Newsletter – November 2019

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Next Purrsday is November 21st! Does your cat dread a trip to the veterinarian?

Does your favorite feline get fearful in the lobby

when a dog walks over for a curious sniff?

Purrsday may be just the day for you and your

worried kitty! On the last Thursday of every month,

our staff switches over our exam rooms** to play

“Through a Cat’s Ear.” Feliway, the cat-calming

pheromone, will be in the prepared rooms.

This day is perfect for a visit for cats who do

not share a home with a dog. Schedule an

appointment or procedure for the fantastic feline(s)

in your home to reserve a spot at our Gold

Standard Cat Friendly Practice on this cat-centric

day!

**The clinic will reserve one room for our

canine patients who need urgent attention. Our

canine friends will need to enter through our back

entrance on Purrsday.**

Save the Date: Viking’s Julebukking will

be on Saturday, December 21st this year

from 10a to 1p.

Julebukking is a Scandinavian

tradition from Dr. Gilbert’s hometown of

Petersburg, Alaska. It has evolved into a

“Thank You” to our clients for their

patronage. We hope to see you there!

Please join us in congratulating Jessica (left)

and Alejandra (middle)! They were

accepted into the Portland Community

College Veterinary Technology Program

and have started coursework to work

towards becoming Certified Veterinary

Technicians. Cristina (right) is entering her

second year of the program, with plans to

graduate in June 2020. We are so proud of

you, ladies!

Amanda to the Rescue has started its

second season on Animal Planet! Check it

out to see behind the scenes at Viking while

we work with Panda Paws Special Needs

Rescue.

Did you know 100% of our staff

members are Fear Free Certified

Professionals? Providing individualized

Fear Free care is the mission of our hospital

and we take it very seriously! To learn

more about Fear Free in your home check

out Fear Free Happy Homes!

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Please join us in welcoming

Dr. Ginger Grellmann to the Viking Team!

Dr. Grellmann has been bitten by the dentistry

bug! Since receiving her doctorate in veterinary

medicine, she has become an advocate for oral

health because of the impact that oral pain and

infection can have on her patient’s overall

wellbeing and long-term health. She will

enthusiastically work with you to develop a

strategy to help your pet’s mouth stay healthy,

and to address oral pain and infection!

Dr. Grellmann’s goal is to provide her patients

with longevity and quality of life through

individualized care. She is already a Fear Free

Certified Professional and can't wait to meet our

amazing clients and patients!

We're excited to work with Dr. Grellmann, and

we know you will be too! Call us for an

appointment today at 971-371-4024!

Canine Influenza is Here to Stay: Is the Vaccine Right for my Dog?

In light of recent information regarding the two viruses causing canine influenza (H3N2 and H3N8), we

are now recommending the Canine Influenza Combination Vaccine for dogs that are frequently in

contact with other dogs, via boarding, day care, grooming, or dog parks. Previously, we leaned

towards vaccinating in the face of an outbreak, but the latest research shows that nearly all dogs that

are exposed to the flu will become infected, and ~80% of those infected will be sick.

Dogs that are immunocompromised (the elderly, the young, and those with underlying medical

conditions) are particularly at risk for developing pneumonia with a 5-10% mortality rate.

Pneumonia usually requires hospitalization with IV fluids and sometimes oxygen in an isolation ward,

which can be incredibly expensive and stressful for our canine companions! Additionally, cats can

become infected with one of the strains of canine influenza and become very sick as well.

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If we can ensure most of the dogs

socializing in the Portland area are

vaccinated against both canine influenza

strains, we are providing “herd

immunity”, which means we may even

provide protection for those that can’t be

vaccinated for medical reasons, and who

are at higher risk of developing severe

clinical signs if they are exposed. Each

Canine Influenza Vaccine is $35 (with a

tech appointment of $10) and requires a

re-vaccination after 3 weeks. We can

incorporate it into most exams if your

veterinarian feels it is an appropriate time

to vaccinate. The vaccine we use

contains killed viruses has a LOW risk

of vaccine reactions (<1%). It can be

given to puppies as young as 8 weeks of

age. For more information on the vaccine

we have chosen to offer, check out

www.dogflufacts.com.

Portland did have a couple canine influenza outbreaks this summer from dogs that were brought in from

out of the state, and in some cases out of the country. The animal rescue community is AMAZING in

the Portland area, but that does mean we have animals coming into our state from overcrowded shelters,

puppy mills, dog meat markets, and other situations that make the spread of infectious diseases very

likely. For this reason, please keep your pets updated on ALL their vaccinations, and consider the

Canine Influenza Vaccine if your dog participates in higher risk activities where they socialize or

share toys, bowls, or blankets with other dogs. If you are petting a strange dog, please be aware that

infectious respiratory secretions can remain active on your hands and clothing for up to 24 hours. Make

sure to take precautions to protect your own dogs (and cats!) at home.

