Pain Management for our Companion Animals

Pain management has changed drastically in my 21 years in the veterinary industry. I remember just giving an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) injection and that was it. Pain was not a huge concern in the overall care for our companion animals.  The perception for far too long has been that they "don't feel pain" like people or that certain elective procedures were "minor" or likely to cause only minimal discomfort. What research and observations over the years has come to prove is that our patients do perceive pain much the same as humans.  These magnificent beings have instinctive behaviors that cause them to hide their pain from outward observation (think about nature - the strong survive and the weak or injured become breakfast) so we must think proactively when it comes to pain management.  To put it simply, if a surgical event would be painful for a human, then we should expect a similar level of pain to occur in our pets too.

We now control pain and discomfort starting before the patient is even put under anesthesia. Once they are unconscious we give them different pain medication during their surgical procedure so that their body does not feel or react to the pain that is being inflicted on them and it allows the pet to have a pain free recovery once they are awake.

There are so many different levels of pain and we can take care of all of them now.

Many veterinary hospitals still treat our companion animals the way we did 20 years ago. It is up to you to ask questions. Ask what kind of pain management will be used for your pet.

From dentals, to spays, to neuters to removing a foreign object from your pet's stomach, all of these procedures cause different levels of pain. But don't think for a moment that a "routine spay" doesn't need pain management. That is an abdominal surgery where muscle must be cut into. Imagine how painful that can be!

When your pet goes home after having surgery (with oral pain medications), he/she should have an appetite the next day, they shouldn't be hunched over in pain, and they shouldn't be lethargic. If they are, their pain has not been managed properly.

For more information on how far pain management has come read this article called Pain Management for Pets at www.healthypet.com.

Keep your pets healthy, pain free and make sure they always Keep Wagging!

Monique and the Nose Prints Family

Pet Food Recall

Proctor and Gamble own the Iams company which also makes Eukanuba. Unfortunately, many of their diets have been recalled. See below....


Proctor & Gamble (P&G) has expanded a recent voluntary recall of certain specialized dry pet foods due to a risk of contamination with Salmonella. The foods recalled include Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas, Eukanuba Naturally Wild, Eukanuba Pure, and Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin with "best by" dates between July 1, 2010 and December 1, 2010. All UPC codes are included in the recall.

These products are all made at the same facility. There is a risk of contamination in some of the foods made in this facility, so out of an excess of caution, P&G is recalling all the products made at this facility.

Consumers who have purchased the foods listed should discard them immediately. Note that people handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. It can on rare occasions also result in arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting any of these symptoms after having contact with one of the recalled products should consult a healthcare provider immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may suffer from decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain, as well as diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. If your pet has consumed any of the recalled products and exhibits these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

For further information or a product replacement or refund call P&G toll-free at 877-340-8823.


Keep your pets safe and Keep Wagging!


Monique and the Nose Prints family

Why Punishing Mans Best Friend Doesn't Work in So Many Ways

I know. I know. We've been punishing dogs the same way for decades. And it seems to work, right? Wrong! The majority of the 4 million animals that are euthanized in shelters every year are for behavior reasons. Think about that for a moment. 4 million animals put down because we did not want to take the time train or the way we trained them just made things worse . That it is our fault isn't terribly surprising. There is good news though and that is why we can start taking steps to prevent this unneeded slaughter of animals. The first step is reading the article below and take it to heart. The second is to pass it along to someone you know who shares their life with a four-legged or is considering doing so. Together we can help stop this old habit and create a more positive one.

Why punishment fails; what works better

Punishing a dog often doesn’t work or can even make a behavior problem worse. Three important

rules must be met for punishment to be effective.

1. The punishment must occur every time the unwanted
behavior occurs.

2. The punishment must be administered within a second or two of the inappropriate behavior.

3. The punishment must be aversive enough to stop the dog from repeating the unwanted behavior in the future but not be so aversive as to frighten the dog.

As seen in the two examples below, meeting all three
of these criteria can be difficult. That’s why punishment
often fails to solve behavior problems and should
not be the first training method of choice. Positive reinforcement training, in which animals are rewarded
for appropriate behaviors, is safer and more effective. Punishment teaches an animal what you don’t want it to
do but fails to teach it what you expect of it.

EXAMPLE A

Problem behavior: A dog gets on the furniture. Owner’s response: Every time the owner sees the dog
on the furniture, she yells at it and threatens it with a rolled up newspaper. When she does this, the dog slinks
off the furniture.

