Spring Newsletter 2010

Wolf River Veterinary Clinic

 Heartworm Season

BY: Mark Baetke

Spring is the time for showers, May flowers and MOSQUITOES. You have to hand it to that pesky mosquito, not only does he annoy man and beast but he also carries an especially nasty scourge to unprotected dogs. That malady is Heartworm disease. Heartworm is a parasite that lives in the heart of a dog and can cause heart, lung and kidney damage if not detected and treated.

                 Visible signs of the disease usually do not appear until more than a year after the dog has been infected. Unfortunately, by this time most of the damage has already been done, making treatment difficult and costly.

                 The way heartworms are spread is a mosquito bites an infected dog and ingests the microfilaria in the dogs’ blood. Microfilaria are the baby heartworm produced by adults living in the heart. The microfilaria develops in the mosquito to an infective larval stage that is transferred to a noninfected dog when it is bitten by the mosquito. The larval stage the goes through a molting stage in the tissues of the dog before migrating to the heart and developing into adults.

The larval stage is easily and safely killed by using a monthly preventative. There are several types of monthly medications. Most also kill intestinal parasites. All are effective if used as directed. Dogs should be treated for the entire mosquito season and a month after. It is now recommended that most dogs be on preventative year round.

All dogs should be tested before being started on the preventative. There are cases of heartworm every year in our area, by using a preventative you can stop the spread of heartworm as well as protect the health of your dog.

 

Improving Your Quality of Life

By: Kathleen Nehring

 There are many ways you can improve the quality of your life, but how can you improve yours, improve another’s and improve your community?  The answer is volunteering.  Volunteering is not only good for your spirit it is good for your health and very worthwhile.  I like to volunteer my time in the animal field I choose to work with local animal shelters, but there are many great organizations you can work with .  I love to go and work with the dogs there, whether it is playing with the dogs, bathing them, or cleaning kennels, I love being there with them.  I find this very rewarding and I know the dogs do too.  You will meet and make many new friends, some with four feet, and others with two.  Many times the people I talk to about volunteering at such an organization are concerned that they would come home with many pets, not be able to leave them there, or feel guilty, but the fact of the matter is, by volunteering you are a stepping stone in helping find someone a new home.  Yes, sometimes you might choose to adopt a new pet, but overall helping others feels good and you can add a lot of LIFE to your life.  Many organizations do appreciate monetary donations, which are very important, but a lot of times they need your help and actually being there in a physical matter feels just as good if not better than sending in a donation.  National volunteer week is approaching quickly, April 18-24, so make a difference for yourself, and others, you’ll love it!!

Canines and Cavities

By: Ashley Schwartz

Did you know that dogs can get cavities too?  Although it is rare in veterinary medicine, some dogs can develop bacterial cavities just like people do.  These cavities can be very painful to your dog and should be treated quickly after they have been diagnosed.  Cavities are rare in dogs and even rarer in cats because they do not share the same diets that people have.  Dogs have small amounts of sugar and acidic foods in their diet, which is the main cause of human cavities.  The sugar and acidic foods that humans eat actually feed the bacteria that destroy their teeth.  Some other reasons why it is rare for dogs to get cavities are because they have different bacteria flora, or types of bacteria, in their mouths.  The bacteria that your dog has in its mouth produce less acid than that of humans.  Also, a dog’s mouth is mainly made up of shape, rigid teeth.  There is less surface area for the bacteria to hold on to, compared to a humans flat, grinding molars.  This is why the most common place for cavities in dogs is the upper 1^st molar, because it is the largest, flat, grinding tooth in the mouth.  The last reason why it is so rare for dogs to get cavities is because the life span of your dog is shorter than yours, which gives the bacteria less time to cause the cavity.

So how are the cavities treated?  They are treated the same way as in human medicine.  First, a radiograph is taken to see if the diseased portion of tooth has reached the pulp cavity.  If it has, then your dog will need root canal therapy prior to fixing the tooth.  If the pulp cavity of the tooth has not been reached by disease, then the doctor will remove the diseased portions of the tooth and fill the space with either a silver (amalgam) or white (composite) filling, depending on the severity and location of the tooth.  If the cavity has advanced even further before being diagnosed, extraction of the tooth is required.

