Central Coast Pet Health, Issue 1

8/13/2019 Central Coast Pet Health, Issue 1

1/12

Central Coast

Pet Health

EYE SPY!The Genetics OfHeterochromia

Central Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency

When ItCan't Wait

The top 5 petEmergencies

The PowerOf Clean

Teeth

Plus:Acupuncture

For Pets!


2/12


3/12

Everyone has heard the warnings about chocolatetoxicity. But did you know that some types o chocolatethat are more toxic than others? Te darker the

chocolate, the more dangerous it is or your pet. In mostchocolate, a chemical compound called theobromineis the primary toxic ingredient. Teobromine is ina class o chemicals called methylxanthines. Milkchocolate contains very little methylxanthines,whereas dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolatecontain over 500 times more methylxanthines thanwhite chocolate. However, that's not to say that whitechocolate isn't bad or your pet; the high at contento white chocolate can lead to diarrhea and vomiting,

especially in smaller dogs.In regards to milk, dark, and semi-sweet chocolate,

the toxicity increases the darker the chocolate is. Milk

chocolate contains about 58 mg/oz o theobromine.Dark and semi-sweet chocolate, however, containover twice that amount o theobromine, with dark

chocolate at 130 mg/oz and semi-sweet chocolatechips at 138 mg/oz. Considerably more dangerousare bakers chocolate (393 mg/oz) and dry cocoapowder (737 mg/oz). In addition, the caffeine levelsin chocolate increase as theobromine which urtherincreases risks o serious reactions.

Te clinical signs o chocolate toxicity range romgastrointestinal distress, vomiting, and diarrhea topanting, excessive thirst and urination, abnormalheart rate, tremors, seizures, and even death in

severe cases. I your pet has ingested chocolate, calla veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison ControlCenter to determine the severity o the toxicity.

Rather Sae Tan SorryWith any chocolate intoxication, it's always a good idea to

call the ER. We will tell you i you should bring your pet in.

Not all chocolate

is created equal.

Depending on thetype o chocolate, the

amount ingested, and

the size o your pet,

chocolate will have a

varying affect on your

pet. Learn the varying

levels o chocolate

intoxications below.

Light to Dark

Reerence: Gwaltney-Brant, S. "Chocolate Intoxication." Veterinary Medicine, 96.2 (2001): 108.

Te Variation In Chocolate oxicity

Central Coast Pet Health | 3


4/12

Te op Five Pet Emergencies TatShould Be Seen Immediately

When ItCan't Wait:

It's 11pm on a Tuesday night and something is wrong with your pet. You know he or she needs tobe seen by a veterinarian. But then comes the difficult question - can it wait until morning? Whilewe will do our best to help you decide when you call our clinic, there are some situations where wehould see your pet immediately. Whether it's the middle o the night on a weekday or a hot Sunday

afernoon, the ollowing five emergencies should never wait.

Heatstrokefen seen in large, overweight, or overworked dogs, heatstroke is

n extremely severe and deadly condition that must immediately be

eated by a veterinarian. When a dogs body is heated to over 105

r long periods o time, the dog may suffer rom DIC - disseminated

travascular coagulopathy. Tis syndrome causes disturbances inow proteins work and causes small clots to orm in blood vessels.

ventually, the body runs out o clotting actors and is unable to clot

all. In the emergency room, we slowly cool the dogs body and

dminister oxygen, IV fluids or cooling and shock, and resh rozen

asma transusions as needed.

What to look or: Fever (102.5or over)

Heavy Panting

Weakness or sudden collapse

Dark red/purple mucous membranes (such as the gums)

Prouse Diarrhea

I you suspect your dog has heatstroke, your dog mustbe treated

by a veterinarian. Slowcooling o the legs and belly with cold watercan help begin to lower body temperature, but heatstroke requires

extreme measures rom a veterinary clinic.

| Central Coast Pet Health4


5/12

Urinary Obstructionn Male Catsommonly reerred to as a blocked cat,

inary obstruction in male cats is a very

mmon and very serious medical emergency.

hen a cat is blocked, his urethra is plugged

d he is unable to urinate, preventing the

moval o waste products rom the body.

