Tuesday 10 25, 2011

Reverse Sneezing

Have you ever heard an unusual and alarming "snort-sneeze" from your dog? This is most often a condition called reverse sneezing and is especially common in small breed dogs. See the short video demonstrating this condition.

The reverse sneeze is what happens when an irritant stimulates the reflex in the back of the throat. A sneeze is when an irritant is in the nasal passages and a cough is the result of irritants in the trachea and bronchi.

There are many potential triggers for this condition, including nasal mites, allergies, excitement, and cold weather. It is often considered idiopathic (unknown cause). Many owners are concerned their pet is having an asthma attack or other respiratory emergency, but in almost every case, once the episode subsides, the dog is perfectly fine.

Treatment for this condition is aimed at the underlying problem if it can be determined. Once the reverse sneezing starts, it can be difficult to stop it. You can try stroking the pet's throat, stimulating the dog to swallow. Allow the pet to calm down and the reverse sneeze should stop within minutes.

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Welcome Destinee!

Destinee Zamzow joined Edinburgh Pet Health Center's veterinary technician team in August. Destinee became a certified veterinary technician in 2009 after graduating from North Dakota State University where her favorite class was biology. She worked in Fargo, North Dakota for two years before moving to the Twin Cities and joining our team.

Destinee has been interested in working with animals since she was a little girl. She has a sweet terrier mix named Harvey. He’s a fun little dog who makes the oddest noises when he yawns and stretches. Destinee and Harvey really like to take walks together and play fetch. Destinee loves being outdoors, she enjoys reading, working out and trying out new and interesting recipes.

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Pain Control No-No's

As pet owners, we want our pets to be comfortable and pain-free, so when we see them hurting, it is natural to want to reach for some pain control for them. Resist the urge to give your pets over the counter (OTC) pain medications designed for humans. Many of them are highly toxic to our cats and dogs and can lead to severe problems and even death in some instances. They may also cause problems with other medications your pet may be taking. 

Be careful where you store your medication. Dogs have been known to climb up on counters and access bottles of pills. Also, be very careful when opening the bottle to retrieve a pill for yourself that you don't drop any, and if you do, find all that were dropped. Many pills are candy-coated and attractive to pets.

Some notable no-no's:

1.  Advil:  Can cause kidney failure and even death at relatively small doses in cats and dogs.

2.  Tylenol:  Severely toxic to cats, Causes severe illness after just one 325 mg tab and two tabs can be lethal. Tylenol's active ingredient, acetominophen is not metabolized in cats and leads to problems with oxygen delivery in the body. Liver disease is more common in dogs who have ingested Tylenol.

3.  Aspirin:  Aspirin is used very sparingly in companion animals. Low doses given very infrequently in cats is occasionally prescribed for certain heart conditions under carefully controlled conditions. Dogs can occasionally tolerate short courses of aspirin, but in general, it can lead to GI upset, stomach ulcers and platelet problems.  

Newer, safer and more effective pain medications are now available for your companion pet by prescription through your veterinarian. Don't take a chance and endanger your pet's life because of the convenience of OTC drugs.

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Dog Bite Prevention

Dog bites are a very common and preventable problem in most situations. Most often, dog bites involve children as they are least likely to read canine body language correctly. In addition, although children may not have problems with the family dog, they may assume all dogs are like their dog. This can lead to very serious consequences.

A good website to review and share with your kids is Doggone Safe. Many good bite prevention tips for parents, kids and dog owners are laid out in an easily understood fashion.

The Top Three Tips for Kids:

1.  Dogs don't like hugs and kisses.

2.  Be a tree if a strange dog approaches.

3.  Never tease a dog.

The Two Most Important Things Parents Can Do:

1.  Supervise

2. Train the Dog

The Three Most Important Things Dog Owners Can Do:

1.  Spay or neuter your dog.

2.  Condition your dog for the world.

3.  Supervise your dog.

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To Declaw or Not To Declaw

New kitten owners quickly figure out that their pet has very sharp claws. They wonder whether declawing is appropriate for their new kitten to prevent painful scratches or damage to furniture and household belongings.

Declawing cats involves removing the very end bone of their front toes. This is an actual amputation of that digit and not just removal of the claw. It can be a painful procedure and complications can occur post-surgery. The procedure will force the kitten to walk on a bone that was not meant for bearing weight. Most kittens that are declawed will not suffer permanent issues relating to their new foot conformation, but some may have ongoing problems.

Kittens are very easy to train to use scratching posts as scratching is a natural behavior. They can be taught to tolerate having their nails clipped short on a regular basis. Most kittens will eventually outgrow their tendencies to scratch on furniture and instead will use their dedicated post. For those kittens or cats who still use their claws in unwanted ways, Soft Paws nail caps can be applied to protect against further damage.

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