Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() A heart murmur is an abnormal whooshing heart sound. A heart murmur isn’t a diagnosis of heart disease; it’s a clinical sign showing that something has made blood flow within the heart turbulent. Some of the things that cause heart murmurs are benign and don’t need treatment. Others are serious conditions that can lead to heart disease and heart failure. Causes Anything that alters the flow of blood inside the heart can cause a murmur. Leaky heart valves (flaps that control blood flow between heart chambers) and disorders of the heart muscle are the most common causes of murmurs in adult dogs and cats. Examples are mitral valve degeneration, usually in older dogs or inherited in Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats. Anemia—“thin” blood with a low red blood cell count—can also cause a murmur because of the change in blood consistency. Young puppies and kittens sometimes have congenital heart murmurs, which are murmurs present from birth. These murmurs are usually benign and disappear on their own as the animal grows. However, some congenital murmurs are caused by structural defects of the heart or the large blood vessels around the heart, and these defects can have severe consequences if they aren’t (or can’t be) repaired. Signs Heart murmurs are usually heard for the first time during routine wellness examinations in animals with no signs of heart problems. Early diagnosis and treatment improves the prognosis for animals with heart disease, so listening to the heart with a stethoscope is a crucial part of the annual examination. Heart murmurs are graded according to their loudness, ranging from barely audible to so loud they can actually be felt with a hand placed on the rib cage. The loudness of a murmur doesn’t necessarily correspond to the severity of the condition that caused it (serious conditions can cause quiet murmurs). These are some signs of heart disease and heart failure:
Diagnosis The best way to identify the source of a heart murmur is with an echocardiogram, an ultrasound study of the heart. An echocardiogram, usually performed by a veterinary cardiologist, shows the shape of the heart valves, thickness of the heart muscle, blood flow within the heart, and measures of heart function. Chest radiographs (x-ray images) can be used to diagnose heart disease once the disease has progressed to the point of changing the size and shape of the heart chambers. A blood test that can be used to screen for heart disease is the concentration of NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide), a substance released by heart muscle cells in response to excessive stretch and strain. If your pet has a heart murmur, start monitoring the sleeping respiratory rate. An increased sleeping respiratory rate can be a sign of heart disease. Wait until your pet is asleep, count the number of breaths (each rise of the chest) in 15 seconds, and multiply by 4 to calculate the number of breaths per minute. A sleeping rate of more than 35 breaths per minute or a rate that’s increasing over time warrants a visit to your veterinarian. Treatment Treatment depends on the cause of the heart murmur and whether the animal has heart disease. Heart disease is treated with medications and possibly prescription diets. Dogs and cats don’t get coronary artery disease (plaque in the arteries) like humans do, so the treatments and dietary recommendations are not the same for animals as they are for humans with heart disease. All animals with murmurs, whether the cause is serious or thought to be benign, need regular monitoring (sleeping respiratory rate, veterinary examinations, and possibly follow-up echocardiography) so changes in heart function can be identified and treated promptly. Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-brown-and-white-dog-sitting-on-top-of-a-wooden-floor-OktYfwY5ZQI Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() Pets that are traveling need to meet regulations set by individual countries and states. Meeting the travel requirements and completing the paperwork takes time—several months in some cases—so start preparing as soon as you know your pet will be traveling. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates animal transport into the United States. The regulations are complex and subject to change, but the APHIS website has lots of information to help pet owners. Always check the APHIS website before you plan your pet’s travel: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel Some veterinary clinics and pet owners use pet travel concierge services to help navigate the rules and work out the time frames for everything that’s needed before international travel. Some countries require specific procedures performed in a specific order during a specific time window before an animal enters the country. Figuring out what needs to be done and when is especially complicated when an animal will be traveling to (or through) more than one country. If your pet will be traveling, the steps you’ll need to take depend on the animal and the travel origin and destination:
