Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic

Tips on Giving Your Pet Oral Medication from the Doctors at The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic.
Cats
1. When giving a medication in pill form, first wrap it in deli meat, tuna fish, a pill pocket, or any treat that your cat will enjoy
2. Capsules are easy to break open and mix with wet food (a/d) or tuna fish.
3. For tablets, try hiding it in wet food. Be sure to ask before crushing up any medication as some should not be crushed!
4. If the above options do not work, you will have to force the cat to take the medication. Place the pill (throw the pill to the back of the throat) on the inside of the back corner of the mouth (as far back as you can get it) and then hold your cat’s mouth shut while they swallow. It usually slides down easier if dipped in a small amount of butter. You make also use a piller to get the medication to the back of the mouth.
5. If the medication is in liquid form, you can sprinkle it on their food or mix with their food, which your cat sometimes will eat without noticing. This will usually need to be a very tasty food such as a/d, tuna, salmon, beef jerky, deli meat, liverwurst, etc.
6. If you free feed your cat, you will need to give the liquid directly. Draw the medication up with a syringe and place the tip of the opening to the corner of your cat’s mouth. Place the syringe between the lips and slowly squirt the medicine into the mouth (not too quickly as to gag the cat, but quick enough she doesn’t have time to pull away). This may take a few tries because your cat will most likely pull away or struggle, until they understand what is happening. You can also hold the scruff, tilt the head back, and squirt the liquid in the side of the mouth. Giving them a treat or water chaser after medication, helps the medication go down and makes the next time easier.

Dogs
1. When giving a pill, simply wrap it in a very small piece of “Human” food (deli meat) or dog treat, and follow the “treat” with a much larger treat immediately. This will cause them to rapidly swallow the first treat with the medication as they anticipate the larger treat that follows.
2. When giving a liquid let your dog smell it first and then squirt it in on the side of the mouth. Remember to hold the mouth closed until you see a good swallow (about 3-5 seconds). Then give a treat after the medication as a chaser.
3. Pills may be given with a small amount of butter, followed by a treat.
4. Pills may be given with a small amount of peanut butter (since peanut butter is sticky it sometimes causes the medications to get stuck in the mouth).
5. A small hole may be punctured in a marshmallow and the pill may be given in this mechanism.

* If they refuse to swallow, holding their muzzle shut and blowing on their nose or rubbing their throat usually encourages them to swallow.

* At The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic we can flavor most medication here with our flavoring system to make it more palatable. We can mix both pills and liquid into a variety of flavored liquids your pet will enjoy. Ask us about Flavor Rx Mandarin orange, chopped liver, grilled tuna, crispy bacon, salmon, mom’s banana bread and other flavors.

* We can also give many medications in injectable forms. Ask about Convenia, this injectable antibiotic only needs to be given once every 2 weeks.

* Call us anytime that you have questions about medicating your pet!!!

* Call to verify that the particular medication that you are trying to administer to your pet can be given with one of the things or methods that are recommended in this handout.  Some medications cannot be mixed with certain food, medications, or methods.  Some medications must be given at certain times of the day.  Some medications are sensitive to heat, cold, etc.  If you have any questions consult your veterinarian on a particular medication or disease.

Dr. Bill Langhofer, The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic

TSVCpets.com

Open 7 days a week from 7 am – 9 pm.  Yes we are open on Sunday!!!

The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic DENTAL CARE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Good teeth and gums are very important to the health of your pet, the average animal lives 2-3 years longer with healthy teeth, than those with gingivitis and tartar. Bad teeth and gingivitis can lead to heart disease, kidney and liver failure, and many other diseases.

1. We recommend starting on Plaque Off. It bonds to tartar, and breaks tartar off the teeth in addition to preventing new tartar from forming. Simply add this powder to ’s food daily. This product works well for dogs and cats that do not like to chew or are too sick for a dental cleaning.

2. You can also use dental chews, and we recommend CET HEXTRA chews. A recent study in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry noted a 46% reduction in gingivitis with rawhide chews. CET chews have enzymes that help eat the tartar off the teeth. It also has an antibacterial agent (Chlorhexidine gluconate), that acts like a mouth wash. These help to scrape tartar and plaque off the teeth and to reduce bacteria in the mouth. If you purchase chews from a local pet store, please keep in mind that they must be “enzymatic” to be really effective.
*Overall chews are safe and very beneficial to the teeth; however, if you pet swallows them whole they must be discontinued as they can cause a blockage and may require surgery. Other rawhides/chews tend to cause more problems with diarrhea/vomiting as they are cured with formaldehyde. The CET Chews are cured with a bake and press method which make them safer to give to your pet, and easier to digest when swallowed.

3. We also recommend you try brushing ’s teeth 2 times weekly. You can buy toothpaste and toothbrushes here or at the local pet store. Do not use a human tooth paste as these cannot be swallowed.

4. Greenies can be beneficial to the teeth. Make sure your pet does not swallow them whole as they can cause a blockage and possibly require surgery.

