Episode 14
Vet Chat with Dr Milazzo
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Charlotte Milazzo, an experienced veterinarian, to discuss pet emergencies, general care, and how to keep your furry friends safe and healthy
Transcript
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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:people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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:Hi everybody.
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:We're gonna have a very interesting
and informative episode today.
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:I'm sitting down here to chat with
my good friend and animal lover,
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:Charlotte, who is also a veterinarian.
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:Dr.
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:Milazzo, can you please tell
us a little bit about yourself?
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:Charlotte: I am Dr.
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:Charlotte Milazzo.
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:I am from New Orleans, Louisiana,
and I got my veterinary degree from
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:Tuskegee University in Alabama, and
I did my preceptorship in Australia.
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:A couple of externships in California.
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:And I like to do private practice
and charity work as well.
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:Birds are my favorite.
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:Everybody always asks.
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:Dixie: So, what's special about birds?
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:Why are they your favorite?
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:Charlotte: Well, they're forgotten
about by a lot of other vets.
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:Vets will say, oh no, I don't see birds.
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:And some things are pretty easy to take
care of with birds, but some things are
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:highly specialized 'cause they're so
different than all the other species.
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:They're just really cool creatures.
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:And the amount, the type of species
and the wide variety is huge.
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:There's so much diversity,
we've got raptors, we've got
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:parrots, we've got songbirds.
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:It's just interesting.
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:Dixie: I wanted to talk about a trend
that I'm seeing a lot on social media,
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:and it's basically where people get
on social media and they'll be having
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:some kind of veterinary emergency and
they're out there asking people for help.
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:Hey, what do I do?
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:So I wanted to quickly chat
about situations where people
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:should be going to the vet asap.
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:From your experience, what are some
of the most common situations where
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:pet owners hesitate to go to the
emergency room, but absolutely should?
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:Charlotte: Well, I, one of the hard ones
to make the call is when an animal eats
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:an object that is obviously dangerous
or something that's not gonna pass like
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:rope or material a lot of times it does
pass, but, some things are just obvious
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:foreign bodies that are gonna get stuck
and sometimes people will wait until the
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:animal gets really sick and they go in.
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:I think we probably see more cases
of object eating where people
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:wait too long than, coming in
and not needing to have come in.
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:So it's always best to catch
those things right away.
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:Dixie: I actually had a situation
with that when I was younger.
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:It was Christmas.
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:I had a relatively new cat.
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:He was probably about maybe
seven, eight months old.
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:And I saw him steal a piece of
ribbon off of a Christmas present.
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:Charlotte: Wow.
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:Dixie: And I saw him eat the ribbon
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:Charlotte: uhhuh.
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:Dixie: So I chased him down.
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:I tried to get it, couldn't get to him in
time, and I saw him swallow that ribbon.
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:Well, we ended up at the emergency vet.
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:It was like my worst Christmas ever.
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:Charlotte: Yep.
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:Dixie: And the vet had to
try to induce vomiting.
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:He vomited several times.
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:And it never came up.
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:Charlotte: Yep.
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:Dixie: And so the vet was
like, are you sure that, are
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:you sure you saw him eat it?
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:I'm like, I am absolutely
100% certain that he ate it.
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:Oh, well.
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:So they did send him home.
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:They said they thought that maybe
I just didn't see it correctly.
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:Charlotte: Uhhuh.
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:Dixie: So we got home and they
just, they did tell me, look
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:out for vomiting and diarrhea.
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:But we got home and he
did end up throwing it up.
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:Charlotte: Well that's good.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:So he did eat it.
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:Charlotte: Uhhuh.
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:Dixie: I wasn't wrong.
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:I did see him eat it.
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:Charlotte: Yep.
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:Dixie: So, what would you say about that?
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:Should people be a hundred
percent certain that they see them
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:eat it?
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:Charlotte: If you have any idea that
you think your animal ate something bad?
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:If you even have that inkling and the
animal seems in any way distressed, yes,
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:you definitely need to go to the er.
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:Also with like medications I have like.
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:Dogs and cats that will get into human
medications, eat a whole bottle of
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:like blood pressure medicine or ADD
medication or something like that.
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:And you have about 20 minutes
to get them to puke it up.
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:Sometimes emergency vets will tell
people to give a little bit like a
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:teaspoon or so of hydrogen peroxide to
get the animal orally, to get the animal
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:to throw up, especially if it's pills
because you only really have about.
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:10, 15 minutes really with some
pills before they start to be
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:metabolized and absorbed in the GI.
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:So, otherwise if not you need to rush to
the hospital and have them induce vomiting
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:so they can vomit up as many of those
pills as they can or whatever they ate.
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:You have to be careful too because
sometimes if they eat things like
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:batteries, like those button batteries.
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:You don't want them to vomit in those
case cases, they have to be opened up
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:because if they vomit that up, the acid
in the stomach, it's gonna burn the
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:esophagus and everything on the way up.
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:Same thing with things like bleach.
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:If an animal like eats a bleach bottle,
like gel bleach pen or something like
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:that, and they manage to get it down,
you probably don't want them throwing
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:that up again because it's just gonna
irritate the esophagus on the way up.
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:So it depends on what they ate.
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:And another big one too is
tampons, feminine products,
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:baby diapers, dental floss.
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:Those are all the things that we
pull out of animals, underwear.
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:All kinds of things.
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:So, if you see your animal eating
that, then it's time to go in.
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:A lot of people wait days and days,
and then by that time we have to go
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:in and remove sections of intestine
that have died and things like that.
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:And then the outcome of the
surgery is generally not very
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:good in, in a lot of those cases.
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:String foreign bodies like the ribbon,
you have to really be careful about.
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:If you think your animal has swallowed
a ribbon, the first place you wanna
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:check is the back of their tongue.
