Monthly Archives: November 2011

What is that swelling in my dog’s outer ear?

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

When dogs have issues with their ears or really bad allergies, they often shake their head or scratch at their ear. The problem with a dog shaking his head too much or scratching too much is that it causes trauma to the outside of the ear (the pinna). This trauma can cause an aural hematoma, which is a localized collection of blood (often times clotted) within the cartilage plate of the ear (a fancy name for the outer ear/pinna). The cartilage can be broken or the blood vessels in the ear (the auricular artery) can be broken to cause the collection of blood. These look to owners like small to large fluid-filled swellings that are on the inside surface of the pinna. It can fill the entire ear or just part of it. This can occur in multiple types of animals, but we are going to focus on dogs in this article.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the reason the dog is shaking his head or scratching at the ears because if we don’t address that problem, then the hematoma will come back. The next step is addressing the hematoma itself and there are multiple options depending on what the owner wants to do and what stage the hematoma is in. Some hematomas are in the earlier stage and are soft and fluctuant, but others have progressed to becoming firm and thickened and may even develop a cauliflower appearance. It is important to catch hematomas as early as possible, because once they reach the firm, thickened, and crinkled stage there is no medical or surgical way to make the ear normal again.

Medical management includes draining the fluid in the ear and starting medication that will help with the inflammation and infection. The problem with medical management is that there is a good chance that the ear will fill up with blood again since the two sides of the ear have been separated from the hematoma that was drained and the blood vessels in the ear may or may not have stopped draining. If medical management fails and nothing else is done, the ear will eventually become firm and have a abnormal appearance.

Surgical management is the treatment of choice. There are multiple surgical approaches that vary in intensity and the general rule of thumb is that the more involved the surgery, the better the chance of not only having the hematoma resolve and not coming back, and the ear looking completely normal after the surgery. An example of a very simple surgical technique is cutting out a small amount of the tissue of the ear so the blood can drain and either suturing the hole open or not. An example of the more advanced surgical technique is placing multiple (ten or more) smaller holes covering the entire ear and placing sutures holding all the smaller holes open until the ear is totally healed.

The most important things to remember are to treat hematomas early, treat the underlying cause and try to prevent it from happening again, and pick the best treatment plan for the hematoma repair that you can.

Why Bad Breath Isn’t the Real Problem with Dental Disease – The Importance of Dentals

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By Emily Hoppmann, DVM

Dental disease affects everyone – the two legged and the four legged creatures! As people, we have much more control over our dental health. We brush our teeth multiple times a day, floss daily, use oral rinses, and go to the dentist every 6 months for our bi- annual cleaning. Our pets however do not have the luxury of making sure they brush and floss daily! That is why pets as early as 6 months start to develop tartar and bacteria in their mouths, causing periodontal disease and horrible smelling breath. Periodontal disease is defined as inflammation of any of the tooth’s support structures (such as the bones and ligaments that hold the tooth in place) and gingivitis (which is swelling and redness of the tissue just above the tooth in the mouth). Smaller animals and dogs, cats, and ferrets that excessively groom or lick the carpet or suck on fabric tend to be at a higher risk than the large or giant breed dogs. However, how much mineral is produced in the pet’s saliva is genetic and the more mineral produced, the faster a pet or person gets dental disease and the horrible breath that comes with it.

The reason that an animal’s breath gets an offensive smell with oral disease is due to all the bacteria in the mouth that is contained in the plague. The minerals naturally occurring in the saliva, lead to plague build-up on the teeth and that thickens into calulus, which is rough and irritating to the delicate tissue above the tooth. The bacteria that lives in all that calculus does cause bad breath, but that obvious odor is the least of the problems in the overall picture of our animal’s health. When the gingiva gets compromised by the dental disease it allows all the bacteria in the calculus/tartar to enter the blood stream. Once the bacteria is in the blood stream there can be multiple organs affected if the dental disease is not taken care of on a routine basis. For example, the bacteria that started in the mouth can cause problems with the heart as it gathers on the valves of the heart over time. This causes a disease called endocarditis, which can lead to congestive heart failure, which is a fatal disease. The truth is that untreated dental disease can allow the bacteria in the bloodstream to gather anywhere in the body, such as in the liver or kidney, leading to infection and failure of organs and even death. Periodontal disease is also an important cause of insulin resistance so a thorough teeth cleaning is an important step for many diabetics early in the course of treatment.