5. Dental cleanings are recommended for pets with tartar and gingivitis, and for pets that will possible require tooth extractions. At The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic we have great discounts on our dental prophys the month of September and February, with discounts of 25% on the cleanings. Most dogs and cats will require a dental cleaning around 7 years of age and every 1-2 years after to keep the teeth in good condition.

Dr William ( Bill ) Langhofer
The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic
7311 E Thomas Rd
Scottsdale, Az 85251
Open 7 days a week!!

These are a list of the things that the doctors at the Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic may recommend for back pain or back injury with your pet

1. Pain medications- Tramadol , hydromorphone, and buprenorphine are morphine type products that can help with back pain. This product may cause constipation; therefore,  laxatives are recommended.

2. Muscle relaxants- Methocarbamol or Diazepam may be used to help reduce the amount of muscle spasms that your pet may experience with back pain. These are recommended if they are restless, panting, or unable to sleep at night.

3. Weight loss and exercise- if your pet is overweight we will recommend weight loss. Exercise is recommended to keep the muscles in the back strong. Leash walk or swimming is the best exercise. Absolutely no fetch, jumping should be allowed for the next month, as this type of exercise can continue to injure the back.

4. Anti-inflammatory medications- Prednisone (cortisone) may be recommended for disc disease, this cannot be given with any aspirin type products. Some potential side effect include: diabetes, liver disease, immune suppression, and stomach ulcers.

5. Other pain meds may include rimadyl, aspirin, metacam, etc- these cannot be given with any type of cortisone, and should be discontinued if any vomiting or diarrhea is noted.

6. We recommend fiber to prevent constipation: canned pumpkin or metamucil.

7. Docusate sodium (Colace) may also be recommended for constipation.

8. Injectable adequan can speed healing with arthritis, and with disc disease. This is usually given 1-2 times per week for one month, then monthly.

9. Heat and massage therapy on the area that is painful may help relax the muscles and aid in recovery. This can be performed daily at home.

10. Acupuncture and a chiropractic adjustment with Dr D’Monte has had some significant success in treating back pain, and back injuries.

11. Duralactin is highly recommended as an effective anti-inflammatory agent for arthritis in the back and back injuries. This will probably be recommended for life if your pet injures their back.

12. Fish oil appears to be helpful in the treatment and prevention of back injuries and arthritis. Fish oil does take some time to build up in the body to start showing its effectiveness.

13. With disc disease it is possible for your pet to become completely paralyzed, if this happens surgery may be the only solution for this condition. Monitor your pet closely through the recovery period, and recheck immediately if worse or if not improving.

Dr. Bill Langhofer, DVM

The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic

Serving the Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix, and Mesa Area of Arizona

480-945-8484

Many pets will not eat the commercially available diets when they are in kidney failure.  To make a home-made kidney diet for your pet, you may use the following ingredients and guidelines for mixing and creating the diet. Begin by feeding 1/2 cup twice per day and then increasing or decreasing diet based upon weight changes to maintain an appropriate weight. A new diet will need to be made every 5-7 days to prevent feeding spoiled food.  This is the recommended amount for an average size cat.

>> White meat chicken, chicken gizzard, plus 2 hard-boiled eggs, with a touch of clam juice or chicken broth: 20%

>> Kidney beans: 10%

>> Well-cooked white/basmati rice, polenta, barley: 60%

>> String beans, squash, asparagus, kale: 10%

All of these should be mixed together and cooked.  After cooking the mix should be refrigerated or frozen until feeding.  A batch should be remade at least every week.

Other supplements that may be recommended by your veterinarian, and may be added to the food after cooking :

Fish oil.  Pet tinic. Epakitin.

Dr. Darren Wright, Veterinarian at The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic, a pet clinic that is dedicated to the whole health of your companion in the Phoenix, Arizona Area.

480-945-8484

TSVCpets.com

2. Spray fruit juice on top of the pellets- Apple, Orange, Grapefruit, Papaya Juices can all be misted on top of pellets to help flavor the pellets a flavor that they may enjoy. You may also mix pellets with apple sauce.

3. Make it hot- many birds like tabasco sauce on pellets.

4. Mix pellets- with pasta sauce, oatmeal, banana baby food, cream of wheat.

5. Feed them pellets on a mirror, the reflection of “another bird” in the mirror may stimulate them to try the pellets. It’s all about the competition.

6. Mix the pellets with their current seed. (This is the least effective method as they usually just eat around them, but this does allow them to get used to the pellets and start viewing it as food)

7. Place a few drops of peanut oil in a bag with the pellets and shake them, the peanut oil is very good at hiding the flavor of the pellets and will lightly coat the outside of the pellets. This method is very effective for birds that like peanut butter and peanuts. (only use a few drops).

8. Place pellets on a plate while you are eating dinner and pretend to eat them (Yes we want the human to pretend to eat the pellets). This method is very effective for birds that are comfortable eating at the dinner table with a human family.

