Our Vaccine Philosophy

Vaccines have proven important in preventing serious disease in dogs and cats, but no vaccine is 100% effective or 100% free of side effects (such as allergic reaction, shock, autoimmune disease, and others).  For these reasons, it is important to design a personalized vaccine protocol for each pet, maximizing protection against the diseases your pet is likely to be exposed to while using the fewest vaccines possible. 

Our current vaccine recommendations are based on up-to-date research and the incidence of disease in our area.  During your pet’s exam we’ll ask you questions to assess your pet’s individual risk, based on his/her lifestyle, and then design a customized vaccine protocol.  This can be modified as needed when that lifestyle changes, so be sure to let us know so we can keep your pet protected!

Flower Essences:  These are liquid preparations made by the permeation of sunlight through flower petals into water.  It is thought that this process infuses the water with the subtle healing energies of the blossoms.  Flower essences are used primarily to treat mental and emotional disharmony, each flower having its own sphere of activity.

Sound Therapy:  As a general term, sound therapy uses any type of audible or tactile frequency to harmonize the body/mind. Frequencies may be produced by chimes, gongs, tuning forks, musical instruments,  nature sounds, electronic tones, or the human voice. At our hospital, tuning forks are used with the end opposite the struck fork placed on acupuncture points and other important areas. Each fork produces a different frequency and hence a different healing effect. Tuning forks may be used in conjunction with other modalities, and for stimulating acupuncture points in patients too sensitive for needling.

See all of our Holistic and Alternative Services at http://www.cascadesummitvets.com/blog/holistic-care

Your puppy or kitten visit will include a full nose-to-tail physical examination. We will look for any signs of illness and make sure that your new pet is in good health.

Do you have questions about nutrition, training, vaccinations, grooming, parasite protection, or overall health? What about tips for introducing your new pet to other pets and family members? Even if you are a very experienced pet owner and have had puppies or kittens before, each pet is unique and offers an opportunity to learn something new! We welcome your questions and look forward to addressing any concerns you may have. The more educated you are about your pet, the better you will be able to care for him or her, so we strive to offer you all the support you need.

Puppy and kitten wellness visits also present an opportunity to discuss your new pet’s recommended vaccine schedule and the best plan for parasite testing, treatment, and prevention. Our doctors and other staff members are well-educated about veterinary vaccines and parasite control, and our goal is to give you the best advice for your puppy or kitten. We will review your pet’s vaccine and deworming schedule and discuss the best way to continue, so don’t forget to bring any records that you have received.

We will work hard to help you understand your pet’s health considerations, and we encourage you to be involved in decisions regarding your puppy or kitten’s health care. Puppy and kitten visits are an excellent way to get your new pet started on the road to a happy and healthy life. Let’s take these important first steps together.

Please call today to schedule an appointment for us to meet your new pet!

What Is a Food Allergy?

Food allergy (also called food hypersensitivity) refers to a type of physical reaction to food. Food reactions are classified into two categories: those that are the result of immune system stimulation and those that are not. Food allergy occurs when the immune system begins to overreact to ingredients that the pet has eaten with no problems in the past. Food intolerance occurs when what is eaten has a direct, negative effect on the stomach and/or intestines, such as spoiled meat, chewed up toys, food additives, and abrupt changes in diet. Food intolerance is not an immune reaction.

The list of known food allergens (substances that pets can be allergic to) is extensive and includes beef, eggs, poultry, dairy, lamb, pork, fish, corn, wheat, soybeans, preservatives, and dyes.

Overall, the immune system’s job is to find threats to the body and destroy them by sending signals to activate special cells. An allergy results when this system misjudges a safe substance, and the cells cause damage to the surrounding tissues. This is why animals with food allergies often have vomiting and diarrhea. Food allergies can also cause skin problems because the signals released may act in other parts of the body, too.
 
