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Posted by
Sue
on
Jul 2nd, 2012
Q: I started speaking with Dr. Beltz last Saturday but didn't have enough time to finish his response. We had a 8 year old St. Bernard who suddenly developed seizures. Within 2 days the emergency vet told us there was no hope and we had to put her down. A very difficult decision. 2 weeks later we got a new 6 week old St. Bernard puppy. We had her about 2 weeks and she began having seizures. We've talked to 2 vets, one who thinks the seizures are environmental, and one wo believes it's just a coincidence that 2 dogs in the same house would suddenly develop seizures. After some research on dog food, we found reports that Iams dog food has had recalls due to seizures. We took her off the Iams, but she has continued to have seizures. She is staying with a friend, to help rule our environmental causes. Any suggestions? It seems like a far stretch that 2 unrelated dogs in the same house could fall prey to seizures.
A:
Hi Sue,
I remember the call, sorry we didn't have more time.
Environmental toxins that you could consider would be lead, mercury. Usually these dogs have persistent neurologic signs.
Other things to consider would be pesticides, but again typically these have a more predictable pattern,... where dogs ingest the product ... they develop symptoms ... they are treated ( or not) ... and they resolve (or not)
The intermittent seizures you described are not typical with environmental factors. (if I am understanding your description)
The way I would approach it is try to determine the underlying cause of the seizures in your puppy. This give us the best chance to understand what is causing this and also put you in a postion to help your puppy. A typical work up for this would include ... blood work, ultrasound looking for liver shunts, CSF tap looking for infectious or inflammatory causes and then MRI to look for other changes.
Its possible that it ends up being environmental in nature but to me a consistent and well thought out diagnostic plan is your best bet to find out what ever the cause is.
I would suggest talking with Dr. Comito (our neurologist) or Dr.s Balog or Brinson (our internists) as the best way to move forward.
Best of luck and please call if I can be more help
Dr. Beltz
I remember the call, sorry we didn't have more time.
Environmental toxins that you could consider would be lead, mercury. Usually these dogs have persistent neurologic signs.
Other things to consider would be pesticides, but again typically these have a more predictable pattern,... where dogs ingest the product ... they develop symptoms ... they are treated ( or not) ... and they resolve (or not)
The intermittent seizures you described are not typical with environmental factors. (if I am understanding your description)
The way I would approach it is try to determine the underlying cause of the seizures in your puppy. This give us the best chance to understand what is causing this and also put you in a postion to help your puppy. A typical work up for this would include ... blood work, ultrasound looking for liver shunts, CSF tap looking for infectious or inflammatory causes and then MRI to look for other changes.
Its possible that it ends up being environmental in nature but to me a consistent and well thought out diagnostic plan is your best bet to find out what ever the cause is.
I would suggest talking with Dr. Comito (our neurologist) or Dr.s Balog or Brinson (our internists) as the best way to move forward.
Best of luck and please call if I can be more help
Dr. Beltz
Posted by
Cindy
on
Aug 12th, 2011
Q: My dog has been having grand mal seizures since Mar 2010. We started on Phenobarbital in May 2010 and have added Potassium Bromide Jan 2011. He still has 3 seizures a month. Is there something else we should be doing? Would you recommend a MRI?
A:
Hi Cindy,
It's hard to give you exact figures on what is considered "good seizure control". In some individuals 3 seizures per month may be good control but typically we hope for better control than that. There are other medications that have become more widely available (eg. kepra) that may give you better control as well. My suggestion would be to set up an appointment with Dr. Comito (a veterinary neurologist that works at WVRC). She can evaluate your pets medication protocols to see if there is something that can be improved. In general it is recommended to have an MRI to make sure we have the most information as possible but that is something that can be decided at the time of the with Dr. Comito. ...... Good luck..... Dr. Beltz !
It's hard to give you exact figures on what is considered "good seizure control". In some individuals 3 seizures per month may be good control but typically we hope for better control than that. There are other medications that have become more widely available (eg. kepra) that may give you better control as well. My suggestion would be to set up an appointment with Dr. Comito (a veterinary neurologist that works at WVRC). She can evaluate your pets medication protocols to see if there is something that can be improved. In general it is recommended to have an MRI to make sure we have the most information as possible but that is something that can be decided at the time of the with Dr. Comito. ...... Good luck..... Dr. Beltz !
