WHAT'S NEW

January 2019

Monthly Newsletter

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FEATURED ADOPTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS. (original graphic by Marvistavet.com)

NEWSLETTER CONTENTS Featured Adoption Details    Dental Special 2019 is coming   Pharmacy consultations on all new prescriptions    Cannabinoids: What should you know?    Did you get your rebate for 2018?    Did You Know...   Interesting External Link: Legal Housing for an Emotional Support Animal      Referring Clients   Dr. Johnson's Next Day for Chiropractic

FEATURED ADOPTION DETAILS

This young lady, who we are calling "Friday," was found as a pregnant stray on the street. She is approximately 6-8 months old, spayed, vaccinated, Felv/FIV negative and full of affection and personality. Considering a new cat for your family? See reception for more details.

(original graphic by Marvistavet.com)

(original graphic by Marvistavet.com)

(original graphic by Marvistavet.com)

(original graphic by Marvistavet.com)

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DENTAL SPECIAL 2019 IS COMING

This year we are pleased to include dental radiography with Teeth Cleaning.

25% off regular prices. Details next newsletter.

Pricing will be available in the last week of January.

Book your appointment now to ensure special pricing.

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CALIFORNIA LAW MANDATES VERBAL PHARMACY CONSULTATIONS
ON ALL NEW PRESCRIPTIONS STARTING JANUARY 1ST, 2019

SB 1480 is now law and every veterinary office in California is required to provide a verbal pharmacy consultation with every new prescription. This is a good thing as we are able to confirm that you understand everything you need to know about your pet's medication and make sure your questions are answered. We have been doing this informally for years but SB 1480 makes sure every veterinary office is doing it and formalizes how it is done.

What do you need to know about your pet's prescription? The law provides a list:

• The name and strength of the medication.
• What kind of medication it is (antibiotic, pain reliever, anti-inflammatory etc.).
• How you use the medication and for how long.
• Common side effects (i.e. something you might actually expect).
• Serious potential side effects (i.e. something unlikely to happen but so serious that you should know it is a possibility).
• How to store the medication.
• What to do if you skip a dose by accident.

We've been covering this information for years both verbally and with material from our very extensive pharmacy library but the new law is very specific on format so don't be surprised if this takes a few minutes longer than usual. Written materials may supplement but we cannot check off that the consult was completed by simply providing written information. The consultation must be either verbal or electronic but not written.

In a hurry? If you wish, you may decline the consultation and take written materials or even decline written materials but the new law requires that we have noted your choice in the record.

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ON JANUARY 1ST, IT BECAME LEGAL TO DISCUSS CANNABIS FOR PETS

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT CANNABINOIDS

Cannabinoids have been used medicinally for thousands of years. They are typically divided into THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which is for the most part the psychoactive/recreational cannabinoid, and CBD (cannabidiol) which is for the most part the medicinal cannabinoid. It is actually more complicated as there is CBC and CBA and other cannabinoids in the Cannabis plant but, practically speaking, THC and CBD are the main compounds you will see on labels.

There is no reason for a pet to take THC so we will just leave that out of this discussion.

CBD been shown to reduce seizures in epileptic dogs and seems to have pain relieving properties in canine arthritis. There have been reports of topical anti-inflammatory effects as well.

Bottom line: there are some good effects to pursue here.

CHALLENGES IN BRINGING CANNABINOIDS INTO VETERINARY MEDICINE

Those bottles of CBD oil look legitimate and they are for sale along with all the legal cannabinoids for humans. Why not just go buy one and use it? It turns out there are a lot of reasons to beware of these products.

1) They are illegal (with a few exceptions)
All the state legislation that decriminalizes marijuana use for people has made zero provision for pet use. These products are not legal to sell and not legal to use. What are the exceptions? Industrial hemp is the exception. Industrial hemp is Cannabis with less than 0.3% THC. Industrial hemp is legal to grow and most products you see on the shelf will claim to have been extracted from industrial hemp. The problem is that if they really were extracted from industrial hemp, they probably would not have enough CBD to be therapeutic. Further, the DEA considers CBD to be an illegal substance regardless of whether it came from an industrial hemp plant or not.

