Your canine questions answered
ELDER CARE Weighing the risks of general anesthesia
Q:My 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier needs to have some dental work done. He otherwise is in good health but I’m scared of anesthesia at his age. Do the risks of complications outweigh the risks of dental problems at this age? Is there a safer anesthetic protocol for older dogs?
A:I certainly understand your concern: It is scary to leave your older dog at the veterinary office for any kind of procedure. Certainly the risks of general anesthesia increase with age, but then so do the risks of health problems associated with dental disease.
Share your concerns with your veterinarian. There have been great advances in veterinary anesthesia during your dog’s lifetime---including special protocols for older dogs
designed to keep them safer than ever. When newer anesthetic drug protocols are combined with preprocedure blood tests, cardiac monitoring and other safety protocols, the risks are minimized.
Ask your veterinarian about the relative risk of dental disease compared to those posed by general anesthesia. With proper monitoring, I would almost always recommend addressing the dental disease. In so many cases the dental disease is painful and has an impact on the entire body’s health. And then do your best to trust in your veterinarian---your dog will thank you when his mouth feels better!
TROUBLESHOOTING Will my puppy outgrow motion sickness?
Q:Is motion sickness common in puppies? We have an 8-monthold German Shepherd who is very prone to carsickness.
We would like to take our puppy to horse shows and other events, but within a half-hour of being in the car, he’ll throw up. We try to not feed him for a few hours before a trip, but that’s not practical or fun for anyone.
None of our previous dogs had this problem but they were already grown when we got them. Is our puppy likely to outgrow carsickness? We hate to leave him behind but unless we can solve this problem we may not have a choice.
A:The good news is that most puppies outgrow motion sickness. In the meantime, there are medications that can help. Some dogs do well with over-the-counter products such as Dramamine or Benadryl, but consult with your veterinarian before giving any medication to your puppy to make sure he’s old enough and that the dosage is appropriate.
Some veterinarians also prescribe Acepromazine, which calms dogs just as it does horses and also seems to keep them from vomiting.
In the meantime, you can help your puppy adapt to travel. Start with super
short rides on an empty stomach and build the length of time in the moving car. And be sure not to make a big fuss or punish the pup, which could make him nervous and make the problem worse. Just keep the puppy on a surface that is easy to clean up and remember that this stage passes quickly for most.
DIGESTION Slowing down a speedy eater
Q:My dog bolts his food and I’m not sure why. He’s an only dog so it’s not like he needs to compete with others to get his meal. But when I put down his bowl of kibble he just dives in. It seems like he can finish off a meal in seconds.
If he were a horse, I would worry about choke. Is that a risk in dogs? Should I try to slow him down? How would I even do that?
A:Luckily dogs don’t develop obstruction of the esophagus (choke) very often. However, eating too fast isn’t good for them. They can aspirate food---that is, draw food particles into the lungs---which has its own negative consequences. What’s more, some dogs who bolt their food may swallow excessive amounts of air, which puts them at risk for bloat, a type of colic in dogs.
As with horses, you can slow a dog’s intake rate with special bowls. You can also decrease risk by feeding small meals more often and decreasing feed time stress and competition.
For tough cases, I’d recommend trying toys designed to dole out small amounts of food at a time. Sound familiar? The solutions are much the same as you do with your horse for choke.