Most Expensive Cat Medical Problems

The following feline medical costs were assembled by a pet health insurance company:

Swallowed objects $1600
Urinary tract surgery $1400
Rectal cancer $1000
Bladder stones $1000

Although it appears that cats requiring surgery for swallowed objects, including hairballs, have the highest medical expenses, in the long run, cats with bladder problems are going to have greater life-time expenses. Bladder problems are more expensive long term because they tend to be reoccurring problems.

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Most Expensive Dog Medical Problems

What do you plan to spend for your pet’s health care? Let’s consider some dog health care expenses required for the most common canine medical treatments. These costs were assembled by a pet health insurance company, and they show that dogs with back problems incur the highest medical expenses:

Disc disease $3000
Lung cancer $2000
Bloat $2000
Swallowed objects $1600
Knee injury $1500

Pet insurance companies are interested in what it costs to provide treatment because they want to make sure dogs are given the most cost-effective care. This push toward cost-effectiveness can either send us in the wrong direction—toward band-aid therapies—or in the right direction—toward holistic therapies, including herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture.

We hope your pet never needs care for the problems listed above, but if it does, insist on treatment that improves long-term health just as it improves short-term health.

In a coming blog, we’ll look at cat health care expenses.

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Sleeping With the Dog

Now that my dog, Star, sleeps with me, I see that it changes my focus on what’s important. Rather than being preoccupied with antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids, I’m more concerned with whether she should have a bath every 5 days or every 7, and whether I should use gloriously expensive shampoo for her bath, which of course I should.

My other dog, Sam, never gets into the bed except when he’s bragging to other dogs about his privileges. When we have company, Sam gleefully demonstrates that the bed and the sofa are his playground, but we all know that when there’s no company, Sam prefers a quiet life on a firm, cold floor.

Some behaviorists are convinced that allowing Sam and Star full access to the bed will encourage them to misbehave. They suggest it’s a simple leap from sleeping with humans to demonstrating pigheadedly malicious behaviors, such as trying to get through the door first and disemboweling other dogs.

I think the behaviorists' misguided Off the Bed policy is the result of being raised without toy guns. Those of us whose childhoods were full of plastic six shooters had years in which to learn the difference between acceptable games and unacceptable violence. For us, it makes sense that dogs given the right games and the right exposures will be equally capable of distinguishing what’s acceptable from what’s unacceptable.

Letting Star on the bed just gives her a nice place on which to refine her behavioral choices.

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Dry Eye, Prevention

We’re discussing dry eye, one of the most common and pet chronic problems. It’s also one of the most serious because it causes pain and leads to blindness if untreated. Over the last few days, we’ve covered
the nature of tears,
what causes dry eye,
the dog and cat breeds most likely to develop it,
which medications may cause it,
conventional treatments,
holistic treatments.

Prevention of Dry Eye
Now, let’s review steps that help prevent it.
1. If your pet is one of the dog or cat breeds prone to developing dry eye, ask your veterinarian to avoid prescribing antibiotics and pain medications that may cause dry eye.
2. Ask for supplements containing glucosamine or Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil to help prevent or delay problems from dry eye.
3. Ask for a Chinese herbal formula, such as Bu Gan Tang, that increase flow of blood and nutrients to the eye so that dry eye is less likely to develop.

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Dry Eye, Holistic Therapies to Prevent and Treat It

Dry Eye Is Painful and Can Lead to Blindness
Because dry eye is a painful disease that can lead to blindness, all dogs and cats with a genetic tendency to develop this disease should begin holistic therapies that maintain eye health when the pets are young. Often, the onset of actual disease can be delayed or prevented altogether, but if clinical dry eye develops, conventional therapies can be used along with the holistic therapies.

Holistic therapies for dry eye
1. Supplement with Omega 3 fatty acids from fish or ground flax seeds that help the immune system react in a healthy manner rather than over react and attack the body’s own tear glands.
2. Supplement with herbs and foods that nourish the liver, such as milk thistle, artichoke, chicken liver, and beef liver. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, strengthening the liver benefits the eye.
3. Avoid toxins and chemicals that overwork the liver, such as preservatives BHT, BHA, and ethoxyquin. Avoid dyes and coloring and artificial ingredients in pet foods.
4. Feed fresh, deeply colored fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants and phytonutrients, such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, blueberries, and bell peppers. Go carefully when adding these foods for the first time to ensure your pet does well with them
5. Please don’t supplement with vitamin pills. Human research shows those taking antioxidant pills, including Vitamins A, E, and beta carotene, die at a younger age than those not taking antioxidant vitamins. Instead, use fresh foods and oils to provide antioxidant vitamins.
6. Use the herbal medication Si Wu Xiao Fang Yin twice a day. It can be given with food.

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Dry Eye, Conventional Treatment

We’re discussing dry eye, a common eye problem caused by abnormal tears. Untreated, it can cause blindness.

In previous blogs, we’ve looked at the nature of tears, what causes dry eye, the dog breeds most likely to develop dry eye, and which medications may actually cause it. Now, let’s consider conventional and holistic treatments. While conventional treatments can only be used to treat dry eye once it has developed, holistic therapies can be started before dry eye develops and will help delay the onset of disease in dogs predisposed to develop it.

