RATTLESNAKES WAKING SOON! Get Protection Now
posted by Dr. Deb on February 24th, 2010 in Other
Rattlesnake Season is upon us. Our venemous desert vipers will soon be stirring for their first post-hibernation meals– hungry, cranky, and with full venom glands. Our curious pets are at highest risk for the most severe bites in the spring months when most bites are venemous and snakes have the meanest tempers and the fullest venom glands (saved up since their last meal in the Fall)!
Rattlesnake bites are extremely painful! Pets that are bitten will usually develop obvious swelling in the bitten area– usually the face or a paw. If you find oozing puncture wounds, you know your pet has been bitten, but often those punctures are hidden in the swollen tissue. As the venom penetrates the tissues, it causes tissue necrosis, or death and sloughing. The venom also leeches into the blood stream, affecting other organs. Rattlesnake venom can cause death by kidney failure or spontaneous destruction of blood cells in the vessels. All rattlesnake bites to pets are a veterinary emergency!
There is no First Aid treatment for rattlesnake bites in pets except to keep themn quiet, move the affected area as little as possible and get to your Vet or an Emergency Vet immediately. Once there, your Veterinarian can determine the best treatment for your pet, based on his condition. Standard treatment includes IV fluids and treatment for shock. Your veterinarian will probably recommend antivenin. Pain and infection will be addressed as well. At Cimarron Animal Hospital, we can offer Cold Laser Therapy to the affected area to immediately help reduce swelling and pain and significantly reduce the amount of tissue loss as well!
RATTLESNAKE VACCINE for dogs helps reduce the severity of rattlesnake bites caused by most of our desesrt species! The vaccine induces an immunity that inactivates the venom, minimizing pain, swelling and the risk of organ failure and intravascular hemolysis. Dogs still need to be seen immediately by their veterinarian for treatment of the post-bite infection (snakes have dreadful bacteria in their mouths!), and any residual venom effects not completely counteracted by the vaccine immunity, but the treatment should be less intensive and less expensive!
PREVENT snake bites by keeping your dog on a leash while walking in the desert. Stay alert to the sound of rattles on the side of the path and slowly walk away. Avoid leaving your dog in open desert areas as much as possible.
For those dogs at risk because they live in desert yards, frequent parks and washes or hunt with their masters, PROTECT them with Rattlesnake Vaccine. Pets receiving Rattlesnake vaccine for the first time will need two vaccines 4 weeks apart. The vaccine is protective for 6 months, so boosters every 6 months are important for continuous protection. If the boosters are not given every 6 months, the maufacturer recommends the double series be given once a year, 1 month prior to Rattlesnake Season.
For more info about the vaccine, http://rattlesnakevaccinefordogs.com/
Contact Us if you have any questions about rattlesnake vaccine or would like to schedule your pet’s vaccines. 886- 1125 info@cimarronah.com
We’re AAHA Accredited- what that means for you
posted by Dr. Deb on February 4th, 2010 in Other
The American Animal Hospital Association defines excellence in veterinary medicine. AAHA provides over 900 standards for quality medicine as well as client and patient service. A Veterinary practice can only be accredited by AAHA after completing a rigorous physical evaluation of its premises, practices, equipment, records, and management protocols. You canbe assured that your pet is getting the absolute best in medical protocols when you come to an AAHA hospital.
Cimarron Animal Hospital has been AAHA accredited since 1985. Dr. Bohnke has decided to maintain that accreditation because she wants to be able to give you the same confidence in the quality of medicine that your pet receives here as your child would receive at his or her pediatrician/ dentist/ surgeon’s office.
What are some of the specific features of an AAHA accredited hospital that you may not find at other Veterinary hospitals?
1) Pain management is a part of every patient’s evaluation. Pain medications are given preemptively, before a painful procedure is even begun. This helps prevent central nervous system “wind-up”, a phenomenon that causes a patient to perceive pain more intensely than it is because they have been in pain for some time already. Many forms of pain relief may be provided to minimize discomfort, depending on a patient’s needs.
All team members (including receptionists!) are trained to recognize the signs and severity of pain in various animal species so that effective medication can be administered promptly. All surgical patients receive pain medication.
2) Intensive Anesthetic Monitoring. All patients undergoing general anesthesia receive:
* Intravenous catheter and fluids. IV fluid administration protects against the depression of blood pressure and heart function that occurs every time a patient is anesthetized. Depression of these functions can threaten the future health of other vital organs like kidneys and brain. Having an IV catheter also provides an immediate venous access for drug administration in case there is a crisis during an anesthetic procedure.
* Endotracheal Tube in Place. Even if the procedure is very short or gas anesthetics are not used, an endotracheal breathing tube is placed. This tube, placed in the airway, ensures that the patient’s airway stays open, allowing for easy breathing throughout the procedure. It is also another route that can be used for emergency drug administration in case of emergency.