If we wait until we have an outbreak, we could quickly have an epidemic on our hands in the

Portland and surrounding areas, which is why we have changed our stance on when to vaccinate

for canine influenza.

Our Veterinary Team does not recommend vaccinations or veterinary products that we wouldn’t provide

to our own animals. If you have any questions while assessing your pet’s risk or want to schedule an

appointment to get your dog protected, please give us a call at 971-371-4024 or email us at

info@vikingveterinarycare.com. Thank you for entrusting us with your pets’ care!

Most sincerely,

Dr. Rosie Gilbert, Hospital Owner

Ashley supplies the cheese as Dr. Rosie vaccinates her

Great Dane, Jacks.

Newsletter – November 2019

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More Than Just Crate Rest for Post-op Orthopedic Procedures!

Recently, the Viking Team had some hands-on

training with Dr. Katy Felton, a certified rehab

veterinarian and classmate of Dr. Gilbert and Dr.

Brock. Dr. Felton is helping us integrate TPLO

(cruciate ligament repair) and FHO (femoral head

ostectomy) Rehabilitation Plans back into our

hospital!

It's so important for owners to know what to expect

post-op with both of these orthopedic procedures!

Our veterinarians and trained staff can walk you

through the recovery process, including evaluating

your pet's healing, providing exercises that will help

rebuild the atrophied muscles without overdoing it,

and monitoring for any indication that the surgeon

needs to be consulted. These exercises also help with

mental stimulation.

Viking Veterinary Care is pleased to announce our most recent partnership! Dr. Tom

VanGundy will now be available for surgical appointments at Viking Veterinary Care!

Dr. VanGundy is a veterinary specialist with

decades of experience in soft tissue and

orthopedic surgery. Working with Dr. VanGundy

allows our team of certified Fear Free

Professionals the opportunity to induce

anesthesia and recover your pet in a Fear Free

manner at the hospital they know and love!

For additional information about what services

Dr. VanGundy can offer, or if your pet is going

in for TPLO or FHO procedures soon and you

want to have the best plan in place for success,

give us a call today at 971-371-4024 for more

information or to make an appointment!

Newsletter – November 2019

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Cassie’s Fund Update

This year, a scholarship was awarded from Cassie's Fund to help "Mission Impawsible" care for

abandoned cats in a trailer park colony. Our technician assistant, Jessica, has worked hard all summer

to get these little ones a better life and stop the circle of breeding.

The cats that adjusted to human attention were adopted out, either

privately or through one of our adoption partners. Cats that were happier

living outside in their colony were returned after spaying/neutering and

vaccination.

Theo, our current Adoption Ward resident, was a member of this colony

and is still looking for his forever home! Check out our previous posts on

this handsome guy to learn more, or come on in and meet him today!

Cassie's Fund was set up in honor of

Cassandra Stolzenburger, a member of our

Viking Team that was lost too soon. Cassie

was always in our Adoption Ward helping

our residents feel comforted and loved until

they could find their own families.

Even with Cassie gone, the work continues in her memory. Cassie's Fund

has helped numerous homeless pets over the last 3 years address medical

issues so they can find loving homes. Scholarships from Cassie's Fund

have helped dogs and cats from Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter receive

dental care desperately needed for adoption, Minerva from Cat's Cradle

Rescue to help fund her stem cell treatment for hind end paralysis, as well

as the day-to-day needs of our Adoption Ward Residents.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us improve the lives of homeless

pets!

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Introducing Viking’s New Fear Free Socialization Challenge!

Our doctors recognize the importance of puppy socialization. Our Puppy Play Day is one of the

best ways to get your puppy excited about coming in to our hospital for positive interactions with

staff, other puppies, veterinary tools (thermometers, microchip scanners, etc.) and the building.

Please find all of the details for Puppy Play Day on our website at

http://www.vikingveterinarycare.com/index.html?content=puppyplayday/.

While this weekly gathering is great, what can you do

with your puppy during the rest of the week? And what

about our new feline friends? We hope you consider

participating in our new Fear Free Socialization contest

for puppies and kittens: The Viking Challenge!

Now, before we get into the details about the challenge,

we always want to be sure that puppies are safe,

physically AND emotionally! The world can be a big,

scary, weird place, especially for sensitive babies. If you

see signs of fear, resistance, or stress, honor those

emotions and show them that they can trust that you will be their advocate!

Some puppies and kittens take the world by storm, showing little to no hesitance in the face of

novel things. Others like to check things out before they approach, while some don't want to

approach even for the best treats! All of these normal behaviors your pet looks to you, their owner,

to show them that the world is a safe place that is fun to be curious about! Keep in mind that it is

perfectly normal for growing animals to go through "fear periods" where you may see them be

fearful of things that they used to be okay

with. If you run into questions as you

socialize your new young family

member, please reach out to us.