Result: The dog continues to get on the furniture, although it is less likely to do so in the owner’s presence.
Because the dog still gets on the furniture when the owner is away, it is being rewarded part of the time
for the unwanted behavior, and the first rule above is not being met. So the punishment does not solve the
problem. If the owner gets increasingly frustrated with the dog, she may increase the severity of the punishment, and depending on the dog’s temperament, it may respond by becoming fearful of the owner and avoiding her. Some dogs might even begin growling and snapping when the owner approaches.

Suggestion: Success will be more likely if the owner blocks the dog’s access to the furniture whenever she
can’t be around (e.g. confine the dog to a crate or a different room in the house).
 

Punishment teaches an animal what you don’t want it to do but fails to teach it what you expect of it.

 Or the owner can make the furniture less appealing by covering it with plastic. Commercially available devices for keeping animals off surfaces such as electric mats, plastic mats with rigid points (or plastic carpet  protector material laid upside down) can also be used. A comfortable bed should also be made available to the dog in the vicinity of the favored furniture, and the dog should be rewarded every time it is caught sleeping on the bed.

EXAMPLE B

Problem behavior: A dog greets people by jumping on them.

Owners’ response: Whenever the dog jumps on its owners, they knee it in the chest or kick it.

Result: The dog avoids the husband (the largest man in the household; he has kicked the dog hard enough that it is now afraid of him) but continues to jump on everyone else. Many dogs are highly motivated to greet people by getting close to their faces. In most cases, kneeing or kicking such a dog is less powerful than
the dog’s desire to greet people by jumping on them. In addition, since not all people the dog meets will knee
it or kick it, the punishment doesn’t meet the first rule. The third rule is also not met because the dog doesn’t
always perceive the kneeing as punishment and, in fact, is reinforced for jumping because it’s getting attention.

Suggestion: Rather than trying to punish the dog for jumping, the owners should use positive reinforcement
to teach the dog to sit to greet everyone. Sitting is an alternative behavior that can be rewarded with petting
or a food treat.

APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

These examples highlight the fact that when the three punishment criteria are not met, behavior problems can
worsen, and the bond between the pet and the owner can be damaged beyond repair. When punishment is
used incorrectly, it will appear unpredictable and confusing, so many pets become anxious or fearful around
the owner that administers the punishment. When punishment is used in an attempt to train an animal that is
already afraid or anxious, its fear and anxiety are likely to worsen and may lead to aggression.
If your dog is exhibiting inappropriate behavior, consult your veterinarian. He or she will help you develop an
appropriate behavior modification program that focuses on using positive reinforcement or will refer you to
someone with extensive experience in developing such behavior modification programs.

Your veterinarian will help you develop an appropriate behavior modification program that focuses

on using positive reinforcement.

The information for this handout was provided by Valarie V. Tynes, DVM , DACVB, P.O. Box 1040, Fort Worth, TX 76101.



Make the right choice and Keep Wagging™ everyone,

Monique

Preparing for the Oil

Here we go again. It looks like the oil is on its way to us from the Gulf Coast. I already received a phone call warning me that the turtles will be needing a lot of help soon. My friends at Marine Life Center spoke to our local TV station:

JUNO BEACH, Fla.-- As the massive oil spill spreads across the Gulf, folks at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center are getting ready.
"The best thing that we can do is be prepared.  Have a plan in place and be as prepared as we can be for large amounts of animals and turtles coming into our area," said Melissa Ranly, Loggerhead Marinelife Center Hospital Coordinator.
When it comes to turtles in the Gulf, and the oil spill, the first problem will be initial contact.
"Obviously since they need to breathe air, they can come up to the surface and get coated in the oil," said Ranly.
But while oil on the bodies of turtles is of great concern, a potentially more dangerous scenario is when turtles ingest oil.
"Sometimes the oil will turn into tar and they can ingest pieces of it or food that's got the oil on it, and the tar can even cause a problem with them opening their mouth and getting food in the future," said Ranly.
Because the impact of the spill has so many variables right now, it's impossible to know what will be needed.  Preparation is the key.
"The advantage is that we know about it ahead of time, unlike the cold stun event we dealt with in January which started and immediately animals were stranding," said Ranly.
You may recall that during the cold stun event this past winter, hundreds of turtles needed to be rescued and cared for.  That event may have given experts a better understanding of what might be needed for this event.
"We went and purchased a lot of baby pools and needed extra supplies to handle the patient load," said Ranly.
The hope is that the containment efforts work, because this time of year is crucial for turtles.
"Especially during nesting season if there's a way to contain the oil before it hits the beaches, that would be the most ideal scenario" said Ranly.

I honestly hope that the oil doesn't affect our endangered sea turtles among all the other wonderful wildlife and beautiful ecosystems we have down here but if it does you know where I'll be and I'll report back to you guys!

Keep Wagging everyone and hope for the best!