Wag Reflex

Even Vets Need Puppy Training Help

We have a new puppy in our house. Her name is Moose and she is crazy. We joyously welcomed her into our home two months ago and have been running circles ever since. Unfortunately, a veterinary license does not guarantee proficiency at puppy training. I can tell you all about vaccines, deworming, nutrition, pediatric disease, etc.--but when it comes to dealing with a mouthful of super sharp teeth constantly clenching onto any piece of fabric that is not glued to my skin I'm not sure what to do.

I have my clueless head in all the behavior books, my finger on the trigger of the squirt bottle and my mouth shut tight so I don’t teach our young daughter expletives. I am sure she has learned a few anyway these past few months.

Puppies are constant motion. Chewing, ripping, shredding, tearing. Two months ago, her baby teeth didn’t do much damage to the multitude of things she wanted to chew. These days, her destructive power has kicked up a gear and now in the two seconds it takes for us to react, the marks are permanent. Or a piece is missing. Or the whole thing is gone. I know it is common knowledge that puppies are destructive and I used to acknowledge my clients complaints with “Yes, puppies are a lot of work.” But now, when they tell me about the destruction, disruptions and overall delinquency, I understand. I truly understand! And while I can not buy them a new guitar, I certainly can lend them shoulder to cry on. And a trainer referral. I guess I could lend them my guitar, but some of it is missing.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Myasthenia Gravis

Recently, I saw a patient that was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG). She's a middle-aged German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) who was carried into the hospital by her owner because she was too weak to navigate the stairs on her own. It is always alarming when a GSP is unable to do anything short of leaping up a full flight of stairs in one bound. After her exam and her partial recovery while we spoke, I had my suspicions! Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disease that causes muscle weakness. Some animals are born affected; others develop it secondary to specific types of tumors or for unknown reasons. There are certain breeds that are more commonly affected and GSPs are one of them. Myasthenia gravis can cause mild symptoms, like my patient, who become weak after activity and then recovered with rest. My patient was up and pacing normally by the end of our exam. But a quick jaunt around the lobby made her wobble in the rear legs again. Weakness can also be so severe the dog isn’t able to raise their head, let alone stand.

The muscle weakness can also involve the muscles of the throat and esophagus which causes difficulty breathing, swallowing, excessive drooling, and regurgitation of food (which can lead to aspiration pneumonia). Some owners notice their bark changes. To diagnose the disease, there is a special test that is used to identify the presence of disease-causing antibodies. There is also an injection that helps diagnose MG. If the pet has MG, once the injection is given they are able to rise and walk normally for a minute or two. Obviously not useful as a treatment, but it can be dramatic to see! A suspected diagnosis of MG leads to a variety of other tests to look for the underlying cause and complications associated with the disease. Long-term prognosis depends on the results of these tests and response to treatment. My patient is expected to continue to lead a normal, exuberant life though she may have to take that flight of stairs one step at a time from now on.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Treat Allergies Early

It's that time of year--blooming shrubs and trees, emerging grasses, afternoon winds and bugs, bugs, bugs. For people with itchy pets, this is a popular time to visit the vet. If your pet spends time licking his paws, chewing his legs and tail, rubbing his eyes or shaking his ears, I recommend scheduling your appointment just as the itching starts.

If left untreated for long, itching can lead to open sores and infections which require multiple medications to clear. Plus, it is miserable to be itchy. There are several common causes for itchy skin: ectoparasites (fleas, mites), bacterial or yeast skin infections, food allergies and environmental allergies (molds, pollen, grasses, etc). Some pets can have more than one at a time.

While it can take weeks (or months) to figure out what the exact underlying problem is, your vet can help make your pet comfortable while the tests are conducted.

Photo from ElleGoon's photostream.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Monitor Your Diabetic Pet at Home

If your cat or dog has been diagnosed with diabetes, you have probably been temporarily overwhelmed with information on the disease, treatment and monitoring. During our consultations with owners of diabetic patients, we talk about monitoring the blood glucose values at specific intervals while we are determining the correct amount of insulin to give. This process of monitoring (usually called a glucose curve) has traditionally been done within a hospital setting but is being done more frequently at home.

Just like with humans, there are small, portable blood glucose monitoring systems that are calibrated for dogs and cats. They use a small drop of blood to measure the sugar levels. The drop of blood is usually easily obtained from a prick on the ear or the paw pad using a special lancelet much like the ones human doctors use on our index fingers. Because pet’s glucose levels may be affected by stress (i.e. traveling to and staying at the hospital for 8 -12 hours) the accuracy of the readings when the test is done at home is improved. The cost effectiveness depends on how often your pet has to be monitored to get the insulin dose correct. A glucose curve can cost up to $100 each time it is run at a hospital so an at-home kit can pay for itself in two to three monitoring cycles.

