Your Pet and Anesthetics

Modern day anesthetics allow veterinarians to perform a vast amount of sophisticated medical procedures and surgeries with negligible consequences. Anesthesia is used for 2 main purposes. The first is to minimize anxiety. This can be very significant in a scared animal that is brought into a strange surrounding when it is not feeling well. The second is to eliminate pain and relax the muscles for surgical or invasive procedures. The anesthesia we use has been adapted from human medicine. As a matter of fact, in most cases, we use the exact same anesthetic agents and equipment. The main piece of equipment we use is a machine that allows us to administer anesthetic as a gas. This is a very safe and effective way to administer anesthesia, and is especially important for us doctors that work on exotic animals. New and safe injectable anesthetics are used more and more in dog and cat medicine because they have less impact on the environment. Preanesthetic preparation is one of the keys to safety. This involves an examination, blood sampling, and the use of intravenous fluids for older or riskier patients. Age is no limit to anesthesia as long as proper preanesthetic precautions are taken. Some people have an inordinate fear of anesthesia because they heard of some animal dying or had a bad experience years ago. It is rare to almost non-existent for an animal to die from anesthesia when routine precautions are taken, so this fear is unnecessary. It is common to have this fear when a pet is anesthetized for teeth cleaning. Dental disease is the most overlooked and serious problem of animals that are presented to our hospital. 

Anesthesia allows us to clean under the gumline with our ultrasonic scaler, care for infected or broken teeth, and polish the teeth to prevent the recurrence of gingivitis. 

The risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease causing illness in your pet is magnitudes higher than the risk of anesthesia. We have substantial information on our web site regarding anesthesia and even dental diseases. Please follow these links: Anesthesia- http://www.lbah.com/anes.htm Dental Disease- http://www.lbah.com/dent.htm From the doctors at the Long Beach Animal Hospital

3816 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 USA

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Exotic Pets?

Over the last 20 years it has been quite trendy to own some of the more unusual pets like birds and reptiles. Even though many of them make great pets, they are not as domesticated as dogs and cats. This leads to a significant amount of frustrating problems for their owners and us veterinarians. You have a responsibility to educate yourself on the needs of these animals 

before you purchaseone of them. To think that you can take an animal from the wild and recreate a proper habitat for it in your house with little effort is sheer folly.

Many of these animals are exquisitely adapted to their particular niche and don't 

do well when taken out of this environment.

If you are not going to make their care a highpriority in you life then you don't

belong owning one of them. In many cases the nutritional requirements are not 

known. We have an idea of what they need to eat, and try to replicate the foods 

they eat in the wild, but it is only an educated guess. Nature is verycomplicated, 

and these nutritional needs are very specific. This is particularly important in reptiles 

since they are dependent on their environment to a much greater degree than 

most any other animal. Iguana's are probably the most common reptile presented to us, due mostly to their popularity and the medical problems that affect them. By the time an owner brings them in for medical care the disease process is well entrenched and difficult to correct. You can learn more about this Iguana disease by following this link on our web site: http://www.lbah.com/reptile/nshp.htm From the doctors at the Long Beach Animal Hospital WWW.LBAH.COM

3816 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 USA

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Does your pet have heartworm?

With Spring soon upon us its time to start preparing for the upcoming heartworm season. Heartworm is caused by a parasite called dirofiliaria immitis. It is spread to dogs, and recently cats, by a mosquito. The mosquito is a necessary part of the life cycle. Traditionally this disease only occurred in hot and humid states that were essential to mosquito breeding. The disease occurs throughout our country now, although heatworm preventive medications have had a significant effect in lowering the incidence of heartworms.
Dogs and cats of any breed can be infected, although we tend to see it more in large male dogs. Since it takes at least 6 months from the time a mosquito injects microfilaria into a dog until these microfilaria become adult heartworms, puppies must be at least 6 months of age before adult heartworms are present. Most dogs are diagnosed at middle age.Many dogs do not have any symptoms until heart failure progresses. This emphasizes the need for yearly testing. Many products are available to prevent heartworm (some of them also treat intestinal worms so they can be of great value). These products are inexpensive, easy to use, and effective. They should not be used routinely unless your dog has a yearly heartworm test to make sure it is negative. Heartworm infestation can lead to heart failure. Treatment can be hard on a dog, so it is of utmost importance to plan on preventing the problem with the low cost and readily available medications used for prevention, as opposed to taking a chance and treating only if the problem occurs. We have detailed information on Heartworm Disease on our web site at www.lbah.com Follow the drop down menu to Heart Disease, and click on the Heartworm links. From the doctors at the Long Beach Animal Hospital

3816 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 USA

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Pet skin allergies

Skin allergy, also know as atopy or allergic inhalant dermatitis, is the most common medical condition at our hospital. In most cases it becomes a lifetime problem that causes significant frustration for you and your pet. The most common causes are grasses, trees, and shrubs in the outdoors, and bed bugs, molds, and mites indoors. In addition to atopy, fleas are a significant cause of skin allergy, and even foods can be a source of the allergy problem. Many treatments are commonly used to minimize itching and scratching due to atopy: Avoidance - Minimizing exposure to grasses, trees, and shrubs when possible - High quality room purifiers in sleeping area Topicals - Water- Cool water baths soothe skin and rinse away allergens - Colloidal oatmeal shampoo and rinse - Antihistamines and anti-inflammatories spray on affected areas Dietary - Low allergen food- Hills Z/D, venison, potato, lamb - Essential fatty acids- EFA-Z or Derm Caps Immunotherapy - Allergy testing and allergy injections Cyclosporine - Anti-rejection medication that also has a powerful effect on itching Antihistamines - Decrease scratching with minimal side effects Antibiotics - Used for at least 3 weeks to control infection and decrease itching Glucocorticoids - Strong anti-itching properties and safe when used at low doses intermittently Our web site at WWW.LBAH.COM has detailed information on the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease for your complete understanding. From the drop down menu on the home page click on the Allergy link, or go right to this page at:

http://www.lbah.com/allergy.htm From the doctors at the Long Beach Animal Hospital WWW.LBAH.COM

