Prepare your pet for blood collection

Why is it important to prepare my pet for blood collection?

Having your pet properly prepared before blood collection helps to ensure that test results are as accurate and reliable as they can be. Sometimes abnormal test results say more about how the pet was prepared than about true illness. Having confidence in the results avoids unnecessary worry, and eliminates the need for repeat testing to verify the results.

For some special tests, specific preparations may be essential to the accuracy of the test. These may involve specific fasting periods, withdrawal of medication, or administration of medication. If special tests are planned, your veterinarian will provide the necessary details in before your appointment.

"You may be able to save valuable time and money by having your pet properly prepared before your visit."

Any routine visit from us may include collecting a blood sample; if your pet is not feeling well, it is even more likely that we  will recommend testing if we consider that by doing that it will provide us with invaluable information to get a diagnose. You may be able to save valuable time and money by having your pet properly prepared before our visit.

How do I prepare my pet for routine blood collection?

The first step is to fast your pet before the appointment. If possible, take food away (but not water) for 4 to 6 hours prior to the appointment. This allows the pet to clear fats from the bloodstream that may be present following eating. Fat in the blood stream (called lipemia) may interfere with some blood tests, making the results difficult to interpret.

Be sure the pet has access to water. Even mild dehydration may introduce changes in blood results, so keeping the pet well hydrated, especially in warm weather is important.

Avoid exercise or active play just prior to our visit, since either can introduce changes into blood test results. Try to keep your pet calm. This may be difficult if the pet is nervous or frightened. Handling your pet calmly and using a soothing tone of voice may help to reduce anxiety.

One of the advantages of choosing us as mobile vets is that blood samples are taken in the comfort of your home and that reduces the stress for your pet and provides a perfect calm situation for a more accurate diagnosis.

Cats and pregnant women

Many women that own a cat suffer an episode of anxiety when they get pregnant. Everyone "knows" that it is dangerous to have a cat at home because it can "pass something to you ". But it is not easy to get rid of a member of the family, right?

Doctors, obstetrician and many midwives recommend to get rid of the cat to prevent the spread of toxoplasmosis. This is because they want to err on the safe side. The truth is that, as they are not veterinarians, they do not know (or they don’t have to know) the life cycle of this parasite. Do you know why, if you ask your veterinarian, he or she is not going to contradict them? Because if she tells you that nothing will happen if you are pregnant and have a cat at home at the same time and then you acquire toxoplasmosis from eating poorly washed lettuce (which is infinitely easier than getting it from a cat) you won’t know, you’ll believe that it's been the cat and you will charge against the veterinarian if something happens to the baby.

This is what you need to know:

1. Toxoplasma  gondii is found mainly in the earth and is acquired only by mouth. A cat contracts toxoplasma through intake of meat infected (from a bird or mouse). A domestic cat that never goes out or hunts mice or birds would hardly get infected.

2. A cat that contracts toxoplasmosis only gets it once and after, he will be immunized for life and he will never get it again. The cat only can "catch" the toxoplasmosis the first time. It would be a big coincidence that that happens during your pregnancy although it can certainly happen.

3. How does toxoplasmosis pass from a cat to a human?

A cat that gets toxoplasmosis for the first time , therefore he is not immunized yet, and he  is expelling the parasite through faeces for fifteen to thirty days. He doesn’t shed the mature parasite but the oocysts (eggs of the parasite).  These oocysts hatch under very specific conditions of temperature and humidity for about 48 hours. Assuming that you leave the poop in the sandbox for such a long time and that, coincidentally, environmental conditions are adequate for the parasite and the eggs hatch, I must insist, that for humans to get infected, they must INGEST the parasite. It would be as simple as you removing the faeces every day and you thoroughly washing your hands afterwards. Or better yet, since you have an excuse, take advantage and ask somebody else to clean the sandbox.

