All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

How to report a pet’s adverse reaction to a food, drug, product, or device

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Has your pet had a problem related to ingestion or use of a food, drug, product or device? Here’s how to report it.

If necessary, first contact your veterinarian so your pet can be properly cared for. For medications or vaccines, your veterinarian can file an adverse event report. For foods, call 888-332-8387 or look online at fda.gov. For EPA-approved flea and tick products or other pesticides, call 800-858-7378.

Also report problems with foods, drugs, products or devices to the manufacturer. You can find contact information on the packaging or the company’s website.

Learn more, including why what you don’t know about rabies law can be a matter of life and death for your pet, in this week’s Pet Connection!

What you need to know about bringing pets to high altitudes

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

One of my team members recently had to leave early from a mountain vacation when her dog developed severe altitude sickness, requiring hospitalization. Coincidentally, a reader just wrote me about that very subject – here’s my answer, which should cover what you need to know before your next “Rocky Mountain High”!

Q: Can pets get altitude sickness? What are the signs?

A: Yes, they can. It’s not especially common, but it does occur.

For more details, I asked an expert for more information: Karen Sanderson, DVM, a veterinary cardiologist at Rocky Mountain Veterinary Cardiology in Boulder, Colorado. She says the pets she sees who typically have a problem are those who experience severe rises in pulmonary artery pressures. Problems may be seen at elevations of 6,000 feet and higher.

“The decrease in oxygen tension here causes the pulmonary arteries to constrict,” Dr. Sanderson says. “If the pet already has some pulmonary hypertension, the additional constriction may push them into the severe category and cause clinical symptoms.”

Not surprisingly, the breeds at highest risk are brachycephalic dogs such as boxers, bulldogs and pugs. Dr. Sanderson also sees cases in small-breed dogs such as Chihuahuas. Pets who may have mild pulmonary hypertension at sea level can become worse at altitude. Senior dogs may be at risk as well. It’s not a seasonal problem, but many of the cases Dr. Sanderson sees are in summer because people are on vacation during that time.

Signs include labored breathing and fainting. Pets may also vomit or have diarrhea or lose their appetite. If you are moving or you take your pet on vacation to an area at high altitude, such as certain parts of Colorado or New Mexico, your pet will likely be fine, but if you notice those signs, take him to the nearest emergency clinic for oxygen and medical support. Most animals recover well after treatment and returning to their normal altitude.

“Pets without known heart disease should do fine,” Dr. Sanderson says. “The rare times they experience problems would be difficult to anticipate.”

Read more, including why Paris is  for pets, in this week’s Pet Connection!

Girl in trouble: Will you help this horse to stand again?

Rescue

A horse who cannot stand is a horse who cannot survive. We can’t let that happen to Girl!

I was approached about helping a horse named Girl in Oklahoma. A rescue group and some shelter volunteers are trying to raise funds to get this poor girl surgery on a horrible leg injury; equine surgery is very expensive, and this will cost thousands of dollars.

Girl’s human loves her very much, but he’s in the hospital with a collapsed lung and lives on a very limited income.

He is incredibly grateful for the help he’s receiving from Nexus Equine Rescue and the local volunteers.

The volunteers will also take care of Girl’s recovery and rehab needs while her owner recovers himself, but the rescue group doesn’t quite have enough to pay for Girl’s surgery, and she’s having it on Wednesday, Aug. 9 — just two days from now.

Will you come through for Girl and make a donation, of any amount?

And will you share this message?

On behalf of every horse our family has ever loved, thank you.

What makes a dog a dog: Secrets of the canine genome

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

What’s in our dogs’ DNA that makes them dogs? The answer is locked in the canine genome, and that’s what a reader asked me about!

Q: I’m always seeing articles about new discoveries related to the canine genome. What exactly is the genome, and what does it tell us?

A: The canine genome is, well, what makes a dog a dog. A genome is the set of chromosomes found in every cell of every organism. The chromosomes contain the heritable genetic material that directs an organism’s development. The genetic material that makes up chromosomes is called DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid. The job of DNA is to code genetic information to transmit hereditary traits, such as eye color, coat color or size, to name just a few. This is done through genes, units of hereditary information that are found at fixed positions on a chromosome.

Scientists first sequenced the canine genome in 2004, using genetic material from a boxer named Tasha. But even before Tasha, they had a partial sequence of a poodle. To date, the genomes of more than 1,300 dogs have been sequenced, as have the genomes of wild dogs, such as wolves and coyotes.

The canine genome is important for a number of reasons. For one, dogs and humans share many of the same diseases. Comparisons of dog and human genomic maps have helped researchers to better study diseases that occur in both species, such as heart disease, deafness, cancer, blindness, diabetes, epilepsy and autoimmune diseases. They have also been able to develop diagnostic tests to help reduce or eliminate the incidence of genetic disease in dogs. Among the genetic disorders that have been mapped are narcolepsy and progressive retinal atrophy, a type of hereditary blindness. Scientists have even been able to trace the spread of certain diseases through the canine population.

Knowledge of the canine genome has also helped us learn why dogs do the things they do and where they come from. That’s fascinating!

Read more, including all about the special relationship between dogs and horses, in this week’s Pet Connection!

How and why to find a Fear Free veterinarian for your pet

Fear Free

It’s no secret I’ve made it my life’s work to prevent and relieve fear, anxiety, and stress in pets — especially at the vet. I recorded this PSA for Animal Radio about that very subject.

You can listen, or just go directly to the Fear Free Directory and see if you can find a vet near you! Have a vet you love who isn’t listed? Encourage them to get trained and certified. It’s the future of veterinary medicine, and it’s the right thing to do!