The week before Christmas, I nearly killed my German shepherd.
Dexter with Ellie. Dexter in Central Park.

His name is Dexter, and he’s 11 years old. It all began on a Saturday morning in Central Park, when he ran in playful pursuit after a young Labrador retriever. Afterward he limped home.

Yet again his arthritic leg was acting up — he also tore a ligament a few years ago — and in an effort to save money and a trip to the veterinarian, I gave him some high-dose ibuprofen. It was in the medicine cabinet, left over from my son’s root canal.

I am a doctor — a people one — so I know quite a bit about medicine. Little did I know how little I knew about veterinary medicine.

Over the course of about a day and half, I had given Dexter three 600-milligram pills. He stopped limping, but also stopped eating, and for the first time in his life, he wet himself during the night. He then flooded the hallway with urine as he ran for the door in the morning.

That’s when I called the veterinarian’s office. It was Sunday, and I left a message saying that it wasn’t an emergency, but perhaps Dexter should be seen on Monday.

The phone rang immediately. It was my veterinarian. She told me to get Dexter to an animal hospital. Right away.

That’s when I learned that ibuprofen, the key ingredient in Motrin, poisons dogs. After a seven-day stay in the intensive care unit, ultrasound exams and a big bottle of take-home medicine, I brought Dexter home, along with a $3,000 vet bill.

My kids could not believe that I had given the family dog medicine made for humans. My 14-year-old son had the gall to make fun of me in front of his friends. “My dog was in the hospital. My mom almost killed him. Can you believe she gave him people medicine?”

But my dogs have had a long — and happier — history of human-drug therapy, all veterinarian-approved. Dexter also takes glucosamine, a supplement for arthritic joints that my mother swears by. He takes levothyroid for his slow-acting thyroid gland, precisely the same thing people take. And when he has digestive issues, which is fairly frequently, I reach for the Pepcid and Imodium, an over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicine.

When my previous dog, a golden retriever, had lymphoma years ago, he was treated with the same chemotherapy regime given to human cancer patients.

And to be honest, I had never worried too much, because I thought so many of the pet dangers we hear about are exaggerated. Take chocolate: They say it kills dogs, but my dogs have always scarfed down the chocolate crumbs my kids have dropped without consequences.

Dr. Safdar Khan, senior director of toxicology research at the A.S.P.C.A. Animal Poison Control Center, which runs a 24-hour hot line for pet owners (1-888-426-4435; fees apply), urged pet owners, “You must, must check with your vet” before giving pets human medicines. Imodium, for example, can mask underlying causes of diarrhea, like parasites. And drugs like Pepto Bismol contain aspirin, he said, which can irritate a dog’s digestive tract and cause severe damage to cats.

But ibuprofen “is a double whammy,” said Dr. Amy Attas, my vet and founder of City Pets, a veterinary house call service. It can cause ulcers and bleeding in the intestinal tract and damage the kidneys. High doses can cause fatal renal failure.

There are many other canine poisons in the medicine cabinet as well. Acetaminophen, the key ingredient in Tylenol, is toxic to dogs and cats because the liver enzyme responsible for its breakdown works differently in cats and dogs than it does in people. One dose can kill a cat.

And as for chocolate, a few chocolate bits or a chocolate chip cookie is not going to kill your dog, Dr. Attas said. But lots of dark chocolate, the kind often used in baking, can be deadly. It has a caffeinelike ingredient that damages the canine central nervous system.

Other foods to avoid: grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure. A lot of onions — say, if a dog gets into the garbage and eats the onion-covered chicken — can prompt anemia, which can be fatal. And macadamia nuts can cause muscle tremors, weakness, vomiting and dangerously high body temperatures.

The worst, Dr. Attas said, are artificial sweeteners. Xylitol, the ingredient in most sugar-free gums, causes sugar levels to plummet in dogs, and may damage their livers too. In a paper in the Journal of the Veterinary Medical Association, researchers reported the death of four of eight dogs that had eaten xylitol-laden desserts.

Dr. Attas also warned that Easter lilies are poisonous to cats.

So what do you give a dog when joint pain flares up?

