No panic pet food recalls

The following brands of pet foods have some lot numbers under recall for reasons not considered highly serious:
Diamond Pet Foods, Premium Pet Foods: cat foods, several lots, thiamine (vitamin B1) deficient.
Wysong: certain lots of dry dog foods, mold contamination (but no mycotoxins).
Nutro Products: several lots of dog foods contaminated with worker's plastic hat.

If you are feeding any of these foods please contact us and we will give you the affected lot numbers.

H1N1 in an Iowa cat

The state veterinarian's office and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health issued a press release today ( so you may see it in tomorrow's news) that the human H1N1 virus was isolated in an Iowa cat whose owners had had the H1N1 virus. Dr. Anne Garvey, Iowa Public Health veterinarian says that cats can get sick from the H1N1 virus with similar symptoms as people. In most cases the cat gets the virus from humans living in the same household. They caution people with suspected H1N1 to wash hands frequently to decrease the chance of spreading it to their cats. (A truth in blogging disclaimer: The cat in this picture is not the cat that tested positive for H1N1)

Zoonosis Risk for Hunters

With the onset of the hunting season I wanted to pass on some information on Zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans). According to a fact sheet from the American Veterinary Medical Association, "Hunters can be exposed to infectious diseases not only from infected animals, but also via insect vectors and contaminated soil and water." To access the A.V.M.A. report go to: http://www.avma.org/public_health/zoonotic_risks/hunters.asp.

Dog Flu

I'm sure some of you have been hearing news reports about canine influenza. Some have been grossly sensationalized ("KILLER DOG FLU!"). Since the first reports of it in 2002 it's been found in about 30 states but has only been commonly seen in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. It was reported in Iowa a few years ago at a dog track. In checking with the State Veterinarian's office and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association I haven't been able verify any other cases. It is considered an "emerging virus" however which means there's good chance that we'll see here eventually.

Canine Influenza is caused by the Influenza Type A , subtype H3N8 virus. Sympoms are much like human flu viruses: cough, fever, lethargy, nasal discharge, and lack of appetite. Symptoms can be similar to "kennel cough" and it is spread the same way-by aerosal tranmission or contact with contaminated objects such as food bowls etc. The percentage of dogs exposed to it that become infected with it (morbidity rate) 80%. The mortality rate is 1 to 5%. The most common risk senario would be dogs that go to boarding/grooming facilities, dog parks, and retail pet stores that allow dogs in the store.

There is a vaccine available (Schering/Plough). It requires 2 doses spread 3 weeks apart and then annual boosters. I plan to have some of the vaccine on hand for those who want to vaccinate their dogs in anticipation of an outbreak but I'm not recommending widespread vaccinations unless I hear of outbreaks closer to home. I'll keep you posted.

If you'd like more information on H3N8 like what the H and the N stand for or how many nanometers wide the virus is the best website I've found is http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/canine_bgnd.asp.

A Bad Kind of Bloom

I recently received some information from the state veterinarian's office about a blue-green algae (Cyanobacter) bloom in Pleasant Lake near Fairfield. While that won't likely affect any of us algae blooms can occur in any body of water and can be a threat to people and pets. The report stated that "Blue-green algae blooms can occur in warm, slow moving waters that are rich in nutrients such as fertilizer runoff or septic tank overflows. Blooms can occur in late summer or early fall. Within a few days a bloom can cause clear water to become cloudy. The blooms usually float to the surface and can be many inches thick, especially near the shoreline. Microcystin toxin is released by the algae. Both humans and animals can get microcystin poisoning from exposure to contaminated water. Animals can get sick if they have been swimming in water where algae blooms have been and ingest significant amounts of water containing microcystim toxin by licking themselves after leaving the water. In addition, animals can be exposed to fatal doses of microcystin toxin if they drink from the water's edge where scum layers accumulate." Microcystin is a liver toxin. Symptons can include weakness, reluctance to move, lack of appetite, pale mucous membranes (eg. gums, conjunctiva) confusion and/or behavior changes, acute liver failure and/or death.

Blossom 3-1-92 to 9-2-09

Blossom came to us in August 2006 to be euthanized because her previous owner was moving and didn't want to take her with her. She was 14 but in good health. We couldn't seem to get the euthanasia solution out of the lock box. After a few days we called the previous owner and got permission to find a home for her. She adapted well to life at the clinic. In December a lady expressed interest in her so we adopted her out thinking a home home rather than a clinic home would be nice. In a few days the lady called us saying that the cat had "invisible mites" that were biting her so Blossom came back to the clinic to live out her days.

A couple weeks ago she developed a serious infection that despite antibiotics her old body couldn't fight off. We had to get the euthansia solution out of the box and put her to sleep last Wednesday.

Thanks to all of you who gave her a little attention when you were here and we apologize to those pets who got too close that she wacked with her clawless paws. She never got over the idea that this was her clinic and all of the pets that came in every day were intruders.

Teeth and Hearts

Veterinarians have long suspected that there is a link between periodontal disease and certain types of heart disease in dogs. Studies have shown that to be true for people but little research had been done in dogs. A veterinary epidemiology study at Purdue University that involved examining medical records of 118,000 (!) dogs has just been completed. 59,000 dogs with periodontal disease were compared to 59,000 dogs without periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is defined as disease of any of the structures that surround the tooth, primarily the gums (gingivitis) and the bony sockets. Each group was similar in age. The group with periodontal disease had a significantly more endocarditis (infection of the tissue lining the heart and heart valves) and cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle). It is suspected that bacteria from infected gums (gingivitis) and the other supporting tissues of the teeth including the bones migrate through the bloodstream to the heart and cause infection. Congestive heart failure from valve and myocardial disease is a major cause of death in dogs. Periodontal disease is present in 75% of adult dogs. Regular professional dental cleanings with appropriate treatment of periodontal disease has now been found to be an essential preventative medicine measure to prevent cardiac disease and extend life expectancy in dogs.