Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome – How can we help?

What is a Brachycephalic Breed?

Brachycephalic refers to animal breeds with extremely shortened heads and a “pushed in” snout, such as bulldogs, pugs and Persian cats. These breeds tend to have such shortened snouts that their faces appear almost flat. While there are a number of purebred dogs and cats well known for having this appearance, it can also be seen in some mixed breed dogs.

What is Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome?

The shape of their nose and head that gives their face their adorable smushed look can predispose them to a condition known as Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome. This means they may have one (or multiple) upper airway abnormalities, such as:

Stenotic Nares

Pinched or narrowed nostrils, which restricts airflow in through the nostrils, making it difficult for them to nose-breath.

Hypoplastic Trachea

Abnormal growth of the rings of cartilage that make up the trachea, resulting in a very narrow windpipe.

Elongated Soft Palate

The soft tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth is too long and extends so far back into the throat it can partially block the trachea.

What Are The Symptoms?

While we find their funny noises and snoring endearing, these are classic symptoms of Bracycephalic Airway Syndrome. Some pets may even collapse or faint when they are over excited or exerted from a lack of oxygen due to their small and restricted airway. Many of these guys also have a low tolerance for exercise and heat, so they tend to be at risk for obesity and heat stroke. Regurgitating and/or vomiting is another common symptom. Most animals affected by brachycephalic airway syndrome find it much easier to breathe through their mouth as opposed to through their nose. Secondary problems such as changes in lung function, gastrointestinal tract, and increased strain on the heart can also affect these animals, causing health concerns as they age.

What Can I Do as a Pet Owner?

Now I have you concerned! Don’t worry, we love them too! The purpose of this article is to help inform you on your pet’s special needs, and what considerations need to be taken into account for their care. We encourage anyone who has a dog or cat affected by this characteristic to understand their specific needs and reach out to their veterinarian to make sure that they are providing the best care possible.

What Can Be Done Moving Forward?

Currently, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has put forward a “call to action” to end the extreme breeding of these animals. This means taking a responsible approach and selecting breeding candidates with longer muzzles in an effort to increase the length of the snout in future generations, thus improving their quality of life. It’s also important that prospective pet owners are aware of the potential health risks associated with these breeds and choose a local responsible breeder. The CVMA has asked advertisers to stop using “extreme-breed” animals in their marketing campaigns as this increases public interest and demand for these breeds, without awareness of their condition. The increased demand can cause breeders to compromise standards to produce more litters and encourage puppy brokers to import pets from poor living and breeding conditions for a profit.

Brachycephalic breeds can be a wonderful pet, and live a long healthy life with a little special care and awareness of their condition. As pet owners we can take action and raise awareness about these breed’s difficulties, and hopefully give future generations a better quality of life.

Thanks for reading, Snelgrove Vet

The Easter Bunny is coming…

Spring is around the corner, and so is Easter! While it is a great time to celebrate with egg hunts, chocolate and flowers, many of these traditions can pose a risk to our furry friends, so here are a few tips to keep them safe and help them have a good holiday too.

Easter lilies are a lovely way of bringing spring indoors at this time of year, however not if you have a feline friend! Lilies are extremely poisonous to cats, and while you might think your kitty has no interest in flowers, simply licking lily pollen from their paws or drinking water from the vase is enough to cause severe kidney failure, and eating the flowers or leaves can be fatal. Other spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils are also toxic. There are many different flowers that are safe around cats such as roses or orchids that are a much safer way to make your house feel like spring.

Colourful plastic easter eggs cradled in a basket of plastic grass are cute and fun and your pet might agree, which can pose a risk to them. These easter eggs can be a choking hazard, or if ingested may cause intestinal blockage. The basket filler, depending on the material, can have the same gastrointestinal effect. Be sure to keep items like these out of reach of your pet, and maybe settle on a easter themed bandana to make your pets feel festive.

