Why Veterinarians Hate The Internet

We all love the internet. It's amazing. I can send emails to friends overseas, video chat with my grandmother and buy everything I need for Christmas gifts without leaving the house. It's a great place to share news and information. As a veterinarian, I am able to stay up-to-date on current topics in medicine and communicate with specialists across the nation. I even REFER my own clients to the internet to look at sites with more information about surgeries or diseases their pets my have.

But overall, I think most vets HATE the internet. "Dr. Google" has become one of our enemies. About 50% of my clients that come in with a sick or injured pet believe they already know what the problem is and how I should treat it before they walk in the door. Quite often I'm told, I already looked it up and I'm pretty sure that he has "X disease" and I came to you for "Y medication". Sometimes they are right, and it makes the appointment go very smoothly and I run on time. But sometimes they are wrong, so wrong. The worst cases are when they have gone to a blog written by someone who does not provide any type of credentials and posts his or her random thoughts about veterinary medicine. Or when people misdiagnose their own pets and come to me when they aren't getting better.

Here are a few examples:

Yesterday I was talking to a client about her cat's hyperthyroid condition and explained to her that there is a new diet, Hill's Y/D, that has a very low iodine content to help suppress the amount of thyroid hormone the thyroid glad releases. This diet has been shown to be an effective treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats, where the gland produces excessive amounts of thyroid hormone, causing cats to become very skinny and sick despite having a ravenous appetite. She questioned me saying, "Are you sure? Because I read online that cats with hyperthyroidism need more iodine so I gave her one of my extra strength iodoine pills. She seems to get really sick after I give it to her though." What she was doing was making the disease worse by giving the cat these pills, but she had no idea.

A client noticed their cat wasn't urinating in the litter box and was acting strange for a few days. She looked it up online and she found something that explained the same signs and thought it sounded like the cat was stressed and probably urinating somewhere else in the house. She bought another litter box and put it in a different room, thinking the internet was being helpful. After 3 days of no urine in the litter box, the cat began to cry out when trying to urinate. The owner found him in the litter box meowing loudly. This got her attention and she brought him in. When he was examined, his bladder was larger than a softball and very hard. He was blocked and unable to urinate on his own. This is a life threatening condition because the electrolyte abnormalities that develop can cause his heart to stop or his bladder could tear from the pressure. Luckily, we were able to unblock him and save his life but this could have been diagnosed a few days later if she had brought him in instead of "Googling" his symptoms.

These aren't stupid people, just misinformed people. If you want to look something up online, talk to your vet about reliable internet sites. My favorites include:

www.petplace.com
http://www.veterinarypartner.com
http://www.avma.org/

Dogs Get The Flu Too?

Everyone has heard about the swine flu and the bird flu but now there is a new flu to worry about, the dog flu. Canine Influenza is a virus that was first seen in greyhounds that mutated from the equine flu virus. It is believed that the flu virus actually jumped from the horse population in Florida to dogs. The dog  flu has been confirmed in 38 states. 

People cannot contract the flu from their dogs but they can spread the virus from one dog to another by fomites. Fomites are vehicles that allow a virus to be transmitted including clothing, water bowls, and toys. The most common way a dog becomes infected with the virus is from being around other dogs that have it. Most of our cases are seen after close contact at doggie daycares, boarding facilities and the dog parks. Because of this, more facilities are requiring the flu vaccine be given prior to admission. Pfizer Inc. has a vaccine available that will help lessen the severity of the flu but it is not 100% at preventing infection. The first time the vaccine is given, a booster must be administered 2-3 weeks later. After that, the vaccine is given every 12 months.

It's hard to ask our dog patients what they are feeling when we believe they have the flu but common signs include an ongoing cough and nasal discharge. In some severe cases we will see fever and difficulty breathing. While we usually base our diagnosis on clinical signs, confirmatory tests include a nasal swab or blood test that is submitted to a lab.

The dog flu only affects about 5-8% of the dog population. As with the human flu virus, our biggest concern when a dog contracts the flu is that secondary bacterial infections will form in the lungs and cause a serious pneumonia. The flu doesn't discriminate; all breeds and ages of dogs are susceptible.

My dogs are not vaccinated for the canine flu because they are at very low risk to contract it. I do not take them to work with me very often, we use a house sitter when I am out of town and we do not go to the dog parks. But every case is different and you should talk to your veterinarian about your dog's activities and decide if they should receive the vaccine.

