Kennel cough is a syndrome affecting canines. Characterized as inflammation of the upper respiratory system, it can be caused by viral infections, such as canine distemper, canineadenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, canine respiratory coronavirus or Orthomyxoviridae Influenzavirus, or bacterial infections, such as Bordetella bronchiseptica. It is so named because the infection can spread quickly among dogs, such as in the close quarters of a kennel.

Both virus and bacterial causes of kennel cough are spread through the air by infected dogs sneezing and coughing. It can also spread through contact with contaminated surfaces and through direct contact. It is highly contagious, even days or weeks after symptoms disappear. Symptoms begin usually two to three days after exposure, and can progress to pneumonia.

(Source: wiki)

(Images: http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu, http://www.st-clair-pet-care.com)

Creating a Pet First Aid Kit

Knowing what to do (and what not to do) in the event that your pet suffers an injury or any number of other emergencies is of course very important. Equally as important though is having handy the supplies necessary to administer first-aid!

Below I’ve listed the items that every pet owner should include in their pet’s first-aid kit. Depending on your particular pet’s medical history, they may benefit from the inclusion of additional items too. It’s always a good idea to talk with your veterinarian to ensure that your own pet’s first-aid kit is as complete as it can be.

You can often pick up many of these items at your local pharmacy or superstore. But it may be easier and better just to see if you can purchase them through your veterinarian instead. They likely have most of these supplies in their office, and they may even have pre-made pet first aid kits to save you the trouble. 

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    The photo is of a syringe filled with euthanasia solution which is usually bright blue or neon pink in color to distinguish it from any other injectable medication. Euthanasia solution is just a barbiturate (usually pentobarbital) that is given in an excessive dosage. How does it work? Well basically it is GABA-ergic meaning it binds to GABA receptors in the CNS and potentiates their inhibitory action. Basically animals slowly go to sleep and then their brains and hearts “shut off”.

   I wanted to post this to clear up a few things about euthanasia. First of all, I am totally pro euthanasia. I think there are times when it is absolutely more humane to put an animal to sleep than to let it live in constant pain. People balk at putting animals down and applaud these no kill shelters but to me, it is worth putting down sick, old, poorly behaved animals that have little chance of being adopted and spend that money helping animals that have a better chance. That is an entire new thread in and of itself though.

   Being put to sleep does not hurt and animals don’t feel anything except the prick of the needle. I have had surgery before and imagine the sensation is much the same as being put under for that, you just slowly get more tired until you are asleep and don’t even realize it is happening. If an animal is particularly nervous we can give a sedative beforehand and this will help them calm down and relax. Some animals will take one last deep breath called an agonal breath and may tense their muscles, but they are not aware this is happening and it is just a reflex. We always warn owners that their pet may evacuate their bowls and bladders at the end and that their eyes will probably not be closed.

    If you are concerned about having a pet put to sleep, talk to your vet about it. They should have no problem discussing the entire procedure with you and telling you what to expect. As a veterinarian, we have to perform a few euthanasias a day and I think we tend to become a little numb about the entire thing. It would be far too difficult to become emotional at every one and we would suffer burn out very quickly. That being said, we still are attached to patients and a few vets I know have cried when they lose a patient they have known for years.  I always stick around after the procedure to offer hugs and to listen if needed.

    Vets do not enjoy putting animals down but at the same time we realize it is often for the best. Animals don’t understand “being alive” like we do. They cannot think “At least I am alive” and when they are sick they become stressed that they cannot move like they are supposed to or are in constant pain. Many owners want to keep animals that are unable to move on their own and can’t even defecate on their own alive with feeding tubes and catheters and I think that is the ultimate in cruelty and selfishness. It is an owner’s responsibility to know when it is time to humanely end a pet’s life and many people abuse this power.

   Before making rash decisions talk to your vet and decide what is best for your pet, not for you. Euthanasia is not a coward’s choice but that of someone very brave.

