Monday Funny

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Happy Monday!

Winter Tips~~Part III

Here are a few more winter weather tips for you and your furry family members.

**KEEP CATS INDOORS
Outdoor cats can easily freeze or become lost, injured or killed.  Cats will also sleep under hoods of cars next to the warm motor.  This often leads to severe injury or death from the fan blades or belt when the motor is started.


**If you live near a body of water (lake, pond, etc.), REMEMBER that thin ice is just as hazardous for pets as for people.


**NEVER leave your pet alone in a vehicle or unattended outdoors during cold weather.


**Provide indoor pets with a warm bed and plenty of blankets AWAY from drafts and insulated from the cold floor.

Stay tuned next weekend for our final segment of Ten Winter Weather Tips for Pets!

Christmas Is Coming, And New Year's Eve Is Too!

Which of these tips will help you avoid emergency visits this holiday season?

1. Watch that Candy!!  Even a small amount of chocolate can be dangerous, especially for a toy breed dog.
2. Watch your cats around the Christmas tinsel and decorations.  We don't want to have to give Fluffy exploratory surgery for Christmas.
3. As much as we like to share the joy, please keep 'people food' to yourselves.  The rich holiday foods can cause pancreatitis for our loyal friends.
4. Watch kids and dogs during holiday parties.  For a nervous dog, the excitement of a party added to the unpredictability of children could lead to an accidental bite.
5. Puppies and kittens LOVE to chew.  Don't let them chew on your holiday lights!! (If you spread a thin layer of cayenne pepper over the cord, this will discourage chewing).
6. Holiday drinks are a 'no no' for pets.  Dont' let Rufus clean out glasses half full of alcohol.

We wish you a happy and safe holiday season!

Stephanie Severson, CVT

Classic Thanksgiving Fun

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday Funny

Thanksgiving is coming!

Happy Monday!

Winter Tips~ Part ll

This week's winter tips are going to talk a little bit about your outdoor pets and those pets with shorter hair coats.

OUTDOOR PETS

These pets are more at risk for developing frostbite injuries and hypothermia. 
*Provide dry shelter with plenty of DRY straw, shavings or blankets.

*Make sure their shelter opening is positioned away from prevailing winds.

*Check and change bedding frequently---Remember, outdoor pets drag a lot of moisture into their shelter from snow, ice, rain and mud.  Wet bedding= inability to keep warm and can lead to hypothermia.

*Keep the water source from freezing---Replenish it frequently or provide a heated bucket/bowl.

*Increase caloric intake---Remember that extra calories are expended in trying to keep warm.


PETS WITH SHORT HAIR COATS

(Greyhounds, Dobermans, Boston Terriers, Chihuahuas, etc.)  These dogs are especially vulnerable to cold temperatures and should wear sweaters/coats when going outside.

*Avoid prolonged outdoor winter activities with these breeds.

Something I Ate...

The American dream: a roof, three squares, a car, and scraps for the dog.  Sounds ideal, right-- but what does it mean for our pets?  More is definitely not better.  One in twenty dogs (one if fifty cats) seen at clinics in 2010 may have some degree of pancreatitis.

The pancreas produces protein and fat digesting enzymes at each meal.  Inflammation (pancreatitis) occurs with trauma, cancer, chemical ingestion, hyper stimulation (high fat, high protein foods), and other diseases.  Symptoms range from minor belly aches to shock.  Severe cases can be deadly.

Many pets get pancreatitis as a result of scrap feeding.  Our pets' efficient systems were never designed to eat the high fat, salt and protein levels in human foods.  Temers, Schnauzers, and many small breeds are especially susceptible, but any dog or cat can be affected.

Good news:  the risk can be greatly reduced by feeding formulated diets instead of scraps.  Avoid the steak trimmings or slab of bacon.  Instead, truly reward your pet by putting their health first.  Ask your veterinarian today about balanced nutrition and what it means for your loved ones.

This article honors Zelda, a four-year-old Schnauzer whose belly ache battles and hospital stays ended when she gave up scraps.  Good girl!

~~Lisa Hatfield, DVM