HEALTH AND MEDICAL ISSUES Discussions - Oodles of Doodles Rescue Collective
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Chronic Ear Infections in Canine
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2012-07-11:2747693:Topic:178412
2012-07-11T13:06:26.522Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
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<div class="clear" id="content"><div id="columnMain"><div class="panel story"><div class="panelContent"><div class="topInfo clear"><p class="date">June 2004 Issue</p>
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<h1>Chronic Ear Infections in Canine</h1>
<h2>Sometimes, old-fashioned care is better than the newest antibitoic.…</h2>
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<div id="content" class="clear"><div id="columnMain"><div class="panel story"><div class="panelContent"><div class="topInfo clear"><p class="date">June 2004 Issue</p>
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<h1>Chronic Ear Infections in Canine</h1>
<h2>Sometimes, old-fashioned care is better than the newest antibitoic.</h2>
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<p><strong>by CJ Puotinen</strong></p>
<p>Chronic ear infections are the bane of long-eared dogs, swimming dogs, recently vaccinated puppies, old dogs, dogs with an abundance of ear wax, and dogs with allergies, thyroid imbalances, or immune system disorders. In other words, ear infections are among the most common recurring canine problems.</p>
<p>In conventional veterinary medicine, infected ears are often treated with oral antibiotics, topical drugs, or even surgery. The problem is that none of these treatments is a cure. Ear infections come back when the dog eats another “wrong” food, goes for another swim, experiences another buildup of excess wax, or in some other way triggers a reoccurrence.</p>
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<tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.whole-dog-journal.com/media/newspics/Ear.jpg" alt=""/><p class="caption">Clean ears, free of inflammation, debris, or any foul odor, are made possible through a superior diet, holistic care, and regular cleaning.</p>
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<p>Holistic veterinarian Stacey Hershman, of Nyack, New York, took an interest in ear infections when she became a veterinary technician in her teens. “This is a subject that isn’t covered much in vet school,” she says. “I learned about treating ear infections from the veterinarians I worked with over the years. Because they all had different techniques, I saw dozens of different treatments, and I kept track of what worked and what didn’t.”</p>
<p>Over the years, Dr. Hershman developed a program for keeping ears healthy and treating any problems that do arise, without the steroids and antibiotics usually dispensed by conventional practitioners. In addition, when she treats a dog with infected ears, she usually gives a homeopathic remedy to stimulate the dog’s immune system and help it fight the infection’s underlying cause. “Ear infections are a symptom of a larger problem,” she says. “You don’t want to just treat the ear and ignore the rest of the body. You want to treat the whole patient.”</p>
<p>Dr. Hershman believes that many ear infections, especially in puppies, stem from immune system imbalances caused by vaccinosis, a reaction to vaccines. “The ill effects of vaccines,” she says, “can cause mucoid discharge in puppies. For example, it’s not uncommon for puppies to have a discharge from the eyes or to develop conjunctivitis after a distemper vaccine.”</p>
<p>Once a dog develops an ear infection, conventional treatment can make the problem worse. “Dogs are routinely given cocktail drugs, which are combinations of antibiotics, antifungal drugs, cortisone, or other ingredients,” she explains.</p>
<p>“After a while, you’ll go through 10 tubes, and your dog will develop a resistance. Then you’ll have to go to more powerful drugs to treat the recurring infection. In conventional veterinary medicine, chronic ear infections are considered normal. Dog owners are told they’re a fact of life, they’re never cured, they just keep coming back, and the best you can do is ‘manage’ them. My goal is to cure, not to manage.”</p>
<p>Dr. Hershman’s treatment for infected ears is not a cure by itself, but it’s a remedy that isn’t harmful, and it gives you an important kick-start in treating ears holistically. “That’s the approach that leads to a cure,” she says.</p>
<p>Note: If your dog develops an ear infection for the first time, or if his condition seems especially severe or painful, take him to see your holistic veterinarian, to rule out a tumor, polyp, or something else that requires veterinary attention.</p>
<p><strong>Maintenance cleaning</strong><br/>Dr. Hershman’s healthy ears program starts with maintenance cleaning with ordinary cotton balls and cotton swabs. “This makes a lot of people nervous,” she says, “but the canine ear canal isn’t straight like the canal in our ears. Assuming you’re reasonably gentle, you can’t puncture the ear drum or do any structural damage.”</p>
<p>Moisten the ear with green tea brewed as for drinking and cooled to room temperature, or use an acidic ear cleanser that does not contain alcohol. Dr. Hershman likes green tea for its mildness and its acidifying, antibacterial properties, but she also recommends peach-scented DermaPet MalAcetic Otic Ear Cleanser or Halo Natural Herbal Ear Wash (see sidebar).</p>
<p>“Don’t pour the cleanser into the dog’s ear,” she warns, “or it will just wash debris down and sit on the ear drum, irritating it.” Instead, she says, lift the dog’s ear flap while holding a moistened cotton ball between your thumb and index finger. Push the cotton down the opening behind the tragus (the horizontal ridge you see when you lift the ear flap) and scoop upward. Use a few dry cotton balls to clean out normal waxy buildup.</p>
<p>Next, push a Q-tip into the vertical ear canal until it stops, then scoop upward while rubbing it against the walls of the vertical canal. Repeat several times, rubbing on different sides of the vertical canal. Depending on how much debris is present in each ear, you can moisten one or several cotton balls and use two or more Q-tips.</p>
<p>“You don’t want to push so hard that you cause pain,” she says, “but for maintenance cleaning using gentle pressure, it’s impossible to harm the eardrum. I refer to the external ear canal as an L-shaped tunnel, and I tell owners to think of the vertical canal as a cone of cartilage. People are always amazed at how deep the dog’s ear canal can go. I often have them hold the end of the Q-tip while I demonstrate cleaning so they feel confident about doing it correctly without hurting their dogs.”</p>
<p>If excessive discharge requires the use of five or more Q-tips, or if the discharge is thick, black, or malodorous, Dr. Hershman recommends an ear flush.</p>
<p><strong>Washing out debris</strong><br/>Dr. Hershman realized that when an ear is not inflamed and not painful but full of debris or tarry exudates from a yeast or bacterial infection, flushing the ear makes sense. “If you don’t flush it out but keep applying medication on top of the debris,” she says, “you’re never going to cure the problem. But I also learned that flushing the ear is an art. You can’t simply fill the ear with otic solution and expect it to flow out by itself, taking all the debris with it. Because the dog’s ear canal forms a right angle, you just can’t get the liquid out unless you suction it gently with a bulb syringe or some kind of tube with a syringe attached.”</p>
<p>Flushing the ears, says Dr. Hershman, is one of the most important techniques you can learn for keeping your dog’s ears healthy. “They don’t teach this in veterinary school,” she says. “It’s something people learn by experience.”</p>
<p>When should the ears not be flushed? “If they’re painful, ulcerated, or bleeding,” she says, “or if there’s slimy, slippery pus in the ear or a glutenous, yeasty, golden yellow discharge. In any of these cases, flushing is not recommended. But if the ears are not inflamed and are simply waxy or filled with tarry exudates, flushing works well.”</p>
<p>The procedure begins with a mild, natural, unscented liquid soap from the health food store. Place a few drops of full-strength soap in the ear, then thoroughly massage the base of the ear. The soap is a surfactant, and it breaks up debris that’s stuck to the sides of the ear canal. From a bowl of water that’s slightly warmer than body temperature, fill a rubber bulb syringe or ear syringe, the kind sold in pharmacies for use with children or adults. Place the point of the syringe deep down in the soap-treated ear, then slowly squeeze the syringe so it releases a gentle stream of water.</p>
<p>“By the first or second application,” says Dr. Hershman, “you should see all kinds of debris flowing out. It’s like a waterfall. At the end of each application, hold the syringe in place so it sucks remaining water and debris up out of the ear canal. Then empty the syringe before filling it again.”</p>
<p>For seriously debris-filled ears, Dr. Hershman repeats the procedure three or four times, then she lets the dog shake his head before drying the ear with cotton balls and Q-tips. “I look for blood or debris,” she says, “and I check inside with the otoscope. If there’s still a lot of debris, I put more soap in, do a more vigorous massage, and flush it a few more times.</p>
<p>“An ear flush can be traumatic if the ear is inflamed,” she warns, “and occasionally there will be an ulcer or sore that you don’t know is there and it will bleed. That’s why you have to be careful about how you do this. You have to be vigorous but not aggressive. You don’t want to make the ear more inflamed, painful, or damaged than it was to begin with.”</p>
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<p>After flushing the ear, Dr. Hershman applies calendula gel, a homeopathic remedy. “I put a large dab in each ear and ask the owner to do that once or twice a day for the next three days. The gel is water-soluble and very soothing. Calendula helps relieve itching and it stimulates the growth of new cells, so it speeds tissue repair.”</p>
<p>If the discharge in the dog’s ear is yeasty or obviously infected, Dr. Hershman skips the ear flush, instead using the following treatment.</p>
<p><strong>Treating infections</strong><br/>Careful treatment is required for infected ears and ears that are full of debris that resists even an ear flush. But what approach works best?</p>
<p>When Dr. Hershman began her veterinary practice, she met many dogs who wouldn’t let anyone touch their ears. “I knew that nothing I’d learned in vet school was going to help them,” she says, “so I thought back to all the treatments I’d seen over the years. The one that seemed most effective was a combination of boric acid and a thick, old-fashioned ointment that looks like pink toothpaste. I couldn’t remember its name, but I never forgot how it smelled – really peculiar, like burnt embers.”</p>
<p>The ointment was Pellitol, and as soon as she tracked it down, Dr. Hershman developed her own protocol for using it in combination with boric acid. Through groomers she had learned the importance of ear powders. “Like those powders,” she says, “boric acid dries and acidifies the ear. Yeast and bacteria are opportunistic organisms that die in a dry, acidic environment. They thrive where it’s moist, dark, and alkaline.”</p>