It also helps owners of diabetic patients know if the patient is having an acute problem associated with too high or too low blood sugar. A simple glucose check at home can be reported to your veterinarian and help determine the next step if your cat or dog doesn’t seem to be feeling well on a particular day. If you decide this is something you would like to do, ask your veterinarian for the brand they recommend. Remember, the kit you buy needs to be calibrated for dogs and cats. Most veterinarians sell these kits or can get them for you.

Pictured is the GlucoPet Blood Glucose Monitoring System.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Puppies Need Their Vaccinations Until 16 Weeks

Last night I had the biggest ball of fur as my last appointment. A young Saint Bernard puppy, cuddled in its owners arms--a position she will likely outgrow within the next few days. Though she won’t realize that, I’m sure. Her owners had a common misperception about vaccinations in puppies that I thought I would clarify. Having purchased her from a pet store at the young age of 8 weeks old, they had been told she had “already received 3 sets of vaccines.” Their assumption was that she didn’t need anymore. The general guideline for puppy vaccinations recommends a vaccine schedule at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. Until puppies are 14-16 weeks, the vaccines we give them are not fully protective due to the presence of maternal antibodies (passed from the mother via colostrum). It is thought these maternal antibodies slowly disappear and stop competing with the vaccines we give them as the puppies age. So it is not the number of sets vaccines a puppy receives, but the repeated vaccinations given until a certain age that helps protect them. Some breeders or pet stores start vaccinations very early and very often. So while the puppy might have already received several sets of vaccines, he is not fully protected until those vaccines are continued until he is 14-16 weeks of age.

To give you an idea of how quickly they get big, pictured is a 10-week-old St. Bernard from sar m's photostream.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

"My Dog Has One Testicle"

The day’s cutest puppy was a brown, long-haired dachshund, recently purchased by a young family from a breeder advertising in the local paper. This was his first visit to see us and during my exam, I could only feel one testicle. Now this is a little dog so the palpation target is about half the size of a jelly belly. But there was only one. When I mentioned this to the owner, she nodded, telling me the breeder told her his sire also only had one testicle--it was a family trait. She was disappointed to hear my response, as she was planning to use this puppy to breed to her female. If a male dog truly only has one descended testicle, it should not be used in a breeding program.

Having one descended testicle, called cryptorchidism, is considered a genetic defect and is, indeed, a family trait. Finding only one testicle during an exam does not mean the dog has only one testicle. In most circumstances, there are two--one you can feel in the scrotum and one tucked up into the abdomen where it developed when the puppy was still an embryo.

In developmentally normal male dogs, the testes descend fully into the scrotum before they are 2 months old. Sometimes, both don’t make it out of the abdomen and into the scrotum. One may make it part of the way, or it may not budge at all. If a testes makes it only part of the way, it can usually found hiding out along the “bikini line” . For the ones that don’t budge, we need to surgically remove them at the time at the neuter to reduce the increased chances of the retained testicle becoming cancerous. This type of surgery is more invasive (involves entering the abdomen) and expensive than a normal neuter. So the recommendation for a reputable breeding program is to include intact (two descended testes) males only.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Reproduction Question--The Bulbus Glandis

I can always tell spring is coming by the increase in questions we field regarding reproduction. The breeding season elicits some practical and some curious questions. A common question involves the two round-shaped swellings at the base of a male dog’s penis--usually noticeable when they are on their backs, just roused from sleeping. No, your neutered dog did not regrow their testicles! Nor did the surgeon “miss a pair” or “forget” to actually remove them. This part of the male dog anatomy is called the bulbus glandis. It is part of the penis so it isn’t removed during castration. It is not involved in sperm production so your neutered dog can’t impregnate a female when the swelling is present. It is made up of erectile tissue which is why it noticeable some times and not at others. And no, if it is noticeable, it doesn’t mean your dog has his mind in the gutter--it is just part of their normal physiology. Its job is to serve as the “tie” during breeding, which is why some dogs are “locked” together for a brief time following a mating.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Why Bother with Those Baby Teeth?

