IMPORTANT NOTICE

I find it interesting that this question is asked relatively infrequently. One would think that this question would be asked starting at the beginning of a dog’s life and revisited at almost every yearly visit. I can honestly say, however, that it is relatively infrequently asked. It seems that most believe that if their dog is getting their routine vaccinations and parasite screenings performed, they are doing the best they can. For some, this is what they can afford and the essentials are exactly that…essential. This post, however, is dedicated to the owner who wants to know what their pet CAN have to prevent and diagnose diseases before their pet gets sick. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to email at obxpetdoctor@yahoo.com!

Rabies Vaccination – Every 3 years

—Rabies vaccination is required by law in North Carolina for all dogs older than 4 months of age. In this state, only veterinarians, licensed technicians under the direct supervision of a veterinarian, or those certified in rabies vaccination can lawfully possess rabies vaccine. While rabies virus is relatively rare, it is a fatal disease that can be spread to humans. If a human is bitten by a dog that is not currently rabies vaccinated, that dog must undergo a quarantine period and/or be euthanized and tested for rabies. For these reasons, we strongly recommend that all dogs are vaccinated for rabies virus.

Distemper-Parvovirus-Adenovirus Vaccination - Variable

—DAP(P) vaccination helps to prevent three somewhat common and deadly viruses of dogs. Distemper virus affects the respiratory and nervous systems, Parvovirus affects the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow, and adenovirus affects the liver and respiratory systems. All three of these diseases are less common today thanks to routine vaccination. We vaccinate dogs for these diseases based on their risk factors but recommend that ALL dogs receive a DAP(P) vaccine at least every third year, regardless of age.

Heartworm Testing and Prevention - Testing every year, Prevention every month

—Heartworm disease is a common problem in North Carolina. While it is currently unknown where North Carolina is ranked with respect to heartworm prevalence, my estimate is that we are probably #8 and I would be very surprised if we weren’t in the top 10. Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and affects not only the heart, but also the lungs, liver, kidneys, brain, and probably every other organ. Heartworm disease is essentially 100% preventable by using a monthly product such as Interceptor. We still recommend, however, that all dogs receive yearly heartworm testing.

Fecal Parasite Testing and Prevention – Testing every year, Prevention every month

—There are several intestinal parasites that are common in dogs including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. These parasites are all preventable by use of monthly deworming and flea control. The heartworm product that we recommend are Interceptor and Sentinel which also prevent roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. The most common tapeworm in dogs is Dipylidium caninum, which is transmitted by fleas. All of these parasites may be transmissible to humans (although whipworm infection in humans is rare). In dogs, they can cause a host of problems including vomiting, malnourishment, diarrhea, dehydration, and in rare cases, death.

Yearly BloodworkTesting Once Yearly, Especially after 7 Years of Age

Our pets can’t tell us if they ‘just don’t feel good’ or ‘don’t have as much energy’. Sometimes yearly blood screening for diseases such as diabetes, kidney, and liver disease will help to diagnose problems before they begin to make a pooch sick. For pets with current diseases that can be monitored through routine bloodwork, having them tested twice yearly or more often may be beneficial.

So, for those of you who are interested in the very best, that is it. There are certainly other things that can be beneficial to pets such as spaying and neutering but we will save those topics for a different post. Enjoy your day, Outer Banks!

Dr. Jay Taylor

Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
3723 N. Croatan Highway (Hwy 158)
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

There is a common question or statement that we hear in the animal hospital that I’d like to address today. It usually begins with “I’ve been sick and now my dog is getting sick too. Did he catch it from me?”. Most of the time, the answer is no. However, there are a few diseases that people can give to their pets. The name for diseases that pass from humans to animals and vice versa is ‘Anthropozoonosis’ although the term zoonotic disease is more commonly used today to refer to any disease transmissible from animals to humans. Below is a general rule of thumb for diseases that can or can’t be spread from species to species.

The Common Cold (mostly human specific viruses) – these viruses are almost always exclusively human to human contact and their effect on pets is relatively small. It is unlikely if you have the common cold virus that you would be able to pass this along to your dog or cat.

