E-Cigarettes and Pets Do Not Mix

E-cigarettes are sparking heated debates as lawmakers, medical professionals and industry grapple over the relative safety of the nicotine-delivering devices. But for pet owners, there is no debate. Nicotine poses a serious threat of poisoning to dogs and cats, and e-cigarettes back a powerful punch. The problem is that many pet owners don’t realize it. 

Pet Poison Helpline has encountered a sharp uptick in calls concerning cases of nicotine poisoning in pets that ingested e-cigarettes or liquid nicotine refill solution. In fact, over the past six months, cases have more than doubled, indicating that along with their increased popularity, the nicotine-delivering devices are becoming a more significant threat to pets. While dogs account for the majority of cases, nicotine in e-cigarettes and liquid refill solution is toxic to cats as well. “We’ve handled cases for pets poisoned by eating traditional cigarettes or tobacco products containing nicotine for many years,” said Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT and associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. “But, as the use of e-cigarettes has become more widespread, our call volume for cases involving them has increased considerably.” In an effort to educate pet owners before an accident occurs, Pet Poison Helpline offers this important safety information. 

What are e-cigarettes? 

E-cigarettes are simply another way of delivering nicotine. Designed to resemble traditional cigarettes, the battery operated devices atomize liquid that contains nicotine, turning it into a vapor that can be inhaled. The most recent craze is flavored e-cigarettes, which are available in an array of flavors from peppermint to banana cream pie, and everything in between. 

What makes e-cigarettes toxic to pets? 

The aroma of liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes can be alluring to dogs, and flavored e-cigarettes could be even more enticing. The issue is the amount of nicotine in each cartridge, which is between 6 mg and 24 mg. So, each cartridge contains the nicotine equivalent of one to two traditional cigarettes, but purchase packs of five to 100 cartridges multiply that amount many times over, posing a serious threat to pets who chew them. For example, if a single cartridge is ingested by a 50-pound dog, clinical signs of poisoning are likely to occur. But if a dog that weighs 10 pounds ingests the same amount, death is possible. Dogs of any weight that ingest multiple e-cigarette cartridges are at risk for severe poisoning and even death. In addition to the toxicity of nicotine, the actual e-cigarette casing can result in oral injury when chewed, and can cause gastrointestinal upset with the risk of a foreign body obstruction. Some e-cigarette users buy vials of liquid nicotine solution for refilling e-cigarette cartridges. The solution is commonly referred to as “e-liquid” or “e-juice.” The small bottles hold enough liquid to fill multiple cartridges, meaning they contain a considerable amount of nicotine. Pet owners should be very careful to store them out of the reach of pets. 

What happens when e-cigarettes are ingested by pets?

Nicotine poisoning in pets has a rapid onset of symptoms – generally within 15 to 60 minutes following ingestion. Symptoms for dogs and cats include vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, elevations in heart rate and respiration rate, depression, tremors, ataxia, weakness, seizures, cyanosis, coma, and cardiac arrest. 

What to do if a pet is exposed? 

Because nicotine poisoning can happen so rapidly following ingestion, prompt veterinary care can mean the difference between life and death for a pet. Home care is not generally possible with nicotine exposure due to the severity of poisoning, even in small doses. Take action immediately by contacting a veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680. As always, prevention is the best medicine. E-cigarettes, cartridges and vials of refilling solution should always be kept out of the reach of pets and children. 

SOURCE: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/2014/09/e-cigarettes-pets-mix/   Published on September 2, 2014

10 Tips for Senior Care

November is Senior Pet Health Care Month and our Team at Arizona Animal Wellness Center wanted to share some tips and tricks with you to help provide the best care for your pets as they enter into their golden years to help keep them happy and healthy. As your pet ages, there are some specific things that you can do to help them stay in tip-top shape.

 1. Changes around the House – there are some things that you should consider changing in your everyday environment to continue keeping them comfortable at home. You can consider using a night light to help them see easier at night, providing steps or using ramps to allow easy access to their sleeping spots such as the on the bed or couch, providing orthopedic or warming beds to ease any joint discomfort or muscle aches, elevating food and water dishes for larger dogs and ensuring that older cats have places to eat, drink and use the litter box that do not require them to jump up or climb over something for access. It is also important to ensure your senior pets have easy access to water; you can use a water fountain to help encourage drinking.