Just like us, our cats and dogs are born toothless. Within the next few weeks (here starts the difference from us) the deciduous (baby) teeth begin to erupt and are fully in place around 6 and 12 weeks in kittens and puppies, respectively. Over the next several months, the second set of teeth, their permanent or adult set, erupt. The baby teeth are supposed to fall out as the adult teeth come in.

Often, owners find these teeth on the carpet or stuck in a toy or they are swallowed with no harm. If the baby teeth don’t fall out on their own, then they need to be removed. The most common baby teeth to remain are the canines--the four pointed, fang-like teeth on cats and dogs. If the deciduous tooth is not extracted soon enough, adult teeth are forced to erupt too far inside of the mouth and instead of resting on the outside of the upper gums, they can grow into the upper palate, or roof of the mouth. This type of malocclusion can result in life-long complications and is, of course, best avoided.

Even if a malocclusion does not occur, the amount of dental disease that develops between the smooshed-together baby and adult teeth will warrant medial attention. Most retained or persistent deciduous teeth can be removed during the time of spay or neuter. For those patients who were spayed very young as part of a shelter adoption, a separate anesthetic procedure is needed to address the teeth trouble.

Photo of puppy with healthy front teeth from RileyMAI's photostream.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Veterinarians Need Patients

The other night I fielded a complaint from a woman who had dropped off a smelly poop pile for a fecal test. The test results came back positive for gastrointestinal parasites. The woman wanted medications to treat the parasites and when I explained that I needed to meet her dog, not just it’s poop, to prescribe the medications, she complained. “He is fine,” she insisted. “He just has diarrhea and needs medication. Why do I have to pay for an exam if I know he is fine?”

There are two issues with this. One, sometimes dogs with diarrhea have other things wrong with them that a vet is trained to discover. Subtle hints of dehydration, a painful area within the stomach, feeling for impacted stool or rectal abnormalities, for example. Sometimes another health issue is detected during an exam, which may influence which medications are chosen.

Secondly, the law requires veterinary hospitals to have a current patient relationship before prescribing any medications. Legally, I can’t just prescribe something to a patient I have never met or haven’t seen recently. This makes it inconvenient sometimes, for sure! But this law helps protect our pets.

The woman was ultimately understanding with my explanations and agreed to bring him in for an exam. He was a very handsome dog so I was glad to meet him. As it turns out, the woman’s dog was otherwise fine. But she was kind enough not to say I told you so!

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

When to Spay Your Dog

A common question in the exam room is when to schedule a spay (ovariohysterectomy) for a young female dog. We usually recommend spaying female puppies around the age of 5-6 months. This age affords us a few benefits. The first is that most dogs have not have their first heat cycle by this age and spaying prior to the first heat cycle has been shown to have the greatest protection against reproductive-related diseases in the future.

Also, dogs at that age are less likely to have started their first heat cycle “secretly.” Not all heat cycles are noticeable, especially the first. If the spay is delayed until later months, we get into the situation where the patient is in estrus and it may not be noticeable until she is under anesthesia with the procedure underway. While spaying during estrus is usually very manageable, especially in young dogs, it does increase the likelihood of complications as the reproductive vessels and organs swell to a larger size. It is best avoided by spaying beforehand. 

The third benefit with the 5-6 month timing involves the baby (deciduous) teeth. If deciduous teeth are still present at the 6 month mark and their adult canine teeth have at least partially erupted, then we will gently extract the baby teeth at the time of the spay. This partial eruption of canines happens to most dogs around 5-6 months of age. 

As always, ask your vet for the right recommendation for your pet.

Photo of a recently spayed puppy from rulypup's photostream.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

My Favorite Dog-Resistant Trash Can

One of my good friends is getting married this summer and though her wedding registry is filled with all sorts of cool gift ideas from fun, unique stores, I am buying her a trash can. She and her husband-to-be share their small home with their dog. And their dog loves the trash. Especially the bathroom trash, which is just gross--the same reason it's revered by dogs world-over.

Unable to stuff their trash can away into a cabinet (it is a small house) they do their best to shut the bathroom door. A failure to do this results in much disarray, and I feel I am doing their relationship a favor by buying them a special trash can for their wedding. My favorite kind, which we received from my aunt and uncle for our wedding, is the Simplehuman variety, where the lid fits flat into the top rim, leaving no lip for noses to lift. There is a foot push-down pedal at the bottom which opens the lid so there is the extra bonus of being able to throw away two handfuls of trash at the same time! While discussing this with an owner the other day (we started off talking about her dog’s diarrhea which she blamed on trash-can access), I was toting the heftiness of our trashcan. It is metal with a heavy plastic removable liner and it is just as narrow on top as it is on the bottom so maybe it is less likely to be pushed over (her dog’s raiding method). And though the normal kitchen-sized trash can can cost over $100, so do trips to the vet for diarrhea treatment… 

There may be other brands out there that do the same good job at protecting our trash and our pets from each other but the Simplehuman is pretty easy to find online.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

What Kind of Dog is That?

