Vet Blog
09/21/09
 Yesterday was yet another busy shift at the emergency clinic. Thankfully, no cats paid the ultimate price for going outside. However, several cats suffered consequences linked to their outdoor lifestyles. Their owners’ bank accounts took huge and completely unnecessary hits as well. Sunday night treatment does not come cheap.
Yesterday we had a run of grass blades in the nose. Many cats enjoy chewing on grass. However, if they gag, cough or vomit as they are trying to swallow a blade of grass the plant matter can pass into the sinuses and lodge there.
Cats with grass blades in their noses most often sneeze violently. If the blade is lodged deeper in the sinuses and throat they may cough, gag, or make snorting noises.
Looking up a cat’s nose is a big pain in the end of the veterinarian that is opposite his nose. General anesthesia is required. In the absence of a rare and expensive instrument called a rhinoscope (very few non-specialists have access to this instrument), vets are forced to use awkward tools to work in a small space (the nasal passages and pharynx, or back of the throat). It can be very frustrating.
Three cats came to the hospital yesterday displaying symptoms of nasal or pharyngeal foreign bodies. By 11:00 pm, three grass blades had been removed successfully. One of the cats suffered severe swelling in the back of the throat, but I expect him to make a complete recovery within a few days.
The owners’ bank accounts, on the other hand, may take a month or two to get well.
Note: it is possible for indoor cats to suffer from nasal or pharyngeal foreign bodies after chewing on “kitty grass”. However, this is very uncommon. Also, kitty grass tends to be softer and much less irritating than most grasses encountered outdoors.
Addendum: yet another reason to keep your cat inside! Feline leukemia virus. The disease is essentially unheard of among indoor cats.
Photo: playing with fire! I hope the owners have saved their money.
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08/24/09
 My dog is about eight years old and his throat area is enlarged, like really big. It doesn’t really feel like a lump it feels more like his actual throat is swollen. Could it be his thyroid?
Tracie
Orangevale, CA
There are many things that can cause the throat of a dog to swell. All of them require prompt veterinary attention. Swelling in the area of the throat can compromise swallowing and breathing with disastrous results.
Allergic reactions to insect bites or vaccines may cause sudden swelling of the throat. Untreated allergic reactions can progress to shock, suffocation, and death.
Trauma to the throat can cause swelling. Sudden jerks to the collar or other blunt forms of trauma may lead to the symptoms you describe. Penetrating trauma can occur when dogs impale themselves or chew on sharp objects, leading to swelling in the affected area.
Infections in the throat may lead to swelling. Wounds from fights may cause abscesses (severely swollen infected areas). Foreign objects such as foxtails can lodge underneath the skin or in the trachea or esophagus, leading to infected, swollen areas.
Problems with salivary glands sometime lead to throat swelling.
Unfortunately, cancer is a common cause of swollen throats in older cats and dogs. Lymph nodes in the throat may be infiltrated with cancer, causing them to enlarge.
Thyroid disease is common in eight-year-old dogs. However, it does not lead to swelling of the throat.
Your dog should go to the vet. Hopefully the problem is not serious.
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08/14/09
 My Bichon Meesha is three years old and sometimes she has these attacks, where she sounds like she is choking, it kind of sounds like a loud snort, it scares me because it looks like she can’t get her breath. It will last for about 30 – 40 seconds and she will cough and it will stop. These fits happen about 3 times a week.
Holly
Atlanta, GA
It sounds like Meesha is reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing in dogs usually occurs in episodes lasting 20 – 60 seconds. Reverse sneezing sounds like a combination of gagging, snorting, coughing and sneezing all at once. It’s a very unique phenomenon, and I never tire of watching clients imitate the noise when they try to describe it.
Anything that can cause sneezing in dogs also can cause reverse sneezing. Foreign objects such as blades of grass or foxtails lodged in the nose or throat commonly cause reverse sneezing. Respiratory infections and sinus infections may cause reverse sneezing. Masses or cysts in the sinuses or nose may cause reverse sneezing. Exposure to dust, irritants, or allergens can lead to reverse sneezing. Chronic irritation of the tissues in the nose or throat can trigger episodes of reverse sneezing.
Dogs that suddenly begin suffering from severe sneezing or reverse sneezing should be seen by a veterinarian. In some instances, it is necessary to sedate or anesthetize the dog to thoroughly evaluate the nose and oral cavity and search for foreign objects.
