Winter 2007 Petnews
PETNEWS
Newsletter for Shaw Pet Hospitals
Radioactive Iodine Treatment for Hyperthyroid Cats
By Miguel Gavar
Hyperthyroidism
is the most common endocrine disorder in middle-aged and old cats
resulting in excessive circulating concentration of thyroid hormone.
This condition is caused by a benign tumor of either one or both
thyroid glands. Thyroid hormone is then released by these glands into
the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they
control metabolism. Treatment options include administration of
antithyroid drugs, surgical removal of hyperactive thyroid tissue and
administration of radioactive iodine.
Advantages of Radioiodine treatment over medical and surgical treatment
Medical
treatment with antithyroid drugs is variably effective but for many
reasons is not the best choice. Some cats are difficult or impossible
to medicate and antithyroid drugs such as methimazole pills must be
administered orally one to three times daily. Some cats can have mild
to serious reactions to the drug ranging from gastrointestinal upset
(vomiting) to bone marrow suppression, requiring regular blood screen
and thyroid hormone level rechecks. Finally, some owners may not want
to medicate their cats on a daily basis for the rest of the cat's life.
Surgery to remove the
affected glands can be curative but have some disadvantages. The
parathyroid glands may be damaged or destroyed during surgery,
resulting in transient or permanent hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia
which can be life-threatening. Many hyperthyroid cats have secondary
heart disease and are at high surgical and anesthetic risk. These cats
can die suddenly under general anesthesia. Occasionally, hypothyroidism
(low concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood) may develop after
surgery, necessitating treatment with thyroid hormone replacement. Cats
with one thyroid gland removed may develop hyperthyroidism later.
Radioactive iodine provides
a low risk, low stress and effective therapy for cats with
hyperthyroidism. This is the treatment of choice for hyperthyroidism in
cats unless the patient is in renal failure. With this therapy, the
risk of anesthesia is eliminated and the risk of hypothyroidism is
greatly reduced. After administration of radioiodine to cats, the
thyroid function returns to normal usually within a month and the cure
for hyperthyroidism is generally permanent.
What is involved with Radioiodine treatment?
A
hyperthyroid cat is injected with radioactive iodine (I-131) which is
absorbed and concentrates primarily in the abnormal thyroid cells where
it irradiates and destroys the hyperfunctioning tissue. The normal
thyroid tissue, however, tends to be protected from the effects of
radioiodine since this tissue is suppressed and receives only a small
dose of radiation. Hyperthyroid cats that receive radioiodine are
confined to a restricted area of the hospital (such as nuclear medicine
isolation ward) where proper handling of the patients and their
radioactive wastes are observed by staff. The cats are discharged from
the hospital when the radiation level is considered safe, generally
after a one week period in our treatment center.
Is I-131 the treatment of choice for my cat?
Patient
selection prior to radioiodine treatment is performed by the referring
veterinarian after routine diagnostic testing and workup. This is very
important, inasmuch as these cats tend to be middle to old-aged and
therefore may have unrelated geriatric problems. Our doctors will be
happy to discuss this treatment option for your hyperthyroid cat with
you and your veterinarian.
Shaw Pet Hospitals Nuclear Medicine Facility
With
our main goal of providing excellent and quality veterinary care and
services to our patients and clients in Greater Victoria and the
surrounding areas, we continue to deliver the best treatment options
for our patients. After years of preparation and a complex process of
acquiring nuclear license, we became the first veterinary practice on
What's In Store For VPAS in 2007?
By Catherine Clayton
VPAS
has had a very busy year, successfully finding homes for more than 150
animals, bringing the total number of adopted pets (since our inception
in the year 2000) to over 660. Although VPAS has had great success in
finding wonderful homes for many pets, the job is never done. There is
always a high volume of homeless animals coming to the shelter in need
of help. In an effort to accommodate a higher number of homeless
animals, and to cut down on wait times, VPAS is planning some
renovations to increase the number of kennels that we have available.