 2. Watch for Lumps or Bumps – while giving your pet their daily massage or during any petting session, keep an eye out for any lumps or bumps as they develop. All growths should be checked by your veterinarian to make sure there is nothing to worry about. It is especially important to monitor all growths for any charges such as sudden growth, redness or irritation, fluctuation in size or if they seem to bother them in any way. Some pets are more prone to developing growths are they age and we can discuss your options are your pet’s next visit.

 3. Flip the Lip – it is important to continue home dental care as your pet gets older to prevent dental disease from developing or worsening. There are many options and we can help you find the best one for your pet from oral gels and toothpaste to dental chews and diet. If your pet’s mouth is painful and the dental disease has progressed, then we can discuss the option of a dental cleaning to get their mouth healthy again.

 4. Help with Grooming – as pet’s age, many times they will start to groom less or differently. There are some things that you can do to help them look their best: trim their nails on a regular basis, even if you have never had to trim them before since as they age, dogs are less likely to wear their nails down and the nails are more likely to be brittle and difficult for cats to sharpen; brush them or use a wet washcloth to wipe them down to help remove dander, encourage grooming and prevent matts from developing and check their paws for any clumped litter or debris between their toes. Sometimes, it helps keep senior pets shaved down or trimmed to make grooming easier. In many cases, changes in grooming is a sign of pain, discomfort or some underlying health problem so have them checked out to make sure nothing else is going on.

 5.Keep Active and Watch the Weight - in some dogs and cats, as they get older and their metabolism and activity changes, they gain weight. The majority of pets develop osteoarthritis as they age and excess weight will increase the strain on their joints and will lead to discomfort. It is important to help them continue to be active. There are some easy changes that you can make to help keep them moving. In cats, you can still encourage playtime with toys such as feather wands or laser pointers. Some cats like using interactive toys or playing with other pets in the household. You can also hide some of their food around the house to allow them to work to “find” it. In dogs, it is very important that you continue with daily exercise such as a walk around the block or swimming to keep them active. The most important thing with both dogs and cats is consistent exercise to keep their muscles healthy, prevent muscle loss and keep them at a healthy weight.

 6.Good Nutrition – in truth, good nutrition is a cornerstone for good health. It is important to ensure that your senior pets get the best nutrition possible. There are so many diet options available; sometimes it is difficult to make a good choice! You should always read the back of the bag – the top 10 ingredients generally comprise the majority of the diet. The ideal diet for cats, especially senior cats, is either a canned or dehydrated formula, since it will have lower carbohydrates, higher protein and increased moisture content. Ideally, the diet you pick for your cat should be grain free and the diet you choose for your dog should have lower amounts of high quality grains or be grain free as well. We recommend and use the Honest Kitchen dehydrated diet at our hospital – ask for a complimentary sample of different varieties. We can also make personalized diet and brand recommendations based on your pet’s health care needs.

 7. Know the Signs- watch out for some more common signs that can indicate there is an underlying problem. Watch out for noticeably decreased grooming, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, changes in appetite such as eating more or less, increased water consumption, increased urination, loss of bladder control, accidents in the house or missing the litterbox, diarrhea, constipation, reluctance to jump or walk upstairs, difficulty getting up and down, resting more, excessive panting in dogs, exercise intolerance, vomiting, bad breath, drooling, changes in behavior, hiding or avoiding interaction or changes in vocalization. Don’t accept these changes as your pet “just getting older”!

 8. Schedule a Wellness Check – it is important that your pet receives a physical exam every 6-12 months to allow their doctor to asses for any early changes to their health. We can help pick up changes that you may not notice at home. At each examination, we check their eyes for any early changes or degeneration, their ears for signs of infection, the mouth for signs of dental disease or discomfort, their skin for any signs or allergies or growths, the mu

 9. Check some Senior Labwork - we can perform a bloodwork and urinalysis profile to help find underlying problems before your pet starts showing signs of illness. This will allow us to treat them early if we find a problem. We can choose a profile based on your pet that will check for liver and kidney function; diabetes; underlying disorders with their white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets; thyroid disease; urine concentration for kidney function and urinary tract infections.

 10. Consider Supplements – there are some supplements that you can consider as your pet ages. In many cases, we recommend glucosamine to help support joint and cartilage health and prevent further degeneration from osteoarthritis and omega 3 fatty acids to help provide support to your pet’s internal organs and keep the joints lubricated and functioning correctly. We can discuss other supplement options at the time of your pet’s wellness check. If you have any further questions about senior health care in general or specific questions about your pets, please give us a call at (480) 988-3660.

