We all worry about our pets being exposed to cleaners, air pollution, and water contaminants.  After all, we live in an environment that is filled with thousands of synthetic chemicals, from auto emissions to floor cleaners, plastics to wood protectants, paints and non-stick pans.  Every day we are exposed to these substances on a minute-by-minute basis.  It makes sense that our pets would be exposed to them as well.  But until now, no one has studied this.  A new study by the Environmental Working Group set out to answer just how much chemical exposure our pets have.

The study, performed at a veterinary facility in Virginia, tested urine and blood samples of 20 dogs and 37 cats that ranged in age from pediatric to geriatric.  The results were startling.  Of 70 industrial chemicals tested, dogs and cats overall were positive for 48 of them (69%).  43 of those chemicals were at higher levels than are normally found in people, and many were substantiall7 (2.4 to 23 times) higher than those found in people.    Why so much higher?  Likely due to our pets’ lifestyles–living close to the floor, eating things off the floor, licking carpets or furniture, and grooming among others.

The chemicals tested fell into 3 main groups:

• Teflon chemicals, also known as perfluorochemicals, are those used in teflon and grease and stain-proofing products.  These were the chemicals that tested highest in dogs.  Heating teflon-coated pans allows gasses to be released that can be inhaled into the system or land on the fur, where they can be ingested by grooming.  These are also found in products like scotch-guard, stain resistant carpets and fabrics, and other similar products.
• Phthalates, used as plasticizers and plastic softeners, are found in plastic toys, plastic bottles, shampoos, and a wide range of other products.
• Fire retardants, found in bedding, house dust, linings of pet food bags, foam furniture, and treated fabrics (even including children’s pajamas).  They are also found in air and water, and have accumulated in seafood secondary to water contamination.  These were found in the highest levels in cats, most likely due to their propensity to groom themselves, but may also be elevated because they eat more fish in their diets.

Before you throw out everything in your house and build a bubble around it, it is important to put this information in perspective.  Because there are virtually no safety standards in the industrial chemical industry, we do not know what levels of these chemicals may be safe or harmful.  While some of these chemicals have been linked to development of specific diseases, most have not.  And since living in a bubble is not exactly an option, you and your pets will be exposed to some of these substances.  However, there are some things you can do to keep yourself and your pets safer:

• Use bottled water.  This does not guarantee your pet won’t be exposed to synthetic chemicals but bottled water is generally more “pure”.  Keep in mind bottled water can have higher levels of natural chemicals such as arsenic.
• Buy high-quality pet food.  As we found out from the pet-food recall of a few years ago, chemicals like melamine may be added to pet food as a cheap way to boost protein content.  Reputable companies will do their best to avoid ingredients that may have contamination (such as wheat gluten).  These foods are generally better for your pet’s overall health anyway.
• Avoid plastic food and water bowls.  Use natural ceramic or glass with no glazes or coatings.
• Avoid plastic toys.  Buy toys made of natural materials.
• Choose beds, blankets, and scratching posts of natural materials.  Make sure these items don’t have fire retardants on them. (You will need to read labels and ask).
• Cook with cast iron pans and avoid non-stick if at all possible.  This is vital if you have birds, as teflon fumes will kill birds quickly and without warning.  For other pets, if you can’t avoid using non-stick then run exhaust fans and open windows as much as possible, and keep your pets far away from the kitchen.
• Clean green.  There are many “green” cleaners that use essential oils and other natural substances and are much safer for pets.  Be aware that essential oils may have strong odors that may become overwhelming to our pets’ acute sense of smell so use sparingly and remember if it smells too strong to you, its probably way to strong to your pet.
• Wipe your pet down with a damp cloth once a day.  This will help remove some residues from your pet’s fur.

It is impossible to avoid chemicals and they aren’t all “bad”.  After all, they allow us to live with all the conveniences of  modern technology, travel, medicine, and gadgets we have.  But a little prudent adjusting of your pet’s exposure can’t hurt.