Posted by
Bill S
on
Jul 10th, 2010
Q: My dog was diagnosed with a ACL injury by a veterinarian. He said I need surgery but I talked to doctor (human doctor)friend and he said that most injuries like this don't need surgery. What do you think. Thanks
A:
Hi Bill,
Sorry to hear about your dog. An ACL injury is a common injury in dog. It is a similar structure that we have in our knees (the same ligament you hear about athletes injuring all the time).
The big difference in dogs is that dogs always walk with a slight angle in the knee (stifle) so it become a much more important structure in dogs compared to people. My understanding that in non athletes people often times a partial tear is left alone... the reason is that we stand with our legs straight and the bones take most of the weight. In dogs , not so.
Your veterinarian is right that surgery is usually recommended. Though there are circumstances where rest and confinement are reasonable alternatives.
Typically surgery involves "extra capsular" repairs or a procedure called TPLO or TTA where the angle of the knee is changed to resolve the instability of the knee.
Go to our health care library and look up cruciate or ACL and you will find several articles.
Our surgeons at WVRC are one of the few in the state that do the TPLO surgery and TTA. In fact Dr. Meinen was one of the first surgeons in the midwest to do this procedure so he has a lot of experience.
Talk to your veterinarian and see if they can give you some advice about an extra-capsular repair vs TPLO. After talking to your veterinarian If we can help please call and arrange for an appointment with one of our surgeons for an evaluation.
Good luck !!!
Sorry to hear about your dog. An ACL injury is a common injury in dog. It is a similar structure that we have in our knees (the same ligament you hear about athletes injuring all the time).
The big difference in dogs is that dogs always walk with a slight angle in the knee (stifle) so it become a much more important structure in dogs compared to people. My understanding that in non athletes people often times a partial tear is left alone... the reason is that we stand with our legs straight and the bones take most of the weight. In dogs , not so.
Your veterinarian is right that surgery is usually recommended. Though there are circumstances where rest and confinement are reasonable alternatives.
Typically surgery involves "extra capsular" repairs or a procedure called TPLO or TTA where the angle of the knee is changed to resolve the instability of the knee.
Go to our health care library and look up cruciate or ACL and you will find several articles.
Our surgeons at WVRC are one of the few in the state that do the TPLO surgery and TTA. In fact Dr. Meinen was one of the first surgeons in the midwest to do this procedure so he has a lot of experience.
Talk to your veterinarian and see if they can give you some advice about an extra-capsular repair vs TPLO. After talking to your veterinarian If we can help please call and arrange for an appointment with one of our surgeons for an evaluation.
Good luck !!!
Posted by
Jo Ann
on
Jun 18th, 2010
Q: I was at my vet recently and he said that my cat has a heart murmur. My cat is only 3 years old and is acting normal. He said not to worry and just monitor it but I am nervous about it. What do you think. Thanks in advance Jo Ann
A:
Hi Jo Ann
First of all, lets talk about what a murmur is. When your veterinarian (or physician) hears a heart murmur, what they are hearing is irregular or turbulent blood flow in the heart. This can be caused by a few things:
1) leaking heart valves or restricted valves.
2) "holes" or septal defects in the walls of the heart
3) it can also be caused when the the walls of the heart are too thick, too thin or in cases where its too stiff.
4) there are also innocent murmurs, where you hear the murmur but there is no underlying problem.
5) high blood pressure can also be a primary problem
In cats we worry about cardiomyopathy, there are 3 main types. Hypertrophic vs Dilated vs Restrictive.
Go to the the pet library and search under cardiomyopathy as well as hypertension you will find some good information.
I would suggest talking to your veterinarian about your concerns.
At WVRC we are fortunate to have a boarded cardiologist, Dr. Koplitz. You could also contact WVRC and talk with Dr. Koplitz and have her examine your cat.
Good luck with your kitty and I would follow up to find out more about what is causing the murmur.
Dr. Beltz
First of all, lets talk about what a murmur is. When your veterinarian (or physician) hears a heart murmur, what they are hearing is irregular or turbulent blood flow in the heart. This can be caused by a few things:
1) leaking heart valves or restricted valves.
2) "holes" or septal defects in the walls of the heart
3) it can also be caused when the the walls of the heart are too thick, too thin or in cases where its too stiff.
