animal Living pawsitive!
™
ONTARIO E D I T I O N
wellness I N S I D E
For a long, healthy life!
Pet food
RECALL
What they're not telling you
Top 10 household hazards for
Training advice for your adult dog
dogs & cats
Healthy diets for your CHUBBY BUDDY
Health tips for your senior cat
Prostate cancer
Can dogs have
strokes?
is not just for humans JUNE/JULY Display until July 20, 2007
$5.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 9 ISSUE 3
www.AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
What you need to know animal wellness
contents 52
30 70 39
features
62
24
Pet food recall
Can dogs have strokes? Here's what you need to know
28
Our "dog-gone" miracle Follow Bailey's amazing recovery from a stroke
30
12 tips for a smooth move Take the stress out of changing residences
animal wellness
39
Top 10 household hazards Protect your animal from these common dangers
42 How to choose a
carrier for your cat And get her to like it!
46 Chew the fat
A healthy diet plan for your chubby buddy
Click on this icon to visit featured links
52 Dealing with diabetes
This prevalent disease can be treated – and prevented
58 Training the adult dog
The friend, the companion, the buddy!
62 Pet food recall
leaves a bitter taste What they're not telling you
67 How to make
the most of your local dog park Good behavior and etiquette are the keys
70 Inside and out,
these oils have healthy clout From coconut to olive to hemp
82 Prostate cancer Not just a human disease
ONTARIO REGIONAL SECTION
67
84 Mi Conchita
Rescuing a stray from the streets of Santiago
86 Advice on living with a threelegged animal
"Tripods" make wonderful companions!
98 Caring for your cat during her golden years
Health and lifestyle tips for your senior feline animal wellness
We’re all too familiar with the prevalence of strokes among the human population, but most of us don’t know that this serious affliction can also affect our canine companions. Even many experts used to think that strokes in dogs were rare, especially as the symptoms can look the same as other causes of vestibular disease. But according to an article in a 2003 edition of the Journal of the
American Animal Hospital Association, the use of MRIs has helped us realize that strokes are more common than previously thought.
What is a stroke? A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, causing damage to the brain. This happens either when a blood clot blocks off circulation (an infarct), or a blood vessel ruptures and causes bleeding
24
animal wellness
into the brain (a hemorrhage). If the bleeding does not stop, further brain damage occurs with secondary edema and swelling. Since the skull stops the brain from expanding, swelling will lead to increased pressure on the brain. With enough pressure, tissue is destroyed, causing even more severe signs or death.
What are the causes? Strokes are triggered by the things that cause the clotting or bleeding in the first place. These include: •high blood pressure •infection •inflammation •cancer •toxins •hypothyroidism •coagulopathies •hyperviscosity syndromes •amyloidosis •septicemia •cardiac disease •kidney disease •Cushing’s disease
Can dogs have
strokes? by Nancy Scanlan, DVM
Signs and symptoms Most commonly, the signs of stroke in dogs are the signs of vestibular disease. The vestibular system is responsible for balance, and includes the cerebellum at the back of the brain, the brainstem, and the nerves of the inner ears, as well as the position detectors in joints and tendons. Stroke, trauma, parasites, inflammation, or infection in almost any part of the system can cause a variety of symptoms, such as: •dizziness (that may cause vomiting) •staggering •falling •leaning •circling •rolling •inability to get up •eyes flicking back and forth (nystagmus)
Strokes usually happen suddenly, but if there is slow bleeding, the signs may come on gradually. If damage is slight, symptoms may be mild and only last a day or two. If the damage is worse, the signs are more severe and often include seizures. If the stroke occurs in another part of the brain, the symptoms are often more subtle. They depend on which part of the brain is affected and how severe the damage is, and can include one or more of the following: •sudden or gradual collapse •inability to get up •drooling •dazed look •seizure •blindness. •deviated eye •stiff or twisted neck
Diagnosing the difference between stroke and other vestibular disease Your veterinarian will look for a number of things before deciding whether or not your dog has had a stroke. A thorough physical exam and an x-ray of the skull help determine if there is a problem with the middle or inner ear. Two neurological signs that suggest inner ear
animal wellness
25