Helping Cats Get Along

We were hoping you would be able to help us with our cats. We have three cats and two don't get along. We adopted Moose, a male, and Daisy, a female, within a few months of each other. While Moose became very comfortable around people, Daisy remains skittish and is nervous around people. In September we adopted another female, Zazzy. Moose and Zazzy get along without any problems, but Daisy has never accepted Zazzy. At first Zazzy would chase after Daisy and there would be hissing, growling and fur flying. Now Daisy stays in the bedroom by herself and only comes out if we carry her. Do you have any suggestions to help ease their friendship or a way to get Daisy to calm down?

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This is a great question to which many people with multi-cat households can relate. There are a couple of options for both cats, Zazzy and Daisy. It sounds like Daisy is afraid and anxious because of Zazzy, and Zazzy is a little over excited or obsessed with Daisy.

Pheromones such as Feliway can help ease stress. Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone, used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure. Using this product in the house would help both cats. Flower Essences and other natural supplements can help both cats adjust to the change and be less fearful.

Positive reinforcement, feeding and giving treats to Daisy when she is being tolerant of Zazzy, may help with repetition. Giving Zazzy other outlets for her curiosity may also help. Tall cat towers are great because they give her the opportunity to play and be able to look around rooms from multiple angles. Another good option might be window perches that allow her to look outside and become fascinated with birds and squirrels. Toys with catnip can also stimulate play and excitement in cats, which might help Zazzy be less interested in Daisy when she is roaming the house.

As a last resort, your veterinarian may prescribe a medication for one or both cats to help reduce their stress. Unfortunately, there are some multi-cat households where the cats never get along and have to be kept separated. This is more common than we would like to see, but it appears that cats are happiest this way if they cannot get along with other cats in the home.

Chickens As Backyard Pets

This was a question that was sent to our exotics veterinarian where I work.

 I have a flock of backyard chickens that are having problems. I recently introduced a new bird to the flock and soon after the egg production dropped, they have gone off their feed and their feathers are messed up. When I looked at the birds I saw lots of dark specks running around on their skin. What is the problem with them and how do I fix it so they start laying eggs again?

It sounds like your hens may have encountered a parasite problem. Those “fast-moving specks” might very well be mites. These external parasites suck the blood of their host and are common in poultry. Affected birds will often lose their appetite, look scruffy and have a drop in their egg production due to anemia from blood loss. Mites can also make the chickens more susceptible to other diseases. Your local avian veterinarian can confirm this diagnosis by examining those “specks” under a microscope as well as examining your birds for other health problems.

The key to treatment involves treating both the birds and their environment at the same time. The parasites will attack the birds to feed but often are found hiding in cool, dark areas of the hen house or in the bedding. After removing any bedding and eggs, dust both the birds and the ground with a poultry-safe insecticide powder such as ‘Sevin’ which contains 5% Carbaryl. It is important to follow the directions on the label when using insecticide powders for your safety and that of your birds. At the same time scrub all surfaces of the hen house with hot soapy water followed by a dilute 1:10 bleach solution (9 parts water to one part full-strength bleach) to eliminate the mites and their eggs. Let in as much sunlight in as you can while cleaning as this will also help kill the parasites. Replace all bedding material each time you clean. Allow the hen house to air out between applications. Since the life cycle of the parasites takes a week, you will probably need to do several weekly treatments to eradicate the pests. Don’t forget that you should not eat any eggs for a week after treating the chickens with insecticide.

Please note that you can also use an organic parasite control, diatomaceous earth, to reduce future mite problems in your chicken yard. These products are available from your farm/feed store or by consulting your agricultural extension agent. Follow the instructions on the labels for all products. Finally, your local avian veterinarian can be a very helpful source of advice for the proper husbandry of your chickens.

Adjusting your Dog to a New Baby

Having a baby is very exciting and is a time and something you have to prepare for in many ways. A lot of clients come to me, anxious about how their dog will do once they bring the baby home. A few have been worried that the dog may physically harm the baby. It is impossible to know how your dog will react to the change. Dogs vary tremendously in how they will respond to a new member of the household, especially a baby. You can help him accept the new baby by taking a few steps.

To minimize your dog's stress when the baby comes, try to start making any anticipated changes to his routine ahead of time. Since the baby isn't due for a month, you still have time.

If his daily exercise is about to change from long walks to being let out in the yard, start making this transition now. Have you thought about which rooms he will not have access to once the baby is here? If you plan to limit his ability to roam the house, start using baby gates and other barriers now so he is gets used to them. This is also a great time to give him a short refresher course on basic commands such as "come," "sit,'' "down" and "stay."

After your baby is born and mom and baby are still at the hospital, have someone bring home a few objects such as a blanket and used diaper. This will help him get used to the baby's scent. If you are concerned your dog may jump on you when you first come home, have someone else hold the baby when you walk in the door. This will allow your dog to happily greet you while keeping the baby safe.

