By Dr. Tiffany Margolin, Dipl ABVP, Acupuncture

The holidays are coming, and with them come all the yummy and often irresistible flavors of the season.  Our pets are usually welcome family members, and, as such, want to share our meals.  But this is not a good idea. Recently a very sick little dachsund named Dapple came to the clinic, head hanging low, appetite all but gone.  It turned out that she had pancreatitis.  This is a condition that causes inflammation in the pancreas, an organ that produces our pets’ digestive enzymes.  When this critical organ is inflamed, it can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and may be life-threatening.  Turns out Mom fed her “baby” tomatoes as a treat.  With their acidity and general non-canine friendly makeup, this caused a severe upset to Dapple’s system.

This is just one type of damage that can result from feeding the wrong thing to your pet.  You should know that there is a list of foods that are best avoided in Fido’s feeding program.

Avocados: They contain persin, which is very dangerous for birds, and has been found to cause severe reactions in some dogs.  Since it is impossible to test your pet’s sensitivity, resist offering Rover the guacamole.

Chocolate:  Theobromine in chocolate is severely toxic to dogs.  The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more apt to cause vomiting, diarrhea, thirst, tremors, seizures and even death.

Onions:  Causing severe red blood cell destruction in cats, this pungent garnish can cause the same problems in dogs.  Best to avoid both the cooked and raw forms.

Grapes and raisins:  Recently identified as a cause of kidney failure if eaten by your dog, don’t let this tempting fruit within your pet’s reach.

Macadamia nuts: These can be very toxic, causing muscle tremors, weakness and even death.

Fruits:  While some are ok in moderate amounts, too many high sugar containing fruits result in gas, diarrhea and even pancreatic problems.

SAFE:

Ok, now that we have scared you–let’s remind you of the good stuff that you can offer to your beloved pups:

Lean, non-highly spiced meats (with the exception of pork).

Steamed and some raw vegetables.

Rice, oatmeal, non-allergenic grains (avoid corn and wheat).

Most of us are aware that German shepherds get hip dysplasia and pit bulls can develop knee problems. In fact, when we think of joint issues in pets, large dog breeds are most apt to appear in our thoughts. But in recent years, numerous medium and small-breed dogs have been diagnosed with back and neck problems as well as knee issues. Some of these include Brittany spaniels such as Liam, a patient of mine that came in with his head hanging low. His owner said he’d been howling at strange times in the last few days, but she couldn’t find the source of his pain. This is one of the most common ways that neck pain presents. We pinpointed his problem and he is now kept pain-free with the use of acupuncture and occasional muscle relaxants. If it were a more involved or advanced disc problem, he would have required surgery. An MRI or x-ray will point towards the treatment needed.

Another little patient of mine, Snookies, is a chihuahua with a “hopping” gait. This is a sign of pain and often indicates lumbar back problems. Knee and hip issues can also result in abnormal gaits in small dogs. What looks “cute” to us is often an indicator of a problem; there can be congenital kneecap dislocations, hip bone weakness and spasms or disc disease in the lower back region. In this case it was her lower back. She responded beautifully to acupuncture and high doses of an excellent quality omega fatty acid supplement, Mussel Dog.

So if you love dogs as I do and want to take them hiking, biking or to the park, how do you prevent the onset of these problems? A few ideas are:

1. Get a mixed breed dog–they have the benefit of fewer joint problems
2. Don’t overfeed
3. Feed grain-free diet (grain is inflammatory in the body)
4. Work exercise up gradually–short duration exercise to increase over a few weeks
5. Be careful about allowing jumping down from beds or other high places; it can cause neck injury
6. Consider placing runners on slippery floors at home
7. Use a superior quality omega fatty acid–I like Mussel Dog because it is a potent, completely natural anti-inflammatory
8. Have your integrative veterinarian evaluate ANY persistent lameness or “cute” gait abnormality. They will give you nonsurgical AND surgical options.

Enjoy the outdoors and indoors safely and comfortably with your pet! Omega fatty acids like Mussel Dog should be given for his/her entire life to support joint health and prevent all types of inflammation.

Yes, in our calendar it does say we are talking about pets of the stars…but what about your pet’s stars? Meaning, do you believe in astrology for your pet? Many who do know the birthdate of their pet insist that they really…well, DO have some of those qualities we read about for Aries, Scorpio, Leo and the like.
Are your astrology facts rusty? Are you even sure you know what dates are matched to which sign?

So, if your dog is born in April, is he a leader or bull-headed? Meaning, is he an Aries or a Taurus? Or is your dog a deep thinker–i.e. a Scorpio or Cancer? Is he very sensitive and does he really dream and twitch a lot–is he a Pisces?

There are even sites that let you know whether you and your pet’s signs are compatible! It would be a good idea to examine your energy level as compared to your pet’s. What I mean by that is not “spiritual” energy, it’s PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL energy.

Putting astrology aside for the moment, let’s just examine energy. There are pets of all intensity levels. Imagine the manic and fun-loving Jack Russell as compared to the aloof and constrained Afghan hound. Or the sharp-witted and sensitive Border Collie, put up against the happy go lucky snorer, the American bulldog. Now look into your own energy level. Are you a hiker-biker-swimmer or a movie-watcher-reader? Knowing who YOU are first, and choosing a compatible pet carefully gives you the best chance to have a happy life together.