Tis causes severe electrolyte disturbances

at can affect heart rate and rhythm, as well

cause kidney damage rom the back-up oaste products. In the worst cases, the bladder

urethra may even rupture. When the cat

rives at our clinic, we sedate him and remove

e obstruction. We then careully monitor

s kidney values and urine production, as

ell as treat any secondary issues such as the

ectrolyte imbalances and heart arrhythmias.

What to look or:Uncomortable/painul abdomenExcessive vocalizing (especially in the

itter box)

Straining to urinate

In and out o the litter box with no urine

produced

Urinating outside o the litter box

Lethargy and/or unusual hiding

Collapse

Snail Bait oxicitySeen almost exclusively in dogs, snail bait

toxicity is a highly dangerous and quick-

acting toxicity, with symptoms that maniest

themselves within an hour. Te toxicity is

dose dependant and will have different effects

depending on the amount ingested per body

weight o the animal; however, every snail baitingestion must be seen by a veterinarian.

In the less severe cases, we detoxiy the pet by

inducing vomiting, giving activated charcoal,

monitoring blood work, and administering

IV fluids. In severe cases, however, we usually

cannot induce vomiting and may have to

anesthetize the pet to pump their stomach

and administer enemas. At this high level

o intoxication, snail bait can eventuallyinduce seizures. When this occurs, the bodys

temperature will commonly rise above 105

and the dog can exhibit the signs and effects o

heatstroke. As such, it is crucial to treat the pet

as soon as possible afer ingestion.

What to look or: Heavy Panting

Drooling

Whole body tremors

Seizures

Stiff Limbs

Inability to walk

Ataxia (walking drunkenly)

Red/purple mucous membranes

Dilated Pupils

Sensitivity to light/sound/movement

Rat Bait oxicityUnlike snail bait, the symptoms o rat bait take

much longer to develop. Rat bait works by

removing Vitamin K, a necessary part o the

blood clotting process. Tis effect is slow to

occur because the body has circulating vitamin

K and clotting acts that were not initially

affected by poison. It isnt typically until 24-48hours afer ingestion that all the clotting actors

are out o the game and no more can be made.

At this point, any small, imperceptible tear in

a blood vessel will not clot and the pet will not

stop bleeding. Te pet can literally bleed rom

anywhere, including the nose, eyes, into the

chest or abdomen, into the muscles, into the

lungs, and even the brain.

reatment is aimed at restoring clotting actorsand detoxification, i possible. I the patient

has eaten the poison recently, we will induce

vomiting, give activated charcoal, and start

them on 3 weeks o the antidote vitamin K.

However, i ingestion was not recent and the

patient is actively bleeding, it is likely that too

much time has passed to induce vomiting. We

will then run bloodwork, check clotting times,

give vitamin K, give a resh rozen plasma

transusion to replace clotting actors, and

ofen give a blood transusion i the patient

is anemic (suffering rom a lack o red blood

cells) rom bleeding.

While the effects o rat bait are dose dependant,

all pets who ingest it should receive emergency

care immediately.

Always try to bring in (or take a picture o) the

label o the rat bait your pet ingested. Tis will

help the veterinarian determine the correct active

ingredient and treatment or your pet.

Lacerationsommon in both dogs and cats, lacerations

re ofen caused by fighting between animals

although some wounds happen by accident,

pecially with cats). Some lacerations can

e lie-threatening i lef untreated, so it is

mportant to have a veterinarian physically

ssess the wound to determine the severity

the injury. reating a laceration soonerather than later helps avoid the possibility

inection, as well as decreases the healing

me and cost in the long run.

Te normal bodytemperature o

cats and dogs is

between 100-102.5.



6/12

Above: Buffy stayed warm and cozy in her cage during her highly monitored hospital stay.

Opposite top: A bright eyed Buffy, only 3 weeks afer her ordeal.

For thousands o years, supersti-

tions have surrounded black cats,

heralding them as bringers o stormsand bad luck. While we dont believe

in superstition, on Halloween night

2013, Buffy the black cat was certain-

ly having the worst o luck.

