GAH Holiday Happenings

Otherwise known as clinic gossip!  We usually take this time to fill you all in on what has been going on at Gypsum Animal Hospital. 

Before we get started we want to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season and new year.  Also, make sure your home is pet safe for the holidays and that your four legged friends don’t get too many snacks, chocolates or egg nog this year.

OK, back to us.  We are growing by leaps and bounds and are caring for nearly a thousand people/families in the valley, which means almost twice as many pets are getting TLC here.  We all feel truly lucky to be in this profession; it is very rewarding and we enjoy it and hope that it shows.  On that note, if your kids are thinking of a career in animal health check out our website www.gypsumah.com, there are links to other sites explaining career options and choices.  We all love to teach and mentor so if your middle school child or older wants to hang out for a few hours one day and see what we all do get ahold of us.  We promise we will not make them wash all of our cars or clean the bathrooms.

In case you haven’t been around, Doc and Roni had a baby this summer.  Little Iris is now 5 months old.  Dr. S’s other 3 children, Jeri, Lane and Joseph are 17, 14 and 11 and are all enrolled in Eagle County Schools.  If you run into them you’ll know they are his kids (by looks, not necessarily personality).  Their troubled dog Ralph has been a good boy and has responded to training and prescription medicines and has not bitten anyone in a while.  Lincoln, the standard poo, is as crazy and goofy as ever and just as loveable.   

Jennifer has not changed her hairdo or color in a month and the consistency has us all concerned that she is growing up and older.  Plus she also has 2 teenagers, a toddler Sierra, a husband Ben and 2 dogs, Bosko and Indy.  Her kids, Syd and Skyler, also go to school locally.  Syd wants to be a doc or a vet and Skyler wanted to be a tree surgeon but unfortunately he developed a fear of sap.  That was a joke. 

Liv is no longer here as she got a chance to be a personal assistant to a really nice family which will give her more time to care for horses and be involved with next step.  We’ll miss Liv; there really is no one else to make blonde jokes about here except Dr. S and he doesn’t have enough hair to be called a blonde.

Speaking of hair, Tammy finally has hers back but she still has not found her mind.  Tammy is trying to one day get more formal training in the field of veterinary technician which will mean going back to school.  Can you imagine being her teacher?  I can barely handle being her boss (I’m not sure I even am).  Since she is a long time local everyone knows all about her husband, kids, and pets.      

The newest thing here is Amber, our first certified veterinary technician (CVT).  In classic employee 101 handbook fashion she started here and immediately got sick and spent a week in the hospital.  A CVT has a college degree and is basically the equivalent of a nurse.  Amber is also certified in pet training. 

We have some high school part timers, Jenn and Docs’ kids Syd and Jeri, as well as a few high school interns Cynthia and Woody.  High schoolers are too easy a target so we’re not gonna make fun of them.  We do love having them around as they remind us of what it was like to be young, in high school and yearning for knowledge (we all did yearn when we were that age didn’t we?!).  It also serves to remind us that when we say “there is no such thing as a stupid question”…. that we are really just being polite or lying.

I don’t have room for more and I am not doing another page so have a great New Year and remember, if you need anything for your pets don’t hesitate to call us, that is what we are here for.

What to Do if Your Pet Has Cancer, Part 2
Stephen Sheldon, DVM

In last weeks article we discussed some signs and symptoms of cancer and how we diagnose them.  Now let’s move on to some of the more common cancers and how to treat them.

Basically you have 3 choices for therapy:  Cut it out (surgery), poison it out (chemotherapy), or burn it out (radiation therapy).  Without being flippant that is exactly what we are going to do.  Dr. Greg Ogilve, CSU’s animal cancer guru advocates surgery as the first line of treatment and says:  “when in doubt cut it out” and “your best deal is cold blue steel.”

For some cancers surgery is all that is needed; others require chemo to prevent spread, called metastasis, and still others require radiation therapy.  Sometime a combo of chemo and radiation is used.  Often times a tumor cannot be removed or it is too large to remove so we try chemo or radiation to shrink the tumor to a more manageable size and then remove it. 

Other cancers need chemo to control them, for example lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) or leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells) cannot be treated surgically.   Staging, or determining how widespread the cancer is will tell us what type of chemo to use and for how long.

Yes chemo is a scary word but pets tolerate it a lot better than we do.  I would say well over 95% of the owners who have had me do chemo on their pets would do it again if needed.  Dogs rarely loose their hair (except maybe whiskers) and usually only have a day or 2 of nausea between cycles.  There are 2 phases to chemo:  the induction phase which is rigorous and done weekly until the cancer is in remission; then a maintenance phase is started where a round of chemo is given every 3-4 weeks until all the cancer is gone.  Chemo routines, called ‘protocols’, are changing all the time; the line between where induction ends and maintenance begins is a hot topic today.

Radiation therapy is done much less in my experience because it must be done very frequently; often up to 3 times a week.  For us that means going to Denver (and today I-70 is closed eastbound). 

Let’s move on to some common cancers.  Breast cancer in female dogs is very common and a good example where surgery alone can be curative.  This cancer is almost 100% preventable by spaying your female dog before her first heat cycle.  If the cancer is malignant or advanced radiation is the preferred method to prevent spreading; however, I have used chemo successfully.  Mast cell tumors are a common dog skin tumor and need to have a very wide and deep surgical excision; therefore a pre-op needle biopsy should be done.  This tumor should be sent of to a pathologist to grade, from 1 to 3, to tell us the degree of malignancy as this will dictate what or even if chemo is needed.  Other common canine cancers are lymphoma, bone cancer, intestinal cancer and oral cancers.

