Obesity in our furry friends is at an all time high. We continue to talk with clients about the negative side effects associated with excess weight. Yet it seems it takes a medical crisis before owners take this information seriously. I believe I have mentioned this before but for each extra pound of body weight that adds 4 extra lbs. of pressure on the joints. If your pet is 5 lbs. overweight, they carry around a 20 lb. backpack each day. Exercise is not the key. It is helpful to be active, but intake is the only way to achieve weight loss in our furry friends. All food sources must be considered. Royal Canin sent us the following resource to share with clients about feeding pets from our tables. Take a look and decide whether you might be adding to the problem even with those small bites!

Meet our June patient, Java Joe, a cat of unknown age. We first met him in March related to having blood in stool. Discussion about his excess appetite and thirst gave cause for concern for some underlying health issues. She had just received him and was told he was 5 years of age but no records to prove this. On appearance he looked older.  Also was obese based on his body size. She had started to work on weight loss knowing he was heavy.

She agreed to return with him for a wellness exam so we could get some base lines on his bloodwork and urinalysis. Our goal was to see whether we could find cause for his voracious appetite and excessive thirst. Our findings confirmed diabetes since we had glucose in the urine and high levels in the blood. The symptoms matched the diagnosis, so we discussed with the client treatment options. 

In years past this diagnosis was a difficult one for many owners because they had no desire to give their cat or dog injections every 12 hours for the rest of the pet’s life. We coached people using saline on how to give the injections. We would have them give the injections at the time of a feeding to make certain the cat or dog was eating normal amounts of food. No free feeding was allowed, and this often conflicted with every pet in the house. As you can imagine, the success of therapy was unpredictable. So many variables to deal with.

About 3 years ago a new treatment came on the market for cats only. It is called Bexacat by Elanco. This medication is not offered to any cats that are currently on insulin or have been on insulin. It can only be used with cats that are newly diagnosed with Diabetes. The medication is a once-a-day CHEWABLE FLAVORED tablet. Owners break it up with their food and cats eat it.  No force feeding or hiding required to get cats to eat this medication.

We are excited to report that Java Joe recently returned for a recheck and his values had improved. His owner indicated she is seeing less drinking and peeing at this time. He has gained some weight back so we will need to adjust his feeding schedule to prevent further weight gain. We highly recommended they feed Royal Canin Glycobalance and monitor the volume fed and output. We do not want the cats to get heavy again but are willing to allow them to regain the weight and muscle mass they have lost since showing clinical symptoms of Diabetes. The following contradictions are listed on the Elanco website.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

• Do not use Bexacat in cats with diabetes mellitus who have previously been treated with insulin, who are receiving insulin, or in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The use of Bexacat in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or the withdrawal of insulin and initiation of Bexacat, is associated with an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis or euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and death.
• Due to risk of severe adverse reactions, do not use Bexacat in cats with evidence of hepatic disease or reduced renal function.

A second drug called Senvelgo has recently come to the market for diabetic cats. This product is a liquid formulated by Boehiringer Ingelheim (BI).  It is for cats only that have not been on insulin. It has similar restrictions as Bexacat but certainly simplifies treatment for owners and their cats.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: 

• Senvelgo should not be used in cats with diabetes mellitus who have previously been treated with insulin, who are receiving insulin, or in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The use of Senvelgo in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or the withdrawal of insulin and initiation of Senvelgo, is associated with an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA with a normal blood glucose concentration) and death.

It is exciting to be able to offer different options for cats with diabetes that will make treatment easier for their owners. Our focus would be to keep the cats lean and not allow obesity as a prevention for diabetes in the first place. Obese cats have risks of heart and joint issues as well as diabetes. Sound familiar.  Amazing how our furry friends can be impacted by excess weight in the same way as ourselves. Monitor the volume of food offered to your pets daily. Adjust the diet up and down to regulate their weight. Talk with your veterinarian if you feel your furry friend is overweight and at risk for diabetes. This disease is preventable. Weight loss can be achieved if an owner is committed to helping their cat or dog live a longer healthier life. Now who isn’t committed to that!

Years ago, when I began practice, we would see cats with Feline Urologic Syndrome(FUS) multiple times a month. The cats were always in distress and owners reported multiple trips to the litter box with no urine being produced. These cats are usually males since they have a predisposition to urinary blockages based on the smaller size of their urethra. Females can be diagnosed with FUS but they usually are always able to pee but take multiple trips to litter box with small amounts of urine output.