<p>Experimenting first with her own dogs and dogs at the animal shelter where she volunteered, she placed two or three pinches of boric acid powder in each infected ear unless it was ulcerated, bleeding, or painful. “Being acidic,” she explains, “boric acid might irritate open wounds. In that case, I would use the Pellitol alone. Otherwise, a pinch or two of boric acid is an effective preliminary treatment.”</p>
<p>Boric acid is toxic; note warnings on the label. It should not be inhaled, swallowed, or placed in the eye. Shielding the face is important and usually requires a helper, someone who can hold the dog’s head steady while protecting the eyes, nose, and mouth.</p>
<p>“I put the boric acid in and use my finger to work it deep into the ear canal,” she says. “If the dog has a very narrow ear canal, I gently work it down with a Q-tip.”</p>
<p>Next, she attaches the Pellitol applicator to the tube and squeezes the pasty ointment into the ear canal, applying enough pressure as she withdraws the tube to completely fill the canal. “I massage the ear,” she says, “especially around the base, then leave it undisturbed for an entire week. I learned this by trial and error. The Pellitol dries up within a day or two, but if you leave it undisturbed for an entire week, it removes whatever exudates are in the ear, whether they’re sticky, tarry, yeasty, or slimy pus. It just attaches to whatever’s there, dries it up, and everything falls out together.”</p>
<p>Pellitol ointment contains zinc oxide, calamine, bismuth subgalante, bismuth subnitrate, resorcinol, echinacea fluid extract, and juniper tar. “Zinc oxide,” says Dr. Hershman, “is a drying agent; calamine helps with itching and inflammation; bismuth is soothing and has antibacterial properties; resorcinol is used to treat dermatitis and other skin conditions; echinacea is antiviral and antibacterial; and juniper tar, like all tree resins, fights infection and makes the ointment very sticky. Once applied, it stays in place until it dries and flakes off, taking the ear’s debris with it.”</p>
<p>After a week, the ear should be much improved. “That’s when I use cotton balls or Q-tips to remove whatever’s left,” says Dr. Hershman. “I love this treatment because it works well, it doesn’t traumatize the ear, and it doesn’t antidote homeopathy.”</p>
<p>If Pellitol has an adverse side effect, it’s the product’s stickiness. “I tell people to protect their furniture for a day or two,” says Hershman. “The ointment will stick to anything it touches, and when you fill the ear, it can stick to the outside of the ear or the dog’s face. That excess will dry and fall off. You can remove it with vegetable oil, but leave the inside of the ear flap alone.”</p>
<p>Sometimes a second treatment is needed, and sometimes Dr. Hershman flushes the ear to complete the therapy.</p>
<p>While dog owners can successfully treat many ear problems with the foregoing program by themselves, don’t hesitate to bring your dog to your holistic veterinarian if he exhibits severe pain or discomfort, or if the ear problems recur. There may be an underlying issue that your holistic veterinarian can identify and treat.</p>
<p>Also, there have been cases in which the alternatives described here don’t work. If this happens, conventional treatment might be needed to defeat the bacteria infecting the dog’s ear. Dr. Hershman’s cleaning and flushing program can be used afterward for preventive maintenance.</p>
<p><strong>Ear mites</strong><br/>Not every ear infection is an infection; sometimes it’s an infestation. Ear mites are tiny parasites that suck blood and fill the ear with waste matter that looks like black coffee grounds. The problem is most common in dogs from pet shops, puppy mills, shelters, or breeders with unclean environments.</p>
<p>Ear mites are species-specific, meaning that feline ear mites prefer cats’ ears and canine ear mites prefer dogs’ ears. Their bites ulcerate the ear canal, often leading to secondary infections.</p>
<p>How can you tell if your dog has ear mites? The definitive test is by microscopic examination, but Dr. Hershman describes two simple home tests. “Smear some ear debris on a white paper towel and wet it with hydrogen peroxide,” she says. “If it creates a brownish red stain when you smear it, you’re looking at digested blood from mites. In addition, most animals with ear mites have a positive ‘thump test.’ They vigorously thump a hind leg when you clean their ears because of intense itching.”</p>
<p>Ear mites are usually treated with pesticides, but there’s a safer, easier way. Simply put a few drops of mineral oil in each ear once or twice a week for a month.</p>
<p>Mineral oil has a terrible reputation in holistic health circles because it’s a petrochemical that blocks pores and interferes with the skin’s ability to breathe. But when it comes to fighting ear mites, these characteristics are a virtue. Mineral oil smothers and starves ear mites. Reapplying the oil twice per week prevents the growth of new generations.</p>
<p>Herbal ear oils containing olive oil or other vegetable oils can be less effective in the treatment of ear mites, either because they contain nutrients that feed the tiny parasites or because they are not heavy enough to smother them.</p>
<p>For best results, use an eyedropper to apply mineral oil to the inside of the ear. Then use a cotton ball saturated with mineral oil to wipe inside the ear flap. Massage the entire ear to be sure the mineral oil is well distributed. Before each subsequent application, remove debris from the ear with cotton balls and Q-tips.</p>
<p>If mites have caused a secondary infection, follow the mineral oil treatment with Pellitol ointment and leave it undisturbed for several days.</p>
<p><strong>Veterinary help</strong><br/>If you are unsure of your ability to clean or treat your dog’s ears, you can ask your holistic veterinarian to help you; with a little practice, you should be able to prevent ear problems and help your dog maintain a clean, dry, healthy ear on your own.</p>
<p>“These are simple, old-fashioned remedies,” says Dr. Hershman. “There is nothing high-tech about them. But after 30 years of treating ear infections, I’m convinced more than ever that they are the best way to treat canine ear infections.”</p>
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<p><strong>Also With This Article</strong><br/><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/7-6-What6.pdf">"What You Can Do"</a><br/><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/7-6-People.pdf">"People And Products"</a></p>
<p><em>-CJ Puotinen is also the author of "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care" and "Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats," both of which are available from DogWise, (800) 776-2665. She has also authored several books about human health including "Natural Relief from Aches and Pains," available from your favorite bookseller.</em></p>
<h5>Read More on These Topics</h5>
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<li><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/topics/allergies.html">Allergies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/topics/dog_health_care.html">Dog Health & Care</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/topics/non_traditional_healing.html">Non-Traditional Healing</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/topics/skin_coat.html">Skin & Coat</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/topics/soaps_shampoos.html">Soaps and Shampoos</a></li>
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Veterinary Bills Financial Assistance Info
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2012-01-01:2747693:Topic:163257
2012-01-01T01:23:25.296Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
<div class="description"><div class="xg_user_generated"><h1><span><strong><span class="font-size-2">I ran across this article online today in American Dog magazine and thought I would pass it along. With the state of our economy no one is immune to hardship and "downsizing" it seems. You never know when you will find youself in a tough financial spot and need vet care for your beloved Dog. For some people I am sure insurance isn't always an option either. If you know of other resources…</span></strong></span></h1>
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<div class="description"><div class="xg_user_generated"><h1><span><strong><span class="font-size-2">I ran across this article online today in American Dog magazine and thought I would pass it along. With the state of our economy no one is immune to hardship and "downsizing" it seems. You never know when you will find youself in a tough financial spot and need vet care for your beloved Dog. For some people I am sure insurance isn't always an option either. If you know of other resources please add them to the comments... </span></strong></span></h1>
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<h1>Resources: Veterinary Bills Financial Assistance</h1>
<p>Do you Need Help with Veterinary Bills to Save your Pet's Life? <br/> <br/> Here is a list of organizations that provide financial assistance.<br/> Visit their Web site to see if you qualify and meet their criteria. <br/></p>
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<tbody><tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>American Animal Hospital Assoc.</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.aahahelpingpets.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Angels for Animals</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.angels4animals.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.angels4animals.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Brown Dog Foundation</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.browndogfoundation.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.browndogfoundation.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Canine Cancer Awareness</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.caninecancerawareness.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.caninecancerawareness.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Care Credit</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.carecredit.com/" target="_new"><strong>www.carecredit.com</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Cats In Crisis</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.catsincrisis.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.catsincrisis.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Cody's Club (radiation treatments)</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.codysclub.bravehost.com/" target="_new"><strong>www.codysclub.bravehost.com</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Diabetic Pets Fund</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.petdiabetes.net/fund/" target="_new"><strong>www.petdiabetes.net/fund/</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Extend Credit</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.extendcredit.com/petcare-credit.html" target="_new"><strong>www.extendcredit.com</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Feline Outreach</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.felineoutreach.