With my terrier mix, Oscar, I used to love that question. When he was a little puppy, I made up all kinds of cool-sounding names. As a fan of alliteration, I was particularly proud of my Tibetian Tiger Terrier and my Spanish Spider Spaniel. As he grew up, it was too obvious to ignore his pitbull-ish roots. Then I’d make up different crosses: pit bull mom and husky dad, or pit bull and boxer cross mom with a white German Sheppard dad…Maybe a greyhound uncle in there somewhere… 

Now we don’t have to guess. DNA testing in dogs can help us identify the most prominent breeds in our mutts.  This information can be used for fun, for shock value (yes, your 100-pound hound mix is ¼ dachshund) or for a heads-up on potentially pertinent medical predispositions. Our hospital uses the Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed-Breed Dog DNA Test. The test can be purchased online and brought to your veterinarian for blood sample collection or just purchased from the hospital itself. A lot of the questions and details on the specific accuracy of the test can be found at www.wisdompanel.com.

The price is pretty affordable and it can make a fun gift!

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Animal Poison Control is Extremely Helpful

We often receive calls that start with “My dog just ate…” and end with “is that bad?” Our favorite answer is “no.” Another answer we like is “yes, but we can help if you come in right away.” The answer I don’t enjoy giving is “we need to call poison control.”

While most vets are competent at handling the most common toxin ingestions, there is a lot of stuff out there. Most animal poison control centers have a large database to access a wealth of information about the particular toxin ingested and offer veterinary specialist support throughout the treatment. We use the ASPCA hotline most commonly (888-426-4435). Our clients can either call from home to talk to the poison control directly or we can call for them. We recommend our clients call them directly so they can collect all the information that is pertinent. We can then follow-up immediately afterward using the case number with the poison control veterinarian.

The most commonly needed information include:

• How much does your pet weigh?
• Is your pet on any medications?
• What did your pet ingest? (Have the packaging at hand if possible because the details matter)
• How much of it did they ingest?
• What time did this occur?
• How is your pet feeling now?
• Have you given nothing to your pet?

There may be a consult fee that you can pay for over the phone. The service then records the case information and the owner is given a consult number. The local veterinarian is then allowed full access to the database and the veterinary specialist for the duration of treatment.

The ASPCA website (www.aspca.org) will send you a magnet with their poison control phone number so you have it handy. They are also a good source to call initially if you think your pet ate something irregular, you can’t reach your regular vet and you need to know if you need to rush to an ER.

Also, check out the top 10 pet poisons of 2008.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Leave Pet Purging to the Pros

One of my favorite patients two weeks ago was a beautiful Australian Sheppard. The thing about him that made him my favorite was that he allowed me to combine two of my favorite things: veterinary medicine and brownies. Our man, Stanley, had helped himself to three pans of freshly baked chocolate fudge brownies. Luckily they had cooled and sectioned by the time he made his move. Not that he appreciated the even rows and individual portions.

Following our advice, Stanley’s owner brought him in right away so we could make him throw up his treats to save him from potentially major discomfort down the line. Usually, after giving the medication to stimulate vomiting, I place my patients in run (a cage with a floor and a drain). I can watch them from a bit of a distance, they can move during the vomiting session and clean up is easy. But the day Stanley came there were no open runs. I kindly suggested my technician take him outside to vomit and she kindly reminded me of her desire to stay indoors, out of the snow and wind we had whipping up and her need to check-in my remaining patients. Then she handed me a clean kitty litter pan and assured me I could catch the piles in this. Now, I am not that old and am usually nimble on my feet but heaven help me if I could not catch a single pile of that vomit. Stanley did not want to vomit near me and certainly not into my pathetically waving kitty pan.

Three pans is a lot of brownies and by the time my technician returned I had chased poor Stanley around the entire treatment room leaving a fragrant composition of deposits, about 16 in total. It is a nod to either the suitability of my chosen career or the power of my genetic sweet tooth when I caught myself thinking that the piles of partially digested brownies melting in slobbery masses made me crave chocolate. I even thought it smelled OK. My technician was unbelieving and appalled at my failure to land not a slippery drop into the pan and needless to say, I lost the privilege to engage in that particular job in the future. I tried to turn the mess into an opportunity to show the client why such things should be done at the vet as opposed to trying to do it at home. And though I tried to tempt him with an assurance that it wouldn’t small bad at all, in fact, I added, it smells pretty good, he spared Stanley his dignity and declined the show.