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:If you can, you should open the mouth
and check the base of the tongue.
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:There are cats that I have seen
that have played with yarn.
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:I always tell people it's not
cute to give a kitten yarn.
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:Not at all.
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:So if you have a cat that
plays with yarn, no stop.
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:I pull way too much yarn out of animals.
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:So, it can get wrapped around the tongue
base, go through the entire GI and be
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:hanging out the butt end of the cat.
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:And people will call the ER and
say, well, should I pull the string
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:that's hanging from my cat's butt?
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:And I'll tell them, no.
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:Check under the tongue first, and
you'd be surprised how many people
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:find the beginning of the yarn or the
ribbon or whatever it is wrapped around
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:the base of the tongue dental floss.
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:You it's incredible to think that it
could travel that far out of the animal.
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:And the problem is they get in
distress pretty quickly because
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:it's like everything from mouth to
butt turns into an accordion, all,
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:bunched up together on a string.
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:So definitely keep strings
away from your animals.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:And
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:I hate that every time you see a
drawing of a kitten they always
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:have a fricking ball of yarn.
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:Charlotte: Yes.
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:Exactly.
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:Dixie: And I hate that because kittens
should not be playing with string.
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:They should not be playing with yarn.
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:Charlotte: Yep.
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:I'll see people give rope toys
sometimes to the wrong size animal.
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:And they'll have a large dog with a
rope toy that they could easily swallow.
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:And there's plenty of safe things for
them to chew on without giving them
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:anything that could be dangerous.
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:Dixie: If they have string like
hanging out of the butt and Yeah.
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:So if they have the string hanging
out the butt, they should not
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:pull it.
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:Charlotte: Never pull string
hanging out of a butt.
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:Now if they're defecating and you
see a little bit and you know they
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:can't poop and you're, you can
gently apply a little pressure.
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:But if you have to, if you have to
actually pull on it, leave it alone.
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:If you can wipe it with a Kleenex or a
paper towel and it comes off or out, okay?
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:If you have to pull it, do not
pull it, go immediately to the er.
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:Dixie: Because I can imagine it
can get tangled on intestines
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:and all kinds of stuff too.
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:Charlotte: Oh yeah.
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:Dixie: Not just The tongue base.
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:Charlotte: Yep
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:Dixie: so are there other
situations aside from.
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:Foreign bodies.
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:Charlotte: Well, I see a lot of
unnecessary visits to the emergency room.
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:Well, I guess we'll talk
about the necessary ones.
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:Bloat in dogs is a big one
where people will see just the
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:animal uncomfortable pacing.
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:Sometimes there's
vomiting, but not always.
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:Sometimes the stomach can twist
and nothing's coming in or out.
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:It's extremely painful.
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:And if you stand over
the animal, you can see.
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:One side, bulging and it's, you can even
ping it and it sounds like a basketball
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:or some other air-filled cavity.
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:And it, if you don't decompress it very
soon, it will it can actually rupture.
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:So, there's certain breeds that are
more predisposed to that, like, mostly
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:large dogs and deep chested dogs
like German shepherds, greyhounds,
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:poodles standard sized poodles.
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:Dobermans they are one of those
that are suspect for bloat.
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:So, a lot of times when they eat, they'll
eat too quickly and swallow a lot of air.
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:And that can also be the
cause of like air bloat.
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:Sometimes they can bloat from
eating too much food, but usually
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:if the dangerous one is air bloat.
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:Dixie: Now, I don't know if it's
true, but I've heard something
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:about not giving them ice either.
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:Can ice cause bloat?
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:Charlotte: Not necessarily.
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:I think if you have an animal that has
a sensitive GI, that may be a bad idea.
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:I.
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:Most of the time, ice
really isn't gonna matter.
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:I'd be more worried about them
choking on it or, aspirating on a,
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:on something the size of an ice cube.
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:'cause some ice cubes are just
perfect to fit down the trachea.
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:But as far as it being cold, that's
really shouldn't be an issue.
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:But they even tell human athletes, that,
if you're overheated, sometimes it's a
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:bad idea to drink something that's very
cold, so it may cause cramping, but it's
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:certainly not gonna, cause anything major?
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:I always tell people two things.
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:You must go to the ER for if an animal
can't breathe and that it's turning blue.
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:This is not a regular thing,
meaning you, you have a boxer or
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:a French bulldog that gets excited
and they turn blue for a second.
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:If they're coughing or they
have a reverse sneeze situation
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:going on that's one thing.
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:But if you think they've inhaled food and
they look like they're really struggling,
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:it's time to, to get to the er.
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:But some of the things you can try at
home, if it's a dog that you can pick
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:up actually holding it upside down.
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:Is an excellent way to get something
out of a trachea with a small animal
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:or even a small person if need be.
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:People always forget, work with gravity.
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:So that's another one that you
a must for going to the er.
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:Bleeding.
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:Anything that's bleeding, that's
spurting blood a few inches up,
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:yes, you need to apply quick
pressure and get them to the er.
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:Things like toenails, bleeding
toenails, or dogs that bite their
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:tongues sometimes there can be a lot
of blood associated with that, but it's
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:not like a dangerous amount of blood.
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:So, I have never seen an animal
bleed out from a toenail ever though.
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:Generally toenails do
not need to go to the er.
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:It's always best to have quick
stop, which is some like styptic
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:powder that people use for shaving.
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:You can pack on the end of the toenail.
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:You can even use cooking flour in a
real emergency to help congeal some of
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:that blood at the base of the toenail.
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:And that's one of the
most painful injuries.
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:I see that in the ER a lot because
the dogs will limp and people
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:will think, oh, it's a broken leg.
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:It's a toenail that's cracked.
