Our doctors have become aware of a dangerous accident that can happen when using a pill splitter to prepare your pet’s medications. Pill splitters use a razor to cut tablets. It may be possible for the razor to become dislodged during normal use resulting in accidental ingestion of the razor depending on how your pet’s medication is administered. We recommend careful inspection of your pill splitter before and after each use. Never use a pill splitter that is worn or damaged and if damage is discovered after use make sure to inspect your pet’s medication before administration. Your pet’s safety is important to us. Take an extra moment to check, for their sake.

On Tuesday, May 15th, 2018 Seattle Mariners’ second baseman Robinson Cano was suspended for 80 games. This suspension was triggered by a drug test that detected furosemide. For many people and pet owners, furosemide might be a familiar drug name. Also known as “Lasix” or “Salix” furosemide has been used to treat congestive heart failure in humans and animals for many years. Furosemide acts as a diuretic and works by blocking the absorption of electrolytes from the kidneys causing a profound increase in the output of urine.  People and animals with congestive heart failure can have edema (fluid build-up), and furosemide helps to remove this fluid from the body. One of the reasons furosemide is a banned substance in athletics isn’t because it enhances performance at all, but because of the way it increases the excretion of other substances more quickly from the body. Using any diuretic allows an athlete to use a performance enhancing drug and remove evidence from their system before testing. So will your pet be the next Olympic super star because they’re on furosemide? The answer is no.  

Mini-pigs in Seattle If you live in Seattle, chances are you have unexpectedly come across a mini-pig being walked on a leash. Many places classify mini pigs as farm animals, which are not allowed to live within city limits. Seattle is one of the few cities that allows mini pigs as pets; where pet pigs even have city licenses like cats and dogs.

Canine influenza is in the news. The H3N2 variant of the canine influenza virus is the one we are hearing about most often, now. It is originated as an avian influenza virus in Asia which had mutated and become infective to dogs in 2007. The first documented case in North America was in 2015. Since then it has spread to 31 states in the US. Outbreaks of canine influenza occur in situations where dogs are housed together (shelters) or spend time in close contact (dog shows, day care). All dogs are susceptible to infection with the H3N2 influenza virus as it is an illness to which our dogs have not previously been exposed. Even dogs who were vaccinated against the H3N8 influenza virus are not protected against the new H3N2 virus variant. The influenza virus is spread among dogs when respiratory secretions are aerosolized by barking, coughing, sneezing, or through nose-to-nose contact. People can move the virus from dog to dog because the virus can live on hands for up to 12 hours and on clothing and food bowls for 24 hours. The virus can also persist in the environment for up to 2 days. The good news is that the virus is readily killed by commonly used disinfectants.

Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) Seattle Veterinary Associates Recommendations   At Seattle Veterinary Associates (SVA) we feel that it is our responsibility to be conservative with vaccinations and counsel each client on their pet’s individual risk of exposure.  We then customize the most appropriate vaccination protocol based on your pet’s lifestyle and environmental exposure risks.  To date, we have not routinely recommended the Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) vaccine based on the very limited presence of the disease in Washington. However, due to the recent epidemiological trends on the west coast, we are now recommending the CIV vaccination for any dog that poses a risk for exposure. These patients are generally the same group of dogs that we recommend receive the Bordetella (“kennel cough”) vaccination. Just like Bordetella, dogs that have contact with groups of other dogs are at higher risk for exposure to CIV. Lifestyle factors include any congregation of dogs; boarding and daycare facilities, dog-friendly workspaces, dog parks, and grooming parlors. Immunocompromised pets, such as juveniles, geriatrics, patients with immune-mediated disease and cancer may be at an increased risk of developing more severe symptoms.