Pet Gazette. Spring Preparation: let s protect our pets while their out frolicking in the sun! April, 2016

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1 Pet Gazette April, 2016 Rattlesnake Season Has Arrived! ~ FOOD! Pre-paying for Special Orders ~ Microchips! Thriving Foxtails ~ Leptospirosis: What and How? ~ Salmon Poisoning Disease Shout Out to SAHers ~ Upcoming Event ~ Tabby s Corner Spring Preparation: let s protect our pets while their out frolicking in the sun! The weather is soon to be wonderful and I m sure some of you have started planning hiking, camping, and hunting trips. If your Provided by Red Rock Biologics pupperdoo accompanies you, consider getting him/her a rattlesnake vaccine. About the Vaccine: The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is thought to cause the most snake-venomrelated fatalities in Northern California. Although the vaccine is manufactured using the Western Diamondback venom, it does provide partial immunity to bites from other commonly found venomous snake species in California. The purpose of the vaccine is to decrease the reaction severity and chance of mortality for a bitten dog. Upon vaccination, the body produces protective antibodies that will help neutralize rattlesnake venom for a bitten dog. The vaccine can decrease pain, swelling, tissue damage, and the risk of permanent injury or death. Basically, it can give you more time to get back to your car and drive to an emergency hospital. Going to an emergency clinic is still necessary. Regardless of vaccination, a rattlesnake bite is considered a medical emergency. The best time to vaccinate is every year in February or March, right at the beginning of Rattlesnake season; it is still important to vaccinate, even after the season has started. The vaccine creates the highest levels of immunity between one and nine months after the most recent vaccination. If your dog has never had this vaccine before, a booster 4 weeks later is necessary to create enough protective antibodies. In areas with warmer weather conditions, where rattlesnakes are active year-round, we recommend vaccination twice yearly. Many of our patients need to be on a specific prescription diet to help manage a disease. We are now asking our clients to pre-pay when ordering pet foods that we don t routinely carry. We have often held special orders for long periods of time, but we no longer have the space to do so. Also, don t forget to inquire about the home delivery option that Royal Canin offers! What do you think of when 4 th of July comes around? Fireworks? Barbecues? Friends or family? Here at Sacramento Animal Hospital, we think of lost pets. Nationwide, between July 4 th and 6 th, there is a 30% increase in lost pets (petamberalert.com). July 4 th aside, 1 in 3 pets become lost at some point in their life and 90% of those lost pets never return home! (homeagain.com). Getting a microchip for your four-legged family member exponentially increases the chances of him or her being able to come home to you safe and sound. Any pet care facility including: shelters, veterinary clinics, and boarding facilities, should keep a microchip scanner on hand. This is first thing we do when attempting to return a pet to his/her owner. Let s keep our furry friends safe and close to home! Sacramento Animal Hospital 5701 H St. Sacramento, CA Phone: ~ info@mysacvet.com~

2 Foxtail season is here! These dry grass seeds can cause a surprising number of issues for our little (or big) furry friends. A foxtail serves as the plant s courier, carrying seeds far and wide for the survival of the plant species. The only problem is that it can be at our pet s expense! Shaped like an arrow, these little dry seeds are very pointy and have a knack for sticking to anything that walks by shoes, clothing, and most of all, our pets! From ears to rears, nose to toes, and armpits to just plain anywhere, once stuck, the foxtail s shape promotes penetration into the skin. They can migrate deeper and deeper, creating abscesses and causing pain. Foxtails can even push their way inside the body! After this happens, surgery is the only way to stop the damage. How do we prevent this? The best way to keep foxtails out of your pet s life is to limit exposure. If you see foxtails, keep your pet from running, rolling, digging, and eating foxtails. If your pet is exposed, thoroughly examine every inch of him/her. Look in the ears, in between toes and pads, in armpits, and anywhere else you can think of. Remove all that you see. If you find yourself wondering if your pet is holding his/her head to the side or limping a little, make an appointment right away. If there is a foxtail, the faster it s gone the better! What If we missed one? There are a variety of different symptoms to look for depending on where the foxtail is imbedded. Things to look for include: Shaking/tilting head, scratching ears Excessive sneezing, especially with bloody discharge Pawing at face, red or squinting eyes Inflammation or redness of any area of the body (paws, eyes, rectum, vulva, prepuce etc.) Coughing if the foxtail was ingested Limping if a paw is affected Foxtail season starts in the spring and won t end until late summer or early fall. Keep your eyes open and check your pets regularly. We are here to help if you need us! When we take our four footed friends to the park or river to play, we would like to think that nothing can harm them. Unfortunately, these areas are also playgrounds for bacterial bugs that threaten our pet s health if not properly vaccinated. What is it? Leptospirosis is a very contagious and potentially fatal bacterial disease. Animals who can contract the disease include: livestock, wildlife (deer, raccoons, skunks, or rats) as well as dogs and cats. An infected animal can transfer this disease through their urine, contaminating water sources in the process. Pets can be infected with Leptospirosis by drinking, walking, or swimming in contaminated water. Although cats can contract the disease, they appear to have a natural immune resistance, so we do not recommend vaccinating our cats. What happens if my pet gets Leptospirosis? As the bacterium enters the bloodstream, it multiplies rapidly in many areas of the body tissue. Depending on the strain of Leptospirosis it can affect the kidneys, liver, lungs, spleen, eyes, and genital tract. Symptoms can vary from a minor fever and vomiting to severe dehydration, lethargy, shivering, muscle tenderness, and jaundice (yellow tint to the skin, eyes, and gingiva). Leptospirosis is treated with IV fluid therapy, antibiotics, and in severe cases hemodialysis. As a patient recovers from the disease, the bacteria can persist in the kidneys, making that pet a carrier of the disease for months thereafter. Can I get Leptospirosis? It is possible for humans to contract this disease. The United States Center for Disease Control estimates that up to 200 human cases are reported each year. Children, individuals who participate in water sports, and individuals with occupational exposure have an increased risk of contracting the disease. Leptospirosis is rarely fatal in humans however it can still cause symptoms. What can I do to protect my furry family? Here at SAH, we consider Leptospirosis a core vaccine. Due to the wildlife presence in this area, we consider all dogs at risk. Routinely vaccinating your pets is the best way to prevent the spread of disease.