Not to worry, this is one disease that is very easily controlled and treated. We do our part from day one to educate owners about dental disease and prevent it, since we do want to limit the number of dental cleanings a patient has in their lifetime since pets do have to be put under anesthesia for dentals. However, once a pet has signs of the disease, which tends to occur at 2 or 3 years of age, but can be seen as young as 6 months, the patient needs to start having regular dental cleanings. During the dental cleaning, I scale the teeth to remove any tartar on the teeth, even going underneath the gums to make sure to get all the tartar and bacteria. I check for any pockets around the teeth that may contain bacteria, make sure that there are no teeth with roots or nerve endings exposed causing pain or decaying teeth. I extract any teeth that I absolutely have to in order to stop the pain or disease that the teeth are causing the pet.

Before a dental is needed and after a dental has been done, there are things we want to do to try to prolong the time before the first dental is needed and between them. These things include brushing your dog or cats’ teeth, doing pulse therapy antibiotics, providing treats that are specifically designed to fight the tartar and bacteria (like CET chews), and changing your pet’s food to a food specifically designed to not allow the tartar to build up at all (such as Science Diets T/D). None of this takes the place of a dental cleaning, it just helps with oral health. Just like us, sometimes a good dental cleaning is necessary for a pet’s health. Making sure to stay on top of dental care will help you to have a pet with pearly white teeth, no oral pain, no dangerous bacteria traveling through the bloodstream, and great breath!

Inappropriate Urination - What you can do

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

  • Veterinary exam to rule out contributing physical explanation.
  • Neuter the cat at a young age. If a cat is inappropriately urinating, neuter ASAP if not already neutered.
  • Pull down shades or close blinds to prevent seeing outdoor cats.
  • Consider a motion detector sprinkler or another humane deterrent to dissuade outdoor cats.
  • When unsupervised, confine the cat that is spraying in a part of the house where outdoor cats or cats on other side of a neighbor’s wall can’t be seen, heard, or smelled.
  • If the cat is spraying against new furniture, cover the furniture to protect it.
  • Add a litter box near where cat is spraying.
  • Consider spraying a synthetic pheromone product, such as Feliway® (as directed), where the cat has sprayed.
  • If it’s a ‘cat vs. cat’ situation, seek professional help to advise behavior modification to broker peace.
  • If recommendations aren’t successful, seek professional help; and the use of medications may be indicated.

The specific location where the cat is voiding urine/house soiling

  • Cats who want a litter box higher up/off the ground are sometimes feeling insecure, threatenedand/or generally anxious about other cats (or other pets, even children) in proximity to existing litter boxes.
  • Even if it seems cats are getting along, signaling in cats is hard for owners to pick up on sometimes. Cats may be very clear about daily dislike for one another or offer subtle, yet intimidating cues, only in specific contexts, like surrounding the litter box.
  • Change may cause anxiety; the owners’ work schedule, home construction, a new partner or pet moving in, etc. A cat may choose the owner’s bed over a litter box because it is soft and cushy, offers a secure view, it’s comforting and smells so reassuring.

What you can do

  • Ease anxiety. If a house guest or new partner has moved in, have that person interact positively with the cat, taking over responsibility for feeding and offering treats; and most importantly, play with an interactive cat toy. If the cat is unwilling to interact, it’s best to ignore the cat.
  • When cats are not getting along, offer an abundance of resources to them – most importantly, litter boxes (more is better), as well as toys and scratching posts.
  • Make those areas where the cat is urinating unattractive. Affix double stick tape on the areas it is occurring (cats don’t like to feel stickiness on their paws).
  • Use a plug-in synthetic pheromone, such as Feliway®.
  • Use baby gate (or another barrier) to keep the dog(s) away from the litter box; you can cut a hole in it for the cat to go through or raise the gate so the cat can easily squeeze under.