The renovations will allow us to accommodate almost twice the number of
pets that we can take currently, but it will take many months and an
estimated $20,000 before this can happen. Look for more updates in
future newsletters and on our website http://vpas.wormers.com.
VPAS Has a New Website
2006
was a very busy adoption year, with our adoption rate increasing 4-fold
after the release of our new website. Our adoptable pets can now be
viewed on our own website http://vpas.wormers.com.
Victoria Pet Adoption Society UPDATE
The Story of Molly...
By Catherine Clayton
"A dog is a man's best friend. A cat is a cat's best friend."
Robert J. Vogel
************************
"If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of fun out of owning one"
Andy Rooney
Meet
Molly, the tiny, white Multipoo. When Molly was only 10 weeks old, one
of her legs was broken when she was dropped by a family member. After
having surgery to repair her broken leg, she was on her way to
recovery. A few weeks later, while Molly's leg was still in a cast, she
was jumping on the bed with a family member and was bounced off, only
to break her leg for a second time. Molly's family could not afford to
undergo surgery again and asked VPAS to take Molly and to foot the bill
for her second surgery. Thanks to the doctors and staff of Shaw Pet
Hospitals, Molly received her second surgery and began the slow road to
recovery for a second time. Molly is now eight months old and has fully
recovered from her ordeal. Through VPAS, Molly found a loving home and
is a happy and healthy puppy. Thank you to the staff of Shaw Pet
Hospitals for donating their time to fix Molly's leg, and to all of
those who made donations to help cover the costs of surgical supplies
for Molly.
Pet Care/Grooming Tips:
Regular
grooming makes your pet feel pampered and well cared for. Even
shorthaired dogs and cats need regular brushing to remove dead hair and
cut down on shedding. Nails should be clipped regularly. If you are not
comfortable doing this task a groomer or your vet can do it for you.
Smell your cat or dog's ears frequently. Some ear infections have a
distinct smell and some breeds need to have the hair plucked or trimmed
in the ear canal to prevent chronic ear infections.
Jody Meyer, Certified Pet Groomer
Q and A:
Feel
free to write us with any pet related questions. We will post these
question in our newsletter as a regular feature section. Please email
your questions to shawpethospitals@shaw.ca and put Q&A newsletter in the subject line.
Q: Why does my dog scoot his rear along the ground? (Mary of Saanich)
A:
This is not an uncommon problem. It probably means that your dog has
full or infected anal glands. These glands help dogs to mark their
territory through scent. They usually empty themselves every time they
defecate. They can become clogged, however, and unable to empty;
sometimes infection can develop. When this happens, your dog feels a
constant, itchy pressure. It can be very uncomfortable.
So You Want An Exotic Pet?
By Meg Lainson, DVM
While
the majority of pet owners still prefer the more cuddly animal
companionship of a dog or a cat, there are a growing number of people
that are seeking alternatives to the conventional pet. The reasons for
this are as varied as the people; but, the trend toward birds,
amphibians, reptiles, fish, small rodents, marsupials and rabbits is
increasing. The most common reasons for exotic pet ownership are:
smaller living spaces, less time to care for a pet, lack of landlords
willing to rent to dog/cat owners, noise considerations, personal
interest in a specific animal group and, sadly, the need for attention
by being a "weird pet" owner.
While
these animals can be fascinating, fun, educating and exciting, over
half of exotic pets either die from improper care or are given
away/euthanized because of incompatibility problems. Often what may
start out as an easy alternative to a dog or cat can become a time and
money consuming nightmare. A 10 gallon aquarium of goldfish may lead to
a 900 gallon saltwater ecosystem as costly as a herd of Russian
wolfhounds! That cute pair of sable rats, lop eared bunnies, or angora
guinea pigs can quickly produce a population explosion. The boa
constrictor now needs full grown rabbits for food while the umbrella
cockatoo has reduced the apartment to a pile of kindling.
