The most underutilized tool of prevention in Veterinary Medicine, is the routine dental. Despite statistical data confirming that by age 3, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of dental disease, a substantial number of owners choose not to follow their Veterinarians’ advice, forgoing a comprehensive dental evaluation and cleaning. By ignoring dental care, bacteria is allowed to grow, unchecked, in the warm, moist conditions that exist naturally in the mouth, releasing toxins that have damaging consequences for the pet. They assume “bad breath” goes hand in hand with pet ownership, and by the time they seek
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NAVIGATING THE WINTER WONDERLAND…
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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