Your veterinarian may recommend a medicine called Rimadyl, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatoy drug that works in dogs but, wouldn’t you know, is toxic for people.

As for Dexter, it’s been about a month and he’s on the mend. He’s still on antibiotics twice a day and needs to be walked about every three hours.

The bottom line is that while your domesticated pets may act like small children and your children may, at times, act like wild animals, when it comes to health care, they should always be considered different species.

In other words, don’t do what I did. Call your vet before you experiment with your pets. You could spare yourself a medical crisis – and a hefty bill.

Dec 14, 2010
The Dangers of Xylitol
Most everyone knows that chocolate should be kept out of reach of pets.
There is a new threat to be concerned about.

The new types of artificial sweeteners contain ingredients even more dangerous than chocolate.

The main culprit is the artificial sweetener, Xylitol. Xylitol is found in gums like Orbit.

What makes this ingredient dangerous is that, although the human body can metabolize these complex molecules, the canine body is unable to do so. Also, it seems that once they contact Xylitol in particular, it tastes so sweet that they find it literally irresistible.

The complex unmetabolizable molecule is actually a sugar alcohol, and not a true sugar. Due to its inability to be broken down like normal sugars by the liver and pancreas in the canine body, therefore falls to the kidneys to filter it out like other unprocessable substances. However, the action of the kidneys is not enough to prevent the level of Xylitol in the blood from reaching a critical level. The animal will then experience an overdose, even from a single piece of gum. The net effect of all this leads to a Grand Mals type seizure within 24 hours of ingestion.

The animal may experience as many as 3 more seizures within a 24 hr. period. These symptoms are caused by an apparent acute onset of hypoglycemia, which causes lack of coordination, collapsing and seizure. If your pet ingests a product with Xylitol, please head straight to the nearest ER Clinic!

An Article from ASPCA:

Dog owners beware: The number of dogs harmed from ingesting xylitol, a sugar substitute used in sugar-free chewing gum, toothpaste and baked goods, is on the rise, according to a recent report from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center.

In 2003, the ASPCA recorded only three xylitol poisonings, which can cause hypoglycemia, liver failure and even death in dogs. That number skyrocketed to 70 in 2004. In 2005, there were more than 170 cases, and between January and August 2006, there have already been 114 cases reported.

Signs that your dog might have ingested products containing xylitol as a sweetener can show up quickly, sometimes within 30 minutes of eating the product. According to Dr. Eric Dunayer, a veterinarian and toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, dogs that have ingested small amounts of xylitol might be affected but not show signs until up to 12 hours afterward. Signs your dog has ingested a product containing xylitol as a sweetener include an abrupt drop in blood sugar, vomiting, depression, loss of coordination and seizures.

If you find that your dog has consumed a product containing xylitol as a sweetener, call your veterinarian immediately. If the dog is exhibiting symptoms, take the dog to the vet’s office right away.

To prevent xylitol poisoning, dog owners should be aware of products that often contain xylitol as a sweetener, and keep those products out of reach of their dogs. They include: candy, chewing gum, breath fresheners, smoking cessation aids such as nicotine gum, toothpastes, sunscreen and some vitamins and diet supplements.

Thanks to: VETEK CHIC ON WHEELS: The Dangers of Xylitol

I get asked a lot of different questions-from “Why is my dog starting at the bottom of my rose bushes to I just lost my dog to cancer and I am feeling so guilty because…” I get asked the hardest question of all many times- “when is it time to say goodbye to my beloved pet or how will I know when it’s time?”

I have cried tears over some of these questions, some of the way people have thanked me and sometimes over the injustice that is done to cats and dogs all over the world. Some times by the owners themselves, sometimes by cruel people and sometimes just by life itself.

Here is a sampling of what makes me keep doing this:
“Comment – I am in awe with this volunteer. I did not know that there are people out there still willing to help total a total stranger. I would like to comment on how knowledgeable and caring and quick Jana is. I know now what I am doing wrong with potty training. I am so happy with this site.”

“Comment – Jana, thanks again for your help. This site needs you as you as so knowlegible and helpful! Know that your help has surely made a difference. We appreciate you and will keep you posted!”