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:So I always say if your dog's limping
or your cat's limping, first thing
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:you should do is check the toenails.
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:If you can't do anything
else, at least do that.
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:And that's one thing you can rule out.
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:Dixie: I'd like to get
into cats a little bit too.
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:What are gonna be some of your more common
emergencies that you're gonna see in cats?
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:Charlotte: Cats.
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:One of the big things we see with cats,
especially male cats, is bladder stones.
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:And what happens is it they get a
stone in the bladder, same way that
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:people get stones in their bladder
and kidneys and other places as well.
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:The only problem is the urinary
tract of male cats is so small.
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:It's like a couple of hairs.
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:wide.
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:So if they get even just a little bit
of grit in their urine or a stone,
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:it can easily block the bladder from
draining into the urethra, especially
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:in a male because it's much smaller
and it has to go through the penis.
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:So, a lot of times they'll get
blocked and people don't realize that
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:their cat hasn't urinated for a day
or two and they're acting strange.
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:They're crying, they're just laying there.
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:And if they're starting to be in dire
emergency state, . You can even squeeze
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:the area of their body where their bladder
should be just around the pelvis from
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:underneath the abdomen, and you can feel,
it feels sometimes like the size of a
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:lemon or a baseball and it's completely
filled with urine and they can't urinate.
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:And it's a series of emergency.
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:So as soon as we get them
in, we try to sedate them
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:immediately and pass a catheter.
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:If we can't pass a catheter to push
the stone back into the bladder.
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:We'll we have to go in and, aspirate or
suck some of the urine out with a syringe
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:and needle to give them some relief so
we have a little time to work and that
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:they're not, in danger of their bladder
rupturing because if they don't get
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:attention for that, they, their bladder
will rupture and it will kill them and
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:that it's not a very pleasant way to go.
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:So I've unfortunately seen some some
folks that maybe didn't have the
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:funds to go to the emergency vet.
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:I think they can do something at
home, and unfortunately I've had to
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:tell them sometimes euthanasia is the
kindest option in those cases because
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:it's not a nice way to pass with your
bladder ruptured and dying of sepsis.
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:So if that's the case, it's
always best to put your animals'
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:feelings ahead of yours for sure.
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:Yeah, and
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:Dixie: Dr.
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:Milazzo also helped me with my cat Kipper.
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:Charlotte: Yes.
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:Dixie: Would you like to take the
credit for Kipper , Dr Milazzo?
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:Charlotte: Well, just to give
you guys an idea, I'm 45, so I'm
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:on the route to becoming what
we call a dinosaur veterinarian.
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:So I still know some of the old ways
of teaching and some of the quick fixes
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:that we've had to do to save animals.
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:Almost like battlefield medicine.
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:And sometimes that comes in handy,
especially when there are a lot
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:of young vets around that are
very smart, very on top of things,
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:very into the latest and the best
techniques and the current research.
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:And so, there's a little bit battle
between the dinosaur vets and the new
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:vets about what to do with blocked cats.
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:And over the 20 years
that I've been practicing.
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:I can tell you that the proof is in the
pudding and what I see when I treat it,
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:what cats get better and what cats don't.
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:And a lot of times when you have a
cat that either has a stone or has
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:severe urethral inflammation, so much
so that it's so swollen that they
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:can't pee and it's not necessarily a
stone, but it's just swelling of the
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:urethra that keeps them from urinating.
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:You have to go in and you have to put a
catheter in there just like a human would
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:get in the hospital so that they're able
to urinate from the bed or whatever.
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:And you have to leave that in there
for at least two to three days.
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:So that while the inflammation is
going on going down and you give
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:antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.
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:The body has a chance to be able
to rid itself of waste products.
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:And while the inflammation is
stopping and you don't have to
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:worry about re blocking up again.
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:Now, there's a newer school of
thought that, that says, the
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:catheter shouldn't be in that long.
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:It needs to be taken out after,
10 or 12 hours, or sometimes even
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:less once the cat is unblocked
because it's a source of infection.
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:Well.
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:My, my train of thought is that you
don't have to worry about infection
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:killing you if your bladder ruptures.
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:So, you gotta pick the
lesser of two evils.
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:So the funny story is how Dixie and I
became friends many years ago was when
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:Kipper was blocked and for the first time.
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:Usually some male cats will happen
once in a lifetime, sometimes
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:twice if it becomes a repeat thing.
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:And they like, they're going into the
emergency several times with this.
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:Then they have to get what's called
a urethrotemy which is basically
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:they remove the penis and they
make a new opening that's much
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:larger for the bladder to drain.
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:So, it's basically just like they
will, most of them leak urine
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:after that, but it's a surgery that
you can do to save their lives.
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:But it's not something that
you wanna do on a cat that's
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:been blocked once in its life.
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:'cause chances are it had an infection.
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:And once we clear up the infection
or get rid of the stone and change
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:the diet, it won't happen again.
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:So Kipper went into a local er and they.
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:Wanted to perform a urethrotemy on
Kipper after he was there for the day.
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:And I wasn't at work that day, but
I was chit-chatting with Dixie here.
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:And I was out on the town in
my much younger days having
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:a drink and I got very angry.
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:I was like, I'm not letting
them cut your cat's penis off.
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:So I said, do I sound sober
enough to call the emergency room?
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:And Dixie says.
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:maybe, but just don't use the F word.
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:So, so at which point I instructed
her to go and get her cat in any
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:state that was in and bring it
to me first thing in the morning.
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:And thankfully she listened to
me and I saw the cat and we were
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:able to catheterize him a few
days and he lived the rest of his
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:life not having to have a Romy.
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:So, 'cause that's a big thing, that's like
a person getting like a colostomy bag.