This article summarizes the information on the APHIS website as of November 15, 2024. Type of Animal Animal import and export regulations are not the same for pets as for animals in other categories (like livestock and poultry). APHIS defines a pet as a companion animal that is privately owned, not intended for research or resale, and in one of these groups: dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, hedgehogs/tenrecs, reptiles, amphibians, and some (not all) birds. More information is on this page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel Travel to Another Country For international travel, pets must meet the requirements of the destination country. Typical requirements include a health certificate, vaccines, parasite treatments, and laboratory tests. The type of animal might also be regulated; for example, the United Kingdom bans certain dog breeds. Airlines and shipping lines might have additional requirements. Dogs that return to the United States after traveling to certain countries must also meet the CDC’s dog import requirements (see this page: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/index.html). APHIS recommends the following steps:
Travel Into the United States Requirements for entry into the United States depend on the type of animal, the country from which the animal is traveling, the federal agencies involved in regulation of that species, and the US state or territory that the animal will be entering. Dogs that are returning to the United States after a trip out of the country must meet all import requirements. APHIS lists import requirements according to type of animal on this page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-import Interstate Travel APHIS doesn’t regulate interstate pet travel, but individual states have their own import requirements. For example, South Carolina requires dogs, cats, and ferrets entering the state to have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (valid for 30 days) and proof of a rabies vaccine. North Carolina requires dogs, cats, and ferrets to have a current rabies vaccine but no longer requires a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Links to each state’s requirements are on this APHIS web page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/state-to-state Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-white-dog-sitting-on-a-rock-formation-near-a-large-mountain-pond-915UJQaxtrk Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() Medications used to treat attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are commonly prescribed for humans, so pets are at risk of accidental exposure. Swallowing even a small amount of these medications can cause severe and possibly life-threatening problems for animals. However, most animals recover if they are treated promptly. If your pet has chewed or swallowed an ADHD medication, contact a veterinary clinic or animal poison control hotline right away:
Types of Medications Most ADHD medications are stimulants that increase levels of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in the brain. These medications typically contain either amphetamines or methylphenidate. Amphetamines and methylphenidate are controlled substances. They are in legal prescription medications used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy and are also in some illegal drugs. These are some brand names of prescription drugs that contain amphetamines or methylphenidate:
Illegal drugs that contain these substances include crystal meth, ecstasy, and methamphetamine. Signs In dogs and cats, amphetamines and methylphenidate cause problems with the nervous system, heart, lungs, and digestive system. These are some of the signs:
Treatment Animals with amphetamine or methylphenidate exposure usually need to be hospitalized at a 24-hour facility. Treatment includes decontamination (removing or inactivating drug that’s still in the stomach, if possible and safe for the animal), medications to treat the neurologic and cardiovascular effects, and supportive care such as intravenous fluid therapy and body temperature regulation. If your pet has swallowed one of these medications, don’t try to induce vomiting at home unless a veterinarian has instructed you to do so. Making a pet vomit is not safe in some situations, depending on the species (don’t give peroxide to a cat!) and the pet’s clinical signs. Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/adorable-yorkshire-terrier-in-autumn-leaves-29056473/ Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() Injury of the cranial cruciate ligament in the knee is a common cause of hind limb lameness in dogs. Surgery is often the best treatment option. The cranial cruciate ligament is one of the main structures that stabilizes the knee joint. This ligament is called the anterior cruciate ligament in humans. In humans, injury to this ligament is usually caused by trauma, especially while playing sports. In dogs, cranial cruciate ligament injury is more often caused by long-term, gradual degeneration that results in a partial or full ligament tear. Some of the factors involved in cranial cruciate ligament degeneration in dogs are age, knee conformation, genetics, and body weight. Because these factors affect both knees, many dogs with a ligament tear in one knee develop the same problem in the other knee within a year or two. Many dogs with cranial cruciate ligament injury also have a torn meniscus in the knee. The meniscus is a cartilage pad that provides cushioning between the femur (upper leg bone) and tibia (lower leg bone). A torn meniscus is painful. A meniscal tear can happen at the same time as the injury to the cranial cruciate ligament or much later as a result of knee instability. Cranial cruciate ligament injury causes knee arthritis. The rate of progression of the arthritis partly depends on how the cruciate ligament injury is treated (with surgery or with medical management alone), meaning how soon the knee joint is stabilized. Signs A sudden full tear of the cranial cruciate ligament causes significant lameness; dogs are often unable to bear any weight on the affected leg. The signs of partial ligament tears and chronic ligament degeneration are less obvious. In these cases the lameness might improve with rest but doesn’t entirely disappear. Meniscal tears can cause a clicking sound in the knee joint. Arthritis resulting from chronic cruciate ligament injury eventually causes thickening of the knee joint. Diagnosis Full cranial cruciate ligament tears can often be diagnosed during a physical examination with tests that reveal instability in the knee joint. However, dogs are sometimes too tense (because of knee pain) for these tests. X-ray images sometimes show evidence of cruciate ligament rupture and can also help rule out other possible causes of the lameness. Partial tears and meniscal tears are harder to diagnose and are typically found with advanced imaging techniques or seen during knee surgery. Treatment Cranial cruciate ligament injury is treated either surgically or with medical management alone. The choice of treatment for an individual dog depends on the type of injury; the dog’s size, age, activity level, and state of health; and the owner’s preferences and financial resources. For dogs with a complete ligament tear, surgical treatment followed by physical rehabilitation usually yields the best functional result. A number of surgical options are available and are typically performed by a veterinary surgery specialist. The torn ligament can’t actually be repaired, so the goals of surgery are to stabilize the joint and remove damaged (painful) parts of the meniscus. Some surgical techniques change the biomechanics of the knee joint by cutting into the tibia to adjust the way the large leg muscles attach to the front of the knee. Other techniques use suture material to mimic the function of the cranial cruciate ligament. All surgical options require strict exercise restriction for several weeks to a few months after the procedure. Medical management involves exercise restriction and anti-inflammatory medication. Physical rehabilitation and custom orthotics, or knee braces, might help some dogs. Weight management is crucial for overweight dogs with knee ligament injuries. For more information about treatment options, see the American College of Veterinary Surgeons website: https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/cranial-cruciate-ligament-disease/ Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/yellow-labrador-retriever-puppy-lying-on-white-textile-biW4WcdmZyA Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() A hands-on physical examination is a valuable part of annual wellness visits as well as sick-animal visits. Examinations during wellness visits often uncover problems that weren’t obvious at home. That is the point of a wellness exam: we want to find problems early, before they become more serious and harder to treat. Wellness exams also let us track an animal’s changes over time. For sick animals, the physical exam is a crucial part of the diagnostic workup. Not all veterinary visits involve a full physical exam. Recheck visits typically include assessment of only a single area (like the ears). And high-volume, limited-service settings like vaccine clinics generally don’t offer full physical exams. A veterinarian can often complete a physical exam within a few minutes, so you might not realize how much information your veterinarian is gathering by looking at, touching, and even smelling your pet. The following basic assessments are part of a comprehensive physical examination. Breathing effort, mental status, posture, gait, general appearance, and reaction to clinic environment: The veterinarian assesses these elements before ever touching the animal. These items are clues to the urgency of a sick animal’s condition and also tell us an animal’s overall state of health, basic neurologic status, and anxiety level. If an animal without an urgent medical problem shows signs of significant fear and anxiety in the clinic, the veterinarian might stop the examination at this point and recommend returning another day with previsit antianxiety medication. Temperature, pulse, and