Real Parasite Threats to your Pet in this area

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

• Roundworms: This is a parasite is transmitted through dirt
(breathing in the eggs left behind by feces of other pets or wildlife)
and can cause liver and lung damage, overall poor health, diarrhea and
can lead to death.
o Contagious to people
o Intestinal Parasite Screening (fecal float) to test
o Treatment available for current infection
o Eliminate the threat by monthly heartworm prevention

• Whipworms: This is a parasite that is transmitted through dirt
(breathing in the eggs left behind by feces of other pets or wildlife)
and can cause weight loss, diarrhea, and even death in small pets due
to loss of blood
o Intestinal Parasite Screening (fecal float) to test
o Treatment available for current infection
o Eliminate the threat by monthly heartworm prevention (not
killed with certain preventions, so if you have a whipworm
issue we may switch to a different prevention)

• Hookworms: This is a parasite that is transmitted through dirt
(breathing in the eggs left behind by feces of other pets or wildlife)
and can cause loss of blood, weakness, diarrhea
o Contagious to people
o Intestinal Parasite Screening (fecal float) to test
o Treatment available for current infection
o Eliminate the threat by monthly heartworm prevention

• Tapeworms: This is a parasite that is transmitted through eating a
flea, (small amount come from eating rabbit feces or raw meat) and
can cause intestinal obstructions, irritation around anus from itching,
diarrhea, vomiting.
o Some species contagious to people
o Intestinal Parasite Screening (fecal float) to test or you may see
the segments around the anus or your home and they look like
grains of rice
o Treatment available for current infection

o Eliminate the threat by monthly flea prevention. Some
heartworm preventions will also control tapeworms if you are
having a problem.

• Coccidia: This is a parasite that is transmitted through dirt (breathing
in the eggs left behind by feces of other pets or wildlife) and can cause
bloody diarrhea, vomiting, poor growth in puppies and kittens.
o Intestinal Parasite Screening (fecal float) to test
o Treatment available for current infection
o No preventative to give so it is very important to have fecal
done every 6 months and treat infection

• Heartworms: This is a parasite that is transmitted through a single
bite by an infected mosquito and can cause congestive heart failure,
weight loss, and death.
o Heartworm test primarily done to see if there is an infection,
further work-up needed to see how bad the infection is
o Treatment available for current infection through immidicide
injections over the course of 3 months
o Eliminate the threat by monthly heartworm prevention
o Heartworm prevention will not cure a dog if infected, it just
keeps them from getting additional worms. Heartworms can
live up to 8 years in dog and will be damaging the heart/lung
the entire time
o Seen in indoor only cats and dogs, as well as dogs and cats that
go outside

Who is that “other person” in the room with the doctor?

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

In human medicine we all know about and understand nurses and their jobs. However, in veterinary medicine there is a great deal that is unknown about that “other person” in the room with the doctor - the Veterinary Technician. You may see different faces in exam rooms with me since we operate as a family here and that means all of our staff has gone through extensive training for all the positions they may need to fill. To an outsider it may appear as if the technician is just used to hold the animals while the doctor examines them. While that is a part of their job and with the range of species we see not always an easy part, but it is one of the smallest part!

A veterinary technician and her skills are vital to helping me offer the best quality care to our patients. They have all gone through extensive training on different diseases, including what to look for, what tests might need to be run, running those tests, what possible types of medication will be needed to care for the patient, and what the possible treatment plans are and how the outcomes may vary. They are also educated in pharmacology, or medications, so that they are familiar with common side effects, how drug combinations work together, which drugs can and cannot be used in certain situation, and how to go over administering medication to owners. They act like Elgin Veterinary Hospital’s own personal pharmacy technician when the doctor is getting the treatment plan together.

