April 2008 Newsletter

Lone Mountain Animal Hospital
April 2008 Newsletter

Accidental Household Poisonings
Do you have a pet that is into anything and everything in your house? Many household items are potentially toxic to you pets if chewed on or ingested. Quiz yourself to see if you can recognize the toxicities in your home.

Answer as True or False.
1. Toilet bowl drop-ins will cause the toilet water to become very toxic to animals.
2. The toxic risk from silica gel packs in generally quite low.
3. Pennies can cause a life threatening toxicity if ingested.
4. Uncooked bread dough is toxic for pets.
5. Glow-in-the-dark sticks and jewelry are deadly for animals.

Answers:
1.. FALSE: Ingestion of the blue toilet water is not usually a problem, although mild stomach upset might occur. Serious injury could occur if the pet ingested the entire drop-in.
2.. TRUE: Silica gel packs are generally nontoxic if chewed on or ingested. Some gastrointestinal upset might occur if large amounts of silica gel packs were ingested. Intact packs that are not chewed apart may pose a risk of gastrointestinal obstruction.
3.. TRUE: Pennies minted after 1982 are composed mostly of zinc, which can pose a serious toxicity resulting in anemia and kidney failure. Signs of zinc toxicity include weakness, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, jaundice, and bloody urine.
4.. TRUE: There are two risks with ingestion of uncooked bread dough. First there is a risk of a dangerous bloating of the stomach due to the expansion and rise of dough. Secondly, the fermenting yeast releases alcohol products which can cause alcohol intoxication.
5.. FALSE: Fortunately the substance in the glow-items is non-toxic. It also has a really bad taste that limits the amount a pet would ingest. However when a pet gets a taste of the stuff they will drool and foam at mouth, may retch, and become hyperactive. Pet owners are advised to feed milk or canned tuna to get the taste out of their mouth and to bathe the pet to remove any residual glow material.

Pet of the Month
Hello to Lola, our May 2008 Pet of the Month. One look at that face and you'll see why she is a winner. See her photo and bio on our website www.lmah.net.

Diabetic Cat Update
Diabetic cat owners be aware... one of the most common insulins used in diabetic cats will soon be unavailable. PZI insulin will no longer be made due to lack of raw materials to produce the insulin. The manufacturer advises that there should be enough PZI insulin available until Fall 2008. See your veterinarian about switching your feline diabetic to another variety of insulin. One new insulin option for cats includes the common dog insulin, Vetsulin, which has very recently been FDA approved for use in cats.

If you have questions on your kitty's diabetes, please call to speak with one of our veterinarians at 645-3116.

National Pet Week Photo Contest Winners
Thank you for all the wonderful photo submissions for the National Pet Week Photo Contest. There were so many touching photos of people and their pets to consider. We ran two separate contests looking for the best picture depicting the human-animal bond. One contest was for clients of LMAH and one for staff members of LMAH. The winning photo from each contest will soon be featured on our front page of our website. Stay tuned... the website is under construction to showcase the winners as well as some of the other great photos submitted.

Client winner: Donna H.
Staff winner: Tammy F.