As we head towards the first day of winter on December 21st, it’s important to remember that during the month of December, holiday celebrations and the onset of winter weather, create complex challenges for the pets we love. Inside the home, increased use of electrical extension cords, tinsel decorations, and ribbon (especially wired ribbon), are a few of the things that trigger an increase in veterinary emergencies for both dogs and cats! Tinsel and ribbon can’t be digested, and accumulate in the digestive tract, forming an intestinal blockage that requires surgical intervention. Hanging lights and dangling decorations attract unwanted attention
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Keep the “Happy” in Holiday Travel with Pets
Anyone with a pet knows that as much as we may love to travel, they would rather be at home…especially if they happen to be a kitty! Visiting family at the holidays often inspires us to include our four legged friends. Safety in travel takes on new significance when pets are involved. Preparation should include proper equipment to transport your pet geared to the type of vehicle they’ll be traveling in. Dogs should never travel in a car without being contained in a safe restraint…a crate attached to the interior of the vehicle, or an approved car seat. Cats should
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Spay and Neutering…Protecting the Pets We Love
Let’s start by defining spay and neuter. Spaying is a surgical procedure, performed under anesthesia, on female animals. Both ovaries and uterus are removed rendering the animal unable to reproduce. Neutering is a surgical procedure, performed under anesthesia on male animals. Both testicles are removed, rendering these males sterile and thereby unable to reproduce. As a general rule these are performed as “same day” surgical procedures. Recovery tends to be relatively uneventful so long as patients adhere to restricted activity guidelines outlined at the time of discharge. After approximately 7-10 days of healing, it’s business as usual! Ideally, spay/neuter takes
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The Senior Years
The pets we love become “seniors” sooner than you might think. Cats and small breed dogs reach geriatric status around their 7th birthday. For larger breeds, the rule of thumb is 6 years. Advances in Veterinary Medicine and pet nutrition have resulted in an increased population of geriatric pets. With these growing numbers, a great deal of focus has been placed on establishing protocols and treatment plans for cats and dogs who are living longer. Research has been conducted on adapting their environment to suit their mobility challenges, nutritional guidelines, exercise regimens, vaccine protocols, and so much more. While aging
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