Do know that it will be fine if you have more energy than your pet. So if you are a little more active than Buffy the Bulldog, it can still work. However–and this is important–it will NOT work well for you if your pet has a higher energy level than you do. The Dog Whisperer, Cesar, believes deeply in that concept, and so do I. I cannot tell you how many sad and upsetting situations result from a poor choice in a pet by a human who “feels sorry” for a hyper or highly nervous animal. They take the dog in, and proceed to have a chaotic and stressful experience as household items are destroyed, furniture chewed, and poor Fido never seems settled. When an animal is anxious, the owner becomes stressed, which causes more anxiety on the part of everyone involved, both human and canine.

Therefore, if your pet is more “mellow” than you, it actually grounds you and can be a healthy combination. I also really like supplements to keep a relaxed pet staying so, or making an excitable pet calmer. One of the unexpected and beneficial effects of potent Omega 3 supplementation is balancing hormones and behavior in humans and animals. The brain needs healthy fat in the form of Omega 3’s, and my favorite product is Mussel Dog. I love it because the capsules are TINY and very effective, it is the purest form of these essential fats that I know of, and even my picky dog Spirit will eat them plain!

Whether you like figuring out your “competability” with Fluffy using astrology, energy levels or simply traits of the breed, we wish you the best in your new life together!

While we hear a lot about overheating in pets, there are several situations in which this is a true danger.  In this article we will give you tips on keeping your sweet pet cool and comfortable this summer season.

1. Never leave your pet in a car with the windows even ¾ down in temperatures over 70 degrees.  If you are leaving your pet in the car, it’s best to roll the windows as low as safely possible (I roll mine all the way down because I WANT my dog to be able to jump out if uncomfortable!).  If your pet is people or dog aggressive or a jumper, take the necessary precautions to avoid a problem.
2. Always park in the shade.  Make this a rule never to be broken, and it will help your pet.  IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT, IT’S BEST NOT TO LEAVE YOUR PET IN THE CAR AT ALL IN WARM WEATHER.
3. If walking/hiking in warm weather, you can hose your dog down prior to the     walk to help create evaporative cooling, and make sure to bring along the     foldable water bowls and have water available.  If you have dark colored, long-coated dogs, or border collies, these dogs are more prone to heat stroke–that     must be taken into account.
4. Make sure there is plenty of shade on the trail for you both.
5. If leaving your pet in a house that has no air conditioning or in a hot yard, be sure to rethink how they are going to cool down if  left there.  Set up a plan for shade and water in the yard, and really check the house temperature before leaving.
6. Never leave pets in the garage in hot weather.  Just not a good idea.
7. Rabbits are particularly susceptible to hot temperatures and can die quickly in     the heat.  You should bring them indoors if temperatures are going to be over 75 degrees, or place frozen liter bottles of water in with them if they must remain outside (not recommended).
8. Consider a moderate hair clip in the summertime. If hair is clipped too short, it can actually compromise the insulating action of a longer coat AGAINST the heat. So if your dog has long hair, ask the groomer to leave some ¾” length coat.

Have a happy and healthy summer!

As a veterinarian, I am asked quite a lot about the right temperatures, the right cages, the right compartment that Fifi should travel in–for SAFETY.  It’s interesting that, for so long, the AIRLINE was deemed responsible for the welfare of your pet.  Not so now.   Now that responsibility has been passed on to us, the veterinarians.

Somehow I am supposed to promise that on this particular airline, on this particular day, your pet will not get too hot, too cold, be mistreated or thirsty, and make it safely through the journey.  Although I certainly have an opinion about all this, the bottom line is that I took an oath.   And that makes me feel proud to be helping you to keep your pet safe
while traveling.

Some basic tips:

Get a hard-sided carrier that has holes for your pet to see out of, and if Fifi is small enough, one that fits under your seat.  Make sure there is a water container that fastens securely to the inside of the carrier.

1. Have a veterinarian check your pet over even if not required, a few days prior to  travel.
2. Be sure pets older than 7 (dogs or cats) have blood testing done prior to travel.
3. If your pet is generally anxious or gets motion sickness, ask the vet for a tranquilizer pill or herbal supplement for the days of travel.
4. Do your best not to fly with your pet during extreme weather highs or lows, in case they’ll have to travel in cargo where the temperatures can vary even more.
5. Do not have your pet vaccinated within a few days of travel, so they  will not have the possibility of a mild fever or “immune system distraction” on the days of the trip.
6. Make sure pets with chronic problems have received medication the morning of the trip.  IF YOUR PET IS ON INSULIN AND YOU THINK THEY WILL GET SICK OR IF YOU ARE NOT FEEDING THE MORNING OF TRAVEL, DO NOT GIVE THE INSULIN. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR VET ON THIS POINT.
7. Never leave muzzles on a pet in a carrier or cage.
8. Make sure the carrier is well tagged with a HARD tag that contains all of your contact information and ideally, veterinary information as well.

Doing all of this will make your furry friend happy to be
your travel buddy!