“Comment – help me alot mostly to calm my feelings reassured well” (Her kitten died)

“Comment – Clearly Jana knows her stuff – her suggestion about possible mild pancreatitis due to eating fat was spot on even though not included in the question posed. Her suggestion on keeping a log will help to track the lizard link if there is one. Many thnx”

“Comment – I really appreciate your quick response,i will try that Hills food for my dog, you sound like you really know what your talking about, i have been on so many sites it would make your head spin! Again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! i will let you know how it goes…”

“Comment – omg, you answered almost word-for-word what I was thinking! “Poor Boy” is what I call him each time this happens – and before contacting you this morning, I was actually surfing the net looking for a new vet.

I have tried the pumpkin and the capsule in his food – and he looks at me like I am trying to poison him. (and refuses to eat) I guess I would rather torture him once every two/three months by getting those glands squeezed, rather than torture him each and every day over his food.

Thank you again for your prompt and CARING answer! You have reconfirmed everything I was thinking…”

“Comment – Thank you So much! Not only did you answer my question directly, I felt that you really cared about my concern for my dog. Again, thank you very much.”

“Comment – Thank you, Jana, for your directness and your kind words. Unfortunately, you confirmed our fears. She has lived a long life and given us limitless love, and we will be sure she is as comfortable as possible if the time comes. Thank you again, and best wishes.”

“Comment – Thank you so much. I have asked vets for this kind of advice and have never gotten such a thorough response. I can’t wait to try this out. I will follow-up with you and let you and everyone else know how it is going!”

“Comment – It is obvious that Jana has a strong love for pets and a high desire to keep them healthy. Jana provided me with honest, great quality information that help to direct me with the care of my sick dog. Most important, Jana gave me the knowledge and confidence I need to pursue treatment. Thank you”

“Comment – Thank you very much for your empathy and comforting answer. I miss him terribly, but I take comfort in knowing that he went quickly and hopefully without much pain. Thank you again. Take care.”

“Comment – Jana’s passion for animals cam clearly be seen in the fantastic response provided. The answer was more than I could’ve expected. Thank you very much and I will keep in touch.”

That is just a few of the ones I have. It is a wonderful feeling knowing you helped some pet be healthier, or live longer, or even comforted someone who just lost their best friend.

It’s hard to lose a pet and have others around you not understand why you are grieving. I know, I have been through it before. So the questions I get about animals that have died are hit even closer to home for me.

So the next time some one asks me, “why do you do what you do..” I think about the comments that I get from the people that write to me and I know in my heart why I do what I do….

But suffer they do. There has been much speculation over protein levels, types of proteins, raw (as in mice and such) vs. commercials diets, but there is no conclusive evidence.
I can say this from a personal viewpoint based on the last 28 yrs of experience- my pets live much longer than the average pets do and I feed them all exclusively Hill’s brand products. My dog eats prescription diet W/D which is used for dogs with colitis (which she doesn’t have) and general weight control. My dog is a lean 51 lbs- two lbs more than she weighed at one year old. That is the ideal weight. She is 11 but runs and acts like she is 6. Today, however, she is very depressed as I am. She picked up on my sorrow at 7 am this morning and hasn’t been the same all day. But she will be fine. (that was written on May 16th).

My other cat Floyd, lived to be 19 yrs and one month and he lived on K/D which is a prescription kidney diet that I started him on at 10 yrs old to stave off any kidney failure. While ultimately his kidneys did stop functioning, at 19 it’s hard to argue with the fact the food had to have helped him live a long life. Crouton was 15 and healthy until one week ago. Cameo, my beloved dog that I lost in 2005, lived to be almost 16 and she was a fairly large dog. She also came to me at 5 yrs of age loaded with heartworms and had never had a vaccination. Even after two rounds of brutal treatment to kill the heartworms, she still outlived her breed norm.

That leaves me with Zinnia, or Zinny as we call her, my daughter’s 7 yr old cat. She eats Active Longevity food by Science Diet. So did Crouton. It was so close in composition to K/D that I opted for the lesser in cost bag.

On another note…

I took my dog in a week ago to be looked at because I found her UNDER my daughters bed and she is WAY to big to get under a bed. Watching her claw her way out from under the bed just floored me that she was under there at all. The vet thought she had some back pain but she had gotten that from crawling under and out from the bed.

