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What your vets have been up to….
 The
doctors at Anchor Animal Hospital
frequently attend national
conferences to learn the most up to
date medical information and bring
the latest medical and surgical
techniques back to Anchor Animal
Hospital. Drs. Katherine and Gerald
Pietsch attended the Annual Penn
Conference presented by the
University of Pennsylvania School of
Veterinary Medicine. The conference
was held in Philadelphia, Pa. on
March 12 &13, 2009.
Meetings at the conference included:
Tick borne diseases: Lyme,
Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichia are all
diseases have arrived in this area
of the country. We are even seeing
dogs infected with combinations of
these bacteria.
Leptospirosis: A bacterial
infection which seems to be
resurging throughout the nation. The
source of infection is water
contaminated with urine from an
infected animal, including rats,
mice, raccoons, deer, cattle, etc.
In dogs, Leptospirosis can produce
liver or kidney failure. This is a
zoonotic disease, which means that
it can infect people as well. While
frequently these infections can be
treated left untreated they can be
fatal.
Lyme nephritis: Lyme
nephritis is a potentially fatal
kidney disease resulting from
infection with the Lyme causing
bacteria. The incidence of Lyme
nephritis among Lyme infected dogs
is low, but when it occurs, it can
be devastating. Interestingly, the
incidence of Lyme nephritis is
higher in retriever breeds.
Rabbit anesthesia: Please do
not withhold food prior to
anesthesia in rabbits. We wish to
have the patient start eating again
within hours of awakening.
Medications for relief of anxiety
and pain both pre-operatively and
post-operatively were discussed.
Spay/neuters of rabbits: The
recommendation is to spay or neuter
rabbits between 3 and 6 months of
age. Studies have shown that 80% of
non-spayed rabbits will have
significant medical problems later
in life. Neutered male rabbits can
have viable sperm in their
reproductive system for up 28 after
surgery. Therefore, don’t put a
neutered male rabbit with an intact
doe until 28 days after his surgery.
Dysphagia (difficulty eating and
swallowing): The speaker
discussed causes and diagnosis of
dysphagia.
Feline chronic pain: Cats
suffer more chronic pain than
previously believed. Usually the
pain is related to age, weight, and
arthritis but it can be difficult to
recognize. Watch for reduced jumping
height or unwillingness to jump.
Pain treatment in cats includes loss
of weight, nutraceuticals, special
diets, environmental modification,
and in some cases, non-steroidal
anti-inflammatories.
Multi-modal pain control in dogs:
The most effective strategies for
the treatment of pain in dogs are
frequently multimodal. Attacking
pain at several different points
simultaneously is often much more
effective than any one method alone.
Weight control, nutraceuticals, and
various classes of medications are
all effective in dogs and can be
used in various combinations.
Intraoperative analgesia: A
number of medications and techniques
are available to enhance the pain
control provided by the primary
anesthetic agent.
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