Cavities should not to be confused with staining on your dogs’ teeth.  Many dogs will get staining on their teeth as they age, or even from their diet.  This is normal, and it cannot be removed even with a dental cleaning.  If your dog or cat is having trouble eating, pawing at its mouth, has a strong mouth odor or is salivating more, please call and set up a dental exam today!

 

Orphan or Not

By: Mark Baetke

 

Spring is the time of year when many people are venturing outside more. It is also the time of year when things start to grow and renew themselves, including our wild animal population. In spring and early summer, many people find what they believe to be orphans. Most of these young animals found alone are not orphans. Birds and mammals do not spend a lot of time with their young. Most of the day is spent finding food. The young spend most of their time alone. Many good intentioned people take in what they think are orphans, but most of what appear to be orphans do have parents and should be left alone. An obviously injured animal does need care even if its parents are near. It is sometimes hard to tell if any animal is an orphan but here are some guidelines to help.

A bird that is featherless or not fully feathered should be returned to the nest it came from, if the nest can be found. The mother bird will accept it even if you touch it, so don’t worry about handling the bird. If an entire nest falls out of a tree, put all the young back in the nest and put the nest back in the tree, the mother bird will usually come back when things settle down. When watching to see if the mother comes back, stay out of sight, she won’t return if she feels threatened. Many young birds leave the nest before they can fly well. When you see a young bird with all its feathers that doesn’t seem ale to fly leave it alone. Mother birds will feed these fledglings on the ground until they can fly. Fledglings are especially prone to attacks by pets. If you see fledglings in your yard keep pets away from them until they can fly well.

Rabbits make nests in yards around bushes and buildings. The mother will only visit the nest once or twice a day. If you accidentally uncover a nest, cover it back up, the mother will usually return. She may move the bunnies during the night if the nest is badly disturbed. Young rabbits are independent very early. Young that are fully furred and are eating solid food are on their own and should be left alone. Rabbits can be as small as 4-5 inches long when they leave the nest.

Fawns and raccoons should be left where they are overnight, if it is still in the same spot the next day it may be lost or orphaned and need help.

                 Squirrels are sometimes blown out of trees during storms. If you find one try to look for the nest and put it back, or leave it where it is and see if the mother retrieves it.

                 Young animals are best raised by their parents. Please make sure it is an orphan before you step in. If you do find an orphan or see a mother killed and find she had young, these animals need special care. Many orphans have been killed by well meaning people raising them wrong. Wild orphans need special care and special diets. The best thing to do is find a trained rehabber in the area to take care of the orphan. Remember it is illegal to keep any wild animal as a pet.

 

The Professional

By: James Ziegler

 

As a professional, I think that others have expectations of how I should act, look, and present myself.  This is only fair, because I feel the same way about other professional people.  I can remember a funny story about my father, however, when he did not meet someone’s expectations.

                 My father was a well known, highly respected cardiologist.  He was also very humble and plain.  When not performing his clinical duties, dad like to dress down even when in public, often to the embarrassment of my mother.

On one cold rainy day, he was in a pharmacy picking something up.  He was dressed in leather work boots, large wool socks, work pants, and an old sweatshirt, and had a long rain slicker hanging from his shoulder.  On the top of his head he wore his favorite “Dewie Dimwit” hat - a red, conical felt hat with a turned up rim at its base.  Needless to say, he was a sight.

At the time there was a lady trying to pick up a prescription.  She needed whatever medicine it was badly, but there had been a mix up, and the pharmacy did not have a doctors authorization to dispense the medication.  The lady frantically pleaded with the pharmacist, who could not legally help her.

However, in an attempt to resolve the situation, the pharmacist pointed to my dad and told the lady, “That man is a doctor, Perhaps he can help you.”  The lady turned and sized up the shabbily dressed man before her.  After taking it all in for a few seconds, she turned to the pharmacist and said, “That is ok, I can wait.” and she strode out the door.

Dad was oblivious to the situation until the pharmacist shared the story with him.  The story became a family favorite, told over and over again throughout the years.  It never changed the way dad dressed, though.

 

Re-Homing A Pet

 In recent years, the term “re-homing” has become popular.  The meaning of the term is obvious, but the implications are not always clear.

The re-homing of a pet occurs when an existing care giver comes to the heart-felt conclusion that a pet of theirs would thrive better in a different home environment.  These situations certainly exist.  An owner may not be able to meet the needs of a particular pet, a life-style change may force such a transition, or, in a multiple pet household, a pet may not thrive due to the stress of the existing social order between pets.  It can be very insightful of a pet owner to realize that, despite their love for an animal, they know that it would benefit from a life-style change.  This can be a heart wrenching decision, but if it is the pets best interest, it can be a good thing.

