PET CLINIC by Dr. Jeff Grognet and

Dr. Louise Janes
Coughing Dogs and Cats with AIDS

Q: My old dog coughs a lot - what
does it mean?

Dr. G: The most common cause of
coughing in older, especially smail
breed dogs, is a heart valve problem.
These dogs usually have a heart
murmur — an abnormal sound made
when the heart is pumping. Valve
problems can be diagnosed by chest
x-rays, through ultrasound evalua-
tion, and with electrocardiograms
(tracings of the heart's electrical
activity). There is no cure for heart
problems in dogs. Most dogs can be
kept comfortable with medication and
by feeding low salt diets.

i’ | The second most common cause of
.".} coughing in older dogs is dirty teeth.
Tartar on the surface of teeth is
made up of minerals and bacteria.
When these bacteria spread to the
back of the mouth and the tonsils, the
resulting inflammation causes cough-
ing. The solution is simple ~ clean
the teeth and administer antibiotics.
To effectively clean teeth both above

and below the gumline, a general
anesthetic is usually required.

Q: I've heard that cats get AIDS; is it
true?

Dr. J: It is true. Cats can be infected
with a virus called Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). This
virus is similar to HIV in that it causes
failure of the immune system. FIV
cats, like AIDS patients, are unable
to fight off infections. Feline
Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is another cat
virus that affects the function of the
immune system. It is also known to
cause cancer.

Vaccines that provide protection
against FeLV were first marketed in
1985, Since the introduction of these
vaccines and their widespread use,
the incidence of feline leukernia has
decreased. Unfortunately, there is no
vaccine for FIV and the prevalence of
this disease appears to be on the
rise.

Sand your questions to Dr, Janes and

Or, Grognet care of this newspaper.

(Ovfer valid until Aug. 28, 1994)
(While quantities last)

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PLEASE CALL

Doris Orr 987-9015
West Van SPCA 922-4622
North Van SPCA 988-7484
Pets Limited 988-7461

North Shore Humane
Volunteers 926-2180

Joy Purser 987-2785

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North Vancouver

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