Panda is a 3-year-old-long haired indoor only cat. He started showing signs of discomfort with frequent trips to the litter box. Owners noted that he was not having any urine output. His diet had been switched about 3 weeks earlier which may have led to the change in urine consistency and pH. In recent years many cat food companies aware of this life-threatening condition have altered the ash content of their cat foods to reduce the incidence of FUS. For some cats this is not enough of a change to prevent FUS. This condition takes into consideration many different factors and reduced ash is only one of them. 

At presentation many of these cats are in extreme pain. Some have stopped eating and drinking. Some may be vomiting and lethargic. Abdominal palpation is painful, and the bladder is hard and enlarged. The blood work shows pre-renal azotemia with elevated Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and Creatinine along with other various changes. Many of the laboratory results will be resolved after the crisis is over.

Anesthesia is required to relieve the blockage by placing a urinary catheter to allow continual drainage as the mineralized crystals are flushed from the bladder. Initially the urine is blood red and gritty in appearance. An intravenous (IV) catheter is placed and Lactated Ringers Solution given in a constant drip to facilitate resolution of the high levels of BUN and creatinine. This also becomes a way to rehydrate the patient. Many of the cats will be vomiting along with not eating or drinking so dehydration is a crucial factor. Panda was hospitalized during this crisis. Many patients can go home within 24-48 hours if the condition is discovered quickly. The tragedy comes when left undiscovered and the bladder ruptures related to the inability to empty. Those cases are complicated and can end in death.

Once Panda was feeling better and had recovered from his anesthesia, he was offered a prescription diet called Royal Canin urinary s/o designed to prevent FUS. There are a few diets commercially available for urinary health as well as multiple veterinary prescription diets. Prescription diets offer other positive aspects for prevention of FUS.  What diet you feed your cats can impact them in ways that can lead to medical issues. Researching your cats’ diets is highly encouraged. Keeping the diet the same and not switching is often recommended as those subtle changes can lead to not only weight gain but also other health issues. Talk with your veterinarian about what would be a good diet for your cat. They are knowledgeable about nutrition and the health issues that come with feeding the wrong diets to your cat. As pet owners you can no longer use the cost of food to determine the quality of the diet. Everything that pertains to pets has a price tag since marketers are aware that these furry friends are now family. We will do whatever it takes to make them live longer. 

Have a great spring. Get out and enjoy the weather but hang on to your hat! It seems the wind is here to stay!

This happens to be a common call to Winterset Veterinary Center. Pets will escape for no obvious reason and cause emotional turmoil for themselves and their owners.  We do not always have a reason for their change of behavior but one thing that I can encourage is you microchip them even if they are strictly an indoor dog or cat. I have had indoor dogs and cats misplaced as often as those that go outdoors. Mainly because when they get outside, they get scared and take off. It can be difficult to track them and waiting for them to come home can be devastating.

Recently we were made aware of a microchip that sells a tag that has a QR code on it. It is called The Buddy ID system. How it works is the microchip is registered as usual, but the tag is unique. As an owner you can place important information attached to the QR code so when scanned it shows up on the phone. This will allow for a faster reunion between owners and their pets. It takes away the need for the pet to be scanned at a shelter or veterinary office. It removes the need to look up the chip number online. Then go online to Microchip Lookup to find a company phone number. Call that company requesting information to find out who the dog belongs to. With this QR code tag anyone with a smart phone can scan QR code and find important information. These days we see QR codes at restaurants, businesses, websites, tv commercials, etc. No longer do we have to wait until the businesses open to scan the lost pet and start the recovery process. The whole ability to reunite owners with their pets is only one QR code away.

These tags are available to anyone who has a microchip. Winterset Veterinary Center has tags available for purchase. Once you purchase the tag there are instructions on how to register the tag with Buddy ID for your pet’s safety. 

This new technology is a game changer when it comes to reuniting pets with owners. The personal information shared is at your discretion. Some people share name and phone number which is adequate.  Your personal information is secure. This just allows anyone who finds your pet to quickly return your pet safely home.

If you have a microchip and are interested in this Buddy Badge feel free to contact the Winterset Veterinary Center to learn more about it. It is a quick process to register your pet’s microchip with your new Buddy Badge. 

With the warmer weather and our ability to spend more time outdoors, this is the perfect time to update your microchip information. This will assure if your pet should get lost they can safely be returned home as quickly as possible. Get outside and enjoy Springtime in IOWA!