood meal, female fleas begin egg production within 36 to 48 hours.  One female flea typically produces 40 to 50 eggs per day.  Egg production can continue for as long as 100 days, which means that a single flea can produce thousands of eggs in her short lifetime!

This entire life cycle (adult flea >>> egg >>> larvae >>> pupa >>> adult) can be completed in 14-21 days with the proper temperature and humidity conditions, but it may also take much longer if environmental conditions are not ideal.  This adds to the problem of flea control.

If untreated, the female flea will continue to take blood for several weeks.  During that time, she will consume about 15 times her body weight in blood.  Although the male fleas do not take as much blood, they, too, contribute to significant blood loss.  This can cause a pet to have an insufficient number of red blood cells, which is known as anemia.  In young or debilitated dogs and cats, this anemia may become severe enough to cause death.

Flea Control

Successful flea control must rid your pets of fleas and it must rid your pets’ environment of fleas.  In fact, environmental control is as important as treatment of your pet.  If your dog or cat remains primarily indoors and you do not have other pets that come in from the outside, environmental control is relatively easy, especially with the advent of the newer topical and oral products (see below).  However, the dog or cat that goes outdoors frequently, or stays outdoors, presents a greater challenge and a few fleas may occasionally be seen indoors.

Many of the older insecticides (which have been the mainstay of flea control for years) have limited effectiveness against fleas because they are only effective for a few hours after application on the pet.  Also, these are primarily geared to kill adult fleas.  Flea powders, sprays, and shampoos will kill the fleas present on your pet at the time of application.  However, most of these products have little or no residual effect, so fleas that return to your pet from his environment after the pet is treated are not eliminated by these products.  Thus, your dog or cat may be covered with fleas within a day after having a flea bath or being sprayed or powdered. 

However, there are some newer, more effective sprays that can be a valuable part of the overall treatment plan.  They kill adult fleas rapidly and are safe enough to use daily, if necessary.  Flea sprays containing insect growth regulators are helpful in managing the overall problem because they help to break the flea life cycle by decreasing the number of flea eggs that hatch.  In general, flea sprays, collars, powders and dips have become less popular since the introduction of the newer, safer and more effective products.

Newer Products

There are several newer topical treatments that are applied to the back of the pet’s neck.  Frontline Plus^TM and Advantage^TM  are two very effective products; because they remain topical and are not absorbed through the skin they are also extremely safe.  Both kill adult fleas for a full month.  Frontline Plus also kills ticks and contains a second ingredient that helps kill flea eggs as the female flea deposits them on your pet’s skin.  There are many other products that are designed to be used once a month and are applied in a similar manner to these two.  All have specific advantages and disadvantages.  Ask your veterinarian about any of these products prior to using them.  Be careful!  Some of these other products cause severe illness or fatalities if used on cats or debilitated dogs.  Never use any flea product that is labeled “for dogs only” on a cat; fatal reactions can occur! 

A new product, known as Comfortis^TM, is a meat-flavored “flea pill” that is administered once a month.  It is currently approved for use in dogs only, but research is ongoing regarding a possible future formulation for cats.  Comfortis^TM  has one big advantage over the topical monthly medications – it kills the adult fleas on your pet much faster, thereby reducing the number of flea eggs shed into your pet’s environment.  

Another meat-flavored, monthly “flea pill” is called Program^TM. This medication does not kill adult fleas but it does kill flea eggs and larvae.  When the female flea produces eggs, the eggs do not hatch.  In effect, this product acts like a birth control product for the flea.  Giving this product has the effect of treating your house for fleas without spraying anything in your house.  This very safe product is available for both dogs and cats.  The monthly pill for dogs is available alone (Program^TM tablets) or combined with a heartworm preventative (Sentinel^TM tablets).  Cats may also take a monthly Program^TM tablet or monthly Program^TM liquid oral preparation. In addition, there is an injection available for cats to be administered by your veterinarian which will provide the Program^TM flea egg control for 6 months after a single injection.  Because of its effectiveness in controlling the flea egg population, the consistent use of Program^TM (or Sentinel^TM) is an excellent way to help prevent a flea infestation from occurring in your home in the first place.

If you have any pet species other than dogs or cats in your household, check with a veterinarian familiar with the species to determine which product(s) will be most safe and effective for them.

Environmental Control

The newer topical and oral products do not require the aggressive environmental control that is necessary if only dips, sprays, or collars are used.  This is one reason why they have become so popular with pet owners.  Many people try the newest products for 1-2 weeks to see if they provide adequate flea control alone.  Please consult with us about the requirements for your specific situation. 

When environmental flea control is indicated, it must be directed at both your house and your yard.  Remember:  adult fleas live on animals; flea eggs, larvae and cocoons are everywhere else.  Therefore, when treating the environment, concentrate on killing those eggs and larvae!  Remember also, no chemical will kill the cocooned stage of the flea.  The only way to eliminate the cocooned stage is to wait for the adult flea to emerge, and then kill the resulting adult flea.  Your veterinarian will be able to help you choose the most effective products for your situation.

House.  Even though large numbers of flea eggs, larvae and cocoons may be in your house, most people never see them.  A professional exterminator may be called to treat your house or you may use a house fogger or a long-lasting spray.  You should purchase a fogger or a spray that kills the adult fleas and inhibits development of the eggs and larvae.  In climates with extended warm temperatures and high humidity, it may be necessary to treat two or three times with a 30-day residual product before all stages of the fleas are removed from the house.  The second treatment is most effective if it is done 2 weeks after the first.

