A survivor!

Rattlesnake bite!  This happened to one of our patients just playing in the backyard.  If you have an active pet that likes to roam around and is very mischievous in its surroundings, you may want to consider the rattlesnake vaccine.  “Rayli” survived, but it was a painful healing process.

So, what's on your mind? Swimming or eating?

The Heat is On!

Here are some tips to keep your pet safe during these hot summer days

• Have plenty of fresh water available
• Make sure there is plenty of shade for your pet when outside
• Do not leave your pets in the car during a trip to the store – windows down or up – it still gets very hot in the car
• For dogs, do shorter walks midday and longer walks early mornings and late evenings (when it’s much cooler)
• Hot sidewalks/pavements can burn the pads on a dog’s paws, so walk on grass
• Have a small paddling pool for your pets to loll in after a long hot day
• Watch out for those BBQ parties – pets should avoid raisins, grapes, onions, and chocolate
• Not all dogs are good swimmers. Make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats
• Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively

Pretty..... but scary to pets!

Fireworks

We all love to bring in Independence Day with a bang!

Unfortunately, for some of our dog and cat friends fireworks are scary stuff. The easy way to help a skittish pet is to move them into the quietest room in the house before the fireworks start. Let them get comfortable, turn on some easy listening music at mid-level, then close the door for them to be alone.

If you have a couple of weeks before a celebration, there are new plug-in products to comfort and reassure dogs and cats. When you plug this product into the wall it releases an aroma that mimics a natural pheromone. Pheromones are an odorless chemical substance used by animals to communicate between their species. The mother releases this particular pheromone during her first 3-5 days of lactation. It gives the puppy or kitten a sense of well-being and reassurance. This same pheromone around adult pets has a calming effect on the majority of the animals that would normally be stressed by fireworks, thunder, changes in the house, boarding, or being separated from their owner.