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.felineoutreach.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>Feline Vet Emergency Asst. Program</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.fveap.org/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.fveap.org</strong></span></a></span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>God's Creatures Veterinary Charity</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.allcreatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html" target="_new"><strong>www.allcreatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>Good Sam Fund</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.goodsamfund.org/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.goodsamfund.org</strong></span></a></span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Help-A-Pet</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.help-a-pet.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.help-a- pet.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>Land of Pure Gold Foundation</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.landofpuregold.com/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.landofpuregold.com</strong></span></a></span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>In Memory of Magic</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.imom.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.IMOM.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>New York Save</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.nysave.org/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.nysave.org</strong></span></a></span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Pigger's Pals</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.piggerspals.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.piggerspals.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>Shakespeare Animal Fund</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.shakespeareanimalfund.org/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.shakespeareanimalfund.org</strong></span></a></span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>The Binky Foundation</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.binkyfoundation.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.binkyfoundation.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>The Magic Bullet Fund (cancer)</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.themagicbulletfund.org/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.themagicbulletfund.org</strong></span></a></span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>The Mosby Foundation</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.themosbyfoundation.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.themosbyfoundation.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>The Perseus Foundation (cancer)</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.perseusfoundation.org/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.PerseusFoundation.org</strong></span></a></span></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>The Pet Fund</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.thepetfund.com/" target="_new"><strong>www.thepetfund.com</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><strong>United Animal Nations LifeLine Fund</strong></span></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#fff" valign="top" align="left"><span><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.uan.org/" target="_new"><span><strong>www.uan.org</strong></span></a></span></td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<p><br/> <br/> Many local humane societies offer low cost veterinary services and breed rescue groups may be able to offer assistance with medical bills. You can also check with national animal welfare organizations for additional information.</p>
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<tbody><tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Alley Cat Allies</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.alleycat.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.alleycat.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>American Humane Association</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.americanhumane.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.americanhumane.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>American Society Prevention Cruelty to Animals</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.aspca.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.aspca.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Best Friends Animal Society</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.bestfriends.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.bestfriends.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Humane Society of the United States</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.hsus.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.hsus.org</strong></a></td>
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<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Petco Foundation</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.petcofoundation.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.petcofoundation.org</strong></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><strong>Petsmart Charities</strong></td>
<td class="textdirectory" bgcolor="#D1DEFF" valign="top" align="left"><a rel="nofollow" class="intext" href="http://www.petsmartcharities.org/" target="_new"><strong>www.petsmartcharities.org</strong></a></td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>Posted by Denise & Hunter</p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="small" id="tagsList"></p>
Resistance to Heartworm Preventatives
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2011-12-26:2747693:Topic:162654
2011-12-26T13:50:30.898Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
<p><a href="http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.petmd.com/sites/all/modules/newsletter/images/fv-nl-banner.png"></img></a></p>
<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_13249053992341354"></div>
<p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives"><img border="0" src="http://www.petmd.com/sites/all/modules/newsletter/images/fv-nl-banner.png"/></a></p>
<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_13249053992341354"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2011/dec/resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1324906645_1">Resistance to Heartworm Preventatives</span></a><br/><span class="yiv2028242353blueSmall">December 26, 2011</span><br/><br/><p>I was skimming through some journals yesterday and came across an incredibly disturbing case report. The paper, titled "<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401711002731?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives">Macrocyclic lactone resistance in </a><i><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401711002731?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1324906645_2">Dirofilaria immitis,</span></a>" </i>appeared in the September 27, 2011 issue of <i>Veterinary Parasitology</i>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p id="yui_3_2_0_1_13249053992341353">First, some translation: Macrocyclic lactones are the drugs used to prevent <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/evr_dg_heartworm_disease?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1324906645_3">heartworm infections</span></a> and kill baby heartworms (i.e., microfilariae) in the blood stream during <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1324906645_4">heartworm treatment</span>. Ivermectin and milbemycin oxime are macrocyclic lactones. <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i> is the scientific name for heartworms.<br/><br/>And now for some history. Rumors of a small number of dogs coming down with heartworm infections while on <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1324906645_5">heartworm preventative</span> have been circulating for years, but these cases have been incredibly difficult to confirm. It is next to impossible to determine whether a dog received and absorbed his heartworm prevention every month all year round, particularly since the lapse in question had to have occurred at least six months previously. (It takes six months for the juvenile heartworms passed through the bite of an infected mosquito to mature into the adults that are responsible for a positive heartworm test and most clinical signs of heartworm disease.)<br/><br/>Veterinarians have been starting to suspect that some populations of heartworms were in the process of developing resistance to heartworm preventatives, but we haven’t had any definitive proof … until now.<br/><br/>The case report I mentioned above details the case of a dog that was rescued in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The dog tested positive for and had <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_dg_heartworm_disease?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1324906645_6">symptoms</span></a> consistent with heartworm disease. It was treated with four doses of melarsomine dihydrochloride, which killed the adult worms living in its heart and lungs. So far so good, but an equally important part of treatment is the use of a macrocyclic lactone to kill the microfilariae circulating in the blood stream. The microscopic worms can cause damage to the kidneys and other organs and are responsible for the transmission of heartworm disease from animal to animal through mosquito bites.<br/><br/>The dog in question received three treatments (one should suffice) with high doses of macrocyclic lactones — once with milbemycin oxime and twice with ivermectin, all to no avail. The researchers performed a genetic analysis on the surviving microfilariae and identified the mutation that is most likely responsible for this case of drug resistance. It looks like the heartworms have mutated so that the proteins in their cell membranes no longer allow macrocyclic latones to enter their cells.<br/><br/>This paper should strike fear into the heart (no pun intended) of every dog and cat owner. Genetic mutations like this can spread quickly among parasite populations, meaning that our current heartworm preventatives may become less effective as time goes on. If this occurs, the only solution is for new drugs to come to market, and since this is quite a long process, drug companies need to get on the ball now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img align="bottom" alt="" src="http://www.petmd.com/sites/default/files/dr_coates_sig.png"/></p>
<p>Dr. Jennifer Coates</p>
<p><a href="http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2011/dec/resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives#.Tvh7WDW0yPs">http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2011/dec/resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111226&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_resistance_to_heartworm_preventatives#.Tvh7WDW0yPs</a></p>
</div>
Mood swings and unexplained aggression?
