Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease (a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans) that is found in many wildlife reservoirs, such as deer, raccoons, rats, skunks and opossums. The disease is caused by a spiral shaped bacteria and is transmitted through urine, venereal transfer, across the placenta from mother to fetus, bite wounds, and ingestion of infected meat.
The most common route of transmission is from a carrier animal into stagnant or slow moving water to a dog. Late summer and fall have a higher incidence of disease cases due to the optimal temperatures occurring at this time of year.  After only one day of infection, the bacteria begins to attack many organ systems including kidney, liver, spleen, central nervous system, eyes and genital tract. Clinical signs noted at home range from fever, little to no appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and reluctance to move. Death due to dehydration and organ failure can happen quickly.
Confirmed diagnosis of this disease is important because of the potential risk to all humans having contact with the affected pet. Unfortunately diagnostic lab tests that give a quick result have been difficult to interpret and have unreliable results. The reliable blood tests require several weeks time to confirm a diagnosis and this disease does not allow this kind of time to treat. Treatment must begin immediately based on history and clinical signs.
Treatment for Leptospirosis involves supportive care to treat dehydration and support the organs being threatened. Antimicrobial drugs are administered initially to stop the organism from multiplying and then continued for at least three weeks to stop the carrier state and chronic disease.
Prevention of Leptospirosis is very important. We are seeing an increase in the number of cases of this terrible disease in the Cedar Valley and have updated our vaccination protocal to address this change.
Initially two types, or serovars, of Lepto were believed to cause the majority of disease. They were icterohaemorrhagiae and canicola. After veterinarians began vaccinating for these two serovars the incidence of the disease went down. However the initial vaccine did not protect against all of the serovars of Lepto and soon the incidents of disease caused by these extra types began to rise also.  There are more current vaccines now that protect against four of the serovars of Lepto. Now the vaccine for Lepto also includes the serovars, grippotyphosa and pomona. For this reason, your veterinarian may be asking you to bring your dog in for a Lepto booster to boost your dogs immunity to these additional serovars and give your dog
more complete protection against this deadly disease.

Elizabeth Bixby, DVM

Pet of the Month - October 2011 - Max Brown

Max is the beloved pet of the Brown family for the past 7 years. He came from a co-worker’s farm and was already named Max, but got the added middle name of Joseph, because he has a cross on his chest and a “coat of many colors.”   One of his favorite things to do is to snuggle up under a blanket, and in fact, any blanket that comes into the Brown household quickly becomes his!  He goes to bed early, and sleeps late and loves to be carried around like a baby and snuggle.  Cheese is one of his favorite treats but he also likes to try to “kill” any new toys he gets by chewing on them and destroys them quickly.  He loves his walks and gets so excited when he sees squirrels and bike riders through the front window of the Brown home.  He doesn’t like the vacuum cleaner and tries to protect his family from it whenever it turns on!  He loves his “camp” time with his friends when he gets to kennel at Taylor Vet.  Life in the Brown family would not be the same without him.   

Meet Thunder!

     Thunder is the newest member of the Bixby family. We recently adopted Thunder from the Aspire Therapeutic Riding Program in Waterloo. Like many of you, I had heard of Aspire, but never gave it much thought until now. We were looking for a pony for our children and a local horse trainer, Jenna Pearce, who also works at Aspire, recommended Thunder. Thunder has been living at the Aspire farm for several years and as many people do at some point in their lives, was becoming a little dissatisfied with his job in life and needed a change. This is understandable, because the horses at Aspire have a very important and tough job to do. After visiting the farm myself, I would say the horses there are more like counselors or paramedics for young souls who need someone to connect with.

     I am a veterinarian at Taylor Veterinary Hospital where we care for all small pets. However, once a month I do work at horse sale at a sale barn in northeast Iowa. I know first hand that there are many horses who come through the sale with life stories that include neglect, abuse, abandonment and physical impairments. Sadly, our communities are filled with children who have similar life struggles. Until this week, I didn’t realize that at Aspire, the loving staff there can pair up children whose life stories and struggles mirror an Aspire horse’s life story. I am very proud that there is such a unique and worthwhile program right here in the Cedar Valley. Aspire is so much more than a chance for a handicapped child to ride a horse. The connections that are made between kindred spirits is what is so important between all pets and people, but this program is truly an inspiring testament to the amazing things that can happen when the human-animal bond is fostered.

     Aspire has a fundraiser called Dances with Horses on September 24, 2011 at 7:00 at McElroy Auditorium in Waterloo. This is a night of music, choreographed dances with horses, trick riding performances and so much more. You can go to http://www.aspiretrp.org/ or http://www.danceswithhorses.org/ to get more information about how you can support the efforts of the Aspire program. Anyone who has a pet and understands the importance of the bond shared with that pet, should support the wonderful work done for our Cedar Valley kids through the Aspire Therapeutic Riding program.