Chocolate and easter egg hunts may be one of the best parts of Easter, but not for your pet! Chocolate is very toxic to dogs, and foil wrappers can also cause gastro issues. Sugar free candy sweetened with xylitol is also poisonous. Get creative with your egg hunts to make sure that you and your kids find all the candy, not the dog!

Easter dinner is a wonderful time with family and good food, and we want to share that with our pets. However things like a yummy ham roast can cause stomach upset or even lead to pancreatitis in our pets. Caution should also be taken with foods seasoned with onions and garlic, and alcoholic beverages.

Hopefully these tips are useful and help your whole household to enjoy a wonderful safe holiday. Happy Easter!

Thanks for reading, Lauren RVT

Ear Infection and Prevention

Ear infections are sneaky things – you might not notice it at first, but by the tenth time you’ve been woken up in the middle of the night by your dog’s enthusiastic collar-jangling scratching, you’ll realize something is up. Ear infections are incredibly common and can affect dogs of any size or age, however certain breeds are more prone to them than others.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

There are many reasons that dogs can get an ear infection, however the most common causes are dirty ears, hairy ears, food or environmental allergies and retained moisture in the ears. If you notice that your dog begins scratching at his ears in the spring just as your hay fever begins, there’s a good chance that he’s also suffering from environmental allergies. If your dog can’t resist any creek or lake he comes across, that is another common culprit – water gets into your dog’s ears and that trapped moisture is a breeding ground for yeast and bacteria. Floppy eared breeds such as cocker spaniels or hairy-eared dogs like poodles are poster children for ear infections because their ears don’t allow for adequate air-flow.

Prevention is relatively easy if done consistently. While our ear canals are straight, a dog’s ear canal goes down before turning and going straight into their head, so regular cleaning of the ears with a veterinarian-approved ear cleaner is key to flushing debris out. The easiest way to do this is to squeeze some ear cleaner into your dog’s ears, massage around the ear canal, then stand back and let them shake! This will help bring up debris from deep in your dogs ear, which you can then wipe away with a cotton pad – never stick anything like a cotton swab down the ears. If you have a poodle or any of their “doodle” relatives you may need (or ask your groomer) to regularly pluck their ears to remove the excessive hair in their ear canals that holds onto debris and moisture. After bathing or swimming make sure to dry your dog’s head and ears thoroughly – ear cleaner contains some drying properties, so this might be a good time to clean their ears as well. While regular ear cleaning can help prevent ear infections, excessive ear cleaning can cause other problems, so try not to clean your dog’s ears more than once every couple of weeks.

Photo by Cesar Mendez on Pexels.com

The most common symptom of an ear infection is scratching at the ears, however dogs may also rub their head across the floor or other surfaces, shake their head, or even hold their head tilted. You might also notice a yeasty smell coming from the ears. Some dogs are more stoic and may not show symptoms of an ear infection until it becomes quite severe. It is always a good idea while petting your dog to have a peek in the ears (or a sniff if you’re brave!) for any wax build-up, redness or smell that might indicate the start of a problem.

Treatment of an ear infection will vary depending on the cause. The veterinarian will begin by asking some questions to help determine any underlying causes while performing a physical exam which includes examining your dog’s ear canals. She will then take a swab of the ear which she’ll examine under the microscope for bacteria and yeast to determine what kind of medication is required Finally she will clean your dog’s ears (which is every dog’s favourite part!) to remove any build-up of waxy debris. Usually an ear infection can be treated with a round of ear drops, and the veterinarian will discuss preventative care to help avoid another infection in the future.

With consistent prevention and care, ear infections are easily kept at bay. Regular ear cleaning, ear plucking, and thorough drying of your dog’s ears and head after swimming will make sure your dog can keep doing what they love, and you both can sleep soundly through the night!