2) They are unregulated
The FDA considers cannabinoids to be without medical use and it is still illegal to buy them even for human use as far as the federal government is concerned. At this time, however, the political climate on the subject has largely de-funded enforcement for federal marijuana laws and it has been left to the states to decide whether cannabinoids are legal. This is why we have legal cannabinoids for human use in California.

This is all well and good except that without the FDA involved, a manufacturer can market a product without a lot of proof that it actually has any CBD in it whatsoever. Quality control is 100% up to the manufacturer of the product. The AVMA's position is that the consumer should have the product independently tested prior to using it on a pet but in reality this is not likely to happen.

3) Research is only just starting
We know that bioavailability of CBD isn't great for dogs. This means that as soon as it enters the canine body from the GI tract, the liver detoxifies it before it even enters the bloodstream and very little actually makes it into the dog. This is a problem that must be overcome if there is to be a therapeutic product.

Tolerance is also an issue. This means that the longer a pet (or person) uses a cannabinoid, the less effective it will be and more of it is required to get a therapeutic effect. This is also a problem to be overcome if there is to be a therapeutic product.

Cannabinoids inhibit enzyme systems that remove other drugs from the body which can increase the potential for toxic drug interactions. Many dogs that get CBD products are already on traditional medications. This has potential to be a big problem but how big and under what circumstances we do not yet know.

4) Veterinarians cannot prescribe or recommend them
We can talk about them. We can note that you are using them or want to use them but we cannot sell these products, nor are we allowed to recommend them. Do you really want to use something on your pet that is unregulated, illegal in most cases, and your veterinarian is legally prohibited from selling it or even recommending it?

Fortunately, most of these products turn out to be safe though occasionally one tests with a much higher CBD level than advertised which could be toxic to a small pet.

We know many of you are buying these products. We recognize the potential of cannabinoids to do a great deal of good but until we have an FDA approved product with proper testing behind it and proper quality control, you should probably wait.

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DID YOU GET YOUR REBATE FOR 2018?

There are a whole bunch of products with associated rebates (Trifexis, Comfortis and others). Did you get your rebate? If not, we can still reprint a receipt for you for processing.

NOT SURE IF YOU QUALIFY?
CHECK THE REBATE PRODUCT LIST HERE.
ASK OUR RECEPTIONIST IF YOU MADE A QUALIFYING PURCHASE.

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DID YOU KNOW...

                ...THE NATIONAL ANIMAL POISON CONTROL HOT LINE IS AVAILABLE

24 HOURS A DAY AT 888-426-4435?

A veterinary toxicologist is available 24 hours a day to take your report and advise you on treatment for an emergency situation. They can also tell you if your situation is an emergency or not. You will receive a case number that your veterinarian can reference in case further consultation and recommendations are needed.

Pets get into toxic plants, medications, human foods, industrial substances and who knows what.

Expect to pay $65 for your consultation but if your pet has a microchip registered with HomeAgain, the annual membership fee includes free poison control consultations. You can give the poison control operator your pet's microchip number to waive the fee or your can access poison control by calling 888-HomeAgain and select the medical emergency option from the phone tree.

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INTERESTING EXTERNAL LINK:

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH A "NO PETS ALLOWED" BUILDING
IF YOU HAVE AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL?

The short version is that your disability must be documented and the need for an emotional support animal must be documented. A disabled person who needs a support animal has an equal opportunity to enjoy the apartment. Here is an interesting article on this subject that might help you:   https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/california-landlords-tenants-service-dogs-emotional-support-animals.html

(Photocredit: Morguefile.com)

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OUR HOSPITAL WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS REFERRED A FRIEND! This month we would especially like to thank (referred in December): Mary Eckhert Elizabeth Hiramoto Lee O'Donnell Timea Spoon Refer a friend or family member and receive a $25 credit to your account. Repeat as desired. (Restrictions: the person referred cannot have the same address as you and must come in for a medical service other than vaccination clinic.)

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DR. JENNY JOHNSON'S NEXT DAY FOR CHIROPRACTIC                                                     IS THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14th. Please call for a space in her schedule. Dr. Johnson also performs shockwave therapy for arthritis with great success. If this exciting non-drug treatment is of interest to you, please contact us for further information.

DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" US ON FACEBOOK SO YOU CAN GET TIPS AND LINKS

TO HELP BRING YOUR PET THE BEST POSSIBLY CARE.

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