toxicity Archives | Towne Center Animal Hospital | Veterinarian in Sanford, FL

Pyometra: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Towne Center Blogger — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:51:58 +0000

Pyometra is a condition that occurs in female, unspayed dogs, where their uterus becomes infected, leading to life-threatening illness. Middle-aged and older female dogs who have not been spayed are at risk for pyometra.

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%.

The post Pyometra: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment appeared first on Towne Center Animal Hospital | Veterinarian in Sanford, FL.

Dangerous substances: What to avoid giving your dogs and cats.

Towne Center Blogger — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 04:19:40 +0000

As pet owners, we’re responsible for keeping our companions happy, healthy, and safe. There are many common household items that can pose a danger to your pet’s health, so we’ve compiled a list of substances that can be dangerous for your pets to ingest. This isn’t a complete list, so if you’re ever unsure about whether something your pet ingested is potentially harmful, please contact us and we’ll let you know!

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.

The post Dangerous substances: What to avoid giving your dogs and cats. appeared first on Towne Center Animal Hospital | Veterinarian in Sanford, FL.

Nutrition for your pets.

Towne Center Blogger — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 08:09:11 +0000

Proper dietary nutrition is one of the keys to good health and longevity for our pets. In this article, you’ll learn about the nutritional requirements for both dogs and cats. Then, we’ll discuss how to provide your pet with a balanced diet, including how to choose the right type of food, if you should feed them homemade food, and what not to feed your pet.

The basics of nutrition
Types of nutrients
Nutrition for cats
Nutrition for dogs
Picking the right food for your pet
AAFCO naming guidelines
What not to feed your pets
Frequently asked questions about pet diets

The basics of nutrition

When choosing the right diet for your pet, nutrition is one of the most important factors for you to consider. Nutrition is the interaction between nutrients and the health of an animal. Nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and water. Every animal requires a different balance of nutrients in their diet. This balance is based on their species, age, overall health, lifestyle, and other variables.

For example, the nutritional needs of a young kitten are different from those for an adult cat. Kittens and puppies should eat specially formulated food until about 10-12 months of age, because they require extra DHA and Vitamin E to build strong immune systems and develop healthy neural functions. In another example, the nutritional needs of an adult dog that leads an active lifestyle are different from those for an adult dog that only goes on a daily walk–more active dogs require a higher percentage of fat in their diet compared to less active dogs. Seniors pets, categorized as cats and dogs over the age of 7 years, also require specific formulations of nutrients in their food to promote the best health possible.

Fat and carbohydrates are the primary sources of energy for dogs and cats. Fat has an extra role besides energy, because it is necessary for absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, and K in your pet’s body. Protein is required for growth and development. It has a role in cellular maintanence and robustness of the immune system. Protein can also provide energy to your pet, but not as effectively as fat and carbohydrates–this is why “high protein” food doesn’t mean “high energy” food. See the table below to learn more about some of the important nutrients that your pets need to thrive.

Quick definitions

Nutrient	What It Does	Other Details
Vitamin A	Supports healthy vision, skin, and immune system.	While dogs can digest a form of Vitamin A found in plants, cats cannot and so they must receive Vitamin A from animal liver. Puppies especially need Vitamin A to have healthy vision, muscles, and skin.
Vitamin D	Builds teeth and bones.	Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot make sufficient quantities of Vitamin D in their skin. Kittens and puppies need Vitamin D supplementation in their diet to avoid rickets and other complications. Adult pets need supplementation too, but less than younger pets.
Vitamin E	Keeps the immune system strong.	Kittens and puppies especially need Vitamin E to develop a strong immune system. It’s also a potent antioxidant.
Vitamin C	Keeps the immune system strong.	Cats and dogs can meet their own Vitamin C needs by metabolizing glucose or natural production of Vitamin C by the liver. However, Vitamin C supplements might still have antioxidant benefits for pets.
Calcium	Supports strong teeth and bones. Involved in muscle function and blood clotting.	Large breed puppies should have less calcium to prevent bone abnormalities. Adult and senior animals should also have less calcium in their diet.
Phosphorus	Supports strong teeth and bones. Involved in muscle function.	Adult and senior pets need less to preserve kidney health.
Sodium	Maintains correct hydration levels and required for cell functioning.	Adult and senior pets need less to preserve heart and kidney health.
Protein	Builds strong cells.	Puppies and kittens need more protein in their diet than adult and senior animals.
Carbohydrates	Provides energy to cells quickly.	Dogs and cats from all lifestages can utilize carbohydrates as an energy source. Cats should eat less carbohydrates than dogs, however, because they are carnivores.
Fats	Provides energy that can be stored for cells later when they need it.	Young animals need more fat than adult animals overall, but large breed puppies specifically should not have an excess of fat in their diet to prevent bone abnormalities.
Omega 3, Omega 6	Supports healthy skin and coat.	Senior pets with inflammatory diseases such as arthritis might benefit from Omega 3 fatty acids.
DHA	Necessary for neural functioning.	Kittens and puppies need DHA to build proper neural functioning.
Fiber	Promotes digestive health.	Senior animals need more fiber in their diets.
Taurine	An essential amino acid, necessary for cats to live.	All cats require taurine and seniors require a food with added taurine.

