Hudson Vet Hospital newsletter 
New Year - New Pets!

So you got a new pet over the holidays! Congratulations! Now that the whir of the holiday season is ending it's time to start thinking about what your new pet will need to help her live a long, healthy life.

Exams and Vaccinations should be an annual part of your pet's life and young animals require monthly visits in their first 3-4 months. Your new pet should have a series of three FVRCP (kitten) or DHLPP (puppy) vaccinations beginning when she is 8 weeks old and a Lyme (puppy) or Feline Leukemia (kitten) vaccine in a series of two. During her final boosters, she will receive a rabies vaccination good for one year. She should also have regular fecal tests to ensure she is parasite free. Adult dogs, and any cat that goes outdoors, should have an annual blood test to ensure negative heartworm and tick born disease status (dogs) or negative feline AIDS, leukemia and bartonella status (cats). For vaccination schedules, visit our For Dogs or For Cats page. Spaying or neutering is done at 6 months and has both behavioral and medical benefits. It helps curb the urge to stray or inappropriate affection and can reduce the chance of developing some types of cancer.

Housebreaking is a must. New pets need to learn where to go to the bathroom. The most important thing to remember when training is be consistent. Establish a schedule so walks and meals occur at the same time each day. If she knows when she will go out, she's less likely to mess inside. Your pet wants to do the right thing, so help her by walking her frequently and praising her for going outside. Be sure to keep an eye on her when she is loose in the house to reduce accidents and consider crate training to help her (and you) along. A new kitten should be placed in the litter box often for the first few days so she learns where it is. Praise her for using the litter box.
New Year - New Friends!
Do you know someone new to the area or have a friend who's always asking for pet advice? Why not refer them to our hospital! If you refer a friend who visits our hospital in the first 2 months of 2007, you will receive $10 off your next exam. Please be sure your referral mentions your name!

Training helps your new pet learn the rules of your house. You are the alpha, the leader, so remember to be consistent but not mean. Remain calm and use firm, assertive tones. If she is not allowed on the furniture, don't let up, not even when she's looking oh-so-cute and it's chilly out. If she's not allowed to have table scraps, remind children that feeding her at dinner is forbidden. One lapse in consistency can set you back quiet a bit. Animals are smart. Your pet will learn who allows her to misbehave and take full advantage. Everyone at home needs to agree on the rules and be consistent. For more information, visit our Pet Training page.

Doggie daycare or dog walkers are good solutions for owners who are out of the home for long periods of time (9 hours for a work day?). Most daycares require an interview with you and your pup to reduce the chance of dog yard scuffles. They typically have a large yard or building with toys, slides, baby pools and other goodies to keep your pooch active and happy while you're away. Daycare also helps keep your pup balanced by allowing her to interact with other dogs. If daycare is out of your budget or you are rarely away from home, you may consider a dog walker. A walker should meet your pup for the first time while you are there to be sure they will get along. Then you can give them a key and talk scheduling. Walkers are especially useful when housebreaking.

Vacations are great, but with a pet, trips take on an additional requirement…pet care. You may not have a vacation planned yet, but begin looking into kennels and boarding facilities early. Drop in and ask to see the facility. A well run facility should give you a tour. Look at the comfort and cleanliness of the facility. If you're unhappy with what you see, keep looking. Visiting a few boarding facilities will give you an idea of what you're looking for and which place you prefer. And of course, there is always the option of a pet sitter who can either take your pet into his/her home or stay in your home. Your veterinarian can provide you with recommendations of boarding facilities and pet sitters.

Get excited! You've taken on a new addition to the family who is likely to bring you more joy and laughs than you expect. Be open to the ideas and suggestions of those around you but research everything. Ask your veterinarian for advice on food, kenneling, boarding, training, vaccinations, etc. Your veterinarian's goal is to keep your pet healthy and both you and your pet happy. Congratulations on your new addition, have fun and Happy New Year!