Easter Safety for Pets

During the Easter season, it’s important to make sure that your pets are safe. Many popular Easter decorations and themes can be dangerous for our pets, including the ever-popular Easter lilies and the plastic green Easter grass that often fills Easter baskets.

If you are stuffing Easter baskets this year, we highly recommend avoiding this plastic grass. It can cause extreme problems if it is swallowed by your pet, including intestinal obstruction, and it can be fatal. There are a number of safer options available, including paper Easter grass, which will be a lot safer if your pet gets into it.

Easter lilies, one of the prettiest springtime flowers available, are unfortunately both appealing and toxic to cats and other pets. We recommend keeping the Easter lily out of your home if you have an adventurous kitty that likes to get into things, as this is the best way to keep them safe. 

If you have any concerns about your pet’s safety or have seen them consume something not meant for consumption, please contact us right away. We’ll be happy to answer your questions about this.

Spring Garden Safety

As springtime nears, we are all preparing for warm weather by tending our gardens and getting our lawns in order. If you are using any kind of chemicals to perform these tasks, including fertilizers, weed repellent or killers, pest control, and more, make sure you follow all application instructions in order to keep pets and children safe. 

Most of these products recommend keeping pets off the application site for several days, for their safety. If you believe that your pet has accidentally ingested one of these poisonous substances, please contact us immediately. 

Chemical safety is a big concern for pet owners, so some lawn care companies have met our requests for safer products. Next time you visit a home store in search of garden chemicals, ask for the pet safe products. Use your discretion: if the package doesn’t say it’s safe for pets, it probably isn’t. Be sure to follow all safety instructions to the letter.

Pet Wellness Visits

Our pets age significantly faster than we do. For example, the average dog’s lifespan is approximately 1/6 of the average human’s lifespan. As adults, we often get annual check-ups for various aspects of our health and wellbeing, including eye exams, dental exams, and physicals. Our pets needs regular wellness visits too, especially because their aging process moves so much faster. At Animal Wellness Center, we recommend regular wellness visits for pets so that we can check their eyes, eyes, and teeth, as well as their physical appearance and function. We do a thorough nose-to-tail check that includes checking reflexes, considering weight changes, checking for parasites and health conditions, and even vaccinations. We consider these visits to be important when your pet is young and healthy as well as when they are older. These checks help us to establish your pet’s baseline health so that we are better equipped to identify when they have developed a health problem of any kind. How long has it been since your pet had a wellness examination? We recommend that you contact our team to find out and schedule your pet for their next visit right away. Your pet’s health is our primary concern, and we need to see your pet in order to make sure their body is in excellent working condition

Tips on Being a Responsible Dog Owner

Owning a dog is not just a privilege-it's a responsibility. These animals depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. If you are considering taking a dog into your life, you need to think seriously about the commitment that dog ownership entails. If you already have a dog, you need to consider if you are fulfilling all your obligations as its owner.

Here are some essential tips on being the best pet owner you can be:

• Think first- For example, recognize the commitment, evaluate your lifestyle, make a list, choose a breed, get a good breeder referral, contact some breeders in your area.

• Make the Commitment- pick your pet after you have researched the type of breed you want your pet to be, including their health risks. 

• Get Ready- Dog proof your home, make a schedule for you and your pet, buy some toys, a collar, contact your Veterinarian!

• Bring Your Dog Home- Housetrain, set house rules, name your dog, let your dog adjust, keep your dog healthy.

• Be a Friend- Play! Go on Walks, Talk to your dog, Give treats, Love your dog, give your time, leave the radio on, plan activities with your dog, give a massage, make that tail wag, go on trips, etc.

Why Dental Care is Important

Proper dental care can detect dental disease that not only affects the mouth, but can also lead to more serious health problems such as heart, lung, and kidney disease. Good dental hygiene is just as important for pets as it is for humans.

Yet, it is one of the most overlooked areas in pet health. Studies by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) reveal that nearly two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care recommended by veterinarians. AAHA’s Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats are a working framework for small animal dentistry practice, including dental examinations, cleanings, and surgical procedures.


Be sure to set up an appointment with your veterinarian today!