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:Imagine if you had constipation one
day and somebody said, well, we're
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:gonna just give you a colostomy bag.
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:No that's definitely not the answer.
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:So, before you agree
to a surgery like that.
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:May maybe ask an older vet.
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:I don't know.
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:It's just a thought.
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:Us old folks, and I say I'm old,
but there's plenty of vets in their
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:eighties that are still practicing.
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:So I guess they think I'm a youngin still.
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:But if you run it by an older vet and
they make a face, chances are you might
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:wanna reconsider or get a second opinion.
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:Dixie: And Kipper never had a problem.
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:Charlotte: Exactly.
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:Dixie: After that it was just a
one time thing and we put him on
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:the special diet and that was it.
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:We never had a another problem.
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:Now I did watch 'em like a hawk.
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:To make sure.
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:Charlotte: Yep.
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:Dixie: And so some of the signs
that I would like to say if you see
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:first inappropriate elimination.
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:Charlotte: Yep.
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:Dixie: Okay.
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:Don't go on Facebook, don't
go on social media and ask.
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:Why is my cat peeing
outside the litter box?
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:Go to a vet because it could be
a sign of something much worse.
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:Charlotte: Exactly.
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:It could be just a UTI or infection.
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:It could be behavioral.
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:But if your cat always uses a litter box
and it stops, something is usually wrong.
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:And a lot of times if they urinate
in strange places to get your
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:attention, something's wrong.
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:Inappropriate.
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:Elimination is.
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:Probably more of a sign of issues
in cats than it is in dogs.
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:Sometimes dogs like to
mark certain things.
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:Of course, cats do too, but with cats
it's usually a sign that something
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:hurts them or something's going wrong.
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:Dixie: I'd also like to talk a
little bit about people who just
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:do fostering for younger animals.
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:So we're gonna talk about like
bottle kittens and bottle puppies.
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:Of course, I'm more familiar
with the bottle kittens.
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:'cause that's what I do.
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:So I see something frequently with
people when they have the bottle kittens.
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:The kittens might start to
dehydrate 'cause they're not
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:giving them say, enough fluid.
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:What is a good way for somebody to test
for that, to see if they're dehydrated?
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:Charlotte: Well, you can check
what's called their skin tur
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:or how wrinkled the skin is.
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:If you pull up the skin, either, on
their side or at the scruff area or
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:anywhere really, and you pick it up and
it tenses or it stays up in the pinch
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:position for longer than a second.
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:Then they're probably dehydrated,
sunken eyes around the eye sockets.
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:You'll see that they're sunken in.
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:And also of course really dark,
strong urine and not urinating
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:enough as well as a, is a pretty
good sign of dehydration too.
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:Weakness also.
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:And another good thing since we brought
it up, not that it's related to, well, it
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:could be related to bottle kittens too.
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:A lot of times people
get kittens and puppies.
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:They'll come in and they'll say, oh my
gosh, my kitten or my puppy is really
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:weak, and it's just laying there.
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:It's breathing.
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:It's okay, but it's just laying there.
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:Sometimes I've had, I've told people
before they do anything, as long
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:as the animal was breathing and not
obstructed in any way, like choking
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:on anything, I've told them to get
some plain karo syrup or pancake
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:syrup and rub it on the animal's gums.
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:A lot of times puppies and kittens
suffer from hypoglycemia or low
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:blood sugar if they miss a feeding,
or let's say mom got distracted
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:and didn't feed them and they went.
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:A little bit too long without a feeding.
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:Their blood sugar can drop
and they look horrible.
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:They look like death, and then all of a
sudden they're up and running around again
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:and it's because their blood sugar drops.
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:So that's always
something to keep in mind.
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:If you see a recumbent animal
that looks normal, otherwise, gums
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:are pink, they're breathing okay.
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:There's no bleeding anywhere.
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:They're not painful, but they
just look listless sometimes
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:a little bit of pancake syrup.
418
:Which is probably the safest thing
to give them so they don't choke.
419
:Rub it on the gums and it'll
be absorbed pretty quickly.
420
:Dixie: Yep.
421
:And that is something
that I have done plenty
422
:times and they usually pop
right back up after that.
423
:Charlotte: Yep.
424
:Like if you find abandoned kittens,
a lot of times if they're weak,
425
:that's the first thing you should do.
426
:Along with hydrating them is
get their blood sugar back up.
427
:Dixie: Another thing that I would
like to talk about too is parasites
428
:and the little babies like that.
429
:Because I've seen situations where
the parasites can really do a number.
430
:Charlotte: Oh, yes.
431
:Dixie: And I know like coccidia and
Giardia are two really big ones.
432
:So what are signs of that people
would need to look out for?
433
:Charlotte: Usually they look bad.
434
:They're they're on the thin side.
435
:They have watery diarrhea.
436
:Sometimes it's discolored and green,
sometimes there's a strange odor to it.
437
:And the one thing to remember about things
like that is, especially, let's say.
438
:You find a cat in either a hoarding
situation or a kitten in a hoarding
439
:or even a cat in a hoarding situation
or where they're in an unclean
440
:environment that has a lot of animal
feces around sometimes will get them.
441
:And those are the ones that are
prone to having things like that.
442
:It's easy to get stuck in places.
443
:I've seen some rescues that
don't have very good cleaning.
444
:protocol.
445
:And so what'll happen is they'll
have one kitten that comes in with
446
:giardia or coccidia and they'll
clean, but they don't clean enough.
447
:And then the next batch of
kittens that come in also gets it.
448
:And it just continues in to persist
because they haven't cleaned properly
449
:or they haven't done a, like a
proper quarantine to make sure that
450
:any new animals that come in aren't
having profuse watery diarrhea.
451
:Dixie: Yeah.
452
:That's why I always
quarantine all my kittens.