Influenza Virus (The Flu) – The flu fits the same bill as the common cold, it is unlikely that you will be able to transmit this to your pet. However, as far as viruses go, Influenza commonly crosses species boundaries (ever heard of bird flu?) so it is not impossible. Don’t expect your pet to get the flu from you, however, as it would be extremely unlikely.

Ringworm This would be a yes in most cases. Certain types of ringworm commonly infect both people and pets and can be transmitted easily upon contact. If you have been diagnosed with ringworm, try not to allow your affected areas touch your pets.

Food Poisoning Unless your pet ate the same food that you did, it is unlikely that food poisoning would cause sickness in your pet. With that said, many of the pathogens that cause food-borne illness in people also affect pets such as E. Coli and Salmonella sp. of bacteria. For this and other reasons, we recommend that you only feed your dog a balanced diet of well cooked or commercial food.

Others – I’m sure there are other things that people commonly question about whether they can give or get from their pets. If you have a question about anything in specific, please don’t hesitate to email at: obxpetdoctor@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Dr. Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC

The question is simple, the answer is not as easy but still relatively simple. Heartworm prevention is one of the most important medical preventatives that a dog can receive. I would argue that for a dog older than 1 year of age that is current on his or her vaccines, it is the most important thing that a dog owner can do for their pet.

To understand heartworm prevention, one must first understand the disease and how dogs get it. Heartworms, Dirofilaria immitis, live in the arteries of the lungs (pulmonary arteries) and in the right side of the heart. In an active infection, the female heartworms ‘release’ baby heartworms into the dogs bloodstream. These babies, also known as microfilaria, circulate throughout the bloodstream until they are taken up by a mosquito. The larvae, as they are called at this time, mature a little on the mosquito and in about 2-3 weeks are ready to infect another dog. When the infected mosquito bites another dog, they inject these larvae into the skin of the dog. The larvae then migrate through the skin over 5-7 months until they are mature. They then enter the bloodstream and go to the heart and lungs to become an adult.

Heartworm preventatives act by killing the larvae as they are migrating. In a sense, it is a ‘retroactive’ preventative meaning that the heartworms are killed after they are injected into the dog. Some heartworm preventatives are better than others at this reach-back effect but all are effective if given regularly.

In addition to treating for heartworms, most preventatives also deworm against intestinal parasites which can have many other side effects. Some intestinal parasites are zoonotic which means that they can infect people but….that’s another topic for another day!

Make sure that your pooch stays on yearly heartworm preventative, regardless of where you live. In North Carolina, heartworm disease is very prevalent and in many areas if you dog isn’t on heartworm preventative, they have a very likely chance of developing heartworm disease. Even indoor dogs are susceptible to getting heartworm disease.

To find out more about heartworm disease from the American Heartworm Society, CLICK HERE!

Dr. Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
www.outerbanksvet.com

Today’s topic, pet overpopulation. In the United States, approximately 3 – 4 MILLION pets are euthanized every year because they cannot find a home. Of the pets that enter shelters, only 30% of dogs and 2-5% of cats are reclaimed by their original owners. Of the animals (cats and dogs) that are brought into a shelter, 50% of dogs and 70% of cats are estimated to be euthanized because of lack of adoption. (information via HSUS and ASPCA websites)

Our plan to help = The Outer Banks Neuterthon. We are aiming to surgically sterilize (neuter) as many male cats as we safely can on Saturday, May 21st from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. . If you have an intact male cat that is young and otherwise healthy, please consider this date to have him ‘fixed’. Safety is our number one concern. For this reason, cats older than 10 years, those that weigh less than 5 lbs, cats with undescended testicles, or cats that appear sick are excluded and will need to see their veterinarian during regular business hours for the procedure. Any other male cat could be eligible for the procedure provided that they can be safely sedated. Pre-registration ensures that your kitty gets ahead of ‘walk-ins’ but we cannot guarantee that any cat will be admitted exactly on time. The procedure is relatively short and your kitty will likely be ready for discharge from our hospital approximately 2 hours after he is admitted. For exact times, we will contact you on the day of the surgery after your pet has recovered from sedation.