Why are we doing this challenge?

Puppies and kittens have an important

learning window in their first year.

Experiences within this window helps

them become well-adjusted and resilient.

This challenge will help owners socialize

their puppies and kittens throughout that

window and beyond!

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Here's how "The Viking Challenge" works:

To be eligible to participate, puppies and kittens must have had an exam at Viking Veterinary

Care, be up-to-date on vaccines, and be under one year of age. Owners will review the Fear Free

Puppy/Kitten Socialization Bingo Card and choose at least five experiences they socialized their

pet to, including a picture of at least one of those experiences. Please email the picture and the

five chosen activities to info@vikingveterinarycare.com.

*By submitting an image/images and participating in this contest, you grant Viking

Veterinary Care, its representatives and employees the right to copyright, use and publish

the same in print and/or electronically. You also agree to Viking Veterinary Care using the

image(s) for publicity, illustration, advertising, and web content. *

Keeping in line with all of our Fear Free practices, images with puppies and kittens exhibiting

fear, stress, anxiety or resistance will not be considered. If you have questions on how to spot

these signs, our Fear Free Certified Staff can help! Feel free to give us a call anytime with

questions about what fear/anxiety/stress might look like in your pet.

Once a month, Viking will choose one winner out of the submissions for a free vaccine (a $28-

35 value)!

Newsletter – November 2019

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Save that Snaggle Tooth: Dentigerous Cysts and How to Prevent Them

Meet Mo, Dr. Ginger Grellmann’s adopted fur-kid. This

past year he was diagnosed with a dentigerous cyst at his

first routine dental cleaning. Even though he had little

dental calculus and mild gingivitis, Dr. Grellmann was

concerned because he was “missing” a number of teeth

externally on his awake oral exams. She feels very lucky to

have discovered it before there were major consequences

from the amount of bone destroyed by the cyst.

Dentigerous cysts are formed when a tooth has not erupted

and the enamel organ fails to regress. The most commonly

affected breeds are brachycephalic breeds such as boxers

and bull dogs, but any breed can be affected. Anytime there

is a “missing” tooth externally, dental radiographs should

be performed to confirm the status of the “missing” tooth.

Sometimes teeth fail to develop, other times teeth can be

impacted and at risk of forming a dentigerous cyst.

Wisdom teeth in humans pose a similar problem, and

if impacted can also result in the formation of a

dentigerous cyst. In humans, the third molars are often

affected, but in dogs the most commonly implicated

teeth are the lower first premolars and the canine

teeth. If a dentigerous cysts become large, they can

cause significant bone loss and jaw fracture.

Mo successfully had the dentigerous cyst and

impacted tooth removed. However, because the

dentigerous cyst was affecting his lower canine (his

snaggle tooth), his lower canine was extracted too in

order to guarantee the complete removal the cystic

structure. If the impacted tooth had been caught

earlier, the surgery would have been less invasive and

he would still have his snaggle tooth.

Viking Veterinary Care offers dental radiographs for $50 and they can be performed at the time

of spaying/neutering for any animal missing a tooth by this time in their development. Please

talk to your veterinarian if you have any concerns about your pet’s dental health!

Newsletter – November 2019

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Confused about heart disease being linked to dog food? You're not alone!

Petcardia Veterinary Cardiology, a veterinary cardiology group out of Colorado, has put

together this great summary of the ongoing research and how to protect your canine

companion.

At Viking Veterinary Care, we have seen several cases of heart enlargement in young

dogs that are on the implicated diets. We are catching it on the pre-anesthetic workups for

pups coming in for their spay and neuter surgeries, and then it is confirmed by a

cardiologist. When the food has been changed to a diet that underwent feeding trials prior

to sale, and that was formulated by a veterinary nutritionist, the heart enlargement resolves

(if caught early enough).

The number of dogs affected by nutritionally mediated dilated cardiomyopathy is likely

under-reported. To be reported to the FDA, it must be confirmed with a cardiac

ultrasound...and not all owners can afford the expense.

We don't know what is causing this, just like we don't know why some dogs will go into

kidney failure with ingestion of one grape/raisin and others can eat them their whole lives

without an issue. It is being investigated by specialists and universities across the country,

and hopefully, we will know more soon. For the latest information, check out the

Facebook Group Taurine-Deficient (Nutritional) Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Researchers

are sharing their findings in this group as they go and it's a great resource for dietary

information and recommendations.

If you need help choosing a food or you want to have your pet screened for heart

enlargement, give us a call at 971-371-4024! Our veterinarians are happy to help! Please

see the next two pages for more information.

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Newsletter – November 2019

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If there is something you are interested in seeing in the newsletter, please send suggestions to

cristen@vikingveterinarycare.com.