9. Place another bird next to them that is already eating pellets (monkey see…monkey do).

10. Cook the pellets in some type of bread- corn muffin, wheat muffin, etc., and then feed them the bread.

- Be persistent as I have had one client that had to spend 2.5 years before her budgie would finally start eating pellets.

-The average bird takes a few months for them to get used to the pellets and start eating them on a regular basis.

-Do not just force them to eat pellets or go hungry, as they may refuse the pellets until they develop other complicating medical problems. Make sure that they are eating some type of food on a regular basis during the transition.

-Our general rule of thumb for psittacine species (parrots) is 40% pellets, 30% vegetables, 20% fruit, and 10 % seeds and nuts. These ratios do change dramatically based on the species of parrot and their medical concerns.

Dr. Bill Langhofer, The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic, TSVCpets.com

Rat Cancer Therapy Recommendation:

The following recommendations help slow the progression of cancer in your pet, this is not an all inclusive list, but a guideline. These recommendations may change based on the type of cancer, once verified by histopath:

1. High dose omega 3 fatty acids- We recommend wellactin (260 mg/ml) – We typically recommend 0.1 – 0.25 ml per 250 grams every 12 hours for life. If diarrhea develops the dose should be decreased, then slowly increased over a 2-4 week period.
2. High protein diet- meat products (chicken, salmon, tuna, turkey), soy/tofu, egg whites, vanilla ensure, milk (KMR), meat baby foods, etc.
3. Do not give large amounts of simple sugars and carbs- no fruit juice, no sugar, no cereals, etc.
4. Offer berries- high in anti-oxidants- blueberries are a favorite of most rats.
5. Hoxsey Formula- this is a combination of herbs to slow cancer growth- give a pinch from a capsule daily (approximately 1/8-1/4 capsule) for life. Make sure that this formula is a variety approved for use in animals.
6. Pet tinic- this is a vitamin that helps to boost the immune system. We recommend 0.02 ml per 100 grams 2 times per day for life.
7. Noni Juice- appears to be high in anti-oxidants. We typically recommend 0.1-0.5 ml every 12 hours per rat. This does not taste great, so therefore may need to be mixed with food (soy milk, yogurt, oatmeal). One study noted a dramatic increase in life span with rats and mammary cancer by using this product.
8. Prednisone- this may be given for suspected lymphoma (type of cancer), helps to stimulate the appetite, but has side effects. Inexpensive.
9. Metacam- this may be given for pain and to treat certain types of carcinomas. Metacam and Prednisone cannot be given together.
10. Tamoxifen citrate- this is used for breast cancer. This appears to be effective at slowing breast cancer, but not very effective with benign breast tumors. The benign mammary tumors are much more common than cancer and respond the best to surgical removal and spay if the rat is not already spayed.

All of these may be mixed with vanilla ensure, or may just be mixed together and given with a syringe or mixed with food (yogurt, oatmeal, soy milk).

Dr. William Langhofer
Scottsdale, AZ vet on staff at TSVCpets.com

Few people understand how dangerous sago palms can be to dogs.  A few weeks ago we had a patient that ingested a portion of a sago palm tree and subsequently fell into liver failure.   These palms are small in size with the base having the appearance of a pineapple and the leaves are long and fern-like.   Dogs seem to sample these plants and all portions of the plant are very toxic.  At The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic we highly recommend that these plants are not used around pets due to their extreme toxicity.

Dr Bill Langhofer

For more info check give us a call @ 480-945-8484

Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic

HARMFUL HOUSE PLANTS!!
Houseplants can be both beautiful and useful. However, quite a few of them can cause severe
discomfort, illness and even death if ingested. In some instances, contact should be avoided as well.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t continue to enjoy houseplants. However, you should be
careful to keep them out of reach of children and pets. And, with the safety of everyone in mind, you
may want to pass along these examples to friends and relatives who have children and pets in their
homes.

Harmful Plants

• African Violet (Saintpaulia spp.)
• Amaryllis
• Anthurium
• Apricot
• Autumn
• Azalea
• Begonia
• Caladium Mucosal
• Calla lily
• Century Plant (Agave)
• Choke Cherries
• Chrysanthemum
• Daffodil
• Delphinium
• Dieffenbachia
• Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia)
• Elderberry
• Elephant’s Ear (Colocasia)
• English Ivy (Hedera helix)
• Four O’Clock (Mirabilis)
• Foxglove
• Heliotrope (Heliotrope spp.)
• Hydrangea
• Iris Gastrointestinal
• Kalanchoe
• Lantana
• Lily of the Valley
• Mistletoe Berries
• Morning Glory
• Oleander (Nerium oleander)
• Peach
• Pencil Cactus
• Peperomia (Peperomia obtusifolia)
• Petunia
• Philodendron (Philodendron spp.)
• Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
• Prayer Plant (Maranta)
• Primrose (Primula)
• Rex Begonia
• Rhubarb
• Rubber Plant (Ficus)
• Scheffelera
• Sweet Violets
• Gastroenteritis
• Taxus
• Wormwood (Artemisia)

For more information give  The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic a call @ 480-945-8484 Today!

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