Archive for year: 2012

There was an interesting article on The State of Pet Health 2012 published recently by Banfield Pet Hospital.

They state that chronic diseases have been on the increase in the past 5 years.  Obesity and overweight by 37% in dogs and 90% in cats. 1 in 5 dogs and cats are overweight.  They also stressed the importance of early detection and working in partnership with your veterinarian.  For more information, check out their article:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/banfield-pet-hospital-releases-state-of-pet-health-2012-report-new-findings-reveal-chronic-diseases-on-the-rise-149642375.html

 

 

Many of us right now are experiencing extremely hot and muggy temperatures.  Our pets are affected by this weather and generally will be more lethargic than usual.

But it is important to make sure that there isn’t something more than the weather affecting them.  It’s easy to check for the signs of a possible lyme disease infection:

1. The first sign is lack of energy.  You may notice that your pet may suddenly become less playful.

2.  Fever.  Your pet may have a fever over 102 and swollen glands.  She or he may start limping.  You may also notice that your pet’s joints are swollen or even seem hot to the touch.  The symptoms are similar to someone who has arthritis.

It’s easy to keep an eye out for these things when we are massaging or combing our dogs and cats.  Lethargy and pain in the joints need further investigation.

I read some interesting statistics on diabetes from the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).  According to this report, diabetes has been increasing at a 5% rate per year in both people and pets.

It is 1 of the 5 most common diseases in dogs and 1 in 3 in cats.

I feel really fortunate that when Chloe’s glucose level tested so high last year, we were able to get it in the normal range just with diet.  I am now investigating higher quality diets that will keep her in the normal range but provide better nutrition.  I test her every 3 weeks of so with ThePetCheckup and she is not spilling any glucose in her urine.  That’s the way to go Chloe!!

WebMD has a nice concise description of the benefits of early detection. The same criteria applies to both people and animals:

Early disease detection is the use of:

• Screening tests to find health problems before symptoms appear.
• Diagnostic tests, medical exams, and self-exams to find a disease or other health problem early in its course.

Why should you think about early disease detection?

Often, the earlier a disease is diagnosed, the more likely it is that it can be cured or successfully managed. Managing a disease, especially early in its course, may lower its impact on your life or prevent or delay serious complications.

We were asked today what a ‘trace’ value on the leukocyte reading could mean when all the other parameters on the test are negative.  Generally, trace values on any of the parameters of the urine test strip should be repeated within the week.

If an infection is present, the leukocyte value will usually be higher (you will get a ‘moderate’ or ‘large’ reading) and the nitrite value will also be positive.

A trace value in this case means that the body is having an immune response to something.  It could be one of many things and also very short-lived.

This is good information to know. Record the reading on the results chart so you will have this information to refer to and also to report to your veterinarian during any future visits.