Photo from pattyanne:made's photostream.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Diagnosing Urinary Problems in Dogs

We often think of urinary problems to be associated with cats--the frustrating sprayers and the severely sick blocked toms. But dogs can also have urinary tract diseases that require attention. In both male and female dogs, owners may notice something obvious such as peeing inside the house, peeing blood or urinating more frequently than normal. Owners may also notice more subtle clues like drinking more water, leaking in their beds at night or acting a little off. If you notice any of the above signs, your veterinarian may recommend the following tests:

Physical exam--used to determine if your pet has a fever, seem uncomfortable in their abdomen, has any physical abnormalities involving the external parts of the urinary system or any palpable abnormalities of the internal urinary system. Some diseases that effect a dog’s urination, may also affect other parts of the body like the skin.

Urinalysis--used to look for signs of bacteria, infection, crystals or any other type of pathology. Ideally, a urine sample is collected sterilely by your vet, straight from the bladder. Often, veterinarians will use an ultrasound machine to help them locate the bladder for the urine extraction and at the same time, if able, evaluate the bladder for stones, masses, abnormal wall thickness or lumen content.

Abdominal radiographs--used to look for masses or stones in the kidneys, urethras, bladder and ureters. Sometimes a special dye is used to help view these structures properly.

Blood chemistries--Depending on the severity of disease, bloodwork is usually recommended to check to see if other organs, most commonly the kidneys, are involved. Bloodwork can help rule-out other diseases (such as diabetes or Cushing’s) that may contribute to urinary tract infections or pathology.

While all of the above tests may not be appropriate for each patient, they all contribute to an accurate diagnosis and therefore make treatments more likely to be effective. The treatments, of course, depend on the underlying disease and can range to something as simple as encouraging more water consumption and changing dog foods to more complicated regiments of antibiotics, other medications and surgery.

Photo from flipflopcrazy123's photostream.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Lumps and Bumps

Most of our canine companions develop lumps over the course of their life. The lumps come in all shapes and sizes and show up anywhere. Some grow quickly and are bothersome. Others are soft, move easily under the skin or grow slowly. There are a few benefits to having any mass checked out early:

The peace of mind you get from confronting this bump and knowing what lies ahead is nice, especially if it is found to be benign. If not thought to be benign, then you get to make a plan, which puts you one step ahead of not knowing anything.

What if you want it off? Not now, but if it grows? Depending on its location on the body, a mass can be easy or hard to remove. What might look like a very small, insignificant mass on the tail, for example, if allowed to continue growing, may easily outgrow the window of opportunity to remove it. The tail has such little extra skin that even the smallest of masses can pose trouble, sometimes resulting in tail amputation.

Knowing the type of mass your pet has helps with surgical planning. After using a small needle to collect samples from the mass, your vet or a local pathologist who works with your vet tries to identify the cell type. Sometimes this method isn’t successful in telling us what the mass is but it is a necessary step before surgeries.

While I do not push for immediate surgical removal of benign, non-bothersome masses on my patients, I tell the owners that the general rule is: the smaller, the better. If they think they may, one day, want that mass off then I draw them a picture of how large the mass can get before they have to make that call. Otherwise, the surgical removal jumps from routine to complicated, the surgery bill becomes more expensive and the patient has a longer recovery.

Photo from haleyhughes' photostream.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

The Importance of Being Slimmer

My favorite patient today was an obsessively happy golden retriever. She was whining and dancing with excitement, even after having her temperature taken and even after I explained all the vaccines she was to receive. She didn’t care! The girl must burn a thousand calories just thinking about getting attention. Patients like her always leave me a little confused. How can a dog that excitable be that overweight?! She didn’t stop moving during the whole exam. She laid down, rolled over and then popped up to take a lap around the room at least a dozen times. And yet her body condition was pushing the upper levels of the scoring system. 

When owners and I talk about weight, I hear a lot of explanations. The most common one at this time of year is decreased exercise because of cold weather and increased calories because of the holidays. Usually, owners pat their own tummies to indicate that the winter months are hard on their figures also. The good thing about most of these conversations is that everyone understands the importance of being slimmer. And in the spirit of the New Year, most owners are motivated to try to cut the calories and up the exercise.

