Doorstep Veterinary Medicine

CLOSED JUNE 22 THROUGH JULY 14
Emergencies: These visits should be reserved for truly critical cases such as seizures, difficulty breathing, bleeding that will not stop, vomiting that is occurring more than once an hour for several hours, loss of consciousness, hit by car or other serious trauma. ALWAYS CALL ER FIRST BEFORE GOING
Summit Vet Referral
https://www.summitvets.com/ (online checkin available here)
253-983-1114
2505 S 80th St
Tacoma, WA
Blue Pearl Tacoma
https://bluepearlvet.com/hospital/tacoma-wa/
253-474-0791
2510 84th St S. Ste 30 D
Tacoma, WA
Puget Sound Veterinary Specialists
https://pugetsoundvetspecialists.com/specialized-veterinary-services/animal-emergency-care/ (online check in)
253-400-5052
6565 Kimball Dr.
Gig Harbor, WA
Urgent Care: This is a good choice for concerning but less critical concerns: milder vomiting or loss of appetite, torn toe nail, limping, skin rashes. These are available at Uptown Vet Gig Harbor, Booster Pet Federal Way (limited days), WellCare Animal Hospital (UP), Tacoma Animal Hospital (UP), Summit Vet (limited days).

Home Euthanasia: I sincerely hope you don't need this while I am gone but if you do.
A Good Life for Pets https://www.thegoodlifeforpets.com/
Dr. Marc wih Concierge Vet https://www.homevetcare.pet (Gig Harbor, N. Tacoma)
Willow Tree Animal Hospital (Gig Harbor) https://www.willowtree.vet/
Lap of Love https://www.lapoflove.com/find-a-vet/Washington/SeaTac/about

Send a message to learn more

Summer Plans I hope everyone is looking forward to fun summer plans with friends, family and pets.  I will be on vacation early this summer and this is your notification of closures and due dates! WHAT: Doorstep Vet Med Summer Vacation Closure WHEN: June 24 -July 15 DEADLINE PRESCRIPTION REFILLS: JUNE 18 NOTE...

Cool chance to learn from one of the best local trainers. And even better, it’s live virtual so if your dog is anxious around other dogs you can still participate. And this type of mental work can be excellent for dogs with anxiety to give them focus and tire their brain.

Every Dog Smells LIVE with Ann Waterbury This five-unit class is a deep dive into nose work and a dog’s incredible scenting abilities. The curriculum and practice exercises use your dog’s innate scent skill to boost confidence, build resilience, and have fun at the same time.

A webinar open to everyone. Speakers are a couple of the leading experts in veterinary infectious disease. Dr Weese is in Canada and runs the blog Worms and Germs. Dr Lappin is in CO and has spent much of his career studying infectious diseases, especially respiratory disease in dogs and cats.

Trupanion Pet Medical Insurance | Best support for Veterinarians! Trupanion Pet Medical Insurance | Best support for Veterinarians!

Lots of questions being asked about possible respiratory disease based on reports on social media from a rescue called Asher House. Here is what is known now. I will continue to follow this and let you know if we need to do anything. https://www.facebook.com/100064874584842/posts/687779320061215/?mibextid=cr9u03

A recent report of a suspected outbreak of canine respiratory illness at an animal sanctuary in the Willamette Valley has caused concern among Oregon dog owners.

The OVMA has inquired with several veterinarians, veterinary emergency clinics and humane organizations in the Portland Metro area and the Willamette Valley. Those we spoke to on 8.7.23 did not report a widespread increase in severe canine respiratory cases or illness at this time.

In a message to veterinarians on 8/9/23, the State Veterinarian said, "At this point in time, while there does appear to be an over-representation of these cases beyond what would be expected, the information to date does not indicate a widespread outbreak." The State Veterinarian is seeking reports from veterinarians about cases they may have seen.

Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population, such as in localized pockets, and some infections can be serious. Transmitted by respiratory droplets, both viruses and bacteria can cause CIRDC.

CIRDC cases more commonly occur in animals in group settings such as shelters, boarding, day care, or training facilities rather than in animals housed in private homes, especially those with limited access to other dogs.

Veterinarians treat cases according to the dog's symptoms and severity of symptoms. Treatment may include antibiotics. Most dogs, especially those vaccinated against respiratory illness, experience a mild illness.

Symptoms of CIRDC include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please check with your veterinarian.

Dog owners can protect their pets from respiratory illness by:
* Reducing contact with large numbers of unknown dogs. Just as with other respiratory pathogens, the more contacts your dog has, the greater the risk of encountering a dog that’s infectious.
* Reducing contact with sick dogs. This can be harder to determine but if a dog looks sick (coughing, runny nose, runny eyes), keep your dog away from it.
* Keep sick dogs at home and seek veterinary care.
* Avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dogs.
* Ask your veterinarian for advice on which vaccinations your dog should have. If appropriate for your dog, have it vaccinated against the canine respiratory diseases Bordetella (kennel cough), parainfluenza and canine influenza.
* If it's sick, consider having your dog tested with a PCR test to help determine the causative agent (viral/bacterial), if possible.

