Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails Housecall and Full-Service Veterinary Clinic 3005 Highway 1 NE Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 351-4256 December 1, 2000 Quarterly Newsletter Jennifer Berger, DVM Allan Berger DVM, PhD Dear friends and clients, Bloodwork Piece-by-piece, we are assembling what we think is the most advanced veterinary diagnostics facility in Iowa City. Three months ago, we mentioned our ultrasound machine. During the last quarter, we focused on our laboratory. Most of our new capabilities involve our clinical chemistry lab for analyzing bloodwork. We can now do the most common bloodwork tests right in our clinic. Our laboratory is shown in the photo below. Our new equipment includes a clinical chemistry analyzer for measuring blood enzyme levels, a QBC for measuring blood cell counts, and a blood gas analyzer. Although the equipment is useful for routine tests, we have gotten the most benefit from them during emergencies. Our blood gas analyzer can run a whole panel of screening tests using only 50 microliters of blood (one small drop), and test results are ready in about 4 minutes. This capability has already been lifesaving in identifying two poisonings that we would not have been able to diagnose or treat without rapid measurements of blood ph and electrolyte levels.
Canine vaccines demystified In 1997, clinicians at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine published a study that showed that most veterinary clients did not know what components were in dog vaccines (J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 1997, 211, 434-437). Most clients knew that annual vaccinations included distemper virus, parvovirus, and rabies virus, but about half of them did not know that other antigens were in the vaccines Implications: diseases for which dogs are annually vaccinated should be explained fully to clients. In this newsletter I will briefly talk about the canine distemper booster. Next quarter look for cats, and then maybe ferrets. DHLPP-C: Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus D= Distemper Canine Distemper Virus- although this virus usually infects common terrestrial carnivores, it can also infect seals, ferrets, exotic cats, and some nonhuman primates. The virus is passed by inhalation and it then moves to lymph nodes where it replicates. The severity of clinical illness and the signs/symptoms depend on the dog s immune status. Older dogs are susceptible, but the disease is most commonly seen in puppies between 12 weeks and 6 months of age. There are many different clinical pictures of distemper infection. These range from stillbirth and abortion in the pregnant female dog, to fading puppy syndrome in a nursing puppy, to vomiting/diarrhea/coughing/sneezing/ difficulty breathing/eye problems, to severe problems with the nervous system. Old dog encephalitis is the most common type of disease in dogs over 6 years of age. There is no specific treatment for this virus other than supportive care and wait-and-see. Some dogs get better and some don t. Animals with central nervous system disease usually don t do well. Although there is no specific treatment for distemper, vaccination can prevent it. Puppies should be vaccinated starting at 6 weeks and should be boostered every 3 weeks until 16 weeks of age. Distemper is now a relatively uncommon disease in the United States. Before the vaccine, it killed millions of dogs. Even though we see it less often, the virus is still around, and resurgence is likely if we stop vaccinating. The Top 8 Differences if the Election Were Run by Dogs Distemper is very common in countries 8. Vote tabulation has to be restarted every time someone spots a squirrel. that don t vaccinate (a lot of dogs in thirdworld countries die every day from 7. Lots of growling whenever someone mentions that Gore is a vet. distemper). Adenovirus (aka H= hepatitis): There are 2 types of adenovirus viruses. Both can cause several different types of liver disease (both acute and chronic hepatitis). Adenovirus 1 causes stillbirth in puppies. Although these viruses aren t very common, they have potentially serious consequences and can be prevented easily through vaccination. Standard vaccines only protect against Type 2, which is more severe. 6. Entire election thrown into chaos when it's alleged that thousands of voters appeared to throw ballots into box but actually just hid them behind their backs. 5. Voters even more easily distracted by butterfly ballots. 4. Exit Polling just a fancy name for butt sniffing. 3. In Pit Bull County, hand counts are taken literally. 2. Looking for an edge, Al Gore changes his name to Al Po. And the Number 1 Difference if the Election Were Run by Dogs... 1. Spaying and neutering drastically reduces number of pregnant chads.
