THE WINNERS

A Shish Kabob Skewer Goes Missing

Gulf Breeze Animal Hospital
Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Marley, a neutered male German shorthaired pointer, has always found trouble to get into. I quit encouraging his owner that he would grow out of it when he recently turned 6.

Marley's owner presented him, saying that she thought he'd eaten a shish kabob skewer. She had prepared two skewers with meat and vegetables for the grill and left them on the kitchen counter for "just a moment." When she returned, the kabobs and Marley were gone.

Finding him under the bed, the owner recovered one of the skewers, but not the other.

Not thinking it was possible that he'd swallowed the skewer, I decided to radiograph Marley to appease the owner. Well, there it was, within the stomach.

The exploratory and gastrotomy were uneventful. Marley was soon out the door and on to his next adventure.

Great Dane Eats 43½ Socks

DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital
Portland, Ore.

A 3-year-old male Great Dane was observed repeatedly vomiting and retching all day.

Abdominal radiographs revealed a severely distended stomach and a large quantity of foreign material.

During exploratory surgery performed by a DoveLewis veterinarian, 43½ socks were removed. The patient was discharged home one day after surgery.

The Great Dane is still doing well, according to the family, and the Internet has fallen in love with his story.


Hook, Line & Sinker

The Animal Clinic PSC
Lawrenceburg, Ky.

On a Saturday night, the owners brought in Elvis, a 7-week-old, 6.5-pound male mixed-breed puppy. They had been catfishing and baiting their hooks with chicken livers, which Elvis apparently found too tempting to ignore.

He gulped down a liver – hook, line and all. He presented to our clinic after hours.

A gastrotomy was performed to remove the hook, which had perforated the stomach. Fortunately, a timely surgery and antibiotics provided Elvis with a full recovery.

Is That a Lightbulb?

Golf Rose Animal Hospital
Schaumburg, Ill.

Cody, a 10-month-old, 58-pound golden retriever, had been vomiting for two days before the owner approved radiographs.

The light bulb passed intact after a day on intravenous fluids.





Rubber Ducky, You're the One

Animal Emergency of Pasco
Port Richey, Fla.

A client with a dog named Woof called, saying her dog had eaten a rubber duck. Her 3-year-old son had lost his rubber duckie, so Mom, unable to find it after a month, bought him a new one.

Watching her son in the tub, she saw Woof come in, nose around in the water and gulp down the duckie.

Radiographs found five rubber duckies. Every time a duck went missing, Mom would buy a new one.

We surgically removed the flock, along with a toy truck tire and a piece of another toy, and Woof did very well.

Pins & Needles (But Mostly Needles)

Veterinary Surgical Specialists Inc
Tustin, Calif.

Yoda, a 9-pound Chihuahua, presented for shoulder lameness. The radiographs showed nine needles.

Surgical removal of nine sewing needles from all over the body required a ventral abdominal exploratory and a ventral sternotomy.

Presumably, he ate a package of needles and digested the paper, and the needles migrated through his body. The lameness was caused by the one that was poking into his brachial area.

He is doing well.





For Turtles Only

Glenwood Falls Animal Hospital
Cypress, Texas

A 12-year-old male neutered Welsh Corgi ate approximately 2 cups of pea gravel.

The owners had cleaned out the turtle tank and dumped the gravel in the flower bed. They then cleaned the barbecue grill and dumped the grease over the gravel.

He recovered from surgery without incident.


Dog Plus Change

Acequia Animal Hospital
Albuquerque, N.M.

Two-year-old pug Stella presented for vomiting 40 times overnight.

During an abdominal exploratory, one quarter and 104 pennies were removed from the stomach.

This patient recovered fine, but the $1.29 did not go toward her bill.








Is That a Knife in Your Stomach?

Capitol Illini Veterinary Services
Chatham, Ill.

Lucy the Labrador came to us while staying with grandpa. She had found a closed pocketknife on the coffee table and swallowed it.

We fed her a small meal and administered Apomorphine. A quick vomiting episode produced the 9.2 by 2.3 cm pocket knife.



Hacky Sack

Akron Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center
Akron, Ohio

Owner returned home to find D'Jango, a 15-week-old male intact golden retriever, playing with a Hacky Sack. Her son said another Hacky Sack was missing.


Radiographs showed the puppy had eaten it and it appeared to be whole.

Client elected for emesis. Apomorphine was administered conjunctively.

After a second dose, D'Jango vomited food and an intact Hacky Sack.


Know Your Size

Jackson County Veterinary Clinic PLLC
Edna, Texas

What is more embarrassing than your vet and his entire staff knowing your bra size?

Norris, a 2-month-old rat terrier, presented with vomiting and stomach pain. Radiographs found a small metal clip in the stomach.

The owner was asked to view the radiographs to identify the object, with the (male) veterinarian present.

We don't know who was more embarrassed, the owner or the veterinarian, when she determined that Norris had eaten her bra.

Approximately 14 inches of bra and bra strap was surgically removed from the stomach and small intestine. Norris is thriving, but he is no longer allowed to enter the family laundry room.

"They Ate What?! Contest": A Tradition Since 2006

Veterinary Practice News editor Marilyn Iturri created the "They Ate WHAT?!" contest in 2006 to showcase the humorous situations veterinarians and pet owners can face as well as the clinical advances available through digital radiography.

The competition was a hit with readers from the start. Some trends have been apparent from the first year.

"This year's entries featured some of our old standards, such as cats eating hair ties and hair bands, threaded sewing needles and other shiny objects," Iturri said. "Dogs often seem to eat golf balls, small rubber balls, rubber ducks and clothing items, plus a variety of metal objects not meant for consumption."

What stood out this year was what the animals had eaten and how much, according to Iturri. "One dog had swallowed five duckies and one of our top three winners ate 43½ socks," she said. "That broke our socks-eaten record. And a pug ate a package of sewing needles, which previously we saw only cats do."

Unlike previous years, the items eaten by pets weren't as expensive as previous years. "One thing we didn't see this year was radiographs of expensive diamond rings in dogs," Iturri said. "One year, two were entered, both reportedly worth $15,000. Another year, a cockatiel had swallowed an engagement ring."

Despite the light-hearted nature of the contest, Iturri said the message to pet owners is serious.

"Don't trust your pet not to eat something she shouldn't," she said. "And if you think she ingested a foreign body, get her to your veterinarian right away. The longer you wait, the more damage is possible and it can be harder to retrieve the item."

Data suggest that as a foreign object passes through the animal's body, costs to treat it increase – with more pain for the pet and possibly a worse outcome.

The average cost of a claim for an object caught in the esophagus is about $800, which increases to a little more than $1,000 when the object moves into the stomach, and to more than $1,700 when it reaches the intestines.

If it remains untreated, the intestine can rupture, and pets can get septic abdomen and peritonitis that can cost $5,000 or more.

While the contest is over, Iturri said the call for new X-rays begins April 2015. The contest will be announced both on VeterinaryPracticeNews.com and the Veterinary Practice News magazine.

See More X-Rays:

• 2013 X-Ray Contest Winners
• 2012 X-Ray Contest Winners
• More Crazy X-Rays

Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM
Modern medicine and modern medication can do some pretty amazing things – it can instantly deal with parasites, or give immediate comfort to a dog or cat in pain.

There is a "but" here... These conventional medications can have a host of side effects that can seriously harm your dog or cat. There are also the unquantifiable effects of chronic medication use on your pet's immune system or organ function, and how that may make them more likely to develop serious disease such as cancer.

Consider the FDA reports on this common anti-inflammatory drug, Rimadyl.

Cumulative Veterinary ADE Reports
January 1987 to January 2014
Drug: CARPROFEN (RIMADYL)
Species: DOG

This NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) has numerous reported and under-reported side effects from permanent organ damage to even death. It is in your pet's best interest to avoid this medication, and similar medications, if possible.

Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM

It is a mistake every pet owner could easily make. As spring approaches, you head to the local home and garden store for mulch to freshen up your flower beds. Next to the bags of traditional shredded mulch are bags of a newer type – Cocoa Mulch.

According to National Cocoa Shell, the nation's largest retailer of cocoa shell mulch, the material is leftover from the cocoa bean roasting process – making the product more environmentally friendly than regular mulch. Plus, who couldn't resist putting chocolate smelling mulch down in their garden? For chocolate lovers across the country it's a dream come true.

But there's a catch. Cocoa mulch is extremely toxic to pets, especially when curious dogs have access to the outdoors.

Dr. Maureen McMichael is a veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana who specializes in emergency and critical care. She says, "Cocoa mulch is significantly more toxic than milk chocolate or even baker's chocolate because it has quite a bit more theobromine in it." Theobromine is the toxic compound in most chocolates that is responsible for the clinical signs seen in pets after ingestion.

Though it, too, can be deadly to pets, milk chocolate has only 44 mg. per ounce of theobromine. Baking chocolate has nearly eight times the concentration of theobromine in it compared to milk chocolate, making it one of the most toxic kinds of chocolate, but still not as concentrated as cocoa mulch.

In addition to having more theobromine in it, cocoa mulch is also usually found in an unlimited supply to the pet. Your Labrador may gobble up that chocolate bar on the counter, but left to their own devices, most dogs will eat cocoa mulch until you catch them or toxic effects start to set in, leading to the ingestion of large amounts of the toxin. "Unfortunately, many of the dogs that present with a history of eating cocoa mulch do not survive if they were not stopped quickly," notes Dr. McMichael.

The clinical signs of chocolate or cocoa mulch toxicity include: hyperactivity, muscle tremors, fast heart rate, hyperthermia, and seizures. There are anecdotal reports from gardeners who unknowingly purchased the mulch and later found their dog dead after a very short exposure time. Incidents such as this are likely a result of heart arrhythmias that develop after ingestion.

After time, the sweet smell of the cocoa mulch will wear off, and some have questioned if, after that point, it is safe for dogs to be around it. Dr. McMichael cautions that "it is possible that dogs are not attracted to it once the smell wears off but that does not eliminate its toxic load – it is still toxic."

The moral of the story is: don't purchase cocoa mulch if you have an outdoor pet. That said, if you happen to make the mistake of buying the mulch and you catch your animal eating a bite, time is of the essence. The quicker you can get Fido to the veterinary emergency clinic, the better the chances are of survival.

For more information on the topic, please contact your local veterinarian.

Dr. Deva Khalsa
Homeopathy is fun to use and the fact that it works so very well with so many medical problems makes it all the more rewarding. Most of the commonly used remedies are inexpensive and easy to find. They can be found at most Health Food Markets, some human pharmacies, online at a multitude of sites and even at KMart. I suggest you compile a kit of common remedies to have ready and waiting when minor emergencies occur because there's often not the time to run to the store and this stuff always seem to happen late at night or on a major holiday!

Homeopathy has particular rules associated with using it and this can be confusing and put off prospective students. But for many simple and common accidents and illnesses, it can be pretty simple to use.

The first thing to do is to assemble a homeopathic kit to have at home and then buy a book or two about homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies number in the thousands and are made from anything and everything. But you only need to learn some of the rules of homeopathy and have about a dozen remedies to be off and running.

HOMEOPATHY SIMPLIFIED

Here is the straight goods on how to work with Homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathic remedies need to melt on the gums so they should not be hidden in a treat or in food. Our dogs have a built in pouch on the side of their mouth and the remedies can go right in there.

Try not to handle the remedies but drop them straight from the bottle into your dog's cheek.

Remedies come in tiny white pellet or liquid form. Either form can be placed directly into your dogs cheek. It's not important if you give one drop of the remedy or five or one homeopathic pellet or three because homeopathy is an energy medicine and there is typically none of the physical substance left in the remedy. One tiny white pellet could treat an elephant and 10 pellets could treat a mouse.

That's a hard one to digest, if you'll excuse my pun, but people are always worried about how much to give and how often to give. The amount is no big deal and you give it until they get better. If it's not working at all, you stop giving the remedy. We're all just too used to using antibiotics that have to be calculated to the weight of the dog and have a certain time they need to be given. This is simply not the case with homeopathy.

Because homeopathy is an energy medicine the remedies should not be stored next to heavy electromagnetic appliances such as televisions and computers or left in the bright hot sun for a long time.

WHAT DOSE SHOULD I GIVE ?

Unlike drugs, Homeopathy does not work by body weight (e.g., give 500 mg per 25 lbs. of body weight). With Homeopathy, the original physical substance is sequentially diluted and this is why you have the funny numbers after the name of the remedy. Arnica 6x does not mean that you have to give it six times! It means that the remedy has been diluted six times.

To confound you even more, the more dilute the remedy the more powerful it is, so very highly diluted remedies are usually only available to doctors. The potencies most commonly available to you are 6x and 30x (diluted 1/10 either 6 or 30 times) and 6c and 30c (diluted 1/100 either 6 or 30 times).

WHAT MAKES IT BETTER AND WHAT MAKES IT WORSE

Homeopathic remedies are chosen in accordance with how the patient experiences his illness. For instance, one person who has a cold may want everyone in the house at attendance and worrying about him while another wants to be left alone to lie quietly in the dark. Each of these individuals would need a different remedy based on the individual picture they present.

Let's say your dog has arthritis and stiffness. Look that up in a Homeopathy text book and you'll be given a choice of remedies. The specific way the problem presents in your dog will determine the remedy you choose.

For example, look at arthritic stiffness in dogs. Your choice of remedy might depend on whether your dog is worse or better when he first gets up after resting. If he's better after resting, he might need the remedy Bryonia as noted above. I've found that most dogs are stiff at first but after walking a bit they get less stiff after they move around for a bit. Oftentimes these same dogs are worse in cold damp weather. With this presentation you'd likely choose the remedy Rhus toxidendron. Rhus tox, as it is commonly known, is much cheaper than NSAIDs and also much safer to use.

If you were to determine that Rhus tox was the best remedy for your dog, you would simply put a few pellets to melt in his cheek pouch about three times a day and watch him over the next week, noting changes in his condition. If he gets better, you've got the right remedy and if there is no change, there's no harm done. Go back and do a little more reading in your handy books on homeopathy. When you have the right remedy, and you'll know, because there will be improvement.

12 HANDY REMEDIES

You may want to go out and purchase these commonly used remedies to have on hand in case the need arises. They are small and make a great travel kit too.

• Apis mellifica – great for bee and other insect bites. Give every 20 minutes for a few doses after a bee sting.
• Arnica – good for general pain, stiffness due to overexertion, soreness and musculoskeletal injuries.
• Arsenicum album – great for GI upsets from eating spoiled food where there is both vomiting and diarrhea. Give twice an hour for a few hours.
• Borax (the remedy, not the powder) – excellent for fear of thunderstorms and fireworks. Give this at the 6c potency twice a day for a month during the season.
• Calendula (can be used both as an oral remedy and as an external ointment) – use for skin infections or any kind of external infection. It's a remarkable healing agent and a tube of the ointment should always be on hand to apply topically to scrapes, infections and wounds. You can also buy a tincture and dilute it 1/10 and flush any cuts or wounds with it.
• Hepar sulphur – is wonderful to treat painful abscesses anywhere on the body and painful infected anal glands.
• Hypericum – is an excellent remedy to give for any pain due to nerve damage or injuries to nerve-rich areas. I once closed my finger in a window and learned firsthand the wonders of Hypericum. Great for when you cut your dog's toenails too short.
• Myristica – phenomenal remedy for anal sac infections and chronic anal sac problems.
• Rhus tox – for arthritis that's better after moving around, general musculoskeletal injuries, red swollen eyes, skin infections and skin itching.
• Ruta – fantastic for any injury to tendons or ligaments and this remedy has a real affinity for the knee so you would use it immediately after any knee or cruciate injury.
• Silicea – pushes foreign bodies like splinters or foxtails out of the skin.
• Ledum – the first choice for any type of puncture wound, including those from insect bites. Insect bites that require Apis will be hot and red, whereas bites that require Ledum will be cool and appears bruised.

With a small investment and a little planning, you can build your own Homeopathic kit. These remedies aren't that difficult to use and can give your dog fast and effective relief from many common injuries and illnesses.

A new story has come out claiming that Chicken Jerky Treats are now safe....
 
Two brands of chicken jerky pet treats will soon reenter the market after years of reports of pet illness – even death – associated with consumption of jerky treats made with chicken sourced from China. Milo's Kitchen and Nestlé Purina (the maker of Waggin' Train treats) say that since the voluntary recall of their jerky treats last year due to antibiotic residue, they have reevaluated, revamped, reformulated and even discontinued certain products mired in suspicion and a nearly decade-old U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation. Now manufacturers are staking their name on the belief that they finally have it right.
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Disturbing Facts
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has received a total of approximately 3,000 reports of pet illness possibly related to the consumption of jerky treats, including 580 deaths.
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Cause STILL Unknown
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The FDA has issued several warnings about jerky products imported from China since it first received reports of pet illness in 2007. However, despite ongoing efforts to identify a cause of illness, testing has been inconclusive.
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What to Look Out For
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Watch your pet closely. Signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products are decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood or mucus), increased water consumption and/or increased urination. Severe cases are diagnosed with pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney failure or the resemblance of a rare kidney related illness called Fanconi syndrome.
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Questionable Ingredients
———————————————
Milo's Kitchen ingredients
Chicken Jerky Strips: Chicken, soy flour, sugar, glycerin, textured soy protein, salt, guar gum, sodium tripolyphosphate, monoglyceride, garlic powder, sorbic acid, citric acid, BHA (used as a preservative), natural smoke flavor, annatto color, onion extract.
Chicken Grillers: chicken breast, rice flour, glycerin, gelatin, soy flour, wheat gluten, modified tapioca starch, sugar, soy protein concentrate, salt, monoglyceride, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium sorbate (used as a preservative), citric acid, caramel color, garlic powder, natural smoke flavor, BHA (used as a preservative), dried egg white.
Artificial color, artificial flavor, harmful preservatives (BHA), questionable protein sources, questionable carbohydrate contents
 
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Dr. Jones Responds
My Advice...
Don't EVER feed these to your pets.
The toxin is still unknown, and they contain an array of potential harmful ingredients, providing no nutritive value.

• Dogs: www.thedogsupplement.com
• Cats: www.thecatsupplement.com
  

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Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM has been a practicing Veterinarian for over 20 years. He is a strong advocate of Natural Pet Health Care, and knows that the most important way to heal our pets and prevent disease is through proper nutrition. He developed Ultimate Canine to give our dogs that extra advantage – something that will provide them with everything they need to develop stronger immune systems to fight disease, heal sore or stiff joints, and help them live longer, happier lives. Dr. Andrew Jones' main focus is on alternative, non-traditional remedies for pets. His interest in alternative pet medicine culminated in the writing of his book, Veterinary Secrets Revealed.

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Darwin was admitted to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital of Ann Arbor with clinical signs of the mystery illness. Dr. Lindsay Ruland says his owner, a local veterinarian, told her he had had gastro- intestinal and upper respiratory symptoms in the weeks leading up to the dog's illness.

Source: DVM360 Magazine
© 2013 Advanstar Communications

Every day, Pet Poison Helpline receives dozens of phone calls from dog owners and cat owners saying "My cat ate a lily!" or "My dog ate a plant. Is it poisonous?" Some of the most poisonous plants for dogs and cats are reviewed below.

While there are thousands of species of plants and flowers, only a small percentage of plants are truly dangerous and poisonous to your pet. Make sure you know which plants are most deadly to avoid your dog or cat from getting into these poisonous flowers and poisonous plants!

There are two Crocus plants: one that blooms in the spring (Crocus species) and the other in the autumn (Colchicum autumnale). The spring plants are more common and are part of the Iridaceae family. These ingestions can cause general gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhea. These should not be mistaken for Autumn Crocus, part of the Liliaceae family, which contain colchicine. The Autumn Crocus is highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and respiratory failure. If you're not sure what plant it is, bring your pet to your veterinarian immediately for care. Signs may be seen immediately, but can be delayed for days.

In the same family as rhododendrons, azaleas can have serious effects on pets. Eating even a few leaves can result in vomiting, diarrhea and excessive drooling; without immediate veterinary attention, the pet could fall into a coma and possibly die.

The roots of this seasonal flowering plant are especially dangerous to pets. If ingested, cyclamen can cause severe vomiting and even death.

There are dangerous and benign lilies out there, and it's important to know the difference. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies contain oxalate crystals that cause minor signs, such as tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx and esophagus – this results in minor drooling. The more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies, and these include Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies – all of which are highly toxic to cats! Even small ingestions (such as 2-3 petals or leaves) can result in severe kidney failure. If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care. The sooner you bring in your cat, the better and more efficiently we can treat the poisoning. Decontamination (like inducing vomiting and giving binders like activated charcoal) are imperative in the early toxic stage, while aggressive intravenous fluid therapy, kidney function monitoring tests, and supportive care can greatly improve the prognosis.

Oleander is an outdoor shrub, popular for its evergreen qualities and delicate flowers. However, the leaves and flowers are extremely toxic if ingested and can cause severe vomiting, slow the heart rate and possibly even cause death.

Popular in many homes and offices, dieffenbachia can cause intense oral irritation, drooling, nausea, vomiting and difficulty swallowing if ingested.

These flowers contain lycorine, an alkaloid with strong emetic properties (something that triggers vomiting). Ingestion of the bulb, plant or flower can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory depression. Crystals are found in the outer layer of the bulbs, similar to hyacinths, which cause severe tissue irritation and secondary drooling. Daffodil ingestions can result in more severe symptoms so if an exposure is witnessed or symptoms are seen, we recommend seeking veterinary care for further supportive care.

The Convallaria majalis plant contains cardiac glycosides which will cause symptoms similar to digitalis (foxglove) ingestion. These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a drop in heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias and possibly seizures. Pets with any known exposure to this plant should be examined and evaluated by a veterinarian and treated symptomatically.

Very popular in warmer climates, this household and outdoor plant can be very harmful to pets. If ingested, the leaves and seeds can cause vomiting, bloody stools, damage to the stomach lining, severe liver failure and, in some cases, death.

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Also, see:

• Are Tomatoes Poisonous to Dogs?
• Veterinarian Approved Pet Insurance!
• AGILA Hundehalter-Haftpflicht
• Helpline Poison List