4) there are also innocent murmurs, where you hear the murmur but there is no underlying problem.
5) high blood pressure can also be a primary problem
In cats we worry about cardiomyopathy, there are 3 main types. Hypertrophic vs Dilated vs Restrictive.
Go to the the pet library and search under cardiomyopathy as well as hypertension you will find some good information.
I would suggest talking to your veterinarian about your concerns.
At WVRC we are fortunate to have a boarded cardiologist, Dr. Koplitz. You could also contact WVRC and talk with Dr. Koplitz and have her examine your cat.
Good luck with your kitty and I would follow up to find out more about what is causing the murmur.
Dr. Beltz
Posted by
Lou Hall
on
Jun 14th, 2010
Q: I heard you show on the radio yesterday and I heard you say that people could e-mail questions. We adopted a dog from the local Animal Shelter about 6 weeks ago. He' a mix between a terrier and a pomeranian. He's doing great as far as house breaking but he seems to suffer from seperation anxiety and almost every time we kennel for even a short period of time he pees in the kennel. I would really appreciate any advice you can give me. Thank you. Sincerely, Lou Hall
A:
Hello Lou
I'm not sure if you have a house training issue vs. separation anxiety. Typically with separation anxiety dogs are much more destructive and show other problems. Now its possible that you are just in the early stages of this as well.
I would approach this a few ways.
Make sure there is not an underlying medical problem (bladder infection, bladder stones etc) You will need to talk to your veterinarian about getting a urinalysis +/- other tests.
Make sure you are very structured in your feeding schedules and get him out frequently. If he does have an accident make sure you are cleaning and deodorizing it correctly. Look at the pet library and search "house" and you will see some articles on house training.
If this really is separation anxiety I am going to have you download a couple of articles from our library. Search under "anxiety" and you will get 2 articles that will help.
Lastly if this is not working I would get the help of a trainer or behaviorist. The humane society may have someone on staff or I would contact Amy Ammen as a great resource. Here is her website: http://www.dogclass.com/
Best of luck !
Dr Beltz
I'm not sure if you have a house training issue vs. separation anxiety. Typically with separation anxiety dogs are much more destructive and show other problems. Now its possible that you are just in the early stages of this as well.
I would approach this a few ways.
Make sure there is not an underlying medical problem (bladder infection, bladder stones etc) You will need to talk to your veterinarian about getting a urinalysis +/- other tests.
Make sure you are very structured in your feeding schedules and get him out frequently. If he does have an accident make sure you are cleaning and deodorizing it correctly. Look at the pet library and search "house" and you will see some articles on house training.
If this really is separation anxiety I am going to have you download a couple of articles from our library. Search under "anxiety" and you will get 2 articles that will help.
Lastly if this is not working I would get the help of a trainer or behaviorist. The humane society may have someone on staff or I would contact Amy Ammen as a great resource. Here is her website: http://www.dogclass.com/
Best of luck !
Dr Beltz
Posted by
Glen
on
Jun 13th, 2010
Q: My daughter is moving to Colordao and will be driving for 18 hours with her dog and two cats. The dog will be fine, but her concern is what to do with the two cats. They enjoy the ride in the carriers (once they are in them), but what/how does she work in a litter box?
A:
Hi Glen,
I would suggest a couple of things.
1) If you can get the cats used to being in a crate over a longer period of time that would be best. The key is to make the carrier a "stress free" or pleasant place to be. This would be done by using as much positive re-enforcement as possible (treats, toys, interaction). You can try a fel-away defusers as well (see the article in the pet library)
2) For your specific question I would suggest getting a larger crate for the cat(s). The size of a medium to large dog crate if at all possible. Then you can have enough room for bedding, toys, and a litter box. Be sure to try to use the same cat litter and type of box if possible.
Take a look at our health care library and search under "travel" There will be a few articles that may give you some additional help.
I would not suggest restricting food and water during this time. Make sure they have access to fresh food and water.
Good luck with the trip Keep us posted on your progress !!
Dr. Beltz
I would suggest a couple of things.
1) If you can get the cats used to being in a crate over a longer period of time that would be best. The key is to make the carrier a "stress free" or pleasant place to be. This would be done by using as much positive re-enforcement as possible (treats, toys, interaction). You can try a fel-away defusers as well (see the article in the pet library)
2) For your specific question I would suggest getting a larger crate for the cat(s). The size of a medium to large dog crate if at all possible. Then you can have enough room for bedding, toys, and a litter box. Be sure to try to use the same cat litter and type of box if possible.