Another factor to consider in choosing the right diet for your pet is the ingredients that go into a pet food. Ingredients should be chosen based on their nutritional content and their digestibility–which is how much of that nutritional content is actually absorbed by the animal’s body. For example, the graph below shows the percentage of starch in various grain flours that is digestible by dogs.

Digestibility of various flours in dry dog foods

Corn 85%

Rice 84%

Wheat 84%

Barley 83%

Sorghum 80%

Source: Murray SM, Fahey GC, Merchen RN, et al. Evaluation of selected high-starch fl ours as ingredients in canine diets. J Anim Sci. 1999;77:2180-2186.

Nutrition for cats

Cats are carnivores and require a high amount of protein in their diet. In fact, kittens need about 50% more protein in their diet than puppies, and adult cats need 200% more protein in their diet than adult dogs.

Cats require a three essential amino acids: taurine, arginine, and methionine. Taurine is required to have a healthy heart, good vision, and functioning reproductive systems. Arginine is required for a cat’s liver to function properly and filter out harmful byproducts from their body. In fact, eating a single meal deficient in arginine can make a cat ill from ammonia toxicity. Methionine plays a role in many different proteins in a cat’s body and deficiencies can affect a cat’s coat, skin, eyes, and heart health. All of these amino acid are only found in meat, so all cats need meat-based diets to maintain their health.

That being said, cats do have enzymes in their digestive tract that can digest carbohydrates, so the starches found in many cat foods can be digested for energy. For growing and active animals, this can be an effective source of energy. But these starches should only make up a small portion of the cat’s food, about 35% max.

For a cat, vegetarian diets are absolutely out of the question. Not even nutritional supplements can allow a cat to eat vegetarian or vegan, because some of their essential nutrients are only obtainable from animal products. For example, sources of Vitamin A can come from plants, as carotene, or from animal livers, as retinyl palmitate. Cats lack the enzymes to convert carotene to Vitamin A–they can only convert retinyl palmitate from animal livers to Vitamin A. So, they necessarily need to consume animal products to survive.

Finally, we’ll discuss the most important nutrient for cats: water. Keeping your cat well-hydrated is vital in preventing diseases associated with the urinary tract. Wild cats receive most of their hydration from the prey they eat, so sometimes it can be a little tricky to keep your house cat hydrated. Here are a few tips:

Cats with sensitive whiskers might prefer to drink from a wide, shallow bowl.
Some cats prefer a source of running water, so investing in a cat fountain might encourage your cat to drink more water.
Change your cat’s water supply frequently, wiping away any residue on the bowl.
Aim to keep your cat’s bowl as clean as your own glassware, even occasionally running it through the dishwasher.
Some cats will not drink water that is placed next to their food source or litter box, so try moving their water bowl to another area.
Milk is not a replacement for water, and can actually give your cat serious digestive issues.
Wet food can help supplement your cat’s hydration, but only giving your cat wet food can lead to dental health issues.

Nutrition for dogs

Dogs are omnivores, which may come as a surprise to some dog owners. Although wolves are primarily carnivores, during the process of domestication, dogs gained the ability to effectively digest starches. In fact, dogs have about four to thirty copies of a gene that produces an enzyme for digesting starches in their bodies. In contrast, wolves only have two copies.

This provides evidence that a raw meat diet is not the best choice for our canine companions, because their bodies have adapted to digesting starches and using them for energy. In fact, a raw meat diet can have harmful effects, because it contains too much protein, not enough carbohydrates, and can be difficult on a dog’s kidneys. It’s interesting to note that even wolves will graze on grasses and eat the stomach contents of herbivorous prey to supplement their primarily meat-based diet with carbohydrates.

Think of it this way: if a raw meat diet isn’t nutritionally complete enough for a wolf, it will definitely pose problems for a dog, whose species has over many generations adapted to eat grains and vegetables while coexisting with human society.