Surgery is another area where veterinary technicians are very educated and their skills are invaluable. Not only do they help prepare the surgery room for the type of surgery I will be doing, they help get the patient ready for surgery. This means helping with everything from getting an accurate weight, helping the doctor do the pre-surgery physical, helping calculate drug doses that the doctor needs, placing IV catheters, obtaining and running blood work. They are full fledged phlebotomists (people trained in taking blood) - whether it be for blood work before surgery, a sample for a single test, or blood work that is being sent to the outside laboratory. This also means knowing what tubes the blood needs to be placed in, what the test runs off of (whole blood, serum, or plasma), and what forms are needed for each particular test.

Once we have everything ready for surgery, veterinary technicians turn into surgical assistants. They assist in getting the patient intubated (using short-acting medication that will get the patient to the level of anesthesia needed to place the breathing tube that will be connected to the gas anesthesia that will keep the patient asleep), clipping and prepping the surgical site, and monitoring anesthesia during surgery. They act just like the anesthesia nurse at the hospital next to you during any surgery you might have. They also make sure that the patient’s cage is properly heated and padded for them to recover as smoothly as possible from anesthesia.

They are also proficient in radiology or the art of x-rays. We have a digital x-ray system so it requires them to properly measure the patient so the computer can be programmed to get the correct outcome from the radiographs. Many different types of radiographs are needed depending on what I am looking for and they are able to manipulate the body so that I can have the best view possible. My technicians are so good we rarely have to repeat any x-rays, reducing the exposure to your pet.

Their communication skills are also so important to the flow of the day. With so many patients for me to care for and surgeries to do, etc. I am not always able to get to the phone or call people back as quickly as I would like. The technicians can return calls from owners and let them know that if they are concerned then they should bring their pet in, relay information to owners, update them on their pets, follow-up on a recently seen patient, deliver blood work results, go over treatment plans (such as heartworm treatment), and this allows me to be sure that we can try to answer any questions people might have, while I can deal with all the patients I have in the hospital or in the waiting room. I would love to make every phone call myself or go over every treatment plan and discharge plan, but I had to learn to share the workload so that everyone got the best care possible. I have done this by training my staff and by providing handouts for owners to refer back to if the information they are getting while here is overwhelming

While the actions of everyone are closely monitored by me and nothing happens to a patient without me checking it first and being on-hand as needed, I have the best staff any person could ask for and we run this hospital as a family unit. By all working together to provide the best quality medicine and service for you, who we consider a part of our family, we try to make sure that everyone is taken care of and happy.

Now you know who that person in the room with me is, you can see she is a well-educated veterinarian technician with a wealth of knowledge. She may still check with me before giving advice, but that just shows you how good she is - she knows that there are some things that need to go through the doctor. That does not just apply to questions, but to almost everything she does. It all works wonderful with a great system of checks and balances. As I said before, I have the best staff in the world and we always want to make sure to satisfy your needs and keep you as a happy member of the Elgin Veterinary Hospital family!

Summer heat getting to your pets?

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By Emily Hoppmann, DVM

As the temperature continues to climb here in sunny Columbia, we need to not only think of ways to keep ourselves comfortable, but also our pets. While people complain about the heat, dogs and cats have much more to complain about! As humans we can always do things to avoid getting too hot. We can always adjust what we are wearing or just find a nice air conditioned place to hang out until it cools down. This makes the risk of humans overheating very small, but the risk of overheating very large for our pets since they are unable to do very much to get cool on their own. It is up to us, as owners, to educate ourselves on the potential risks of the heat and the signs to watch for and what to do in case of an emergency.

Some changes that we need to make to accommodate our pets in the heat are very simple. The best solution is to keep your pet inside where it is air conditioned and he has access to plenty of cool water. Other things we can do is to not ever leaving our pets in the car without you for any length of time, getting your pet groomed to get rid of as much hair as possible (even consider shaving them down), and only going on walks in the early morning or evenings. Changing the walk routine for dogs is important because they need some form of activity to keep them healthy and happy. Walking them when it is cooler helps them to not overheat since the outside temperature is cooler, but it also keeps them from getting contact burns on their feet if the pavement is too hot. If you must walk at another time, make sure that you walk on grass to protect the feet and that you have a collapsible water bowl with you so you can offer water frequently.

