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In This Issue

• The Power to Heal
• Geckos, Cavemen and Mayhem: The Truth About Pet Insurance
• Polly Want A Cracker?
• MEET THE STAFF - Heather Hawks
• Heartworm: A Serious Threat

THE POWER TO HEAL… - back to top

By all odds, this spunky little Jack Russell mix with incredibly bright eyes and growing affinity for chasing birds really shouldn’t be alive today.

She was locked in a crate at home when the building caught fire, generating so much heat that the plastic crate lid melted and dripped, leaving her with nasty burns over most of her body. The only reason she even made it as far as the St. Charles Hospital and Clinic in St. Charles, Mo. was that the ambulance she rode in after being rescued happened to be outfitted with an oxygen mask for small animals.

Her burns were extensive and she was unconscious when she arrived at the animal hospital. Her prognosis was quite poor. Five months later, the puppy was doing quite well which was a testament to the care she received, including a swiftly implemented care plan that included therapeutic laser and the puppy’s sheer will to survive. Among antibiotics, wound gels and bandaging, the little pup called Ember underwent daily laser therapy for the first week, then three times weekly thereafter.

It wasn’t long before Ember did not need pain medication anymore, and though today she still has scars, she never required skin grafts and essentially healed in two months time!

Stoney Creek Veterinary Hospital has recently acquired therapy laser and wants to spread the news about its vast benefits to their clientele. “There are so many uses for it, I don’t understand why laser therapy isn’t used more in human medicine,” says Dr. Huth. SCVH uses the laser for many purposes, including post-operative pain and age-related arthritis.

If your pet is having surgery or suffers from the above conditions, ask our staff about it on your next visit!

The case study in this article was featured in the May 2011 issue of Veterinary Practice News.

Geckos, Cavemen and Mayhem: The Truth About Pet Insurance - back to top

Most of us are pretty capable of taking care of ourselves in selecting home, auto and health insurance. It’s something no one loves to do, but somehow we manage to navigate through those decisions with the wealth of options that are out there. But, what about pet insurance? Does it work? Is it affordable? Does my veterinarian accept it? Why should I even consider it? In recent years, more options are out there for pet owners. Here is some helpful information for clients to consider when looking at pet insurance:

There are currently 19 basic plans available that vary in their level of expense and coverage. As with any company, the insurance offered and the quality and price of their coverage options will vary. One way to compare coverage options and pricing to choose what fits your pet’s needs is by visiting sites like www.petinsurancereview.com that will list various carriers, plans, monthly rates, features and user ratings.

The cost of your pet’s policy will range, depending on the level of coverage you choose, from $5.00-$75.00 monthly. Factors determining that premium rate are deductibles, accident versus illness or preventive care and pre-existing conditions. Choosing insurance for your pet is usually best utilized in the younger years of life, so if you are considering a new pup or kitten, now is the time to be looking at insurance. Once you decide on a policy that is right for you, you can visit the veterinarian of choice. All veterinarians can accept pet insurance since it is set up as a reimbursement. You will need to pay your veterinary bill at the time services are rendered. You will then submit a claim form provided by your insurance company for reimbursement. Your veterinarian will need to complete a portion of this form and return it to you or fax it to your insurance company.

As many of us work hard to budget our expenses, an unforeseen illness can definitely pinch a pocketbook. With costs rising and the economy as it is, it’s worth looking into insurance options that will allow you to choose the best care for your pet without a huge impact on your budget.

Polly Want A Cracker? - back to top

Proper feeding of companion birds is one of the most challenging aspects of their care, mostly because of the limited research specific to various species. The stereo type that birds love crackers is not too far-fetched if you are talking treats, but when the focus is on a nutritionally balanced diet, the vast choices that are out there can be overwhelming.

To narrow the options, we will group bird diets into three major groups: Formulated diets, Homemade diets, and Seed mixes. Formulated diets are available from the pet food industry as a convenience to the owner to ensure a more nutritionally balanced diet than that offered by seeds or homemade diets. Commercial foods may be purchased as pellets, nuggets, crumbles or hand feeding premixes. Converting a seed-eating bird to a formulated diet must be done with care because new items in the cage may not be identified by the bird as food. Work with your veterinarian if you are trying to change your bird’s diet from seed to a formulated diet. With a young bird, it is ideal to start them on a commercially formulated diet rather than seed and supplement with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Homemade diets can be used where commercial diets are not available. While this is not ideal for pet birds, these offer an improvement over exclusive seed diets. The pitfall may be that homemade diets often lack calcium, iodine, selenium, protein, fatty acid balance, fiber, and vitamins while providing an excess of carbohydrate and phosphorus. In addition, homemade diets with moist ingredients tend to spoil easily and lose nutrients if not stored properly or if made too far in advance of feeding. Time and effort makes this method impractical for most pet owners. In an effort to provide variety, owners tend to put out too much food and birds pick out only what they like. Left to their own devices, birds will not choose a balanced diet on their own. A homemade diet as a supplement is a fun way to bond with your bird, but is generally not recommended as a complete nutritional program. Fresh foods should represent no more than 25 percent of the total diet. Fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, breads and cereals and protein are beneficial to your feathered friend and help prevent boredom in small quantities.