If you would like to pre-register, please CLICK HERE for a link to our web page that is dedicated to the Neuterthon. On this page, you can download the agreement for your cat to be neutered on this day. Pre-registration will be available through the end of the day on May 18th and payment is accepted by cash only for pre-registration to the OBX Neuterthon. On May 21st, walk-ins will be accepted on a first come, first served basis behind those who have pre-registered.

ALL cats must arrive in a functional and structurally sound carrier, ONE CARRIER PER CAT! Pre-registration fees are non-refundable if your cat comes in an unsafe carrier or multiple cats per carrier. The Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital does not accept responsibility for any cat that gets lost or injured either outside or inside of the hospital due to faulty or defective carriers or cats that are not contained in a functional carrier. Cats on leashes will NOT be admitted for surgery!

These are just a few of the basics, for more details, again, visit the Neuterthon page.

Dr Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC

On this day in 1923, insulin became available to the general public for the first time for the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.

So, one might ask, what is diabetes. The term is everywhere and in fact, 1 in 12 people in the United States (8.3%) is estimated to have diabetes. These statistics come from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. With this in mind, it is almost impossible for you to not know someone who has diabetes. In North Carolina, the rate for diagnosed diabetes in the general public is 9.3%, the 17th highest in the nation. Diabetes has increased in epidemic proportions in the human population, most likely due to the increase in obesity. For more information on diabetes in people, please consult your healthcare provider or other human-based internet sources. Diagnosis of diabetes is also more common in our dogs and cats, likely due to the increased levels of obesity as well.

So, ‘What is diabetes?’, you might ask. To answer this question, we’ll start with the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ that has several functions but primarily is involved in digestion of carbohydrates and regulation of blood glucose. Glucose is the basic sugar that our bodies use as an energy source. We obtain glucose through our diet and it is stored in the liver until it is needed. The pancreas produces a substance called insulin which directs the cells in your pet’s body to take in glucose as an energy source. Most of the cells in your body cannot take in glucose unless insulin is present acting upon the receptor in the cell’s membrane. For those of you who have been away from reading science and medicine texts for a while, see Figure 1 below:

Insulin and Glucose – Figure 1

As you can see by the diagram, when insulin acts upon a receptor, glucose is able to enter into the cell. When there is no insulin, then it is unable to pass (glucose with and X on it). As we mentioned before, most cells require insulin to get glucose.

In the disease known as Diabetes mellitus, the cells cannot take in glucose either because insulin is not present (Type 1) or because the receptor is ‘blocked’ or does not work well (Type 2). See the figures below for a more descriptive view of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes!

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus – Figure 2

As you can see in this image, there is no insulin present to make the glucose enter into the cells. This type of diabetes is the most common in both dogs and cats although cats also have a high percentage (30 – 50 %) of Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is usually caused by a destruction of the pancreatic beta cells, the source of insulin from the pancreas. It is also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) or ‘juvenile diabetes’.



Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus – Figure 3

In this image, insulin and glucose are both present in the blood. The insulin receptor, however, is blocked so that the cell cannot get the glucose that it needs. We call this phenomenon ‘insulin resistance’ or ‘relative insulin deficiency’. Type 2 diabetes has also been known as ‘Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), although this is somewhat a misnomer because most cases of diabetes in pets require insulin therapy regardless of their ‘type’.

This is diabetes in a nutshell. Please stay tuned for more information in the future on diabetes and particularly , how to tell if you pet may have diabetes. Further blog sections will likely break this up into two parts, diagnosis and treatment, as they both can be very lengthy.

Diabetes is a complex disease that is difficult to treat under the best of circumstances. If you are concerned about your pet and want to know more information about diagnosing diabetes, please give us a call at (252) 715 – 1407 to schedule an appointment to discuss diabetes and to test your pet.

Dr. Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Jessica and I had the recent pleasure of traveling out of town for a weekend, something that hasn’t happened since our daughter arrived in this world on January 1st of this year. We typically try to stay at a Bed and Breakfast if possible when we travel for two reasons…1) the experience is much better than a hotel room and 2) the cost difference is usually not very significant. When you factor in the typically much increased level of service that you receive at a B&B, the local hotel loses a bit of appeal. The Sail Inn located on Pollock Street in New Bern is a great example. Great service, wonderful rooms, close proximity to where you actually want to be….an the list goes on. In general, we have found during our excursions along the coast, that North Carolina is particularly nice for Bed and Breakfasts as it is the home of several old towns with a lot of history and culture.

