Preparing your Home for your new Puppy
While excitement and anticipation may perhaps be in the top of the list when bringing home a brand new… [more]
Holiday Foods May Land your Pet in the ER
The Christmas holiday is one of great joy, family reunions and a lot of celebration. But, for some… [more]
Remember your Pet with a Memorial Wind Chime
It can be heartbreaking when we loose one of our pets. After all, they have been a part of our family… [more]
Ticks and your Pets
Ticks are eight legged parasites related to spiders and scorpions. Ticks feed on the blood of their host,… [more]
Tips on Caring for your Pet’s Teeth
All of us know about the benefits of routine dental care for ourselves. Daily brushing and flossing and… [more]
Heartworm Disease Continues to Plague our Pets
Every year, veterinarians brace for a disease that has plagued our pets for decades. Yet this disease… [more]
Flea Control
Fleas are pesky parasites and have adapted very well to living in our houses. In fact, houses are at… [more]
Seizures in Pets
Seizures are a neurological anomaly that may occur in some pets. They are caused by a wide variety of… [more]
Diabetes Mellitus in Pets
Two forms of diabetes can be found in dogs. The first, Diabetes Mellitus, is the most common and will… [more]
Featured Dog Posts
Disc Disease in Dogs
As pet owners, we all hope that our dogs never have to experience disc disease. However, this is a fairly common condition in some breeds and in many geriatric pets. Discs are essentially cushions that help to absorb tension and pressure between the vertebrae. Humans have this same mechanism and can also suffer from disc disease. By acting as shock absorbers, discs help to protect the very … [Read More...]
Diarrhea in Pets
As a pet owner it is often distressing to have a sick or ailing pet. Diarrhea in your pet is one such ailment that can often cause discomfort for the owner as well as the pet by causing accidents around the house. Diarrhea is the passage of unformed, loose stools and may appear for many different reasons. This handout will review the causes of diarrhea, treatments for diarrhea and observations … [Read More...]
Featured Cat Articles
Post-Operative Care of your Cat
After your cat has undergone surgery there are some things to remember to assure a speedy recovery. Anesthesia Your cat may not feel himself for the next 12 to 24 hours. Keep him in a warm, quiet area, away from other pets, where he can rest and is not likely to injure himself. An airline kennel or a small room is ideal. Never feed or give water to a cat that still seems groggy. Once your cat … [Read More...]
Vaccinating Your Cat
Vaccines can protect your cat against serious infectious illnesses, but they aren't one size fits all. Your veterinarian can help you select the vaccines your cat needs based on age, health status, lifestyle and other risk factors. Even though he may not need vaccines that often, your cat should have a veterinary checkup every six to twelve months. Core Vaccines Core vaccines are those that are … [Read More...]
Welcome
Welcome
Spring veterinarian, Dr. Debra Garrison would like to welcome you to the Treaschwig Veterinary Clinic. My staff and are are committed to providing the medical and surgical care to help your pet live a longer and healthier life. Our clinic is dedicated to providing wellness and preventative care to keep your pet from succumbing to illnesses and parasites. Puppy and kitten wellness can get your pet off to a healthy start. Senior wellness can help your dog or cat live a longer, more productive life with early laboratory detection of geriatric diseases that can affect the heart, kidney and liver. Home dental care is emphasized and dental services are available for periodontal disease. We also have a strong relationship with North Houston Veterinary Specialists if your pet should need more advanced diagnostics, care or surgery. Feel free to browse or website. We have a lot of informational videos as well as some entertaining videos from YouTube. Our pet health library has over 1000 articles on pet care written by veterinarians to answer almost any question you may have. There are also many videos available from PetCareTV. for more information. If you can not find what you are seeking, our staff or myself will be happy to answer any questions.
Houston Zoo Lion Mistakes Toddler for Zebra
This was too cute not to share. The weather is fine this week, time to visit the zoo and say Hi to the lions!
Venomous Snakes and your Dog
When the weather warms up, so do the snakes in our area. Dogs by nature are curious and territorial, thus when they encounter a wiggly intruder in their back yard, their first instinct is to sniff the snake and if that snake turns out to be one of the venomous snakes, the encounter may end with a painful bite on his nose.