Rabies

*July, 2021 a dog in Toronto imported from Iran tested positive for rabies and then in January, 2022 another dog in Toronto made the news for being rabies positive and coming in contact with many innocent bystanders in the Toronto area. Public Health had to put out notices trying to find an individual and their dog that had come into contact with this rabies positive dog. A total of 51 individuals received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as a result of contact with the two dogs.

*In 2021, 5 people in the United States died from rabies. Three of those deaths, including that of a 7-year-old child, involved direct contact with bats and occurred over a five-week period starting in late September.

*Just this past fall, a rabid bat was brought to the attention of a client of ours due to her dog’s infatuation with a welcome mat. Luckily the dog was up-to-date on vaccines and our client did not handle the bat or things could have been much worse.

Rabies is out there so why do so few cats get vaccinated and put ourselves and our children and others at risk?

The most common reason is due to the fact that many people believe that due to the fact their cat only stays indoors they are not a risk!

Here’s another true story, one of our veterinarians entered her spare bedroom to see something fly across the room. It was a BAT! Thankfully she was able to get a window open and the screen removed and let that little bat get back outside to where it wanted to be. But the big question was Where did it come from? How did it get in? She had no idea. Could it have flown in when a door was opened? Somehow gotten into her attic? She will never know the answer but what she did know was a wild animal got in her house and that put her children, dogs and cat at risk and this is why we vaccinate our indoor cats.

Under the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act, Regulation 567, pet owners throughout Ontario are legally required to keep dogs, cats and ferrets over three months old vaccinated for rabies. Vaccination not only protects your pet from infection with rabies, but also helps protect you and your family.

Canada has done a great job at keeping rabies at bay. We have minimal confirmed cases yearly. Only 125 in all of Canada in 2021 but of that one hundred and twenty five, 42 of those in Ontario. 27 bats, 1 dog, 2 raccoons and 12 skunks.

Although your indoor cat’s chances of contracting rabies is very slim it is important to be safe. Please keep your pet’s rabies vaccine up to date.

Let’s have a safe Thanksgiving weekend.

Every year when we come back to work on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, we are faced with numerous emergency hospital reports and emails/messages to schedule appointments for vomiting, diarrhea, and pets that seem in pain. And although accidents happen sometimes these conditions are caused by us humans.

Thanksgiving weekend is filled with wonderful smells and a dinner filled with yummy foods. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables smothered in butter, etc. And although we know we shouldn’t eat like this every day, on holidays it’s a special treat.

Now, what happens when we share this ‘special treat’ with our pets? Foods high in fat can set off an inflammatory process in the pancreas known as ‘pancreatitis’. Pancreatitis is an incredibly uncomfortable condition for your dog to have. They typically can develop vomiting, diarrhea, pain in their abdomen, restlessness, and lethargy. Some dogs will even hunch over as though they have back-pain or gag and lick their lips often. Treatment for pancreatitis depends on the severity of the condition. Bloodwork informs us how well the pancreas is functioning and many times treatment requires numerous days hospitalized on intravenous fluids and medications.

The simplest way to avoid pancreatitis in dogs is not to feed them any food except for their dog food. If you want to prepare them something special, there are numerous healthy pumpkin dog treat recipes available online and commercially prepared products. Keep a few at your dining table for your guests to give to your dogs if they can’t resist the ‘puppy eyes’. Keep your garbage cans safely behind closed doors. The smell of it with food scraps is uncontrollably tantalizing to your pets. Don’t leave the turkey carcass unattended in the kitchen nor pots and pans accessible while your family is enjoying themselves at the dining room table. One final note: watch the kids table. Every kid will happily share their vegetables and more, even if they are slathered in butter!

With a few simple precautions, we can be sure, everyone has a safe thanksgiving weekend and still feel great on Tuesday.