Case of the Month - Arthritis
By: Dr. Glenn Zeitz, VMD

A 10 year old yellow Labrador retriever presented to me because he was having difficulty standing up, especially in the morning. The owner said he seemed stiff when first moving around but stated his mobility improved as the morning progressed.

A complete physical examination revealed the dog was overweight, and the joints in his hind legs did not flex as well as the rest of his joints. Upon palpation, he resisted due to discomfort.

This case is typical of older, overweight, medium to large sized dogs with early arthritis. There are many different forms of arthritis and the effects can range from mild discomfort to crippling pain. The most common forms can be brought on by age, weight, wear and tear, or breed predilection. Typically, the larger and more pure bred the dog, the higher the disposition to arthritis.

As your pet ages, he can lose up to 50% of his joint fluid. This fluid acts as a cushion for the joint as your dog runs and jumps. Arthritis begins when the fluid levels decrease and the cartilage surfaces of the bones begin to rub against each other. As the cartilage wears down, the bones become exposed and begin to erode. The body has the ability to sense these changes and tries to repair itself by forming new bone tissue, but the newly formed bone is not smooth and when rubbed, becomes inflamed and causes pain.

There is little we can do to 'cure' arthritis, but in most cases we can relieve the discomfort and reduce further damage. Below is a list of recommendations for managing arthritis from the mildest forms to the worst.
  1. Have your pet's weight evaluated. Weight reduction programs can significantly reduce the strain joints endure when a dog is overweight. Your veterinarian can set up a proper weight loss program with realistic goals that fit the lifestyles of both you and your pet.

  2. Commit to controlled exercise. Inactivity can cause increased stiffness. Begin with short leash walks and gradually lengthen the walks to build the muscles around the joints and help 'burn' fat. Stay away from activities that require abrupt starts and stops, jumping, or running from side to side (ball chasing, Frisbee catching, dog pack play)

  3. Consider a glucosamine supplement (oral or injectable). Glucosamine is a nutrient that, when concentrated many times over and taken daily, will help replenish joint fluid and improve joint cushioning. Not all glucosamine products are the same (see sidebar) and there are other nutraceuticals (nutrient based compounds that have medicinal type affects on the body) such as MSM and SAM-e, many of which come specifically formulated for dog palatability.

  4. Dogs with persistent problems need to start taking an anti-inflammatory medication. Anti-inflammatory medications fall under one of two categories, Steroids, such as Cortisone, or NSAID's (non-steriodal anti-inflammatories) such as Deramaxx, Rimadyl, Previcox, or Metacam. Do not start any medications without consulting your veterinarian. Many owners try to self-medicate their pets with human remedies such as Alleve, Advil or Motrin. Human medications can quickly cause severe or lethal damage to your pet's delicate system. In an extreme case, Advil proved lethal after just two weeks. Veterinarians use new, highly advanced NSAIDs that are safer and more effective than ever before with the biggest drawback of long-term use being cost.

  5. In cases of severe, crippling, hip dysplasia induced arthritis, specialists can perform hip replacement surgery with highly successful recovery similar to their human counterparts.
Arthritis, in its varying forms, is one of the most common problems afflicting middle age to older pets. As in people, relieving the discomfort or pain helps your pet lead a fuller, happier life.

The basic ingredients of all glucosamine products are the same but there are NO laws governing the production of the final consumer product so not all the final products are equal. The bottles may say they contain the same number of milligrams of an ingredient, but consumer study groups show that percentages of active ingredients vary. There are few products that have quality control and a great key to help you identify a poor quality glucosamine product is the dosing information. Glucosamine must be started at a 6 week loading dose that is double the maintenance dose, but many products do not instruct owners to give this initial dose. If the dosing instructions are inaccurate, how can you trust what's inside? Also consider the price; a product that is significantly less expensive is most likely significantly less effective. There are a few products that have the quality control necessary to guarantee what is in the bottle, some of which come in pet palatable flavors and forms to make administering them easy. Please call our office for more information on these products.