453
:Charlotte: Yep, yep.
454
:I see it all the time and people
are like, why do all my kittens
455
:come to come and get sick?
456
:Everyone, they all have diarrhea.
457
:No.
458
:You just need to clean a little
bit better and practice a
459
:little bit different intake.
460
:And it doesn't mean that you have to
treat them like a, hospital patient,
461
:like things were, no, it just means you
need to keep them alone and keep the
462
:ones that have not been exposed to the
other ones away until, and then if you
463
:see diarrhea, you just keep 'em separate
and clean, it's not a hard thing, but
464
:it's an accumulation of all the little
things you do that make a successful
465
:like a shelter or rescue situation.
466
:I worked at a very fancy hospital in
another state at one point, and the kennel
467
:staff cleaned with a rag in a bucket in
detergent, or it was an antibacterial
468
:detergent, but still each cage was wash
washed with the same like rag and sponge.
469
:So I saw multiple cases of
diarrhea from boarding animals,
470
:and it didn't look unclean.
471
:It didn't smell unclean, but you're
transferring bacteria from cage to cage.
472
:So if one animal has something now
they all have it, so that's a big one.
473
:And then when you're talking about
parasites, like actual worms, coccidia
474
:and giardia are parasites, but they're
more akin to a bacteria than actual worms.
475
:You're not gonna see giardia, you're
not gonna see coccidia in the stool.
476
:That's something microscopic.
477
:But if you see things like round worms
that look like spaghetti, anything
478
:that looks like spaghetti that's
coming out the butt, or sometimes
479
:vomited is usually a roundworm.
480
:We usually don't, sometimes you can see
hookworms, but they're much smaller.
481
:They have a mouth part that allows
them to attach to the wall of
482
:the intestine and suck blood.
483
:Hookworms can actually be much more
dangerous than roundworms because they
484
:can make them anemic and, suck all
the nutrients and blood from them.
485
:Whereas the roundworms just sit
around and obstruct the bowel.
486
:Maybe they stop absorption of nutrients,
but it's not quite the same as hookworms.
487
:Those, both, all those
eggs come from the ground.
488
:That's why they tell kids that
are playing in the sandbox.
489
:Wash your hands, kids playing outside.
490
:Wash your hands.
491
:You can also get them, you can get
worms from walking around barefoot
492
:because there's a certain stage of
the larva that will migrate through
493
:the skin and then pick up residents
through the bloodstream into the GI.
494
:So that's how people very often in rural
areas end up getting worms as well.
495
:So, making sure your animals on a regular
deworming routine or that the monthly meds
496
:that they take cover, that is important.
497
:People get overly
concerned about tape worms.
498
:I see that a lot on emergency people
freaking out because tape worms,
499
:they look like little grains of rice.
500
:People have also described
them to look like inch worms.
501
:And sometimes they can be a
little long, but usually they
502
:look like long grain rice, and
those do not come from the ground.
503
:They come from swallowing a flea.
504
:And an animal doesn't have to be
infested to have to have tape worms.
505
:All it takes is one flea.
506
:They can swallow, one flea while
they're licking themselves and.
507
:They've got tape worms.
508
:So one problem I have with that is
people will come in and they want me
509
:to treat the tape worms because they
see them coming out the butt or stuck
510
:to the fur and they're freaked out
by it and they think they can get it.
511
:And I have to tell the owners,
no, you cannot get tape worms
512
:unless you swallow a flea.
513
:You have to swallow a flea.
514
:So unless you're swallowing
fleas, you're gonna be okay.
515
:Yes, it's gross, but we can take
care of it and they'll want.
516
:Their animal to be treated for tape worms,
but then they don't get flea prevention.
517
:So they come back in a few weeks
and they're like, I thought
518
:you treated the tape worms doc.
519
:And I say, well.
520
:Your animals swallowed another flea.
521
:And even though they're on prevention,
sometimes they still swallow a flea.
522
:So it's just one of those
things you have to look out for.
523
:A lot of times tapeworms
don't usually cause problems.
524
:They just hang out and look gross,
but they can cause soft stool and
525
:they can cause their butts to itch.
526
:So if you see them rubbing their butts,
chances are it could be tapeworms or it
527
:could be their anal glands, which are.
528
:Two little glands at the opening of
the anus that have a lubricant in them.
529
:It's a remnant from wild animals that
when they eat bones and fur, not that
530
:our current domestic animals could
tolerate a diet of bones and fur.
531
:They still have those vestigial type
organs there and it's supposed to
532
:lubricate the feces on its way out.
533
:Our animals now do not have
bulky stools like that.
534
:So some of them have problems with
their anal glands and they need
535
:to come in to see me and I have to
express them, or, basically push on
536
:them so that they can evacuate those.
537
:And that will help with but itching, so
538
:Dixie: since you mentioned fleas of
course I always recommend people to
539
:go for flea prevention, the topicals.
540
:And the oral medication to go to a vet.
541
:You don't wanna go to the grocery
store to go get those things.
542
:Exactly.
543
:Charlotte: There is a particular brand
which starts with an H and ends with
544
:a Z that is sold commonly in stores
that I see repeated Intoxications
545
:with that topical medication.
546
:Specifically for cats.
547
:Also, you never want to use dog
flea prevention on cat and cat flea
548
:prevention on dog stay within the
species guidelines on the box, and
549
:also read how to administer it.
550
:I've seen some people administer
topical meds or meds that are put on
551
:the skin or applied to the skin orally.
552
:And I've seen some things.
553
:I've also seen somebody give a
suppository for the butt orally and
554
:wondered why there was a problem or
why the animal wasn't getting better.
555
:So always read your instructions and
if you have any doubts about where the
556
:medication goes and how to give it.