Enter, New Bern…first settled in 1710 by Swiss and German immigrants. New Bern is the second oldest town in North Carolina and was once the governmental seat to the Carolina territories. Down the street (cobblestone in parts) from where we stayed was The Tryon Palace which held the governor for a period of time in the latter part of the 1700′s. It is located about a block from the Sail Inn. Most of the houses on Pollock Street were built decades before any of our great-grandparents were born. In the early 2000′s, there was no mass demolition and reconstruction on this street. The Kessiah Sawyer House (Sail Inn) itself was originally built in 1815. Many other houses on this street were built at a similar time and are historic homes. This was our first visit to New Bern downtown and we were pleasantly surprised. It is likely that we will need another weekend away in the future and New Bern is definitely on our map.

Enjoy the pics of our first family trip and if you ever make it to New Bern, don’t forget to look up the Sail Inn!

Their website is www.sailinn.biz

New Bern Spring 2011

10 Photos

Dr. Jay Taylor
Dad and Vet!

“With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.” These words started the Salt Satyagraha in India in 1930 and they were spoken by Mahatma Ghandi. In his hands were dirt and salt.

In case you need a quick definition to find the meaning of Satyagraha, it is a peaceful protest. Ghandi was among the first to use peaceful mass civil disobedience to bring about change. Ghandi’s great idea… to choose salt as the basis for this peaceful protest. It may seem that salt is a curious item around which to focus a protest. The leaders of Britain were unlikely to lose sleep over a campaign against salt. Ghandi, however, carefully chose this particular substance because it had meaning to the people of India. Everyone needs salt, especially in a warm climate where a person sweats more than in milder climates. He wanted an item that everyone in India would see as essential to them to engage his people in a cause that needed to be addressed.

If Ghandi were a dog, what would he choose as a basic ingredient? We want to know what you think is the single most important aspect of pet care for the health of your pup. There are absolutely NO wrong answers as all of the survey items are essential for a pooches well being.

[SURVEYS 1]

On this day in 1842, diethyl ether was used as a general inhalant anesthetic for the first time by Dr. Crawford Long!

Anesthesia has come a long way in the past 160 years. At the time that Dr. Long was experimenting with general anesthesia and ether, the world was a much different place. Other notable events of the time were the brewing of the first pils (lager) beer, founding of the University of Notre Dame, and Christian Doppler proposed the ‘Doppler Effect’. Ether and chloroform were common inhalant anesthetics that were used in the early years of inhalation anesthesia. They were eventually replaced by newer and safer anesthetic agents.

Today’s inhalation anesthetics are very safe compared to their earlier counterparts. Chloroform has a fairly narrow margin of safety and has been known in the past to cause death. Ether, while maintaining a good margin of safety, is very flammable and has caused several hospital fires. The anesthetic that we use most commonly is called isoflurane although sevoflurane is used in veterinary medicine as well. The are given in exact doses by a part of the anesthetic machine called a vaporizer. The vaporizer keeps the level of anesthetic agent delivery at a set amount. We can easily vary this amount and commonly adjust it on each patient’s custom needs. In veterinary medicine, we most commonly use supplemental oxygen as well while patients are under anesthesia.

If you have any questions about anesthetic agents or anesthesia, please don’t hesitate to ask. Enjoy your day!

Dr. Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital

On this day in 1882, Robert Koch identified the causative agent of Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Koch would eventually receive a Nobel Prize for this discovery.

Perhaps his best discovery, however, was a method for determining whether a microorganism is the cause for a disease. In short, they are 4 criteria that (1) show the microbe is present in cases of disease (2) the microbe can be correctly identified, (3) the microbe can be cultured and cause disease in another healthy animal, and (4) the microbe causing illness in the experimental animal must be identified as the same in the original animal. Scientists and veterinarians today must use the same kind of thinking that Dr. Koch used over a century ago when determining the presence of infectious disease in animals

Fast forward to an animal hospital in 2011. (1) The veterinarian must determine the presence of the disease causing agent based on the information they are given. (2) The cause of this disease must be correctly identified. (3-4) The cause of this disease must be similar or identical to other known and studied diseases in that species of animal. Sounds pretty familiar?