Most snakes prefer to avoid a confrontation and will slither away when left alone, but if startled or harassed by your barking dog, they will strike to defend itself. The muzzle and paws are the most common areas that I find snake bites. In the last week alone, we have one bite on the nose, my own dog got bit on his toe and another dog played with the snake and got several bites on his tongue.
Fortunately, most of the snake bites in our area are from copperheads which can inflict a painful bite with a lot of swelling and local tissue destruction, but seldom results in the death of your pet. Emergency treatment given by your veterinarian will be determined by the type of snake that bit your pet and the type of reaction your pet is having to the venom. Antivenin is available for pets, but it is expensive and you have to know which snake bit your pet.
A good on-line source to identify snakes can be found at ENature.com
For dogs traveling to areas filled with rattlesnakes, you may consider vaccinating them with the Red Rock Rattlesnake Vaccine. Rattlesnake bites are more deadly than copperheads and the vaccine may help to lessen the severity of the bite reaction. The vaccine may also help reduce the copperhead reactions but has no effect against the cottonmouth or coral snake venom.
Venomous Snakes in the Houston Area
 Copperhead |
 Cottonmouth (water moccasin) |
 Diamondback Rattlesnake |
 Coral Snake |
Tips to prevent snake encounters:
- Hike only on open paths and keep dog on leash at all times.
- Keep your dog from exploring holes or under logs where snakes may hide.
- Clear away brush and debris from around your house.
- Keep your yard mowed short.
- Teach your dog the “leave it” command so if you see a snake, he will respond by returning to you, rather than chasing the snake.
If your dog does encounter a snake and is bitten, or your dog comes in from playing outside and his face begins to swell, take him to your veterinarian or emergency clinic so they can initiate treatment. Do not attempt to catch the snake, a photo with your smart phone will help in identifying the snake. We do not want you to end up in the ER for another snakebite.
Remember that every snake in your yard is not venomous, but can be helpful in controlling mice and rats in your yard. So don’t make a vendetta against all snakes. Hog-nosed snakes are common in the area and can raise up like a cobra and strike at you but they are not toxic to humans or pets.
Diamond Pet Food Recalled Due to Salmonella
Diamond Pet Foods of Meta, Mo., recalled more dog food produced at its Gaston, S.C., plant after another bag of food tested positive for salmonella.
The latest recall involves one production run and four production codes of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food, as follows:
|
Product Name |
Bag Size |
Production Code |
Best By Date |
| Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food |
35 lb. |
CLF0102B31XCW |
27/JAN/2013 |
| Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food |
6 lb. |
CLF0102B3XALW |
28/JAN/2013 |
The food was distributed in Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, where the food may have been further distributed to other states through pet food channels. Diamond said it is working directly with distributors and retailers that carry the recalled food to remove it from the supply chain.
The company advised consumers who purchased the recalled food to discard it immediately.
This follows the April 6 recall of several lots of Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice dry dog food due to salmonella concerns. Diamond halted production at the Gaston plant two days later.
Pets infected with salmonella may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. The company advised owners whose pets that have consumed the recalled food and have any of the preceding symptoms to contact their veterinarian.
People handling dry pet food can also become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to the product, according to Diamond.
Virbac Recalls One Lot of Iverhart Max
Virbac Animal Health voluntarily recalled one lot of its canine heartworm and internal parasite preventive Iverhart Max Chewable Tablets (ivermectin, pyrantel pamoate, praziquantel) because the ivermectin failed to meet the company’s stability specifications.
Some dogs dosed with tablets from the affected lot (#110482 for large dogs, 50.1 to 100 lbs.) may not be protected against heartworm disease, the company said.
 Virbac is recalling one lot of its canine heartworm preventative Iverhart Max Chewable Tablets. |
The lot number is stamped on the side lid or flap of the product’s box in a white text field and on the blister foil of the individual doses.