    A cecotroph on the left and normal bunny stool on the right. Have you ever seen a cecotroph before? If you don’t own rabbits probably not and even if you do you probably haven’t. This is because rabbits only make cecotrophs first thing in the morning and then eat them. Most of the time they don’t even let them hit the ground they just reach around pull it directly out of their anus and eat it. Rabbits are hind gut fermenters and they don’t get a ton of vitamins and minerals from their food, but they do have bacteria in their cecum that can make certain nutrients and the only way to get these back is to eat the feces. Sometimes if a rabbit is ill it will not eat the cecotroph and owners will find it and think it is diarrhea because it is much softer than normal stool. Kinda makes me glad rabbits don’t lick your face. 

HOW COME we share our birthday but not beds? RUDE

You heard the man.

Written by Veterinarian, Dr. Christianne Schelling

If you are considering declawing your cat, please read this. It will only take a moment, and it will give you valuable information to help you in your decision.

First, you should know that declawing is pretty much an American thing, it’s something people do for their own convenience without realizing what actually happens to their beloved cat. In England declawing is termed “inhumane” and “unnecessary mutilation.” I agree. In many European countries it is illegal. I applaud their attitude.

Before you make the decision to declaw your cat, there are some important facts you should know. Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat’s claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat’s claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s “toes”. When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.

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I learnt about declawing in anaesthesia classes, as an example of what could cause neuropathic pain (I don’t remember the exact figure, but a fraction of cats who underwent declawing suffer from neuropathic pain all their life). I couldn’t believe such a thing existed, and was all the more shocked to learn it existed in a country like the US who is supposed to be crazy about animal welfare. I’m glad it’s forbidden here. How can someone be willing to amputate their cat ?

Seriously, if one wants a cat they should think about how much they care about their furniture/plants/baby/other animals and how much time they are willing to give to educate their cat before adopting one.

The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily so they can meet their quota of getting FREE FOOD donated every day to abused and neglected animals in their shelters.

It takes less than a minute (only about 15 seconds actually) to go to their site and click on the purple box titled, ‘Click Here to Give - it’s FREE!’. Every click gives about .6 bowls of food to sheltered dogs. You can also click daily!

Keep in mind that this does not cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. [via.]

Go to the website here.

Hahahah gastroenterologist cat

Proof that Harry Potter is always relevant.

Haha amazing.

An infographic for the recent discussion.

This is sort of in the same category as the “normal” breeds postings. This is a cockatoo but you could insert pretty much any large psittacine of your choice. I see birds like this far too often for my comfort. This is such a common occurrence that people come to expect it when they own a bird, or they find it humorous. There are numerous “funny” videos and photographs of birds like this on the internet.

While there are many diseases that can cause a bird to look like this, it is usually a complicated intermingling of physical and mental disease. The bird may have had a sore or an itch one day and so it plucked a feather out. It then continued to pluck more and more feathers out until it became an obsessive habit. Once this cycle stops it can be impossible to stop it.

Parrots are intelligent animals that require lots of stimulation and socialization. When they don’t receive enough they begin to find other means of stimulation and this unfortunately involves destroying themselves. Some birds become so obsessed with the picking that will actually tear into their own flesh and muscle and create huge gaping holes.

Many owners will say “Oh, hes fine! He is so happy! We just can’t get him to stop picking.” These birds are not happy because they wouldn’t be picking if they were. Sometimes they have literally become insane and seem to be happy go lucky, other times they have been moved to a new environment where they get enough attention but cannot stop the picking because it has become so ingrained.

There are drugs and collars that can sometimes be used to help curb this behavior but often these are temporary fixes. The absolute best way to stop this is to not own the larger parrots as pets. I promise that no matter how good you are or how much time you have you do not have enough for these animals. Leave them in the wild or in zoos and enjoy them there.

How could anybody find something like this funny? 

I saw this very often in the clinic I used to work at. It is so sad to see birds so clearly unhappy. 

Lol, fighting with angry, demonic cats all day long.

A Kirschner apparatus on the front leg of a Labrador mix.

Anatomy Lesson: The Eye