So, how do we go about finding out how to diagnose your pet? In our profession, we use many tools at our disposal to do this. It begins at the beginning of any visit with the correct determination of clinical signs and symptoms which we call a medical history. Some of this information comes from the pet itself in the form his/her age, species, sex, breed, and whether he/she is intact or not. The rest of the information comes from the pet’s personal interpreter (a.k.a. owner). In some diseases such as skin allergies, information gleaned from the history of this problem is the most important item we use to determine the diseases cause. The next step in the veterinary disease finding postulate is the medical examination and assessment. As most diseases have some tell-tell signs, we use our knowledge and senses to identify common changes in a pet’s appearance to help guide us to a diagnosis. The last step in obtaining a diagnosis is to perform laboratory tests. The tests that we recommend are based on all of the factors listed above.

The second step of this is probably the most important in sick pets. A correct diagnosis cannot be overemphasized. It gives us the ability to give an owner the best prognosis and choose the best treatment options for that problem. While many owners are hesitant to invest in diagnostic testing for financial reasons, in my experience it is usually cheaper to obtain a correct diagnosis in the beginning.

Given that the history, clinical symptoms, and laboratory tests are in agreement with the suspected cause for disease, treatment can begin. I don’t want to take the thunder out of another blog so we’ll leave treatment options for another day and time. If you have any questions or thoughts, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 252.715.1407.

Have a great day, Outer Banks!

Dr. Jay Taylor
3723 N. Croatan Hwy (Mile Post 4.5 on Highway 158)
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
www.outerbanksvet.com

On this day in 1859, the Philadelphia Zoological Society was chartered. However, due to a small skirmish called the Civil War, the zoo was not opened until 1871.

Sometimes a little wait is a good thing. In the case of the Philadelphia Zoo, there is a chance that many of the animals would have been injured in the war had any battles been fought in the city. …to find the right person to marry. … to find the right pet to adopt into your house and take care of for 10 – 15 years… to find the job that suits you to accept…and so on.

In other instances, however, waiting can cause a lot of harm. Take heartworm prevention, for instance. If you wait a few months to give your pooch their heartworm preventative, you run the risk of having a dog with heartworm disease. Another person who waits to schedule their puppy’s initial vaccines may have a puppy with parvovirus infection. In both of these cases as well as many others, it just doesn’t pay to wait. While initial vaccination series and heartworm preventatives may seem expensive at times, their cost is insignificant when compared to treating their respective diseases. If you find that you are struggling to keep up, please let us know. For less than what most people spend on potato chips in a year, your pooch can have a very good level of health care…and he or she doesn’t have to wait!

Enjoy Your Day, Outer Banks!

Dr. Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

On this day in 1850, American Express was founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo.

We’ve all heard the slogan on their advertisements, “Don’t Leave Home Without It!” Given the historical event of this day and that the Outer Banks of North Carolina generates a significant portion of revenue from those who leave their homes to visit for a short while, the topic for today is traveling with pets. For additional information on traveling with your pets, please CLICK HERE to visit a link to our website dedicated to this subject.

There are a few items that we would like to include as ‘must haves’ for any travel with your pet. While an extensive list would be impossible to make, here are some of the big ones

Extra Leashes and Collars (dogs) and a Carrier (cats)

Phone Numbers for nearby Veterinarians (252.715.1407 for the Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital) – also we would recommend that you have a few numbers for hospitals ‘along the way’ if your pet has a current disease that may get worse while in transit.

Your Pet’s regular food – any food change may cause diarrhea and you may not be able to find your pets normal brand on the beach if they eat something from a specialty store

Your Pet’s Health Care and Vaccination Record – in case you would be required to board them in an emergency or if they were to get sick while here on the beach

Apply Flea/Tick preventative before you come – some houses that allow pets have had animals with fleas stay there in the past.

