Valley Veterinary Hospital Newsletter
Issue 1, WINTER 2008
Valley Veterinary Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Melissa Caid to our team. Dr. Caid is originally from Moorhead, Minnesota. She attended North Dakota State University for her Undergraduate studies and then graduated from the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
While at the university of Minnesota, Dr. Caid worked as a technician for Dr. McKeever, who is a veterinary specialist in Dermatology and has a special interest in skin, ears, and allergies.
Dr. Caid's family includes her husband Joe, who is a veterinarian in Steele, ND, along with her dog, Brinkley, and her cat Neo. In her spare time, Dr. Caid enjoys spending time with her family, running marathons and cake decorating.
Please stop in and meet Dr. Caid the next time you are in the hospital or in our area.
Congratulations to Dr. Winning for becoming president of the NDVMA!
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Festivities include:
- Door prizes
- Halloween photos of your pet
- Pet and people treats
- Stickers and candy for the kids
- Prize categories include:
- Cutest costume
- Scariest costume
- Best overall costume
"The Heart of Pet Wellness" is the theme this year, recognizing the role of veterinary technicians in veterinary care. Vet Tech week provides an opportunity to honor veterinary technicians for the outstanding job they do.
While you are busy making your festive plans for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas, please don't forget to include your pets. The holidays are a time for giving, but there are some things you should not share with your little best friends. Once you know the hazards,a little precaution and prevention will make the holidays a happy time for everyone. Some of the more common holiday hazards include:
BONES: The holiday turkey or chicken will leave a lot of tantalizing bones, but don't feed them to your pet. Beware of steak bones, too. Small bones or bone chips can lodge in the throat, stomach and intestinal tract.
FAT: Those wonderful potato latkes (watch the hot oil!), gravies and poultry skin can cause sever gastrointestinal upset as well.
HOLIDAY PLANTS: Holly and mistletoe are extremely poisonous when eaten. The lovely pointsetta may not be truely poisonous, but its milky white sap and leaves can certainly cause severe gastric distress. With so many hybrid varieties available each year, the best approach is to keep the plants out of your pet's reach.
ELECTRICAL CORDS: Holiday lights mean more electrical cords for kittens and puppies to chew. Be sure you have cords secured and out of the way.
CANDLES: Lighted candles should never be left unattended and that is even more important if left at kitty's eye level or within puppy's chewing zone. An exuberant tail, a swat of a paw, and candles and hot was can quickly become disastrous. Anchor candles securely and away from curious faces and feet.
PINE NEEDLES: Check around holiday trees and boughs frequently. Ingested pine needles can puncture your pet's intestines if sharp enough.
HOLIDAY TREE: Make sure your tree is well secured. If you have a tree-climbing cat or large dog with a happy tail, anchor the top of the tree to the wall, using strong cord or rope. Preservatives often used in the water in a tree stand can cause gastric upsets, so be sure it is inaccessible or not used. Avoid sugar and aspirin additives in the water as well.
ORNAMENTS: Sharp or breakable ornaments, dreidels and even aluminum foil should be kept out of reach. String objects, especially tinsel and ribbons, are to be safeguarded at all costs. They are this and sharp and can warp around intestines or ball up in the stomach.
STRESS AND COMPANY: With everyone coming and going, watch out for open doors and sneaky pets. Make sure your pets have collars and tags on in case of escape. Ask guests to keep an eye out for pets under foot and remind then that sometimes your normally friendly dog or cat may be less than willing to deal with enthusiastic children and rooms full of unfamiliar people. Provide a special quiet place with a blanket and fresh water for your pets to retreat to when the festivities get too stressful.
Most hunters and their four legged partners lead sedentary lifestyle during the off-season. The average dog owner does not train or condition his dog as often as he should. In fact, most hunters will do a quick refresher course just prior to the hunting season, or just start hunting. If your dog is not properly conditioned, he can become very stiff and sore, and can more likely become injured during the first few hunts. Many professional trainers recommend a warm weather training regiment of an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, consisting of running and working on retrieving skills.
Just before the hunting season, your hunting dog should be examined by your veterinarian to make sure he is healthy and his vaccinations are current. Recommended vaccinations for hunting dogs include Rabies, Distemper, Bordetella and Lyme. Lyme disease is more prevalent in certain areas. Consult with your veterinarian to see if your dog is at risk for Lyme disease.
It is important to keep your dog's health and safety in mind while you are hunting. Bring plenty of water, or make sure you will have access to fresh water. Do not allow your dog to drink from lakes or sloughs; it can make them very ill. Stop periodically (every 1-3 hours) to allow your dog to rest, eat, and drink. Do not feed your dog a large meal the morning of a hunt; it is better to offer him several small meals, or snacks, throughout the day.
Heat exhaustion is one of the most common effects from hunting your dog without the proper training/conditioning. Signs of heat exhaustion include changes in body movement, increased panting, an anxious or apprehensive facial expression, fever, and darkening (blue) of the tongue and gums. If heat exhaustion should occur, stop hunting and take your pet to a shady area to cool down. If the symptoms persist, cool your dog with water or apply rubbing alcohol to his stomach and the pads of his feet.
In addition to fresh water and food, it is a good idea to have a First Aid kit available for minor injuries. Use a waterproof container to store the contents of your kit. Your veterinarian can assist you in putting a kit together that will work best for you. Below are examples of things to include in your First Aid Kit.
- Comb or Brush
- Scissors
- Hemostat
- Tape
- Cotton Roll
- Vet Wrap
- Gauze
- Telfa Pads
- Artificial Tears
- Saline
- Triple Antibiotic Ointment (Neosporin)
- Pain and Anti-inflammatory Medication (Rimadyl/Deramaxx)
Hunting can be an enjoyable experience for you and your dog. We hope the information above can help you and your dog prepare for opening weekend.
Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their pets are just as accustomed to the warm shelter of the indoors as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for extended periods of time, thinking that all animals are adapted to live outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
- Take your animals for a winter check-up before winter kicks in. Your veterinarian can check to make sure they don't have any medical problems that will make them more vulnerable to the cold.
- Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the mercury drops. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you're cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you absolutely must leave them outside for a significant length of time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water. Try leaving out a hot water bottle, wrapped in a towel so it won't burn your pet's skin.
- Some animals can remain outside safely longer in the winter than others. In some cases, it's just common sense: long-haired breeds like Huskies will do better in cold weather than short-haired breeds like Dachshunds. Cats and small dogs that have to wade shoulder-deep in the snow will feel the cold sooner than larger animals. Your pet's health will also affect how long she can stay out. Conditions like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and hormonal imbalances can compromise a pet's ability to regulate her own body heat. Animals that are not generally in good health shouldn't be exposed to winter weather for a long period of time. Very young and very old animals are vulnerable to the cold as well. Regardless of their health, though, no pets should stay outside for unlimited amounts of time in freezing cold weather. If you have any questions about how long your pet should be out this winter, ask your veterinarian.
- Cats will curl up against almost anything to stay warm–including car engines. Cats caught in moving engine parts can be seriously hurt or killed. Before you turn your engine on, check beneath the car or make a lot of noise by honking the horn or rapping on the hood.
- If you live near a pond or lake, be very cautious about letting your rambunctious dog off the leash. Animals can easily fall through the ice, and it is very difficult for them to escape on their own. If you must let your dogs loose near open water, stay with them at all times.
- If you light a fire or plug in a space heater to keep your home toasty warm, remember that the heat will be as attractive to your pets as to you. As your dog or cat snuggles up to the warmth, keep an eye out to make sure that no tails or paws come in contact with flames, heating coils, or hot surfaces. Pets can either burn themselves or knock a heat source over and put the entire household in danger.
- It's a good idea to have your furnace checked for carbon monoxide leakage before you turn it on, both for your pets' health and your own. Carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible, but it can cause problems ranging from headaches and fatigue to trouble breathing. Pets generally spend more time in the home than owners, particularly in the winter, so they are more vulnerable to monoxide poisoning than the rest of the family.
- Pets that go outside can pick up rock salt, ice, and chemical ice melts in their foot pads. To keep your pet's pads from getting chapped and raw, wipe her feet with a washcloth when she comes inside. This will also keep her from licking the salt off her feet, which could cause an inflammation of her digestive tract.
- If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very resourceful in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide under porches or in dumpsters, window wells, or cellars, and they can occasionally get trapped. Watch them closely when they are loose outdoors, and provide them with quality, easily accessible shelter.
- Keep an eye on your pet's water. Sometimes owners don't realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can't get anything to drink. Animals that don't have access to clean, unfrozen water are more likely to drink out of puddles or gutters, which can be polluted with oil, antifreeze, household cleaners, and other chemicals.
- Be particularly gentle with elderly and arthritic pets during the winter. The cold can leave their joints extremely stiff and tender, and they may become more awkward than usual. Stay directly below these pets when they are climbing stairs or jumping onto furniture; consider modifying their environment to make it easier for them to get around. Make sure they have a thick, soft bed in a warm room for the chilly nights. Also, watch stiff and arthritic pets if you walk them outside; a bad slip on the ice could be very painful and cause a significant injury.
- Go ahead and put that sweater on Princess, if she'll put up with it. It will help a little, but you can't depend on it entirely to keep her warm. Pets lose most of their body heat from the pads of their feet, their ears, and their respiratory tract. The best way to guard your animals against the cold is keeping a close eye on them to make sure they're comfortable.
When you're outside with your pets during the winter, you can watch them for signs of discomfort with the cold. If they whine, shiver, seem anxious, slow down or stop moving, or start to look for warm places to burrow, they're saying they want to get back someplace warm.
You can also keep an eye out for two serious conditions caused by cold weather. The first and less common of the two is frostbite. Frostbite happens when an animal's (or a person's) body gets cold and pulls all the blood from the extremities to the center of the body to stay warm. The animal's ears, paws, or tail can get cold enough that ice crystals can form in the tissue and damage it. The tricky thing about frostbite is that it's not immediately obvious. The tissue doesn't show signs of the damage to it for several days.
If you suspect your pet may have frostbite, bring her into a warm environment right away. You can soak her extremities in warm water for about 20 minutes to melt the ice crystals and restore circulation. It's important that you don't rub the frostbitten tissue, however–the ice crystals can do a lot of damage to the tissue. Once your pet is warm, wrap her up in some blankets and take her to the veterinarian. Your veterinarian can assess the damage and treat your pet for pain or infection if necessary.
Hypothermia, or a body temperature that is below normal, is a condition that occurs when an animal is not able to keep her body temperature from falling below normal. It happens when animals spend too much time in cold temperatures, or when animals with poor health or circulation are exposed to cold. In mild cases, animals will shiver and show signs of depression, lethargy, and weakness. As the condition progresses, an animal's muscles will stiffen, her heart and breathing rates will slow down, and she will stop responding to stimuli.
If you notice these symptoms, you need to get your pet warm and take her to your veterinarian. You can wrap her in blankets, possibly with a hot water bottle or an electric blanket–as always, wrapped in fabric to prevent against burning the skin. In severe cases, your veterinarian can monitor her heart rate and blood pressure and give warm fluids through an IV.
Winter can be a beautiful time of year. It can be a dangerous time as well, but it certainly doesn't have to be. If you take some precautions, you and your pet can have a fabulous time taking in the icicles, the snow banks, and the warm, glowing fire at the end of the day.