There is no such Disease as Old Age!

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There is no such Disease as Old Age!

poundrdvet • 21 July 2014

Has your beloved pet been getting lazier, slower in getting up in the mornings, acting slightly withdrawn and grumpy and not as interactive with the family as before?

Many of you may think that your pet is getting old but there is no such disease as old age. Your pet may have osteoarthritis! And yes, animals can get arthritis/osteoarthritis just like us and unfortunately arthritis is one of the main causes of reduced quality of life.

So, what is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a persistent and progressive disease that affects any joint in the body. Common joints that are affected in a pet are hips, elbows, stifle (knee), carpus (wrist), hock (ankle) or intervertebral joints (the spine). It occurs when cartilage in the joint is damaged, either following a traumatic event, surgery or with wear and tear that increases in athletic animals, overweight animals or when the joint is congenitally abnormal ie hip dysplasia, luxating patellas (knee caps).

Cartilage is like a gelatinous shock absorber in the joint, absorbing stress and reducing impact on the ends of the bones in joints. When the cartilage is damaged, a cascade of inflammatory changes occurs which then lead to further destruction of the cartilage and subsequent damage to the underlying bone. This is how osteoarthritis happens.

It is also important to note that cartilage contains no nerves. Therefore if your pet is showing any signs of pain or discomfort, damage in the underlying bone may already have begun.

Signs of osteoarthritis may be subtle and very easy to miss especially in cats. Here are a few examples of signs of osteoarthritis that you may notice in your pets.

Stiffness that may disappear once the pet has ‘warmed up’.
Difficulties climbing stairs, cat tree, climbing in the car or onto the bed or sofa.
Difficulties rising from rest
Reluctance to take walks of the usual length
Licking at a single joint
Limping
Abnormal gait
Acting withdrawn and spending less time interacting with the family
Soreness when touched
And rarely, aggression when touched or approached.

So now the most important part, what can you do to help your furry family member/s?

Weight reduction:

Extra weight is definitely one of the exacerbating factors to increase pain in arthritic animals. Not too sure if your pet is overweight or not? Please feel free to have a chat with our friendly staff and we will be able to help you and let you know your pet’s body condition score (BCS). Your pet should be less than 3/5 BCS ideally. If your pet is more than a BCS of 3, it is time to get on the weight loss program and go on a diet.

We recommend that overweight animals be placed on a prescription diet known as Hill’s r/d®. This diet contains a unique combination of lysine, carnitine and soluble fiber that modifies metabolism from fat storing to fat burning. It also contains a high level of natural fiber which helps to satisfy your pets’ hunger while losing weight.

This will not be an easy journey but it will definitely be a rewarding one. Even a loss of 500g will be significant in an overweight animal, so don’t be discouraged. Please ask us about our few successful ‘biggest losers’ for some inspiration!

Low-impact exercise:

Swimming or walking in shallow waters would be the best. This is probably not ideal in cold winter weather, but a slow jog or walk on a leash is acceptable as well.

There is also the option of seeking further advice from a veterinary physiotherapist. There are underwater treadmills and indoor heated swimming pools for animals.

Injectable Chondroprotective agent (Cartrophen Vet injections)

Cartrophen Vet helps retard the progression of arthritis by stimulating the production of lubricant and cartilage molecules by joint cells. Cartrophen also improves circulation to the arthritic tissues, stimulates production of proteins that block damaging free radicals and antigens while inhibiting enzymes that break down cartilage cells.

8/10 pets respond quickly to the initial course of the injections with an increase in activity and well being.

The injections are given weekly for the initial course and a 3 monthly booster is recommended for best efficacy. Please consult one of our veterinarians to tailor this program for your furry friend.

Prescription medications (anti-inflammatory and pain relief)

Most pets suffering from arthritis need pain relief now. Your pet may need NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These medications act quickly by suppressing the inflammatory biochemical that leads not only to the pain of arthritis but also further cartilage damage. NSAIDS can carry potential side effects when used long term. These side effects can be minimalized by regular blood and urine test. Please bring in a urine sample from your pet when you visit us.

Please note that human NSAIDS tend to be toxic to pets, especially cats. Never use a human medication of any kind in a pet without specific advice from your veterinarian.

Nutraceuticals:

There are a couple of nutritional supplements that can be added in your pets’ daily diet that may have beneficial effects for their arthritis. Such as:

i) Glucosamine and chondroitin

These products are cartilage components harvested mainly from sea molluscs. By taking these pills or powder orally, the pet is able to have plenty of the necessary building blocks needed to repair damaged cartilage. However, these products do not produce rapid results and results may vary between individuals; one or two months are needed to build up to adequate amounts. Examples of products available in our clinic are: Rejuvinate Powder and Sasha’s Blend.

ii) Omega 3 fatty acids

Cold water fish oils have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. They are primarily used for the treatment of itchy skin, but many arthritic dogs and cats have also benefited from supplementation.

This product also does not produce rapid results and may take up to a month to build to adequate amounts.
Flax seed oil has been known to contain omega 3 fatty acids in humans, but it is not as readily converted in dogs and cats as compared to humans. Therefore fish oil is a better option compared to flax seed oil.