These are just a few of the most important things that you can do to best prepare for an event free vacation. We welcome everyone to come to our coastal areas and enjoy your stay here!

Dr. Jay Taylor – Veterinarian
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC

We hope that everyone is preparing for a wonderful weekend of festivities in the OBX! The largest of these, the St. Patricks Day Parade will be held on Highway 12 (the Beach Road) on Sunday March 20th at 1 PM at Mile Post 11.5 – Mile Post 10.5. We hope that everyone has a great day and don’t forget to wear GREEN! Below are some links to excellent events being held this weekend:

Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Taste of the Beach

First Flight Cruisers Shamrock Show and Poker Run

3rd Annual Running of the Leprechauns 8K

YMCA Polar Plunge – we don’t have a good web link for this as it’s not listed on the YMCA website but a number to call would be (252) 449-8897

Enjoy Your Day and Upcoming weekend, Outer Banks!

Dr. Jay Taylor – Veterinarian
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC

On this day in 1813, a great physician graced the world with his birth. Dr. John Snow was a pioneer the art of anesthesia, hygiene, and is considered one of the founding fathers of epidemiology.

Our dilemma today, is to narrow our blog to only one of these topics. Since Dr. Snow is best known for his work in epidemiology, we’ll give a brief history lesson to that effect.

Time: 1854 Place: Soho District, London UK Event: Cholera Outbreak

This particular region of London was a booming district who’s sanitation capabilities were not able to keep up with its rise in population. Many of the people in this area were getting sick and no one knew exactly what was the source of the disease. Medicine during this time, was rudimentary at best as they did not have a good understanding of the mechanism and transmission of disease in 1854. Dr. John Snow, a prominent physician at the time, was one of the investigators looking into the causes and potential solutions to this outbreak. Using a different method to determine the source, Dr. Snow set out to interview those who were sick to determine what each person had in common. He placed dots on a map for each case of cholera. From this map and his interviews, he deduced that all of those who were sick were using a particular water well, the Broad Street pump. Using this information, he persuaded the town council to remove the handle from this pump so that the town people could not use this well. The cholera outbreak in Soho was soon at an end for this reason as well as the fact that the people living in this area were moving away.

Interestingly Vibrio cholerae, the causative organism for cholera, was also discovered that same year by Filippo Pacini. Like many other discoveries of that time, however, it went unnoticed for another 3 decades until further research was concluded to be in agreement with his findings. It was not highly regarded then that microorganisms could be the cause of disease. Popular ideas sometimes must be vanquished before the truth can be revealed.


Enjoy Your Day, Outer Banks!

Dr. Jay Taylor – Veterinarian
Kitty Hawk, NC

On this day in 1794, Eli Whitney was granted a patent for the cotton gin.

The spread of the cotton gin increased production of cotton from 3,140 bales in 1790 to 3.84 MILLION bales in 1860! The world would have to wait until it received sliced bread for the next such wonder…or was it? Looking at the cotton engine (gin) from a different view, it also drastically increased slavery in the United States over that same time period. So one may ask, how can such a good thing have such a terrible side effect?

Insert many of the drugs that we dispense today and you get the same story. We all think of medications that our pets receive as having effects that we want such as more energy and less pain. Fluffy gets his pill in the morning and he’s good to go, right? However, the reality is that every medication that exists also has the potential for hurting our pets. Take carprofen, for instance, which is a popular medication for pain control. In most dogs, it is a safe drug that can be given long term. A few pooches, however, will have a reaction to carprofen and will suffer liver damage as a consequence. It is a rare when this happens but very hurtful to that particular dog. So what is one to do?

Screening tests our best solution to this problem. For many medications we commonly check liver, kidney, thyroid, and other levels to make sure that the drugs we are dispensing are not causing harm. We also routinely check certain values at periodic intervals to make sure that the medication we are using is at the therapeutic level. So the next time that your pooch gets a reminder that he or she needs bloodwork, don’t forget the gin!