The
biggest pitfall of owning an exotic pet is the difficulty of finding
proper husbandry (caretaking) information so that the animal
flourishes. Since an exotic pet (actually, any pet) should not be an
impulse purchase, a prospective owner would be wise to do the research
on reputable web links and published books on their particular species
of interest. It is extremely difficult to catch up in knowledge once
the animal is sick, injured or has destroyed the home and possibly a
marriage. Misinformation is, unfortunately, readily available from pet
stores, breeders, well-meaning friends, uneducated veterinarians and
the internet. It is often best to find an organization of successful
keepers for your species of interest and pick their collective brains
for their knowledge and experience about your pet of interest.Here are
some fun questions to ask yourself before embarking on exotic pet
stewardship: Can I pass on my python to my children if he/she lives
forty more years? Do I know what a marsupial is and how it varies from
a true mammal? Am I prepared for how difficult it is to properly
nourish a green iguana? Are monitor lizards vegetarians, carnivores or
both? Can I learn to force feed an anorexic tortoise? What household
toxins kill birds? And, most importantly, do I have the time, money and
energy to give to the care of this totally dependent creature to house,
feed and sustain it in a healthy, stimulated environment for its normal
lifespan? Good luck, learn and have fun.
You Can Prevent Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
By Christine Little, DVM
Feline
lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a common feline ailment. It has
multiple causes including crystals, infection, bladder stones, or, most
commonly, idiopathic FLUTD, (FLUTD of unknown cause). FLUTD can cause
bloody urine, straining, inappropriate urination or, in severe cases,
urinary obstruction and death.
There are several things that you should do to prevent FLUTD:
- Keep an appropriate number of litter boxes. Households require one litter box per cat plus one.
- Keep litter boxes clean. Scoop out litter boxes twice daily and change the litter weekly.
- Increase your cat's water intake:
- Offer
water in multiple places in the house and in different ways. Use
different sized bowls. Some cats like drinking from glasses. You can
also offer running water with a water fountain or slowly dripping tap.
- Fill
water bowls up to the brim. Cats typically like to be able to look
around while they drink and don't like their whiskers touching the
sides of bowls.
- Increase your cat's water intake:
- Keep water fresh by changing water in the bowls daily.
- Offer
watery treats such as water drained from a tuna can. You can also offer
low-sodium, unseasoned meat broth. You can make unseasoned meat broth
simply by boiling a piece of plain chicken or beef meat and saving the
water.
- Feed
canned cat food. Canned food has more water in it than dry food, and
cats that eat canned food typically have more total water intake per
day than cats fed dry food.
- Feed
a veterinary diet specifically designed to prevent FLUTD. You should
talk to your veterinarian about which diet is right for your cat. By
following these simple guidelines, you can often prevent feline lower
urinary tract disease and save your cat from an uncomfortable and
potentially life-threatening illness.
New Digital X-Ray Equipment at CSAH
Our
Central Saanich Animal Hospital location has recently purchased new
state-of-the-art digital radiology equipment. Digital radiology is
another significant advancement in veterinary diagnostic imaging. The
entire radiographic process essentially becomes 'film-less'. One of the
primary diagnostic advantages of film-less systems is the improved
contrast resolution compared to film-screen systems. The images are of
excellent quality thus delivering enhanced diagnostic capabilities.
This also eliminates the need for x-ray film processing chemicals which
helps the environment.
Mobile Veterinary and Emergency Services
Our
practice has been offering mobile/house call service to all our clients
for routine examinations and vaccinations for cats and dogs. At our
main hospital, the
We also have twenty-four hour "on call" doctors for small animal and equine emergencies. Our main hospital at
New Doctor Joined Our Team
Shaw Pet Hospitals have recently welcomed two new veterinarians at our
Dr. Meg Lainson
Dr. Lainson originated from
She came to the San Juan Islands in
Last year, Dr. Lainson followed a long-term dream to relocate to
Dr.
Lainson is a professional singer and dancer and has performed in many
theatre musicals including "West Side Story" and "The King and I". She
also enjoys ultramarathoning, kayaking, globe-trekking, scuba, playing
mbira (an African musical instrument) and acapella African singing. She
has a weakness for fuzzy-faced dogs and is owned and managed by two
terrier mixes.