Puppy Breeders vs. Puppy Brokers

Along with the warmer weather we have been looking forward to, here at Snelgrove Vet services we are also looking forward to seeing a lot more puppies this time of year! Many families will wait until the spring and summer months to add a new furry family member to their household. That being said, we would like to take this opportunity to clear up a misunderstanding that we have noticed with some of our newer pet-parents. And that is the concept of a puppy breeder versus a puppy broker. These are two hugely different things, and it is important to know the difference, especially if you are looking for a puppy. Just google ‘puppies pearson airport’ to see the devastation that happened last summer and this is just one flight that made it to the media. Hundreds of dogs are brought here yearly.

A puppy breeder is a person who intentionally mates dogs of the same breed to produce puppies with the intent to maintain and/or improve specific qualities and characteristics of that breeding line. On the other hand, there are puppy brokers. A puppy broker is a person who sells puppies from a large-scale, breeding facility that operates solely for profit. A broker is the “middle-man” between the people producing the puppies and the people looking to adopt the puppies. Many times these puppies are from oversees with no idea of their upbringing.

Below is an infographic that helps to illustrate the difference between a puppy breeder and a puppy broker:

Obviously, it is better to get a puppy from a reputable breeder. We all know puppies are expensive to purchase, so you need to invest your money wisely. This new addition will be a part of your family for the pup’s lifetime, and you want to make sure they are happy and healthy.

We know that sometimes you may not have the patience to wait for a specific breed of dog or the perfect breeder but please, at the very least, do not buy a puppy unless the mother is present for you to see and meet. Alternatively, check what animal shelters have. They are typically in every city (and you can check them all) and have websites to peruse. They even often get puppies and young dogs.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding puppies and how to select the perfect fit for your family, please do not hesitate to call us at 905-846-3316. We are always here to help!

Annual Exams and Why They Are So Important

“Your pet requires an annual exam.”

This is probably the one sentence we use most frequently in a day. And we truly mean it, annual exams are a critical part of your pet’s overall health and well-being.

What is an annual exam and why does my pet need it?

An annual exam is a physical assessment of your pet’s health, as well as an opportunity for your veterinarian to foster a better relationship with both you and your pet. It also allows you to discuss any questions or concerns that you may have regarding your pet’s lifestyle and well-being.

While it is a popular belief that exams are only required for pets once a concern arises, this is not the case. Annual exams provide us with an early detection system for our pets. Although not every illness can be diagnosed on a physical exam, there are many conditions, such as abdominal tumors, cataracts in the eyes and/or heart conditions, that will not be obvious to the naked eye until they are well advanced. Oftentimes, once symptoms of these conditions become obvious, treatment plans become much more advanced than if these conditions were diagnosed in earlier stages.

Additionally, if your pet is on a regular prescription medication, an annual exam will need to be performed to refill that medication. Not only is this the rule set out by our governing body, but a veterinarian cannot in good conscience continue to prescribe a medication to a pet that has not been seen within the last year. Too many changes can happen within that time frame that your veterinarian needs to be aware of as they may need to adjust their treatment plan for your pet. Proper and efficient medicine is what we at Snelgrove Veterinary Services want to practice – it is what makes us feel confident about the service we are providing.

So, the next time you hear that your pet needs their annual exam, you will know it is for a good reason. As always, we are here for our clients, and we want to be able to provide the medicine possible to our patients!

Thank you for reading 🙂

Heartworm Testing and the 4DX

Yep, it’s that time of year again!

While we may not be taking our dogs out on the adventures that they are used to during these different times, it is still extremely important to have your pet on a flea, tick and heartworm preventive and to have them tested for prior exposure to heartworm or other tick-bourne diseases at this time of the year.

When do we test for heartworm and tick-bourne diseases?

We begin testing for heartworm and tick-bourne diseases after April 15th. To understand why we test in the spring, it is important to know a bit about the heartworm life cycle, which can be seen below:

It is not until the fourth step when the larvae transition into adult heartworms that they begin to release a specific antigen that can then be detected in the bloodstream. This can take up to 6 months, so we do not test for prior exposure to heartworm from the previous summer until we are certain that the antigen would be present.

How do we test for heartworm and other tick-bourne diseases?

Here at Snelgrove Vet, we offer our clients a broad spectrum test called the 4DX. This test requires a small blood sample from your dog, which is then checked for the heartworm antigen as well as any antibodies to one of the five tick-borne diseases. We are especially concerned about the presence of lyme disease at this time, as there has been a surge in black-legged tick activity over the past few years. These are the ticks we are seeing most often, and they are the vectors of transmission for lyme disease, which can infect not only your pets, but also yourself and can become a very serious disease.

Ixodes scapularis: commonly known as the black-legged tick or deer tick.

Why do we test for heartworm and other tick-bourne diseases?

We always want to make sure that our patients (your pets) are free from any sort of heartworm infection before we give them their monthly prevention. We do this because the course of treatment for a pet infected with heartworm is much different than just giving a preventive medication. It can be dangerous to your pet’s health to administer heartworm prevention if they are heartworm positive. In fact, it can even be fatal.

We are also testing for tick-bourne diseases at the same time we are testing for heartworm. Ticks are full of harmful bacteria and it is not always easy to find a tick if your pet has been bitten. It is important to have an early diagnosis of these types of infections so that we can start treatment right away. The longer your pet is infected with a tick-bourne disease, the more harm it can cause, including irreversible damage to the joints, heart and even brain.

What are my options in terms of flea, tick and heartworm prevention?

To help you make an informed choice, below is a breakdown of your pet’s prevention options. Pricing is dependent on the weight of your pet:

How do I pick up my flea, tick and heartworm prevention?

Once you have decided which flea and tick prevention you would like, please e-mail us at contact@snelgrovevet.com with your order. In your e-mail, include your pet’s name, your last name and the phone number that we can reach you on. Once your flea and tick prevention is ready to be picked up, we will call to let you know and to schedule an appointment between April 15^th and May 31^st  for the 4DX test.

Please do not call our office with your order as we are experiencing larger than normal call volumes and would like to keep our phone lines available for emergencies and appointments checking-in. Thank you!

Diarrhea and Soft Stool: What To Do

Diarrhea and soft stool can happen for many reasons. While the exact cause may not always be easy to identify, these are the most common reasons your pet may be suffering from soft stool:

Dietary indiscretion is the most common cause of diarrhea or soft stool. This is when your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have, such as getting onto the garbage.

Parasites can also cause loose stool. If your pet has not recently had a fecal sample checked, bringing in a sample to your veterinarian is a good first step. 

A recent food change can also cause soft stool. It is important when changing brands or types of food to always transition your pet over to the new food. Sudden changes can cause GI upset. A poor quality diet can also cause soft stools.

Some pets may even suffer from food allergies. Many times this is due to the protein source in their current food. However, food allergies will typically cause more than just soft stool. They also usually cause flatulence and possibly vomiting, or even an itchy face and/or feet. Diagnosing you pet with a food allergy requires you to change your pet’s food to a specialized diet and solely feeding only this for 3-6 months. No treats or any other supplements should be given during a food trial. If you wish to learn more about food trials, see our blog Food Allergies on Trial.

Stress and anxiety can also cause soft stool as can extreme heat.

New medications or supplements can sometimes result soft stool in some pets as well. If your pet has been prescribed a medication from your veterinarian, contact them immediately to see if the medication should be stopped or if something additional should be prescribed to combat this. If your pet has been prescribed an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and diarrhea occurs, please STOP this medication immediately and contact your veterinarian. If your pet has started a new supplement purchased elsewhere, please stop using this product and contact your veterinarian.

Viruses and bacterial overgrowth or a bacterial imbalance can also cause soft stool and diarrhea. Parvovirus and salmonella are examples of this. Your veterinarian will decide if your pet’s stool needs to be tested for this.

Now, what to do:

1. Contact your veterinarian prior attempting to treat your pet’s diarrhea at home
2. Give a probiotic as these can help return good bacteria into your pet’s GI tract
3. Keep your pet hydrated, this is very important
4. Feed small amounts, frequently of a bland diet, such as lean ground beef (drained) and plain white boiled rice, until your pet’s stool has returned to normal
5. Give antibiotics ONLY if  prescribed by your veterinarian

Many of the above described products are great to keep in stock for when an unexpected bout of diarrhea and/or soft stool occurs. Luckily, we do offer a Diarrhea Control Take-Home Kit. If you wish to purchase one of these to have on hand, please give the office a call at 905-846-3316.

Thank you for reading 🙂

From Your Friends at Snelgrove Veterinary Services

Help! I Think My Pet Has Arthritis

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What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a common condition where the surface of joints deteriorates over time due to age (wear and tear), genetics, certain medical conditions or obesity. Although we can’t cure arthritis, we can aid in slowing down the progression as well as alleviate the pain caused by it.

How Can I Treat Arthritis?

Visiting your veterinarian is the first step in confirming that your pet does indeed have arthritis. The next step is finding the appropriate treatment plan to get your pet feeling the best they can.

As with many conditions, arthritis treatment requires a multi-modal approach. Think of it as brushing your teeth, flossing and using mouthwash. The combination does far more for your teeth than just brushing alone. The same goes for this condition.

1. NSAIDS – “Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories” help to decrease swelling and inflammation in the surrounding tissues to help relieve the discomfort caused by arthritis. Our doctors will typically prescribe a short-term course initially to see how your pet responds and adjust the course of treatment accordingly.

2. LASER THERAPY – Laser therapy works by transmitting energy into cells within the body, encouraging them to repair at a quicker pace. This aids in breaking up scar tissue, reducing inflammation and increasing circulation. This is a non-invasive treatment preformed at our hospital. Ask any of our staff members for further information to find out if laser therapy is right for your pet, or you can check out our website for further details on the benefits of laser therapy.

3. WEIGHT LOSS – A perfect body-conditioning score is imperative to relieve pressure on joints in overweight pets. Please discuss with our staff the correct amount of calories per day for your pet. We can even recommend a food to aid in dropping those extra pounds! We also offer a free one-on-one program called PROJECT: PET SLIM DOWN, which is an easy, veterinarian-guided weight management program.

4. CARTROPHEN injections – Cartrophen is a medication that helps to preserve joint cartilage in patients with osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. It is given once weekly for 4 weeks, then it is decreased to 1, 2 or 3 times a year depending on the severity of your pet’s arthritis.

5. MEDICATIONS – There are a variety of pain blocking medications such as gabapentin, amytriptline and amantadine. All of these medications block the pain pathway at different and unique location within the body.

6. GLUCOSAMINE + SUPPLEMENTS – We highly recommend starting a joint supplement immediately upon diagnoses to further reduce any damage. This would be a long term treatment for prevention. These products are available on our Webstore.

7. OMEGA FATTY ACIDS – Omegas are one of the most over-looked supplements. When given daily, omegas not only reduce inflammation for our arthritis patients, but they are also attributed to a healthy coat and skin, as well as brain and heart health. This is a must for all patients as a life long supplement. These products are available on our Webstore.

8. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS – Consider adding stairs or ramps, carpets in slippery areas and baby gates as needed to make moving around easier for your pet.

9. PHYSICAL REHABILITATION – Take a look on our website for videos on passive range of motion and exercises for your pet. This type of treatment is often overlooked but can have a huge impact on your pet’s well-being when it comes to arthritis.

In Conclusion

Arthritis is a fairly common condition that many pets will experience as they age. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to have a huge impact on your pet’s health and happiness. As you have read above, there are many treatment options available to you and your pet. Often a combination of these different treatment options will yield the best results. If you suspect your pet may be suffering from arthritis, please contact us at 905-846-3316 to discuss how we can best help your pet.

Thank you for reading and have a lovely day! 🙂