If you absolutely have to leave your dog outside during the hot months you are taking a risk every day that your pet could have a heat stroke. To try to prevent a heat stroke from happening there are several things you can do. You need to provide shelter in a cool place (a dog house under a tree), place a fan that will blow on your pet in that cool place throughout the day, provide as much drinking water as possible and add ice cubes to the water, and provide a baby swimming pool filled with water that your pet can get into if he wants.

If the worst case scenario happens and you pet suffers a heat stroke, get your pet to the veterinarian as soon as it happens. The elevated body temperature from the heat stroke can cause multiple organs to stop working and can even cause permanent brain damage. Heat strokes are more likely in long-haired or thick-haired dogs, overweight dogs, older animals, or brachycephalic dogs (dogs with short faces, like pugs). The signs you should look for that indicate your dog is overheating or having a heat stroke are panting, excessive salivation, breathing difficulties, seizures, muscle tremors, walking abnormally, or even becoming unconscious or non-responsive.

Most heat stroke pets need intensive care for several days at the veterinary hospital to prevent organ failure and death. As you are on the way to the veterinary hospital you can spray your pet with water or rub a wet washcloth over the dog or continuously apply rubbing alcohol on the foot pads. Even though it seems like a good idea do not use ice to try cool your pet, it can actually make things much worse. The best thing you can do for your pet is keep it indoors all year so there is no risk of illness secondary to the elements, but if it does occur please get your pet to the veterinarian immediately.

Ear Problems of Dogs and Cats

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

When a dog or cat shakes his head continually, does that mean he has ear mites or ear problems?

Both dogs and cats (indoor and outdoor) can start to shake their heads continually and scratch at their ears and this is never normal. However, to determine what is causing these symptoms, a veterinarian needs to be able to do an exam, look both at the outward apperance of the ears and the discharge in the ear. To look closely enough at the ear during the exam, the veterinarian needs to use a special instrument in order to see both the outer ear and the middle ear. The shape of a dog and cats’ ear canal is not a straight line, but an “L” shape with a sharp turn. It is impossible for owners’ to be able to see past this sharp turn and that is where a lot of discharge can build up. That is why it can seem that ear problems pop up overnight and is also why it is never a good idea to use a q-tip in a pets’ ear. The veterinarian will take a sample to be able to look at the discharge from the middle and inner ear under the microscope to see what is causing the ear problems. The most common reason for ear problems is different for dogs versus cats. Dogs are much more likely to have either a yeast infection or a bacterial infection. Cats are much more likely to have an ear mite infection. Your veterinarian can determine the best medication to treat the ear problem based on the exam and looking at the debris under the microscope. Medication most likely is a combination of a medicated ear wash, which are not available over the counter, and a topical ear medication. In some cases, if ear mites are the only problem, your veterinarian can apply a medication during your appointment that will treat the ear mites without you having to do any medication at home. It is very important to have your dog or cat examined by a veterinarian as soon as you notice them shaking or scratching at their ears and it is equally important to have them rechecked before stopping medication so that the veterinarian can be sure that the infection has completely resolved.

What should be done to prevent ear mites?

There are some very simple ways to prevent ear mites and ear infections. Ear mites in cats are the easiest to prevent, just by using a monthly topical medication that every cat (indoor and outdoor) should be using anyway. This product is called Revolution and is available through veterinary clinics. It is applied to the skin every 30 days and prevents fleas, heartworms, ear mites, and intestinal parasites (other than tapeworms). Once a current ear mite infection has been treated, applying this medication every month will prevent your cat from getting ear mites again. Similarly, some of the monthly topical medications that every dog should be using anyway also treat ear mites. My favorite product is called Vectra and it is available through veterinary clinics. It is applied to the skin every 30 days and prevents fleas, ticks, mites, and repels flies. Again, once a current ear mite infection has been treated, applying this medication every month will prevent your dog from getting ear mites again.