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2011-08-16:2747693:Topic:143554
2011-08-16T14:37:36.637Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
<h1>Help for Canines With Hypothyroidism</h1>
<h2>Mood swings and unexplained aggression can be caused by low thyroid.</h2>
<p><strong>By Shannon Wilkinson</strong></p>
<p>Many people are aware that hypo-thyroidism (low thyroid function) is a medical condition that can cause an afflicted dog to become lethargic, dull, and fat. But far too few dog owners are aware of the behavioral symptoms that hypothyroid can cause. This is unfortunate, since these symptoms include unexplainable aggression,…</p>
<h1>Help for Canines With Hypothyroidism</h1>
<h2>Mood swings and unexplained aggression can be caused by low thyroid.</h2>
<p><strong>By Shannon Wilkinson</strong></p>
<p>Many people are aware that hypo-thyroidism (low thyroid function) is a medical condition that can cause an afflicted dog to become lethargic, dull, and fat. But far too few dog owners are aware of the behavioral symptoms that hypothyroid can cause. This is unfortunate, since these symptoms include unexplainable aggression, so-called “rage syndrome,” severe phobias, and cognitive disorders. Lacking an explanation for the sudden onset of these serious behaviors, and gaining no improvement through training, many owners tragically opt to euthanize these troubled dogs.</p>
<p>If an afflicted dog is very lucky, however, his owner will ask a veterinarian to order blood tests that can confirm a diagnosis of hypothyroidism; the treatment is simple and not expensive.</p>
<table class="right">
<tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.whole-dog-journal.com/media/newspics/0605Hypo.jpg"/><p class="caption">Dogs who suddenly become aggressive should be tested for low thyroid. Unaware the behavior may be linked to a medical problem, some owners turn to training methods. This may help, but can’t solve the underlying problem. Other owners may give up.</p>
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<p>It’s important to ask, however, since not many veterinarians are aware of the prevalence of hypothyroid’s behavioral signs.</p>
<p><strong>Vets in the know</strong><br/>Hannibal, a seven-year-old Rottweiler, who was adopted by Whitney Pressler, DVM, of Salem, New York, when he was about two and a half years old, was one of the lucky hypothyroid dogs. “Hannibal is normally a very mushy dog, in your face, asking to be petted and cuddled – a very interactive personality,” Dr. Pressler says. But in September of 2004, Hannibal’s personality changed drastically. In the space of a week, he went after two dogs, grabbing them by the scruff, and nipping at the gloves of a runner passing by.</p>
<p>Dr. Pressler had never seen Hannibal exhibit behavior like that before. As she pondered the behavior change, she realized that during the preceding few months, Hannibal had been more quiet and nervous, even a bit disoriented at times, than he was in his earlier years.</p>
<p>Fortunately for Hannibal, Dr. Pressler was aware of the possibility that her dog’s scary new behavior may have a biological origin. She took a sample of Hannibal’s blood and sent it to W. Jean Dodds, DVM, of Hemopet in Southern California, for testing (including a full thyroid panel) and interpretation.</p>
<p>Dr. Dodds, a leading researcher with a special interest in thyroid-related issues in dogs, found Hannibal’s thyroid levels to be “incredibly low,” says Dr. Pressler, and recommended that Hannibal be started on supplemental thyroid medication immediately. “He was 100 percent his normal self within a week,” says Dr. Pressler.</p>
<p>Dr. Pressler’s experience with Hannibal is not unusual, says Dr. Dodds. She has seen many dogs with low thyroid who behave as if they have an attention deficit disorder. “It’s like they’re not home,” she explains. This abnormal behavior can be intermittent and erratic, escalating to aggression such as Hannibal exhibited.</p>
<p>In most cases, these behavioral symptoms precede physical symptoms, particularly those generally recognized by most veterinarians as being associated with hypo-thyroidism, such as weight gain and coat changes. Hannibal’s case was no different. “His coat was a little bit dull, but certainly not what I see in my patients in an exam when I think the dog is definitely hypothyroid,” says Dr. Pressler.</p>
<p><strong>What thyroid does</strong><br/>Part of the endocrine system, the thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland located in the neck, just below the larynx, and partially wrapped around the trachea. It secretes two major hormones, thyroxine (T4), and to a lesser degree, triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones play an important role in controlling metabolism, affect the heart, regulate cholesterol synthesis and degradation, and stimulate the development of red blood cells (erythropoiesis). Thyroid hormones are also essential for the normal growth and development of neurologic and skeletal systems, in addition to other roles.</p>
<p>Dogs may suffer from low thyroid due to a number of causes. Owners should be aware that it is an inheritable trait; Dr. Dodds has observed numerous cases of hypothyroid running in certain families in certain breeds – something breeders of affected animals would rather not hear.</p>
<p>Canine hypothyroidism is most frequently due to autoimmune thyroiditis – where the immune system fails to recognize the thyroid and attacks its cells. This condition is diagnosed by testing the dog’s blood for the presence of autoantibodies developed in response to the immune system attack on the thyroid hormones. The immune system attack on the thyroid renders the gland incapable of producing the amount of hormones the body needs for optimal function.</p>
<p>“We believe that if you biopsy the thyroid gland, at least 80 percent of all hypothyroid dogs will be seen to have lymphocytes (white blood cells) in the thyroid gland,” says Dr. Dodds. The lymphocytes indicate that an autoimmune process is at work, destroying the gland.</p>
<p>Less than 10 percent of canine hypothyroid cases are secondary, that is due to deficiency of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH deficiencies are generally a result of a problem with the pituitary gland.</p>
<p><strong>Low thyroid and behavior</strong><br/>The way that low thyroid function negatively affects behavior, says Dr. Dodds, is “mechanistically unclear.” One theory links hypothyroidism with problems with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a major part of the neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress. Some hypothyroid patients have chronically elevated levels of cortisol, the “stress” hormone, which would chemically mimic a state of constant stress. Chronic stress is linked to depression and impaired mental function, as well as other issues.</p>
<p>The continual high level of cortisol could suppress pituitary function and decrease the production of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), resulting in reduced production of thyroid hormones.</p>
<p><strong>Range of behavior problems</strong><br/>Dr. Dodds and other veterinarians and researchers have been linking changes in behavior to hypothyroidism for more than a dozen years. The various types of abnormal behavior can be grouped into three categories: aggression, extreme shyness, or seizure-like activity.</p>
<p>The cases involving aggression are often similar to Hannibal’s. A previously even-tempered animal lashes out at another animal or human without any warning. One such dog under the care of Dr. Dodds was successfully participating in performance events. One day the dog’s behavior changed radically and he “would go berserk” every time he saw people he didn’t know. Soon he was banned from the training facility because his aggressive behavior had escalated to dangerous levels. Sadly, it’s not unusual for dogs with untreated hypothyroidism to become so aggressive that their owners are no longer able to manage them.</p>
<p>On the other end of the behavioral spectrum are the dogs that become very shy and fearful due to hypothyroidism. While not a threat to humans, extreme manifestations of this kind of behavior still render the dog difficult, if not impossible to keep as a family pet. In addition, these animals are unlikely to be able to continue any activities such as obedience, showing, or working.</p>
<p>The final type of behavioral aberrations seen with hypothyroidism is sudden onset of seizure activity. According to Dr. Dodds, these dogs “appear perfectly healthy outwardly, have normal hair coats and energy, but suddenly have a seizure for no apparent reason.” The seizures may be infrequent, and may include aggressive behavior immediately before or after the seizures.</p>
<p><strong>Which dogs are most at risk?</strong><br/>It used to be that the stereotypical dog with hypothyroidism was middle-aged and a mid- to large-sized breed. Today, says Dr. Dodds, “the majority of dogs diagnosed with hypothyroidism are young adults. They’re one and a half, not four or five like we used to see.”</p>
<p>And there no longer seems to be a link between size and thyroid dysfunction. The top 20 most-affected breeds range in size from Rhodesian Ridgebacks to Maltese.</p>
<p>Hypothyroidism is becoming a particular problem with rare breeds, says Dr. Dodds, because of the increasing concentration of the inheritance of the problem within inbred breeds. About 70 percent of the 140 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognize hypothyroidism as a major concern in their breeds.</p>
<p>Dr. Dodds also notes that environmental and chemical stresses, better diagnostics, and more awareness of the problem (with resultant testing) increase the reported incidence of hypothyroidism.</p>
<p>Dr. Dodds feels that dogs with autoimmune thyroiditis should not be bred, and relatives should be screened annually for thyroid dysfunction once they reach puberty.</p>
<p><strong>Diagnosis requires a full panel</strong><br/>Any time a dog presents with a behavior problem, particularly one of sudden onset, it is recommended that the owner take the dog to a veterinarian for a full physical exam, complete thyroid panel, blood chemistry/CBC, and urinalysis. After all, a dog can have something as simple as a urinary tract infection and be in horrible pain, causing the unusual behavior.</p>
