Holiday Cheer

Here to spread the Holiday Cheer...
Don't forget your pets this holiday season, swing by the clinic for some great stocking stuffers!

Indulge your pet's sweet tooth with our Holiday Tin filled to the brim with t/d treats at just $5.99, for an even bigger savings bring the tin back get a refill for $3.00.

Give your dog a bounce in his step with our "Naughty or Nice" tennis balls for $2.00

Coming Soon:
Science Diet Ideal Balance Treats in exciting holiday flavors.

Ideal Balance™ Fruity Snacks with Cranberries & Oatmeal - Treats
Indulge your dog with a delicious, all-natural treat made with cranberries & oatmeal

Ideal Balance™ Veggie Chips with Pumpkin & Yam - Treats
Indulge your dog with a delicious, all-natural treat made with pumpkin and yam

Don't forget our new holiday candle assortment of delectable new flavors: Caramel Vanilla Latte, Sugared Cranberry and Hollyberry Hills.

I was overwhelmed with the sweet scent of Caramel Vanilla Latte as I entered the clinic this morning (it wasn't even burning the lid was just off from last night)!

Top 5 Holiday Dangers to Pets

Preventive Measures Can Save Pets

The holidays are a festive time for us and our pets. However, due to ongoing activities and constant distractions, we can easily overlook potential dangers to our four-legged family members.
Take preventive measures to protect your pets this holiday season. Being aware of these top five dangers could save you a trip to the veterinary emergency room.

1. Holiday Tinsel and Ornaments

Tinsel, while not toxic, is very attractive to pets, particularly cats. The shiny, dangling decoration reflects light and can move in the slightest draft — appearing to come alive to watchful critters.

The problem with tinsel is that once it’s consumed, it can cause serious injury to your pet. If not caught in time, this foreign body ingestion could actually be fatal as it twists and bunches inside your pet’s intestines. Immediate veterinary care is required.
In addition, bright and colorful tree ornaments can attract your pet’s curiosity. Place glass, aluminum and paper ornaments higher up on the tree. Pets can chew and swallow these fragile objects and not only can broken pieces form sharp edges that may lacerate your pet’s mouth, throat and intestines, they could also create a choking hazard.

2. Holiday Lighting and Candles

Twinkling, shiny and dangling holiday lights — such as the icicle, netting, garland, curtain, rope and candle varietal — may be another source of danger to your curious pets.
Got a pet that likes to chew? Electrical shock may occur when a pet chomps down on an electrical cord, causing tongue lacerations and possible death. Check your holiday lights for signs of fraying or chewing and use a grounded three-prong extension cord as a safety precaution.
If you have candles on display, place them in a hard-to-reach spot so that your pets can not access them. Not only can pets seriously burn themselves, but knocking over candles creates a fire hazard and may leave a trail of hot wax that will easily burn the pads of paws and more.

3. Gift Wrap Ribbon

You may be tempted to fashion your pet with a decorative ribbon “collar” but beware that this could become a choking hazard.
Also, it’s best to quickly discard ribbons and bows wrapped around holiday gifts so that your curious companions won’t be enticed to chew or swallow them. Ingested ribbon can cause a choking hazard and ultimately twist throughout the intestines, leading to emergency surgery and even death.

4. Food Hazards

Festive events often mean edible treats — and lots of them. Unfortunately, some of the most popular holiday goodies, such as chocolate, bones and nuts, can be extremely toxic or fatal to pets.

• Different types of chocolate contain various levels of fat, caffeine and the substances methylxanthines. In general, the darker and richer the chocolate (i.e., baker’s chocolate), the higher the risk of toxicity. Depending on the type and amount of chocolate ingested, dogs might experience vomiting, diarrhea, urination, hyperactivity, heart arrhythmias, tremors and seizures.
• Fat trimmings and bones are dangerous for dogs. Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked, may cause pancreatitis. And, although it seems natural to give a dog a bone, a dog can choke on it. Bones can also splinter and cause an obstruction or lacerations of your dog's digestive system.
• Abundant in many cookies and candies, certain nuts should not be given to pets. Almonds, non-moldy walnuts and pistachios can cause an upset stomach or an obstruction of your dog's throat and/or intestinal tract. Macadamia nuts and moldy walnuts can be toxic, causing seizures or neurological signs. Lethargy, vomiting and loss of muscle control are among the effects of nut ingestion.

Keep your pet on her regular diet and caution visitors against giving your pet special treats or table scraps. For a full list of toxic foods, visit our toxic food guide for pets.

5. Toxic Holiday Plants

They may be pretty, but some holiday plants are poisonous—even deadly. As little as a single leaf from any lily variety is lethal to cats. Others to avoid:

• Christmas tree pine needles can produce oral irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, trembling and posterior weakness.
• Holly, commonly found during the Christmas season, can cause intense vomiting, diarrhea and depression.
• Mistletoe, another Christmas plant, can cause significant vomiting and diarrhea, difficulty breathing, collapse, erratic behavior, hallucinations and death when ingested.
• Poinsettias can cause irritation to the mouth and stomach and sometimes vomiting.

For more on toxic plants, visit our toxic plant guide.
Taking precautions with pets during these festive times can help ensure that you and your family will enjoy a happy — and healthy — holiday season!

http://www.petinsurance.com/healthzone/pet-articles/pet-health/Top-5-Holiday-Dangers-to-Pets.aspx

Intestinal Parasites

Intestinal parasites are a threat to your pet and the people in your family. Some of these parasites can be contagious to people as well as to other pets. Annual parasite checks are very important for your family's health, and are highly recommended by the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

Why does the veterinarian want to check a stool sample?

 Dogs (and cats) are victims of several internal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common are the roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four only two are commonly seen in the stool with the unaided eye: roundworms and tapeworms.

Some infestations cause few or no symptoms; in fact some worm eggs or larvae can be dormant in the dog's body and activated only in times of stress, or in the case of roundworms and hookworms, until the later stages of pregnancy when they activate and infest the soon-to-be-born puppies and kittens.

This is precisely why a stool sample is often required in order to discover which parasite is present; the presence of these worms' eggs can often only be detected microscopically.

Keep in mind that it is the goal of each parasite to stay in the safety of the intestinal tract; if they come out, they'll die! They don't want to be detected!

http://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/evr_dg_intestinal_worms_in_dogs

Dr. Mayes recommends having your pet tested for intestinal parasites at least annually, more if you spend time traveling, boarding your pets or at dog parks. Unfortunately intestinal parasites do not always show up on a fecal test so we recommend annually deworming as well, this holds especially true for puppies and kittens.

If your pet does have a positive intestinal parasite check we will recommend a dewormer that treats the specific type of intestinal parasite found in your pet as well as any housemates as intestinal parasites are found in the environment as well. We will also recommend ways to rid your home and yard, this will include picking up after your pet EVERYTIME they use the restroom. We will also recommend a recheck fecal around 3 months from the original fecal.

 It is highly important that you keep your pet on heartworm prevention as several heartworm medications also protect your pet from some (not all) intestinal parasites!