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What is a cold laser?

Cold lasers are also known as “low level lasers,” “low-power lasers” and “soft lasers.” Unlike the surgical laser that Dr. Z uses during many procedures, cold lasers don’t heat up tissue. Instead, they use low-intensity, concentrated beams of light to stimulate the tissue for therapeutic purposes.

Cleared by the FDA for therapeutic use, cold laser therapy is safe, non-invasive, and has no negative side-effects. The only preparation needed for the procedure is protective eyewear for the operator and the patient.

How does a cold laser work?

Cold lasers send a beam of concentrated light into the tissue. The light can go very far into the tissue, but because it’s low intensity, it causes no heat or damage. Instead, the light is absorbed by the cells, fueling them. This can stimulate injured cells into repairing themselves.

The wavelength of the laser controls how deep it will go into the tissue, so the efficacy of the treatment is highly dependent on using the correct wavelength, which is between 600 to 980 nanometers, depending on how deep the light needs to go to reach the target tissue.

What conditions is it used for?

Cold lasers are often used as a complement to other treatments. They help improve conditions involving pain and inflammation, for example, arthritis, tendonitis, muscle strain, soft tissue injuries, back pain, dermatological issues, and wounds. Cold lasers have also been shown to speed up healing in injuries.

The effects of cold lasers include: increasing cell growth, increasing blood flow, stimulating nerve function, reducing inflammation, reducing pain, and accelerating the healing of wounds. Therefore, they can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions.

However, cold lasers are not a cure-all. Cold lasers cannot reduce or eliminate tissue growth from conditions such as bone spurs, ear canal mineralization, and deformities from arthritis.

Are cold lasers comfortable for pets?

In general, cold lasers provide relief quickly and promote relaxation in pets. No special preparations need to be made for using a cold laser and there is no particular after-care needed.

If you have more questions or would like to schedule treatment for your pet, please contact our Sanford veterinary office.

You can also learn more about cold laser therapy by watching the videos below.

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What causes it?

When a female dog is ready for pregnancy, her body will prevent immune system cells (i.e., white blood cells) from entering the uterus, because they would interfere with fertilization.

In addition, the lining of the female dog’s uterus will thicken for several weeks so her body is prepared to carry a litter. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, the lining of the uterus will get thicker and thicker during each of her fertile cycles (known as “heat”). Eventually, the lining will be so thick that cysts will form.

Also during this time, the muscles of the uterus and cervix (i.e., the entrance to the uterus) are weakened. A relaxed cervix is necessary for fertilization, but it also means that bacteria can enter more easily. Weakened muscles of the uterine wall means that bacteria can’t be expelled–normally, the uterus would be able to contract itself to expel infected fluid.

The combination of an absence of white blood cells, a lining covered in cysts, and weakened muscles creates the perfect environment for a severe bacterial infection—known as pyometra.

What are the signs?

If the dog’s cervix is still relaxed, there will be pus and abnormal discharge draining out. This is known as open pyometra.

If the cervix is closed, which is the more dangerous situation, the pus will accumulate and cause the dog’s abdomen to swell. This is called closed pyometra. This will cause severe symptoms very quickly, including weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea.

An increase in water consumption and urination is a symptom is both open and closed pyometra, because the body is trying to flush the toxins released by the bacterial infection.

How is the diagnosis made?

If there is discharge from the cervix or a bloated abdomen in an older female dog that has not been spayed, these are indicators that diagnostic tests should be done to confirm whether a dog has pyometra.

Diagnostics would include a blood test to look at the white blood cell count and level of globulins in the blood. A urine test would also be conducted, because normally the concentration of urine is low due to the dog drinking an abnormally large amount of water.

As for looking for structural abnormalities, an x-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen could be done to see if the uterus is enlarged. An ultrasound can also identify thickened uterine walls and the presence of fluid in the uterus.

What is the treatment?

If pyometra is not treated, and quickly, the bacteria in the uterus will produce toxins that will most likely be fatal to the dog. Additionally, in closed pyometra, the uterus may rupture and leak into the body, also causing death. It’s very important to immediately seek treatment for this condition if you suspect your dog may have it, especially because treatments are more effective the earlier the condition is diagnosed.

