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Volume I, Issue VI December 2005 IN THIS ISSUE •
If Dogs
Could Fly – Potentially Deadly Problems with Pets and Airlines • The Bald Truth - Hair Loss in Cats & Dogs (Reader Requested) • Care for Horses in Cold Weather |
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Is Your Four-Legged
Buddy Getting Chubby? Healing Springs Animal Hospital
will hold a FREE Weight Management Clinic for dogs and cats on January
10. Make an appointment between (276) 236-5103 |
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If Dogs Could Fly – Potentially Deadly
Problem with Airlines |
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Despite proposed legislation and pressure from the
ASPCA, airlines are not required to provide temperature control in the cargo holds where animals are stored. The Safe Air Transport for Animals Act
passed this June now requires airlines to report all incidents of
family-owned pets who are injured, lost, or killed
while in the custody of airlines and airports. The numbers are concerning. |
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From May to October, the airlines self-reported 21
deaths, 16 injuries, and 3 losses.
Monthly reports can be viewed at the US
Department of Transportation website, http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/atcr05.htm. The airline reports blame the majority of dog
deaths on cardiac failure due to a pre-existing condition. However, all pets allowed
to be checked as baggage have successfully passed a veterinary
physical. They rarely if ever place
blame for a death with the airlines.
Dr. Heather Jenkins Brazzell points out that hyperthermia and
hypothermia can cause cardiac failure in dogs, but she also notes that the
airlines never cite temperature as a factor in these deaths. Healing Springs will examine your dog and certify airline
health certificates for healthy dogs.
Be aware that the forms provided by airlines usually require a
positive response to statements such as, “The pet can withstand temperatures
below 45 and above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.”
The implication is that temperature will range around 45 and 85. On the other hand, a literal interpretation
of these statements means you are acknowledging temperatures could go well
below 45 for extended periods and/or well above 85 for extended periods. The important questions here are “What
extremes of temperatures will be reached?” and “For how long?” These are the questions
that the airlines do not seem to be answering. The numbers available in the DOT reports are
in-and-of-themselves meaningless.
While American Airlines seems to be a leader in pet deaths, we cannot
say that they are better or worse than any other airline without knowing the
total numbers of animals transported.
For instance, if American Airlines flies twice as many dogs as Delta,
it stands to reason that they would see twice as
many incidents. What we need the DOT
to provide is additional information on incidents expressed as a percentage
of total animals flown. This would allow
us to compare airlines. We also need
the DOT to show airline pet mortality rates compared to general pet mortality
rates to truly evaluate the safety of pets flying as
baggage. In the meantime, considering
the generally low numbers of pets that do fly in cargo holds, the raw data
provided definitely gives rise to concern.
Some statements on airline health certificates about cargo hold
temperatures are also suspicious. Pet
owners may want to think twice and check the latest DOT information before
allowing their pets to be checked as baggage. |
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The Bald Truth – Hair Loss in Cats &
Dogs |
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When you see hair thinning or hair loss in a cat or
dog, it is important to understand that healthy pets do not simply lose their
hair as humans can. Alopecia (the partial
or complete lack of hair on any part of the skin where hair would normally be
present) is a symptom in dogs and cats.
Hair loss is not a condition in and of itself. Rather, hair loss indicates that some other
problem exists with the pet. Dogs and
cats have more than 60 typical causes for hair loss. Most of these conditions can be very
serious. Allergies and parasites serve
as the most common reasons for hair loss.
All cases of alopecia should receive thorough investigation and
usually require a veterinary examination. |
Hair
loss is not normal for dogs and cats.
It often signals a serious health problem. |
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The veterinary examination at Healing Springs Animal Hospital may include skin scrapings, a fungal culture, and/or a biopsy of the skin. When performing skin scrapings, a veterinarian scrapes a blade along the pet’s skin to remove some surface cells and look for mange and other parasites. A fungal culture can verify the presence of ringworm. A skin biopsy will allow a pathologist to study skin samples under a microscope and look for causes of alopecia. The reader request mentioned hair loss with
scaling. A number of problems,
including hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease can create this
presentation. Hypothyroidism occurs when
the thyroid gland produces an inadequate amount of hormone. Pets with this condition appear to gain
weight easily and appear sluggish.
