No bones about it!

Pet parents of traditional Thanksgiving trash-raiders, take note. Among the many hazards dogs (and the occasional intrepid cat) can encounter in the garbage is the carcass and bone fragments of whatever type of fowl was on the dinner menu. This can spell trouble in more than a few ways. According to the federal Food and Drug Administration, the top reasons why bones are not good for dogs include:

• Broken teeth. Bones are very hard and can be brittle, making it easy for a dog to break one of its large chewing teeth. A broken tooth is painful and must be treated. Whether the tooth is extracted or saved with a root canal, this is an expensive outcome.
• Injuries to the mouth and tongue. The broken edges of bones can be razor sharp. Dogs can break off sharp shards of bone, which can pierce the tongue, the cheek or the soft palate on the roof of the mouth.
• Bones can get looped around the lower jaw. Round bones can get stuck around the lower jaw, behind the lower canine teeth. This is a very scary experience for the dog, and most dogs need to be sedated or anesthetized in order to cut the bone off.
• Dogs can choke. Pieces of bone can lodge in the esophagus on the way down to the stomach. Sharp bone shards can penetrate the soft tissues at the back of the throat or pierce the esophagus. It is also possible for a piece of bone to get into the trachea (windpipe), interfering with your dog’s ability to breathe. Choking is an emergency!
• Injuries to the stomach and intestinal lining. Just as sharp bone fragments can damage the mouth, they can also damage the walls of the stomach and intestines. In some cases, bone fragments may completely penetrate the walls of the stomach or intestine, allowing food and intestinal contents to leak into the abdomen. This causes a condition called peritonitis - an abdominal infection that can be fatal, even if treated aggressively.
• Bones can get stuck in the stomach. If the bone fragment is large, it may be unable to pass out of the stomach. Bone fragments that remain trapped in the stomach can lead to chronic vomiting and stomach irritation. These retained bone fragments must be removed with abdominal surgery or endoscopy.
• Bones can cause a blockage in the small intestine or colon. Bone fragments can become lodged in the small intestines, causing a complete intestinal blockage. This is an emergency and requires surgical removal of the obstruction. If bone fragments travel down the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and reach the large bowel/colon, they may collect and cause constipation. This is painful for the dog, as the bone fragments scrape the lining of the colon and rectum and lead to significant trauma. Enemas and manipulation may be required to evacuate the large bowel.
• Contamination with pathogens on raw bones. Raw meat and bones can be contaminated with a number of pathogens, including E. coli, Salmonella species, and Listeria. These pathogens may or may not make a dog sick, depending on the dog's health status, but pose a significant health risk to the humans in the household. Children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals are the most vulnerable, and these organisms can be life-threatening.

Don't pass the gravy

As we kick off the holiday season with Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, it's important to remember that sharing your plate with your furry family member can be a recipe for disaster.
That's because most pancreatitis cases occur after a pet eats a high-fat meal. Pancreatitis is a painful inflammation of the pancreas that can make pets extremely ill. The pancreas is an abdominal organ located just below the stomach that produces digestive enzymes to break down dietary fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
The pancreas also produces insulin, which helps move glucose from the blood into cells for energy production. Pancreatitis can lead to dehydration, organ damage, diabetes, insufficient enzyme production, and, in severe cases, death.
In an effort to include pets in holiday celebrations, pet owners or their house guests often feed them fatty treats, which stimulate a sudden release of lipase, a pancreatic enzyme that helps fat digestion and can cause internal pancreatic digestion, severe inflammation and tissue damage. Toxins released from damaged tissue cause a systemic inflammatory response and severe illness.
Some breeds, including miniature schnauzers, are more likely to develop pancreatitis because of their pre-existing altered metabolism.
Pets with pancreatitis can become extremely sick and may display the following signs:

• Lethargy
• Inappetance
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain

A pet who has clinical signs of vomiting or diarrhea for more than 24 hours or who does not eat for 24 hours should be examined by a veterinarian immediately.
Treatment for pets with pancreatitis typically includes aggressive rehydration with intravenous fluids and electrolytes during several days of hospitalization. Anti-vomiting and anti-diarrheal medications can be used to treat symptoms, and pain medications can keep pets comfortable.
Recovering pets are fed a bland, fat-restricted diet for several weeks before gradually resuming their normal diets.
So, this Thanksgiving, don't pass (your pet) the gravy! Make it a baby carrot or fresh green bean instead.

Adopt a senior

As both National Senior Pet Month and National Adoption Month, GWLAH would like to encourage you to consider adopting a senior pet in November. Senior pets have just as much love to give as puppies and kittens, but are often overlooked because of their age. They are past the shoe chewing and curtain-climbing phases, and have settled into their personalities, so what you see is what you get. Senior pets make wonderful companions; won't you consider saving a life and bringing one home?