<p>You have to be particular about the thyroid test, however. Insist on having your dog’s blood sent to a reputable laboratory and tested for all the thyroid hormones and autoantibodies to those hormones. In-office thyroid tests, or simple tests of your dog’s “total” T4 levels, are inadequate for diagnosing hypothyroidism.</p>
<p>Research done at Auburn University indicates that in-house T4 tests are unreliable and inaccurate about 52 percent of the time in dogs. “Having treated lots of animals for hypothyroidism, the most important thing I can recommend is the panel versus the total T4. Every time I think that you can tell something from doing just a total T4, I’m mistaken,” says Dr. Pressler.</p>
<p>In addition to the possibility of inaccurate readings, the total T4 can be in the “standard” reference range, but too low for a particular dog’s age, breed, or size. And the other levels found in a full thyroid panel give a much clearer picture about how the thyroid is functioning. A complete thyroid panel tests these six levels, plus TgAA:</p>
<p>• Total levels of thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4), and<br/>• Triiodothyronine (T3);<br/>• The availability of T4, as indicated by “Free T4” (FT4);<br/>• The availability of T3, as indicated by “Free T3” (FT3);<br/>• The autoantibody levels of T4 (T4AA), and<br/>• T3 (T3AA).</p>
<p>If the test is being performed as a genetic screening for breeding stock or for breeds at high risk, Dr. Dodds also recommends checking the thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA). Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) may also be tested, but it isn’t nearly as reliable for dogs as it is in identifying hypothyroidism in people.</p>
<p>Dr. Dodds says that testing for autoantibodies is particularly important, because elevated levels of autoantibodies indicate thyroiditis, regardless of T4 or T3 levels. “Those animals are having inflammatory immune-mediated lymphocytes attack and damage the thyroid gland,” she explains. It’s important to proactively treat these dogs, she adds, because when you’re dealing with behavior issues, the dog could end up with serious aggression before the total T4 ever tests too low.</p>
<p>Don’t let recent “normal” tests keep you from suspecting thyroid issues, should your dog’s behavior change suddenly. Hannibal had a full blood panel in July, which included T4, which came in at 1.4. At that point, he was acting normally. His behavior started to change subtly until he had the three incidences of aggression, and he was diagnosed as hypothyroid in November.</p>
<p>Hannibal’s case illustrates another point: Results that are in the normal levels as dictated by the lab aren’t necessarily normal for your dog. Dr. Dodds has fine-tuned the optimal levels for different ages and breed types. Generally speaking, younger dogs should have higher thyroid levels (in the top half of the “normal” range). Geriatric and large- or giant-breed dogs have “normal” levels that are closer to the bottom part of the normal range. Sighthounds normally have very low basal thyroid levels.</p>
<p>Many vets believe that if a dog is on medications such as phenobarbital or steroids, the thyroid test results won’t be accurate. That’s not true, according to Dr. Dodds. You simply have to take into account the impact the medications will have on the thyroid results; those medications reduce the thyroid values by 20 to 25 percent. If this is taken into account, you can still properly diagnose a dog with hypothyroidism and other concurrent health issues.</p>
<p><strong>Treatment suggestions</strong><br/>The standard treatment for hypothyroidism is hormone replacement with a synthetic T4 compound, L-thyroxine, often called by the brand name Soloxine. Depending on the dosage, a month’s supply for an average-sized dog costs between $5 and $10. Once diagnosed, Dr. Dodds starts treatment. The standard dose is 0.1 mg per 12-15 lbs of optimum bodyweight twice daily.</p>
<p>“The half life is 12-16 hours, so we don’t recommend putting them on once a day ever,” says Dr. Dodds, despite some people’s experience that their dogs do “fine” on once a day dosing, and some medication labels give once per day dosing instructions.</p>
<p>Dr. Dodds cites a study published by the British Endocrine Society to back up her experience and recommendations. In the study, comparisons were made between animals given medication twice daily and once daily. The blood levels of thyroid in dogs who were given hormone replacement just once daily exhibited a roller coaster ride of a high peak and a deep valley. Twice daily dosing sends a better message to the rest of the endocrine system. “If you’re trying to regulate the pituitary gland so that the animal doesn’t put lymphocytes in its thyroid gland, you want to do it in concert with the half-life,” explains Dr. Dodds.</p>
<p>Interestingly, giving thyroid medication to a dog with normal T4 and T3 results doesn’t cause the levels to go too high. “We treat in this situation to inhibit the pituitary gland so it doesn’t stimulate the thyroid gland anymore,” says Dr. Dodds. When the thyroid gland isn’t being stimulated with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) by the pituitary, the lymphocytes leave the tissue, the body can heal itself, and you’re replacing the needed thyroid hormones.</p>
<p>Finally, Dr. Dodds suggests that thyroid medication be given to the dog directly by mouth, rather than in the food bowl. Owners who feed their dogs home-prepared diets are warned not to give the medication within a half-hour of a calcium-rich meal, such as meaty bones or a dairy-rich food, as it will interfere with absorption of the medication.</p>
<p><strong>Additional treatments</strong><br/>In addition to thyroid medication, Dr. Dodds recommends certain supplements and remedies for dogs with hypothyroidism and behavior issues in particular. “We use flower essences to calm agitated dogs. Give them Rescue Remedy before or during high-stress situations,” she suggests.</p>
<p>Glandular supplements are an obvious choice for dogs with endocrine dysfunction (see “Grand Glands,” WDJ March 2003). But when you’re dealing with a risky behavior case, medication is the right place to start, says Dr. Dodds. She’s had patients who are reluctant to use any kind of drug.</p>
<p>“I can understand where they’re coming from; they want to use glandulars, but they keep shoveling them in and they don’t work. That’s no good, especially if you have a behavior case, where you can’t take a chance.”</p>
<p>However, once the case is under control on medication, and the dog’s behavior has returned to normal, if the owner wants to, glandular supplements can be added to the regime. “We have quite a few cases that take thyroxine and glandulars. Sometimes when we do that we can reduce the amount of drug we have to give,” explains Dr. Dodds.</p>
<p>Ask your holistic vet to help you choose a glandular supplement for a dog with immune-mediated hypothyroidism. While standard thyroid glandular supplements may be beneficial, a multiple glandular, or one that contains thymic gland, may be harmful. Immune support and modulation can be provided by plant sterols and sterolins, which help control immune-mediated and autoimmune disease processes. Sterols occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other sources. They are also available as concentrated supplements.</p>
<p>When choosing commercial foods, Dr. Dodds recommends types that contain only natural preservatives, such as mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), citric acid (vitamin C), and rosemary extract. She also suggests that all of her patients receive regular supplementation with vitamin E, Ester-C, echinacea, and garlic.</p>
<p><strong>What to expect of treatment</strong><br/>Most of the cases that Dr. Dodds sees have responses like Hannibal’s. “I would say at least 80 percent of the cases have a remarkable improvement; it’s unusual to have them not improve.”</p>
<p>Even more gratifying, the improvement is often quick. Most animals show improvement from two days to two weeks after starting treatment; some may take up to 30 days. Interestingly, a collaborative study between Dr. Dodds and Tufts University has shown many dogs experiencing aggression issues, as a symptom of hypothyroidism, show a favorable response to thyroid replacement therapy within the first week of treatment, even when it took about three weeks to correct the metabolic deficit.</p>
<p>Follow-up blood work should be performed six to eight weeks after medication is started. Blood should be drawn four to six hours after dosing to monitor the dog’s response. Dr. Dodds considers results that are between the upper third of the lab’s “normal” reference range to 25 percent above that to be optimal.</p>
<p>She also recommends a complete thyroid profile at the time of the recheck. “It is essential for animals with autoimmune thyroiditis to determine if the autoantibodies are waning,” she explains.</p>
<p>In most dogs, the autoantibodies begin to decline after treatment starts. This is significant in that it indicates that the autoimmune destruction of the gland is declining or even stopping. But it doesn’t mean the dog is cured. It’s important to maintain the dog’s medication to keep a recurrence of the thyroiditis at bay.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Also With This Article</strong><br/><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/8-6-What5.pdf">"What You Can Do"</a><br/><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/8-6-Breeds.pdf">"Breeds Most at Risk of Hypothyroidism"</a><br/><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/8-6-Opt.pdf">"Optimal Thyroid Levels"</a><br/><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/8-6-Test.pdf">"Test Results ... Plus Interpretation"</a></p>
<p><em>-Shannon Wilkinson, a writer, life coach, and TTouch practitioner, lives in Portland, OR.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/8_6/features/15723-1.html">http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/8_6/features/15723-1.html</a><br/></em></p>
<p> </p>
Calming Collars
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2011-06-24:2747693:Topic:130031
2011-06-24T22:32:57.745Z
Susan D.