Virbac, of Fort Worth, Texas, sent letters to veterinary distributors instructing them to cease distribution of the affected lot and to advise veterinary clinics in receipt of the recalled product to cease dispensing it.
The other active ingredients in Iverhart were not affected, the company said, meaning the tablets should provide protection against other internal parasites. Virbac tested other lots of Iverhart and confirmed only one lot was affected.
No heartworm-related adverse events or illnesses had been reported to Virbac as of late March. If veterinarians see a potentially affected dog, they should contact Virbac Technical Services at 1-800-338-3659 x3052) to discuss testing procedures. If a dog taking the product is infected with heartworms, its treatment will be covered under the Iverhart product satisfaction guarantee, the company said.
Source: Veterinary Practice News
Spinal Cord Injuries – How New Research is Helping Both Pets and People
Trauma to the spinal cord is a serious, often fatal injury in people and pets. Damage to the cord by fractures of the vertebrae or swelling can often lead to pain and weakness and even partial or complete loss of movement or sensation. These situations are medical emergencies! Interesting new research is now showing promise and the hero of the research may be a family pet!
Would you like to replay the video or share the link to it with your friends?
Experts estimate that more than 12,000 spinal cord injuries (SCI) occur every year in people and that more than a quarter of a million Americans are now living with some form of SCI. These injuries are not limited to humans, but happen frequently in our pets as well.
In people, damage to the spine often occurs due to a traumatic event, such as a car accidents, severe falls or even sports activities. Such injuries happen most often to younger men.
In dogs, not only are there a variety of accidents that cause SCI, but many breeds of dogs, can develop a bulging or full prolapse of the discs that are located between the vertebrae. This bulge puts damaging pressure on the spinal cord, causing pain and even paralysis. Any sort of pressure, trauma or tearing of the spinal cord is truly an emergency situation.
In both human and veterinary medicine new treatments are focused in an attempt to block certain biochemical pathways after injury to save mobility. But, until now, many of these treatments have been unsuccessful. Consequently, the human may spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair while many pets are euthanized due to costs or the owner’s inability to care for a pet who is unable to walk.
Dr. Jonathon Levine, a veterinarian and resident in neurology at Texas A & M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine says “about 3% of all hospitalized cases in veterinary medicine were due to disc related spinal cord injuries.” In certain breeds, especially dachshunds and other long bodied, short legged dogs, the incidence of SCI due to disc problems approaches 25%.
In some situations, especially traumatic events, like a dog being struck by a car, the onset is sudden and easily recognizable. But in other cases, the signs are much more subtle. Dogs with slow developing disc problems often show weakness in the limbs, abnormal gait, in-coordination and pain across the back. Without treatment, these pets may eventually lose the ability to walk.
New advances in diagnostic technology, including increased availability of even more powerful MRI units for pets, have enabled veterinarians to more accurately pinpoint the cause of spinal injuries. But, the fact still remains that far too many dogs and people suffering lasting serious consequences, from spinal cord injuries.
In conjunction with the University of California Medical School, Dr. Levine and the team at Texas A & M are exploring a new drug that may protect the nervous system after spinal cord injury. Certain enzymes in the nervous system can actually destroy vital components of the blood-spinal cord barrier and of myelin, the protective covering over nerves. This current research looks at a new compound that may block these destructive enzymes. “We are hoping that this new drug will protect the nervous system shortly after injury, improve the outcome and help more dogs walk in these cases.” says Levine.
The importance of this study cannot be overstated. This is the first veterinary clinical trial that has been funded by the National Institutes of Health. In addition, because of the potential benefits to both dogs and people, the Department of Defense has also provided grant money to continue the research. Many of the quarter of a million people living with spinal cord injuries are soldiers wounded while in war zones.
Pet owners, especially those with specific breeds prone to back problems need to be aware of the subtitle signs of potential problems. A veterinarian should see any dog that cries out during play, has difficulty navigating stairs or that has any sort of uncoordinated gait. Pets that are overweight are more prone to spinal issues, so keeping your pet trim is one way to minimize the risks. In some cases, owners may receive a referral to a veterinary neurologist or surgeon for advanced care.
Follow Us!