* EKG machine, Pulse oximeter, Blood pressure monitor, Core Temperature and endotracheal stethoscope monitoring. These monitors provide general oversight of the patient’s heart health, oxygen levels, and blood pressure while anesthetized.
* Certified Veterinary Technician as anesthesiologist. (many clinics utilize trained lay staff in this position). The CVT constantly monitors the patient physically throughout surgery, ensuring adequate anesthesia to remain pain free, yet not too much anesthesia as to be at risk. The CVT also monitors and records the patient’s vital statistics and electronic monitor readings every 15 minutes. This highly trained and experienced CVT is with your pet every moment from pre-surgical prep, through surgery and recovery.
3) All team members are trained in animal CPR ( At Cimarron, even our Business Administrator is trained!). This training is updated and reviewed every 6 months to ensure everyone stays current with latest recommendations.
4) Training in Emergency Shock Treatment so that Veterinary Assistants and CVT’s can begin life sustaining treatment as soon as possible, even in the absence of the Veterinarian.
5) Separate Isolation Ward from the main hospital ward to protect healthy pets from contagious disease. (Not all hospitals do this!)
6) All dental instruments are steam sterilized, not just disinfected, between patients to prevent disease transfer during dental procedures.
7) Hospitalized patients are given thorough physical exams, performed by the Veterinarian, twice daily. The Vet on duty does not rely soley on reports of the Veterinary Assistants and Technicians to determine medical therapy.
Veterinary Technicians are all formally trained in animal restraint. Team members must pass a critical evaluation before being allowed to handle pets. All Team members are trained to use the least amount of restraint possible while still being able to perform a procedure. This ensures that your pet will be handled in the gentlest way possible, maximizing safety to your pet, you, and your veterinary team.
9) All adverse drug/ treatment reactions must be reported to the appropriate oversight government agency (FDA, DEA, EPA, etc) within 2 days of our knowledge of the event. This helps us to prevent needless similar adverse reactions in the future as well as providing oversight into the safety of pet health products for everyone. (Most veterinary clinics do not report minor adverse events at all.)
AAHA Hospitals are for the devoted pet owner who wants their pet treated like a member of the family. There are always less expensive options, but there is no place that provides the kind of love, kindness, consideration, medical expertise, cleanliness, dedication, and committment to you and your pet that an AAHA Hospital like Cimarron Animal Hospital does.
For More Information about AAHA Accreditation, see HealthyPet.com About Accreditation
Because Pets and their People are Our Passion!
IT COSTS WHAT ***? TO CLEAN MY DOG’S TEETH!?
posted by Dr. Deb on January 2nd, 2010 in Cats, Dogs
“Why does it cost so **!?** much to clean my pet’s teeth? That’s more than I pay for my own teeth!”
This is a very common question asked by pet owners– if not aloud, certainly in their own minds. Many people, when presented with an estimate from their veterinarian, are certain that their vet is trying to “rip them off”. It is not uncommon to get estimates anywhere from $250- $400 for an uncomplicated “Dental” for a middle-aged, healthy dog or cat from a good quality veterinary clinic. Caution to you and your pet if you get a Dental procedure estimate for less than that– your pet will probably get exactly what you pay for– not much.
So, what DO you pay for?
The Cleaning:
First there is the Dental Cleaning, the actual processes of ultrasonic scaling and polishing the teeth just like a human dentist does. This is the best, fastest way to clean a pet’s teeth. Hand scaling would take too long and is usually not very effective for the degree of dental disease that most pets have by the time they present for treatment — anywhere from stage 1 gingivitis to severe periodontal disease with tooth loss. (see http://www.cimarronah.com/dental-care/ for more on dental disease) The cost for the actual Cleaning is about the same for cats and small dogs as we humans pay our dentist. The cost for large dogs tends to be a little more because they have 42 teeth (compared to humans’ 32 and cats’ 30) to clean.
Anesthesia:
Unfortunately, our pets don’t just sit on the table and let us spray water with a high pitched machine into their mouths, so they have to be anesthetized to do the Cleaning. This is where it starts to get pricey. Anesthetizing a pet involves, at the most basicclinics, administering a couple of preanesthetic sedative injections, an anesthetic induction injection, placing an endotracheal tube and administering general anesthesia for 30- 45 minutes (longer if there are other procedures done). At higher quality veterinary facilities, the patient will also receive an IV catheter to allow administration of intravenous fluids to keep internal organs safe from the depressive effects of the anesthesia. Furthermore, there will be an anesthesia technician dedicated to doing nothing but monitoring the pet during anesthesia and recovery, while someone else does the dental procedure. (Many lower cost vet clinics do not have an anesthesia tech. The person doing the procedure also monitors the patient’s anesthesia.) Higher quality clinics will also monitor the patient’s vitals with various safety equipment: EKG, Blood Pressure monitor, Pulse Oximeter, Core thermometer, Respiratory monitor, etc. (Minimal, if any, anesthetic monitoring equipment is used in lower cost clinics– trusting solely to the attentiveness of the human who is concentrating on cleaning the teeth.) There is also nursing care such as keeping the patient warm (just like humans who undergo general anesthesia, pets’ body temperatures fall under anesthesia), monitoring during recovery, and often some bathing or clean up when elimination “accidents” happen.
Pre-Anesthetic Exam and Bloodwork:
But, before we even get to anesthetizing the patient… We need to ensure the pet’s health as best as possible throughout the anesthetic procedure. So, every pet, even those that are apparently healthy on the outside, should have a Pre-Anesthetic Exam and Blood Screen. Here’s another $65- $150, depending on the age of the pet and any preexisting health conditions.
Other Procedures due to Disease Present:
Consider that 80% of pets over 3 years of age have some degree of dental disease, much of which may not be apparent in the awake, licking, panting, moving patient. Most dental disease can not be determined until the animal is under anesthesia and the veterinarian or dental technician can probe under the gums, take dental radiographs, or remove enough hard, calcified tartar to actually SEE the teeth. We are often “going in blind” with regard to what is going to need to be done to treat the dental disease. This is where the cost of a “Dental Cleaning” can really vary and escalate, without a good way to predict. Pets may need subgingival curettage, root planing, periodontal antibiotic infusion or tooth extractions, which can range from simple to surgical, in order to relieve pain and persistent infection. And, since we’ve already gone to the trouble and expense of anesthetizing the pet, it’s better to just do the needed treatments while we are there, rather than going through it all again in a month or two.
In Summary, then
the cost of the Dental Cleaning in every pet’s Dental Treatment plan DOES cost about the same as yours. It’s all the other stuff that has to go along with it that adds to the bottom line. And, unlike human dentistry, where we have to schedule additional appointments for our root scaling or extractions, often with different doctors (ultimately costing us hundreds to Thousands of dollars), animals need to have it all done at once because of the need for anesthesia.
When veterinary bills and the human dental bills to treat the same degree of dental disease are compared, the cumulative human bills will be much higher. Dogs’ and Cats’ Dental treatments ultimately cost a lot LESS for the same amount of work, given the same degree of dental disease. Even the worst veterinary dental cases of periodontal disease usually can be managed for under $1000.
“OK. But I get to pay my dentist over the course of time, as I have portions of the treatment done. I just can’t pay $500 – $1000 to my Vet all at once!”
Medical Expense Savings Accounts available at Cimarron
We recognize that Pet Dental Treatments are financially challenging. So, Cimarron Animal Hospital offers Medical Expense Savings Accounts to help you save toward your pet’s needs– whether it’s dental treatment or other medical needs or just to have an emergency cushion. Our Client Service Representatives can set you up with a plan that you can manage, given your life circumstances. Together, we can help you do the best you can for your pet.
HEARTWORMS AND HOOKWORMS HAVE COME TO TUCSON!
posted by Dr. Deb on October 7th, 2009 in Dogs
During the summer, two dog parks in Tucson were temporarily closed while the grounds were treated for Hookworms and the mosquitos that transmit Heartworms!
Heartworm disease, once considered a rare threat in Tucson, is here. Heartworm disease can be fatal to dogs, cats, ferrets, and other exotic animals as these “earthworm” sized worms grow in and ultimately block blood vessels leading from the heart 
into the lungs. Even worse, treating pets for the Heartworms can be fatal as well. The best news is, though, that Heartworm disease is completely preventable with a tasty once-a- month chewable pill! Your veterinarian can test your dog (or cat, though indoor cats are at very low risk) and get him started on a prescription of Heartworm prevention medication.
Hookworms, intestinal parasites that also 
, have also been uncommon in our arid desert environment,are now much more prevalent (I have seen more cases of Hookworm in the last 2 months than in the last 16 years of practice in Tucson!) in our local dogs. Pets adopted from large group environments, like shelters, pounds, or pet stores are more likely to be infected. These pets may not show any symptoms while spreading the parasite around the environment where they defecate (like parks and apartment complex grounds). However, Hookworms are dangerous parasites, deriving their nutrients from ingesting their host animal’s blood, causing anemia and immune system stress. Furthermore, Hookworms can cause 
serious disease (blindness, liver failure, skin disease) in humans, who can become infected by coming in contact with the larvae living in the grass where dogs with Hookworms have eliminated! All new pets to a household should be tested and treated as soon as possible. Existing dogs should have a stool sample checked annually or whenever there is diarrhea, especially if they visit dog parks, city parks, grooming or boarding kennels or live in apartment complexes.
