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HIGH Times in Veterinary Medicine

7/23/2018

GUEST AUTHOR!!

**Dr. Churchill recently had the pleasure of attending the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Conference earlier this month and brought back a TON of interesting information! One topic that was covered is the coming legalization of marijuana and what that means for veterinary medicine. This is a conversation we have regularly with clients and having the most up to date information is critical. **

So Doc, can’t we use pot for Fido?
While this is a frequently asked question, Veterinarians were excluded from legislation allowing the prescription of medical marijuana. So…. the current answer is no, we can’t prescribe or recommend Cannabinoids in Fido because it is illegal.

During the recent Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Conference, the National Issues Forum centered on Cannabinoids and their use in Veterinary Medicine. The biggest take home message for me was that while legalization is happening as of October 17, 2018, there are still more questions than answers on what that will look like!

Currently, there are no legally approved products for our beloved pets. Veterinarians are scientists, by nature we want to know the answers to our questions before we prescribe anything! I was impressed with the amount of research that is currently going on surrounding medical uses for marijuana. However, in dogs treated with purified CBD, it appears not to be strong enough on it’s on own to control pain (unpublished data, but coming soon!). A study based out of Colorado State looking at dogs with seizures also has not shown that it will prevent or even necessarily reduce the medications used in epileptic dogs, although it appears early treatment with in dogs with uncomplicated epilepsy may benefit. Stay tuned as more research is coming!

There are over 400 chemicals in marijuana, not just CBD or THC! We really have no idea what chemicals or what ratios are needed for medical benefits. While research is on-going, it is hard to make good recommendations based on science, when the science is just being studied. Don’t worry, we are watching for all the new studies and waiting for any approved products to come our way.

However, a real problem that increases with legalization is marijuana toxicity. According to data from the ASPCA-Pet Poison Control, there was a 1268% increase in calls regarding toxicity from 2002-2017 (legalization began in 2012). While it is rare to have seizures and there have only been a couple of reported deaths, most animals require hospitalization, fluid therapy, and supportive care for several days.

Dogs love food, so with all those new edibles coming to the market, over 40% of those toxicity calls were from dogs chowing down on those “special treats”! Take home message, keep those treats away from your pets (even those that the pet stores and dispensaries are currently selling!) and keep the plant material away from your curious cats.

Smoke is never good for your pets, so if you smoke or vape, please send your pets to another area to keep them safe.

- Dr. Vanessa Churchill, DVM

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The Ticks are Coming! The Ticks are Coming!

7/12/2018

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Actually, they're already here!! With our most recent positive diagnosis of Lyme Disease (that brings us to 4!) we thought it would be a good idea to go over the disease and how we can prevent it.

Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Dogs (and people too) are infected with Lyme Disease after being bitten by an infected deer tick aka the blacklegged tick. The bacteria doesn’t transfer immediately; a tick generally has to be attached for around 24 hours before the bacteria are expressed by the tick’s salivary glands. This means that THE MOST important part of Lyme prevention is checking your pets and yourself regularly.

The symptoms of Lyme Disease can vary, but the most common thing that pet owners notice is lameness due to inflammation in the joints. Dogs are also often feverish, so they can be lethargic and have a decreased appetite. Unlike people, dogs don’t develop a “Bulls Eye Rash” when they contract Lyme Disease. People often mistake blackfly bites for tick bites because of the mark they leave. If left untreated, Lyme Disease can also lead to kidney damage, sometimes irreversible.

Blackfly bites on a dog's abdomen

A quick blood test can diagnose Lyme Disease, but treatment can go on for months and often requires multiple tests.

There are several ways your veterinarian can help keep your pet safe from Lyme Disease. There are a variety of products out there that will kill a tick before it has the opportunity to transmit Lyme. Topical products (like Revolution and Advantix) have been around for years but a new class of oral products (Bravecto, Simparica and Nexguard) are available and kill ticks super fast after they bite. While Advantix claims that the ticks do not have to bite in order to die, all of the other products require that the tick bite in order to die. Most of these products are prescription, meaning vets require your pet has had an annual exam to buy them. Advantix can be purchased over the counter, but it is only for dogs.

There is also a vaccine for Lyme Disease that is very effective available for dogs. Because cats don’t actually get sick if they are infected with Lyme bacteria (lucky!), there isn’t a vaccine available for them. That being said, its still important to have them on a tick prevention product so they don’t bring ticks into your home where they can bite you!

If you have any questions about ticks/Lyme Disease and your pets, please contact your veterinarian.

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