The Value of Senior Testing

(Contributed by Lori Whitwam)

We always encourage regular health screening for pets, especially as they get older. I’ve always believed in that, but today I got a first-hand lesson on just how important it truly is.

Yesterday, I took my 14 year old golden retriever, Sprocket, with me to work so that Dr. White could do a chiropractic evaluation and adjustment. His last bloodwork had been nine months ago, so I knew it was past time to check him over. His adjustment went well, but his bloodwork was cause for serious concern. His white blood cells and other infection-fighting indicators were very, very low, which meant they were being used up somewhere in his body faster than he was producing them. His liver and kidney values were slightly elevated. In addition, his urinalysis showed his urine was very dilute. The doctors decided to do x-rays, looking for any abnormalities that might explain what was going on.

The x-rays were even more frightening than his bloodwork. As any of you know, if you’ve ever tried to “read” an x-ray, they can be tough to decipher. They’re only a two-dimensional image of a three-dimensional animal. But Sprocket had what appeared to be a large, round mass on or near his liver. His spleen was larger than it should be, and appeared bumpy. Putting all these clues together, the most likely diagnosis was hemangiosaracoma, a deadly cancer of the blood vessels. It tends to not show any symptoms until it is very advanced and has already metastasized to other organs in the body. Occasionally a dog is fortunate and it’s caught early, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Most often, dogs live days, to perhaps a couple of months after diagnosis. Surgery and chemotherapy may buy another month or two, if you are very, very lucky.

I lost my 12 year old golden, Ripley, less than 10 months ago to hemangiosarcoma. He lived only 11 days after his diagnosis. Was it possible I was going to be going through that loss all over again, with the sweet and gentle-natured Sprocket? I lost 7 year old Ruxpin, another golden, just six months ago to sepsis. How would I bear losing my three golden-boys in less than a year? Sprocket had been fine. He didn’t have any signs of illness, such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, or unusual pain or weakness.

I spent today seeing Dr. Ralph Weischelbaum for an ultrasound. The outstanding image quality of an ultrasound allows the doctor to virtually “see” inside the body, and get a much more detailed picture of what’s going on in there. I walked in with a heavy heart, dreading what was to come. Sprocket, as always, was pleasant, mellow, and totally agreeable. Dr. Ralph looked at the bloodwork and the x-rays I’d brought along. Then the ultrasound began. I kept one hand on Sprocket, and both eyes on the display screen. As the other doctor manipulated the ultrasound device over his abdomen, I was afraid to listen. Then I heard, “…nothing that looks like hemangiosarcoma.” As things progressed, we looked at his liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, adrenal glands, prostate, gall bladder and spleen. His spleen was slightly enlarged and had a patchy surface, but this is how it reacts to an irritation or infection, while it’s doing its job. We’d begun antibiotics the night before, and that will most likely resolve the spleen issues. His adrenal glands and kidneys are slightly large, but nothing too worrisome in a 14 year old dog. Best of all, the large round object seen on his x-rays was actually his pylorus, the outlet from the stomach. Apparently, Sprocket just has a really, really big one! His liver is fine, and not being taken over by hemangiosarcoma, as I’d feared.

Dr. Ralph suggested testing him for Cushing’s disease, which is a malfunction of the adrenal glands. I had a cocker spaniel who had Cushing’s, and I maintained him on diet and supplements, no prescription medication, and he lived to be 13. If Sprocket does turn out to have Cushing’s, I can deal with that! My mantra as I entered Dr. Ralph’s office was, “Anything but hemangio, anything but hemangio…” I fully expected to find some sort of cancerous invasion, either in the spleen or liver, and couldn’t believe the wonderful news that my boy is not in imminent danger of leaving us!

So, what did this teach me? What point does it prove? Sprocket looked fine. I didn’t take him in because he’d stopped eating, was losing weight, was vomiting, or suddenly couldn’t get off the floor. I only took him for routine senior bloodwork. Though he was showing no symptoms, that bloodwork and the urinalysis showed something was wrong, and needed immediate attention.

If it had been hemangiosarcoma, he would have had a better chance for more time with us, because we’d have been catching it earlier than most. (Many hemangio cases come to light because the dog has an internal bleed and collapses, or becomes very weak and pale.)

If it is “only” Cushing’s disease, I’m happy that it was caught so early, because left untreated, Cushing’s can do serious damage to the liver and kidneys, beginning a cascade of symptoms that eventually leads to death. Now, we’ll be able to put together a treatment plan consisting of diet and carefully-selected supplements, we’ll recheck a urinalysis frequently, and we’ll monitor his kidney and liver values.

A simple blood test probably just added months and months to my “old boy’s” life. I’ve always believed in the value of those tests, especially for older pets, but now I have living proof!

