Health Reports Vital to the well being of PONS

Second hand smoke and pets

We are aware of the negative effects of second hand smoke on our own health. But how many of us have really thought about the effects on our pet animals.

Practicing veterinarians have often observed individual cases in which a dog or cat’s respiratory problems such as asthma or chronic coughing have been dramatically improved after their exposure to second hand smoke has stopped. Although the research is still somewhat sparse, evidence is accumulating about the adverse effects of tobacco smoke on animals. One study, conducted at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, looked at the correlation between second hand smoke and the incidence of lung and nasal cancer in dogs. It showed that a dog exposed to smoke is 1.6 times as likely to develop cancer, and suggested that the shape of the dog’s nose had an influence on the site of cancer – dogs with long noses were more likely to get nasal cancer while those with short noses were more prone to lung cancer. Another study, conducted at the University of Massachusetts and Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine linked malignant lymphoma in cats to passive smoke exposure, showed that cats living with smokers were 2.4 times as likely to develop lymphoma than cats living in smoke-free homes. The risk was found to increase with both the amount and number of years of smoke exposure.

There are no published animal studies yet on the effects of smoke on allergies, asthma or heart disease. Since many of these conditions have multiple inciting factors, it can be difficult to unequivocally prove a cause and effect relationship. But given the small amount of research that is available, it would be prudent for pet owners to avoid the risks by eliminating second hand smoke in the pet’s environment.

Smart Drug or Clever Marketing?

Silk, my 9 year old Dobie, injured her left rear leg and was prescribed Deramaxx® which she took for just two days. Needless to say, three days and $1,500.00 dollars later, the specialists are still giving her IV fluids. A scope was performed today by an internal medicine specialist who found that the entire stomach lining had been sloughed off. Her symptoms were violent vomiting which included blood, bloody stool and bleeding from the rectum. IV fluids will be maintained for at least two more days, which will make that a total of 5 days on IV fluids.

Cheryl Hartman

As of March 14th, Cheryl's bill for treating Silk is now $3,470.53.

Deramaxx® is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) marketed by Novartis Animal Health Products. The essence of the Novartis marketing campaign is that because Deramaxx® is a Cox-2 specific NSAID it is both safer and more effective than other veterinary NSAIDs. Claims like this have been disallowed by the Food and Drug Administration for human Cox-2 inhibitors. Cox-2 inihibitors simply trade one set of side effects for another.

As with any NSAID, it is a medicine to be taken wisely since the side effects can include death.

As of February 24, 2003, the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the Food and Drug Administration had received reports of the death of 27 dogs which were possibly linked to Deramaxx®. Reported adverse events typically represent about 10%-15% of actual events.

This website has been created to provide information on using Deramaxx® intelligently and dealing with problems should they arise.

Deramaxx® Information

Overview

Prescribing Information

Dealing with Adverse Reactions

Reporting an Adverse Event

Scientific Studies

Adverse Event Statistics

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

Additional Resources

Evaluation of bacterial and protozoal contamination of commercially available raw meat diets for dogs

Rachel A. Strohmeyer DVM, MS Paul S. Morley DVM, PhD, DACVIM Doreene R. Hyatt PhD David A. Dargatz DVM, DACVIM A. Valeria Scorza VMD, MS Michael R. Lappin DVM, PhD, DACVIM

Animal Population Health Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. (Strohmeyer, Morley, Hyatt); USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, 2150 Centre Avenue, Bldg B, Fort Collins, CO 80526. (Dargatz); Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. (Scorza, Lappin)

Dr. Morley.

Supported by the Animal Population Health Institute through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service and by the James L. Voss Veterinary Medical Center, Colorado State University.

The authors thank Brandy Burgess, Jennifer Hawley, and Barbara Traut for technical assistance.

Objectiveâ€”To evaluate bacterial and protozoal contamination of commercially available raw meat diets for dogs.

Designâ€”Prospective longitudinal study.

Sample Populationâ€”240 samples from 20 raw meat diets for dogs (containing beef, lamb, chicken, or turkey), 24 samples from 2 dry dog foods, and 24 samples from 2 canned dog foods.

Procedureâ€”Each product was purchased commercially on 4 dates approximately 2 months apart. Three samples from each product at each sampling period were evaluated via bacterial culture for nonâ€“type-specific Escherichia coli (NTSEC), Salmonella enterica, and Campylobacter spp. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on selected isolates. Polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect DNA from Cryptosporidium spp, Neospora spp, and Toxoplasma spp in samples obtained in the third and fourth sampling periods.

Resultsâ€”One hundred fifty-three of 288 (53%) samples were contaminated with NTSEC. Both raw and prepared foods contained NTSEC during at least 1 culture period. Salmonella enterica was recovered from 17 (5.9%) samples, all of which were raw meat products. Campylobacter spp was not isolated from any samples. In 91 of 288 (31.6%) samples, there was no gram-negative bacterial growth before enrichment and in 48 of 288 (16.7%) samples, there was no aerobic bacterial growth before enrichment. Susceptibility phenotypes were variable. Cryptosporidium spp DNA was detected in 3 samples.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevanceâ€”Bacterial contamination is common in commercially available raw meat diets, suggesting that there is a risk of foodborne illness in dogs fed these diets as well possible risk for humans associated with the dogs or their environments.

Abstract - Please read the conclusions note at the end of this abstract.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

January 15, 2006, Vol. 228, No. 2, Pages 225-229

doi: 10.2460/javma.228.2.225

FDA cutbacks result in fewer inspections, food safety tests
Rutland Herald, VT -
Even as imports grow in volume and diversity, the number of FDA inspections is shrinking: agency inspectors physically examined just 1.3 percent of food ...

Effects of diet on clinical signs of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in dogs

Elias Westermarck DVM, PhD Maria E. Wiberg DVM, PhD

Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, HÃ¤meentie 57, 00014 Finland. (Westermarck, Wiberg)

Address correspondence to Dr. Westermarck.

Supported by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Incorporated.

The authors thank Arto Ketola and Juha Junttila for statistical analyses.

Objectiveâ€”To assess the effects of dietary modification on clinical signs of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) in dogs.

Designâ€”Blinded randomized crossover study.

Animalsâ€”21 dogs with EPI.

Procedureâ€”Dogs were fed the diet they received at home for 2 weeks. Thereafter, they received 3 special diets (a high-fat diet, a high-fiber diet, and a highly digestible low-residue diet) for 3 weeks each. Owners scored dogs daily for the last 2 weeks of each 3-week period for severity of 6 clinical signs including appetite, defecation frequency, consistency of feces, borborygmus, flatulence, and coprophagia. An EPI index was calculated for each dog by adding the daily scores for each clinical sign.

Resultsâ€”Significant differences in daily EPI indices among diets were observed in 20 dogs. The original diet appeared to be the most suitable in 8 dogs, whereas the high-fat diet was most suitable in 5 dogs, the high-fiber diet was most suitable in 4 dogs, and the low-residue diet was most suitable in 2 dogs. In 1 dog, the lowest EPI index score was the same during the original diet and the high-fat diet feeding periods. One dog did not complete the feeding period for the high-fiber diet. Differences in mean EPI indices among diets were not significant.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevanceâ€”Results indicated that responses to different diets varied among individual dogs. Because responses to the feeding regimens were unpredictable, it is suggested that feeding regimens be individually formulated for dogs with EPI.

Folks, we have been saying this all along ! PONS are individuals and have individual needs. What works for one PON, may not work for another PON. In addition, individual breeds have varying requirements.

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Second hand smoke and pets

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