Diagnosed with septic peritonitis by

her primary veterinarian, Buffy was

transerred to our hospital or con-

tinued emergency treatment. Buffy

was very sweet when she first came to

the hospital and, although she was an

extremely sick little cat, she was still

purring up a storm.

Septic peritonitis is an extremely seri-

ous condition that many pets do not

survive. Peritonitis is inflammation

o the abdominal cavity; this is ofen

caused by bacteria that have escaped

rom the gastrointestinal tract or by

wounds that have penetrated the ab-

dominal wall and deposited bacteria

into the abdomen. A airly common

condition seen in the ER, most pa-

tients have developed peritonitis

rom trauma (wounds or rupture o

the intestines or stomach) or eating

oreign objects that have lodged in

the intestine and caused intestinal

or stomach ulcers. Ofen, peritoni-

tis leads to sepsis, an overwhelming

system-wide inection that can cause

severe problems in the body. Untilthe source o the inection is ound,

we may not be able to manage the in-

ection through antibiotics alone.

As such, it is crucial to find the area con-

tamination in order to stop the contin-

ued leakage o bacteria. In Buffys case,there were no obvious wounds ound on

her body, so we assumed that there was a

breach in her gastrointestinal tract caus-

ing the problem. Tis meant putting Buffy

under anesthesia and perorming surgery

to try to find the source o the inection.

Keeping Buffy stable under anesthesia,

however, would be tricky because her

blood pressure and blood sugar were low

due to the massive inection. Afer dis-

cussing the risks with the owner, we de-

cided to get Buffy into surgery to see what

was going on. Inside her abdomen, we

ound a greenish, chunky, oul smelling,and generally disgusting fluid. Keeping

Buffy stable under anesthesia was difficult

and although we were able to suction and

clean out her abdomen, we could not find

the source o the bacteria. Tere were no

obvious ulcerations, wounds or breaches

in her gastrointestinal tract so afer a thor-

ough flushing o her abdominal cavity, we

closed her up and woke her. She slowly re-

covered rom the anesthesia and was care-

ully monitored by our attentive staff.

Buffy the cat arrived at our emergency clinic suffering rom severe septic peritonitis.

Four days and two surgeries later, she was recovering back home with her amily.

Case Study:Buffy, Te Lucky Black Cat



7/12

On day 2, Buffy did not look much bet-

ter. She still had low blood sugar and blood

pressure and her progress was not what we

were hoping. On urther examination, our

veterinarian ound more fluid in the ab-

domen. Although this fluid was less thick

and chunky, it was still very oul-smelling.

Tereore, we decided to go back into sur-

gery to look or the source o inection.

Unortunately, this second surgery proved

as unlucky as the first and we were unable

to locate the source o the inection. Tis

time, however, our veterinarian decided to

place an abdominal drain called a Jackson-

Pratt. Tis drain is placed in her abdomen

around the stomach and intestines, leads

out through the body wall, and is attached

to a suction device. Tis allows us to con-

tinue flushing her abdomen in a sterile

way and to collect any fluid that accumu-

lates within her abdominal cavity.

Te results o the drain were astound-

ing. Afer the second surgery, Buffys vitalsigns started improving, her blood sugar

and blood pressure normalized, and she

actually started to show interest in ood.

During this time, her owners visited twice

daily to give her love and affection. By day

three, Buffy had greatly improved and was

starting to eat on her own - she was even

starting to be sassy with the staff! Four

days afer entering the hospital, Buffy was

discharged into her owners care. Since her

return home, Buffy has improved drastical-

ly, returning to playing orm and eating as

much as her owners will eed her. While we

still do not know exactly what caused the

initial inection, the aggressive surgical and

supportive care o our doctors and staff,

along with the incredible love and support

o her wonderul amily, helped Buffy sur-

vive this potentially atal inection.

BELOW: Buffy is ull o lie and energy play-

ing with a peacock eather at her home in

San Luis Obispo. Te bare patch on her neck

was shaved to allow the ER staff better access

to draw blood or crucial bloodwork.