Elizabeth Bixby, DVM

Pet of the Month - September 2011 - Louie and Lenny

One day last July, Deb Gallagher and John Smith were taking their normal early morning walk in North Cedar.  As they walked along the road, they noticed a small kitten that was laying at the edge of the road.  John and Deb have been dog owners for years, but never had any desire to have a cat of their own, but being animal lovers, they had to try to help this sweet kitty.  They figured they could take the kitten to the vet to see if there was anything they could do for it.  The cuddled it and held it close as they walked home.  By the time they were home, “Louie” had stolen a piece of their hearts.  After a visit to the vet, they decided to keep Louie as their own.  He is a sweet, affectionate cat, who will put his paws on either side of your head and hold you close.  After a while, they decided that they would add another cat to their house and visited the humane society.  Lenny was adopted and has changed the atmosphere in their home immensely.  Louie and Lenny are opposites.  Louie is the “Dad” in the family, they call him their “Buddha” with his calm ways.  Lenny is the adventurous son who is always into something.  Running, chasing and tumbling, Lenny is the daring one.  Louie adjusted to having a new cat in the house quickly and now they are the best of buddies. 

August 2011 - Pet of the Month - Buddy Cordes

Buddy has been a part of the Cordes family for about 7 years.  He is about 12 years old but began his life as a rescue dog.  When his original owner passed away, Buddy was taken into the Cordes family.  He is a black lab who loves his family.  He gives “hugs” to the kids and loves to be around them.  About 6 months ago, they noticed a growth on Buddy’s leg which needed to be removed.  The tumor was so large that there wasn’t much skin to close the area.  With Buddy licking the wound, and the tight skin, the incision kept coming apart.   The area became infected and swollen and Buddy stopped using that leg.  Dr. Smith suggested they try laser therapy to help the skin heal faster and reduce the swelling.  Once they began the laser therapy, Buddy began to use his leg again and the incision began to heal.  The Cordes family was a bit skeptical of the laser therapy at first, but they were amazed at what a huge difference it has made for Buddy.  Buddy has regained his mobility, runs and jumps and enjoys life again. 

Pet Talk - Help for Motion Sickness!

While striving to educate people about issues that may arise with family pets, we would also like to help address concerns that our readers may be currently facing.  It is our goal to answer general questions related to pet health care that will benefit multiple households. Keep in mind that we recommend pet owners contact their veterinarian for assistance if an immediate answer is required.
~A reader writes..."My dog gets car sick, always has and does every time. Is there anything I can do to help her (drugs, etc.) and does it mean she has stomach issues?”
~It sounds like your dog is experiencing typical motion sickness, just like some people. Motion sickness usually begins very shortly after starting the car ride. The dog will begin to drool and then vomit. It’s not serious, but certainly not something that we like to clean up.
To solve the problem, first try acclimating your dog to car rides by a process called desensitization. Desensitization is the gradual exposure to situations or stimuli that would bring on the undesirable behavior, but at a level so low that there is no negative response.
Do this by simply putting him in the car for a few minutes each day without going anywhere.
Then try just going down the driveway and back, and the next day going around the block.
Gradually build up the distance and time the dog rides in the car. Sometimes this will help to decrease the dog’s anxiety over riding in the car and may help to decrease vomiting.
If desensitization doesn’t work, there are some medications that may help. Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and Dramamine Less Drowsy (meclizine) are common over-the-counter medications to try.
Ask your veterinarian to determine the proper dosage for your pet. (Never give any medications to your pet without your veterinarian’s advice!) These drugs are safe, with drowsiness as the only major side effect. If over-the-counter medications don’t work, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe some tranquilizers which can lessen agitation and motion sickness.

To have your question answered, e-mail it to petdocs@taylorvet.com with Pet Talk in the subject line.

Dr. Chad Smith is a veterinarian at Taylor Veterinary Hospital. He has a special interest in solving pet behavioral problems. E-mail him at cdsmith@cfu.net.

Pet of the Month - July 2011 - Roxy Davis

Roxy Davis is a 7 year old Weimaraner who is the “sister” to Abby, Amelia and Ava Davis.  She has grown up from the time she was a puppy as part of the Davis family and plays with the girls as if she was one of them.  From running and playing outside, to dress-up, and even hide and seek, she has amazingly human characteristics!  For her birthday, she gets to sit at the table, dressed up (the picture is this past birthday), eating hot dogs and cupcakes.  She loves stuffed animals and cares for them as if they were her babies.  She sits patiently while her “sisters” give her pedicures or dress her up.  She gets her own Christmas stocking and when the girls were younger, would give them pony rides.  Roxy is an amazing family dog and the Davis family wouldn’t be complete without her.