There are no toxic issues to be concerned with giving fish oil, but please seek veterinarian advice prior to starting any supplementation. The general rule of thumb for fish oil supplementation is 1000IU per 5kg body weight in dogs and cats. (This dosage may change depending on your pets’ diet)

Acupuncture and massage

These are alternative treatments that will provide additional non-drug pain relief to your furry friends as well. Efficacy and onset of treatment may vary depending on the severity of your pet’s osteoarthritis but it is definitely an additional treatment for your arthritic furry friend if you’re worried about potential long term side effect of medications.

Please feel free to enquire further with one of our veterinarians.

There is a lot we can do for our arthritic friends during this cold winter period. Feel free to drop into the clinic and we can discuss any further enquiries you have to help improve their quality of life!

By Dr Yuen Jia Lim BVSc

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by poundrdvet • 2 July 2015

New Years Eve fireworks and the beat of loud music seems to be a common situation around this time of year. For many pets it is not all fun and games, although we as humans enjoy it, for our Fur-kids they can be quite distressed by it. Spontaneous loud bangs and explosions, and even unexpected noises can send some pets into a manic state and others will become trembling balls of fur. Here are a few tips to help your companion cope with fireworks and loud noises: Keep your pet securely contained for the entire night – a fence may not be enough to keep a determined, scared pet from escaping during fireworks or loud music. Scaling fences can also lead to serious injury for dogs. Ideally you should keep your pet inside, in a secure room, like the laundry where they can neither escape nor hurt themselves. It is important that you don’t tie up your dog at the collar, as in a moment of panic he or she could try to get away causing serious injury to his or her neck. Most Importantly, ensure your pet is completely identifiable with a microchip, collar ID tag and most importantly, ensure your contact details are up-to-date. If you have any questions around your pet’s identification the National Pet Register can be contacted 24/7 on 1300 734 738. This gives you and your pet the best chance of being reunited in the event they become lost. Keep your pet in a secure indoor area during fireworks and thunderstorms. A laundry or garage is good if you have an outdoor pet. Create a hideout for your pet in a quiet room with as few windows as possible. If this is not possible, using a crate as their safe spot/den is a fantastic idea. Cover any windows in this room to further block out noise and to block out flashes of lightening or fireworks, or covering the crate with a cover or blanket to create a dark safe spot. Create a bed from blankets for burrowing and put an unwashed tracksuit or a similar item of clothing in the room so they have your scent; or prepare your pet’s crate in a similar way. If you cannot be home with your fur-kids on New Years, a few pointers for preparing your fur-kids. A few days before the fireworks, take your pet into the room/crate and give it treats on the blankets so that it gets comfortable being in the room. If you are expecting fireworks, take your dog for a walk in the early afternoon to wear it out. this may help with the settling of your pet later that evening. Have food available such as kongs, bones, treatballs and long-lasting treats. Extended chewing will help calm dogs and the stimulation will distract them. Put on moderately loud music or a TV to muffle loud outside noises and to distract your pet. A small battery operated radio maybe a safe way to incorporate noise. Sometimes familiar ambient noise may help to calm your pet. Take your dog to the toilet before locking it up, or if you have a cat, remember to put kitty litter in the room. Beware: if you are leaving the pet unattended and it becomes anxious, it may behave erratically so ensure there are no dangerous items that the pet could chew on or knock. Cables and any breakables should be removed. Make sure your pet cannot escape. If medicating your pet, follow the dosage instructions exactly and medicate before anxiety sets in. Discuss your plans with your vet. Return home as quickly as possible to check on your pet and take it to the toilet after the noises have subsided, keeping it on a leash when you do in case it is still upset or becomes spooked. Do not punish your pet for any damage/bad behaviour on your return; being fearful is an emotional/instinctual response which an animal cannot control. Ask us for more information about progressive desensitisation, a process whereby dogs learn how to tolerate loud noise.

Heartworm Prevention

by poundrdvet • 2 July 2015

Will you join Pound Road Veterinary clinic in putting a stop to deadly heartworm by treating your dogs? Heartworm is a deadly worm that is unlike any other worms you may have heard of; it does not affect our pet’s tummies by living in them and is not passed on through their faeces. Did you know? Heartworm is in fact spread by mosquito’s, the mosquito will bite the dog and pass it onto the next unsuspecting dog by biting them too. This will inject the disease into your dog’s blood stream. Unless we work out a way to stop mosquito’s biting all together, which would be a dream come true for all of us especially in summer, we cannot stop potential exposure of this disease. Heartworm migrates from wherever on the body the host has bitten into the abdomen approximately 3 weeks later. It will move into the dog’s lungs and heart after approximately 3 months, where at this stage they are about 1-2 inches in size… disturbing we know!! Heartworm is potentially deadly, and in most cases almost impossible to treat. The female worm can increase in length by almost tenfold (up to 25cm). Understandably, should this be in your dogs heart, it can prevent your dogs heart from functioning properly causing heart failure. While surgical removal and supportive therapy may be possible at specialist institutions, this is rarely done and more likely the cause of heart failure may never be discovered… or at least not until it’s too late. The scariest part is… Heartworm IS present in Victoria; there have been recent studies that have shown heartworm is present in all states of Australia! In Victoria, a 2013 study discovered heartworm to be in 4% of foxes tested. Given that foxes are not the natural host of heartworm, the prevalence in non-protected dogs is likely to be even higher. Although it is more prevalent in tropical regions heartworm has been found in Victoria. While heartworm is very much dependant on temperature for its development, microclimates in urban environments such as car parks with warm cars or 24hour lights can provide favorable environments even in cooler periods of the year.

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by poundrdvet • 21 July 2014

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