Caring for aging and ailing pets...
It’s a tender and emotional subject, but one in which many people have many questions. Georgia Veterinary Specialists (GVS) is here to help.
GVS, a multi-specialty veterinary referral hospital and 24-hour emergency center in Sandy Springs, will offer a free seminar to the public to help pet owners navigate the often unfamiliar road we face when supporting an aging or ailing pet.
What: Caring for Your Aging or Ailing Pet: The Road Ahead
This seminar with feature discussions from veterinary specialists, Nick Berryessa DVM, DACVIM and Dr. Susan Wynn CVA, CVCH, experts in caring
for our geriatric canine and feline friends. In addition, Robin Chisolm-Seymour, M.Ed., will address loss and grief.
· What to expect with elderly pets
· Myths and Facts: age is not a disease
· Understanding the changes: evaluating quality of life
· How a pet owner can help
· Knowing when to say goodbye
· Coping with loss: before, during and after
When: Saturday, July 18th
10 am to 12 pm
Where: Georgia Veterinary Specialists
455 Abernathy Road, NE
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
The seminar is free to the public, but seating is limited.
To make a reservation, please contact:
Kimberly DeMeza, 404.459.0903. ext. 193, or email kdemeza@gvsvet.com.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Pedigree recall- correction
Post deleted - yesterday's news feed apparently posted something that was news in August 2008. Apologies, and please ignore that notice.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
New perspectives on 2 tough feline problems
At the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine meeting 2 weeks ago, I spent some time in the poster sessions, which are brief communications about new research. It's important to keep in mind when reading these projects that these are preliminary communications and haven't undergone peer review in their expanded forms; nonetheless, they are sometimes harbingers of things to come.
There were some great posters, like the one that showed that GFR (glomerular filtration rate or the kidney's waste elimination function) is different between different breeds (just as we know that digestibility of food is different and many other breed differences).
But one that interested me was the ongoing work showing that cats with asthma may benefit from hyposensitization injections. Let's back up - asthma is an allergic response, centered in the lungs, to an allergen. In children, food allergy is a major concern but in adults, this is usually an environmental allergen although other triggers include pollution, exercise and infections. We presume the same triggers affect cats.
For other allergic signs such as itching, we identify the allergens using skin testing and treat it (with about 75% success) with allergy shots. So why not approach asthma the same way? This was the thinking behind the project. Unfortunately, these cats were rendered asthmatic experimentally and the project was not designed to show clinical benefit, measuring only immunologic markers of improvement. But improvement there was. And I've heard of at least one veterinarian who swore that allergy shots saved his cat's life.
So if your cat is asthmatic, will allergy testing and shots cause harm? We don't know, but depending on the severity of the cat's problem, you may be desperate enough to try it.
Also related to cats is a recent report from the ICA update, the news magazine of the Interstitial Cystitis Association, summarized here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154701.php
Websites about IC have long talked about food triggers but always acknowledge the controversial nature of the food connection. This article suggests that up to 40% of one doctor's IC patients have food allergies, but there may be a larger population who are sensitive to environmental allergens as well. Doctors who shared certain patients were noticicng that as their environmental allergies (known as atopy) were treated, the symptoms of IC were improving as well. This has inspired new studies to better define the link and potential for treatment.
So again - do we skin test and administer allergy shots to IC? The most well known researchers on feline IC would probably say no, as they would consider an experimental procedure yet another stress, which is now considered the most well understood cause of feline IC. In fact, this group would probably also argue that a food allergy trial (using an elimination diet containing ingredients that are novel to the cat) is enough of a stress to avoid in an IC patient.
I'm not sure this is a well enough proven concept to prevent me from doing a food trial in a gentle, gradual matter in these guys. But we do have another route to take if food allergy is playing a part, and that is to treat "leaky gut". We know that many allergy patients have a hyperpermeable intestinal tract, allowing exposure of the immune system to too many normal components of the gut. At the very least, probiotic therapy may be worthwhile because probiotics can reduce permeability and inflammation in the gut. Oh by the way, probiotics are being intensely studied right now in the treatment of atopic disease (or environmental allergies).
Just some thoughts to consider if your cat has one of these tough to treat chronic diseases.
There were some great posters, like the one that showed that GFR (glomerular filtration rate or the kidney's waste elimination function) is different between different breeds (just as we know that digestibility of food is different and many other breed differences).
But one that interested me was the ongoing work showing that cats with asthma may benefit from hyposensitization injections. Let's back up - asthma is an allergic response, centered in the lungs, to an allergen. In children, food allergy is a major concern but in adults, this is usually an environmental allergen although other triggers include pollution, exercise and infections. We presume the same triggers affect cats.
For other allergic signs such as itching, we identify the allergens using skin testing and treat it (with about 75% success) with allergy shots. So why not approach asthma the same way? This was the thinking behind the project. Unfortunately, these cats were rendered asthmatic experimentally and the project was not designed to show clinical benefit, measuring only immunologic markers of improvement. But improvement there was. And I've heard of at least one veterinarian who swore that allergy shots saved his cat's life.