General Litter Box Advice

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

  • The rule is one more box than the number of cats living in the home (if possible)
  • Scoop boxes at least once daily. Change out the litter weekly.
  • Clumping scoopable, unscented litter is often preferred. Finer grain is best.
  • When deciding on locations of the boxes, consider the relationships between the various cats. Signaling in cats may be hard to pick up on as owners, and cats that seemingly are friendly may sometimes have a mean or dominating streak. The multiple litter boxes in should be in separate locations.
  • Location, location, location: Boxes should be away from commotion, where the cat(s) can feel secure and are afforded privacy. However, being “trapped” in a corner can be a problem. Basements may be a source of loud and sudden sounds which can be frightening. Also, as cats age, navigating stairs may become difficult.
  • Place litter boxes in various places around the house so they’re not all located in one room.
  • For cats that develop a substrate preference for carpet, try placing a carpet remnant in the box. If the cat begins to use the box, gradually litter can be added while the remnant is cut away.
  • If boxes are covered, consider having at least one uncovered. As cats are successfully re-directed to a litter box, provide positive reinforcement with praise and a treat (as you would house training a puppy).
  • Cats must never be physically punished, or have their nose “rubbed in an accident”, as this will only heighten anxiety in an already anxious cat and can create mistrust. Also, they do not understand what they are being punished for.
  • The litter box(es) should generally not be in close proximity to food and water. Indoor/outdoor cats generally require litter boxes. Approximately 1 ½ to 3 inches of litter in the box is appropriate. For cats that do not use the box but overshoot the top of the box (“shooting urine”), try a covered box or a box with higher sides. Another option is to affix a piece of washable Plexiglas to a nearby wall.
  • Confining the cat to a small room, such as a bathroom, may “re-train” a cat having accidents to the box and prevent accidents elsewhere in the home. However, the inappropriate elimination is likely to return unless the underlying issue which caused the problem is resolved.
  • Enriched environments are particularly important for indoor cats. It’s been demonstrated that cats lacking enrichment are more susceptible to stress, which may lead to inappropriate elimination.
  • An excess of resources, resting places, litter boxes and scratching posts, etc., is always a good idea. Medications may not help cats with aversions to litter, litter boxes or location, but drugs potentially may help cats with anxiety issues, including inter-cat relationship issues with behavior modification.
  • Clean accidents with enzymatic cleaners. Those sold over the counter often do not work because it is an unregulated industry. Consult your veterinarian before picking a cleaning product.

Heartworm Disease

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

Why are mosquitoes dangerous for dogs and cats? Mosquitoes are the most dangerous parasite for dogs, cats and other small mammals. This is due to the fact that this tiny little insect is the cause of a deadly disease – heartworms. Mosquitoes carry microscopic heartworm larvae and as soon as they start to feed on your pet, they leave the heartworm larvae behind to infect your pet. The larvae enter through the little hole that the mosquito left, enter the veins of the dog and over the next six months start to grow. The scariest part is that over the six months as they grow and find their way to the arteries of the lungs, you have no idea that your pet is even infected. Since heartworms are able to grow inside of your pet without you knowing that they are there, they are able to grow up to a foot in length in the arteries of the lungs before you start to see any clinical signs. This immediately causes severe inflammation in the lungs and heart which leads to congestive heart failure. In dogs, it is the number of heartworms that a pet has that dictates how severe the clinical signs are, how much damage is done to the heart and lungs, and how fast the disease progresses to heart failure. It is important to remember that as long as a dog is not on heartworm prevention, he will continue to get infected with more worms with every bite from a mosquito carrying the larvae. Heartworms can live happily in a dog for 6 to 8 years, reeking havoc on the heart and lungs the entire time. Eventually the worms die, but if left untreated it becomes a question as to whether the worms will die before they damage your pet so much that the disease becomes fatal. A lower number of heartworms in the early stages can cause very mild signs in dogs, such as coughing more or having a decreased energy level. The longer the infection is present and/or the more heartworms present the worse the clinical signs get. These signs include difficultly breathing, dizziness, and death. The best thing about heartworm disease is that it is totally preventable and if your dog does have heartworms it is treatable by a series of injections from your veterinarian. Untreated it is a fatal disease that can be expensive and sometimes risky to treat, but it never has to happen to your pet. One monthly pill from your veterinarian protects your dog from heartworms, so make sure your dog stays on monthly heartworm prevention and gets a yearly test from your veterinarian.

