PET HEALTHCARE TIPS

SIGNS THAT YOUR PET NEEDS TO SEE THE VET

The following chart is a general guideline please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.

Vomiting

Diarhhea

Unintended weight loss or weight gain

Appetite changes

Changes in normal activity level

Lethargy

Hyperactivity

Restlessness

Limping

Painful or cries when touched

Clumsy or Disoriented Behavior

Seizures

Loss of conciousness

Coughing

Panting in a Cat

Difficult or labored breathing

If gums or tongue appear blue, purple or pale

Collapse

Excessive Drooling

If your cat is straining in the litter box and cannot produce urine

Crying or difficulty urinating or defecating

Change in urination frequency, amount, color, or smell

Bloated abdomen

Excessive sneezing

Uncontrolled bleeding

Nose bleeds or bruising anywhere on the body

Unusual odor

Hair Loss

Runny eyes or nose

Difficulty eating or foul odor from the mouth

Squinting

Shaking head alot and/or digging at ears

SUMMER HEALTHCARE

As the cool weather slowly fades and the mercury rises, families begin preparing for another summer filled with outdoor fun. Children and adults will spend more time outside playing with their pets. Summer holidays are perfect for barbeques, picnics, and pool parties. To make the summer more enjoyable, be aware of various summertime hazards that can result in injury or illness to your pet. Preventing these hazards can help maintain the carefree days of summer.

OUTDOOR THREATS: Keep your pet leashed when you leave your yard. Taking your pet outdoors increases the likelihood of meeting other animals, so use a leash for his safety and theirs. A fight with another pet, or with any smaller animal, can result in cuts, lacerations, or severe punctures. If left untreated, wounds can become infected and complicated. Protect your dog from insects. Flies are more prevalent in the warmer months, and any injury to the skin, even something as small as an abrasion, can be a perfect place for flies to lay eggs. In a short time, these eggs hatch and become maggots. Keeping your pet clean and treating any skin injuries is crucial in avoiding maggot infestations. Also protect your dog from mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks! Call us for the safest products to use.

TABLE SCRAPS: It may be tempting to give your pet all those picnic or barbeque leftovers, but try to resist the soulful begging. Instead of including him in your festivities, you may cause gastrointestinal upset, which can result in vomiting and diarrhea. Pets are not used to the high fat foods that are commonly associated with picnics and parties. Mayonnaise and other dairy based items can be particularly bad; dogs do not have the necessary enzymes to digest dairy products and spoilage can cause food poisoning.

Even if you feed your pet non-dairy items like fried chicken or hamburgers, their pancreas may not be prepared for those foods. The pancreas can become inflamed, leading to pancreatitis, abdominal pain, anorexia and vomiting. Not only do table scraps pose a threat but so does the charcoal and lighter fluid used to barbeque. Ingesting ash or charcoal can result in significant stomach irritation.

GASTROINTESTINAL FOREIGN BODIES: At picnics and parties we use a variety of disposable items, such as styrofoam and plastic utensils. Unfortunately, pets may ingest some of these items, leading to gastrointestinal obstruction. Another concern is playing with small balls such as SuperBalls or racquetballs. Many dogs love to play fetch with these but if they are too small, the ball can become lodged in the throat and obstruct the airway. Make sure the toys you use are too big to be swallowed or stuck in the throat.

HEAT ILLNESS: Heat stroke is typically caused by exercise in a hot environment or by confinement in an environment where normal heat dissipation mechanisms are impaired (locked in hot car or building). Heat stroke can be prevented by restricting exposure to high environment temperatures. Minimize activity on hot humid days, and limit sun exposure during the mid-day hours. Pets should be walked or exercised in the early morning or late evening during the coolest times of the day. Pets should be kept in a well-ventilated area. Animals should never be left in a car or confined in a small enclosed space with limited ventilation and no protection from high environmental temperatures for any reason at any time. The most common symptoms of heat stoke include difficulty breathing or excessive panting, collapse, weakness, vomiting or diarrhea, and an elevated body temperature. If you suspect your pet might be over-heated take him to your veterinarian immediately.