respirations (TPR): The TPR is part of the standard vital sign assessment, along with mucous membrane color and capillary refill time (assessed with a quick touch of the gums). Some animals object to rectal thermometers, and other types of thermometers aren’t always accurate, so the veterinarian might skip temperature measurement for a well animal. Eyes, ears, nose, and oral cavity: Dental disease is very common in dogs and cats, and external ear disease is common in dogs. These problems are often first noticed during wellness exams. The veterinarian might or might not use an ophthalmoscope and otoscope to examine the eyes and ears, depending on the animal’s clinical signs and comfort level (inserting an otoscope into an inflamed ear canal could be painful). Chest: The veterinarian listens to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope to check heart rate and rhythm, identify abnormal heart sounds like murmurs, and assess lung sounds. Abdomen: Gentle palpation of the abdomen can reveal discomfort and possibly abnormal size of individual organs. Musculoskeletal system: The veterinarian assesses muscle mass, especially in senior animals that might have arthritis, and checks the joints for common problems like patellar luxation. Animals that are limping receive a more comprehensive orthopedic examination including range-of-motion tests of multiple joints unless this would be too painful without sedation. Skin and lymph nodes: The veterinarian looks for external parasites like fleas, evidence of itching (saliva staining of the paws, for example), hair loss, signs of skin infection, skin lumps, mammary gland masses, and enlarged lymph nodes. Skin problems are very common in dogs and cats and often turn up during wellness examinations. Many skin problems need further diagnostics, such as looking at a sample of cells through a microscope. Neurologic system: For well animals with no signs of neurologic disease, the veterinarian assesses basic neurologic function and mental status. A more comprehensive neurologic examination includes tests of nerve function of the head and limbs. For animals with neck or back pain, the veterinarian carefully palpates the spine to pinpoint the location of the pain. Urogenital system: Male dogs that have not been castrated have their testicles checked. They might also have rectal palpation to evaluate the prostate. Female dogs and castrated male dogs get a quick glance at the external genitalia and receive a more thorough examination if they have signs of a problem. Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/armyrotc/52943246855/ Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() Tracheal collapse causes a chronic dry cough that sounds similar to a goose honk. The disease tends to get worse with time. Tracheal collapse can’t be cured, but for most patients, medical treatment reduces the severity of the cough. In the most serious cases, tracheal collapse interferes with breathing and requires emergency care. Tracheal collapse can affect dogs of any breed but is most common in small-breed dogs like Yorkshire terriers and Pomeranians. It’s rare in cats. Cause The trachea (windpipe) is a tube held open by rings of cartilage. In animals with tracheal collapse, the cartilage rings soften and become weakened over time. The cartilage rings lose their ability to hold the trachea open and the trachea flattens during breathing or coughing, blocking the flow of air. The severity of the signs depends on the percentage of airway that’s blocked. The signs also partly depend on the location of the affected section of trachea: outside the rib cage (in the neck) versus within the rib cage. In dogs with tracheal collapse, coughing is made worse by pressure on the neck, excess weight, stress, excitement, exercise, respiratory irritants like smoke, and respiratory infections. Some dogs with tracheal collapse also have abnormalities of the larynx and the bronchi (airways inside the lungs). Chronic coughing causes airway inflammation, which in turn leads to more coughing. Tracheal collapse and heart disease are both common in middle-aged and older small-breed dogs, so many dogs have both diseases at the same time. Both diseases cause coughing and exercise intolerance. Figuring out which disease is most responsible for the cough can be a bit of a diagnostic challenge. Signs