We will update this information as events warrant.

Please don’t feed these diets. It’s truly heartbreaking to see these dogs die due to their diet.

December has brought NEW research published on diet-associated DCM in dogs. This research was funded by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the Department of Clinical Sciences at Oregon State University.

For those that aren't familiar, in 2018 the FDA began investigating unusual cases of a heart disease called Dilated Cardiomyopathy with a disproportionate representation of dogs fed grain-free diets and diets with peas and lentils. These dogs were breeds that do not typically develop DCM, and even more unusual, many of these dogs showed improvement or complete resolution with a diet change, even though DCM is typically a progressive, fatal disease even in the face of medication.

Since 2018, all kinds of reporting has circulated, including rumors that the FDA withdrew their investigation (they did not) and that the research was flawed and retracted (it was not).

This is the TWELFTH paper demonstrating the link in question.

In this study (Owens et al 2022), healthy adult dogs eating diets containing pulse legumes (peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans) as main ingredients had lower cardiac function and higher ventricular volume than dogs eating grain-inclusive diets without potatoes or pulses in the first 10 ingredients.

You can read my summary here: https://www.alltradesdvm.com/topics/diet-associated-dcm/dcm-articles/dec-2022-healthy-dog-measurements

And the open-access paper here: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16606

What do you feed your dogs?

Dr. C

Are you a dog owner? Can you help a colleague out answering some questions about your training experiences? Thanks!

Dog Training Survey JB Online survey BOS

https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/seasons/easter/

Easter Lilies | Pet Poison Helpline Easter plants, Easter lilies and other lily varieties included, are poisonous to cats! Chocolate is another dangerous Easter time toxin for dogs and cats.

Heading into spring bouquet season (Easter, May Day, Mother’s Day, etc). Be sure to check any arrangements for these toxic lilies. Even a small dusting of pollen groomed off your cats coat can be deadly. This is a great graphic showing the difference between toxin and nontoxic.

Some lilies can cause BIG ISSUES for our feline friends! This handy dandy infographic takes the guess work out of which lilies are kitty friendly and which should be avoided at all costs!

The U.S. Holiday, Fourth of July, quickly approaches and VIN wants to help you and your pets be prepared. Need tips? This article and many more on Veterinary Partner can help: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/doc/?id=4952947&pid=19239

What to look for and what to do if your pet overheats With temperatures nearing 100 degrees this weekend, it’s easy for your pet to overheat, which can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.

They will come in your house. Your pets will think this is a fantastic new toy. This is why we vaccinate.

BAT POSITIVE FOR RABIES FOUND IN KING COUNTY – PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER As the weather warms up in King County, bats come out of hibernation, which means a big increase in human-bat interactions compared to other times of year.  Bats that are infected with rabies can spread the infection to humans who have bare skin contact with  bats or bat saliva. 

Lots of concern the last couple of days regarding seresto collars. Any medication or topical product can in rare cases cause side effects and it’s critical to report those to your veterinarian and the company. However, that does not mean the product itself is unsafe or something we should avoid. It’s very important that we (and good journalists) are careful to distinguish a correlation (a and b occur close in time) from a causative event (a leads to b). This is a long article but it’s excellent evaluation of just how concerned we need to be about seresto collars. Bottom line...if you have been using them with no problems it’s almost certainly safe to continue to.

https://skeptvet.com/Blog/2021/03/seresto-flea-tick-collars-the-new-satanic-panic/

Seresto Flea & Tick Collars: The New Satanic Panic? | Like many vets around the country, I’ve had a sudden wave of panicked calls and emails from clients about a dramatic article that appeared in USA Today yesterday. The article essentially claims that the Seresto flea and tick collar is injuring and killing huge numbers of dogs and some humans. De.....

If you are using this food throw it away. I don’t think we can consider anything coming from this company as being safe at this time.

Certain Sportmix Pet Food Recalled for Potentially Fatal Aflatoxin FDA is alerting pet owners & veterinary professionals about certain lots of Sportmix pet food products which may contain potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin.

Please keep your pets indoors as much as possible while air quality continues to be poor. Just like us, our pets are affected by the significant pollution from the fires. Need a way to get your animal tired out? Consider hide and seek games, scent tracking in the house, food puzzle toys, snuffle mats and other indoor games/toys. Mental stimulation can be just as tiring as physical and safer in these conditions.

https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-can-i-minimise-the-impact-of-bushfire-smoke-on-my-animals/

How can I minimise the impact of bushfire smoke on my animals? – RSPCA Knowledgebase Print How can I minimise the impact of bushfire smoke on my animals? Bushfires can lead to persistent smoke and related air pollution and this can cause serious negative effects and health problems for animals, just as it can in people. However, there are measures you can take to minimise these impa...

