February / March 2013

Karen’s Corner is meant to help you keep your pets healthy and safe, but it is not meant to replace your veterinarian when needed.

If you haven’t done so yet, please find the numbers of emergency clinics in the April 2012 Corner, archived.  Please keep them in an easy-to-access place, along with your fire-disaster plan for the whole family.

          Our pets give us an endless supply of wonderful moments.  They are grateful for the smallest human gesture, a scratch behind the ear, a treat, or just to hear a human voice speak their name.  Their love for us is unconditional.  We owe these loyal family members all the care we can give them.

          Before going into health issues, I want to briefly remind readers of my description of the Iditarod sled dog race starting every year on the first Saturday in March.  Those who did not see the short article titled “Iditarod, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly” in the February 2012 “Corner” can find it in the Archives.  It explains the difference between humane mushers and the ones who go for the big race wins and purses, the difference between short races that do not overwork the dogs, and many long-distance races such as the Iditarod.  The saddest thing in many sled dog kennels is the culling (translation:  killing) of many dogs in the selection of the best and toughest that can win marathons such as the Iditarod, and the culling of many retired dogs to make room for new puppies, always more puppies.  The humane musher maintains a small kennel, pampers ALL the dogs, and gives them the attention and love they deserve, until the end of their lives.  Do you think that can be done in a kennel of 100 to 200 dogs?  Running down a snowy trail standing on the runners of a sled pulled by a team of happy, loyal furry friends can be the most exhilarating thing one has ever done, if it is done humanely, not by running the dogs to exhaustion.

        Except for some “bad apples” in the bunch – animal abusers – a big part of the world has become a friendlier, more humane place for animals.  Scientists are accepting the fact that animals suffer in laboratory experiments, and that they are in fact sentient creatures who feel love and suffer abandonment, not “things” to experiment on.  But there is still much cruelty to animals being committed, i.e., in China, where thousands of stray dogs are clubbed to death periodically to control rabies, Russia, where wolves are still being cruelly poisoned, or some South American countries, where the so-called street dogs are sometimes fed glass-laced meat to control their numbers.

        Although we have a long way to go, most people in our part of the world now know that spaying or neutering is the way to control the pet population, and to help keep our furry friends healthy.  Most people know that it is not wise to acquire a pet from a pet shop or via the Internet, because these pets - most of them products of puppy mills where they are mass-produced - often come with health and temperament issues.  Many people have been hurt financially and emotionally.  People have learned that it is more humane to adopt a pet, thus helping to reduce overpopulation and the needless destruction of millions of loving pets.  If you are considering adopting, please give an orphan a chance to live.   

Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs and Cats – We can not cure it, but we can control it.

       Diabetes is an endocrine (hormonal) disease that affects humans, dogs, cats and other species.  Although awareness of this condition dates back to the first century or perhaps earlier, the cause - lack of insulin or resistance to this hormone – has only been known for about one hundred years.  The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas, the large gland located behind the stomach.  Insulin regulates the absorption and utilization of glucose (sugar) by the cells of the body.  If the pancreas stops producing insulin at a young age, the condition is called juvenile onset (type I) diabetes.  If insulin production stops later in life, it is adult onset (type II) diabetes.

            The action of insulin is needed to deliver glucose from the bloodstream to the tissues of the body, where it is used for energy production.  There are many possible causes of diabetes, i.e, pancreatitis, (inflammation of the pancreas), Cushing’s syndrome (excessive secretion of adrenal hormones), drugs, especially steroids, which can disturb the delicate balance between blood glucose and insulin, leading to diabetes.     

            Juvenile onset diabetes is first noticed when a puppy or kitten fails to thrive.  These animals eat ravenously but lose weight.  Muscle is burned for energy, and some become weak or even paralyzed, especially in the hind legs.  The biggest telltale symptom is increased thirst and urination. More advanced symptoms are loss of appetite, vomiting, acetone odor of breath, weakness, and finally coma and death.  Most body systems, including the blood vessels, nerves, liver, kidneys and eyes are damaged by the excessive glucose in the blood. 

            The diagnosis is made based on blood and urine tests.  Abdominal X-rays and ultrasound may also be considered, in order to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms.

            Treatment consists of daily insulin injections for life.  Oral drugs for the control of diabetes rarely work in dogs, in fact, Tolbutamide, an oral antidiabetic drug for humans is known to be toxic to the liver of dogs. In dogs, diabetes can not be controlled with diet. Some type II cats may improve on oral medication and diet.  Insulin is administered by subcutaneous (under the skin) injection using very small needles.  Therapy is usually begun with lower doses of insulin to avoid overdosage, and adjusted upward if necessary.  Initially the pet may need to be hospitalized for 24 hours so that frequent glucose measurements can be made.  This is done in order to determine the exact dosage, frequency of dosing, as well as type of insulin suitable for the individual pet.  Thereafter pets must be carefully monitored by the owner.  The veterinarian’s feeding and exercise instructions must be carefully followed, and periodic glucose determinations will be made by your veterinarian in order to adjust insulin dosage if necessary.  Veterinarians will familiarize owners with injection technique (subcutaneous injections are easy) and handling and storage of insulin. 

            Since female hormones tend to interact with blood glucose levels, making the effect of insulin highly erratic, spaying will help stabilize the dosage of insulin.  One more reason to spay!

A few thoughts on pet nutrition. 

            Some time ago an acquaintance told me her husband criticized her for “spending too much money” on their pets’ food”.  He told her to buy cheaper brands.  His words:  “Pet food is pet food.”  Not true.  If you feed your pets inferior quality food, you’ll pay for the savings later in vet bills, and the quality of your pet’s life will be diminished, even though it may take a long time for problems to surface.

          Ethanol is a major component of alcoholic beverages, and is also present in fermented foods, i.e., bread dough.  Signs of ethanol toxicity include staggering, drooling, vomiting, lethargy.  If too much is ingested, death will follow.  So, please do not let your pets lick the cookie dough bowl.  Of course you know better than to pour your dog a beer!  I can not imagine that anyone would do such an immature thing, endangering a pet’s life.

          Why does my dog destroy his squeaky toy?  My huskies will go after a squeaky toy with a vengeance, and finally “kill” it.  The squeaky noises remind the dog of the squeals made by live pray before he gives it the death bite.  The more squeaks coming from the toy, the more excited the dog gets.  And after the kill, he finishes off the “pray” by ripping the squeaky out.  While you sigh ……. There goes more money down the drain …… Your dog has satisfied his predator instinct, feeling like an expert hunter.  He  is soooooooo proud of himself. 

         Dental health reminder:  Brush your dog’s and cat’s teeth often (preferably every day).  Plaque and tartar buildup, eventually resulting in periodontal disease, can destroy your pet’s internal organs over time. Pets are exposed to numerous toxins every day – from air, water, food.  We have no control over most of these.  But one thing we can all control:  The toxins entering the bloodstream from unbrushed teeth!        

As always, you can send me questions and comments via this website.  And please hug your dogs and cats for me!