3 Salmon Poisoning Disease: Believe it or Not, it s Not Just Salmon! Fishing can be a fun outdoor activity, and bringing our canine friends along is a great way to spend time with them. By all means, keep bringing your furry family members with you, but note that sharing your winnings with them can be fatal. Salmon Poisoning Disease (SPD) is an acute and often fatal infection found commonly in dogs who consume raw or smoked fish. What is SPD? Although SPD implies that it is the actual Salmon meat that causes the disease, this is not the case. Salmon are hosts for a parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola, common name fluke. The parasite harbors a bacterial organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca (phew try saying that name ten times over!) Although SPD specifies Salmon in the name, it is important to note the following: any fish that swim from salt water to fresh water to breed can be infected with the parasite, and therefore are a threat to our furry fishing buddies! Where is it commonly found? The salmon commonly infected with the parasite are usually found in the Pacific Ocean and most commonly near Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Migrating salmon in rivers can also host the fluke parasite. How does this happen? Most cases of SPD involve a dog, fox, or coyote who becomes infected after eating raw or smoked salmon. After our furry friend consumes the infected fish, the parasite makes its way to the digestive track. From there, it releases the harmful bacteria into the blood stream. If the disease goes untreated it can spread to the liver, lungs, brain, and lymphoid tissue. Unfortunately this disease can be fatal. What should I do? It is very important to bring your dog in for treatment as soon as you are aware that s/he has eaten raw or smoked fish. Clinical signs won t show up for six to seven days after consumption, and we want to start treatment before then. Between 50% and 90% of SPD cases result in death within seven to ten days of showing symptoms. Clinical signs include: vomiting, low appetite, fever, diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and dehydration. Treatment includes: hospitalization for IV fluids, antibiotics, deworming, and strict rest and observation. The Aftermath: It is important to note that dogs can also be carriers of the parasite. The parasite will live in the intestinal tract and pass their eggs through the dog s feces. If your pup was diagnosed with SPD, it is very important to pick up any fecal matter right away so as not to continue the life cycle of the parasite and bacterium. The Moral of the Story: So the next time you go fishing and your furry family member gives you those big sad eyes ignore them! Do not show your love by sharing. They may not understand, but you will be saving them from the possibility of severe illness and saving yourself from a large veterinary expense. If you want to give your dog a taste, make sure it is fully cooked fish. Or even better, give him/her a sample of the carrot side dish.

4 Here at SAH, we have been buzzing with activity! In scheduling wellness appointments, please try to schedule at least two weeks in advance. These include appointments for: vaccines, nail trims, anal gland expressions, heartworm tests, wellness lab work, routine subcutaneous fluids, and microchips. In scheduling these appointments well in advance, we are able to accommodate the more critical patients who need to be seen right away. This will help us continue to provide the best quality of care for you and your four-legged friends, whether you are here for a critical reason or a wellness appointment. We appreciate your understanding! Upcoming Event in Sacramento: Doggy Dash! April 9, 2016 By Sacramento SPCA Grab your pooch and head to William Land Park for a scenic and fun walk to help raise money for shelter animals. After the walk, check out the festivities in the park from the Camp Kindness Kid Zone and the Ruff Mutter. Also enjoy a variety of contests from a pup talent show to pug races. For more information call (916) Tabby s Corner: Dear Tabby~ With spring in the air, I d like to get my girlfriend (she is a bea-u-tiful little black and white kitty) a spring bouquet to let her know how I feel and that I care. What flowers do you recommend that would be safe in a nice bouquet? Sincerely, Smitten Dear Smitten, First of all, do you have a brother.that dear Tabby could date? Good choices for a bouquet include roses, orchids, and African daisies. Please no tulips, baby s breath, amaryllis, or lilies. It is important to avoid these flowers because they are toxic to you and your girlfriend and can cause kidney problems to any cat if ingested. Meow for now! Tabby If you would like more information about the topics discussed in our newsletter, please contact us at or visit our website at If there is another topic you would like the doctors to address in our next newsletter please let us know.

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