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/Susan
<p>Has anyone tried Calming Collars?</p>
<p>Here is the link...<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.calmingcollars.com/">http://www.calmingcollars.com/</a></p>
<p><br/>Works like a thundershirt but easier to put on..lol. They use aromatherapy to calm or soothe your pets. Interesting to read and the reviews are great! Since the 4th of July and fireworks are coming up, this may help those anxious pets.</p>
<p>Has anyone tried Calming Collars?</p>
<p>Here is the link...<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.calmingcollars.com/">http://www.calmingcollars.com/</a></p>
<p><br/>Works like a thundershirt but easier to put on..lol. They use aromatherapy to calm or soothe your pets. Interesting to read and the reviews are great! Since the 4th of July and fireworks are coming up, this may help those anxious pets.</p>
Bordatella Vaccination for Dogs: Fraud and Fallacy
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2011-03-15:2747693:Topic:108080
2011-03-15T00:28:08.895Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
<p><span class="font-size-5">Bordatella Vaccination for Dogs: Fraud and Fallacy</span></p>
<h2>July/August 2010 Issue</h2>
<p><img alt="dogs playing" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2331" height="300" src="http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/sharing.jpg" title="dogs playing" width="171"></img> <br></br><em>by: Patricia Jordan DVM</em></p>
<p>Bordatella or Kennel Cough is commonly required by boarding kennels and veterinary hospitals. These vaccinations are delivered to a staggeringly large percentage of dogs and the reason is not to protect your dog: the reason is to protect these facilities against liability.</p>
<p>The proprietors who push for these…</p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">Bordatella Vaccination for Dogs: Fraud and Fallacy</span></p>
<h2>July/August 2010 Issue</h2>
<p><img src="http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/sharing.jpg" alt="dogs playing" title="dogs playing" width="171" height="300" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2331"/><br/><em>by: Patricia Jordan DVM</em></p>
<p>Bordatella or Kennel Cough is commonly required by boarding kennels and veterinary hospitals. These vaccinations are delivered to a staggeringly large percentage of dogs and the reason is not to protect your dog: the reason is to protect these facilities against liability.</p>
<p>The proprietors who push for these vaccines may be assuming more liability than they can handle and the stakes are very high. The truth is, the vaccines are not only ineffective but they are far from safe. Yet they are routinely given to combat a self limiting disease that amounts to as much danger to your dog as the common cold does to you.</p>
<p>What is interesting is that when you bring your dog to the vet for his Bordatella vaccination, he will have already been exposed to the natural flora: all animals are exposed to both Bordatella and Parainfluenza prior to vaccination. It makes little sense to vaccinate an animal for something he has already been exposed to.</p>
<p>There are at least forty agents capable of initiating Bordatella so vaccination might appear to be prudent if it weren’t for the fact that only two of these agents are contained in the intranasal vaccine. This poor percentage truly makes the Bordatella vaccine a shot in the dark. The lack of efficacy is well summarized by noted immunologist Dr. Ronald Schultz: “Kennel Cough is not a vaccinatable disease”.</p>
<p>Despite the lack of any real effectiveness, the Bordatella vaccine is routinely given and touted as safe, especially in the intranasal form. Make no mistake however: the dangers and misinformation surrounding this seemingly innocuous spray are just as tangible and frightening as any other vaccination. A major problem with the Bordatella vaccine is that it is part of a combination vaccine. Unbeknownst to most pet owners, the Bordatella intranasal spray also contains Parainfluenza (the vaccine for which is not surprisingly, just as ineffective as Bordatella). The problems with the Parainfluenza portion<br/>are threefold.</p>
<p>First, there is a real danger of dangerous immunological overload when vaccinations are offered in combination. Second, like Bordatella, most dogs have already been exposed to Parainfluenza, making the necessity of vaccination questionable. Third, the Parainfluenza vaccine is just as ineffective as the Bordatella vaccine because the vaccine does not provide antibody against Parainfluenza where it is most needed: on the mucosal surfaces.</p>
<p>Other dangers associated with the Bordatella vaccine are obviously not far removed from the dangers associated with any other vaccination. Although Bordatella is a bacterial vaccine, we now know that bacterial vaccines present the same threat as Modified Live Vaccines. Modified Live Viruses from human vaccines are now known to become incorporated in the genes of the host and can shuffle, reassert, and reactivate thirty or more years after vaccination.</p>
<p>Bacterial genes are capable of the same activity, lurking in the genetic makeup, waiting to replicate and awaken. The intranasal Bordatella vaccine has<br/>been known to activate a previously asymptomatic collapsing trachea and disrupt phagocytic activity which can progress to pneumonia. The toxins from the vaccine will also kill the ciliated lining of the trachea, creating a denuded area susceptible to anything coming down the windpipe. Perhaps collapsing trachea, irritable tracheas and pneumonias are all complications of Bordatella and the Bordatella vaccine.</p>
<p>Vaccination of any sort also elevates histamine which can promote cancer, chronic inflammation and loss of tolerance. In general, all vaccination creates immune dysregulation and is responsible for a vast array of pathology. The Bordatella vaccine can wreak havoc outside the body as well. Bordatella will shed from a vaccinated host for seven weeks while Parainfluenza will shed for a week. This means that every vaccinated dog is a walking dispenser of potentially damaging bacteria.</p>
<p>While the risk to other dogs is obvious, it should be of little concern to healthy dogs because Bordatella is generally a self limiting disease. What you might find surprising is that the shed bacteria is a risk to other animals…and to people. The reason we now have a feline Bordatella (and not surprisingly, a feline Bordatella vaccine), is likely thanks to the widespread use and subsequent shedding of Bordatella from vaccinated dogs to cats sharing the household. If this seems hard to imagine, consider how dogs first fell victim to Canine Influenza.</p>
<p><img class="alignright" title="golden retrievers " src="http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/sharing2.jpg" alt="golden retrievers" width="240" height="180"/></p>
<p>Canine Influenza was initially documented in racing greyhounds. It is worth noting that many of these dogs shared tracks with race horses: race horses who are routinely vaccinated with Equine Influenza. It is not a stretch to predict Bordatella will infect gerbils, hamsters and rabbits in the near future and it is with certainty that the vaccine manufacturers will be well rewarded with the continued fruits of their canine Bordatella vaccine.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, humans are not left out of the equation. Ruth Berkelman MD (Former Assistant Surgeon General, US Public Health Service) writes: “The potential for both exposure and for adverse consequences secondary to exposure to veterinary vaccines in humans is growing. Enhanced efforts are needed to recognize and to prevent human illness associated with the use of veterinary vaccines”. Dr. Berkelman noted that pertussis an whooping cough-like complaints in children followed exposure to Bordatella bronchiseptica from the Bordatella vaccine and it is no coincidence that Bordatella bronchiseptica and whooping cough pertussis are very closely related. Interestingly, the rate of whooping cough is highest in highly vaccinated populations.</p>
<p>Immunocompromised humans and animals are at an elevated risk of infection from these canine vaccines. There is a recently reported case of Bordatella bronchiseptica pneumonia in a kidney and pancreas transplant patient who had to board and subsequently vaccinate her dogs at a veterinary clinic while she was hospitalized. Vaccines contain contaminating agents including mycoplasmas which are also very communicable to humans and other mammals.</p>
<p>In the end, vaccination for Bordatella is at best fruitless and at worst, a pathetic fraudulence at the hands of veterinarians and vaccine manufacturers. It is up to you whether or not your dog receives this vaccination and that is not overstating the obvious. Sadly, most pet owners are aware of this but choose vaccination because they feel they are at the mercy of boarding kennels, training schools and veterinarians.</p>
<p><em>Patricia Monahan Jordan is a graduate of the North Carolina College of Veterinary Medicine. She practiced conventional veterinary medicine for twenty years and founded six different veterinary facilities in North Carolina. Dr. Jordan has traced the paths of immunopathology to vaccine administration and uncovered the cycle of disease and the endless cycle of disease management that results from vaccine administration. Dr. Jordan can be reached at <a href="http://www.dr-jordan.com">www.dr-jordan.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><em><br/></em></p>
<a href="http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/bordatella-vaccination-dogs/">http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/bordatella-vaccination-dogs/</a>
HOME REMEDIES
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2011-01-31:2747693:Topic:100962
2011-01-31T10:39:55.773Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
<p><em>Dear Readers: As Dr. Khuly works on an in depth assignment, we are taking today to revisit one of her previous columns on pet health. She will be returning with a fresh column tomorrow.</em></p>
<hr></hr><p><br></br><br></br>Everyone's tried <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_3">home remedies</span>. But they're not all created equal. With that in mind, here are my top seven picks for safe and effective treatment of minor ills:<br></br><br></br><strong>1. …</strong></p>
<p><em>Dear Readers: As Dr. Khuly works on an in depth assignment, we are taking today to revisit one of her previous columns on pet health. She will be returning with a fresh column tomorrow.</em></p>