Pet Store Puppies

(Contributed by Lori Whitwam)

Every so often, a client will bring a new puppy to our clinic and announce that they “rescued” it from a pet store. They mean that the conditions in the store were unpleasant and unhealthy, the puppies were overcrowded, dirty, or perhaps even sickly. In their minds, they’ve “saved” that puppy from spending one more moment in such an environment, and I certainly understand that feeling. I’ve done it myself. From 1988 to 1991, I “rescued” three cocker spaniel puppies from pet stores near where I lived in Indiana. Largely because of them, I learned about pet stores, puppy mills, and the whole ugly pets-for-profit industry. In my clueless, kindhearted but well-meaning way I had helped support that industry. Instead of “rescuing” my three dogs, all of which I loved dearly, I had actually rewarded the unethical breeders and everyone along the line who made a buck, and sentenced many more yet-unborn puppies to the same fate.

Wow, how did I get from falling for a cute face in a pet shop window to supporting an industry that exploits animals?

Every single national breed club for purebred dogs states in their Code of Ethics that responsible breeders do not ever sell puppies to pet stores, or offer them as prizes in auctions or raffles. Why? Because an ethical breeder assumes lifelong responsibility for every puppy they breed. They also want to carefully screen potential families, and select a puppy that will fit their lifestyle, or even tell them that this breed is not the one for them. They can’t do that if they hand a puppy over to a store that has to sell it to anyone who pays for it.

So, then, where do puppies in pet stores come from? Other than the stores that offer space to rescue groups to showcase homeless dogs and puppies, they either come from large breeding facilities called puppy mills, or occasionally from local breeders who keep dogs to breed for profit. Puppy mills keep large numbers of breeding females in horrible conditions, breed them as often as possible, and don’t waste money (profit) on things like health testing, genetic screening, proper nutrition, selective breeding, or veterinary care. Puppies are a commodity, not a family member. I won’t go into the specifics of the horrors of these facilities here. I will provide some links at the end of this blog for those seeking more information. Local breeders who sell to pet stores are no better; they just operate on a much smaller scale.

“But the breeder that someone recommended to me charges twice as much for puppies as the pet store does.” This may well be true, but what are you getting? A good breeder’s dogs see the inside of a show or obedience ring, or an agility course, or a hunting trial, or something other than a kennel or back yard. They invest in their dogs, through training, socialization, health screening, nutrition, and other important factors. They breed carefully, infrequently, with dogs chosen to make a puppy even better than either parent. They know their breed, and will be a valuable resource for you. They offer health guarantees, and if for any reason you’re unable to keep the puppy (even when it’s an adult), they will take it back and either keep it or find it a new home. A pet store is essentially done with you once your payment goes through. They might give you a partial refund if the puppy is sickly and you want to give it back, but what do you think they’re going to do with it? They didn’t breed the puppy, don’t personally know who did, and can offer you absolutely no useful information.

“But this puppy has AKC papers! He’s pedigreed!” Every dog has a pedigree. So does the stray cat that keeps sneaking into your garage. So do you. It only means a family tree, a genetic lineage. As for AKC (or other registration) papers, every well-bred dog has them, but countless poorly bred dogs do, too. All they mean is the breeder took a few minutes to fill out the proper paperwork. It says nothing about health, quality, temperament, or anything else, or even if the information provided is true! Unless the breeder is audited (a rare occurrence), who would ever know? In pet stores, large quantities of puppies are moved in and out, and paperwork often arrives jumbled, and is matched with the “right” dog. Is your Bichon really a toy poodle? Is it even a mix, since the puppy mill had a little breeding mishap?

“But look at that face! He’s so cute! I have to get him out of that awful place!” Newsflash: All puppies are cute. And while you may buy him and adore him, you are not “rescuing” him. By buying that puppy, you are financially rewarding the store owner, the distributor who got all the puppies from the puppy mill, and encouraging the puppy mill to produce more puppies (because they sure sell well!), and sentencing the breeding dogs to churn out even more litters. The cycle will never be broken as long as we continue to fall for those cute little faces and pay these people to keep doing what they’re doing. Every time a pet store sells a puppy, fewer ethical breeders produce puppies since they won’t breed if they aren’t sure of an appropriate home waiting for their litters. Rescue groups aren’t able to place a puppy from an accidental or abandoned litter, and more dogs are euthanized at animal shelters because there is nobody to adopt them.

I just don’t go into any store that sells puppies. It’s that simple. Not only am I then not tempted (and heartbroken) by those little bundles of fluff, I never, ever purchase a single collar or treat or toy there. I refuse to give these places one cent of my money.