Conventional Treatments for Dry Eye
For pets with dry eye:
1. Instill artificial tears several times a day.
2. Instill immune-mediating eye medications such as cyclosporin or Tacrolimus to prevent the pet’s own white blood cells from attacking the tear-production mechanism. When topical cyclosporin A is used twice a day (0.2-2%), it increases tear production in 80% of pets that can still make tears. These pets have Schirmer tear test values of at least 2 mm.
3. Use Pilocarpine for pets with damage the nerve that travels to the tear glands (cranial nerve III).
4. Use Topical acetylcysteine solutions to dissolve the mucus in tears so they spread over the eye better.

Treat Both Eyes
Although pets can be diagnosed with dry eye in one eye, tear production usually fails in both eyes. Once tear production fails, it does not return and most pets require treatment for life. Treatment of dry eye prevents pets from developing eye ulcers and scarring that leads to blindness.

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Dry Eye (KCS) and Medications that Cause It

You Can Cause Dry Dye Without Realizing It
Dry Eye, which is also called KCS (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), causes pain and blindness.

In previous blogs, we’ve covered the nature of tears, and why an eye that is dry and no longer makes tears is more likely to become blind. We’ve looked at which dog breeds are genetically predisposed to develop dry eye, and we discussed having veterinary exams twice a year in order to catch dry eye before it causes blindness.

Now, let’s consider medications you may be giving your pet that actually cause dry eye--especially in those breeds naturally inclined to having problems with their tears.

Medications That Cause Dry Eye
These medications damage the tear-production mechanism and may increase the likelihood that your pet develops dry eye:
• sulfa antibiotics, such as Sulfasalazine, Sulfadimethoxine, and Albon
• calming medications, such as chlorpromazine
• antihistamines, such as Benadryl
• arthritis and pain NSAID medication, such as etodolac (EtoGesic), and
• anesthetic gasses.

What Should We Do?
Because the medications listed above don’t cause dry eye immediately, it’s tempting to think they’re ok to use for a little while. Well, they are ok for dogs that don't inherit the tendency to develop dry eye, but for the following dogs they are not:
• dogs genetically predisposed to develop dry eye
• dogs in homes with smokers
• dogs that spend most of their time outdoors.

If your veterinarian prescribes one of these medications, ask for an alternative, such as a herbal medication. If you don’t, you may fix one of your pet’s problems today only to have it develop dry eye in the future.

Tommorow, we’ll discuss conventional medications used to treat dry eye and my favorite herbal medication for preventing and treating dry eye.

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Dry Eye (KCS) and Dog Breeds

We’re discussing dry eye, one of the most common chronic pet problems, especially for dogs. Dry eye is a serious concern not because it causes thick mucous to collect in the corner of the eyes and appear unsightly, but because it causes pain and eventual blindness.

There are some dog breeds more likely to develop dry eye because of their genetic tendencies. If your dog is one of the breeds on this list, ask your veterinarian to examine it’s eyes twice a year specifically for dry eye. The sooner the disease is identified and treatment begun, the less the likelihood that your pet will become blind.

Dog breeds predisposed to develop dry eye (KCS)
Among the breeds that have a genetic tendency to develop dry eye are the:
• Boston Terrier
• Bulldog
• Cocker Spaniel
• Lhasa Apso
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Pekingese
• Pug
• Shih Tzu
• Tibetan Spaniel
• Westie
• Yorkshire Terrier.

In a future blog, we’ll continue discussing dry eye, including which medications may cause it and which help treat it.

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All about Dry Eye or KCS, Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca

We’re considering the most common eye diseases of pets and cats, and have discussed red eyes (conjunctivitis) and ulcers (keratitis). These are both problems that tend to be sudden and short lived. Let’s consider a problem that is not acute, but chronic: Dry Eye. Dry eye is also called KCS or Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca.
• Dry eye is a serious medical problem that usually requires treatment for life.
• Some breeds are genetically prone to develop dry eye.
• Some antibiotics and pain medications cause dry eye.

What causes dry eye?
Dry eye is caused by
• infection, such as distemper
• trauma that damages the tear-producing glands
• a faulty immune system that attacks the body’s own tear-producing glands
• prescription drugs and wormers, and
• genetic tendencies.

Not enough tears
Dry eye occurs when pets don’t make watery tears. Instead of being wet enough to flush the eyes, tears are thick and mucoid. They collect in clumps and stick on the inner and outer corners of the eyes. Dirt is not washed away by tears, and it collects on the eye and scratches the cornea.

What are tears?
Tears may look like simple drops of water, but they are much more complex. Tears have three parts, an oily layer to help tears slide over the eye, an inner mucin or mucoid layer that helps tears coat the eye, and the watery or aqueous layer. About 85% of tears are the watery layer. With dry eye, the watery portion of the tear isn’t made. Because the mucoid portion of tears continues to be made, a thick discharge collects in the eyes. When we see this mucus, it’s easy to think a pet has sleep in its eye, or, perhaps a slight infection. A Schirmer tear test shows whether or not the mucus is caused by dry eye.

In a future blog, we’ll continue discussing dry eye, including breeds predisposed to develop dry eye andsome of the medications that actually increase the likelihood that dry eye will occur.

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