Signs of a Food Allergy

• Skin
  • Itchiness (all over or even just in a few areas)
  • Skin infections
  • Ear infections
  • Hair loss
• Stomach and intestines
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Weight loss

Diagnosis and Treatment

Many diseases can cause either gastrointestinal signs or itchiness, so your veterinarian will want to rule them out to diagnose a food allergy. Food allergies tend not to be seasonal, and signs are usually seen year round. The most obvious indicator of food allergy is that the signs clear up when the responsible ingredient is removed from the diet.

An elimination diet is the only proven way to determine which food is affecting your pet. Elimination diets consist of ingredients that haven’t been offered to the pet in the past, called novel ingredients.  Your veterinarian will prescribe a diet that contains only novel ingredients. The elimination diet can be thought of as a diagnostic test that may last up to 10 weeks. This test takes so long because the allergen may continue to stimulate your pet’s immune system for weeks after it is eliminated from the diet. The elimination diet will be the only food that your pet is allowed to eat during the trial period. During this time period, no other food, treats, or bones may be fed to your pet. Even regular medications, such as heartworm preventives, must be given in a nonflavored form. It may be difficult, but this is very important to help your veterinarian determine the food that is affecting your pet. If you want to give your pet a treat during this period, you can offer him or her a small amount of the same food that is being used in the trial. Talk with your veterinarian about this option.

Your veterinarian will probably also need to treat your pet for concurrent skin infections or diarrhea at the beginning of the diet trial because these problems may not resolve without medication.
If the skin and gastrointestinal problems resolve during the trial, your veterinarian may then “challenge” your pet’s immune system by feeding the previous diet to see if the signs come back. Sometimes, the diet used for the elimination trial may continue to be fed after the trial is over, if it is balanced and formulated to provide complete nutrition for your pet.

Our goal here at Cascade Summit Animal Hospital has always been to assemble a veterinary health care team committed to providing exceptional client service and veterinary health care.  The Cascade Summit Animal Hospital team displays an unrivaled commitment to our clients through continuing education, technological advances in veterinary medicine and service, and most importantly, administering compassionate care to all pets entrusted to us.

Since a puppy she also had severe separation anxiety characterized by nervous skittish behavior, drooling, and excessive thirst; this  had improved some over the years. She tended to be restless at night, and had noise phobia. She had black crusty eye discharge year  round.

She came for her first naturopathic consult this March. Her coat was dry, her hips were tight with reduced extension, and her  lumbosacral junction was tight and tender to pressure. She was anxious and pacing. On Chinese tongue and pulse evaluation, her  tongue was lavender and mildly red with longitudinal cracks, and her pulses were deep and weak.

Daisy’s Chinese diagnosis was two-fold. Her tight joints, tender low back, older age, difficulty rising, lavender tongue, and weak deep  pulses suggested Bony Bi syndrome secondary to Kidney Yang deficiency. Her separation anxiety with drooling, nighttime restlessness, thirst, noise phobia, dry coat, dry crusty eyes, and dry lavender-red tongue suggested Liver heat and Qi stagnation secondary to Liver Yin/Blood deficiency. (The organs in Chinese medicine do much more than their Western counterparts, as the Chinese traditionally view the body in terms of functional domains rather than lone anatomical structures. Their medical lingo is thus much different than in the West.)

Acupuncture was begun weekly to start the healing process. Daisy was also started on fish oils, and a Chinese herbal formula for her Bony Bi syndrome called Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang given at two grams twice daily. After two acupuncture sessions she had a little more spring to her step. After five sessions she was getting up gracefully from rest and had good bounce to her walk. Her pulses were normal, but her tongue was still mildly lavender-red with cracks and her Liver Yin/Blood deficiency signs persisted. For this, the formula Yi Guan Jian was begun at two grams twice daily. Acupuncture frequency was reduced to every two weeks. A month later she was moving quite well with only a little stiffness, she was calmer with stressors, less restless at night with improved energy during the day, more outgoing, and her eyes looked great. A month after that she was moving very well, and enjoyed riding in the car which used to stress her terribly. Her tongue was only mildly lavender and not cracked. Pulses were normal. (June 2011)

Lauren Chattigre, DVM, DVetHom, CVA, CVCP
Cascade Summit Animal Hospital 503-655-1722