Many birds are raised on a seed mix diet, and once started, is difficult to alter. Try to severely limit oil seeds such as sunflower, safflower and peanut. It is best to use these as a hand fed treat food only. For example, a medium-sized parrot like an amazon might only get 10-15 of these seeds a day. Grain seeds such as millet, canary seed, corn, grouts, wheat, brown rice and oats can be used as a healthier replacement for seeds as a treat, but even these should not be left in the cage. Another healthier alternative to typical seeds is sprouted seeds. They are generally lower in fat and more nutritious than their unsprouted counterparts. Sprouting kits are available through the website: www.chinaprairie.com . The truth about seeds: Most birds in the wild would not eat a diet of high oil seeds and birds typically live out a longer life eating a wider variety of foods, usually with pellets as the basis. Supplementation with vitamins and minerals will not fix a bad diet and is not needed if you have a good one!

RULES FOR FEEDING TABLE FOODS:

• Nothing greasy, salty or sugary. No caffeine or alcohol, chocolate, red meats or avocado.
• Stick with a health food type diet.
• Offer a wide variety of foods—share your meal- break bread together!
• Introduce new foods gradually.
• Do not leave fresh food in the cage for more than 4 hrs, wash food and water dishes daily.

MEET THE STAFF - back to top

Get to know the Stoney Creek Family!

Heather Hawks is one of our Veterinary Assistants and has been with us almost since the beginning of our days. Born and raised in Greensboro, Heather came to Stoney Creek in November 2002. Heather now resides in Reidsville, NC with her boyfriend Richard and 10 month old baby girl, Autumn. Heather has one dog, “Mufasa”, and two cats, “Buffet” and “Splinter”. Of course, her number one interest is spending time with Autumn, but she also enjoys dancing and playing pool, when she’s not chasing after daughter!

Heather works alongside Dr.Huth and Ballengee providing wellness, medical and surgical care and is certified in nutrition management through Hill’s Science Diet. She especially enjoys working with wildlife and exotics.

Heartworm: A Serious Threat - back to top

By Dr. Marie Ballengee, DVM
Stoney Creek Veterinary Hospital

Heartworm Facts in Dogs:

• Only way to contract heartworm disease is from infected mosquitoes. Unprotected dogs, foxes & coyotes are the reservoirs. Unfortunately, only about 45% of dogs are on heartworm prevention (down from 50%).

• Heartworms develop in the body and can be numbers 10-12 inches long. They make their home in the right side of the heart & the lung arteries. Heartworms live for numbers 5-7 yrs.

• Heartworm testing: Testing for a protein that an adult female heartworm produces. False negatives often occur due to a small number of female worms (<5), only male worms present or if not mature enough. There are 5 life stages from mosquitoes bite to an adult female – takes 4-6 months.

• Heartworm disease will worsen without treatment due to reproduction and link of life. Affects heart & lungs and can affect liver & kidneys.

• We live in a high area of infectivity – more than 26 cases reported yearly in test practices. Two of three dogs in our area not on heartworm prevention will become heartworm positive.

• May take years to see clinical signs. Signs may include cough, shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, listlessness, swollen belly, death.

• Prevention is safer and more affordable than treatment.
  ** Especially important right, since treatment medications are in short supply!
  Ivermectin in HW positive dogs:

• Should not be given to herding breeds due to drug sensitivity

• Positive effects:
  • Kills microfilariae
  • Prevents new infection
  • Sterilizies female heartworms (can’t reproduce)
• Milbemycin (INTERCEPTOR, SENTINEL, TRIFEXIS, REVOLUTION) should NOT be given to heartworm positive dogs.

Heartworm in cats:

• Different disease process – usually only 1-3 number worms and do not reproduce.

• Still contracted by mosquito bite; mosquitoes come inside too!

• Different testing procedure – outpatient laboratory with increased cost.

• No treatment possible.

• Prevention is important from the standpoint that a female heartworm can be 12 inches long in a 10 LV cat! Can cause irreversible damage.

• Clinical signs can be coughing, rapid breathing, weight loss, vomiting, sudden death.

• Oral and topical forms of preventative available.

• Many university studies have shown that up to 15% of all cats, indoor and outdoor alike, have been exposed to feline heartworm disease.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.heartwormsociety.org