Thursday, December 19, 2013

Welcome Dr. James Cook

Capitol Illini Veterinary Services is pleased to welcome Dr. James Cook DVM DACVS PhD to our practice as a surgical consultant. 


After receiving his B.S. degree from Florida State University and competing for 5 years as a professional water skier, Jimi Cook completed his DVM in 1994, PhD in 1998, board certification in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999, and was selected as a charter diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2010.  In 1999, he founded the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory at the University of Missouri, which is an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary team of over 30 veterinarians, physicians, engineers, staff and students dedicated to the One Health-One Medicine concept for improving the lives of people and animals.  Dr. Cook has over 130 peer-reviewed publications, over $20 million in research funding, received numerous awards including America’s Best Veterinarian (2007), holds 13 US Patents and has seen 3 biomedical devices through FDA approval to human clinical trials.  He is currently Director of The Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory and the William and Kathryn Allen Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri. He is also co-founder of Be The Change Volunteers ­a NGO dedicated to building schools in third world countries whose teams have built 23 educational facilities in 14 countries, providing educational opportunities to more than 4,000 students.


Monday, December 16, 2013

HELP MY DOG HAS GDV!!

Author: Christina Holbrook DVM

What is GDV?
·         Gastric dilatation and volvulus sometimes known as GDV or bloat is an emergency that results from severe gas and fluid and/or food distension of the stomach. There are generally two forms of this disease complex; simple gas distension of the stomach WITHOUT rotation or gas distension of the stomach WITH volvulus/rotation.

Who can get this disease?
·         Large and giant breed dogs are most commonly affected but the disease can occur in any breed or size of dog. If your pet has a first degree relative (mother, father, littermate) with a history of GDV the risk for your pet developing this condition is much higher.
·         GDV can occur at any age yet is seen most frequently in animals 6.5 to 8 years old
·         There does not appear to be any strong evidence favoring an increase in prevalence in GDV between male and female dogs, one study showed a potentially lowered risk in neutered males in compared to unaltered dogs.

How do I know if my dog has GDV?
·         Severe lethargy or depression, your pet may be recumbent or not want to get up and move.
·         Vomiting or retching
·         Abdominal distension (belly may appear to swell)
·         Fast and shallow respirations

I think my dog is bloating what do I do?
·         If you think your dog may be experiencing symptoms of bloat, DON’T WAIT, TAKE THEM TO THE VET ASAP!!
·         Your veterinarian will likely take an abdominal radiograph (x-ray) to confirm the diagnosis and start treating this life threatening condition

What can I do to prevent this from happening to my pet?
·         If you own a breed that is considered to be at risk for developing GDV (large breed deep chested dogs) or if your pet has a history of a first degree relative that developed GDV you may want to consider having your veterinarian perform a surgery called prophylactic gastropexy
·         Prophylactic gastropexy (stomach tacking) is a surgical procedure where your veterinarian makes a permanent attachment of the stomach to the body wall to prevent the stomach from twisting in the event of a bloat. It is important to remember that the “pexy” surgery will not prevent bloat from happening.
·         Additional “non-surgical” recommendations to help prevent your pet from bloating:
o       Feed your dog a minimum of 2 meals daily lifelong to avoid overfilling the stomach
o       Restrict exercise and activity around the time of feeding
o       Don’t allow your dog to drink a large amount of water at one time. To prevent this when your dog is very thirsty, simply offer small amounts of water every 15 minutes until your dog is no longer thirsty
o       Consider spaying and neutering and not breeding those animals with a first degree history or family lineage of developing GDV.

·         Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss this disease in greater detail and review the following links for more information.


This is Glacier a beautiful 1.5 year old female spayed Alaskan Malamute who had the prophylactic gastropexy surgery conveniently performed at the time of her ovariohysterectomy (spay) surgery.


Two incredible dogs Jazz and Maverick both survived their life threatening brush with bloat and intestinal surgery!



Monday, December 9, 2013

Holiday Pet Safety

“My pet would never eat food off the table!”

“My pet would never knock over the Christmas tree!”

“My pet would never bite someone!”

We all know our pets pretty well, but what we don’t always realize is that stress can make anybody do crazy things! When you have holiday guests or flashing Christmas lights or loud holiday music—or all of the above—at your house all at once, your pet may get stressed and frustrated, causing them to act out in unexpected ways. Most pet accidents are met with the statement, “He’s never done anything like that before!”



We recommend always making sure that your pet has a safe place to sit and relax during your holidays parties. Just like some people, pets need to get away from the action and de-stress, but most of the time they don’t know how to ask for their space. If your pet is comfortable in their crate, we recommend moving it into a quiet room and letting them spend some time resting during your holiday get-togethers. Your pet will be happier, and by extension, you and your guests will be happier! And holidays disasters will be prevented.