On the other hand, dogs like Meesha with chronic intermittent reverse sneezing rarely have a problem that requires medical attention. In cases where non-progressive reverse sneezing has been going on for months or years, transient mild sinus irritation most often is to blame.
If you have any doubts, the safest thing will be a trip to the vet. But I’ll bet Meesha’s fine.
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06/08/09
 People who lack common sense may be good for my job security, but their pets often pay a price.
Consider the sweet 10-year-old Miniature Schnauzer I treated the other day. The poor, miserable dog had an agonizingly painful purple-colored swollen area on his penis. The dog was in so much pain that he could barely move. He had a fever. He screamed in distress when I gently tried to evaluate the area.
The owner was pretty sure that the dog had been bitten by a spider. Or, the owner surmised, perhaps the dog had injured himself on someone’s leg.
I couldn’t help noticing that dozens of foxtails were embedded in the owner’s shoes. This led me to offer up an alternative theory–that the dog had been playing in dry grass that had gone to seed, and a foxtail had penetrated his privates.
The owner replied, “Oh yes, there are lots of foxtails in the area of the park where I like to take him. Those foxtails are horrible!”
Yes, foxtails are horrible. And plenty of dogs are exposed to foxtails despite their owners’ diligent efforts to protect them.
But why would anyone who understands the dangers of foxtails knowingly allow his dog to play in a foxtail-infested area?
My staff and I anesthetized the dog. After 20 minutes of probing, I removed the foxtail from the dog’s penis. He woke up visibly relieved.
That dog paid the price for his owner’s lack of common sense. Don’t let your dog suffer the same fate.
Photo: public enemy number one!
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04/28/09
 Fortunately, dogs and cats purportedly can’t contract the current strain of swine flu that is all over the news. But over the last several days I have been watching the foxtails dry up around my neighborhood. And at work I have been removing foxtails in droves.
Foxtails are dried plant seeds. In areas where they occur they are public menace number one for dogs and outdoor cats. They lodge in eyes, ears, and the skin between the toes. They can be sniffed up noses and get caught behind tonsils.
Wherever they end up, foxtails cause irritation and discomfort. Also, they can migrate through the body to cause serious infections in distant sites such as the heart and lungs.
Be aware of foxtails, and do your best to keep your pet away from them.
Photo: this plant wants to hurt your pet. Courtesy of Dog Owner’s Guide to California Foxtails.
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02/20/09
 What does it mean when a cat is congested all the
time? Our Cat is 17 years old. She always sounds
like she has a cold.
Leigh
Bradford, ON, Canada
Chronic sinus congestion in cats has several causes. Some of them are very benign. For instance, breeds with short noses such as Persians have irregular sinus anatomy. This can cause chronic wheezing, snorting, or sniffling as air moves through convoluted passages in the flattened nose.
Another relatively harmless cause of nasal stuffiness is a previous, severe sinus infection. Such infections can lead to changes in anatomy that cause congestion after the infection has resolved.
You should be aware that medical conditions also can lead to sinus congestion. Active respiratory infections are very common. In some pets, especially the very young and very elderly, these infections may linger for weeks or months. Nasal discharge is a common consequence of respiratory infections.
Sinus infections are more serious than respiratory infections. They will cause nasal congestion, often with discharge. Dental infections are common causes of sinus infections and sinus congestion.
I hate to bring it up, but in older cats nasal or oral tumors sometimes cause sinus congestion.
Less common causes of the symptoms you describe include fungal infections of the nose or sinuses (a fungus called Cryptococcus is especially prone to growing in the nose), a syndrome mediated by the immune system called sinusitis or foreign objects such as foxtails or blades of grass in the nose.
Allergies, a leading cause of nasal problems in humans, rarely cause the same symptoms in cats. Cats with allergies are more likely to suffer skin trouble.
You probably saw this coming: I recommend that you take your cat to the vet. Together you can work to determine whether her symptoms represent a serious problem.
Photo: Juniper’s nose looks healthy.
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Yesterday was yet another busy shift at the emergency clinic. Thankfully, no cats paid the ultimate price for going outside. However, several cats suffered consequences linked to their outdoor lifestyles. Their owners’ bank accounts took huge and completely unnecessary hits as well. Sunday night treatment does not come cheap.
You have questions. 