They seek out warm spots more than normal. They can have loss of hair and scaling at
the flanks and back. Pets with hypothyroidism
often present with greasy earwax. Vets
can confirm hypothyroidism with a blood test and manage it with hormone
supplementation. Pet owners can help their pets have good skin and
hair condition by adequately addressing four very important factors: (1)
Nutrition, (2) Bathing & Grooming, (3) Environmental Cleanliness, (4) Parasite Control.
Not all pet foods are created equal. Very often, the more expensive dog foods
are genuinely more nutritious. The
effects of good nutrition are usually evident in a soft, shinny coat. Healing Springs recommends and retails
Science Diet formulas. At the grocery
store, the top-end Purina, IAMS, or Pedigree can be a good pick. Regular bathing with a mild soap and
routine combing is important for hair and skin health. House dust carries living mites that can
create allergic responses. Keeping the
house, including air vents, free of dust can help reduce pet itching. Hepafilters are proven to help reduce dust and dust mites. Fleas and other parasites can create skin
problems that go well beyond the itchy bite.
Apply flea control every month of the year. Ask your veterinarian about the best
parasite control product for your situation. |
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Care for Horses in Cold Weather |
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Burr! The weather has already taken some cold spells. Has your horse noticed? Horses are good at adjusting to cold weather. Some simple modifications to diet and management can help ensure that your horses stay comfortable and healthy. |
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Diet: Your horse may want to increase forage intake during cold
weather. Microbial fermentation breaks
down hay in the horse’s cecum. This process generates heat. Horses may increase their forage intake to naturally warm themselves. To help this process make sure your horses
have plenty of hay. Increased hay
consumption necessitates increased water intake. Too much hay with too little water
increases the chance of impaction colic.
Make sure plenty of water is available and that water sources are not
frozen. Where water heaters are used,
even the smallest amount of electrical current being released in the water will cause some horses to shy away from water
sources and decrease drinking. Insulation: A horse’s hormonal system controls the thickness
of a horse’s coat. Daylight triggers
this hormonal system. Toward the
colder months, days shorten, and the hormonal system causes the development
of a winter coat. A dry winter coat
can keep horses comfortable at temperatures around 20 degrees
Fahrenheit. Artificial light can cause
a horse to keep its wet, summer coat.
With this coat, horses become uncomfortable at around 60 degrees
Fahrenheit. Fat layers also provide important insulation. If hay and grazing alone do not put a good
fat layer on your horse, increase the amount of grain fed. Horses with a body condition score of less
than 5.5 should be provided with protection from the
cold. A common misconception is that
corn, often called a “hot feed,” will increase the horse’s body heat. Corn is a good source of calories and can
help with the fat layer. However, only
forage such as hay will generate appreciable heat during the digestion
process. If your horse does not
tolerate well increases in grain, call Healing Springs to discuss other
nutritional options. Shelter: Shelter can go a long way
toward increasing the comfort and health of a horse during winter. Even a simple, three-sided shelter will
help protect horses from wind, rain, and snow. |
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The Animal Health Bulletin
is a FREE service of Healing Springs Animal Hospital (276) 236-5103 Galax, VA 24333 Visit our website at
www.HealingSpringsAnimalHospital.com |
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Administrative: Request an article topic. Click
Here. To ask questions about a
specific pet, call Healing Springs at (276) 236-5103. You
have permission to forward this bulletin in its entirety to a friend. If
you did not receive the Animal Health Bulletin directly and would like to
begin receiving them, simply e-mail us at the link below. Healing Springs Animal Hospital provides
the Animal Health Bulletin free of charge to all residents of surrounding
counties. When you subscribe, please
provide your name and address. The
Animal Health Bulletin is developed and distributed with the assistance of Brazzell Marketing Agency. © BMA 2005 |
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