In his book “The Dogs of Bedlam Farm,” author Jon Katz describes how he had to go through this process with a

much loved dog who was being brow-beaten by his other dominant dogs.  Evan famed Wisconsin behaviorist Patricia McConnell has been faced with re-homing a pet in order to give it a life more conductive to meeting its needs.

                 One thing needs to made very clear, and that is that re-homing is an act of love for a pet who means a lot to an owner.  It is an act born out of deep concern for the pets well being, and it is taken very seriously.  Finding a pet a new home can take a long time, and is something that can require a great deal of patience.  Many contacts and resources may have to be utilized to accomplish the goal.

At the same time, it is important to distinguish between re-homing and surrender or abandonment.  Surrendering a pet, while not always a bad thing, does not show the responsibility that proper re-homing does.  In a rural area like ours, it is also common to drop pets off at farms (particularly cats) with the idea that they will thrive in their new environment.  This is abandonment, and is not acceptable.  Surprisingly, abandonment at a veterinary clinic is not all to uncommon, and other peoples irresponsibility becomes our responsibility.

Acquiring and maintaining a pet is a tremendous responsibility.  Far too many go into a pet relationship lightly, almost dooming it to failure, which is why rescue groups and humane shelters are chronically overwhelmed and euthanasia numbers are so ridiculously high.  Even good pet owners can find themselves in a situation of having to find a new home for a pet, however, when this occurs a responsible, loving solution may be reached.  A unique life is always at stake, and we must respect that fact.

 “A Heavy Issue”

 

One of the popular reality shows in recent times has been “The Biggest Loser.”  While the show creates a competition out of the contestants weight loss, it is obvious that the contestants are striving to change their lives by changing themselves.

                 The same type of a situation is encountered quite frequently in veterinary medicine.  The big difference is that our over weight pets get that way due to owner choices, and they can only lose weight as the result of owner choices.  A big part of the problem is that it is easy to create a fat pet, but it can be very difficult to make a fat pet thin.  I did not realize until recently that obesity carries with it a very unique physiology that is difficult to undo.  At the same time, it is something that can be reversed.

Over the years I have given numerous pet owners the advice  to get their pets to lose weight, along with the tools to do it.  This is very common in pets with orthopedic problems.  Following certain orthopedic surgeries, I have even cautioned owners that they will be very disappointed with the results if their pet dose not lose weight.  In some cases, it can even got to the extent of deciding the pets fate (we have seen numerous cases where obese pets become “downers”, unable to get up and walk anymore, overwhelmed by carrying excessive weight for years.)

And what are the results of my recommendations?  For the most part, I would claim, at the best about a 10% success rate in having clients comply.  This of course, is dismal and it is sad.  I see endless pets not only balloon out with excess body weight, but also suffer from it, too.  I see pets with orthopedic problems do very poorly simply due to their obesity.  Not only is the quality of life compromised, but the quantity of life is also impacted.  It is such a difficult battle to win.

As stewards of our pets well-being we need to provide for them in many ways.  It is a responsibility we assume when we acquire them,  Part of that responsibility is to meet their nutritional needs, part of which is maintaining an ideal body weight.

I remember an advertisement I saw years ago in on of our veterinary publications.  It pictured an obese beagle sitting on a chair next to a kindly looking elderly lady in what appeared to be a very nice home.  The caption on the bottom of the picture was “This dog deserves better”.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WRVC NEWSLETTER
SPRING 2009

WRVC Adds Dr. Lowell Wickman as a Third Doctor

Dr. Lowell Wickman joined the staff of the WRVC as a new associate on January 1st.  Dr. Lowell is no stranger to New London as he and his family have  resided in the community for many years.  His face, however, was more familiar on the local dairy farms as he practiced dairy medicine and surgery for many years.

A desire to change the direction of his personal career path led him to us in November 2008, when he started training with us and getting the feel for companion animal practice.

Thus far, Dr. Wickman has been well received by the clients and their pets.  Lowell is motivated, personable, and has proven to be a real asset to the clinic.