4. You get the immunity to toxoplasmosis test done when you are pregnant because it is only dangerous if you acquire it for the first time during pregnancy. A recent study has determined that approximately 70% of beef and around 80% of game (deer, boar, etc) is infected with toxoplasmosis. This is why you are told not to eat ham, or chorizo or any mature meat unless it is cooked and to wash fruit and vegetables to eliminate the parasite and so that you won’t ingest it.

For a lot of people, a pet is a member of the family. The children who grow up with animals develop empathy, sociability and immunity to allergies. The first choice of many professionals to "get rid of him" is completely unfounded. Ask your veterinarian for information. If you avoid telling him that you're pregnant it will cost him less to be frank, and keep in mind that your vet doesn’t know the risks for human pregnancy like your obstetrician does. Ask your obstetrician about the risks to the foetus of contracting toxoplasmosis, but remember that he doesn’t  have to know the life cycle of the parasite. If you want to know more you can read the article on toxoplasmosis in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis.

Don't feel bad. Before making a decision, make sure you have all the information. Your cat is not guilty of the doctor’s ignorance to feline health.

Remember that the decision is always yours. Be sure that no one takes it for you.

Why dogs scoot

http://www.avmamedia.org/display.asp?sid=400&tid=207&NAME=Why_Dogs_Scoot
Please if  your dog show these symptoms contact us.It is more than an itchy bum what is bothering them.

After meals we all brush our teeth.

Has your pet got halitosis, bad breath and shows discomfort when eating or his gums are red and bleeding? If the answer is yes then you should check with your veterinarian to see if his teeth and gums are in good condition.

And probably one of the vet’s requests that most owners dread is...brush your pet’s teeth.

Well, as long as we are always responsible for what we have domesticated ...dental cleaning should be in the “must do” calendar.

Gingivitis if not treated could lead to a much more serious condition called Periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is a chronic and irreversible disease which presents various degrees of evolution and affects 85% of the cat and dog population. It usually begins with a mild gingivitis. Not to treat it will follow with a retraction of the gingiva ending in a loss of the bone that holds the teeth with the immediate falling of the tooth. Symptoms that we see most relevant are halitosis or bad mouth odour, spontaneous gingival bleeding, the increase in mobility of the teeth and the fall of the same in a spontaneous way.

The cause of periodontal disease is the presence of dental plaque, which is an accumulation of bacteria and other detritus between the tooth and the gum. Once formed the dental plaque can only be removed through brushing. As time passes, minerals are deposited on this bacterial film and Tartar forms, which will only withdraw using a mechanical cleaning.

The bacteria present in this type of infection can migrate through the bloodstream to distant locations such as the heart causing infections in their valves known as endocarditis, likewise can affect other organs (i.e the liver and the kidneys).

We recommend a minimum brush cleaning every day. There are special dog/cat toothbrushes shaped according to their teeth and also some brushes called "thimbles" because they fit on to the finger of the owner and in certain animals that makes it easier. As with humans, to brush a mouth with gingivitis may appear bleeding. The application of an antiseptic mouthwash is also a helpful.

Chlorhexidine is the most effective product to inhibit plaque formation in humans and it’s effective against bacteria, fungi, and some viruses. Once absorbed it continues to be effective for up to 24 hours. The contact time of application is important for chlorhexidine to bind to the tooth and gingival sulcus. One minute oral rinsing is difficult to accomplish in animals. Chlorhexidine can be applied with a gauze sponge, cotton tipped applicators, as a spray or with finger brushes.

It is very important that your pet gets a professional dental cleaning once a year which includes hand scaling, polishing, irrigation, fluoride, perioceutic gel etc.

This procedure is very safe and inexpensive and will definitely save you a lot of vet expenses in the long run for Antibiotics and more complicated and longer dental procedures.

As a medical treatment before, during and after the periodontal procedure, (usually 7-10 days) the antibiotic of choice is Clyndamicine approved for dental infections.

Please contact us if you need more information about your pet’s dental hygiene and health and the prevention of future dental problems.