Mosquitoes enter cats the exact same way as they do in the dog and there have been hundreds of documented cases of indoor only and indoor/outdoor cats being infected with heartworms, so no cat is safe from this disease. We all have to face the fact that every time we open a door or crack a window, mosquitoes have a free pass into your home and access to your pets. Heartworm disease is almost worse in cats because cats are not the normal host. This means that there are fewer worms (usually 1 or 2) and they do not live as long (usually 2 to 3 years). That may seem like a good thing, but they actually cause more of a reaction in cats than in dogs, which means that even though they may spend less time in the cat, they cause more damage to the heart and lungs. What makes heartworm disease in cats even worse is that the worms are harder to detect since there are not as many and there is no treatment for cats once infected with heartworms. Some signs of heartworm disease include having trouble breathing or being more tired than usual. However, the scariest thing is that one of the most common signs of heartworm disease in cats is sudden death. The great news is that this is a totally preventable disease simply by applying a topical product, from your veterinarian, called Revolution to your cat every month.

Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome

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By Dr. Emily Hoppmann

With all the advances in medical technology, diagnostic testing, and medication we are better able to provide pets longer quality lives. With all these advances in veterinary medicine, wonderful care by owners, and the increase in veterinary exams to every 6 months pets are living longer, healthier lives. Pets living so much longer than they used to has presented us, as veterinarians, new challenges to make sure that we are recommending more wellness exams, putting more emphasis on prevention, and tackling new diseases that we did not use to see or that we did not understand as well. One of the huge advances in the field is our increased knowledge on how the brain works and what diseases might be affecting our patients and how to best manage these diseases.

Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome is one of the diseases of the brain that we are seeing more and more of. This syndrome is associated with the brain aging, much like dementia or Alzheimer disease in humans. We see alterations in awareness, decreased responsiveness to stimuli, and deficits in learning. Using the acronym DISHA, most clinical signs can be placed in 5 following categories. One, Disorientation, including getting lost in familiar environments, confusion, or inability to navigate through familiar routes, such as standing at the wrong side of the door to go out. Two, Interactions with humans and animals may change (less playful, difference in wanting affection or not, increase in irritability/aggression). Three, Sleep-Wake Cycle alterations that can manifest as night waking or vocalization and sleeping more during the day. Four, Housetraining may deteriorate, along with other learned behaviors. This can be seen by the pet having accidents in the house and becoming less able to perform basic commands (sit, stay, etc). Finally, Activity level can change and be seen as lethargy, decreased appetite, and less interest in new things/places. As CCD becomes worse the pet may become restless with pacing, aimless wandering, or compulsive activity disorders such as excessive licking.

The cause of this disease all relate back to changes in the brain and it can actually affect both dogs and cats as early as 7 years of age. All treatment options are focus on supporting the brain. Maintaining physical and mental stimulus, feeding a diet specifically for brain function (such as Hill’s B/D), and medications all can help. Every animal is different in the way and the degree they respond to treatment. Sometimes the medications can take months to show full effects. For example, Neutricks is one of the newest medications on the market for this disease and it replaces the calcium-binding proteins that protect the brain cells and protects brain cells from future damage. Again, every patient responds to medications differently so it may take trying a few different medications or combinations to find the one that works best for your pet.