Now when a dog or cat hides under a bed I immediately think that something is wrong. Turned out she was freaking out over a lightening and thunder storm that was many miles from me but she could still hear it. As soon as the weather cleared up (that night) she was fine.

So I will close with this reminder to keep an eye on your dogs during these storms. I have known of German Shepherds going straight through plate glass windows during a storm because they were so stressed over the noise and thunder. If you have a pet that is really anxious during these times, it is much safer for the pet to sedate them at home and keep them in a quiet bedroom, then it is to keep them ‘drug free’ and have them injure themselves over this.
Talk to you vet beforehand about getting and keeping some sedatives on had at home for this very situation.

Until we meet again, have a great now! Please feel free to ask any questions and leave comments.

Rest in peace my beautiful Crouton

Most people do not know what a Vet Tech is or what we do. But if you ever take your pet into a veterinary clinic and had some one come into the exam room and take your pet’s temperature, look over their gum color, weighs them and do a cursory exam, then you have probably just met the Vet Tech at that hospital.

Now in many hospitals, and unfortunately in many of them here in my county, there are not enough licensed technicians to work and so the ‘kennel help’ is trained to do these things by the vet or another team member in the back room. Can they do the job correctly? Sometimes. Is it legal for them to do the job of a licensed technician? In a word, no.

There is an ongoing debate over this and the definition of what constitutes ‘direct supervision’ by the presiding veterinarian.For many things that these team members do, they do fine with on the job training. But when it comes to giving an anesthetic to an animal, or a proper dental, I do not believe these lay people are trained properly nor should be allowed to do certain procedures.

Veterinarians are liable to the public and the state boards and if someone loses a pet due to a non-licensed, non-trained person doing an improper procedure on their pet, or a one they are not licensed to do,  then the owner can take legal action against the clinic, the veterinarian and the technician. And we, as licensed para-professionals, are liable to the VMB (veterinary medical board) as well.

Now I was a non-licensed vet tech for 13 yrs. However, I did NOT do anesthetics. I did NOT do dental procedures beyond my training. But I was highly trained before I landed my job up here. I was a vet tech in San Diego and had training down there. I also accrued over 450 CE (continuing education) credits in my 20 yrs at this practice up here. That is about 4 times what the average Veterinarian accrues over the lifetime of his/her career.

Why? I have a thirst to learn. I learned everything I could, went to every training seminar I could afford or attend. I became certified in Small Animal Nutrition 5 times. I am working on the 6th now. That wasn’t enough for me. I loved doing dentistry, so I decided to specialize in it.  I attended classes at UC Davis, and hours of seminars and trainings in Reno and online. I also became the first Certified Small Animal Veterinary Dental Technician in this county. I was very proud of that.

So that is all good and well you must be thinking. But what do RVTs (Registered Veterinary Technician) actually do? When I was first licensed we were still called Animal Health Technicians, but that seemed limiting to the Veterinary Medical Board so they changed it right afterward to Registered Veterinary Technician. I am a Certified Vet Tech in Oregon. I am licensed to practice in both states.

Well let’s see what a typical day was like in the clinic:

I would arrive between 8- 8:30 to start the day. The kennel person was usually there cleaning and feeding all the animals that had spent the night, such as spays and neuters, and other surgeries.

First thing I would normally do is check on the patients that had been there overnight from a surgery the day before. I would remove tape from legs, check to see if they were eating, check incisions and the color of their gums and even their ears. I would note their movements and whether or not they were B&A (bright and alert). We love acronyms in the medical world. Almost as much as us computer geeks love them. (I am one of those too).

So I would check the HBC(hit by car) to see if he was RTG (ready to go) and made sure his BW (blood work) was done and his bill was tallied.
If it was a OVH (ovariohysterectomy) or a canine neuter, I would check to see if they had gotten their (feline) vaccinations such as FELV (feline leukemia virus), FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) or Rabies vaccinations.

If it as a BBBD (bit by big dog) then we usually had them a few days so I would check wound drainage etc.
Funny huh? I once wrote a whole surgery schedule (14 animals) along with minor procedures on the white board all in acronyms to see how many team members could read it. Only the vet got most of them.