So if your cat is asthmatic, will allergy testing and shots cause harm? We don't know, but depending on the severity of the cat's problem, you may be desperate enough to try it.
Also related to cats is a recent report from the ICA update, the news magazine of the Interstitial Cystitis Association, summarized here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154701.php
Websites about IC have long talked about food triggers but always acknowledge the controversial nature of the food connection. This article suggests that up to 40% of one doctor's IC patients have food allergies, but there may be a larger population who are sensitive to environmental allergens as well. Doctors who shared certain patients were noticicng that as their environmental allergies (known as atopy) were treated, the symptoms of IC were improving as well. This has inspired new studies to better define the link and potential for treatment.
So again - do we skin test and administer allergy shots to IC? The most well known researchers on feline IC would probably say no, as they would consider an experimental procedure yet another stress, which is now considered the most well understood cause of feline IC. In fact, this group would probably also argue that a food allergy trial (using an elimination diet containing ingredients that are novel to the cat) is enough of a stress to avoid in an IC patient.
I'm not sure this is a well enough proven concept to prevent me from doing a food trial in a gentle, gradual matter in these guys. But we do have another route to take if food allergy is playing a part, and that is to treat "leaky gut". We know that many allergy patients have a hyperpermeable intestinal tract, allowing exposure of the immune system to too many normal components of the gut. At the very least, probiotic therapy may be worthwhile because probiotics can reduce permeability and inflammation in the gut. Oh by the way, probiotics are being intensely studied right now in the treatment of atopic disease (or environmental allergies).
Just some thoughts to consider if your cat has one of these tough to treat chronic diseases.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Why are Americans fat?
Interesting study - it suggests that unhealthy food is discounted and made more affordable than healthy food. This shouldn't be news to anyone, but since it takes proof to make policy, maybe this is a breakthrough?
Supermarket discounts: Are they promoting healthy non-alcoholic beverages?
Sarah POLLOCK, Louise SIGNAL and Carolyn WATTS
Aim: The present study investigates the role of supermarket discounts in promoting healthy choices through evaluation of discounts applied to non-alcoholic beverages in New Zealand supermarkets.
Methods: Discount information was collected from four supermarkets in the Wellington region over a four-week period. These included two supermarkets aimed at customers of a high socioeconomic status and two aimed at low-socioeconomic-status customers. The beverage brand and size were recorded along with the original and discounted prices. The beverages were classified into green (drink most), amber (drink in moderation) and red (drink less) categories based on the Waitemata District Health Board Beverage Guidelines.
Results: A total of 1487 discounts were documented over the four-week period with the majority (57.6%) of these from the high-socioeconomic-status supermarkets. A higher percentage of beverage discounts were classified as amber (40.9%) or red (44.1%) rather than green (14.9%) across all beverage groups except water (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: This research suggests that less healthy beverages are discounted more frequently and to a larger extent than healthier beverages, but a nationwide study is required to confirm this. It appears likely that supermarkets could play a role in promoting healthy beverage choice if they refrain from discounting amber and red products.
Supermarket discounts: Are they promoting healthy non-alcoholic beverages?
Sarah POLLOCK, Louise SIGNAL and Carolyn WATTS
Aim: The present study investigates the role of supermarket discounts in promoting healthy choices through evaluation of discounts applied to non-alcoholic beverages in New Zealand supermarkets.
Methods: Discount information was collected from four supermarkets in the Wellington region over a four-week period. These included two supermarkets aimed at customers of a high socioeconomic status and two aimed at low-socioeconomic-status customers. The beverage brand and size were recorded along with the original and discounted prices. The beverages were classified into green (drink most), amber (drink in moderation) and red (drink less) categories based on the Waitemata District Health Board Beverage Guidelines.
Results: A total of 1487 discounts were documented over the four-week period with the majority (57.6%) of these from the high-socioeconomic-status supermarkets. A higher percentage of beverage discounts were classified as amber (40.9%) or red (44.1%) rather than green (14.9%) across all beverage groups except water (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: This research suggests that less healthy beverages are discounted more frequently and to a larger extent than healthier beverages, but a nationwide study is required to confirm this. It appears likely that supermarkets could play a role in promoting healthy beverage choice if they refrain from discounting amber and red products.
The greening of pet foods
Greenopia is an online directory that purports to help people make 'green' choices in their every day living. They have just posted a rating of 30 pet foods, with the most green being Karma (made by Natura brands) and Raw Advantage.
I found it very difficult to determine how they rated the products as the website doesn't appear to post their criteria. Pet food Industry magazine reports:
"Greenopia collected data from manufacturers and independent sources about each brand's ingredients, packaging, sustainability reporting, supply chain, animal testing policies and green building design. Companies were given additional points for their adoption of environmental initiatives. One-third of the brands evaluated earned zero-leaf ratings, revealing them to be below Greenopia's minimum green threshold."
