If you have a large breed dog, you may already know something about bloat. Bloat is an absolute emergency situation resulting from a dog's stomach filling with air, and then rotating on the axis of the esophagus and small intestine. It is 100% fatal if untreated in a timely manner.
Any large, deep-chested dog is susceptible to bloat, but the breeds most commonly affected are Great Dane, St. Bernard, and Weimaraner. Any dog weighing over 100 pounds has a 20% risk of bloating at some point in its lifetime.
Contrary to popular belief, grain content of the dog food has no relation to risk of bloat, nor does elevating the food bowl help prevent it. In fact, in two recent studies, elevating the dog's food bowl actually INCREASED the risk of bloat. Here are some things you can do to prevent your dog from bloating:
1) Feed at least twice a day. Smaller amounts more frequently reduces risk.
2) Moisten your dog's food or add canned food to the dry ration.
3) If your dog eats very quickly, slow him down by giving a special type of bowl with protrusions in it that makes him slow down in order to get the food. These bowls are available at most any pet store.
4) Be proactive via surgery. At West End, we offer a "stomach tacking" surgery called "gastropexy" that can be performed at the same time as a spay or neuter. We make a small incision at the end of the last rib on the right side, take hold of a piece of the stomach, and suture it down to the inside of the body wall. This prevents the stomach from rotating. This surgery is widely recognized as a good way to reduce the chance of bloat by 75%.
More detailed information about recognizing, preventing and treating bloat can be seen on the Veterinary Partners website at
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=672
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Chemical Castration: Is It Right For You?
Well, technically not for you, but for your dog. Non-surgical neutering, which we have been awaiting for years, is finally here. A recently-approved product called Esterilsol enables a veterinarian to perform a neuter as an out-patient appointment. The patient is lightly sedated, then an injection is performed into each testicle, following which the dog may go his merry way, virtually pain-free.Within 3 days, sperm production shuts down and the testicles begin to shrink.
Testicle size and testosterone production will be permanently reduced by approximately 50%, so there will be some tissue left that resembles a testicle, but is actually mostly scar tissue. There is no evidence of long-term side effects. The small amount of testosterone that remains may prove beneficial for certain large breeds of dogs, for whom surgical neutering slightly increases the incidence of bone cancer. Great Danes, St. Bernards, Mastiffs, Great Pyrenees, Newfoundlands, and a few other giant breeds fall into this category. There are currently studies underway to determine if chemical castration can lower this risk.
The procedure is affectionately called "Zeutering," because the compound used is zinc gluconate.
At West End Animal Hospital, our doctors are trained and certified in the injection technique needed for this procedure. We look forward to Zeutering your dog. Although it may be tempting for you to have the procedure done on straying husbands, boyfriends, or weird relatives, it's not yet available for human beings.
Well, technically not for you, but for your dog. Non-surgical neutering, which we have been awaiting for years, is finally here. A recently-approved product called Esterilsol enables a veterinarian to perform a neuter as an out-patient appointment. The patient is lightly sedated, then an injection is performed into each testicle, following which the dog may go his merry way, virtually pain-free.Within 3 days, sperm production shuts down and the testicles begin to shrink.
Testicle size and testosterone production will be permanently reduced by approximately 50%, so there will be some tissue left that resembles a testicle, but is actually mostly scar tissue. There is no evidence of long-term side effects. The small amount of testosterone that remains may prove beneficial for certain large breeds of dogs, for whom surgical neutering slightly increases the incidence of bone cancer. Great Danes, St. Bernards, Mastiffs, Great Pyrenees, Newfoundlands, and a few other giant breeds fall into this category. There are currently studies underway to determine if chemical castration can lower this risk.
The procedure is affectionately called "Zeutering," because the compound used is zinc gluconate.
At West End Animal Hospital, our doctors are trained and certified in the injection technique needed for this procedure. We look forward to Zeutering your dog. Although it may be tempting for you to have the procedure done on straying husbands, boyfriends, or weird relatives, it's not yet available for human beings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)