When was the last time you took your pet to the vet? Many of us only think about going in for a visit when something is wrong, but maybe we should be thinking proactively. Healthy New Albany Magazine spoke with Dr. John Gordon, New Albany resident and veterinary dermatologist at MedVet Columbus, about how pet owners can keep their animals healthy and happy.
Healthy New Albany: How should pet owners know when to take their pets to a veterinarian? What signs should they be on the lookout for?
Dr. John Gordon: Most pet owners are very attuned to their pet’s social behaviors, activity level and eating patterns. If any of these change, then evaluation by their veterinarian is recommended. At the appointment, if pet owners can provide specific details regarding their concern, their veterinarian will be able to more accurately identify the cause. These details may include: when a behavior pattern changed, if it is intermittent, if there was a recent change in the home environment or diet that may correlate, and if they have been empirically treating at home and, if so, with what medications.
HNA: How often should a pet owner visit the veterinary office?
Joe Dixon
JG: Pets should be evaluated annually, but twice a year is recommended for older patients. If you consider that, in general, one year of a dog or cat’s life is similar to seven years of our own, then an annual evaluation is actually quite infrequent. Consider when we reach our senior years, it would seem surprising if a 70 or 80-year-old person only visited their physician every seven years. Therefore, more frequent visits should be considered. Previously, those visits correlated well with receiving annual vaccines, but as the need for frequent boosters has decreased there is less of an obvious reason to visit your veterinarian. However, a routine health check is more than enough reason.
HNA: What routine health care steps should pet owners be taking between visits?
JG: Routine health care for pets is similar for people. We all need regular exercise, consuming a healthful diet without overeating and daily dental care. It is surprising how simple it is to brush pets’ teeth. If pet owners can brush at least twice per week most pets will not require annual dental cleanings performed under general anesthesia. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important. Multiple veterinary studies have shown that appropriate weight is a key predictor of a pet’s life span and health. One study demonstrated Labradors will live two years longer if not overweight.
HNA: When talking about pets, people generally think about cats and dogs first, but are there other animals that you often treat? How do their needs differ from those of cat and dogs?
JG: Legally I am licensed to practice on any animal other than man. I have had the opportunity to treat multiple zoo animals, the most recent were a chimpanzee losing nails and a black bear with seasonal hair loss and allergies at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. I've also biopsied a grey seal at the Louisville Zoo, skin allergy-tested an African elephant and evaluated a pronghorn antelope at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. There are many similarities to human conditions but each animal species has unique clinical presentations and metabolism of medications. For instance, grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs and treating cats with aspirin can easily result in toxicity.
HNA: In general, are there any dermatological conditions that certain animals are prone to contract?
JG: Most dermatologic conditions in dogs and cats are associated with an underlying allergic etiology. The inflammation associated with allergic disease often results in secondary bacterial or yeast infections of the skin or ears, resulting in hair loss and malodor. We have many therapies available to manage the symptoms, but determining the cause for the allergic condition is the most important and effective treatment. Interestingly, we often test dogs and cats for an allergy to human dander.
HNA: What are the most common reasons why pet owners go to the veterinarian?
JG: The most common reason I evaluate dogs and cats is for allergy symptoms that include chronic ear infections, recurrent skin infections and itching. Patients often present with intractable itching, malodor, or hair and nail loss.
HNA: Do shedding animals have different skin/fur problems than non-shedding animals?
JG: There are some breeds that have a longer hair cycle length which results in less frequent shedding but all dogs and cats shed. The hair cycle length in people is nearly continuous, requiring regular haircuts. This is also why we see the effects from chemotherapy, because the medications affect actively dividing cells which include hair. The majority of hairs in dogs and cats are in the resting non-growing phase, so when they are treated with chemotherapy they often do not experience significant hair loss. This is why many breeds do require haircuts but they all will shed.
HNA: How often should you bathe a pet? What dermatology-related problems are associated with bathing a pet too much? Too little?
JG: It is surprising how infrequently pets need to be bathed. If they are experiencing skin conditions, then they will often develop malodor or an oily hair coat requiring bathing with a medicated shampoo two or three times per week. Otherwise, just a few baths a year are adequate. It is difficult to over-bathe pets because each of their hairs contains an oil gland, which helps to protect them from developing a dry hair coat or dry skin that could result from frequent bathing.
Joe Dixon
HNA: Can you give me a few examples of best practices that pet owners should utilize to prevent common dermatology-related issues?
JG: If your pet experiences reoccurring ear infections, inflamed skin lesions or requires routine baths to manage malodor, then evaluation by your veterinarian and possibly a veterinary dermatologist is recommended. Often, pets with pendulous ear pinna or floppy ears (i.e. cocker spaniels, basset hounds, beagles, retrievers, etc.) or pets that frequently swim will be assumed to inherently develop ear infections. The cause is not the shape of their ear or excessive water in their ear canal, but rather the reason they are experiencing recurrent ear infections is because of underlying allergic inflammation that needs to be specifically corrected.
HNA: Do you have any pets of your own? If so, what kinds and how do you keep them healthy at home?
JG: I have two Labrador retrievers named Huck and Finn. My yellow Labrador, Finn, has food allergies so I appreciate the frustrations and challenges with managing chronic allergic conditions.
About the Expert
John G. Gordon, DVM, Diplomate, ACVD, is a Veterinary Dermatologist at MedVet Columbus. Gordon, having been on staff since 1994, is the Dermatology Specialty Leader for MedVet. He attended The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine where he earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. After becoming a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology, Dr. Gordon was a Clinical Instructor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine before joining the MedVet team.
Jenny Wise is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at jwise@cityscenemediagroup.com.
