When it comes to your pet's health, the old adage about an ounce of prevention equalling a pound of cure really rings true. Timely preventive care in the form of annual exams, vaccination and internal parasite testing is the best way to make sure that our furry family members will not suffer from serious and avoidable illness.

Inasmuch, we here at the Down Maine Veterinary Clinic have decided to try to protect as many pets as we can from preventable disease by making it more affordable! If any of your pets are unprotected or overdue for preventive care, please email us back or call 324-4683 to schedule an appointment.

Thanks for letting us help you care for your pet!

The doctors and staff of the DMVC 

I am often asked by my clients which dental health treats are best. Given the huge number of products available, answering this question can be difficult to say the least. I'm happy to now report that an organization known as the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) has made the task of choosing pet dental health treats and diets considerably easier.

According to their website, the VOHC exists to:

"recognize products that meet pre-set standards of plaque and calculus (tartar) retardation in dogs and cats."

These preset standards include specific protocols for proving the efficacy of a given dental product based on randomizing test subjects into control and treatment groups, using sound statistical analysis of results, and set means of scoring plaque and tartar accumulation.

Such protocols don't exactly make for exciting reading but they are decidedly a good thing. Our beloved pets are always best served when we can make informed, evidence-based decisions on their behalf.

A list of VOHC-recommended products can be found here. You can also simply look for the VOHC seal of approval on the packaging of dental products before you buy them.

Michael Bukowski DVM

A 2-year old dog with severe hip arthritis due to CHD

As a veterinarian, few conditions frustrate me more than Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). This is not because there are not ways of treating it. In fact, there are plenty. A multitude of NSAIDs (non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs) are available to manage it medically and for more severe cases, there are many surgical options. My frustration stems from our failure to prevent it in spite of having the means to do so.

For anyone who is not familiar with CHD, it is a genetic disease that results in loose hips. Dogs with the condition have hip joints in which the "ball" of the "ball-in-socket" hip joint does not fit tightly into the "socket". Over time, this instability results in inflammation, arthritis and pain, resulting in many dogs of large breeds being essentially hobbled-up before they reach three years of age.

And here's what gets my goat: there is absolutely no reason that so many dogs should still be suffering through the pain of CHD and that so many dog owners should be suffering through the expense of treating it. We humans are in charge of which dogs get bred and we have at our disposal the means to identify and breed only those dogs with the best hips. When this is done, less CHD is passed down to future generations of dogs, and the quality of life of our canine companions will improve. CHD should be rare yet instead it is common.

So what gives? First of all, there unfortunately are plenty of breeders who breed dogs with nary a concern for hip health (I'm talking to you puppy millers!) Our only hope is to appeal to them through outreach and education. More embarrassing is the failure of people who should know better-vets and well-intentioned breeders-to prevent the disease. This is because of a dogmatic adherence-by many vets, breeders and breed clubs-to an outdated method of hip evaluation: the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals or OFA method.

When an OFA evaluation is done, a potential breeding dog is anesthetized and placed on his back on the x-ray table. The legs are extended so that they are parallel to the spine and the image is taken. The resulting image is then sent to the OFA and reviewed by three individual radiologists whom each assign a very subjective rating of poor, fair, good or excellent based upon visual inspection alone. Then, following a very arbitrary algorithm, a final average rating is given to the hips.

There are several problems with this means of evaluating hips. First of all, when the hips are positioned in that unnatural, hyper-extended position, the soft tissue that supports the hip joints winds up like a rubber band and actually forces "the ball" of the hip, deeper into "the socket". This makes the hips seem "tighter" than they would be if the dog was standing normally. Secondly, because nothing is objectively measured or quantified in the OFA process, the rating given is nothing more than an "average" of three subjective opinions. Finally, there is no correlation between having an "excellent" OFA rating and a dog not developing osteoarthritis. In fact, many OFA excellent-rated dogs are known to develop arthritis as they age.

A by far better means of identifying at-risk breeding dogs is the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program or PennHIP method. PennHIP is superior to OFA because it does quantify the amount of "looseness" in a given hip. Knowing exactly the amount of looseness in a breeding dog's hips and being able to compare it to the amount of looseness in potential mates is much more useful information for breeders. This allows them to choose for breeding only those dogs with the "tightest" hips and subsequent generations of dogs will be at much lower risk for CHD.

Developed by Veterinary researcher Dr Gail Smith at the University of Pennsylvania, the PennHIP method quantifies the amount of "looseness" in a given hip joint into a value called the Distraction Index  (DI). Using a device called a distractor, a PennHIP-certified vet X-rays the dog anesthetized and on his back, but with the legs in their natural perpendicular position with respect to the spine. One X-ray is taken with the "balls" of the hip joint compressed into the sockets. This calibrates the hips to their zero point. Then three x-rays are taken in the same position but using the distractor. The distractor gently displaces the balls away from the sockets, demonstrating the amount of natural looseness in a breeding candidates hips. A final X-ray of the OFA-style hip-extended view is taken because the one bit of useful information it provides is whether or not arthritis is forming.

The DI is the distance the balls displace away from the socket divided by their radius and it is a number that carries with it a lot of useful info. First of all, any dog with a DI of less than 0.3 has virtually no chance of developing arthritis. The higher the DI is above 0.3, the higher the risk of developing arthritis. (Interestingly, nearly all Greyhounds have a very low DI and CHD is unheard of in this breed.  Apparently selecting only the fastest dogs for breeding carried with it the added benefit of selecting for very tight hips. This makes sense because a dog with loose hips can't win races.)