<hr/><p><br/><br/>Everyone's tried <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_3">home remedies</span>. But they're not all created equal. With that in mind, here are my top seven picks for safe and effective treatment of minor ills:<br/><br/><strong>1. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_4">Epsom salts</span></strong><br/><br/>When pet wounds and swellings inevitably rear their ugly heads, Epsom salts are almost always helpful for optimal home care. As long as your pet will abide wet ministrations, Epsom salt soaks and hot packs are a great adjunct to antibiotics and surgical attention. Sometimes they can even do the job on their own — just don’t skip the step where you see your vet first!<br/><br/><strong>2. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_5">Chamomile tea</span></strong><br/><br/>Considered the ultimate home care for upset human tummies, I’ve used strong chamomile tea for a number of <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_6">skin ailments</span> in pets. This common West Indian remedy relies on the natural disinfectant effect of the plant. A soothing solution, chamomile calms <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_7">minor skin irritations</span> by killing the yeast and bacteria that can complicate lesions with their presence — without the harshness that can reduce the body’s own "happy" bacteria.<br/><br/>My favorite approach? Make a strong chamomile tea, pour it into a clean store bought <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_8">spray bottle</span> (about $1.49 at the drugstore) and let it chill in the fridge. Then spray liberally onto red and raw skin for an immediate soothing effect.<br/><br/>Ears raw and sore from frequent allergies? Add a tiny dash of <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_9">distilled white vinegar</span>to the cooled tea for a low-cost ear cleansing solution that is almost on par with the chlorhexidine rinses you buy for $8 to $12 a bottle at the vet’s office.<br/><br/><strong>3. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_10">Petroleum jelly</span></strong><br/><br/>It’s every bit as good as the more expensive brand name lubricants made specifically for cats with hairball problems or chronic, low-grade constipation. A little dab on the paw will do ya - cats will lick it off and ingest it, where it will help lubricate the passage of intestinal contents. It’s also great for crusty noses.<br/><br/><strong>4. Canned pumpkin</strong><br/><br/>For either easily constipated or diarrhea-prone <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_11">dogs and cats</span>, pumpkin can work wonders— though admittedly, not always. It’s a do-no-harm approach that anyone can try, but never let your pet suffer for more than a day or two of <em>mild symptoms</em>before you talk to your vet.<br/><br/><strong>5. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_12">Borax powder</span></strong><br/><br/>Got fleas? Yeah, me too. Want a solution that complements your standard medicated flea regimen without all the toxins your standard bug-man lays down? Try Borax powder. The standard 20-Mule Team stuff works wonders on fleas by poking holes in their crunchy insect exoskeletons.<br/><br/>My way? Sprinkle the stuff on your floors and then sweep or vacuum up the excess. The invisible crystals left behind will do great work on the fleas your pets bring in while you’re not looking. It’s inexpensive and practically non-toxic compared to what the bug-man brings in.<br/><br/><strong>6. Oatmeal cereal</strong><br/><br/>If you’ve got an itchy pet willing to hang out in a bathtub, this is for you. Finely ground oatmeal (as in baby oatmeal cereal) can be stirred into a bath of warm water for a super-soothing (and cheap) soak. Pets with <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_13">skin allergies</span>, infections, and any other itchy disease gain immediate relief with this approach and many dogs even come to love it for its in-tub lappability (I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t let my pets do the same with any other treatment).<br/><br/><strong>7. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_14">Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda</span></strong><br/><br/>No, it’s not a grade-school volcano recipe. Instead, it makes appalling odors begone! I mix four cups of hydrogen peroxide with 1/3 cup baking soda and a splash of dish washing detergent to make a spray-bottle solution that is capable of getting even anal gland aroma off my scrubs (and pets’ backsides, too).<br/><br/>I first learned of this approach after researching popular de-skunking regimens when I worked the ER beat in skunk-infested Philadelphia. This simple mix is not only way more vet hospital friendly than the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1296468880_15">tomato juice</span> bath, it’s effective on a wide range of anal gland-contaminated surfaces, too. I don’t think I could survive veterinary practice without it. Thank God for simple remedies!<br/><br/>As with all home remedies, asking your vet before embarking on any of these projects will often save you a lot of hard work and bring better results — while addressing the issue of safety (remember, even what looks like a superficial wound may be just the tip of the iceberg).</p>
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<p><img align="baseline" src="http://www.petmd.com/sites/default/files/sigs2.jpg"/></p>
<p>Dr. Patty Khuly</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.petmd.com/sites/default/files/bath-time.jpg"><img class="align-center" width="440" src="http://www.petmd.com/sites/default/files/bath-time.jpg?width=440"/></a></p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>©1999-2011 PetMD Ventures, Ltd. All Rights Reserved</p>
<p>From a PetMd Email</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If anyone has any other Home Remedies, let's compile a great resource here.</p>
How to Save a Choking Dog
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2010-08-25:2747693:Topic:78544
2010-08-25T12:32:22.175Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br></br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Knowing how to help a choking dog is a basic – and critical – aspect of dog first aid. Dogs can choke on food, toys, or any number of things they put in their mouths. They can also choke on their own vomit.…</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Knowing how to help a choking dog is a basic – and critical – aspect of dog first aid. Dogs can choke on food, toys, or any number of things they put in their mouths. They can also choke on their own vomit.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Dogs use their mouths for much more than just eating; they use their mouths much like humans use their hands.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">You can usually find dogs walking around with something in their mouths, and because of this, there is plenty of opportunity for objects to become lodged in their throats, which can suddenly turn into a choking emergency.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">If your dog is choking, seconds can mean the difference between life and death, so it’s vital that you know what to do.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Signs of a choking dog:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">•He acts anxious or frantic</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">•He stops breathing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">•His gums turn blue or white</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">•He’s making loud breathing sounds</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">•He’s pawing at his mouth</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">•He’s struggling or gasping for breath</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">If your pet displays any of the signs of a choking dog, follow these steps:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">1.Open his mouth and sweep your finger inside to see if you can feel the object. If you can feel the object, pull his tongue forward and manually remove it (including if it’s vomit), paying careful attention not to push it further into his throat.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">2.If you can not manually dislodge the object, the next step is to perform abdominal thrusts on the dog (similar to the human Heimlich maneuver). Wrap your arms around the dog, under his ribcage. Make a fist with one hand and place your other hand over the fist. Give five rapid abdominal thrusts, lifting your fist inward and upward with each thrust. If the dog is small enough, you can lift him up by the front legs and position him so that his spine is against your chest. Then, wrap your arms around him under the ribs with your hands in the position described above. Begin thrusting. If he is too large to lift, you can stand behind him or next to him. If you’re standing behind him, bend over, wrapping your arms around him, under the ribs, with your hands positioned as described above and thrust inward and upward under the ribs. If the dog is lying down, position his head and neck in a neutral position. Place the palms of your hands below his ribcage and give five rapid thrusts in an inward and upward motion.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">3.Check his mouth (you can use a small flashlight to help you see better) to see if the object has been dislodged. If possible, remove it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">4.If the object is still lodged, move on to the next step. If you can lift the dog, hold him in the air by the hips, with his head hanging down towards the floor to try to dislodge the object. If he is too big to pick up, lift his hind legs in the air like a wheelbarrow, again so his head is hanging down towards the floor.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">5.Once again check his mouth and, if possible, remove the object.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">6.If the object is still lodged in the dog’s throat, use the palm of your hand to give him five sharp blows between his shoulder blades.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">7.Once again, check his mouth, sweeping it with your finger to dislodge the object if possible.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">8.If the item is still not dislodged and the dog has lost consciousness, you will need to begin giving him “rescue breaths” (mouth-to-nose or mouth-to-mouth breathing, depending on the dog’s size). To give rescue breaths to a dog less than 30 pounds, place your mouth over the dog’s entire snout (nose and mouth) and exhale until you see his chest rise. For dogs over 30 pounds, gently hold his muzzle (mouth) closed and place your mouth over his nose. Gently exhale until you see his chest rise. Give five rescue breaths followed by five quick abdominal thrusts. Note: DO NOT attempt giving rescue breaths on a conscious animal. You could get bitten!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">9.Once again, check the dog’s mouth and attempt to dislodge the object.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">10.Stop the abdominal thrusts once the object is dislodged.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">11.Perform CPR if necessary.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">12.Immediately take the dog to your veterinarian or nearest emergency clinic.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Please take the time to learn how to administer first aid on a choking dog. His life may depend on it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">In fact, why not take the time right now to print this information and put it where you can easily access it in case of an emergency? Your furry friend will thank you for it!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Note: Remember to always be careful when attempting to administer first aid to an injured, sick or choking dog, in order to avoid being bitten.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Source: American Red Cross Dog First Aid, Safety Series Vol. 2</span>
WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN?