Dr. Jay Taylor – Veterinarian
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC

On this day in 1702, The Daily Courant became the first national daily newspaper. The dissemination of news to the masses has both its upsides and downs. Take the internet, for instance. A person can easily obtain information about almost any topic today. The quality of that information, however, can range from extremely accurate to downright ludicrous. So how can one obtain credible information about their pets? In general, there are a few things to keep in mind when looking at a website that will help keep you on the right road:

1) What is that website’s agenda for giving the information? Many sources of information online give out biased information for their own purposes and gain. Look carefully at the author’s motive for their claims.
2) What are the qualifications of the person giving the information? You wouldn’t take advice from a plumber about purchasing jewelry, would you? Why take advice about your pet’s healthcare from someone who doesn’t have the education to back it up?!?
3) Are YOU qualified to interpret the information that you read? No one wishes to admit their own faults. Be honest with yourself and your knowledge! In my experience, just as many problems come from incorrect interpretation of information on the web than incorrect information on the web. Medicine is very complex and several over the counter drugs are toxic or lethal to pets.
4) Does the website base it’s knowledge in science? A website that is created by those educated in pet science is much more likely to present accurate, up to date information about pet care. Websites from universities, credible pet care establishments/associations, and the government is much more likely to be true.
5) Is the posting date current? Pet care knowledge changes at an amazing rate and the web has been around for a while. Make sure the information you are reading isn’t from a decade ago!
6) Does the website include ‘in my opinion’, ‘I think’…etc.? If so, what is/are the authors position to be able to make such claims? Be careful, though, because many authors will publish something as if it is a proven statement when it is not.

If in doubt, consult your veterinarian. We highly recommend that you do this before considering a change in your pet’s medications, heartworm prevention, flea prevention, diet, or anything else that may directly affect the well being of your pet.

Dr. Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC

On this day in 1842, the first documented discovery of gold was found in California. Six years later, the ‘Gold Rush’ was officially in effect. People picked up their belongings and traveled across the country, often at great risk, for the chance to strike it rich. Most of those people never found gold…only a different place to live.

Many times it seems like people take the same mentality in taking care of their pets…rushing to try long odds or unproven methods in a vain attempt at true success in attaining the best health care for their pets. Below, are 5 simple ways to maximize the chance of having a pooch that lives a long, healthy productive life!

1) Do it Right From the Beginning I remember being often told that doing something right means doing half the work…because you don’t have to do it AGAIN! The number one reason pets don’t stay in a home is because of behavior problems. MOST of the time, this is because the adoptees/owners were not prepared to put in the work of a new animal or chose the wrong breed of canine. If you aren’t prepared to train a puppy, don’t get a puppy. If you can’t walk your dog more than 15 minutes a day, don’t get a working breed….and the list goes on. Pets are a 10 – 15 year commitment…be prepared for this before you purchase or adopt! If you would like help in finding an animal that is right for you, give us a call and set up a time for a FREE prepurchase consultation.

2) Medical Assessments (Exams) – Yearly until 5 – 7 years of age, then every 6 months. Our pets age faster than we do. A yearly exam and health assessment means every 5 – 7 years for them. Routine health checks help to identify diseases before they are crippling to your pet’s quality of life!

3) Heartworm and Flea Preventative Heartworm treatment costs $800 – $1000 for a workup and the actual treatment in dogs. In cats, there is no treatment and commonly heartworms cause death. Not to mention that the entire time your pet has heartworm disease, it is damaging to his or her health. Besides being a nuisance, fleas can also harbor intestinal parasites. Today’s heartworm and flea preventatives are very effective if used correctly and consistently. In 2011, there is no reason your dog should have fleas or heartworms!

4) Routine Bloodwork Your pet can’t tell you that he or she doesn’t have the same energy as a few months ago….or that they just ‘feel tired’. Checking a pet’s blood levels for organ dysfunction can detect many problems before they are irreversible or end stage. Have it done yearly when you pet is older than 5 – 7!

5) Keep Your Pet Skinny Thin animals have less health problems AND live longer. The best part of this is that you actually spend less money on your pet by keeping him or her thin.

Enjoy Your Day, Outer Banks!

Dr. Jay Taylor
Outer Banks Veterinary Hospital
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina