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As a third-year veterinary student, I have been
able to choose the electives that I take; after two years of taking
a pre-selected curriculum, this is an amazing experience! I get to
pick what I want to learn, which makes learning all the more
fun.

This semester, I have completed an oncology elective. Oncology
is a big part of veterinary medicine because 50 percent of dogs
over the age of 10 years will develop cancer. Through this
elective, I was able to learn about current research being done
that correlates human cancers and cancer in dogs, because it is
very similar and advances in each field can help each other.

The elective I just finished is dermatology. This is also a
large part of veterinary medicine, as many pets have issues with
skin or allergies, especially living in Texas. In dermatology, we
learned how to identify different infections, causes, and how to
treat common dermatologic problems. Did you know that dogs can have
food allergies, too? It’s a lot harder to find out if dogs have a
food issue because they can’t tell you they feel bad after eating
something or if they eat something that causes them to itch.

The next elective I will be taking is clinical pathology, in
which I will learn all about how to interpret blood work and
understand what the values mean. I’ll be able to tell if a dog is
anemic, if it has liver issues, or even if it’s a diabetic.
Clinical pathology is a skill that we will be using every day in
practice. Interpreting blood and urine are common practices and
taking this elective will hopefully help me feel more comfortable
with this aspect of veterinary medicine.

Overall, all of my classes have been good, but it’s even more
exciting to get to decide what you learn!

The Small Animal Hospital treats its share of special patients, but when oncologists treated an 8-year-old Australian Labradoodle named Bullet, they found a dog with its own healing touch.

Like all Aggies, Bullet’s purpose has always been to live a life of selfless service.

When owner Leslie Staven received the now 8-year-old Australian Labradoodle at 8 weeks of age, it was for the purpose of training Bullet to detect for life-threatening peanut allergies.

Little did Staven know then that Bullet would go on to save more people in many more ways than anyone could have ever imagined, and then, in turn, would need the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (CVM) Small Animal Hospital (SAH) to be saved.

The Nose Knows

Bullet wasn’t intended to spend his life with Staven. 

As a specially trained service dog, he had been sent to live with several children afflicted with peanut allergies, but those children weren’t “dog people,” so it never worked out.

But then Staven noticed something about Bullet. While he had been trained to sniff out foods, he was, instead, sniffing out people in need.

She first noticed it when they were around children with autism. Bullet would lead Staven to a child, who would “always assume the same position”—with the child essentially coming nose to nose with Bullet—and they would just stare at each other.

“I’d say something to the child to the effect of, ‘Hey, what’s your name?’ and invariably an adult would come in and say, ‘he doesn’t speak; he has autism,’” Staven said. “I study psychology and have had a lot of experience with people with special needs, so I developed a way to speak through Bullet to the child. What ended up happening was this child who did not speak always answered.

“One child, who had never said anything in his life, reached up, touched Bullet, and said ‘fuzzy,’ at which point the family all just bawled,” Staven said.

In another encounter, Bullet was attracted to a child who only spoke four or five words, primarily to verbalize his own needs. Staven introduced the child to Bullet and said, “‘Bullet wonders if you have a dog.’

“The boy said, ‘No,’ so I responded, ‘That’s cool. Bullet wonders if you have any animals,’” she said. “At this point he said, ‘Yeah, I have a hamster. Its name is Squeak.’ And he went on for 45 minutes, conversing back and forth with the dog. Never looked at me, never looked at the father.”

Children aren’t the only ones touched by Bullet. 

On several occasions, both in classrooms and in public, Bullet has detected someone suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related flashback. Each time Bullet has approached, the veteran has wrapped his arms around the dog and Bullet has placed his front legs over the veteran’s shoulders, as if offering a hug. Tears usually fall, and then each veteran tells Staven that “Bullet brought me home.”

Even more incredibly, one day while Staven was taking classes at a university, Bullet began to venture toward a young man.

“The next thing I knew, Bullet was in the boy’s seat, with his legs over the boy’s shoulders and his head on his chest,” Staven said. “I jumped up to apologize, and the boy told me he wanted Bullet to stay. They sat in that position for 20 minutes.

“Weeks later, my professor called me in. She told me she shouldn’t divulge what she was about to tell me, but that boy later came to her. On that morning, he had loaded a gun and planned to kill himself,” Staven said. “For some reason, he decided to go to his first class and if anyone noticed or cared about him, he would go to a mental health clinic. If no one did, he would return to his dorm and kill himself. Bullet saved his life. He said he had never felt so much peace.”

The stories go on and on. Bullet’s Facebook page (I smell trouble – Allergen Alert Dogs) is littered with photos and stories from interactions. As a service dog who travels with Staven, Bullet routinely has these encounters with random people who always need his help.

Luckily, when Bullet needed help, the SAH was there.

Even Heroes Need Saving

In April, Staven was giving Bullet a pill when she saw a little bump on the inside of his mouth. She took Bullet to her veterinarian, an Aggie, who determined that the spot was probably a squamous cell carcinoma.

Staven had worked at the SAH years before, and knowing some of the clinicians, she decided Texas A&M was “the only place I want to go.”

“That’s why I came here, because it’s the best,” she said. 

Under the care of Dr. Brandan Wustefeld-Janssens, an assistant professor of surgical oncology, Bullet underwent a procedure to remove pieces of the gum and, because the cancer had grown into the underlying bone, the section of his upper jaw containing his canine and incisor teeth had to be removed, too.

“Bullet’s is a type of cancer that we often see in the mouths of dogs and cats. They’re generally locally invasive and with a complete surgical removal, they can have a good, long-term outcome,” Wustefeld-Janssens said. “Cosmetically, he looks slightly different—his nose droops down a little—but that’s the only change you can notice.”

While Wustefeld-Janssens said the type of cancer Bullet was treated for is quite common, Bullet, himself, is not. 

“We see a lot of therapy dogs and emotional support dogs, and we, as a group, feel very strongly about helping them, especially those who help military veterans and those with PTSD,” Wustefeld-Janssens said.

“Bullet’s story, though, is very unusual,” he said. “But dogs are way more intelligent than we are, anyway. There are dogs that are trained to pick up on if your blood glucose level is low; if you’re diabetic, they’ll tell you to eat. It makes sense that he picks up some kind of emotional distress, but there’s no way to explain it.

“He’s obviously very intuitive and picks up cues that we don’t notice, so he is a special dog.”

Changes

When Bullet has had an emotional encounter with someone in need, he is visibly changed for a period of time afterward. Staven has compared what she witnesses with Bullet to the character in “The Green Mile” who absorbs “all the evil.”

“Anytime Bullet’s had a highly emotional encounter, he gets exhausted, completely wiped out,” Staven said. “He changes. But so do the people, in a positive way.”

While Bullet’s recovery time can range from hours to days, Staven believes Bullet remembers long past his recovery. 

She recalls when Bullet accompanied her to a gathering of Native American tribes in Montana. Through the crowd, Bullet spotted and approached a very old Native American man in a wheelchair and then suddenly stopped, putting his feet on the arms of the wheelchair. The man began to chant. 

“Bullet stood, unwavering, and a small group of people began to circle around us as the man began to touch Bullet’s face in a pattern,” Staven said. “Nose to nose, the man sat and Bullet stood, and then silence. The only English words the man spoke were ‘And so it goes.’ As soon as he uttered these words, Bullet got down, turned around, returned to my feet, and collapsed.”

The man beside Staven told her that the wheelchair-bound man had been waiting for his totem so that he could “go now.”

It took three days for Bullet to return to being himself, but Staven said, even to this day, when Bullet hears music with Native American-style horns and drums, he will howl. 

“There isn’t any other music except…,” Staven begins. “OK, we shouldn’t say this because we’re at A&M, but ‘The Eyes of Texas’ comes on the radio at noon everyday (at their home in New Braunfels) after the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ and when TU’s song comes on, Bullet just barks and howls and sings along. I like to say he’s just hoping for the ‘Aggie War Hymn.’ But that’s the only other time he sings.”

After his experiences at Texas A&M, perhaps that will change. 

###

Note: This story originally appeared in the Fall 2019 edition of CVMBS Today.

For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of CVMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences; jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu; 979-862-4216

Familiarizing yourself with common canine skin irritations and conditions is important to your pet’s health. Certain skin problems could be sign of a more serious underlying issue, such as physical pain, discomfort, or infection.

“There are many different types of skin conditions in dogs. As we try to figure out what type of condition may be affecting your pet, we have to answer one question first, ‘Is your dog itchy?’” said Dr. Alison Diesel, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “Itch in dogs can take on a number of different forms, including scratching, rubbing, rolling, licking, chewing, head shaking, or scooting. You may be bringing your dog in for hair loss or skin sores, but if those signs are present with itchy behaviors, we will be looking that direction first.”

Common reasons dogs have itchy skin include parasites, such as fleas, lice, or microscopic mites; infections, such as those caused by bacteria; and allergies.

“Fleas are extremely common in dogs, particularly in Texas where fleas are endemic year-round. Not only are fleas a nuisance and can carry disease, but they can also cause flea allergy dermatitis, an allergic reaction from the flea’s bite that occurs in some dogs,” Diesel explained. “Mites are another common reason for skin disease in dogs, particularly Demodex; these non-contagious mites may be found in young or older patients. Sarcoptes mites, also known as scabies, are also rather common; these mites are contagious and typically cause severe itch. Bacterial skin infections are also prevalent in dogs; however they are typically due to a secondary problem, such as parasites or allergies.”

Other canine skin conditions include hormone imbalances, such as hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease; cancer, which may be benign or malignant; and autoimmune skin diseases, such as pemphigus or lupus. All of these typically come without signs of itch unless secondary infections are present.

Sometimes dog owners may notice that their pets have a skin lesion or that a part of the skin has an abnormal growth or appearance compared to the skin around it. According to Diesel, lesions should be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine the cause. “As there are numerous causes of skin lesions in dogs, it is important to determine the underlying cause to help guide treatment recommendations,” she said.

In addition to monitoring your dog’s skin conditions, you should also keep track of your pet’s shedding. Excessive shedding could potentially be a sign of another health condition. First, it is important to determine whether the hair is being scratched out, or if it is falling out on its own. “If the hair is falling out on its own and leaving obvious areas of baldness, this may be a sign of internal illness, such as hormone imbalances, metabolic changes, or even potentially cancer; it could also be a sign of skin disease, such as ringworm,” Diesel said. It is also important to remember that certain breeds may shed much more than others. If there is no baldness seen along with the excessive shedding, this may actually be normal for your dog. Seasonal variations may additionally occur, although this is less noticeable in Texas where seasonal variation is minimal compared to other regions of the country.

To keep your dog’s coat healthy and shiny and to minimize unwanted excessive shedding, routinely brush and groom your pet. Depending on the breed, some dogs may require periodic haircuts for coat care, while others may need only a bath and brush. Additionally, veterinarian-prescribed omega fatty acids such as fish oil can help keep the skin and hair coat healthy in dogs.

If you notice any excessive scratching or shedding, lesions, or any change in your dog’s normal hair coat appearance, you should have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian to help determine any underlying health conditions that may be a cause for the change.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu.

Pet parents want to feed their dogs the best diet possible to keep their furry friends happy and healthy, but there are so many options on the market: prepackaged or home-cooked, wet food or dry, and grain-free.

Recently, interest has arisen surrounding grain-free diets and their impact on canine health.

When searching for the right food for their dogs, pet owners often focus on corn and wheat; however, many other grains are used in pet foods that have great nutritional value, including rice, barley, oats, and millet.

“Much of the initial push for ‘grain-free’ diets for dogs came from folks who were drawn into the marketing strategy that dogs are carnivores and grains were unnatural,” said Dr. Deb Zoran, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS).

“Dogs are, in fact, omnivores; they are actually programmed metabolically and nutritionally to use the building blocks from both plants (grains) and animals to meet their requirements for essential nutrients and energy,” she said. “This is illustrated by wild dogs and wolves eating the ingesta—contents of the digestive tract that are largely plant material or grain—of large animal species they kill.”

Pet owners choose what diet to feed their dog based on word-of-mouth, online, marketing of pet stores, or veterinary recommendations, but according to Zoran, many owners tend to choose their pet’s diet based on pet food company marketing.

“The pet food industry is a very competitive place and many of the smaller companies and boutique foods do a fantastic job of marketing their products,” Zoran said. “Unfortunately, those same companies do not all have the same resources for research and development and quality assurance testing.

“A recipe for good food is one thing, but if you don’t test the product once it is made, processed, and packaged, you can’t be sure the food still contains what you intended, and that is where potential problems start,” Zoran said.

It is important for dogs to have a balanced diet in order to thrive, and Zoran said dog owners should know that “there are nutrients present in grains that are essential for a complete and balanced diet.”

“If grains are removed from a diet, they must be replaced by another food source that has those nutrients in sufficient quantities to balance the diet,” she said.

Some dog owners have switched their pets to a grain-free diet because of concern about possible wheat gluten allergies or intolerance, but, according to Zoran, these conditions are relatively uncommon in dogs compared to other types of food-related conditions.

“Many people have been convinced that their dogs have a ‘grain allergy,’ much like celiac disease or gluten disease in humans,” Zoran said. “However, true dietary allergies in dogs are caused by the protein, or meat, sources in a diet. It doesn’t mean that your dog can’t have an intolerance to wheat gluten or another food ingredient, but it is not the same as an allergy.

“The bottom line is, your dog’s skin, hair coat, or gastrointestinal (GI) function may sometimes improve on a grain-free diet, but it may simply have been the diet change itself and not the lack of grains, per se,” she said.

Zoran recommends that pet owners choose diets that have rigorous standards for research and quality testing; a well-developed reputation for providing complete and balanced foods; and back up their label claims with nutritional quality control testing. Additionally, owners should always seek advice from their veterinarian before changing their dog’s diet.

“If your dog seems to do better with diets without wheat or corn, consult a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist for information about the safest diet options available on the market,” Zoran said. “They can provide commercial and homemade options that can meet your dog’s specific nutritional needs.”

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu.

For many people and pets, spring (aka “allergy season”) is a time of excessive sneezing, itching, and scratching. For some pets, however, their allergy season is never ending, lasting into summer, fall, and winter.

Veterinary dermatologist Dr. Adam Patterson, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, discusses allergic skin disease and how to best relieve the itch for affected pets, which can include dogs, cats, horses, and other species.

“Environmental allergy, aka atopic dermatitis, is a skin condition in which the immune system overly reacts to the pollens of grasses, trees, and weeds, as well as to indoor substances like house dust mites, mold, and dander,” he said. “Clinical signs may be seasonal or year-round in presentation.”

Of these allergens, the most common to affect pets in central Texas are dust mites and grasses, as well as cedar and oak pollen. Many pets are also allergic to flea bites, which can perpetuate the effects of atopic dermatitis.

Unlike people who experience lots of sneezing and runny eyes with allergies, pets’ main sign of atopic dermatitis is itching. In addition to scratching, pets may try to relieve an itch by rubbing, licking, chewing, biting, head shaking, or scooting.

“Common itchy body areas include the face, ears, paws, armpits, groin, rump, and anal region,” Patterson said. “Every pet has its own itch tolerance, which means the intensity and reason(s) for your pet’s itch may not be the same as another animal.”

Recurring bacterial and/or yeast skin infections—which appear as red and/or black skin, red bumps, pimples, scabs, dander, hair loss, or thickening skin—often accompany allergic skin disease. Similarly, owners may also notice recurring ear infections that cause itchy red and swollen ears that may leak pus.

If a pet is showing any of these signs, a veterinarian can help determine the various causes.

If atopic dermatitis is determined to be the cause, in addition to itch relief medications, initial treatments may include baths, flea prevention, and anti-infection medication, as well as a possible change in diet.

“Given the safety and effect of many allergy medications today, dogs in central Texas should have allergy signs for at least five to six months out of the year before considering skin testing for environmental allergies in order for the diagnostic tests and treatment to be cost effective over the long haul,” Patterson said.

If the condition is left untreated, it can have mild to serious consequences.

“It can cause unrelenting itch, odor, remodeling of the ear canal (an increase in skin thickness and collapse of the ear canal), and multi-antibiotic resistant bacterial skin infections,” Patterson said. “Ear canal removal, an expensive surgery, may be required.”

To avoid excessive, costly treatments and extra discomfort for your pet, make sure to talk to your veterinarian if your pet is showing signs of an environmental allergy to determine a plan, which could even include referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Getting rid of that annoying itch will help make spring, and possibly the entire year, more enjoyable for everyone.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu.

Everyone knows the annoying feeling of having something in your eye. This irritating feeling can be caused by a common eye problem known as conjunctivitis—which is sometimes referred to as “pink eye”. Pet owners should be aware that conjunctivitis is also common among cats and dogs and there are simple ways to identify this condition so appropriate treatment can be obtained.

According to Dr. Lucien Vallone, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, some of the most common signs of conjunctivitis in pets include mild redness in the white of the eye, swelling in the eyelids, eye discharge or tearing and squinting. Some pets may even scratch their face in an attempt to relieve the eye irritation.

“The conjunctiva is a mucous membrane that lines the surface of the eye and eyelids and covers the white of your eye,” Vallone explained. “This mucous membrane provides a barrier to infections and also creates a portion of your tears. When this tissue becomes inflamed, it is known as conjunctivitis. Common causes of conjunctivitis in cats and dogs include allergies and certain bacteria and viruses.”

Specifically, cats may develop conjunctivitis after contracting the feline herpesvirus—a virus that is known to cause upper respiratory infections in cats, similar to the common cold. Vallone said this virus is extremely prevalent in cats and can flare up any time a cat is stressed, such as when new cats are added to a household. In comparison, dogs often develop conjunctivitis as they mature through adolescence. Veterinarians most often attribute this type of conjunctivitis to viruses or allergies.

Routine puppy and kitten vaccinations can drastically reduce the risk of viral conjunctivitis in cats and dogs, Vallone said. To further decrease your dog or cat’s risk, limit their exposure to other animals that are displaying signs of eye disease and may have infectious conjunctivitis. If you see a pet that has red and inflamed eyes, or any other symptoms that may appear to be a sign of conjunctivitis, try to prevent your pet from coming into contact with them.

“If your pet develops conjunctivitis, there are specific treatments that can be tailored to your pet depending on the underlying cause of the conjunctivitis,” Vallone said. “For example, conjunctivitis associated with feline herpesvirus can be treated with certain antiviral medications paired with methods to reduce stress. This can drastically improve discomfort associated with this specific form of conjunctivitis.”

Just like humans, pets can develop eye irritations and diseases that may cause discomfort. If you notice any signs of conjunctivitis in your pet, or any sign of eye discomfort, see your veterinarian to develop a treatment plan for your pet.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu .

While ear infections are pesky conditions that affect many species, dogs are especially at risk because of the shape of their ear canals.

Dr. Lori Teller, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says that diagnosis and treatment should always be handled by a veterinarian, but dog owners should still be informed on the nature of this condition to keep their furry friend in tip-top shape.

“There are multiple causes of ear infections (otitis externa), including allergies (most common), ear mites, a foreign body (this can include polyps or neoplasia), excess hair in the ear canal, anatomic changes in the ear canal, excess moisture in the ear canal, injury, immune-mediated diseases, endocrine disease, and excessive cleaning,” Teller said. “Any of these causes allow for bacteria and/or yeast to overgrow in the ear, leading to the infection.”

Symptoms of canine ear infections include head shaking, scratching at or rubbing the affected ear, discharge, bad odor, redness inside the ear, swelling of the ear canal, pain, itchiness, and crusts or scabs inside the ear or along the ear margin. Owners who suspect that their dog may be suffering from an ear infection should seek veterinary help immediately, as these infections can become more severe if left untreated.

Once diagnosed, your dog’s treatment plan will depend on what caused the ear infection in the first place.

Teller said that topical ointments may be used to treat bacteria and yeast present in the canal. Severe infections or those involving the middle or inner ear canal may be treated with oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicated ear cleansers to clear away discharge and debris from the infected canal may also be prescribed.

“Dogs that develop ear infections frequently will need to have the underlying cause addressed,” Teller said. “Some may require therapies to control allergies. If a food allergy is a cause of the problem, then switching to a hypoallergenic or limited-ingredient diet may prevent future problems. It is very important to work with your veterinarian before switching your dog’s diet.”

Dogs that swim frequently are also more prone to ear infections, and special care should be taken by owners to appropriately clean and dry their pet’s ears after being in the water. Cotton swabs should never be used in the inner canal of a dog’s ear. Teller also advised that dog owners should not allow other dogs to lick their pet’s ears.

To diagnose your pet, a veterinarian might sample ear discharge or look through the ear canal to observe the state of the eardrum. Your dog may need to be sedated for this procedure, depending on the situation.

Although the prospect of a canine ear infection may be daunting, timely veterinary intervention can prevent permanent damage from occurring. Proper care will have your pooch back to their super-hearing self in no time!

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu.