Dana Niguel Veterinary Hospital

Pet Adoptions for Dana Point

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:35:02 +0000

Marvin Needs A Home!

“We ought not to treat living creatures like shoes or household belongings, which when worn with use we throw away.”
Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Marvin is a 4 year old Terrier mix that was rescued from the Orange County shelter from being euthanized. His days were numbered, not because he was aggressive, unsocial, or unhealthy, but because he was unlucky. He had been there since May 4th and despite his long imprisonment, he was friendly, social, and just starving for someone to love him. Each year five million pets are killed in our nation’s shelters. Unfortunately, shelter killing is the leading cause of death of healthy cats and dogs in the United States. Although we have let them down in the past and discarded them before, once rescued from the lonely shelter life, these pets, like Marvin, will be loyal, loving, and never hold a grudge. With each pet Dana Niguel saves, we are closer to ending the needless suffering of these animals and finding them loving homes. Please let us know if anyone wants to adopt Marvin so we can save another life from being unnecessarily taken.

Sunshine needs a Home

“My sunshine doesn’t come from the skies, it comes from the love in my dogs eyes.” Author Unknown

Sunshine is a 6 ½ year old lab mix who is looking for a new home. Dana Niguel has gotten to know Sunshine over the years because of her constant need to board with us. Sunshine is a sad case who has spent most of her life in a garage. We have been trying to urge this client to find more suitable accomidations for her, but to no prevail until recently. She has finally agreed to turn her over to us in the hope that we can give Sunshine a home she deserves. Although she has been neglected most of her life and only her basic needs have been met, Sunshine is very sweet, always wants to please, and happy to just sit next to you in a warm bed. Dana Niguel is trying desparately to keep Sunshine from going to a shelter. She was already turned away recently because of overcrowding, but a 6 year old dog may sit waiting for several months to a year without getting adopted. With Sunshine spending the most part of her days in a lonely garage, barley getting to go for
walks, the damage of being encaged at a shelter for so long may be damaging to her personality making her even less adoptable. Please consider Sunshine for your next new addition.

Dipping into the Chocolate Fountain

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:35:51 +0000

This is Graham, my wonderful (most of the time) Jack Russell Terrier. We brought out the chocolate fountain for our hospital Christmas party and you can see who was most helpful at the post party cleanup. As you may know, Jacks are very quick and this can get them into trouble. Since this is a common event around the holidays, I thought that I would use the occasion to discuss chocolate toxicity in dogs. Graham, by the way, is fine.
The signs of chocolate toxicity depend upon both the size of the dog and the amount (and type) of chocolate ingested. A small amount of milk chocolate may have no effect at all, while an ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate can be fatal to a 10 pound dog. Clinical signs usually occur within 6 to 12 hours after feasting. Initial signs include increase thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, and restlessness. Signs progress to hyperactivity, increase urinations, weakness, tremors, and seizures. Other effects include rapid heart rate, heart arrhythmias, rapid respirations, cyanosis, hypertension, hyperthermia, and coma. Because of the high fat content of many chocolate products, pancreatitis is a potential secondary problem 24 to 72 hours after eating. Death is generally due to cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory failure.
White chocolate has very low amounts of theobromine, the offending ingredient in chocolate, so while not an ideal nutrient for dogs, it is not toxic.

Compound                                           Theobromine (mg/oz)                          Caffeine (mg/oz)
White chocolate                                  0.25                                                          0.85
Milk chocolate                                     58                                                             6
Dark, sweet chocolate                        130                                                           20
Semi-sweet chocolate chips              138                                                           22
Baker/s (unsweetened) chocolate   393                                                           47
Dry cocoa powder                               737                                                           70
Instant cocoa power                           136                                                           15
Cocoa beans                                         600                                                          NA

Based on ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) experience, mild signs occur in animals ingesting 10 mg/lb of theobromine and caffeine, severe signs are seen at 20-25 mg/lb, and seizures occur at 30 mg/lb. Accordingly, less than 1 oz of milk chocolate/lb is potentially lethal to dogs; for baking (unsweetened) chocolate, less than 0.1 oz/lb is potentially lethal.

Does my cat have the “Swine Flu”?

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:29:30 +0000

The situation for cats to develop swine flu appears to be somewhat worse than it is for dogs. Unfortunately we had one of the few diagnosed cases of H1N1, “swine flu”, in a feline patient, which did cause death. The patient arrived in the morning and worsened rapidly throughout the day. He was transferred to a critical care facility that night but passed away despite very aggressive treatment. The owners were not showing clinical signs of influenza but one of the owners was a nurse in a human hospital and the suspected source of infection for our feline patient. We still expect, and hope, that there will not be many cases of swine flu in our feline companions, but because of the possibility of human to feline transfer, I would recommend using the same precautions that are used to prevent human to human transfer, with our companion animals, if a family member is suffering with the H1N1 virus, to prevent the unlikely transfer to our feline family members.

Moist Cough and Runny nose- does my dog have the “Swine Flu”?

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:28:13 +0000

Moist Cough and Runny nose- does my dog have the “Swine Flu”? Not likely. There have not been any recognized cases of swine flu, H1N1, in dogs in the United States, only 2 cases in dogs in China as of December, 2009. There have been many cases of the Canine influenza virus, H3N8, in dogs since it was first recognized in 2004. In the mild form, the most common clinical sign is a cough that persists for 10 to 21 days despite treatment with antibiotics and cough suppressants. Most dogs have a soft, moist cough, whereas others have a dry cough that is similar to that induced by a kennel cough like infection. Many dogs have a purulent nasal discharge and a low-grade fever. The nasal discharge is usually caused by secondary bacterial infections. Some dogs are more severely affected with clinical signs of pneumonia, such as a high-grade fever (104°F to 106°F) and increased respiratory rate and effort. The death rate has ranged from 0% to 5%. Higher case fatality rates have been reported in small groups of racing greyhounds that developed hemorrhagic pneumonia during outbreaks.

In May 2009, the USDA approved the licensure of the first influenza vaccine for dogs developed by Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health Corporation. The canine influenza vaccine contains inactivated whole virus of H3N8. We are not currently recommending use of the vaccine at DNVH but would change that recommendation if changing conditions warranted. In the four years since the virus was first recognized, we have not diagnosed any cases of canine influenza at DNVH, nor have any other local hospitals.

inks to more information about canine influenza
Control of Canine Influenza in Dogs: Questions, Answers and Interim Guidelines (AVMA)
Canine Influenza: Podcast by Dr. Cynda Crawford (AVMA)
Key Facts about Canine Influenza (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Canine Influenza: Frequently Asked Questions by Dog Owners (University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine)
Canine Influenza Fact Sheet (Iowa State University)
Canine Influenza (University of California-Davis Shelter Medicine Program)
Canine Influenza Virus: Detection, Sampling and Statistics (Cornell University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory)

Influenza: Canine, Feline and Human H1N1 Part I

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:32:55 +0000

Have you heard about the recent Swine Flu case in cats and dogs? The Influenza A Virus subtype H1N1, aka “swine flu”, has infected over 450,000 people in the United States, causing 10,000 deaths as of late December, 2009. The H1N1 virus has crossed species and apparently infected both dogs (in China) and cats (in the States). There have even been a few deaths in felines in this country (see the following blog).

I expect that few veterinarians will see, or recognize, dogs and cats with the H1N1 virus. Far more common nationally in dogs, although so far uncommon in Southern California, is the canine influenza virus, H3N8. It was first recognized in Florida greyhounds in 2004. It is suspected that the canine influenza virus was a mutation of the equine influenza virus, and is extremely contagious in dogs.

Welcome to the Dana Niguel Veterinary Hospital Blog!

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:13:04 +0000

Located in Dana Point, California, Dana Niguel Veterinary Hospital is dedicated to providing quality, friendly care to the dogs and cats of South Orange County. Each veterinarian and team member is deeply committed to the health and well-being of your pet. We love animals as much as you do! Our hospital is a member of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association as well as the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) as an Accredited Animal Hospital. When you choose the “right vet” for you and your animals, look to Dana Niguel Veterinary Hospital.

Photo by Anna Kuperberg

A VectraPet® is a healthy pet.

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:17:15 +0000

We use Vectra^® here at our hospital, read on to find out why.
Parasites are a fact of life wherever you and your pet go. Especially if you spend time outdoors or come in contact with other animals. Outdoors or indoors, we want you and your dog to enjoy a healthy, happy life. That’s why we offer a family of Vectra^® vectoricides so you can choose the product that fits your lifestyle. Your veterinarian can advise you about which option is best for your dog or puppy. When used monthly, Vectra can help protect your dog’s health, and keep your household free from harmful parasites (vectors).

Repels and kills adult fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice, mites and sand flies.
Kills on contact; parasites do not have to bite or feed to die.
Repellent action helps reduce the risk of vectors spreading disease to your dog.
Quick onset of activity killing adult fleas in 2 hours.
Prevents the development of all immature flea stages: eggs, larvae and pupae.
Protects for 1 full month.
Remains effective after bathing and swimming.
Protection for puppies as young as 7 weeks of age.