Monthly Newsletter March
(970) 206 206--1868
2015
info@friendshipfoco.com
The Down Low on Urinary Trouble Ever wonder why we always want to collect your cat or dog’s urine? That golden elixir tells our veterinarians a lot about your pet’s health. Whether or not your animal is showing symptoms, performing a urinalysis gives Friendship’s doctors insight into organ function and health. Depending on why we want your pet’s urine, a simple “catch” sample—walking your dog and collecting a sample as he/she urinates—may be fine. In cases of a possible urinary tract infection (UTI) or other complications, we will want a sterile sample collected through a cystocentesis. A cystocentesis is a procedure in which a needle is placed into the urinary bladder by way of the abdomen to collect a sterile sample. Not required but often, an ultrasound machine will be used to visually locate the animal’s bladder and perform the cystocentesis while he/she lays on his/her back. This is a very routine and safe procedure.
In this issue: Down Low on Urinary Trouble
Heartworm: A Preventable Killer Staff Spotlight Our most senior technician Coming up April springs us into the topics of Physical Therapy for your pet & Flea & Tick prevention
Once collected, veterinarians and technicians assess the sample for color and turbidity (cloudiness), specific gravity (concentration), pH (acidity) and other chemical components of the urine. Microscopically we look for various cells, crystals and bacteria. Sometimes when these elements are found or are abnormal, the doctor may want to send the urine to a laboratory to get more in-depth specifics about the findings. A urinalysis is a diagnostic tool for chronic and acute issues involving the bladder and excretory system including: urinary incontinence, renal/kidney issues, liver and gall bladder disruptions, diabetes mellitus and tumors. Urinary obstruction can occur in any animal, however, it is most common in male cats and can be life threatening. Obstructions are often the result of plugs of inflammatory material (ie. crystals or stones and cellular debris) passing out of the bladder and blocking the urethra. In addition to a urinalysis, x-rays may be taken of the abdomen to see if stones or a narrowing of the uretha are present. Signs of urinary-related issues include:
Straining and/or painful urination
Frequent and/or inappropriate urination, incontinence (ie. outside the litter box)
Blood in the urine
NOTICE:
Severe back pain
Hill’s food has increased their rates which will be
Increased water consumption
reflected in the hospital’s pricing.
Call Friendship immediately if your pet shows any of the symptoms above. And remember, even if there are no symptoms present, our doctors may want to review a urine sample because this diagnostic tool provides such extraordinary insight into the health of your pets. Information from “Urinary Incontinence.” Washington State University http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/incont.aspx
Heartworm: A Preventable Killer
Employee Spotlight Meet Certified Veterinary Technician Lara Fetterolf! Hi my name is Lara Fetterolf. I have been a certified veterinary technician since 2009. I graduated from Front Range Community College with an Associates Degree in Applied Science Veterinary Technology. I have always dreamed of working in the veterinary field; my passion in life is helping and loving animals. I have two cats of my own, their names are Samara and Jada, and they are my world. As a child I grew up on a farm and we had cats, dogs, bunnies, hamsters and even a gecko. Outside of work I love to be outdoors hiking, camping, snowboarding and
Nearly 39 million pet dogs in the U.S. go unprotected against heartworm disease each year. And each year thousands of animals are diagnosed with this fatal but easily preventable disease. Spread by mosquitos, heartworm infection afflicts dogs, cats to a lesser degree, a variety of wildlife (including sea lions!), and in very rare cases, humans. If your pet is bitten by a mosquito carrying infective heartworm larvae, it takes about 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms and for the animal to test positive. This means that an animal will not test positive for heartworms until the disease is usually well advanced, making year-round proactive prevention extremely important. Heartworm disease, like its name suggests, are spaghetti-like worms ranging from 4-12 inches in length that infest the heart. The average infected dog will have 15 worms but can have up to 250 worms. It is through this infestation that the worms clog the heart and lung blood vessels. This restricts blood flow to the rest of the body and causes other organs (the lungs, liver and kidneys) to malfunction.
much more!!!
Research shows that virtually 100% of dogs exposed (bitten) to heartworms become infected. In cats this number drops to 6090%. Clinical signs of the disease are a soft, Providing excellence in pet care while
dry cough, shortness of breath, weakness, nervousness and a loss of stamina. However, not all animals show symptoms. There is no FDA-approved drug for the treatment of heartworm disease in cats although symptoms may be managed with medications. For dogs, there are two drugs containing arsenic that have proven to be effective at killing adult heartworms. One drug which is not currently manufactured in the U.S. is injected intravenously. The newer of the drugs is given by a deep injection into the back muscles. Unfortunately, treatment, which is toxic, can cause other life-threatening complications to the body. Luckily, prevention and testing are simple. A 10 minute blood test performed in-house at Friendship can tell us whether or not your dog or cat has heartworm disease. It is vital that your dog be tested prior to starting prevention medication and/or if they have missed several doses. This is because giving an infected dog preventative can be deadly. Annual testing on your dog is recommended. And, year-round heartworm preventative is recommend to keep your pet safe from this dangerous and deadly disease. A chewable heartworm preventative once a month can save your dogs’ life.
strengthening the human-animal bond.
We’re on YELP! We’re on FACEBOOK
Call us at (970) 206-1868
• Email us at: Info@friendshipfoco.com
•
Visit us online at http://friendshiphospitalforanimals.com/
Information from FDA: Keep The Worms Out of Your Pet’s Heart! The Facts About Heartworm Disease”. Website: n.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Information from American Heartworm Society: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/images/pdf/
Call us at (970) 206-1868 • Email us at: Info@friendshipfoco.com • Visit us online at http://friendshiphospitalforanimals.com/