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2010-08-19:2747693:Topic:77153
2010-08-19T02:13:28.107Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
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<tr><td class="maintext" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-align: left; line-height: 19px;"><p class="titles"><span class="subtitles">Information courtesy of the New Jersey Veterinary…</span></p>
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<tr><td class="maintext" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-align: left; line-height: 19px;"><p class="titles"><span class="subtitles">Information courtesy of the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association (<a href="http://www.njvma.org/" target="_blank">njvma.org</a>)</span></p>
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<p class="bodycopy">Your pet isn’t acting quite right but you’re not sure what’s wrong. Should you call your veterinarian or wait a few days? The New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association offers the following tips to help you know when your pet needs to be seen by a doctor.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">1. IS YOUR PET LETHARGIC?</span> <br/>This is perhaps the most important signal to phone your veterinarian. If your dog or cat is not responsive to calls for play or favorite treats and seems weak or unable to stand, you should not delay.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">2. IS YOUR PET IN PAIN?</span> <br/>Pain, indicated by crying, panting and restless pacing, should not be ignored. Pain can also be indicated by a reluctance to move around.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">3. IS YOUR PET LAME?</span> <br/>Limping that persists more than a few hours warrants a call to the veterinarian. Paralysis, usually indicated by your pet unable to stand or dragging a leg with or without pain, needs emergency care.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">4. IS YOUR PET LOSING BLOOD?</span> <br/>Bleeding from the mouth, nose or rectum demands immediate attention, as does a painful eye held closed.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">5. IS YOUR PET UNABLE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM?</span> <br/>Male cats seen straining in the litter box may have a dangerous urinary tract blockage. Dogs seen straining or having urinary or bowel movement more often than usual should be reported.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">6. IS YOUR PET HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING?</span> <br/>Steady labored breathing is a sign of serious trouble. Call your veterinarian immediately. Constant coughing or gagging also needs to be checked. 7. Is your pet having seizures? Seizures are a serious neurologic condition that must be monitored. Call your veterinarian immediately. Signs of a seizure include shaking, lying on the floor and paddling the legs, loss of awareness of surroundings, possible loss of bladder and bowel control, excessive salivation, and a clamped jaw.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">8. IS YOU PET SUFFERING FROM EXCESSIVE VOMITING OR DIARRHEA?</span> <br/>These symptoms could indicate anything from a simple stomach upset to serious disease. Call your veterinarian immediately. Even if your pet is not seriously ill, ignoring these symptoms could lead to dehydration.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">9. IS YOUR PET UNCONSCIOUS OR DIFFICULT TO AWAKEN?</span> <br/>Dazed behavior can occur with fever, metabolic disease, ingestion of medications meant for people, changes in blood sugar levels, or diseases of the brain. It’s important to have your pet examined that day.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">10. IS YOUR PET REFUSING TO EAT OR DRINK?</span> <br/>Your pet should not go more than a day without drinking. If your dog or cat won’t eat their usual meal but will hungrily scarf down treats or table food, this may mean a problem exists. Call your veterinarian if food is vomited more than once in a day, the normal appetite does not return in two to three days, or if your pet acts well but refuses to eat for more than 24 hours.</p>
<p class="bodycopy">Sometimes your pet may not act very ill but problems persist for more than a day or two. Coughing frequently, vomiting or diarrhea more than twice or limping and walking gingerly all merit a call to the veterinarian.</p>
<p class="bodycopy"><span class="subhead" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(65, 138, 147); font-style: normal;">THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS:</span> If you are worried about your animal’s health, call your veterinarian. They are there to help you with your pet’s care and can identify potential problems specific to your dog or cat. It is better to report a minor problem and not let it escalate to an emergency.</p>
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VACCINATION PROTOCOL
tag:www.doodlerescuecollective.com,2010-08-09:2747693:Topic:74563
2010-08-09T00:12:39.231Z
LM Fowler - Admin
http://www.doodlerescuecollective.com/profile/LynneNJ
<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> <b><u>The days of the yearly "booster shot" are long behind us.</u></b> The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and most veterinary colleges agree that <b><u>after an initial puppy series, most vaccines do not need to be given any more frequently than every three years</u></b>. <b><u>Some studies have suggested that…</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> <b><u>The days of the yearly "booster shot" are long behind us.</u></b> The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and most veterinary colleges agree that <b><u>after an initial puppy series, most vaccines do not need to be given any more frequently than every three years</u></b>. <b><u>Some studies have suggested that immunity from commonly used vaccinations lasts seven years or more</u></b>. <u><b>There is no benefit to giving an additional vaccination to the dog that already has sufficient immunity.</b></u> Even more importantly, repeated vaccination has been associated by some authorities with autoimmune diseases, including immediate reactions, destruction of red blood cells or platelets, and hypothyroidism. All of these problems can have a serious or even life-threatening effect on our dog's lives.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> Given that both of the largest veterinary associations, veterinary colleges, and even vaccine manufacturers are recommending extended vaccination protocols, it is bewildering and a bit dismaying to hear of animals receiving vaccines each year. Hopefully this will change as information becomes even more widely more available on the risks inherent in inappropriate vaccination. While some veterinarians are extremely progressive and incorporated extended vaccination protocols years ago, others still recommend yearly vaccinations or non-recommended vaccines.<span> </span>Whatever the veterinarian's reasons for doing so, keep in mind that as your dog's owner, you can either accept or decline any recommendation. It is your right and responsibility to decide what is in your dog's best interest. The only vaccination you are obligated to keep current is rabies. Each state has their own laws pertaining to rabies vaccination of animals, so be sure to check your state's requirements.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> So how will you decide which vaccinations your dog will receive, and when should they be given? I start with a basic vaccination schedule (which follows), and modify it on a case-by-case basis for each animal. Changes may be made in our plans as circumstances change, including vaccine reactions such as Rocky experienced. Dogs with vaccine reactions generally never receive vaccination for that disease again, and are carefully monitored with any other vaccines. Depending on the case, blood testing may be used to measure the level of antibodies against disease. While these titer tests are not a perfect measure of immunity, in many cases they show significant antibody levels, many years after vaccination.<span> I feel <b><u>it is wiser to run a titer test prior to vaccinating an adult dog that had been previously vaccinated</u></b>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> The field of veterinary immunology and vaccination has changed greatly in the relatively short time I have been in practice. Early in my veterinary career, I was often confronted with multiple cases of parvovirus in a single day. Sadly, many of these did not survive. In the past year, I a total saw two cases. I believe the reason for this is the effectiveness of our parvovirus vaccines. Conversely, when I began practicing, <b><u>it was common procedure to give multiple vaccinations at one time, or to vaccinate twice yearly in show and competition dogs</u></b>. Vaccine reactions were extremely rare. Last year I saw a four-month-old puppy experience a fatal reaction to a distemper combo vaccine, going from tail wagging to death in two hours. It was the second vaccine the puppy had ever received. Non-fatal reactions seem to be more and more common. I believe the explanation for these events is the high potency of our vaccines, coupled with what we now know to be too frequent administration of these products.<span> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> The days of a simple, harmless, "shot" are long gone. We need to view vaccines as powerful chemical and biological agents capable of stimulating the immune system, the body's protector against disease. Used inappropriately, vaccines can trigger excess or misdirected immune system responses, often with serious or fatal results.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Laurie S. Coger, DVM, CVCP</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.thewholisticvet.com/Vaccines.html">http://www.thewholisticvet.com/Vaccines.html</a></p>