There are two treatments for pyometra: surgical and medical. In the surgical treatment, the uterus and ovaries are removed (also known as “spaying”). This procedure is more complex than spaying a dog who is in good health, because in most cases, infection has already weakened the dog significantly. Antibiotics and IV fluids are also administered to the dog when using this method.

The other approach for treating pyometra is the medical treatment. Usually, owners who are using the dog for breeding may opt for this method, because it doesn’t involve spaying the dog. In this treatment, the dog is given hormones, called prostaglandins, that relax the cervix and cause the uterine muscles to squeeze out infected pus.

The medical treatment for pyometra comes with numerous risks and it’s efficacy is not guaranteed. For open pyometra, it has a success rate of 75-90%, but for closed pyometra, the success rate is between 25-40%. Also, there is a high chance of reoccurrence for pyometra using this treatment—about 50-75%. Moreover, the chance of successfully breeding the dog after it recovers is reduced to 50-75%.

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What is FLUTD?

FLUTD is an umbrella term for disorders that affect the feline bladder and urethra.  It affects between 1-3% of cats, most commonly middle-aged, overweight cats. Cats at risk for FLUTD usually don’t exercise much, consume little water, and use indoor litter boxes.

Both male and female cats can suffer from FLUTD. The condition is more serious in male cats, because their urethra can get blocked. While this can occur in female cats, it is extremely rare due to their shorter urethra which doesn’t narrow down.

Signs of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

Here’s a list of signs that you may want to keep an eye out for:

• Difficult, painful urination—if your cat is crying out in pain during urination, it’s very probable your cat needs medical attention
• Frequent urination
• Producing minimal amounts of urine or, for male cats, no urine at all
• Blood in the urine
• Urinating outside of the litter box
• Urine has very strong odor
• Excessively licking the backside—this can even cause hair loss

What Causes Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease?

The source of FLUTD can be a variety of diseases, including:

• Bladder/urinary stones
• Bacterial infection
• Urethral obstruction in male cats (urinary stones, crystals, plugs consisting of pus or mucous)
• Anatomical defects
• Tumors
• Inflammation of the bladder (about 50% of the cats with bladder problems have Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, which is chronic inflammation with blood in urine and crystal forming without obvious reasons)

How to Diagnose FLUTD

Because there are so many sources of FLUTD, it can be difficult to diagnose. Veterinarians usually conduct a number of tests, including:

• Urinalysis: to assess pH, look for crystals (formation affected by urine pH, but sometimes idiopathic—meaning the cause is unknown), internal bleeding, inflammation and infection
• Urine culture: determine if a bacterial infection is present (usually in recurrent cases)
• X-ray: identify stones, anatomical defects, suspected tumors (ultrasound and biopsy would be used for confirmation of tumors)
• Blood work: determine dehydration, infection, kidney function–if kidneys are failing, toxic substances normally eliminated by kidneys build up in body and can cause damage to other organ systems
• Ultrasound: identify stones, anatomical defects
• Biopsy: conducted if a tumor is suspected

Some of the tests might need to be repeated after couple of days of hospitalization, depending on severity of the condition in order to monitor effectiveness of the treatment.

Does Your Cat Have Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease?

If you suspect your cat may have FLUTD, it’s time to make an appointment with your vet. If you’re looking for a vet in Sanford, Florida, you can make an appointment with us or visit us as a walk-in.

If your cat is not urinating at all (almost exclusively male cats), this is a medical emergency—take your cat to an animal hospital immediately. If the bladder cannot be emptied, kidney failure and/or bladder rupture will occur. These conditions lead to death.

How is FLUTD Treated?

Treating FLUTD depends on the cause. Generally, vets may treat FLUTD by:

• Passing a catheter through the urethra in case of blockages—a procedure that requires anesthesia, hospitalization for up to several days (depending on how fast the cat recovers and other factors), and IV fluids.
• Antibiotics to treat bladder infections.
• Surgical removal of bladder stones and a special diet to try and prevent their reoccurrence.
• In case of obstruction, even with the most aggressive treatment recurrence is relatively high (some cases even the next day). Some cats might need to have a special surgical procedure called Perianal Ureterostomy.
• Cats with this problem will be placed on a special prescription diet to help prevent reoccurrences.