Take a look at our health care library and search under "travel" There will be a few articles that may give you some additional help.
I would not suggest restricting food and water during this time. Make sure they have access to fresh food and water.
Good luck with the trip Keep us posted on your progress !!
Dr. Beltz
Posted by
Penny
on
Jun 9th, 2010
Q: I have a 11 year old black cat, Wicci. Every time I take him to the vet, he poops in his carrier. I have tried the dog pads, but he is so big that he still makes a mess.
I have used both the standard carrier and the cardboard boxes that I got at the pet store.
I plan on taking a longer trip with both of my cats - Mindy is fine in the car. Do you have any recommendations on what to do to help him travel better in the car?
Thank you for your time and suggestions.
Penny, Mindy, and Wicci
I have used both the standard carrier and the cardboard boxes that I got at the pet store.
I plan on taking a longer trip with both of my cats - Mindy is fine in the car. Do you have any recommendations on what to do to help him travel better in the car?
Thank you for your time and suggestions.
Penny, Mindy, and Wicci
A:
Hi Penny,
My guess is that this behavior is related to stress/anxiety of the car ride. I don't think it is specific to going to your veterinarian's office unless you are giving some very specific ques to that event.
To me the approach is to make the car ride into a pleasent experience.
The approach would be as follows:
You need to find a positive reward that your cat will really enjoy such as a favorite treat.
Start with just sitting in the car giving your cat its positive reward. You may need to do this for several days or even several times per day. Then the next step might be to do the same with the door closed again repeating several times per day and for several days. The next step would be to have the car parked but start the motor. The next step might be to just go up and down the drive.
You continue to increase the time and exposure along with the positive reward.
You can see this will require a lot of patience on your part but with time and the right positive rewards I would hope you could have your cats think that being in the car is a positive/fun place to me.
I hope this helps and good luck !!
Dr. Beltz
My guess is that this behavior is related to stress/anxiety of the car ride. I don't think it is specific to going to your veterinarian's office unless you are giving some very specific ques to that event.
To me the approach is to make the car ride into a pleasent experience.
The approach would be as follows:
You need to find a positive reward that your cat will really enjoy such as a favorite treat.
Start with just sitting in the car giving your cat its positive reward. You may need to do this for several days or even several times per day. Then the next step might be to do the same with the door closed again repeating several times per day and for several days. The next step would be to have the car parked but start the motor. The next step might be to just go up and down the drive.
You continue to increase the time and exposure along with the positive reward.
You can see this will require a lot of patience on your part but with time and the right positive rewards I would hope you could have your cats think that being in the car is a positive/fun place to me.
I hope this helps and good luck !!
Dr. Beltz
Posted by
admin
on
Jun 4th, 2010
Q: Hi Dr. John
I have a 6 year old pug who has a lot of breathing problems. Is there anything that can be done for this ?
I have a 6 year old pug who has a lot of breathing problems. Is there anything that can be done for this ?
A:
Hi Jane,
Sorry to hear about your pug. First of all dogs like pugs (brachycephalic dogs ... dogs with pushed in faces) do have more breathing related problems. It may be "normal" for your pet but there are a few things to try:
If it is seasonal in nature underlying allergies may be contributing to this. You may talk to your veterinarian about medications for this.
If this is a bigger concern there are surgical procedures that can improve breathing. These relate to making the nasal passages a bit larger or trimming the soft palate if too long. Talk to your veterinarian about your concerns or consult with one of the surgeons at WVRC.
As an aside be careful in the heat, often times these guys don't do well with excessive heat.
Good luck !
Sorry to hear about your pug. First of all dogs like pugs (brachycephalic dogs ... dogs with pushed in faces) do have more breathing related problems. It may be "normal" for your pet but there are a few things to try:
If it is seasonal in nature underlying allergies may be contributing to this. You may talk to your veterinarian about medications for this.
If this is a bigger concern there are surgical procedures that can improve breathing. These relate to making the nasal passages a bit larger or trimming the soft palate if too long. Talk to your veterinarian about your concerns or consult with one of the surgeons at WVRC.
As an aside be careful in the heat, often times these guys don't do well with excessive heat.
Good luck !