You can see the entire listing here: http://www.greenopia.com/LA/petfoods_search.aspx?category=PetFoods&Listpage=0&input=Name%20or%20product&subcategory=None
I found it very difficult to determine how they rated the products as the website doesn't appear to post their criteria. Pet food Industry magazine reports:
"Greenopia collected data from manufacturers and independent sources about each brand's ingredients, packaging, sustainability reporting, supply chain, animal testing policies and green building design. Companies were given additional points for their adoption of environmental initiatives. One-third of the brands evaluated earned zero-leaf ratings, revealing them to be below Greenopia's minimum green threshold."
You can see the entire listing here: http://www.greenopia.com/LA/petfoods_search.aspx?category=PetFoods&Listpage=0&input=Name%20or%20product&subcategory=None
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Australian outbreak of feline neurologic disaster prompts govt policy change
From Pet Food Industry magazine:
Australia suspends irradiation of cat food
Release Date: Tuesday, June 09, 2009
An outbreak in neurological disorders in cats has lead Australia to cease sterilization of cat food by irradiation. Scientific studies have suggested food irradiation as the source of the illnesses afflicting cats, but exactly how irradiation is causing food to be toxic to cats is unknown.
Ninety cats in Australia were afflicted with neurological disorders after they ate Orijen imported dry cat food, manufactured by Champion Petfoods, according to Dr. Georgina Child, a neurologist familiar with the cases.
Only Australia, which requires irradiation of pet food, has reported issues with Orijen cat food; all other countries who imported non-irradiated Orijen cat food reported no problems.
Australia suspends irradiation of cat food
Release Date: Tuesday, June 09, 2009
An outbreak in neurological disorders in cats has lead Australia to cease sterilization of cat food by irradiation. Scientific studies have suggested food irradiation as the source of the illnesses afflicting cats, but exactly how irradiation is causing food to be toxic to cats is unknown.
Ninety cats in Australia were afflicted with neurological disorders after they ate Orijen imported dry cat food, manufactured by Champion Petfoods, according to Dr. Georgina Child, a neurologist familiar with the cases.
Only Australia, which requires irradiation of pet food, has reported issues with Orijen cat food; all other countries who imported non-irradiated Orijen cat food reported no problems.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
veggies aren't necessary in diets for dogs and cats, are they?
A colleague lamented to me that she had recommended a homemade diet containing vegetables, and the pet owner's regular veterinarian said that vegetables didn't contribute anything and weren't necessary. The owner apparently found that the undigested chunks of carrots in her dog's stool supported the regular veterinarian's opinion.
Here was my answer:
It is true that vegetables contain much cellulose and that if the cell
walls are not broken down by prolonged mastication, steaming/cooking,
or pulping them, they will pass out unidgested. Dogs are gulpers, and
descend from animals that got any benefits from vegetable matter
secondarily from their prey, who predigested it for them. So veggies
cannot just be given as chunks, unless you are trying to give the dog
something to chew on just for fun.
The benefits of veggies to dogs are mostly unknown, though one study
in Scottish terriers showed that dogs eating vegetables in their diets
had lower cancer incidence. In the absence of studies, we kind of
assume that the benefits are similar to the benefits for humans,
including not just some of the essential vitamins and minerals, but
also functional ingredients that may prevent cancer, like flavonoids.
In addition, vegetables are great for diluting the calories in a diet,
and with so many overweight dogs, they can be an essential part of
weight management.
I recommend that pet owners feeding complete and balanced of ANY type - dry, canned or homemade, include veggies as part of that dog's regular fare. If you start from the time they're puppies, they won't object to the taste, which helps later in life if veggies are used therapeutically in the diet.
If your vet tells you not to feed veggies or fruits, smile sweetly and reply that you appreciate the reminder and that you would never feed onions or grapes to your dog!
Here was my answer:
It is true that vegetables contain much cellulose and that if the cell
walls are not broken down by prolonged mastication, steaming/cooking,
or pulping them, they will pass out unidgested. Dogs are gulpers, and
descend from animals that got any benefits from vegetable matter
secondarily from their prey, who predigested it for them. So veggies
cannot just be given as chunks, unless you are trying to give the dog
something to chew on just for fun.
The benefits of veggies to dogs are mostly unknown, though one study
in Scottish terriers showed that dogs eating vegetables in their diets
had lower cancer incidence. In the absence of studies, we kind of
assume that the benefits are similar to the benefits for humans,
including not just some of the essential vitamins and minerals, but
also functional ingredients that may prevent cancer, like flavonoids.
In addition, vegetables are great for diluting the calories in a diet,
and with so many overweight dogs, they can be an essential part of
weight management.
I recommend that pet owners feeding complete and balanced of ANY type - dry, canned or homemade, include veggies as part of that dog's regular fare. If you start from the time they're puppies, they won't object to the taste, which helps later in life if veggies are used therapeutically in the diet.
If your vet tells you not to feed veggies or fruits, smile sweetly and reply that you appreciate the reminder and that you would never feed onions or grapes to your dog!
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