Cats are also prone to cancer.  Breast cancer is much more serious in cats than in dogs as almost all are malignant whereas only half are malignant in dogs.  In one large study of 439 cats only 8% had benign tumors (meaning 92% were malignant).  Early spaying is recommended but we can’t say for certain if it prevents breast cancer in cats.  Skin tumors are also more malignant in cats than dogs so if you see bumps on your cats get them checked out.  Intestinal cancer is also more common in cats than dogs.

Treating cancer can be expensive but it is rewarding for both veterinarians and their pet owners and life extending for our pets.  Just ask my last case, Maya, who can be seen hopping around Eagle! 

Dr. Stephen Sheldon, a member of The Veterinary Cancer Society, practices at Gypsum Animal Hospital.  He welcomes your questions and can be reached at 524-DOGS or www.gypsumah.com or drsteve@gypsumah.com

What to Do if Your Dog Has Cancer: Part 1

Stephen Sheldon, DVM

Unfortunately, the “C” word invokes just as much fear for our four legged friends as it does for us.  By now you know from my columns, dogs and cats are very similar to us; they live the same lifestyle, have similar physiology and anatomy and suffer similar diseases.  Cancer is no exception.

According to a new Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) study, 1 in 4 dogs will die of cancer.  If you are a golden retriever the odds are a whopping 60% you will die of cancer.  Past studies revealed that 11% of visits to a veterinarian are for cancer related issues.  I don’t know about you but it makes me happy to see the MAF launch a $30 million initiative to cure animal cancer in the next 10-20 years (and if you are one of those who feel money spent on pets is wasted, this research will be used to help cure human cancer). 

One of the first indications your dog or cat has cancer are swellings or growths that continue to grow and or change character, color etc.  Other signs include: weight loss, decrease in appetite, difficulty urinating, defecating or breathing, difficulty eating or swallowing, enlarged lymph nodes (glands), abnormal bleeding or discharges from any body parts or openings, lameness or limping, weakness, lethargy or inability to exercise.  Just like in people cancer is mainly a disease of middle-aged to older dogs and cats; however, pets of any age can get cancer.

If you suspect your pet has cancer you obviously need to schedule a visit with your veterinarian.  They will perform a good physical exam and then order some tests such as blood counts, blood chemistries, urinalysis and x-rays or radiographs.  Often we do a very simple in-office procedure called a needle or aspiration biopsy and take a quick peek under the microscope.  Other time a biopsy is indicated and sent to a board certified veterinary pathologist.  A biopsy should be done if it will change the way a cancer is treated.  For example Mast Cell Tumors, a common skin tumor, are malignant and require a very aggressive and wide surgical excision whereas sebaceous adenomas, another common skin tumor, are benign and require a very small surgical approach. 

Cancer should also be staged.  Staging involves determining how extensive and widespread the cancer has become.  Again, this will tell us how to treat the cancer and can save you and your pet needless surgeries, chemotherapies, expenses and suffering.  Staging usually involves lymph node aspirates/biopsy, radiographs, and/or ultrasound.  When dealing with cancer information is king.

In part 2 we’ll talk about some of the more common cancers and how to treat them.  In the meantime visit www.morrisanimalfoundation.org and make a contribution to the canine cancer campaign!

Dr. Stephen Sheldon, a member of The Veterinary Cancer Society, practices at Gypsum Animal Hospital.  He welcomes your questions and can be reached at 524-DOGS or www.gypsumah.com or drsteve@gypsumah.com

The Living Christmas Present (part 2)

Stephen Sheldon, DVM

In last weeks article we talked about letting your new puppy or kitten adjust to its’ new home, feeding, walking and establishing who is the boss in the family.  Now we will talk about your first visit to your veterinarian.

You should make an appointment within 2-3 days of getting your new present.  The first thing we will do is perform a fecal exam and look for parasites.  Most puppies and kittens come with roundworms or hookworms courtesy of their mother.  We’re also looking for other GI worms, coccidian and giardia.  It is important to de-worm for hooks and rounds even if none are found on the exam as fecal exams are an inexact science, worms are transmittable to people, and they almost always get them from their moms (even if their moms are negative!).

Next we will do a very thorough physical exam with an emphasis on congenital, or birth, defects.  The most common ones seen in pups are in the heart and hernias in either the belly button area or in the groin.  Yes, dogs and cats have belly buttons.  Un-descended testicles are also pretty common but they may make an appearance before too long; however, most should be down by 2 months of age.  Other parts of the physical include checking eyes, ears, nose, throat, lymph nodes, skin, limbs, toes, hips, chest auscultation, abdominal palpation…and more.  The exam is the most important part of your visit.

The doctor or staff will then review immunizations or vaccines.  A series must be given every 3-4 weeks; they start at 6-8 weeks of age and end at 12-14 weeks.  The reason a series is necessary is that dogs and cats receive immunity from these diseases from their mom (called colostrum and it is in the first day’s milk) and that immunity over-rides our vaccines.  There is no way to tell when this immunity from their mom disappears but we know it is from 6-14 weeks of age.  Thus, by giving a series we know we are covered.

Over the next few visits we will go over many things and we’ll try to send you home with some things to read as there is a lot to cover.  We’ll show you how to trim nails, clean ears, bathe your pet and what shampoos are best for your breed of dog.  We can also provide knowledge in the areas of nutrition and training.

Lastly, courtesy of our major veterinary pharmaceutical companies, you’ll get a goody bag with free samples and some coupons.  Don’t be skeptical like me, these companies have been great to both veterinarians and pet owners and are a big reason pets are living so much longer than they used to.