Blog
Pets in Need
Posted on 2010-08-25 17:29:44
to Help Local Shelter Pets in Need
Lakeside Animal Hospital joins national movement to donate lifesaving medicine to benefit area dogs and cats in need
Plantation, Fl August 23, 2010 — Pet shelters in Florida are seeing an increase in the thousands of cats and dogs entering shelters each year due to the economic recession. In response, Lakeside Animal Hospital in Plantation has partnered with more than 2,000 veterinary clinics nationwide to provide heartworm and intestinal parasite medication to shelter and rescue dogs and cats.
The program, dubbed Give Interceptor® Give Back, provides Interceptor® (milbemycin v oxime) Flavor Tabs® to participating veterinary hospitals which, in turn, make the donation to any local pet shelter or rescue group of the hospital’s choosing. Nationwide, the program will ultimately deliver 167,900 doses to dogs and cats in need.
Lakeside Animal Hospital chose to support Gulf Coast Golden Retriever Rescue because of its commitment to help local animals. “We know the importance of heartworm and parasite prevention,” said Dr. Monica Fernandez, at Lakeside Animal Hospital. “Because of our involvement, today, more animals are healthy and more are ready for adoption.”
Through the program, Lakeside Animal Hospital has pledged enough medicine for Gulf Coast Golden Retriever Rescue to keep 206 dogs and cats protected from the most common and dangerous internal parasites.
Interceptor Flavor Tabs prevents heartworm disease, which can be deadly to dogs and cats, but also controls roundworms, hookworms and whipworms in dogs and roundworms and hookworms in cats. Through the end of 2010, every qualifying purchase automatically generates a donation, making it easy for pet owners to treat their own pet while helping pets in need in the surrounding community.
Note:
Dogs and cats should be tested for heartworm prior to use. In a small percentage of treated dogs, digestive and neurologic side effects may occur. In cats, safety studies up to 10 times the label dose did not detect any adverse drug reactions. For full production information, go to www.interceptorpet.com or call 1-800-332-2761.
Laparoscopic Surgery
Posted on 2010-04-13 19:59:36
Surgery is a scary thought for anyone, but advances in human medicine are helping to make patients more comfortable and shortening stays in the hospital. Even our pets are now benefiting from these improvements as cutting edge innovations are making their way into veterinary offices, providing a higher level of care for our pets.
Laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive type of procedure, was first performed on a dog in 1902! In the intervening years, human surgeons have perfected techniques to removal gall bladders, relieve the discomfort of endometriosis, and even help individuals with morbid obesity. Many of these techniques have been adapted by veterinary surgeons as well. A laparoscope consists of a telescoping rod and lens system connected to a video camera and light source. The surgeon inserts the laparoscope into the patient through a tiny (less than 1 inch long) incision. The abdomen is then filled with carbon dioxide to create space to work. Additional attachments, such as scissors, retractors, and devices for placing sutures are introduced and manipulated to complete the surgery.
The biggest benefit to laparoscopic surgery is the reduced need for a large incision in the abdomen. In the case of human gall bladder removal, traditional surgeries would create an incision about 8 inches long. With the latest laparoscope, 4 incisions, all less than ½ inch, will suffice to remove the gall bladder. Smaller incisions mean shorter recovery time, shorter hospital stays, and, above all, less pain. Veterinarians have seen these benefits and are anxious to export them to our pets. Laparoscopic surgery is becoming a viable alternative for pet owners wanting to provide a human-level of surgical care for their pets.
Surgeries that are considered “routine” by pet owners and veterinarians, such as spaying a female dog or cat, are now considered good candidates for the laparoscope. A surgical center in Colorado performed a small study in which 10 dogs were spayed via traditional surgical methods and 10 dogs were spayed with the laparoscope. The results of this study show that 90% of the traditionally spayed dogs needed additional pain relief medications after surgery whereas none of the dogs in the laparoscopic assisted group did. Blood concentrations of cortisol, a good indicator of stress levels, increased only in the traditional group.
These findings, as well as her own observations, have led Dr. Kuschel, a veterinarian at Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Colorado and her associates to eliminate traditional spays at their hospital. She stated that, “The price was significantly higher for the laparoscopic assisted procedure, but we actually did the same number of spays from one year to the next. We increased our level of care and now pet owners actively seek out our services because they know and understand the benefits of this cutting edge technology.”
Veterinarians are not only using this revolutionary new tool for spays, but as an aid to help diagnose disease. Surgeons are able to biopsy internal organs with laparoscopic surgery and the procedure often requires no more than sedation and a local anesthetic. Previous protocols for biopsies demand general anesthetic and a prolonged recovery time. With some laparoscopic biopsies, the patient is often ready to go home in less than two hours! Although this technology is truly leading edge, don’t expect it to show up in all veterinary offices immediately. Although this is all good news, laparoscopic surgery is not very common in most veterinary hospitals. If you are planning a surgery for your pet, ask your veterinarian about the potential for laparoscopic assisted surgery in your area.
High Tech Pet Surgery
- Laparoscopy is a type of minimally invasive surgery. These surgeries provide a higher level of comfort when compared to many traditional procedures.
- Laparoscopes use a telescoping rod and lenses that are attached to a camera and lights to view inside the body cavity.
- The biggest benefit to laparoscopic surgery is that surgeons can utilize much smaller incisions, meaning that your pet will experience less pain and discomfort.
- Veterinary surgeons report better visualization of the internal organs and reduced chances of hemorrhage when laparoscopes are used.
- Laparoscopic surgery is used for routine spay surgeries, internal organ biopsies and for helping to prevent “bloat” in large breed dogs.
- Veterinary surgeons report better visualization of the internal organs and reduced chances of hemorrhage when laparoscopes are used.
- Small studies have shown that dogs spayed with a laparoscope experience less pain and need fewer pain medications after surgery.
THE FACTS ABOUT CANINE INFLUENZA
Posted on 2010-02-05 15:29:59
THE FACTS ABOUT CANINE INFLUENZA
Canine influenza is a strain of the influenza A virus that is highly contagious and causes acute respiratory infection.
It does not infect people.
Your dog may contract the virus if it comes in contact with a dog that is currently infected.
The virus can be passed by direct contact (coughing, sneezing) or indirectly on surfaces, on clothing
and on the hands of people who handle infected dogs.
The virus can be killed with soap and water; after touching an infected pet, wash your hands and change your clothes.
Dogs of any age, breed or health status are susceptible to infection. If your dog spends time in a boarding
facility, dog park, training class, day-care center, pet store, or gets bathed or groomed on a regular basis,
it is concidered at risk for the flu. Virtually all dogs exposed become infected; about 80% develop flu-like
illness, while another 20% do not become ill. Most dogs will recover within two to three weeks; others will
develop a life-threatening pneumonia.
Signs of canine influenza include: cough, sneezing, nasal discharge, listlessness, decreased appetite
and occassionally a low-grade fever.
Lakeside Animal Hospital does offer the canine influenza vaccine for the protection of your pet. The vaccine
does not prevent infection but largely reduces the severity and duration of the illness.
If you suspect that your dog may have been exposed to, or has contracted canine influenza, please contact us
for an appointment. PLEASE let the receptionist know at the time that you set up your appointment and at the time
that you arrive that you suspect the flu- the virus is highly contagious and special precautions will need to be taken
to protect the other dogs from exposure.
(sources: theTeam "Canine Influenza: Know the Facts:" winter 2010, vol.7, No.1)
DOES YOUR PET SMOKE?
Posted on 2010-01-25 13:27:31
The March issue of DogFancy magazine published an article ("Does Your Dog Smoke With You?) discussing pet owners who smoke and the effects of secondhand smoke on their pets. The article states that the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) notes that dogs react to smoke particles much like humans do, developing lung inflammation and breathing problems. Research at Colorado State University documented that secondhand smoke increased dogs' chances of developing cancer. Long-snouted dogs are most at risk of nasal cancer, presumably because the long airway provides more surface area for exposure. Medium and short-nosed breeds are more susceptible to lung cancer. With this data in mind, the new year upon us, and many of us setting resolutions for ourselves, wouldn't now be a good time to quit smoking not only for your health but for the health of your beloved pets?
(If you would like to read this article in its entirety, you can find it in DOGFANCY,volume 41/number 3)