Happy Valentine's Day

February 14th is a day for all to show our loved ones how much we care.  This inevitably means gifts of food and flowers.  Our pets are rarely far from our sides, so Midlands Veterinary Practice wants to remind you to be careful when you get your Valentine's treats.  Be sure to keep all food items out of reach of your pets, especially chocolate items.  Also be careful that any small ribbons or wrapping material is placed in the waste or out of reach of pets.  Be aware that some flowers and plants are toxic to our pets (especially the lilly family), so it's best to keep them placed away from the reach of our four legged friends.  Help make this a happy and safe day for all our loved ones.

Hope for bad breath

February is most well known for Valentine's Day, but our pet population has a whole month to celebrate a crucial part of health management, their teeth!  February is Pet Dental Health Month, and Midlands Veterinary Practice wants your pet's mouth to be in the best condition possible.  Dental health is important for several reasons for our pets.  First and foremost, plaque and tartar are simply bacteria factories, and these bacteria can have adverse effects in the mouth, such as bad breath and tooth or gum decay.  These bacteria can also spread to other body parts, such as the heart, lungs, liver, and kidney to cause severe infections.  Secondly, damaged gums or teeth are a significant source of pain for our pets, and we want to do everything possible to minimize pain.  Thirdly, their is the issue of cosmetics, and a pet with a full set of teeth is a goal for all pet owners.  In order to properly clean your pet's teeth, they will need to go through an anesthetic period.  During their anesthesia, each tooth can be individually assessed, cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler, and polished.  Recovery times are quite rapid.  The vast majority of pets can be left with us early in the morning and be home by early afternoon.  If you would like to have your pet's oral health assessed, please call our office to schedule an appointment.

Bath time

One of the most common questions I get about pet care is in regard to type of shampoo and frequency of bathing of pets.  For our purposes, we will primarily consider this topic to be dog specific, however a few words about cats will be included.  There are a multitude of different shampoos on the veterinary market today, many available over the counter.  The first thing to consider about shampooing is the purpose of the shampoo.  The type of shampoo should be tailored to the reason, for instance a flea and tick shampoo would not be an appropriate item to use for a dog with a severe bacterial skin infection.  By the same token, a well pampered pet does not need a harsh chemical shampoo, either.  Regarding flea and tick shampoo, I strongly discourage the purchase and use of these products, as their efficacy is minimal, they can be quite irritating, and can cause adverse reactions in cats.  Many clients are familiar with oatmeal based grooming shampoos that are available over the counter.  These shampoos tend to be fairly benign in regards to their side effects, and may provide some soothing capacity for mildly irritated skin (although these effects are often quite short lived).   For clients seeking a shampoo with a broader range of efficacy for multiple conditions, our practice carries and recommends a shampoo called Hylyt.  This shampoo is soap free and is infused with essential fatty acids, and has a very pleasant scent.  This shampoo is perfect for the vast majority of patients with mild to moderate skin inflammation.  The added benefit of it being soap free means that it will not wash off any of the topical flea/tick medication.  Frequency of bathing is a bit more difficult to address.  Most pets will not need any more than 1-2 times monthly baths.  However, it should be remembered that if your pet is dealing with a particular skin problem, frequency of bathing may vary.  With the advent of newer technologies, the veterinary shampoo market has expanded tremendously, and for pets with more persistent or problematic skin conditions, there are a variety of shampoos that are targeted at specific issues.  If you are having problems with your pet's skin condition, please call our office for an appointment to see what shampoo would be best suited for you.

New beginnings

    The new year is upon us, and that is cause to consider new beginnings (especially in the wake of Christmas presents that bark or meow).  We wanted to review today the basics of a new puppy or kitten's first 6 months of veterinary visits.  

     For most puppies, their initial medical care will consist of deworming at 2,4, and 6 weeks of age.  Most puppies receive their first set of vaccinations at 6 weeks of age.  Our recommended sequence of vaccinations is at 6,9, 12, and 16 weeks of age.  Each time your puppy visits us, it will receive a full physical examination and a stool sample will be obtained to screen for intestinal parasites.  Any questions regarding your new puppy will be answered, and a booster vaccination will be given at each visit.  When your puppy is approximately 16 weeks of age, it receives its final puppy vaccinations (including a rabies vaccination), and we will discuss timing and cost of spaying or neutering.  This surgery can then be scheduled when the puppy is approximately 6 months of age.  We currently recommend returning with your pet every 6 months for physical examinations and periodic updating of necessary vaccinations.  