My reminder for exercise is to work your way up to longer distances with your pet slowly and be consistent. My reminder for cutting calories is to realize that a little bit of food goes a long way with our pets. The treats can be a killer: one beef and cheese twisty stick and you’re having them work their way through a foot-long hoagie. Five or six of the twisty sticks a day and, well, that explains my patient today. Her owner promised to reign in the count and get her back to the amount of food we decided was appropriate. It will be easier, she said as we said goodbye, now that she has finished the last of the fruitcakes.

Yes, that was plural…

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

My Favorite Things: LitterMaid Litter Box

Our household has officially graduated to the big leagues. We now have an automatic litter box! Though we only have one cat, we have other creatures in the house that pay close attention to the contents of that box. Our fancy cleaner senses when there has been a deposit and rakes it along and into an enclosed container. Out of sight, out of mind for our litter box raiders. Besides the overall benefit of reducing the chances our dogs will snack on cat poop, the self-cleaning box appeases our cat’s sense of cleanliness as both clumped urine and feces are removed.

This particular model (LitterMaid LM900 Mega Self-Cleaning Litter Box) has a sensor with a timer so the raking action doesn’t start until 10 minutes after use. So there is no scary motor that turns on during their private time (which can scare them away from litter boxes forever.)

The unit is large, especially when you attach the carpeted foot ramp (my second favorite accessory). But while it takes up more floor space, it gives the cat more working space--a feature many cats appreciate.

One of the delays I had was finding the appropriate clumping litter. Sounds simple but I had to shop around to find a non-scented premium clumping litter source. My one real worry was that the motorized rake is quite loud. I was afraid it would wake us up if the cat took a midnight pee break but was happy to find a programmable “sleep mode” so the unit doesn’t run for a 9 hour stretch.

As for upkeep, there is a need to buy refills for the litter collection area and it is not as easy to spray completely clean in the sink each week.

The real selling point is what the instruction manual refers to as “the triple action tool.” It is my favorite accessory because of its multi-functional capabilities: loosening steadfast litter clumps, helping remove wedged feces from the rake and accurately measuring the depth of the litter. It looks suspicious similar to a normal pooper scooper but what doesn’t benefit from a touch of marketing magic?

Overall, we are happy with our upgrade--our kitty is very fond of the ramp and the space, our dogs look elsewhere for snacks and we can wait a week between scoopings!

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Beware Sugar-Free Gum, Xylitol

My purse is no longer a place for unmentionables to be carried about in private. My 14- month old daughter has commandeered the accessory and enjoys emptying the bag, one pen and credit card at a time. And though I usually keep it out of her sticky-fingered reach, sometimes I indulge her under my supervision. Last week, she had finished pulling scraps of paper from my checkbook and started pulling pieces of gum out of the package. She started feeding these to my attentive boarder collie, who will take anything out of her hands, usually because they are sweet and sticky. Luckily, he is not a fan of orange-mint sugar free gum and didn’t ingest any.

For dogs that do eat sugar-free gum, they can develop xylitol toxicity. Unlike in humans, xylitol in dogs causes insulin release and can result in severe hypoglycemia. The low blood sugar levels can cause weakness, collapse and seizures. The xylitol can also harm the liver, enough to be fatal. And it doesn’t take much, as little as 1-2 pieces in a 25 pound dog! If you think your dog has gotten into your chewing gum, call your veterinarian right away. While there is no antidote, supportive care begun quickly can save your dogs life.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Tips for Flying with Your Pet

I am often asked by owners about prescribing medications for their pets during airplane flights. If the animal is traveling in cargo (under the plane, not in the cabin with the owner), my advice is usually to let your pet have all of their wits about them. The medications we prescribe to sedate or reduce anxiety haven’t been tested in animals at higher altitudes. If your pet has an adverse reaction to the medications, there is no one to witness it and provide help. Make sure your pet is deemed healthy enough to fly, including being healthy enough to handle the stress of flying. If your pet is too sick or too anxious to handle the stress of flying then you shouldn't put it on a plane.

Make sure the traveling kennel you buy is safe and sturdy and airline approved. It should be labeled with your contact information (often I have the owners tape a copy of the health certificate to the outside to the kennel because this piece of paper has both the origin and the destination address). If your pet is riding in the cabin and is going to be disruptive (constant barking, explosive diarrhea, etc.) then medications can be considered. Just be sure to plan ahead so you can try the medications at home to get the dosage correct and watch for any adverse reactions.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

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