3816 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 USA

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Balanced Medical Approach

In the last decade there have been great advances in the medical treatment of animals. We now have at our disposal drugs to treat chronic diseases that previously caused unnecessary discomfort and pain. In addition to these drugs, there have been significant advances in the treatment of animals using a more natural approach. This involves stimulating the body's own immune and nervous system. These advances now allow us to utilize a balanced approach to disease treatment and prevention, utilizing medications as needed, while simultaneously stimulating the body to heal itself. We are now able successfully manage chronic diseases involving the heart, thyroid, kidney, urinary bladder, liver, and musculoskeletal system. The natural approach utilizes diet and medications called nutraceuticals, along with compounds that occur naturally in our environment. A recent advance in the natural approach has been our ability to stimulate the nervous system to increase blood flow to diseased organs and correct imbalances that have been present for a significant period of time. A major advantage to this approach is the fact that no anesthesia, injections, or drugs are used. You can learn more about this in our VOM page at http://www.lbah.com/vom.htm From the doctors at the Long Beach Animal Hospital WWW.LBAH.COM

3816 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 USA

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How To Tell If Your Pet is Ill

With the recent Menu Foods scare it might be a good time to review some of the symptoms pets show when they are ill with an internal disease. In some cases these symptoms are subtle and require careful observation on your part. Also, when a pet has multiple (and busy) owners it is easy to overlook the early signs of disease in pets. Some symptoms of internal disease are obvious, the primary ones being lack of appetite and persistent vomiting or diarrhea, along with lethargy and a strong odor. Lets look at some of the more subtle symptoms that might indicate an internal problem. A pet that does not eat its food as vigorously as it once did could indicate a problem anywhere from the mouth, to the brain, to the internal organs. Panting more than usual, even during the cooler time of the year, could indicate an internal hormone problem called Cushings disease or even discomfort or pain from arthritis or an internal organ problem. Laying around more often, or gravitating towards warm areas could indicate another hormone problem involving the thyroid gland. Any eye or nose discharge that is persistent, and drains from only one side could indicate a number of problems. Subtle behavior changes that include a lack of recognition when your pet greets you, changes in sleep patterns, circling around a table in your house, staring into space, or wandering into a wall could indicate anything from an old age problem to a problem with a brain tumor or central nervous system infection. A pet that drinks or urinates more than its usual amount is a potential symptom of many different problems. The same holds true if your pet experiences the opposite and drinks or urinates less. A significant change in the color of your pets stool, usually much darker or much lighter, is also a potential sign of many different problems. One of the best ways to watch for any of these symptoms is to measure or monitor your pets drinking and eating habits. Use your calendar and mark your parameters down periodically. You can even weigh your pet monthly and write things down each time you weigh your pet. Any change that becomes apparent is an indication for a physical exam by a veterinarian. Yearly Wellness exams that include a physical exam along with a fecal check for parasites and a routine blood panel go a long way towards identifying problems before they become well entrenched and difficult to treat. This is particularly true for our geriatric pets that commonly become ill but do not show any outward or apparent signs. Our Geriatric page athttp://www.lbah.com/senior.htm will give you detailed information about the common diseases of older pets. 

From the doctors and staff at Long Beach Animal Hospital http://www.lbah.com

3816 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 USA

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Cushings Disease

Cushings disease, technically called hyperadrenocorticism, is a hormone problem in which the adrenal glands produce to much cortisone. Even though it can appear in other animals, it is primarily a disease of middle aged and older dogs. The small size of the adrenal glands, located at the top of each kidney, does not do any justice to their importance in regulating many body functions. In this disease an excess of the hormone called cortisol is released into the bloodstream. This hormone circulates throughout the body and has a profound effect on many of the internal organs. In most cases the cause is a very slow growing tumor in the pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce and excess of cortisol. In a much smaller number of cases the adrenal glands themselves ban have an benign or malignant tumor that causes the excess secretion of cortisol. Many of the symptoms of this disease are subtle, and can wax and wane. Things to watch for are excessive appetite or panting, drinking or urinating more than usual, a pot bellied appearance to the abdomen, or skin changes. A routine physical exam with a blood panel can give us an indication of this problem. Specialized hormone tests are needed for a definitive diagnosis. Sometimes we even perform an ultrasound to try to visualize the adrenal glands. Several different medications are used to treat the usual form of Cushings. Your doctor will tell you which one is appropriate in your pet's case. Surgery is not commonly utilized and can lead to post operative complications. To learn substantially more about this problem follow our link: http://www.lbah.com/canine/cushings.htm From the doctors and staff at Long Beach Animal Hospitalhttp://www.lbah.com

3816 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 USA

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