Conveniently, the same tasty tablet that prevents Heartworms also treats and prevents Hookworms!
Protect your pets and your family:
Contact us today to arrange Heartworm and Hookworm testing for your pet so we can get him or her started on Preventive medication right away!
Avian Wellness- Basic Care Tips
posted by Dr. Deb on October 6th, 2009 in Birds
Birds can be wonderful pets, but like all exotic, non-domestic animals, they require time,knowlege and commitment to keep them looking and feeling their best. Below are several areas that address the unique nature and needs of these pets.
Housing:
Birds require safe cages to keep them from getting loose and hurting themselves. A safe cage should have the proper distance between the bars to prevent a bird from getting caught (a bird should not be able to get its head in between bars) and to provide easy climbing on the bars. Bird safe paints and materials should be used (no galvanized metal or lead based paints). A bird needs at least enough room in a cage to spread its wings and turn around without tail damage. When it comes to space, the more the merrier, as there is more room for toys and for play! Many birds enjoy a separate roost cage for sleeping. This smaller cage can be placed in dark, quiet part of the house to allow for adequate rest. Feather plucking and other destructive behaviors often arise from lack of sleep and too much stress. Provide a cuddly hammock or towel and bowl of water for overnight. Bring your pet bird out to his day cage every morning!
Location: Birds should be located in an area where they can get plenty of attention. Most behavior problems occur when pet birds, especially large parrots, don’t get enough personal time. Steer clear of places that may be drafty, get too hot or cold due to placement too close to a window. If your bird is in a location that will be brightly lit late at night, you can use a sheet or cage cover to provide privacy and dark to sleep by-or use a roost cage. Be careful when changing the location of your pet’s cage, as this will sometimes tigger stress activities such as feather plucking. (While other birds love the change of scenery!)
Food: Our most commonly kept species have distinctly different food needs. Parrots do best with complete pelleted diets supplemented with seeds, fruit, vegitables, and occassional protein based treats such as cooked chicken, fish, cheese. Finches and canaries can also be kept on pelleted diets with fruit and vegetable treats. There are some parrots who are nectar eaters, and require a specialized diet mimicking their natural diet. Vitamins and minerals can be added to the food and water to complete the diet. The best words of advice we can give is to provide a healthy, varied diet – don’t just stick to a seed mix. Research your particular bird’s special dietary needs before purchasing! And think about what that bird would eat in the wild…
Foraging: Feeding your bird in challenging ways keeps his brain and beak active on productive activities. Birds spend 80% of their time in the wild foraging for food. Feed in different bowls. Cover the food place it in toys that have to opened, turned or rolled to get the food. Invest in some commercial foraging toys. You and your bird will love the discovery process! This is one of the best things you can do for your pet bird’s mental health!
Grooming: Most owners don’t think of grooming for birds, but there are benifits to keeping your pet looking top notch. Keeping a beak trimmed can avoid painful bites for you, and avoid cracks and breakage of the tip. Nails that are too long can cause stress on the toes, as well as on the skin of the owner. And most importantly, a well trimmed set of wings won’t allow a pet bird to fly into ceiling fans, fireplaces, or out the window or door while still allowing them to float to the floor and not crash.
Wellness Care: The best wellness care will be done at home as you provide the best and most appropriate housing, husbandry, and food that you can. A pet that is not stressed and is well-nourished, will maintain within its own healthy parameters.
Regular Veterinary Check Ups: will step up your Wellness Program. All exotics, and birds in particular, tend to hide illness from owners or the animals who prey on them. Your veterinarian can sometimes see things that you don’t recognize on a daily basis. Also, a short blood screen once a year will help you and your vet detect problems before they are a crisis. Many issues can be managed with simple husbandry and diet changes or nutritional supplements
Signs of Illness: When your pet bird shows illness, it has generally been going on for at least a bit of time. Because of this, do not hesitate to seek assistance once a problem is noted.
” puffy feathers “ eye or nose discharge “ lack of appetite,
loose stools, discolored stools (“greens” that are too bright or too brown, white sections that are too watery or too yellow) “
weight loss. (One of the best aids you can have in monitoring your pet’s condition is a scale. A scale will pick up weight loss before an owner can by feel.)
Common diseases in pet birds include Polyomavirus, Psitticine Beak and Feather Disease, Proventricular Dilitation Syndrome, Gout, Mineral imbalances, fatty liver disease These can be tested for and Treated. Not all can be completely cured, but knowing the disease is there allows for better care and a longer, happier life!