Between him, Dr. Mark Baetke, practice owner Jim Ziegler, and a phenomenal support staff, the clinic has never been stronger.  Of course our number one goal remains the same-to provide the best service to our clients and pets possible.

Wellness Screening

If you have an older pet you may find us asking you if you would like to do a senior wellness screen on that pet. Many people want to know about all the new recommendations we are making and why we are making them now. One reason is animals are living longer now than in the past. Just as in human medicine we learn more every year about the benefits of prevention over treatment of disease. It is true “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. By doing wellness screening we do two things. First we get a baseline as to what is normal for that pet. Second we may find an underlying abnormality that has not yet become bad enough to show symptoms. If we address the problem before symptoms appear hopefully we can prevent them entirely or at least lessen them and increase both the quality and quantity of the pets’ life.

As cats and dogs age they tend to have different problems. In dogs the most common aging problems are diabetes, kidney disease, and liver disease. In cats we see hyperthyroidism, kidney disease and diabetes.  We have put together a package of screening tests for the senior cat and dog to look for these problems. We recommend you do these screens annually as your pet ages. When you start is up to you but our general recommendations are starting at 10 years for cats, 6 years for large breed dogs and 8 years for small dogs.

Nutrition-Pet Style

A Heavy Topic

Whether it be a cat or dog, one of the health problems we frequently encounter is obesity.  The over weight pet presents many challenges.  Not only does the excess weight they carry potentially cause a number of health problems, but getting weight off once it is on can often be difficult.

One of the hardest things we deal with is convincing owners that their pet is over weight, and that weight loss is a critical part of their future well being.  Compliance with weight loss recommendations are often poor, and this is only to the detriment of the pet. 

There seems to be an  attitude out there that an over weight pet is a happy pet, which, of course is not true.  A pet who can barely get up and has a hard time walking is not, in any mind, happy.

Short of a medical condition such as a hormonal imbalance, weight control is simply a matter of how many calories a pet ingests verses how many they burn.  For the most part, we are in control of those numbers.  This means metering out food carefully, minimizing treats and providing proper exercise.  It sounds simple, but for some reason it is not.

We talk a lot about preventative medicine.  Part of this “medicine” is trying to avoid obesity in the first place.  Once it is there, it can be dealt with, but it can be a challenge.

Yesterday’s Hero

Today I am wallowing in self-pity.  The other day, it was the opposite, and I was on top of the world.  Both emotions were sparked by the day’s events.

The other day I was faced with three emergency surgeries, two of which were the difference between life and death.  The end result, after a very long night with little sleep, was excellent-three live patients and three happy owners.  I quickly became a hero in my own mind, and I rode a wave of euphoria for a couple of days.

Today it all changed.  I received a wicked tongue lashing from an unhappy client early in the day.  The next client was so unhappy with the cost of my services that I am sure I will never see her again.  After that, I was presented with a patient that had been sick for over a week, and was on its last few heartbeats.  Despite heroic efforts, the patient died shortly after admission.  By this time there was nothing left of my ego or self-confidence and the remainder of the day was a struggle.  I quickly became yesterday’s hero.

This, unfortunately, is not uncommon scenario in my profession.  I am not alone in experiencing it.  My fellow veterinarians ride the same ups and downs, and I am sure other professionals experience the same.  I learned a long time ago that it is impossible to keep everybody happy all of the time.  The hard part, though, is when you try your best and you still fail miserably in the clients’ eyes.  That is part of being in a service-related profession, however, and there is no way to change it.

While always being yesterday's hero is difficult, it also serves a purpose.  For one thing, it tends to keep a person humble, and an occasional dose of humility is something we all need.  The experience also gives us a chance to learn.  We learn about others, and more importantly, we learn about ourselves.

Most of us have no problem living with success., but not all of us can live with failure.  Those who can gain an insight into themselves that generates the strength needed to face future failures.  That is important, because in a job like mine, there is often a very fine line between success and failure and you constantly need to be ready to deal with either.

I am no different than anyone else-I like to win, and I hate to lose.  Losing, however, is part of the equation of life, and if it must be so, I darn well better use it to my benefit.  If I do so properly, perhaps I will be a bit better off in the end-even better off than if I won every one of life’s challenges.

I will forever be yesterday’s hero.  It is not an easy role to play, but ultimately it is a path to a stronger me.  True wisdom and inner strength do not come achieving success, but rather, from conquering failure.

Feline Fallacies
By: Kara Howard