Stop Puppy Mills

http://stoppuppymills.org/

The Humane Society of the United States Puppy Mill Facts Page

http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/get_the_facts_on_puppy_mills/index.html

Prisoners of Greed

http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/

Welcoming New Avian Clients

(Contributed by Dr. Jina Andrews)

From the time we opened two and a half years ago, we have required an exam the first time we see any bird, even for something as routine as a wing trim. It is important to assess the bird’s overall health to catch any underlying issues it might have, and to be sure we can handle the bird safely, without undue stress or trauma.

During the course of these examinations, we found that many (if not most) of the bird owners, even those who had owned birds for years, were making basic husbandry and diet mistakes that, while not causing overwhelming harm to their birds, was still impacting their health and well-being.

So earlier this year we began approaching our avian exams in a different way. We feel strongly that it is our job to provide pet owners with all the information they need to give their pets the best possible care. Now, the first time anyone comes to us as a bird owner, their initial “New Avian Client” appointment is a longer one, so that we can cover the wealth of important information regarding diet, supplements, husbandry, behavior and health. This exam also includes a full avian fecal test. Why is that fecal test so vital? We’ve found that at least 80% of the avian fecals we run show some degree of abnormality, which tells us so much about that bird’s health. Besides parasites, we find undigested starches and bacterial counts that are not properly balanced, all of which can lead to a wide range of health and behavior problems, including feather-plucking, maldigestion and even malnutrition. This test and the exam enable us to provide that bird owner with specific instructions and suggestions on how to maximize their bird’s health and quality of life, and eliminate many of the nagging issues that may have plagued them for some time.

When that owner returns with another bird, they are not required to have that “New Avian Client Appointment” again, just the general avian exam. While some clients have felt the extended first appointment is unnecessary, we truly believe it is. If we can form a good working partnership with that bird owner right from the start, we can, together, provide their birds with the best we all have to give, and that is what is most important to all of us!

Why We Don't Declaw Cats

(Contributed by Dr. Jessica Levy)

Declawing is a hugely controversial procedure. To some people it seems a routine procedure, to others it's a horrible mutilation of a beloved pet.

Jina and I have always debated declawing, whether we should even do it, and just how awful it was to continue to perform this procedure. Neither one of us would've ever declawed our own cats. As new business owners, however, we feared that if we didn't offer declaws, our surgery schedule would be bare! I felt very confident about Jina actually doing them, because her surgical skills are amazing, and she is extremely conscious of pain control.

Then this past winter, I was on my way to Israel to visit family and attend my nephew's wedding. Somewhere I came across a list of the countries in which declawing is illegal. To my surprise, Israel was one of the countries on the list. When I lived in Israel, there was not a big pet-owning population. In the Middle East animals were traditionally considered dirty, so having them in your house was quite unusual. Animals tended to often be casually mistreated or neglected. The people who frequented the vet clinic I worked at after high school were mostly Americans who had immigrated with their strange beliefs about keeping animals in the home.

My return to Israel was an eye opener! Pets were everywhere! Animals were treated courteously and kindly! When I grew up there, we used to joke about the "fur-lined streets," but those are history! The best part is that all cosmetic surgeries are now illegal, so there were Boxers and Dobermans with ears and tails. I saw restaurants putting out leftovers for the cats.

As soon as I saw that Israel was on that list, I thought, heck, if they can do it, so can we. And as of the first of the year we stopped doing declaws. Our surgery schedule has remained steady. And we can feel good about ourselves, as doctors and as the representatives of those who cannot speak for themselves.

Farewell, April

(Contributed by Dr. Jessica Levy)

April, our diabetic clinic cat, died over the weekend. She was one of our greatest successes, having been on insulin for most of her life, but maintained for the last year and a half with diet and supplements.

April was the queen of our hospital. The other cats knew to give way when she stalked the hallways. She especially ruled the countertop in Pharmacy, eating unattended snacks, walking on the x-rays, and stretching out on top of everything you happened to be working on.

April, we love you and will miss you.

Toward a More Natural View of Health Care in Pets

(Contributed by Jessica Levy, DVM)

What would we do if we didn’t have all these chemicals available? What if we had to rely on more natural sources for simple problems?

Recently our farrier, Fred, reintroduced an old idea that I had practically forgotten about under the onslaught of chemicals in our environment. He l

He learned from a client that instead of toxic fly sprays, if you just spray the horses with a half and half mixture of water and vinegar, flies are eliminated.

I should have thought of this.

When I lived in Israel, if our dog got fleas, we gave her a vinegar bath. Voila! No fleas!

When my sister got lice from babysitting young children, she’d brew up a pot of rosemary tea and wash her hair with it. Voila! No lice!