Back to a day in the life….

The receptionist was starting to bring back the day’s surgeries and we would start to get them ready for their surgeries later in the day by tagging them with a collar, giving them a pre-op sedative if needed or pulling pre-op blood work to run. At times I had about 10 to run at once.

After we got the animals situated there were exams to help the doctor with or xrays to take or dentals to prep. Once the doc was done with clients and patients I would start the procedure to anesthetize a cat or dog to prep them for a surgery- typically a spay or neuter. This took a some time to do with the help of my assistant and then I had to do the actual surgery prep. This is done with the utmost care and as aseptically possible so it takes about 15 minutes depending on the size of the patient.

Then while the doc did the surgery I stood by and monitored the breathing, pulse and color of the gums.
After surgery I would monitor the pet while they woke up, then would clean the surgery room and start the surgical pack soaking. If we were swamped with surgeries I would hand that off to another member and start another surgical prep.

We wove surgeries in around the doc seeing clients in the exam room. With only one vet you don’t have the freedom to get all the surgeries done by one while another one see the clients. I wished many times that we had but then we would have been done so fast!

I worked with (read: trained) many new veterinarians right out of school and was amazed at how little hands on work they did and how little they knew about actually treating animals. They knew all about diseases and theories on treatments, but actually working on patients and knowing how to do things like splint a fractured leg we had to teach them. I was left with my jaw hanging more than once during the 20 years I as at the clinic here.

So while the vet saw patients we were in the back room doing treatments, dentals, x-rays, toe nail trims, or I was up front talking to clients picking up their pets and giving them after care instructions.
I sold a lot of dog and cat food too. Dentals took a lot of time as do x-rays of animals. Sometimes we did barium series X-rays which were always fun to try and do before you got it all over the x-ray cassettes and yourself.

Sometimes I just got to sit quietly with a recovering pet and watch some fluid intake or read to them. Yep you read that right- I would read to them. It helped calm them and they were attentive listeners. I read a whole article once on the surgical repair of ACL ruptures (there is one of those pesky acronyms again) to a huge dog that was recovering from one. The guys reading this know that term because it is ‘football knee’ in the world of sports and had ended many a career. (Ok I will tell you what it is, it is an Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear). I know, you just had to know.

So that is a small portion of what we do behind the scenes. I will write more about it later. But let me ask you out there- how many of you knew what a Veterinary Technician was and what we do? How many of you out there know your technicians at the clinic you take your pets to?

What can you tell me about them?  Did you know your Vet has/had one and do you know what she/he does? Are they licensed?
Please leave me your comments!

Hello everyone!

This will be my newest blog about Pet Care. I am a Registered Veterinary Technician and I practiced for over 35 yrs total. I was forced to retire in 2000 from a serious back injury sustained on the job but I am still licensed and keep current in all aspects of veterinary medicine.

So what’s this blog about? It’s about tips and ideas for pet care. It’s about columns I will write about topics that I am passionate about- how to properly care for your furry house-mates and friends.

I want feedback from you- I want your ideas. I can give you advice about problems your pet may be having but I will not diagnose something for you- only a licensed vet can do that. With that in mind you will hear me tell you to go straightaway to the vet’s many times.

Any advice given in here is not a substitute for veterinary care and must be taken as is for that reason. YOU are responsible for your pet’s health- don’t skimp on it. In this day of economic crunches and crisis we are seeing an alarming rate of pet abandonment. Horses being abandoned and left to die or taken to shelters is up over 300% alone! Shelters are being flooded with pets being relinquished by well-meaning owners that have lost jobs, houses, families.

Most of these animals could have stayed with their families with some forethought and sometimes some help. It is a very sad situation indeed.

I advocate and stress shelter adoptions!! If you are breeding a mutt then you are being very irresponsible and I will let you know that. Some people reading this blog might get mad at me as animals bring out a lot of emotions in people.

Either way, I will be telling it the way it is! So send me some questions or ask about whatever it is you want to know about your pet and I will attempt to give you an answer that you can use.

So join me now and then for a lot of information and some laughs too.

Take care and until then have a great now!