On the other hand, dogs do require some proteins that are only available in animal products, so switching your dog to a vegetarian diet can pose issues as well. Although it is possible for dogs to survive on both of these specialized diets with the right supplementation and guidance from a veterinary nutritionist, a dog will only thrive when it eats as an omnivore, because its body is adapted to an omnivorous diet.

Let’s not forget the most important nutrient for dogs: water! Make sure that your dog always has access to clean, fresh water, especially after work or exercise. Change the water in your dog’s bowl at least once a day and be sure to wipe away any build-up on the inside of the bowl when you do this. Aim to keep your dog’s water bowl as clean as your other glassware to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Picking the right food for your pet

When choosing what type of pet food to buy your pet, there are a few questions to consider:

“What is the current life stage of my pet?” Depending on whether your pet is growing, an adult, a senior, or pregnant, they will require different formulations of food.
“Does my pet have any health factors that I need to consider?” If your pet has a health condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, or is overweight, they may require a special formulation of food. Consult your veterinarian to find the right type of food for your pet’s medical status.
“Should I feed my pet wet food or dry food?” While dry food is better for dental health, wet food has added hydration, which can benefit pets that are predisposed to kidney problems, like senior cats, or pets who are diabetic. Most pets will be fine eating either food.

And finally, how can we be sure that a manufacturer’s pet food is high quality? One of the best ways is by making sure they have an AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) Nutritional Adequacy Statement on the packaging. If a pet food does not have an AAFCO statement on its packaging, there is no way to ensure that its claims of being “complete and balanced” are true.

There are two different ways that AAFCO verifies that food is nutritionally complete and balanced.

Formulation method

AAFCO has a set of nutritional profiles for dogs and cats in every age group that include what quantities of nutrients should be present in a particular type of pet food. Pet food manufacturers can use these profiles as guidelines to formulate their pet food and then use a laboratory analysis to substantiate their nutritional content. This method is less expensive for pet food manufacturers and can be done more quickly than the feeding trial method. However, because this method means the food has not been tested on animals, there is no guarantee that the food will effectively supply nutrients to the pet, due to factors like digestibility.

An AAFCO statement that guarantees nutritional completeness using the formulation method would look like this:

“ABC Brand Cat Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for Maintenance.”

Feeding trial method

Pet food formulated using this method also follows AAFCO nutritional profiles and undergoes laboratory analysis. Additionally, the pet food will undergo a feeding trial, which means that the food will be given to a group of pets for a minimum of twenty six weeks in order to ensure that they can use it as a sole source of nutrition, per AAFCO feeding trial protocols. This method is more expensive and takes more time to complete, but it ensures that pets can use the food as their only source of nutrition. The feeding trial method is preferred, because it guarantees palatability and digestibility.

An AAFCO statement that guarantees nutritional completeness using the feeding trial method would look like this:

“Animal feeding trials using AAFCO procedures substantiate that XYZ Brand Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs.”

AAFCO naming guidelines

Pet food name	Example	Percentage of ingredient in food
Ingredient name without any qualifiers	Beef, chicken, seafood, turkey, lamb, etc.	95%
Dinner, meal, plate, entree, feast, etc. of ingredient name	Beef dinner, turkey meal, seafood plate, chicken feast, etc.	25%
With ingredient name	With chicken, with beef, with fish, etc.	3%
Flavor of ingredient name	Bacon flavor, flavor of chicken, beef flavor, etc.	Does not need to contain any percentage of ingredient, but the source of the flavor must be listed in the ingredients list.

Organic: Must be produced using USDA organic standards. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation and genetic engineering may not be used on plant products. All animal products must be sourced from animals “raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones.”
Natural: Pet food that is derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources with no synthetic additives or chemical processing.
Light, Lite or Low-Calorie: Legally defined as a pet food that is formulated to contain a nutritionally-significant reduction in calories compared to a standard product. It must also have feeding directions that that would result in a reduction in calorie intake consistent with the intended use. There is a maximum amount of calories that food using this label may have.

This label is the best standard for buying a weight-loss product for your pet.
Lean or Low-Fat: A pet food with fat content at or below a level prescribed by AAFCO regulations. The guaranteed analysis must include a maximum crude fat percentage.
Less or Reduced Calorie: Pet food that has fewer calories compared to another product. This term may be misleading, because it can be used to label a food even though the degree of caloric reduction may not be as nutritionally significant as in a lite or low-calorie products. It only means there are less/reduced calories compared to some other product.
Less or Reduced-Fat: This food has less fat than another product it is being compared to. This may be misleading, because having less/reduced fat compared to another pet food does not mean the less/reduced fat pet food is healthy.
Holistic: There is currently no legal definition for this term. Any pet food manufacturer can claim that their food is “holistic.”
Human-grade: There is currently no legal definition for this term. Any pet food manufacturer can claim that their food is “human-grade.”