557
:Ask the vet, they will be more than happy
to answer any question that you have.
558
:So don't ever fear that
you're gonna look silly.
559
:We would much rather answer the
question than try to figure out
560
:the mystery of what happened later.
561
:But yeah you wanna ask the vet and
if you don't necessarily want to
562
:make an appointment to see a vet.
563
:You can at least establish
a relationship with one.
564
:My clients, even if they aren't coming
in to see me, I get a lot of questions
565
:or they want prescriptions filled for
flea prevention and I have no problem
566
:doing that as long as I have some
sort of established relationship with
567
:them and some sort of knowing that
they're gonna use the product correctly
568
:and I can keep it in their records.
569
:So I know if something comes
up or they have a problem, I
570
:can see what they've taken.
571
:Dixie: So another thing that I
would like to ask you about, this
572
:is something that people freak out
about all the time is ringworm,
573
:Charlotte: oh
574
:lord.
575
:Ringworm is the hot topic,
especially when it comes to rescue.
576
:People see missing fur that looks
like it could be in a round like
577
:shape on an animal, and they
completely lose their minds and.
578
:The first issue being that it's a zoonotic
disease, and that's a fancy word for
579
:saying humans can get it and species
can transfer it from one to another.
580
:So, that's part of the reason
why people freak out, but
581
:also the name freaks them out.
582
:Ringworm is not actually
a worm, it is a fungus.
583
:It is the same thing as athlete's
foot or jock itch that humans get.
584
:It is nothing dangerous.
585
:But the problem is
that, it is contagious.
586
:If you go walking around on
dirty gym floors, you're probably
587
:gonna get athletes' foot.
588
:Kittens that have ringworm, chances are
all of the kittens that were exposed and
589
:sometimes the people who handled them
will come up with a few ringworm spots.
590
:It is not anything to panic over.
591
:You go to the drugstore, you
get some antifungal cream.
592
:The same stuff you would use
on Athletes' Foot or Jock itch.
593
:You apply it to the lesions about
twice a day for a week or so, sometimes
594
:a little longer, and they go away.
595
:If you have an immunocompromised
person in the family or around, then
596
:that might be a little bit different.
597
:But basically that's how you
handle it without freaking out.
598
:, I see it all the time.
599
:One time I had to do a bunch of
exams for some rescue animals that
600
:were going to a different state.
601
:And I got a callback from one of
the rescue people screaming at me
602
:telling me, you let a puppy with
ringworm go to another state.
603
:And I'm like whoa.
604
:First of all, by the time we would have
taken a sample of the missing fur on
605
:the spot on the dog in question and
actually put it in a medium to grow out.
606
:It would've been several days
before we would have a positive.
607
:Like we would have an answer to
whether or not it was ringworm or not.
608
:So if you don't know, a little fungal
antifungal cream will not hurt.
609
:And as I had told them before, it
did not turn out to be ringworm.
610
:It was a scab that had fallen off
and it was in a round shape and the
611
:hair had to grow back on the animal.
612
:So a lot of times things that people
think are ringworm are not actually that
613
:just because they're round and hairless.
614
:You can look up pictures on Google
and see what ringworm looks like.
615
:But just remember that some of
those pictures are not accurate.
616
:And also some of them are
like worst case scenarios.
617
:It's like if you look up a disease
online, you're going to see someone
618
:in a third world country that has
such an advanced state of disease
619
:that we may not even recognize.
620
:What it is because it's so far gone.
621
:So, just be aware of that.
622
:When you look things up on the
internet, usually it's the worst
623
:case scenario that you'll see.
624
:And what you have in real life is
something that's barely questionable.
625
:And if you bring your animal to the vet.
626
:If you want an answer of yes or no, this
is definitely ringworm or not, it's gonna
627
:take days to grow out on a culture plate
before we know if it's actually ringworm.
628
:We can even look at it with a
black light and sometimes that will
629
:help identify it, but not always.
630
:So when in doubt, just go get
you some miconazole cream at the
631
:drugstore and you'll be good.
632
:Dixie: Another topic that I'd like
to touch on are gonna be three of the
633
:feline diseases that people see a lot of.
634
:So one of 'em is gonna be FIP.
635
:Which there, last year it seems
like there was a huge FIP outbreak.
636
:And then of course the feline leukemia.
637
:And FIV.
638
:Charlotte: Feline leukemia and FIV
are more like long-term illnesses.
639
:FIV is almost like a person that has HIV.
640
:It's not a death sentence.
641
:It just means we need to watch them
for passing on the disease or also
642
:having problems with their immune
system and catching other things.
643
:So that's a big part of that is,
is not the actual disease, but the
644
:things that, that go along with them.
645
:That's the problem.
646
:I see a lot of people that have maybe
one cat and they'll see that it tested
647
:positive for FIV or feline leukemia
and they wanna put it to sleep, or
648
:the vet suggests putting it to sleep.
649
:There's no need for that.
650
:Keep your cat inside and keep your
one cat or adopt another cat that's
651
:positive and they'll be okay.
652
:So, there's that FIP is
a little bit different.
653
:There's still a lot that's not completely
understood about FIP and it is.
654
:Very much a diagnosis of exclusion.
655
:We have to rule out a bunch of
other things to realize that it's
656
:FIP and it's one of those things
as you get to be older as a vet,
657
:you can pick them out as they come.
658
:But it's often a disease of excluding
other things like feline leukemia,
659
:FIV, and other immune diseases.
660
:Dixie: Now back to the
feline leukemia and FIV.
661
:Can you tell us how feline leukemia is
662
:transferred
663
:Charlotte: Well, basically blood
and saliva, and those are two
664
:things with cats especially if
they're un neutered or unspayed.
665
:They're mating.
666
:There's lots of biting going
on, they're scratching.
667
:And exchange of saliva and blood
in any kind of way is just,
668
:that's the way to pass it on.
669
:So, that's basically how
they contract these diseases.
670
:Dixie: When it comes
to the feline leukemia.
671
:I've always heard that one's a little bit
easier to catch so that if you have a cat
672
:that has feline leukemia, you do not wanna
bring another cat into the household.
673
:Charlotte: Exactly.
674
:Dixie: Now with the feline aids?
675
:Or FIV.
676
:Charlotte: Yeah.
677
:Dixie: That one I have heard it's more
difficult for a cat to catch that because
678
:you actually have to have a bite for that.
679
:Charlotte: Exactly.
680
:Dixie: So.
681
:There's a little bit of controversy
with that because you hear some
682
:people will say, oh, well no, an FIV
cat cannot live with a another cat.
683
:But then you have other people that
are like, no, as long as you have cats
684
:that don't fight and they're not biting
each other, then they're fine together.
685
:So what are your thoughts on that?
686
:Charlotte: I tend to agree as long as you
know what kind of risk you're assuming
687
:and you understand how the disease is
transmitted I'm of the thought that.
688
:If the cat's going to lose its home or
this cat would be otherwise put to sleep
689
:or put in a shelter, it would be better
off given a chance to get along with
690
:another cat in an inside environment to
be given a chance at a good home versus
691
:ending up at a shelter or ending up
being put down as long as they get along,
692
:There are vets that would
disagree with me on that.
693
:But especially here, we have so many
unwanted animals and so many animals
694
:that die in the shelters in Louisiana
that I feel like anything we can do
695
:to stop that, at least to try is good.
696
:Dixie: Another topic that I would
like to touch on a little bit too is
697
:if you are open to any alternative,
holistic, or say new age concepts
698
:when it comes to treating animals?
699
:Charlotte: Absolutely.
700
:I say the best medicine that we can
provide would be western medicine and
701
:eastern medicine or alternative medicines.
702
:If we could actually, if the
communities could get along.
703
:We could definitely do some wonderful
things for people and for animals.
704
:It's a shame though that people tend
to be extremists and either, okay,
705
:I want it textbook, I want drugs, I
want surgery, I want Western style.
706
:Or we have people that
are completely holistic.
707
:They won't give antibiotics.
708
:They do everything to avoid
surgeries and things like that.
709
:Sometimes things just need antibiotics.
710
:Sometimes they're not gonna
get better without surgery.
711
:But there are so many other
things, so many other modalities.
712
:Cold laser ultrasound, there are
herbal medications that are very good.
713
:Now you have to be careful 'cause people
think just because it's herbal, it's safe.
714
:No the way we've derived antibiotics
and every other drug that's manufactured
715
:is originally from nature, from plants
and compounds that already exist.
716
:So a drug is a drug, whether it's a
plant or it's been rendered in a lab
717
:to mimic the same makeup as a plant.
718
:It's all drugs and it's all
going in your body, whether it's
719
:from the ground or from a lab.
720
:So you have to be careful,
especially with human supplements.
721
:People will take all kinds of
things and not tell their doctors,
722
:and then bad things will happen if
their doctors give them medicine.
723
:So, like a prescription medicine.
724
:and they're taking certain herbal things.
725
:But I think if the two communities
work together, we would really
726
:benefit from each other.
727
:I've met some holistic vets that are anti
parasite drugs and things like heartworms.
728
:Here in the south we get heartworms
are carried by mosquitoes and if
729
:your animal is not on heartworm
prevention here, more so with dogs
730
:than cats, but cats can get heartworms.
731
:If they're off prevention, they're
probably going to contract heartworm
732
:because we have so many mosquitoes.
733
:In the Mississippi Delta
area that it's ridiculous.
734
:So, you have to do that, and the amount
of drug that it takes every month to keep
735
:away heartworms or an injection that lasts
for a few months is so minuscule and tiny
736
:and really has no lasting ill effects
to the liver or the kidneys or anything.
737
:It's necessary to do that.
738
:So I disagree with some holistic
739
:medical people that don't
believe in doing that.
740
:And also you need to use antibiotics when
antibiotics are warranted because nobody
741
:wants to get septic, certainly if you have
a minor infection, you can try things.
742
:One of, one of the things that I see
humans mess up all the time is, well,
743
:I'm not gonna get antibiotics for this
UTI, I'm gonna drink cranberry juice.
744
:While that's great.
745
:And cranberries, actually can help as a
natural way to rid yourself of bacteria.
746
:You would have to have like several pounds
of dried concentrate cranberry to eat
747
:in capsules at a much higher dose than
drinking a few glasses of cranberry juice.
748
:Sure, it'll help flush out, but
it's certainly not gonna fix
749
:something the way antibiotics would.
750
:Dixie: To touch on that a little bit
. How would you feel about some of the
751
:supplements that they have out that
would be for assisting with the cats
752
:that do have the urinary tract problems?
753
:Charlotte: I think it's great.
754
:I think there is certainly
nothing wrong with giving some
755
:of the cranberry supplements.
756
:That are veterinary tested and approved
for having efficacy and safety.
757
:Because sometimes if you get
products online or in, in pet stores,
758
:you don't know what's in there.
759
:I've seen actually some supplements
in pet stores that are like 0.0,
760
:zero, zero 1% of active ingredient.
761
:It's like, well, you might as well
just give them water 'cause that's
762
:not gonna help, so make sure you get
a brand that is veterinary approved.
763
:Also fish oil.
764
:Fish oil is a great thing for all animals.
765
:Even for us, I'm a big user of fish
oil like salmon and krill oil and
766
:like your Omega-3 and six fatty acids.
767
:For all the itchy dogs that don't
have fleas or other skin problems, or
768
:even if they do, it really does help
change the quality of their skin.
769
:We can put moisturizer on and
help ourselves, but there's very
770
:little topically you can do for
a cat or dog to help their skin.
771
:But if you give them good nutrients
internally and you give things like
772
:fish oil, that can absolutely help
the way their coat looks, the way they
773
:feel all their organs and everything.
774
:Dixie: Yep.
775
:I do the fish oil.
776
:And it's remarkable to see the
difference on the hair when
777
:you start 'em, on the fish oil.
778
:Charlotte: Yep.
779
:You can sometimes see pets, especially
short coated dogs and cats too.
780
:You'll see flakes dry skin and
all of that will go away a lot
781
:of times just with some fish oil.
782
:and let me remind that goes on the
food internally because I once had
783
:a lady come to me and tell me, well.
784
:I've been slathering the fish oil all
over my dog every day for the month, and
785
:I just can't stand the way he smells,
especially when he lays in the sun.
786
:And then I see the dog and I'm like,
oh my gosh, this poor lady, she's
787
:been slathering fish oil on the
dog and letting it bake outside.
788
:Wow.
789
:That will take your breath away for sure.
790
:Dixie: Yeah,
791
:I can imagine.
792
:'cause
793
:It's nasty smelling when
you get it on your fingers.
794
:Charlotte: Oh, yes.
795
:Dixie: When you're trying
to put it on the food.
796
:Charlotte: Oh, yes.
797
:And this lady , I have to
admire her commitment because
798
:she really did love her dog.
799
:And I couldn't laugh at her.
800
:I just said, no ma'am.
801
:And she's like, I'm so sorry.
802
:I can't believe I didn't think about that.
803
:I just saw it was an oil in a capsule
and I assumed I was supposed to squeeze
804
:it out, like, face stuff for women.
805
:And I'm like no.
806
:No, it was for the skin, but you
were supposed to put it in the food.
807
:So, but you know what, I always tell
people, I'd rather you ask or come
808
:in when you think something's wrong.
809
:I'm not gonna make fun of you.
810
:I'm gonna, I'm gonna make
sure you get it right.
811
:Dixie: Considering the human animal
bond, do you feel that incorporating
812
:emotional and energetic wellbeing
into treatment plans is beneficial?
813
:Charlotte: Absolutely.
814
:Our animals pick up on our energy a lot.
815
:There's some spooky things that happen.
816
:Oh, I wouldn't call 'em spooky.
817
:I think we just don't understand it yet.
818
:Very often I see animals and people with
the same diseases, and I'm not talking
819
:ones that they caught from each other.
820
:Things like thyroid disease diabetes like.
821
:Insulin dependent diabetics glaucoma
and it's not a case of like, oh, well
822
:they're both intoxicated with something.
823
:It really is truly an energetic thing.
824
:And you can almost, if you're sensitive
to that kind of stuff, you can almost,
825
:tell, especially in animals that
are closely bonded with the human
826
:that has these issues as well.
827
:I think there's a whole lot of
energetic exchange with our animals,
828
:so I think there's a lot we can do
with them, for them in that sense.
829
:I'm not educated on a whole lot of those
things, but things like reiki and a
830
:massage, acupuncture, stuff like that.
831
:All that's really good.
832
:I said that wrong.
833
:It's Reiki, isn't it?
834
:Dixie: It's Reiki, yeah.
835
:It was close enough so it works.
836
:There we go.
837
:Charlotte: It works exactly that.
838
:That's how much I know about Reiki.
839
:Although I'm planning to
learn one of these days.
840
:I've seen wonders of that used with.
841
:Little weenie dogs or
dachshunds that have back pain.
842
:I've seen that in particular, along with
acupuncture make a difference for them.
843
:So, yeah.
844
:Dixie: Well,
845
:I'm a reiki master and then I can
say I have seen Reiki work, so.
846
:Charlotte: Exactly.
847
:Exactly.
848
:Dixie: So before we end this episode, is
there anything else you would like to add?
849
:Charlotte: When you're
looking for a veterinarian.
850
:You want one that wants to
establish a relationship with you,
851
:one, that when you come in, they
know you, they know your animal.
852
:They know as soon as they look at your
animal, they know something's wrong.
853
:And you wanna try to keep the same
veterinarian from puppy and kitten hood
854
:all the way through the animal's life.
855
:If and when it comes time at the end of
their life and you have to talk about
856
:euthanasia, it's a lot better when you
have a relationship with that vet because.
857
:They're gonna act in the best
interest of the animal too.
858
:And also to remember, if you have a
problem with your veterinarian, 99.9%
859
:of the time your veterinarian is
thinking of your animal first,
860
:or the animal's best interest.
861
:And sometimes people don't
always understand that.
862
:So if you have a problem with your vet or
you have something you don't understand,
863
:go to them and talk it out face to face.
864
:And tell them how you feel from the
heart and just, never underestimate
865
:the power of just a good conversation
and and a good relationship nowadays.
866
:There's a lot of huge veterinary clinics
and there's nothing wrong with that.
867
:They're wonderful places, but sometimes
you don't always see the same doctor.
868
:But if you're in a big place,
request the doctor that you
869
:like, find one that you like.
870
:Stick with that one each time . And
I think you'll have a much easier
871
:experience and your pet will too.
872
:Dixie: Well, thank you so much Dr.
873
:Charlotte.
874
:Charlotte: Absolutely.
875
:I
876
:was glad I could be here today.
877
:.
Dixie: And that's all the time we have for today's episode.
878
:If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
879
:should be told, please contact us.
880
:We would love to have
you or them on the show
881
:. Thanks for listening, and please
join us next week as we continue to
882
:explore the world of animal rescue.