     Kittens are fairly similar to puppies, except we recommend a vaccination schedule of 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age.  The remaining veterinary care visits and timing of surgical sterilization remains the same.  For both puppies and kittens we recommend transitioning from puppy/kitten food over to adult food around 6 months of age.  If you or a family member is starting out the new year with a new pet, give our office a call to set up an appointment.  We wish you all a happy and safe new year!

Pet food safety

     In the wake of the recent pet food/snack recalls, we felt it prudent to provide a link to the FDA's website on recalls and withdrawals.  It is important to understand that the overwhelming majority of pet foods currently being manufactured are quite safe, however it is wise to review the information the FDA provides periodically.  If you have any questions regarding pet foods, please call our office.


http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm

Just weight

     Apologies for the short lapse in our blog posting.  The holidays sometimes get a little hectic!  One of the things I've been spending time discussing with clients lately is weight management.  We had an extremely hot summer, and many of our pets didn't get as much exercise as they might normally have gotten.  Subsequently, we are seeing more pets now that are struggling with a few extra pounds.  There are several recommendations we make to our pet owners with overweight pets.  The first thing is that we need to have an objectively obtained list of all food/treat/snack items the pet ingests on a daily basis as well as all individuals who may offer these food/treat/snack items to the pet.  This gives us a baseline for what type of caloric load the pet encounters.  Second, we suggest that the first level of moderation occur at the snack/treat level.  All snacks (unfortunately) have calories.  This includes milkbones, rawhides, and the like.  Just as in humans, it's not the first snack that gets you, but the accumulation through time of all the snacks eaten.  We don't want to eliminate this important bonding experience from your pet, but rather we'd like to change the type of snacks to something more healthy.  Typical recommendations are using vegetables such as carrots, or marshmallows, or even small pieces of rice cakes.  The key is to substitute a less calorie dense product for the current treat.  Additionally, we look to address portion control in pets.  This is done through measuring with a marked dry measuring cup the exact amount of food being offered.  We typically recommend feeding pets twice daily, and allow access to the food for approximately 30-45 minutes.  Any remaining food at the end of that time period is removed.  The third item we try to adjust is the amount of activity the pet is getting.  Exercise is just as important for our pets as it is for us.  The key is small amounts of consistent activity more frequently.  It is far better to take your pet for a short but brisk walk 3 times a day than one long walk once a week.  Weight management in pets is a complicated issue, and there are a multitude of factors that must be considered in addition to the above items.  Every pet should have an individualized weight management program.  If your pet is overweight, please call and schedule an appointment for a physical examination and consultation.

More cold preparation

     Last week we talked about preparations to keep your pet warm and safe in the colder months.  Today, we are going to talk about some of the impact the cold weather can have on a specific population of pets:  our arthritic ones.  Arthritis is an all too prevalent condition in our pet population.  Animals, like humans, experience stiffness and pain due to arthritis and these symptoms tend to become aggravated by both cold and damp weather.  There are several things pet owners can do to try to minimize discomfort during this winter season.  First, make sure that your pet has a soft, well cushioned surface to sleep/rest on.  Things such as orthopedic foam or baby crib mattresses work well.  Make sure that the pet can traverse the house on solid, non slip surfaces such as carpet or rugs.  Many arthritic pets actually benefit from an increase in the frequency of walks; however do not necessarily increase the duration of the walks.  It is typically better for an arthritic pet to take multiple short walks throughout the day as opposed to one long walk.  Remember, if your pet experiences an increased amount of activity, that you can expect a corresponding increase in soreness or discomfort over the next few days.  This brings up the importance of making sure that your pet is on a quality joint support formula going into the winter season.  Additionally, some arthritic pets may require the use of additional medications intended for use during acute flare ups of arthritis.  It is critical that you discuss the use of any additional pain medications with one of our staff members or veterinarians prior to use.  Under no circumstances should ANY of the typical over the counter human pain medications be used.  Please call our office if you have further questions on how to manage your pet's arthritis.