Friends of the Riney Canine Health Center,
Thank you for joining our pack! I’m Brian Collins, an extension associate for the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center, and I’m pleased to share this month’s “From the Vet’s Desk” monthly health tip with our members.
Here in the northeast, we’re still enjoying some warm weather, and the fall leaves are beautiful. Unfortunately, the ticks are also enjoying the weather and I’m finding them on my dogs and on my clothing! Check your calendar to see if it’s time to administer your dog’s tick preventive! Here’s a link to an article if you need more information on which medications to consider.
November is here, and it marks several important reminders. November 3rd was One Health Day. According to the World Health Organization, One Health is “an integrated, unifying approach to balance and optimize the health of people, animals and the environment.” While I’m not so concerned about the health of ticks (though I do find them fascinating), I am very concerned about their impact on people and animals through the diseases that they spread, but I am also reminded about how climate change has affected the geographic range and seasonal activity of these small but dangerous little creatures. November is also both Pet Cancer Awareness Month and Pet Diabetes Awareness Month, so I thought it was a good opportunity to promote the benefits of regular check-ups for your dog.
Annual check-ups have long been a common practice in human medicine. We’re not always good at keeping up with them, but overall, as a practice it has been firmly established and many doctors and patients have become accustomed to them. However, there have been calls to do away with them in lieu of a different structure that may provide better outcomes. There are probably some good reasons to consider doing so, but in veterinary medicine, we still consider annual check-ups (sometimes called wellness exams) to be a very important part of preventive health care. Why is this?
Even though many of us have in-depth conversations with our dogs, they can’t directly tell us when something has changed in how they’re feeling. And, unfortunately, they also age faster than we do -- and different breeds and sizes of dogs age differently. The old saying that a dog year is equal to 7 human years was never very accurate and has been updated to reflect a more realistic comparison. For example, when your dog has his first birthday, that is roughly equivalent to a person’s 24th birthday. A 15-year-old labrador can be compared to a person of 93! These comparisons can be interesting, but our main goal is to keep your dog as healthy as possible through all life stages. If you are interested in determining your dog’s life stage, you can you use this calculator available through the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Perhaps you adopted an adult dog whose age has always been a guesstimate? Embark has developed an Age Test that will help provide a scientific estimate of your dog’s age. You may already celebrate your dog’s adoptaversary (or “gotcha day”), but now you can also more closely determine her calendar age and schedule that annual birthday party.
After offering your dog some treats (if they’re not too nervous to take them), the vet staff typically start with asking if you have any concerns since the last visit and then ask various questions that we have found are helpful to help identify any clues to possible problems. We confirm if your pet is taking their medication. Is your dog showing any behavior changes or alterations in how much they are eating or drinking? Has there been any coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or diarrhea? Have you noticed any new lumps or changes in existing ones? We’ll ask if there has been any travel outside the area (there are potentially different diseases, parasites, and health threats depending on where you’ve traveled). Does your dog go to a groomer, dog park or doggy daycare? Your dog will be weighed and their body condition score assessed, which help us determine if there might be unexplained weight loss or if it’s time to cut back on snacks.
The exam is already taking place before the vet staff have touched your dog. They watch how your dog is moving and behaving. Is she scratching or shaking her head? Is there an odor that could be a clue to an ear or skin infection or dental disease? The exam will often take place on the floor depending on the size of your dog. Smaller dogs may be more easily examined on the exam table – or even on a lap!
Each veterinarian has their own method of doing a physical exam, but the objective is to evaluate your dog by looking at, feeling, listening to -- and even smelling your dog. Most veterinarians start at the snout and work toward the tail, checking the eyes, ears, and mouth – with special focus on the teeth and gums (did you know dogs also have tonsils?). We run our hands over the dog’s body noting any lumps or bumps, feeling the limbs and joints for swelling or pain (including the tail!). We gently palpate the abdomen to feel the organs for abnormalities that can be felt. We look even more closely at the skin, including looking in the “armpits”, belly, under the tail, and between the toes. Of course, no annual exam is complete with a careful auscultation of the heart and lungs. Depending on the dog’s stress level, a rectal exam is very important as well (usually saved for the very last step!). This isn’t a complete description of everything we do, but these are some of the highlights.
At these visits we can also perform disease screening for heartworm and tick-borne diseases. Depending on your pet’s age and health status we might recommend baseline lab work such as a chemistry profile (to evaluate organ function), a complete blood count (to evaluate blood cells), and a urinalysis. We can also take samples to assess lumps, as well as ear and skin infections.
Overall, an annual exam is an effective way to provide preventive health care and detect health problems early in order to provide prompt intervention and monitoring. It’s also a great opportunity to help promote a positive experience while your dog is feeling well. The veterinary team loves seeing your dogs and have plenty of treats and squeeze cheese waiting!
As always, thank you for being a Riney Canine Health Center member. We look forward to catching up with you next month!
Dr. Brian Collins, D.V.M. ‘94