7


8/12


9/12

Complete vs Partial HeterochromiaNero (lef) possesses complete heterochromia, maniesting itsel as two di-erent colored eyes, whereas ido (below ) shows partial heterochromia, with

each eye containing both blue and yellow coloration.Photos by Amy Hypnarowski (lef) and Raven Lukehart (below).

Eye Spy... Different Colored Eyes!Te Basic Genetics Behind Heterochromia

Heterochromia, or the presence o

different colored eyes, is ofen considered

one o the most ascinating and beautiul o

genetic abnormalities. Relatively common

in both cats and dogs, heterochromia

(technically 'heterochromia iridum')

exists due to the lack o or excess o thepigment melanin in the iris. Tere are two

orms o heterochromia: complete and

partial. Complete heterochromia results

in two completely different colored eyes,

whereas partial heterochromia occurs in

the same eye, giving the appearance o

multiple colors in a single eye. In the case

o most complete heterochromia, there is a

decisive lack o melanin in one eye, causing

that eye to appear blue. A pet with partial

heterochromia can have varying levels

o melanin in the same eye, sometimes

appearing as a mix between blue and

brown, but can appear as a mix o green,

yellow, or brown.

While heterochromia can be the result

o injury or disease, the trait is generally

inherited rom one or both o the pet's

parents. Heterochromia is known as anautosomal dominant trait. Autosomal

reers to a gene that is located on one o

the non-sex chromosomes. Dominance

indicates that the phenotype (the physical

maniestation o the gene, in this case, the

color) will express itsel in the offspring

i they receive the gene. Tereore, in

autosomal dominance, the pet need only

receive the affected gene rom one parent.

When that occurs, the phenotype will

always show itsel.

Say, or instance, a male dog with

heterochromia mates with a emale dog

without heterochromia. Te offspring o

this pair will each have a 50/50 chance

o receiving the heterochromia gene

rom the ather. I the offspring receives

the heterochromia gene, it will show the

physical phenotype associated with thegene - different colored eyes. However,

there is an equal chance that the offspring

will not receive the affected gene and will

not show the heterochromia phenotype.

Due to it's dominance, heterochromia is

relatively simple to track in breeding lines.

Although there is no way to guarantee

the degree o heterochromia (complete

or partial) until the offspring is born,

the results o the heterochromia gene are

astoundingly and mesmerizing.

We dare you to look away!



10/12

Beore and afer magic.

Tere's no denying the results oa good dental cleaning!

Brushing our teeth is one o the most

routine parts o our day. We take greatcare or a white smile and resh breath.

At the same time, were also prevent-

ing dental disease in our mouth. Yet

or all the care we spend on keeping

our mouth ree o disease, we ofen

neglect to give the same attention to

our pets. Tereore, its not surprising

that studies have shown that 70% o

cats and 80% o dogs have periodontal

(gum) disease by the time they are 3years old.

Periodontal disease occurs rom an

accumulation o plaque (bacterial

film) over the tooth. Eventually, this

plaque hardens into tartar, the vis-

ible thick yellow and brown layer you

can see on your pets tooth. artar ir-

ritates the gums, creating pockets un-

der the gumline where bacteria grow

and thrive. Tis not only leads to pain,

redness, and swelling at the gum line,but the pockets can also provide bac-

teria with access to the bloodstream,

where they can spread to and affect

other organs, such as the heart and the

kidneys. Periodontal disease can also

be responsible or tooth loss and bad

breath.

Te easiest way to avoid this poten-

tially devastating disease in your petsmouth is with early and routine check-

ups with your veterinarian. At Central

Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency, a

thorough dental exam is part o every

general checkup. I indicated, our vet-

erinarians may recommend a routine

dental cleaning. Tis is perormed

under anesthesia, to allow us to look

at every nook and cranny inside your

pets mouth. Routine dental cleanings

can help prevent serious systemic dis-

eases, tooth loss, bad breath, and more

throughout your pet's lie.

