The doctors and staff of Martin Downs Animal Hospital would like to wish everybody a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Just a reminder, we will be closed on Thursday, November 24 so that our doctors and staff can celebrate the holiday with their families. We will reopen on Friday and Saturday, our regular business hours.   

Make sure to book your pet's vacation with our Resort for the holidays!  Space is still available but we fill up fast. Don't hesitate -- call today!!!

  Martin Downs Animal Hospital participated  

  in the Palm City Fall Fest on Saturday,  

  October 22. We had a booth with both Dr.  

  Poderski & Dr. Waters available to answer  

  questions. Goodie bags, our infamous   

  bandanas and ties and special gifts were  

  handed out just for stopping by. There were  

  also a lot of  other local community booths,  

  food, musical entertainment, a classic car  

  show and a children's area. Thanks to           

                                                                        everyone who came out and supported the  

                                                                        Fall Fest.

MUTT MARCH

Martin Downs Animal Hospital had planned on participating at this year's Humane Society of the Treasure Coast's Mutt March on Saturday, October 29th.  It was going to be a great day with a costume contest, food for everyone, vendors and, of course the Mutt March.  However, the  weather turned from bad to worse with heavy rain and tornado warnings.  With that, the event was canceled by the Humane Society. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us in the short time we were there.  

ANESTHESIA-FREE DENTAL DAY

This month Pet Dental Services will be here on November 10th to perform the anesthesia-free dentals. If you would like to know if your pet is a candidate, please call us and schedule an appointment. We still have a few openings for that date.

MDAH PATIENT WINS CONTEST

Laura and her husband Larry recently had a baby girl named Madison in June. When not tending to her four month old baby and working with rehab patients, Laura is competing with her three horses and taking her two bichons, Sammy and Teddy Bear, to the beach.

Does your pet have anxiety? Do you know the signs to look for? Anxiety is so common that 4 out of 10 pets suffer from this problem, but 60% of owners don't even know their pets are suffering. Some common signs of anxiety are: 

• Urinating on him / herself
• Hiding
• Growling or barking while backing up
• Salivating
• Easily startled
• Licks one paw continuously
• Panics when he / she goes outside
• Can't be left alone
• Anti-social

Many owners believe some or all of these signs are just their pet's normal behavior, however, that is why they are missing the signs. Behavior issues are the top reason pets are relinquished to humane societies or rescue facilities.

If your pet has any of these signs and you would like to help them, but don't want to go the medication route, there is an alternative, Anxitane. Anxitane is a non-pharmaceutical chew tablet that is indicated to reduce anxiety problems in cats and dogs. It creates relaxation without sedation in pets exhibiting nervousness. Anxitane addresses specific types of fear such as:

• Fear of people
• Fear on walks
• Fear of other pets
• Fear following changes in family situation (death, divorce, moving, adoption, etc.)
• Episodic fear (grooming, veterinary visits, car travel, loud noises, etc.)

If you think your pet may suffer from anxiety, please call us and we can help you decide if Anxitane is the right choice for your pet.

Tumors of the ear canal in dogs and cats are uncommon. Feline ear tumors only represent 1-2% of all their tumors and canine only 2-6%. Feline ear tumors carry a higher rate of malignancy versus their canine counterpart. Due to the cartilaginous nature of ear canals, ear tumors are rarely able to metastasize. They can cause your pet a great deal of pain and if they extend to the middle or inner ear, they can create neurological signs and lack of coordination.

It has been theorized that chronic otitis (ear infections) could be a factor in tumor development. Otitis creates inflammation that in turn causes swelling and cellular changes to tissue that may induce neoplastic growth. On the flip side, tumors can predispose the pet to otitis. Tumors give the perfect environment for bacteria and yeast to grow.

Tumors in the ear canal can be difficult to diagnose because they can be covered by debris or be located deep in the canal or it is too swollen to see in the canal. However, if an otitis is chronic and does not seem to respond to normal treatment, than the suspicion of a tumor should be considered. One of the best tools to explore the ear canal is the video otoscope, preferably in the anesthetized patient. Cultures, proper irrigation and biopsies can be done during this procedure. Surgery is ultimately employed to remove the mass.

Recently we have had two cases present themselves to our hospital that had ear tumors. One was a cat named Daisy and the other was a dog named Broker. Daisy had a pea-sized polyp that was originally found in 2009. During her annual exam in September, it was decided to remove it as the tumor was creating discomfort and was a source of otitis. Initially it was not known that Broker had a tumor. We found the ulcerative tumor when we reduced the swelling he had from a chronic, painful ear infection. 

Dr. Poderski performed both procedures within three weeks of each other. Broker had his tumor removed in late August.  He did fabulous after the procedure. His comfort level improved dramatically and his infection cleared. A side benefit was that he was also more stable on his feet. The tumor / infection, we now know, was affecting his sense of balance. His tumor did carry a low grade of malignancy but so far he has an improved quality of life and is doing very well. Daisy's surgery followed his and was equally successful. She is no longer troubled with chronic pain and infection. Daisy's tumor is believed to be benign due to its long-term existence and appearance.

Martin Downs Animal Hospital thanks both owners for intrusting us with their pets' care and allowing our hospital to share their story.