J.M. Smucker Company Recalls Canned Cat Food Causing Potentially Deadly Side Effects The company said it received reports of pets having adverse reactions to Natural Balance Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Paté Formula. The concerns are likely due to elevated levels of choline chloride, according to the company.

July fourth is coming up fast. Some tips for getting prepared to keep your pets calm.

If you are in need of emergency services between now and Tuesday June 16 please make note of this closing. Other options are listed at the bottom.

We will be temporarily closing at 12:00 pm today, June 13 and reopening at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, June 16. For non-emergent issues, please call VCA Parkway at 253-231-7055.

If your pet is experiencing an emergency please contact a local emergency hospital.
Blue Pearl Tacoma - 253-474-0791
Blue Pearl Renton - 206-364-1660
Summit Emergency and Referral Center - 253-983-1114
Uptown Animal Hospital and 24HR Emergency Care - 253-851-7387
Sumner Veterinary Hospital 253-863-2258

Join one of the smartest veterinarians and greatest educators I know to learn why your pet has those odd quirks and habits. Dr Pachel is a veterinary behaviorist in Portland, OR and he’s answering your general behavior questions Monday evening. Submit questions or just listen in. I promise you will laugh and learn with Dr Pachel.

Ever wondered why your cat crawls onto your chest and purrs as loudly as possible at 4:00am? Or maybe you're lost at what to do when your dog loses their mind about squirrels? Here's your chance to ask your burning questions and learn more about pet behavior! Next Monday, May 4th, Dr. Pachel will be hosting a Facebook Live video right here on our page, opening the floor to YOUR curiosities. Please join us for this Happy Hour Q&A with your beverage of choice in hand and questions at the ready. Or, feel free to send them in advance to [email protected]

*Note: we may not have time to cover all questions, but will do our best to answer a wide variety! Highly-detailed, nuanced, or individual-specific behavior concerns are better addressed through a virtual consultation with one of our veterinarians than during this Q&A.

Need a giggle?

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s LPD K9!

We here at the Lakewood Police Department have always been champions of innovation. Whether it’s our Behavioral Health Contact Team or our Officer Phlebotomists we are constantly on the lookout for new ideas to improve policing. Today we are proud to introduce our latest innovation…Drone Deployed K9! Operating from a remote location the officer can safely deploy his K9 partner anywhere in the city. Gone are the days of needing specialized vehicles or getting delayed in traffic. With the flip of a switch our K9 can be deployed with unprecedented speed. This comes after months of testing and a few setbacks (we lost one dog when the batteries on the drone died and we couldn’t bring him back) but we think we’ve worked all the bugs out and can now safely send our K9 through the skies of Lakewood. So the next time you look up, it won’t just be a plane from JBLM you see, it might be LPD K9!

Please do not support this show by watching. Even better reach out and tell NatGeoWild this NOT what you want to see on TV.

Code of Ethics - IAABC International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants professional Code of Ethics information.

RECALL ALERT: Certain canned dog foods from Hills are being recalled.

This does NOT effect any dry foods or cat foods or treats.

A very important update regarding diet and heart disease in dogs. PLEASE talk to a veterinarian about how to determine the best diet for your dog. Consider sticking with a food that spends a good amount of their resources on research on their foods, ideally doing feeding trials. Read through the great explanations and resources available on the Petfoodology site. Check out the recommendations from the World Small Animal Vet Assoc. on how to chose a pet food. https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Arpita-and-Emma-editorial/Selecting-the-Best-Food-for-your-Pet.pdf

I know you want to do the absolutely best for your pet! Our goal is to make the absolute best supported by science and updated as we discover new information!

It’s Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy You may have read my June 4 post, “A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients.” This post had more than 180,000 page views in the first week and continues to get more than 2000 page views a day. So, I’m pleased that people are interested in thi...

Notice: Dr. Cutting is temporarily unable to accept new patients. Home euthanasia services are still being offered. This will be re-evaluated later this fall.

What a great opportunity! Especially if you enjoy hiking or camping with your dogs. https://www.rei.com/event/wilderness-first-aid-for-your-dog/seattle/215910

Wilderness First Aid for Your Dog | REI Classes & Events Join a critical care veterinary specialist for a presentation on the recognition and basic treatment options for injuries and illnesses that may be faced on the trail with your four-legged best friend

We can't stress enough the importance of planning ahead for your dog (and cat!) for the 4th of July. This can be an extremely scary time of the year for our pets and you'll want to do all you can to help them out.