Tere are steps you, as an owner, can

take to help prevent plaque and tartar

buildup between regular dental clean-

ings. Just as we brush our teeth, we can

also brush our pets! Using toothpaste

and a toothbrush designed specifically

or pets (human toothpaste can cause

an upset stomach), run the toothbrush

along your pets gum line and teeth,

spending about 30 seconds on each

side o the mouth. In addition, special

plaque-reducing oods, treats, rinses,

and toys can help prevent periodontal

disease.

o schedule a dental exam or clean-

ing with our highly skilled team, makean appointment or an exam by call-

ing 805-489-6573 during our general

practice hours (Monday-Friday rom

8am-6pm).

Show Off Your Pet's Pearly Whites!Learn About Te Importance O Dental Health

Did You Know?February is Veterinary

Dental Month!

All month long, Central Coast Pet

Hospital and Emergency is

offering our dental package

starting at a remarkable $275,

which includes an exam, pre-

anesthetic blood work, IV catheter

and fluids, polish, and cleaning.



11/12

Dear Dr. Jermaine,Ive seen this new flea medication calledrifexis. It also says it protects against

heartworm. Whats heartworm disease?Ive never heard of a dog getting it. Doesmy dog really need protection against it?Tanks!

-Kevin R, Arroyo Grande

Hi Kevin! Tis is a question

I get quite a lot during check-

ups. Heartworm disease is a

lie-threatening condition inwhich parasitic nematodes

(worms) inhabit the arteries

within the lungs and some-

times the heart in dogs, cats,

and other susceptible mam-

mals. It is spread by mosquitoes which inject the

heartworm larvae into the bloodstream during

a bite. It takes over 6 months or the larvae to

develop into the adult worms which inhabit the

heart and lungs in dogs. Adult worms produce

their young called microfilariae which are then

picked up by mosquitos and the cycle can start

over again. Clinical signs o heartworm disease

can include coughing, exercise intolerance/a-

tigue, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Heart-

worm is best controlled by prevention, which is

sae, inexpensive, and quite effective. We com-

monly use riexis and Heartguard administered

monthly or prevention, although other options

are available. Although we are not considered a

"hot spot" here on the Central Coast, mosquitoes

are present and heartworm disease is possible.

We recommend year-round prevention or dogs

and annual heartworm screening tests, especially

i you travel with your dog. Prevention is much

easier than treatment which can take weeks to

accomplish, be costly, and cause unwanted side-

effects. I'd be happy to discuss what is best or

your dog, just come on in!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kathy Jermaine

Ask TeVet

Have a question for Dr. Jermaine? Send it to

[email protected] for a chance to be fea-

tured in our next issue!

Acupuncture...For pets?You bet! For many pets, acupuncture can provide relie or

a variety o musculoskeletal, neurological, and gastrointes-

tinal conditions including muscle soreness, back pain, disc

problems, osteoarthritis, seizures, radial nerve paralysis, di-

arrhea, gastric ulcers, colic, vomiting and more. In addition,

acupuncture therapy can be effective in treating asthma, be-havioral problems, hypothyroidism, inertility, renal ailure,

geriatric weakness, and skin problems.

But just what is acupuncture? In short, acupuncture is the

stimulation o a specific point on the body with a specific

method, resulting in a therapeutic homeostatic effect. Us-

ing a variety o methods including dry needling, aqua-acu-

puncture, and electro-stimulation, the goal is to restore the

natural balance in the body and allow homeostasis to return

(homeostasis is the internal equilibrium between all the body

systems). And it doesn't hurt! In act, many animals are sorelaxed during the procedures, they will all asleep during

treatments.

At Central Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency, we have two

certified veterinary acupuncturists, Dr. McKenna and Dr.

Lilly. I you think your pet would benefit rom veterinary acu-

puncture, call 805-489-6574 to schedule a consultation.

WITH DR. JERMAINE

11


12/12

Central Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency805-489-6573

1558 West Branch Street

Arroyo Grande, CAwww.centralcoastpetemergency.com

Open 24 Hours!

Follow us on:

Facebook: Central Coast PetEmergency Clinic

witter: @ccpetemergencyInstagram: @ccpec

FIND US ONLINE!
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