Diagnosis Tracheal collapse is suspected on the basis of the patient’s history, the sound of the cough, and physical examination findings. A definite diagnosis is made with imaging studies. Radiographs (x-ray images) sometimes show a collapsed trachea and are also used to evaluate heart size and the appearance of the lungs. In many dogs the trachea collapses only on inhalation or only on exhalation, so fluoroscopy—an x-ray “movie”—can reveal collapse that doesn’t appear on radiographs. Tracheoscopy is examination of the inside of the trachea and bronchi with a fiber optic camera in an endoscopy tube. An advantage of tracheoscopy is that it allows samples from inside the trachea to be collected for laboratory analysis; a disadvantage is that it requires general anesthesia. Dogs with tracheal collapse might have bloodwork to assess their overall condition, especially if they are older or have concerning clinical signs. Because the signs of tracheal collapse and heart disease overlap, dogs with suspected or known heart disease also benefit from echocardiography to evaluate heart function. Treatment Tracheal collapse isn’t curable, so medical treatment needs to continue for life. Medications chosen for an individual patient might include cough suppressants to break the cough cycle, corticosteroids to reduce airway inflammation, bronchodilators, and antianxiety medications or sedatives to reduce stress. The choice of medication can change over time as the dog’s disease progresses. Nonmedical management is crucial for dogs with tracheal collapse and includes the following:
Surgical procedures like tracheal stent placement are available for dogs with severe signs. However, surgical options don’t cure the underlying tracheal problem and might not eliminate the cough. Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-small-dog-standing-under-a-wooden-bench-HSs4t4TWPFg Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() Environmental enrichment means modifying an animal’s living space to encourage physical activity and allow the animal to engage in behaviors that are natural for its species. For indoor pets especially, environmental enrichment improves physical and mental health and can reduce behavior problems. Dogs and cats with mobility problems need environmental modification for accessibility and mental stimulation. Pets have mobility limitations for a variety of reasons:
Household Modifications and Physical Activity Cover hard floors with nonslip mats or rugs. Consider using lots of small washable mats instead of large rugs for easier cleaning if your pet urinates or defecates on the floor (common in animals with medical problems, mobility limitations, or cognitive decline). Be sure to have a nonslip surface in front of your pet’s food and water bowls. Use steps and ramps. Think of all the places your pet likes to be that are not the floor—bed, sofa, cat tree (climbing structure), window seat, and so forth—and make sure your pet can get up and down without jumping. You might need to train your pet to use steps and ramps by leading them with treats. Cats need to scratch for claw health and their mental health (it’s normal species behavior). Reaching and stretching can be difficult for cats with arthritis, so offer your cat horizontal as well as vertical scratching surfaces. Ask your veterinarian about exercise that’s appropriate for your pet. Depending on the medical condition, your pet might benefit from controlled gentle exercise. Some veterinary facilities have physical rehabilitation equipment like underwater treadmills. Toileting Difficulty reaching the toileting area causes anxiety for animals. For cats, put low-sided litter boxes on every floor of the house in quiet, accessible areas. Cats tend to be most comfortable toileting in big open boxes (at least 1.5 times the length of the cat, not including the tail). A large plastic storage bin makes a great litter box; cut an opening on one side so your cat can walk in and out easily. Dogs with new mobility problems or cognitive decline might not give you their usual cues that they need to go out. If your dog or cat starts having toileting accidents indoors, make a veterinary appointment to check for a medical reason. If no medical cause is found, your pet might be having trouble getting outside or to the litter box. Mental Stimulation Engage your pet’s senses: use toys with different odors, textures, and sounds. Puzzle feeders and treat-dispensing toys engage the brain and encourage physical activity. Teach your old dog or cat new tricks. Use positive reinforcement to train new behaviors that don’t require a lot of movement (like touching their nose to your hand). For dogs with mobility problems, walks aren’t really about walking. Just seeing and smelling the outdoors is valuable mental enrichment for dogs. Take your dog out on a harness and forget about actually getting anywhere; be patient and let him sniff and wander at his own pace. If your dog can’t walk easily, carry him or use a wagon. Give your cat a soft seat by a window if possible. Your cat might also enjoy cat-friendly videos. For More Ideas Home modifications. International Cat Care. 2024. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://icatcare.org/app/uploads/2024/03/Changes-to-the-home-environment_ISFM-caregiver-guide_FINAL.pdf Sueda K, Cho J. Environmental enrichment for senior dogs and cats. Clinician’s Brief. December 2017. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/environmental-enrichment-senior-dogs-cats Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/black-cat-on-white-cat-tree-X7OokuRyvCI Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() Skunks aren’t aggressive, but they’ll spray dogs that get too close. Skunk spray is a smelly nuisance that doesn’t usually cause medical problems. However, it’s irritating to the eyes and in rare cases can cause more serious problems. Dogs are most likely to encounter skunks during warm months. In North Carolina, skunk breeding season is February through April; kits are born in May and June. Skunks live in cities like Charlotte, not just in rural areas. You might not see them often—or at all—because they’re most active at night. They live in wooded or brushy areas and raid garbage cans in residential neighborhoods. Skunk Spray Skunk spray is thick, oily material secreted from the anal glands. The nasty smell comes from thioacetates and thiols, chemical compounds that contain sulfur—the same element that makes rotten eggs so stinky. Thioacetates (the less smelly compounds) are converted to thiols (super smelly) when they’re exposed to water, and sulfur atoms tend to bind tightly to other atoms, so removing skunk odor from fur can be difficult. Because water activates the thiol conversion, a dog that’s been skunked can smell skunky after baths for a long time. Skunks can control their anal glands in ways that dogs and cats can’t. They can aim their anal gland spray at a target several feet away, or they can release a cloud of mist. Baby skunks can spray targets too. Risks to Dogs Spray Skunk spray in the eyes can cause redness, eyelid swelling, corneal damage, and temporary blindness. Inhaled skunk spray irritates the respiratory tract. The spray can also cause nausea and vomiting. Dogs sprayed by a skunk can develop life-threatening hemolytic anemia, although fortunately this is rare. The compounds in skunk spray can destroy red blood cells. The risk is likely highest for dogs that swallow the spray, dogs exposed to a large volume, and dogs with multiple exposures. Dogs with hemolytic anemia often need to be hospitalized at a 24-hour clinic and might need a blood transfusion. Bite Wounds and Rabies Skunks are a relatively common rabies carrier species in North Carolina. However, the chance that an individual skunk has rabies is low. Rabies is spread through saliva, not through skunk spray. Most dogs that encounter a skunk are sprayed before they get close enough to be bitten. Still, any dog that has been near a skunk should be checked carefully for bite wounds. Dogs with a bite wound need to see a veterinarian immediately for wound care and assessment of rabies risk. In North Carolina, dogs with a possible rabies exposure (for example, a bite wound from a rabies carrier species) need a rabies vaccine booster within 96 hours. What to Do if Your Dog Gets Skunked Most dogs sprayed by skunks don’t need to see a veterinarian. Monitor your dog for a few days and seek veterinary care if your dog has any of the following:
Deskunk your dog:
Prevention Keep your dog’s rabies vaccine up to date and make your yard unattractive to skunks:
For More Information
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lblkytn/14928066475/ Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() All dogs are at risk for leptospirosis and should be vaccinated for it every year, according to updated recommendations from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). Leptospirosis is caused by infection with Leptospira bacteria. The infection spreads from animals to humans, so leptospirosis is a public health hazard. Leptospirosis is a serious disease that damages the kidneys and other organs. The leptospirosis vaccine for dogs has previously been considered a lifestyle vaccine, given to dogs with certain risk factors but not necessarily to all dogs. Information about how the disease spreads has improved over the years, so the ACVIM now says that all dogs, regardless of their lifestyle and location, should receive the vaccine. Transmission Leptospira spread mainly through urine. Many wild and domestic animal species carry the bacteria and deposit them in the environment. Rats and other rodents are the most common carriers. Leptospira grow best in water and wet soil. Dogs with access to bodies of water, especially in warm climates, are at higher risk than others. However, the infection can also spread by direct contact (for example, when dogs hunt rodents) and in other ways, so outbreaks have happened among people and dogs living in urban areas and in drier and colder climates. Cats seem to be resistant to leptospirosis, and cases in cats are extremely rare. However, cats might be able to spread the bacteria to other animals. Disease Leptospirosis affects many organ systems. These are some of the most serious problems it causes:
These are some of the signs of infection:
Diagnosis and Treatment Leptospira can be hard to detect with laboratory tests. Definite diagnosis might require multiple blood and urine tests to isolate bacterial DNA and measure antibody titers. Dogs with suspected leptospirosis also receive baseline bloodwork, urinalysis, and chest radiographs. Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics. Additional treatments depend on the individual patient’s course of illness and the organ systems affected. Some dogs with kidney injury caused by leptospirosis need dialysis. The risk of a person contracting leptospirosis directly from an infected dog is low because dogs don’t shed many Leptospira organisms in their urine. However, people caring for a dog with leptospirosis need to take precautions like avoiding contact with the urine, wearing protective clothing, and washing hands. Vaccination The doctors at Mallard Creek recommend that all dogs receive a leptospirosis vaccine starting at 9 weeks of age. Dogs need a booster vaccine 3 to 4 weeks later and then once a year. Leptospirosis vaccines are not all the same. Leptospira have many different variations, or serovars, and vaccines target only specific serovars. However, some don’t cover the serovars currently causing disease in dogs in the United States. Your veterinarian can advise you on the best vaccination plan for your own dog. Source Sykes JE, Francey T, Schuller S, Stoddard RA, Cowgill LD, Moore GE. Updated ACVIM consensus statement on leptospirosis in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2023;37(6):1966-1982. doi:10.1111/jvim.16903 Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-dog-running-through-a-field-of-yellow-flowers-SEGsw2Kmd08 Laurie Anne Walden, DVM![]() Many dogs and cats experience fear, anxiety, and stress at the veterinary clinic. Their anxiety often begins before they even arrive at the clinic, especially if they associate pet carriers and car rides with the clinic. Previsit antianxiety medications for pets can make clinic visits easier and safer for these pets, their owners, and clinic staff. These are some of the benefits of previsit medications for anxious pets:
Previsit medications have benefits for pet owners and clinic staff members too. Being the caretaker of an anxious and fearful pet isn’t easy, so previsit medications for pets can reduce everyone’s stress levels. For clinic staff members, managing patients’ clinic anxiety reduces the risk of injury and decreases workplace stress (we love animals too and don’t want to cause them distress). How to Know if Your Pet Needs Previsit Medications Previsit medications aren’t just for aggressive animals. Pets with more subtle signs of stress are scared too, and they deserve help for their anxiety just as much as animals that can’t be handled without full sedation. If your pet shows obvious signs of fear at the clinic, you probably already know that your pet would benefit from previsit medications. But maybe your pet’s signs are not as noticeable and you’re a little surprised when your veterinarian recommends medications. Dogs and cats show anxiety and fear with a range of behaviors and body language cues. Anxious and fearful dogs and cats tend to start with subtle behaviors like lip licking or freezing. If the scary thing doesn’t go away—or tries to draw a blood sample—the behavior can escalate to aggression. Dogs and cats that are anxious at the veterinary clinic can show these signs:
How to Use Previsit Medications Previsit medications work best if they’re used along with training and positive reinforcement. For example, a cat can make positive associations with the cat carrier if the carrier is left out all the time as part of the normal household furniture, sometimes with yummy treats inside, instead of appearing only when the cat is going to the clinic. Veterinarians choose previsit medications according to the needs and medical condition of the individual patient. Some of the drugs commonly prescribed for situational (short-term) anxiety are gabapentin, trazodone, and clonidine. Motion sickness contributes to anxiety, so pets might also receive antinausea medication. Some of these medications can cause sedation, but the main goal is anxiety reduction, not sedation. Previsit medications are timed to have maximum effect at the time of the clinic visit. They need to take effect before the pet experiences any stress. Most of these medications are given at least 1 to 2 hours before the clinic visit; sometimes a loading dose is also given the night before. They typically last for up to 8 hours, although the duration can vary. Because individual animals respond differently to these medications, giving a trial dose can be very helpful. If you use a trial dose, tell your veterinarian how long it took for the medication to take effect, how the medication affected your pet’s behavior, whether your pet had adverse effects like vomiting or excessive sedation, and how long the medication’s effects lasted. For some dogs and cats, previsit medications aren’t enough to overcome their fear. These pets might also need a sedative injection at the clinic. For these pets, previsit medications given at home make the sedative injection easier for the pet (and staff) and can also reduce the dose of injectable drug. Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-white-cat-sitting-inside-of-a-cage-B-_SyRxv2So |
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The contents of this blog are for information only and should not substitute for advice from a veterinarian who has examined the animal. All blog content is copyrighted by Mallard Creek Animal Hospital and may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, or distributed without permission.
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