What not to feed your pets

Do not feed your cats…

Alcohol
Apple seeds
Apricot pits
Artificial sweetener (xylitol)
Baby food
Bones
Chocolate
Coffee, tea, and anything containing caffeine
Fat trimmings
Grapes, raisins, and currants
Green potatoes
Green tomatoes
Human vitamins
Large quantities of salt
Large quantities of sugar
Macadamia nuts
Milk and dairy products
Spoiled food
Mushrooms
Onions, onion powder, chives, and garlic
Persimmons
Raw egg whites
Raw meat
Rhubarb leaves
Star fruit
Tobacco
Tuna (as their only food source)
Tylenol (acetaminophen)
Yeast dough

Feeding your cat these substances will cause illness and, in some cases, death.

Do not feed your dogs…

Alcohol
Apricot pits
Artificial sweetener (xylitol)
Avocado
Bones
Coffee, tea, or anything containing caffeine
Chocolate
Fat trimmings
Fish (to excess, occasional fish is fine)
Grapes, raisins, currants
Green potatoes
Green tomatoes
Hops
Human vitamins
Large quantities of salt
Large quantities of sugar
Macadamia nuts
Milk and dairy
Mushrooms
Onions, chives, and garlic
Persimmons
Raw eggs
Raw meat
Rhubarb leaves
Spoiled food
Star fruit
Tobacco
Tylenol (acetaminophen)
Yeast dough

Feeding your dog these substances will cause illness and, in some cases, death.

Frequently asked questions about pet diets

Are grains just filler in pet food?

Fillers are ingredients that provide no nutrients and may be used as a source of dietary fiber, which is required for digestive health. For example, cellulose does not provide nutrients to cats, dogs, or humans, and may be used as filler in certain foods to add to the dietary fiber content. Grains provide carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals in pet food, so they are not considered filler. Let’s take corn as an example. It provides 10% of all required proteins and contains beta-carotene (precursor to Vitamin A), Vitamin E, lutein, fatty acids such as linoleic acid, and carbohydrates. Of course, your pet cannot survive on only grains, but that doesn’t mean it’s filler.

Should I feed my pet treats?

Think of treats as the animal equivalent of a slice of cake. You can definitely give your pet treats, but you should give them to your pet with moderation. Treats should represent less than 5% of a cat’s or dog’s diet.

Is home-cooking better for my pets?

In a study done by Stockman, Fascetti, Kass, and Larsen (2013), 95% of homemade pet food recipes were found to be nutritionally incomplete for pets. This underlines the difficulty of making a nutritionally complete meal for your pets from scratch. While it is certainly possible (5% recipes examined in the study were nutritionally complete, after all), for the average pet owner, it is time-consuming and expensive, with no way of testing the nutritional quality of the food besides sending it off to a laboratory. We would recommend buying AAFCO approved pet food to guarantee nutritional completeness and balance for your pet’s diet. For pet owners who are still interested in home-cooking for their pet, it is recommended that you consult a veterinarian who can guide you through nutritional planning for your pet.

What are meat by-products and are they bad for my pet?

According to regulatory guidelines, by-products include parts of an animal such as the heart, lungs, liver, neck, kidneys, stomach, gizzard, brain, feet, back, and other tissues. They specifically exclude feathers, hair, hide, hooves, manure, and stomach contents. These by-products are all safe to consume and nutritionally indistinguishable from regular meats. In fact, some of these parts, known as giblets, are used in human foods like hot dogs and bologna.

There is also something called “by-product meal” in pet foods. By-product meal is produced when by-products are rendered. In the rendering process:

By-products are cooked in what is basically a stew
The water is cooked away
The remaining fat is skimmed
The residue is baked into “by-product meal”

This is a protein-rich powder that is added back into pet food.

There are legal guidelines for what by-product meal can contain depending on how it’s labeled. If by-product meal is labeled as “beef by-product meal,” “poultry by-product meal,” “chicken by-product meal,” or “turkey by-product meal,” it legally cannot contain any other type of tissue than what is advertised.

However, “animal by-product meal” and “meat by-product meal” can contain by-products from any animal, even roadkill or dead-on-arrival animals. This is where questions about the quality and safety of by-products have come from. Rest assured, major pet food companies do not use this type of by-product meal and they stay in contact with suppliers to assure the consistent quality of their ingredients.

Can the additives in pet foods harm my pets?