As a rule, flea eggs and larvae tend to concentrate at the edges of rooms, along the baseboards, under furniture, inside upholstered furniture and deep inside carpets.  Thus, sprays applied directly to these areas are generally more effective than foggers.  Fogger mists tend to fall out of the air in the center of the room, and access areas under and inside furniture very poorly.  Fogger sprays also do not turn corners well, so an individual fogger is generally necessary for each room in the house.  Therefore most homes require less product to be used if sprays are utilized instead of foggers.

Yard.  Yard control may also be done by professional exterminator or with various products you may use yourself.  Be sure that any insecticide that you use has a 30-day residual.  This keeps you from having to spray every week.  In climates with extended warm temperatures and high humidity, it will often be necessary to treat monthly during the warm months of the year.  You should use a 30-day residual product each time. Concentrate your spraying to the cool, moist areas of your yard, especially the areas where your pets like to stop and rest. 

Re-emergence of Fleas

If you recall, a pre-emerged adult flea can survive up to 140 days within the cocoon.  This is significant when your pets are gone from home for extended periods of time.  During the time that the house is quiet and empty, the fleas present in your home continue their development from egg to larvae to cocoon.  But without their mammalian hosts’ activity in the house, the pre-emerged adults remain in their cocoons.  Even if the house was treated with an insecticide, their cocoon protects them.  When people and pets return to the house, the adult fleas emerge from their cocoons en mass and immediately begin to seek a blood meal.  They jump on cats, dogs, and even people.  Although it may appear that a dog just returned from boarding brought fleas to your home, it is also very possible that a sudden emergence of adult fleas may account for the fleas present.  If large numbers of fleas are seen, they are almost certainly newly hatched fleas and have not come home with your pet.

Additional information regarding pet health may be found in our Medical Watch section.

Congratulations go to Helen Miller, Striegel Animal Hospital’s Professional Groomer for her receipt of the “2008 Knowledgeable Award” presented by GroomerTALK, part of PetGroomer.com, a subsidiary of Find A Groomer, Inc.   

The Award recipient is determined by the voting of Professional Groomers.   GroomerTalk is a world wide communication channel developed within the industry to provide information about the grooming profession and its advances that arise from education, experience and communication.

Dr. Sandy Kayne of Striegel Animal Hospital, attended a 3 day seminar, presented by specialists in Gastro-Intestinal Medicine from the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  Topics included liver diseases, diarrhea diseases and updated Gastro-Intestinal surgical procedures.

February 21 Announcement:  A Public Service Announcement on Pet Periodontal Disease

General Information

Puppies have a total of 28 teeth, while adult dogs have 42.  Kittens have 26 teeth and adult cats have 30 teeth.  The incisors are the small incisors of your pet's mouth.  Most pets will have 6 incisors on the upper jaw and 6 incisors on the lower jaw.  These teeth are used for delicate work such as nibbling small pieces, tearing bits of meat away from the bone, and grooming.  The canine teeth are the large "fang-like" teeth in the front of your pet's mouth.  There are 4 of these teeth.  They are designed to grasp and tear with great force.  The remaining teeth are premolars and molars.  These are the shearing teeth.  As carnivores, dog and cat teeth are designed for killing prey and ripping chunks of meat off bone.  They do not have flat, grinding teeth, such as cows or people.

Saliva helps lubricate food during swallowing.  The pH of the saliva is about 7.5, which buffers the oral cavity against caries (cavity) formation but tends to promote deposition of plaque.  Dental calculus (tarter) is composed of various mineral salts, organic material and food particles.  in the early stages of accumulation, the material is soft (plaque), but it later hardens and adheres to the teeth.  Continual accumulation causes inflammation of the gums and eventual recession of the gums and loss of teeth.

Left untreated, periodontal disease has serious implications for your pet's health.  Besides bad breath and unpleasant appearance of teeth, periodontal disease inevitably leads to tooth loss.  appetite suffers, which leads to weight loss.  But the problems of periodontal disease doesn't stop in the mouth.  the liver, kidneys, heart and, less commonly, the lungs can, over time, be affected by the persistent invasion of toxins and bacteria in the blood steam.

Treatment and Prevention

Depending on your pet's stage of dental disease, we may recommend a professional treatment.  the way your pet's teeth are cleaned is very similar to the way your dentist cleans your teeth.  This procedure is done under anesthesia.  There are different anesthetic protocols available depending on your pet's age and health.  Your pet will come into the hospital the day before the procedure and will be able to go home a few hours after the procedure.  A thorough examination is done, then any tarter is removed and the teeth are thoroughly cleaned.  After cleaning, the teeth are polished and the OraVet sealer is applied.  This sealer is designed to significantly reduce future plaque and tarter formation.

Brushing your pet's teeth is the most effective way to remove plaque and to prevent periodontal disease.  It is fairly easy to do and doesn't take much time.   There may be an initial fuss, but pets will like the taste of the special veterinary dental toothpaste.  Currently, it comes in mint, malt and poultry flavors.  It is important that you NOT use human toothpaste or baking soda to brush your pet's teeth.  Human toothpastes contain ingredients which may cause gastric problems and the high level of sodium (salt) may cause difficulties in pets with other medical problems.   Also, do not use human toothbrushes as the bristles are too hard and the shape of the brush may be difficult for you to use.  You should brush your pet's teeth daily to prevent tater buildup, since it takes approximately 24-36 hours for the soft plaque to begin to form hard faster.

For an appointment at Striegel Animal Hospital, please call (618) 457-4133.
 

striegelanhosp@clearwave.com.

Thank you!