 

September 7, 2011 was a special day for some puppies and their owners! We couldn’t be prouder of Dexter, Harley, and Obi. Check out the photos of them displaying their good manners at our Facebook fan page!

It’s hard to believe, but Harmony Veterinary Center is turning 1 year old!  What a whirlwind year it has been, full of  fun and challenges.  We are grateful to all of   our wonderful clients and the neighborhood of Five Parks for your incredible support.   We have been blessed to meet so many wonderful people and share in the special relationships they have with their pets.  This Saturday, July 30th, we will be having an anniversary celebration from 12 to 3pm at the Center.  Join us for grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, and all the fixings.  You can have a tour or just sit down and have a chat with us.    The more the merrier!

In this coming year, we will be implementing some exciting  developments.  Look for our new website in late August or early September.  This improved site will have a wealth of information on pet-related issues.  We are also developing an online store where you can order supplies and supplements, and refill prescriptions.  Check back on our website periodically.  www.harmonyvetcenter.com

We are also proud to announce the launching of E-pet Health, an online tool that allows you to visualize your pet’s vaccination history, labwork, pet health reminders and more.  Call the center with questions on this valuable service.

In August, Dr. Brown will be attending the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association’s annual conference to learn about the latest and greatest complementary therapies.  Dr. Katie Smith will be filling in for her during this time.  Dr. Smith is also a CSU graduate and attended the CSU course in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture.  Thank-you Dr. Smith!  Look for blog updates from Dr. Brown after the conference.

Thanks to all of our supporters for a wonderful and successful first year!

A recent study in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association compared the homeopathic product Zeel to the prescription anti-inflammatory drug Rimadyl (Carprofen) in cases of canine osteoarthritis, the most common musculoskeletal disease in dogs.  Zeel is a homeopathic medication, a combination of multiple, highly diluted extracts of plants, animals, minerals, and biochemical substances (i.e. enzymes).  Homeopathy has been around for hundreds of years, but until lately has been poorly studied. 

This study covered a total of 70 days, with treatment lasting 56 days; monitoring continued for 14 days after the end of treatment.  Owners used 9 factors to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.  In addition, each dog was evaluated several times by a veterinarian.  While dogs in the Zeel group took longer to show improvement (28 days, vs 14 in the Rimadyl group) the overall level of improvement was similar between the two groups in lameness, stiffness, and pain on palpation (touching) of the affected joints.  The Zeel group had no adverse events (side effects), while the Rimadyl had 9 events (32%).  The interesting point in the study is that once treatment was removed, the Rimadyl group returned toward their baseline levels of pain and discomfort, while the Zeel group continued to improve.  This may indicate that Zeel has long term effects on the joint itself, rather than just on the inflammation created by the arthritis. 

While this study is very promising, it is important to note that is was a very small study.  Only 62 patients were included in the study.  In addition, this was not a “blind” study–the evaluators knew what each dog was being treated with.  And there was no placebo group to help determine the level of bias (people think the animals are better just because they are taking something).  But this is a very promising start and evidence for the role homeopathic medications can play in animal (and human) health.  Zeel appears to be a safe and effective option for dogs with osteoarthritis.

Ok, so we couldn’t keep up with the blog during the craziness of construction, and we opened to a tremendous response from the community.  The clinic turned out beautiful, and we have the best clients in the world.  We could not ask for a better place to be!  We have 2 clinic cats, Slick and Mateo, who have been with us since our 3rd week in business.  They were part of a ferral litter one of our clients had rescued.  They desperately needed socialization, so we took them in for a play day.  3 months later, we adopted their brother and sister out to a wonderful home.  But we couldn’t bring ourselves to let the other two go–they had wrapped themselves around our hearts and hung on.  It’s a good thing they are cute, because they have managed to tear open about $300 worth of prescription cat food, and eat the temperature probe off the surgery monitor.  But they are super sweet and we can’t imagine life without them.  Slick thinks it’s his job to care for all the patients, and we will often find him on the dentistry table snuggling up to a patient having a teeth cleaning, or scaling the fronts of the cages to check in and say hi.  He is definitely the class clown, although he takes his healing seriously.  Mateo is the serious one, but he has taken to greeting the clients when they walk in the door.