Secondly, the breeder can see where her dog's DI value is with respect to other dogs of the same breed that have also had a PennHIP evaluation. If her dog's DI values are above 0.3 but fall within the tighter half of the bell curve for the breed then her dog is a good candidate, with respect to the trait of hip looseness, for breeding. Furthermore, she can find a mate for her dog that also has a decent DI the result being puppies with healthier hips.

It is time for the OFA method  to be abandoned in favor of PennHIP. Too many dogs are suffering. The good news is that PennHIP is slowly catching on. Every year more and more breeders are choosing it over OFA. Perhaps someday, CHD will be as rare as Distemper. One can only hope.

Mike Bukowski DVM 1/24/2012

Addicted to "Cute"

Adorable little fuzzy faces. Soft, wet noses. Big soulful eyes. Purring kittens batting away at a ball of foil. Puppies playfully tugging away at your pant leg. Cuteness. It's that quality that all young mammals possess that makes their parents want to take care of and nurture them. How wonderful it is that humans' evolutionarily-engraved instinct to protect, feed, comfort and love our own offspring can also be directed towards creatures belonging to another species. This is the essence of the human-animal bond and a big part of why people become pet owners and pet care professionals. It is certainly a major reason I became a veterinarian.

There are quantifiable positive effects emanating from this bond we have with our pets. First, there's the unmistakable look of joy on the faces of those interacting with a furry friend. Not to mention the goofy things we say while doting over our pets. On a deeper level there are measurable physiologic changes such as a lessening of anxiety and lowering of blood pressure known to occur in animal owners. It has also been shown that oxytocin levels rise in dog owners making eye contact with their pet. Oxytocin, "the hormone of love", present in us to assure we nurture our own kids and feel affection toward a mate, is also responsible-in large part-for the very pleasant side effect known as the human-animal bond.

It is not unreasonable to compare oxytocin to a narcotic. Just like young people in love or someone under the influence of a mind-altering drug, a potential pet owner under the influence of "cute" may not be in the best position to make a rational decision when it comes to choosing a pet. This has resulted in countless dogs and cats that were adopted when they were adorable, cuddly kittens and pups-but grew into something quite unexpected-being surrendered to shelters where, sadly, many of them are euthanized.

Make it a "season of reason" when choosing a pet

The holiday season is upon us once again. A time of year when many people acquire pets. Also a time when, with all the imagery of reindeer, elves, lights and ornaments, we all have a little more oxytocin than usual flowing in the veins. So, at the risk of being a Grinch, I wish to temper all the warm and fuzzy feelings with a little bit of detached reason and give some advice about how to go about choosing or not choosing a new pet this holiday season.

Consider waiting until the holidays are past before getting a pet. Many people are distracted during the holidays, more busy than usual decorating, preparing food and wrapping gifts. Adding a puppy or a kitten to such an environment could be a recipe for disaster. Consider all the ribbons, toys, tinsel, candy etc present in a typical household during the holiday just waiting to to be swallowed by a new kitten or puppy-and cause gastrointestinal blockage. Waiting for a less hectic time should allow for making a more informed decision and a safer environment for the pet.

Avoid giving a pet as a gift. Limit gifts to inanimate objects. Puppies and kittens are living things and should not be put in the same category as an Xbox 360 or a pair of socks and certainly never wrapped up in a box! If you absolutely must gift a pet, make sure the recipient is responsible enough for, actually desires, and has the means to care for a pet.

Make sure you get a pet that fits your lifestyle. If you live in an apartment, you don't want that little fuzz ball that made your oxytocin flow at the pet store to grow up into a high-energy, high-shedding sheepdog. If you have children you want a dog or cat that is good with kids. A good resource for determining the breeds of dogs most likely to match your desires is the find a pet page at healthypet.com

Make sure you have the means to care for a pet. Give us a call here at the DMVC to get an estimate of the cost of veterinary care for the first year of a puppy or kitten's life. Add to that pet food and supplies as well as training classes. Keep in mind that the larger the breed of dog you own, the more expensive it is to care for.

Make your local shelter the first place you look for a pet. Your local shelter is where many of the canine and feline victims of human oxytocin rushes end up and a great place to find a wonderful companion. Another good place is petfinder. One of my own dogs, "Truffles", was acquired through petfinder and she is a lovely dog!

Don't buy a dog from a breeder unless you can physically visit the premises. The ideal breeder is someone who is motivated not by profit, but by love of their particular breed. By meeting a breeder in person one is in the best position to determine their motivations. You are also able to assess the cleanliness of the environment, the condition of the bitch and sire and also get a sense of how often the pups were handled. For these same reasons one should avoid purchasing a dog from a breeder online.

Research thoroughly the breed you are interested in. As much as I wish it were otherwise, the term "purebred" is a euphemism for "inbred". There's no way around that painful truth. Inasmuch, every breed has its share of genetic disorders. Learn as much as you can about the breed that interests you. Ask the breeder about any genetic problems they've had in their line. Make sure that you are prepared for any costs that might result from a genetic condition. Purchase pet insurance to help offset these costs. Again consider getting a mixed breed dog. Mixed breed dogs possess "hybrid vigor". Being less inbred means genetic disease is less likely.

Well I hope my detached reason hasn't lowered your oxytocin levels by too much. If you require a little "fix" have a gander at this video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBSOeUCzefQ 

 Happy Holidays to all creatures great and small. 

Michael Bukowski DVM