Most pet foods contain additives such as food coloring and preservatives. The most common additives used have been tested by the FDA and approved as safe to use in both animal and human foods. For example, some common preservatives used in dry pet foods include antioxidants such as Vitamin E or BHT. These are also used in foods for human consumption. Other additives include vitamins and minerals that are meant to ensure a nutritionally balanced diet. Sometimes, these safe, nutritional additives can have confusing names–for example, pyridoxine hydrochloride, l-ascorbic acid, calcifediol, and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are actually the chemical names for Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B9, respectively.

What does the pet food ingredient called “animal digest” contain?

Digest (such as poultry digest) is an ingredient that is produced by incubating animal tissues with digestive enzymes that break down the tissue. This is similar to what occurs in the stomach and small intestine, except that the meat or tissue is not totally digested by the process. This creates a mixture of peptides, proteins, and amino acids that is highly digestible and tastes very good to dogs and cats. Tastiness, or palatability, is quite important in the formulation of pet food–after all, even if a food is perfectly nutritionally balanced, that doesn’t mean anything if your pet doesn’t want to eat it!

Is it true that some cheap pet food contains euthanized cats and dogs?

Major pet food companies are supplied with animal products from USDA-inspected plants and rendering facilities. While euthanized dogs and cats are sometimes disposed at rendering plants to produce livestock and poultry feed or non-edible products like fertilizer and soap, these are not USDA-inspected plants, so they have no connection to your pet food. Due to public concern, the USDA has looked for dog and cat tissue in randomly selected pet foods using DNA tests–all tests were negative.

Do carbohydrates cause diabetes in cats?

There is no evidence to support this. Studies have been done that show carbohydrates have a negligible effect on blood sugar level. Obesity and old age are the biggest risk factors for diabetes in cats.

I heard that grains can cause food allergies in dogs and cats. Is this true? Should I buy gluten-free?

Grain allergies make up only 1% of skin diseases and 10-15% of all allergic skin diseases. The most common culprits of food allergies in dogs are beef, chicken, milk, eggs, corn, wheat, and soy. An allergy to one type of grain doesn’t necessarily mean your pet will be allergic to all grains, because different grains contain different types of proteins, which is what triggers the allergic reaction. Allergies to wheat gluten have been found in some Irish Setters, but they are extremely rare in other breeds. So, for most dogs, buying gluten-free food probably won’t prevent any food allergies or improve your dog’s quality of life–it’s pure marketing. In fact, wheat gluten contains 75% of necessary proteins, so it can be an important source of protein in your pet’s diet.

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Acetaminophen toxicity in cats and dogs.

Towne Center Blogger — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 10:26:16 +0000

Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter medicine used for pain and fever relief. It’s the active ingredient in a number of medications–you can find it sold alone as Tylenol or in combination with other drugs for multi-symptom relief, like Nyquil or Excedrin. It’s very likely that you have several medications containing acetaminophen in your home, which is why being aware of acetaminophen toxicity is so important.

Most animals don’t metabolize or break down drugs in the same way that humans do. As a result, something that’s safe for humans to ingest can lead to toxicity or death in animals. Acetaminophen is one of those cases. For dogs, a toxic dose is 45 milligrams of acetaminophen per pound of body weight, while the toxic dose for cats is smaller at 22 milligrams per pound of body weight. This means that consuming a single tablet of Tylenol, which contains 325 milligrams of acetaminophen, would be fatal for the average cat or small dog if medical attention is not sought immediately.

A single dose of acetaminophen can be toxic or deadly to any animal species, including dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, ferrets, pigs, and other animals.

Once swallowed, acetaminophen reaches the blood stream within thirty minutes. Signs of acetaminophen toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, depression, blue gums, weakness, rapid or difficulty breathing, collapse, coma, swelling of the face and paws (especially in cats), dry eyes in dogs, dark urine and blood, and pale, dark or muddy mucous membranes. Additional symptoms like tremors, seizures, and disorientation might occur if the drug contained other active ingredients like anti-histamines or caffeine.

If you think your pet may have ingested acetaminophen, please seek veterinary attention immediately.

The most effective way to keep your dogs and cats safe from acetaminophen toxicity is by making sure that all medications in your home are stored in a safe place away from curious paws. Remember, cats and dogs can easily knock over bottles on counters and coffee tables and rummage through purses and backpacks, so it’s best to keep medications somewhere secure like a drawer or cabinet that cannot be accessed by your pets. If you’ve accidentally dropped a pill and can’t find it, temporarily block off the area so your pets don’t eat the medication while you’re busy searching.

And remember, never give your pets medication intended for humans unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian. If your pet swallows human medication and you’re unsure whether it’s toxic, contact us immediately and we’ll help you from there.

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