We are now on Facebook  and Twitter.  Check out our Facebook page for lots of cute animal pictures!

We are still behind in our blogging, but we are getting closer to being caught up.  Not much happened in week 4, except that the framing was finished and the plumbing, electrical and HVAC work continued.   It is fun to watch the subtle day-to-day changes of the space.  We met with the millworker, who will build all of the cabinets and countertops.  We are excited by his drawings, which show what the finished product will look like.  We also made our final flooring choices, not an easy task.  Who knew there were so many types of flooring out there?  Things are definitely coming together and we are on target to open June 23rd as planned!

View of exam rooms from front entry

View of exam rooms and pharmacy from reception area

 

View of surgery from the entrance to the treatment area

View of Radiology and Isolation from outside entrance to treatment area.

Dr. Brown took a class in Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation, or VOM, last weekend and is excited to start using this technique to help her patients.  VOM is similar to chiropractic in humans in that it makes small adjustments to the vertebrae in the back.  However, instead of “cracking bones”, VOM uses an instrument called an adjustor to cause small movements in the vertebrae.  These small movements reset the underlying nerves.  Diseases, especially those involving pain, can set up a feedback loop that inhibits normal function in the nerve.  Only an input of energy, such as VOM, therapeutic laser, acupuncture, or medications (in the form of chemical energy) can boot the nerve out of the feedback loop and allow it to return to normal function.

In addition to VOM, therapeutic laser and myofascial release techniques can be used to remove muscle spasm and pain, also allowing the system to return to normal.  Look for future updates on these exciting new techniques!

Big things happened in Week 3 of construction.  The framing of the walls started, and even though things are still somewhat open, we are able to visualize the clinic’s individual rooms.  I wish everyone else could see it the way do, as the finished product.  Until the construction is complete, you’ll just have to use your imagination.

        

In week 2 of construction, we jumped on the crazy rollercoaster of remodeling.  Our dumpster arrived and we were able to get rid of the demolition debris, which left the space looking much more open.  Then the sawcutting began.  All the plumbing has to run beneath the concrete slab, so the concrete had to be cut out to accomplish this.  By the end of the week, piles of dirt and large holes and trenches showed we were on our way.  We got to do the “chalk walk” where they outlined where the walls would be on the floor and we could stand in our “rooms” and visualize what the clinic will look like.  In some ways it is much bigger than we thought.  Of course we were joking that our administrative office in the back is smaller than the bathroom, but we found a way to make everything work.   We also finished our ADA ramp to connect the 2 spaces, making it feel much more like our clinic.  Of course, there was no time to post these accomplishments as our to do list was being added to constantly.  So here are the pictures (better late than never)!

                                                                                      

         

A big thank-you goes out to everyone in the Five Parks Community!  We had a wonderful weekend, beginning at the Mickeljohn Elementary School carnival Friday night.  The balloon lady was a huge hit, producing some amazing creations out of a few balloons.  We admired her dexterity and creativity, and the kids loved her fun nature. 

Saturday, we met a number of our neighbors and a few of their pets.  Everyone was so nice, we feel very welcome and blessed to have found such a wonderful community to be a part of.  We can’t wait until we can open our doors and give back to the neighborhood.

On Sunday, the fashion show was a very big hit.  The Serenity Salon stylists did a fabulous job with hair and makeup, and the girls looked like professional models walking down the red carpet.  Our dog models were adorable in their bandanas and bows, making the day that much more fun.  Thanks to our neighbors in Five Parks for embracing Harmony Veterinary Center!