WATER SAFETY: water is often a major part of outdoor family activities. Usually water activities are fun, relaxing and entertaining, but tragedy can occur without proper caution. Pets can drown in lakes and pools just like people. Even if your pet seems to want to keep playing fetch in the water, at some point you will need to take a break. Older dogs weaken more quickly, even if they are excellent swimmers, and when exhausted swimming and keeping the head above water more becomes more difficult.

Be on the lookout for stagnant pools of water. Do not let your pet drink from this type of water source. Many types of pathogens can be ingested and cause your pet serious illness.

FISH HOOKS: Fishing is a popular spring and summer activity. Be aware that the bait you use to catch fish is also tempting to your pet. Many dogs and cats have eaten bait – along with the hook and line. Your pet might also step on a hook, which will result in embedding of the hook in the skin.

The most important thing to remember regarding swallowing a hook is NOT TO PULL THE LINE. This will result in setting of the hook and increasing the chance that your pet will require surgery to remove it. Tie the line to your pet’s collar to prevent him from swallowing more of the line and contact your veterinarian.

WINTER HEALTHCARE

Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.

During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.

Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the APSCA Animal Pois0n Control Center for more information.

Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

COMMON POISONOUS PLANTS AND HOUSEHOLD SUBSTANCES

Many regular household foods or products and garden and house plants can cause problems ranging from mild gastrointestinal distress to organ failure and even death if ingested by pets. Below is a partial list of the most common culprits. Be sure to visit the link listed below the chart.

Alcoholic Beverages

Coffee

Human Medications, even over the counter

Potpourri liquid

Aloe Vera

Daffodil

Moldy, Raw, or Spoiled Foods

Raisins and Grapes

Antifreeze

Diffenbachia

Narcissus

Rat & Mouse Bait

Apple Seeds

Ivy

Nightshade

Rhododendron

Apricot Pit, Avocado

Fatty Foods

Oleander

Salt

Baby's Breath

Fly Bait with  Methomyl

Onions, Onion Powder

Sugar-Free Chewing Gum (containing Xylitol)

Bird of Paradise

Garlic

Lilies, Tiger Lily

Tomato Plants

Bones

Geranium

Philodendron

Yeast Dough

Cherry Seeds & Leaves

Macadamia Nuts

Poinsettia

Yew

Chocolate

Marijuana

Poison Ivy & Oak

Xylitol (sugar-free sweetener )

Visit www.napcc.aspca.org or call 1-888-4-ANI-HELP for more info.

Vomiting	Diarhhea	Unintended weight loss or weight gain	Appetite changes
Changes in normal activity level	Lethargy	Hyperactivity	Restlessness
Limping	Painful or cries when touched	Clumsy or Disoriented Behavior	Seizures
Loss of conciousness	Coughing	Panting in a Cat	Difficult or labored breathing
If gums or tongue appear blue, purple or pale	Collapse	Excessive Drooling	If your cat is straining in the litter box and cannot produce urine
Crying or difficulty urinating or defecating	Change in urination frequency, amount, color, or smell	Bloated abdomen	Excessive sneezing
Uncontrolled bleeding	Nose bleeds or bruising anywhere on the body	Unusual odor	Hair Loss
Runny eyes or nose	Difficulty eating or foul odor from the mouth	Squinting	Shaking head alot and/or digging at ears

Alcoholic Beverages	Coffee	Human Medications, even over the counter	Potpourri liquid
Aloe Vera	Daffodil	Moldy, Raw, or Spoiled Foods	Raisins and Grapes
Antifreeze	Diffenbachia	Narcissus	Rat & Mouse Bait
Apple Seeds	Ivy	Nightshade	Rhododendron
Apricot Pit, Avocado	Fatty Foods	Oleander	Salt
Baby's Breath	Fly Bait with Methomyl	Onions, Onion Powder	Sugar-Free Chewing Gum (containing Xylitol)
Bird of Paradise	Garlic	Lilies, Tiger Lily	Tomato Plants
Bones	Geranium	Philodendron	Yeast Dough
Cherry Seeds & Leaves	Macadamia Nuts	Poinsettia	Yew
Chocolate	Marijuana	Poison Ivy & Oak	Xylitol (sugar-free sweetener )