Spring 2014 Newsletter

Capitol Illini Veterinary Services is a Certified Feline Friendly Practice

Capitol Illini Veterinary Services is a Certified Feline Friendly Practice 

I've been a "dog and cat" veterinarian for 25 years, and the positive change I've seen in our cat patients' attitudes when coming to our clinic is absolutely astounding due to us becoming a certified cat friendly veterinary hospital.

Did you know even though there are thousands more cats owned than dogs, twice LESS cats get annual physical check ups and preventative care than dogs? 

We wanted to alleviate these important issues by educating our staff members and our clients about normal cat behaviors and ways to decrease stress before, during, and after your cats' veterinary visit by following the American Association of Feline Practitioners Guidelines for a Feline Friendly Practice. 

Start at home by choosing a cat carrier that opens from the top and side. Leave it out at home all of the time so it is not a "change". Place soft materials (towel, blanket, or fleece bedding) and a few treats in it to make the carrier non-threatening to your cat. COVER the carrier with a large bath towel to make your cat feel more safe and secure during travel and in our waiting room. Place your carrier on a chair or up high while waiting.

We practice with minimal restraint for cats, as they are happier and feel more in control (which makes your cats feel safe) this way! Scruffing of cats at the nape of the neck is highly discouraged as it tends to make the cats more anxious. 

Individualized patient care and involvement of the client in their cat's health care plan are important at Capitol Illini Veterinary Services.

By knowing natural cat behaviors and feline body language, we modify our surroundings in the hospital and feline exam room, and practice feline friendly nursing care specifically to reduce stress and fear for your cats. We know this way your cats heal faster.

Many more cat friendly techniques are used at Capitol Illini Veterinary Services. 

Please feel free to read about certified Feline Friendly Practices at www.catvets.com (American Association of Feline Practitioners website).

Author: Dr. Martha Armour

February is National Pet Dental Health Month

February is National Pet Dental Health Month! Not only can poor oral hygiene lead to tooth decay, but if not treated, it can lead to more serious problems for your pets. Schedule an appointment today to have your pet’s teeth cleaned this February and receive FREE dental products from Capitol Illini Veterinary Services. 

My Dog Lost 10 Pounds. Your Dog Can, Too!

By Dr. Byron McCall DVM

Misty, my 12 year old Australian Shepherd was having a little trouble getting up after lying down. My family and I had noticed this slowly progressing over time, but she never cried out or acted painful.. I knew that she was a little overweight like me and knew she should get some of the weight off. This fact is a little worse since I give "the overweight talk" to pet owners, everyday at Capitol Illini Veterinary Clinic in Chatham and Springfield, Illinois. I see dogs and cats everyday that are overweight and discuss reducing the amount fed, and increasing exercise in an effort to facilitate weight loss. But as all pet owners know, it is difficult to not give in to the sad eyes or begging when I was eating something, thus we were not getting the weight off.


In January 2013, I was at the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) and sat through a presentation by Hill's Pet Food about a Metabolic Diet they came out with. Approximately 88% of the dogs they tried it on had successful weight loss in real life households. I had seen many claims from various products that could aid in weight loss, but like many products, the weight would rebound once the medicine or the diet was stopped. I decided to try this diet on my dog first and see if she could lose weight, even with the occasional treat or cleaning up of any dropped morsels off the kitchen floor. I took the first bag home not long after returning home and instructed my son to fee Misty the recommended amount, which can be calculated by a member of our veterinary team using an application for the iPad.

Within 6 months, Misty had lost 10 pounds and was at what I considered a good weight. It was amazing during this time how much better she got up from lying down, how she would bounce around the house to get her fanny scratched, and greet us when she got home. She is now being fed a little more food at a maintenance amount and her weight is holding steady. If your dog is overweight, stop in and talk to any of our veterinarians at either Capitol Illini Veterinary location in Chatham or Springfield about helping your dog or cat lose weight. I can only hope that your pet has as dramatic response as Misty had.

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.

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!

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=672

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=384

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.