An owner’s role is very important in treating FLUTD as well. Here are things an owner can do to help a cat suffering from FLUTD:

• Increasing a cat’s water intake. Methods include feeding more canned food, ensuring fresh water is always available, placing the water source away from the food source, giving a cat a source of running water, adding more water to canned food, and others. Some cats are very picky, so experimentation might be required to find out the best way to entice your cat to drink more water.
• Playing with your cat and giving your cat sources of environmental stimulation. This can help promote exercise and reduce your cat’s stress.
• Litter boxes should be cleaned frequently. Make sure your cat has privacy while in the litter box. If you have multiple cats in your household, be sure you have enough litter boxes. A general rule is at least one litter box per cat plus one additional litter box.

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Food and drink

• Alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, blood acidity, coma and even death. Under no circumstances should your pet be given any alcohol.
• Bones, both cooked and raw, can splinter, leading to dangerous injuries in a pet’s digestive tract. Store-bought treats made for chewing are a safer alternative.
• Chocolate, coffee, and coffee beans all contain substances known as methylxanthines. When ingested by dogs and cats, these substances can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. The darker the chocolate, the more methylxanthines it contains–white chocolate contains the smallest amount of methylxanthines, while baker’s chocolate contains the highest concentration. Cocoa bean mulch also contains methylxanthines. Avoid giving any type of chocolate to your pets.
• Citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons, and limes, contain citric acid and essential oils. While small doses will only result in irritation and an upset stomach, larger doses may result in central nervous system depression.
• Coconut products contain coconut oil, which can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea, due to the high fat content. Coconut water is high in potassium, which may harm your pet.
• Grapes, raisins, and currants can cause kidney failure in dogs. Even grape juice is dangerous for dogs to ingest.
• Onions, garlic and leeks are toxic to dogs and cats. They contain a substance called thiosulphate that damages the red blood cells in your pet’s body and causes them to burst. Ingredients like onion powder and garlic powder also contain this substance. This is one of the many reasons why you should not feed your pet table scraps.
• Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs and cause symptoms like lethargy, vomiting, and difficulty walking.
• Milk and dairy products should not be fed to dogs or cats. Contrary to popular belief, dogs and cats are lactose-intolerant, which means that eating or drinking dairy products can cause upset stomach, gas, and diarrhea.
• Nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, are high in fat, which can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and even pancreatitis in some cases.
• Raw bread dough is very dangerous for animals to ingest, because it expands in the stomach, which blocks blood circulation in the digestive tract. This requires emergency surgery. The yeast in the dough can also produce alcohol in the stomach, leading to severe intoxication and death.
• Raw meat and eggs may contain dangerous bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. Raw eggs contain an enzyme that reduces the absorption of biotin, resulting in coat and skin problems. Although animals in the wild have no problem eating raw food, your pets have been domesticated over thousands of years and their digestive systems are now adapted to eating cooked foods.
• Salty foods can cause excessive thirst, dehydration and even sodium poisoning in pets. Symptoms of sodium poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, high body temperature, seizures and even death. It’s best to avoid giving your pet salty foods like potato chips and pretzels.
• Xylitol is a sugar-free sweetener commonly found in gum, sugar-free candies, toothpaste, and mints. This substance is toxic to dogs and even small amounts can lead to dangerous drops in blood sugar and liver failure.

Drugs

• Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and other painkillers, is highly toxic for dogs and cats. Even a single tablet can lead to liver damage in dogs and a fatal reaction in cats.
• Prescription drugs, like antidepressants, ADHD medication, and sleep aids, can cause serious harm to your pet. These drugs are often eaten by pets after they’ve been accidentally dropped on the ground.
• Tobacco is toxic to both dogs and cats due to the nicotine content. This also means that e-cigarette juice, nicotine gum, and nicotine patches are also dangerous for dogs and cats. When ingested, it can cause vomiting, tremors, collapse and death.
• Veterinary medicine, such as heart medication, is usually made to be flavorful for your pets. That’s why pets may sometimes get into their medication and eat a large dosage of it. This can be extremely dangerous, so be sure to store your pet’s medication in a safe place where they cannot reach it.