When I lived in Maryland, before going hiking or camping, we’d take a bunch of B-vitamin pills. Voila! No mosquitoes!

In 1998 I was at a large Arabian racehorse stable in Ocala, Florida, in June. It was hot, but there were no flies. The groomers were adding vinegar to the horses’ grain.

For years I’ve been adding apple cider vinegar to my horses’ water trough, because it cuts down the algae growth.

In some ways these simple practices seem almost harder to think of, because we have chemicals available easily at hand, and also we wonder, “Will this really work? It seems simple. Too simple, perhaps.”

I’m sure we’d be a lot more inventive, and successfully so, if we didn’t have carte blanche to grab the nearest toxic preparation and just use that. And it can be hard to tell which claims are true and which are not. How do we know what really works?

It has always been my policy to try stuff on my own pets before recommending natural products to other people. Unfortunately, what works well for one animal may not work for another, for no reason that we can see. Every member of Central Bird & Animal Hospital is striving to achieve perfect health for our pets, and this common goal is what drives us to test products and supplements at home. This way we can be sure that we are offering our patients proven, reliable options for natural health care.

What Makes Us Different

(Contributed by Lori Whitwam)

In recent years, it seems as if veterinary practices are springing up all over the place. How does one practice distinguish itself from another, and how does a pet owner select the one that best suits their needs?

For the past several decades, the standards of veterinary practice remained largely unchanged. We were all taught that annual vaccinations and "complete and balanced" processed food in a bag was the key to health and long lives for our pets. Yet pets have chronic illnesses, cancer, immune system problems, obesity, and other health problems in higher numbers than ever before. What's wrong with this picture?

Central Bird & Animal Hospital was founded by two veterinarians, Dr. Jessica Levy and Dr. Jina Andrews, who believed that we could do better for our pets. Not only could we do better, we had to do better. Our doctors and staff reach beyond those standards that we've been living with all these years. They truly believe in forming a partnership with people and their pets, and empowering owners through information and education to improve their pets' quality of life and their longevity.

We do not promote automatic annual vaccinations. Yes, young animals should receive the protection that their immature immune systems need. Beyond that, however, we believe in evaluating a pet's overall wellness, risk factors, previous vaccine history, legal requirements, and their owners' wishes before determining which vaccines are necessary for that pet. People are often shocked when our doctors decline to vaccinate their pet. We cannot, though, in good conscience, further destabilize a struggling immune system with the artificial jolt of a vaccine.

Does this mean you don't have to take Buddy or Mittens to the veterinarian? Quite the opposite. We promote "Twice for Life," the term for twice a year wellness exams. There are some who think this is excessive, yet we all know that we should visit our own doctors for an annual exam. Pets' lives are shorter than ours, though, and therefore take place in a more compressed timeframe. Six months in a pet's life can equal several years in our own. Regular exams, with or without vaccinations, can and do catch early signs of illness, allowing us to take steps to restore health or minimize complications, adding both quality and length to our pets' lives.

When asked, most owners will say, "Buddy is fine. He doesn't have any health problems." But our veterinarians might notice that the dry, flaky skin and hot spots are a sign of a dietary intolerance or some systemic problem. They can palpate the abdomen and feel signs of problems with the internal organs. They might notice a pattern of hair loss or an unusual lump that indicates an issue that, if caught early, can be managed through diet and supplements, rather than waiting until the condition progresses and presents a true danger to the animal. A trained veterinarian can manipulate joints and feel the signs of early joint disease. And as always, our doctors work to continually expand their skills and knowledge to enable them to provide the most progressive care possible.

Our doctors believe that proper nutrition is the cornerstone to our pets' health. Dogs and cats (or any pet, for that matter) are not made to eat highly processed, nutrient-depleted, carbohydrate-rich food from a bag. But since that is a reality for most pet owners, they and their staff have put a lot of time into researching what makes a quality pet food, so as to be better able to guide the clients that come to the clinic seeking such information. Proper whole-food supplements and the addition of as much raw food as possible are other key points that they discuss with clients each and every day.

CBAH strives to be the center for holistic health in the Midwest. This not only can be achieved, but it will be. When you have doctors and a skilled team who deeply believe that this is the key to helping every pet enjoy a long, happy life, there truly is no other possible outcome. The world is full of clinics that will continue to treat a pet's chronic ear infections, dispensing medication repeatedly, or treating urinary tract infections time after time with antibiotics. Our doctors certainly will do that when needed, but they go the extra mile. They will present all the options to the client, and share their knowledge about not only how to clear up the current health problem, but to work toward improving the animal's overall wellness so that the problem will not recur.

That is different. It is special. It is unique. And we are very proud to be a part of it.