L= Leptospirosis Leptospires are mobile, corkscrew shaped bacteria that can infect animals and humans. There are multiple different serovars or strains of leptospirosis. Different serovars have different carrier hosts. Potential hosts include dogs, cats, mice, deer, rats, voles, cattle, and pigs. These animals act as reservoirs for the disease (they carry the bacteria but don t get sick), and they can shed leptospires which then cause disease in other animals. Clinical illness results when the bacteria infect a non-carrier. Exposure and infection can result from many types of contact, including urine through abraded skin or mucous membranes, bite wounds, eating or biting contaminated tissues, and even contact with contaminated soil or water. Leptospirosis infection can cause multiple different clinical signs, the most serious being kidney and liver disease. Treatment is available if the disease is diagnosed early enough and if the disease progresses slowly enough that we can get ahead of it. This disease is potentially fatal. Leptospirosis can infect humans; you do not want to get this disease. Vaccination against leptospirosis can be helpful in some situations. Unfortunately, there is no vaccination available for some of the serovars. But because the disease can be life threatening (in both animals and humans), even the imperfect protection that the vaccine offers is valuable. P= Parvovirus There are actually 2 types of parvovirus that infect dogs. Canine parvovirus-1 can cause diarrhea and vomiting, but serious disease is uncommon. Canine parvovirus-2 causes the classic parvo that everyone talks about. The virus destroys microscopic parts of the small intestine which are necessary for absorbing fluid, causing diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal bleeding, and secondary bacterial infection. There are several breeds that are more susceptible to parvovirus infection than others. These include Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, and Labs. Parvovirus can persist for long periods of time in the environment and asymptomatic dogs can shed the virus in their feces. Parvovirus is one of the main reasons why we vaccinate every three weeks until a puppy is 16 weeks old. Because the virus persists in the environment for so long, it is very likely that puppies will be exposed. If a newborn puppy s mother was vaccinated for parvovirus, the puppies will have some protection from mom. However, the duration of this protection is difficult to predict. If the puppies are vaccinated while they still have the maternal immunity, the vaccine won t be effective. The strategy with vaccinating every three weeks is so that a dose of vaccine is given just as the maternal immunity wanes. If we wait until we know the maternal immunity is gone before vaccinating, there s a much higher chance the puppy will get the disease before getting the vaccine. Parvovirus is life threatening. Adult dogs that haven t been vaccinated or aren t immune can get the disease. However, because the virus lasts so long in the environment, most older dogs have been exposed and built up a
resistance even if they haven t been vaccinated. Treatment consists of supportive care and letting the virus run its course. Without intensive supportive care, many younger dogs die from parvovirus (even with supportive care, some puppies die). P= Parainfluenza The parainfluenza virus contributes to the disease Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis, better known as Kennel Cough. Although everyone talks about Bordetella bronchiseptica as the causative agent of Kennel Cough, the disease is usually a combination of one or more bugs. Parainfluenza virus, canine adenovirus-2, and Bordetella can all be involved, plus a number of secondary pathogens. Clinical signs include a dry cough that usually gets worse with exercise. In most dogs the disease goes away after a few days, but there is a chance that it can spread to other dogs, and sometimes it progresses to a secondary bacterial pneumonia. Vaccination against the parainfluenza virus decreases the severity of a Kennel Cough infection, and also limits its spread to other dogs. C= Coronavirus Canine coronavirus causes diarrhea in puppies. Although this is usually a much less severe diarrhea than parvovirus causes, if a puppy gets both viruses at the same time the disease is very severe. There is currently a debate over whether older dogs need to be vaccinated for coronavirus, in part because coronavirus is a difficult disease to diagnose with certainty (so we don t really know how many older dogs get the disease and then get better). We are currently recommending vaccination in young puppies (under 12 weeks of age), but its value in older dogs is questionable. At this time, we usually don t vaccinate older dogs for coronavirus. Tasha the Great Dane to the left of the sign says winter weather is here. Even dressed in her foal blanket, she says due to her short haircoat she prefers housecalls. Stay warm, and have the vet come to you!
Looking for a holiday gift that lasts for up to 20 years? Try the Iowa City/Coralville Animal Shelter, the Johnson County Humane Society, or any of the numerous breed rescues organizations on the internet. Short things Please call ahead if you need to pick up food or medications. If we re on a housecall, we might not be at the clinic to help you! We will be trimming our mailing list next quarter. (We re printing out about 700 newsletter copies this quarter.) If we haven t seen your pet in the last year or two but you still want to receive our newsletter, please call us. Next Newsletter: March 1, 2001 As always, ideas for topics for the next newsletter are welcome. Gratefully yours, Jennifer and Allan Berger