Household products

• Batteries contain caustic substances that can lead to ulcers when chewed on or ingested by dogs and cats.
• Detergents can cause ulcers when ingested by dogs and cats.
• Fabric softener sheets can cause ulcers when ingested or chewed on by dogs and cats.
• Household cleaners, like bleach, ammonia, and clog removers, can cause ulcers and severe poisoning in dogs and cats. Be sure to store your household cleaners in a safe location that your pets can’t access.
• Mothballs are toxic to dogs and cats. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and death, especially when they are treated with naphthalene.
• Mouse and rat poison can also cause toxic effects in cats and dogs when ingested. Some of the common ingredients in these poisons will cause internal bleeding when ingested by cats and dogs.

Outdoor products and plants

• Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which tastes sweet to dogs and cats. As little as a teaspoon can cause irreversible kidney failure in dogs and cats.
• Fertilizers may contain poisonous substances like pesticides and herbicides, as well as dangerous amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and zinc. When treating your lawn, make sure that the fertilizer has dried before letting your dogs and cats outside. Some fertilizers require rinsing before your lawn is safe to walk on—check your product packaging to make sure.
• Insecticides can cause vomiting, seizures and difficulty breathing when ingested. Even insecticides found in flea and tick products can cause poisoning when they are not used correctly.
• Jimson weed, also known as datura, stinkweed, and devil’s trumpet, is a plant in the nightshade family that can cause restlessness, stumbling and respiratory failure in cats and dogs.
• Kerosene and gasoline can cause drooling, stumbling, and difficulty breathing in dogs and cats. Be sure to keep lighters and tiki torch fluid in a safe place away from your pets.
• Lilies cause kidney failure in cats. Lily of the valley causes heart failure and death in both dogs and cats.
• Sago palms are poisonous to dogs and cats. They can cause liver failure, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures.
• Windshield wiper fluid is poisonous to dogs and cats. It can cause low blood sugar and stumbling.

Other

• Zinc is toxic to dogs and cats and can lead to anemia, kidney failure, liver failure and heart failure. Even consuming a single zinc penny can result in health problems.

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Because every pet has different risk factors based on their lifestyle, breed, age, medical history, and current health, only your veterinarian can tell you which vaccines are the right choice for your pet and how often your pet should be receiving them.

How do vaccines work?

A vaccine contains dead or weakened microorganisms that cause disease, such as bacteria or viruses. All microorganisms, dead or alive, are covered in molecules known as antigens. When a vaccine is injected into the body, the immune system will detect these unfamiliar antigens, which alerts the immune system to an intruder in the body. In response, certain immune cells will begin to produce proteins called antibodies, which can either destroy the pathogen or “tag” it for destruction by other cells in the immune system.

After the immune system destroys a pathogen once, immune cells known as memory cells become trained to recognize the intruder’s antigens if it ever infects the body again. The next time the body becomes infected by the pathogen, these memory cells will quickly recognize the intruder and launch a faster, stronger antibody response, giving the immune system the upper hand.

This is where the importance of vaccines comes in. When the immune system encounters an intruder like this for the first time, it can sometimes take days for it to generate enough antibodies to completely wipe out the infection. In some cases where the infectious microorganism is at full strength, this response will come too late and the infection will prove fatal. By administering vaccines, the immune system is safely trained to mount a strong, timely response to protect the body from dangerous diseases.

Unfortunately, no vaccine is one-hundred percent effective in preventing disease. Even after vaccination, the possibility of contracting a disease still exists–but the risk is much, much lower than prior to the vaccination. This is especially true when all animals in a community are vaccinated, which creates an effect known as herd immunity. So, even if a vaccine isn’t effective on one dog in the neighborhood, if it protects all the other dogs from infection, the chances for disease transmission are still lowered for the unprotected dog.

What vaccines does my pet need?

Core vaccinations are universally recommended vaccinations for dogs and cats. This includes the rabies vaccination for both dogs and cats, vaccinations against distemper, hepatitis, and parvovirus for dogs, and vaccinations against feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia for cats.