Once the baby is home and everyone is settling in, set absolute rules that they are not together unsupervised. Give him lots of attention and praise for being calm with the baby. If he is too aroused and you are afraid he will try to jump or bite, use a leash and/or muzzle to help control his actions. Avoid interactions when the baby is crying or waving arms and legs as these actions could elicit a playful or predatory response. Try your best to still give him quality time away from the baby.

With some careful planning now and patience once the baby is home, your dog should and child will become best friends.

Housetraining Help!

Are you still struggling with house training, even though your puppy has been home for several months? Does it seem like they were understanding the routine at first but now are having accidents in the house? Here are some tips that might help!

Unfortunately, some puppies are slower to get with the housebreaking program than others. When cleaning up accidents in the house, make sure to use an enzyme type cleaner that will get rid of any lingering scent that could be attracting her to the area. If possible limit her access to room she has been using as her bathroom.

Before you blame her problem on behavior, have your veterinarian make sure she doesn’t have a urinary tract infection that is causing her to urinate more frequently. If this test comes back fine, you’ll need to back up and restart your training.

The Basics:
Restrict her to a small area (crate or small pen) when you can’t supervise her. Carry her outside to the designated potty area immediately after you let her out of the crate and after she eats or drinks. Also do this after she wakes up from a nap and after she has been playing, as she’ll likely need to go. Tethering is another method that allows you to always keep an eye on her and catch any signal she gives before she is about to urinate. This involves attaching her to your belt loop with a 6-foot lead, thus keeping her at your side as you move around the house. With her tethered to you, as soon as you notice her starting to sniff or circle or squat, quickly lift her up to take her outside. After she urinates outside, praise her and give her a treat for being a good girl. A designated outdoor potty area with a soiled rag or paper can also help, as she will be attracted to her own scent. This has to be a team effort, with everyone in the house being consistent with the housetraining.

With repetition on your part and positive reinforcement for her actions, she should start to learn. At her age, she should be able to hold her urine for at least 6 hours. As you know, reprimanding her after you find an accident doesn’t do any good, just clean it up. Have patience and she should eventually catch on.

Maryland Making Strides to Prevent Antifreeze Related Deaths in Pets

Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) is a freeze preventive used in engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters. It is a common substance to have in garages this time of year. The problem with traditional antifreeze is that it is attractive to pets because it has a very sweet taste but only a small amount is needed to kill an animal.

After ingestion, antifreeze is quickly absorbed from the stomach tract; in dogs, this occurs within 3 hours. As the substance is broken down in the body, reactions in the liver and kidneys can cause severe damage to the body.

If your pet ingests antifreeze, the onset of signs is almost immediate and resembles alcohol (ethanol) intoxication. Dogs and cats vomit due to irritation of the stomach and intestines, drink more water, urinate more often and have neurologic signs. You may notice your pet stumbling, falling over, or having slow reflexes. As the central nervous system begins to slow down, cats and dogs drink less but the kidneys continue to produce more urine, resulting in severe dehydration. Renal failure usually develops between 12 and 24 hours in a cat and 36 and 72 hours in a dog.


Diagnosis can be difficult if someone did not witness ingestion and because many other things can look the same as antifreeze toxicity. Within 3 hours of ingestion, there are significant changes on bloodwork and in the urine that can help a veterinarian diagnose ethylene glycol toxicity. One of the most common changes is the presense of calcium oxalate crystals forming in the urine. These can be seen as early as 3 and 6 hours after ingestion in cats and dogs, respectively. Commercial test kits are also helpful in detecting blood concentrations.

The prognosis after ingestion varies based on the amount of time that elapses between ingestion and initiation of treatment. The goal of treatment is to decrease absorption of the antifreeze and increase excretion out of the body. If ingestion has been recent, your veterinarian will be able to induce vomiting and give activated charcoal to prevent further absorption. If hours have passed between ingestion of antifreeze and your veterinarian being able to treat the pet, prognosis for survival is poor.


Effective January 1, a new Maryland law will require a bitter-tasting additive be put in antifreeze. The law was pushed by Lynne Gillis, from Huntingtown, MD, who testified at a legislative hearing last winter about her hound-mix dog, Nikko, who died after ingesting antifreeze. Unfortunately Nikko did not survive the poisoning, but the law hopes to prevent other deaths. The Maryland Antifreeze Bittering Agent Act, which requires retailers to stock engine coolants with the additive denatonium benzoate, was to begin Oct. 1, but lawmakers agreed to a later date to allow retailers to clear their inventory.