October, 2007
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• Welcome baby Kabalan
• Halloween safety tips
• Heart disease and a new medication
• Microchip safety
• World’s fastest eater and other notes from the desk of Einstein

Welcome Little Emily Elizabeth
We are happy to report that Dr. Chris Kabalan had her baby on October 8th.  Emily weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces, and is 22 inches tall.  Mom and baby are doing well.  Link to hospital photo of Emily .

Halloween Safety Tips For Your Pets
Halloween time can be great fun but there are a lot of pet hazards associated with the celebration.  No tricks or treats for your pets.

• No chocolate – period!  And foil and cellophane candy wrappers can also be troublesome.
• Pumpkins, gourds, and decorative corn are all considered non-toxic but ingestion can cause some gastrointestinal upset.  If large chunks are ingested, intestinal blockage can occur.
• Other seasonal decorations can be hazardous, too.  Be very careful with electrical cords.  Chewing these can lead to serious injuries such as burns and electrical shock.  Carved pumpkins with lit candles can attract the attention of curious pets.  They may be singed or burned.  And accidental bumping of a pumpkin with a lit candle could start a fire.
• Halloween costumes for pets can be very stressful.  Be sure your pet doesn’t mind dressing for the celebrations.  Check their costumes for small, dangling pieces that can be chewed off and swallowed or that could be a choking hazard.  Also, be sure your pet can see, hear, and breathe normally, and move comfortably.
• On trick or treat night your dogs and cats should be kept in another room, away from all the action.  Pets can be so stressed by all the excitement that they try to get away.  Many pets are lost on trick or treat night.

Heart Disease
The heart is our most important muscle.  It is the pump that moves blood around the body.  It delivers to the vital organs what they need to function properly, and carries away waste.  There are many forms of heart disease in dogs and cats. This article will highlight two of the more common forms. 

Mitral valve disease (MVD)
The most common form of heart disease in canines, MVD generally occurs in small to medium sized dogs.  Research has shown there to be a probable genetic predisposition.  
MVD, also known as endocardiosis or valvular insufficiency, affects the surface of the heart valves which are normally smooth and seal tightly when closed.  MVD causes the mitral valve edges to become thickened so that when they close, the seal is not tight and there is some leakage of blood back into the atrium.  This backward flow creates a sound that can be heard through a stethoscope.  That noise is called a murmur.  The leaky valves decrease the normal circulation.  The reduction of blood flow to the vital organs reduces their ability to function normally.  Fluid retention is also a problem when there is decreased circulation.  Signs you might notice include: decreased energy, loss of appetite, weight loss, respiratory difficulties, coughing, general weakness, and fainting.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
DCM is a disease of the heart muscle.  One known cause of DCM is some specific nutritional deficiencies.  Theories as to other causes include: genetic factors, viral infections, and exposure to chemical toxins.  In DCM, the heart fails to pump effectively.  The contractions of the heart muscle are weak creating poor blood flow throughout the body.  In addition, the heart stretches and enlarges making it even more difficult to pump effectively. 
The signs of DCM include:  decreased energy, loss of appetite, weight loss, respiratory difficulties, coughing, general weakness, and fainting.
 
If heart disease is suspected, an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood tests, and chest x-rays will be recommended.  A cardiac ultrasound may also be used to determine the existence or degree of your pet’s heart disease.  Treatment will depend on the type and degree of heart disease your pet has and may include:

• A low sodium diet
• A calorie reduced diet
• Diuretics to help decrease fluid retention
• Vasodilators which aid in circulation throughout the body, taking some of the strain off the heart itself
• Calcium channel blockers to reduce the stiffness of the heart wall
• Beta-blockers to slow the rhythm of the heart
• Aspirin to reduce the formation of clots

The signs of all forms of heart disease are very much the same, but they can be the signs of other conditions as well.  Regular comprehensive physical exams by your veterinarian are very important for early detection of any disease process. 

New Cardiac Medication
We now have Vetmedin, a new medication for some forms of heart disease in dogs.  (This product is not to be used in cats.)  Vetmedin improves the contractility of the heart muscle and dilates the major blood vessels that feed the heart. 

Microchip Safety
Recent news stories about microchips causing cancer have raised some concerns.  The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is “looking into the potential for electronic identification implants to induce tumors in dogs, cats, or people but must await more definitive data and test results before taking further action.”  JAVMA, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association states, “Considering how a large number of pets have been implanted with microchips with a relatively small number of confirmed cases of tumors associated with microchips, the AVMA advises against a rush to judgment on the technology.  In fact, there is a concern among veterinary medical researchers that some of the research into supposed chip-induced tumors may be flawed, because the animals used were genetically predisposed to cancer.  The AVMA says it's clear a need exists for more scientific research into microchip technology.”
We, here at East Hilliard Veterinary Services, are still recommending having your pet microchipped.  The number of lost pets that are returned, happy and healthy, to their families because of the microchip, far outweighs the possible risk of microchip-induced tumors.

From the desk of Einstein

• The animal kingdom has a new champion.  The trap-jaw ant, found in Central and South America, has the fastest known bite.  With high-speed video, researchers have clocked the ant’s strike at just 0.13 milliseconds.  (A millisecond is a thousandth of a second!)  That measures out to about 145 miles per hour or 2,300 times faster than the human eye can blink.  Talk about your life flashing in front of your eyes!  The ant also uses its speedy jaws to escape danger.  It snaps its jaws against a hard surface, rocketing itself two or three inches into the air. (photo from Smithsonian magazine)
• Keep up your heartworm prevention program.  Depending on the weather this fall of course, heartworm preventives should be given into the month of December.
• Flea control products should be continued at least through November, again depending on the weather.  The cooler weather is often the worst time for flea problems as cold little fleas are searching for a warm home.  In fact, fleas can be a year round problem if they are already in your house.  Monthly topical flea preventive medications are highly effective in ending the life cycle of the flea.

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