Non-core vaccinations that protect against diseases like kennel cough, Lyme disease, feline leukemia and others may be recommended by your veterinarian based on your pet’s lifestyle, environment, medical history, and other factors.

Should my indoor pet be vaccinated?

If your pet is an indoor animal, it might seem like there’s no chance of them catching an infectious disease. However, pathogens can be transmitted in many ways other than direct contact with an infected animal. For example, your pet sniffing through a screened window could result in the inhalation of an airborne virus. All sorts of pathogens, from parasitic eggs to viruses, can be brought into the house on shoes, shopping bags, backpacks, toys bought from the store… basically, any contact with the outside world brings with it the risk of disease transmission.

Because of this, veterinarians still recommend all the core vaccinations for your indoor pet. However, some of the non-core vaccinations might be unnecessary depending on your pet’s lifestyle. Your veterinarian can further advise you on what vaccines are right for your pet.

Can vaccines hurt my pet?

There can be side effects to the immune response generated by vaccines. Mild symptoms like soreness at the site of vaccination, lethargy, and loss of appetite are the most common side effects. Typically, these symptoms last only a short time after the vaccination. You should contact your veterinarian if you notice these symptoms persisting for more than a few days.

In rare cases, more serious symptoms can result from an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Signs of an allergic reaction will appear within hours of the vaccination. Symptoms include vomiting, swelling, difficulty breathing, itching across the body, and collapse. If you notice these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Cats have a small chance of developing a cancerous tumor at the site of the vaccination, known as a feline injection-site sarcoma (FISS). These tumors can appear at the site of any injection, not just a vaccine. Some vaccines contain substances known as adjuvants, which are used to stimulate the immune system in specific ways. There is evidence that adjuvants heighten the risk of FISS, so non-adjuvanted vaccines are recommended for cats. Research shows that there is about a 0.005% chance of a cat developing FISS after a vaccination. A small lump under the site of the vaccination is usually a normal sign and disappears within one to two weeks. However, if this lump persists after three weeks or begins to grow in size, schedule a veterinary exam for your cat immediately.

That being said, the risk of developing serious complications due to vaccination is much lower than the risks associated with the diseases that these vaccines protect against. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Humane Association, and the Humane Society of the United States all strongly suggest that you vaccinate your pets as recommended by your veterinarian.

How often should my pet be vaccinated?

All vaccines come with label recommendations from the pharmaceutical manufacturer on how often they should be administered. They range from yearly for some vaccinations, to every three years for others. This recommendation is based on how long the typical dog or cat will maintain an effective immunity in their body between vaccinations–that is, a level of immunity that will allow the dog or cat to successfully fight off an infection.

In recent years, there has been controversy about “over-vaccination” in pets, which has raised concerns that some veterinarians vaccinate pets when the animal doesn’t really need it. It’s true that some vaccinations are given while pets still have a protective immunity against a disease. Unfortunately, modern veterinary medicine does not yet have the technology to determine when the immunity to a certain pathogen will lapse in an individual dog or cat’s body. Performing a test known as an serologic titer (also called an antibody titer) can tell us the concentration of antibodies in a dog or cat’s blood, but this can only reveal two things: whether the pet has ever been vaccinated (the test will show more than zero antibodies) and whether the pet has been recently infected (the test will show antibodies over a certain threshold). Any quantity in-between only tells us that the animal is not currently sick and it has been vaccinated at some point during its life. Even though we can make some assumptions about what concentration could be protective, the status of the immune system depends on much more than just the number of antibodies present in the bloodstream, so a titer test cannot definitively measure how effective a response to infection would be, and it certainly cannot tell us when a pet will be due for re-vaccination.

Due to ethical and legal reasons, most veterinarians will recommend the suggested vaccine schedule for your pet, even if your pet is perfectly healthy and could still have a protective level of immunity in their body. Veterinarians do not want to gamble with your pet’s health, especially when the risk factors associated with vaccines are so rare compared to the harm that can be caused by diseases like distemper or parvovirus (see “Can vaccines hurt my pet?”).

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