Dog Waits for Santa

Holiday Pet Gifts

Are you looking for a gift for your canine friend that is sure to get the tails wagging and paws pouncing this holiday season? For the safety conscious pet, you could always get them a new travel carrier or car seat harness. Or for the sophisticated pet, try some baked doggie goods from your local doggie bakery. If purchasing special goodies from bakeries isn’t your thing, make your own doggie treats! For the owner on a budget or for the pet who has everything, the gift of time is the top gift for any pet this year.

 

 

Tick Prevention

Here in Florida we have just seen the first real cold front come in, and dragged out our winter woolies thinking how cold it is. Of course, along with the realization that actually, compared to most states we are merely a little cooler, pet lovers need to realize that we are in peak tick season.

There are a number of reasons for this:

1. If you live by a state park and have wildlife such as deer or turkeys straying into your property, you need to realize they are the biggest carrier of ticks, particularly turkeys. As the weather cools, they are more likely to venture further out of the park and into your garden to find food. At the same time, you are less likely to be using your lawn service for pesticide control.

2. With cooler days, we tend in Florida to set about gardening much more enthusiastically, and a very common talk is to redo all the mulch beds. This much is then placed close to the walls of the house and if not from a pre-bagged reputable source can be a major hidey hole for ticks, which then look to your nice cozy house for shelter.

3. Christmas Trees! Yes, that beautiful spruce you got that came freshly delivered from the Carolina's will very often bring some hitchhikers with them, including the possibility of ticks carrying diseases.

Please ensure your pets are protected against ticks. We nearly lost a young, male 4 year old dog from tick borne bacteria that caused his spleen to swell and as the parasite borne by the tick invaded his system his blood platelet dropped to such a point, he needed a life-saving transfusion.

A lot of pet owners are unaware that some of the preventatives sold may only control fleas not ticks, so please ask one of our staff what is the best for your circumstance.

In addition, keep a fine toothed comb by the door or a close bristled brush the pet as soon as they come in from a walk or playtime outside. This simple action can stop the ticks attaching. It is also the reason that we seldom see cats with ticks....they constantly groom themselves.

Don't forget, you are not just protecting your dogs from ticks, but your family too.

Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know?
-Cancer accounts for nearly 50% of all disease-related pet deaths each year
-One in four dogs die of cancer.
-Approximately 1 in 4 dogs develops a tumor of some kind during his lifetime.
-Just like in humans, cancer can occur in any part of your dog’s body.

Are you aware that November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month? Run your hands over your pet and feel for any unusual lumps or bumps. If you feel something new or unusual, let's take a look at it. Dogs and cats can get benign lumps such as lipomas and sebaceous cysts, but they can also get much more serious tumors, like mast cell tumors, melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and many others. Many of these can be diagnosed with a simple in-office procedure involving a needle aspirate and then a microscopic exam of the cells obtained. A fine needle aspirate is generally less painful than a vaccination, so don't hesitate to get that lump checked out. The importance of annual check-ups regardless of the age of your pet is critical in the prevention of cancer. 

Here are the top 10 early warning signs of pet cancer listed out by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

1. Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Weight loss
4. Loss of appetite
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating or defecating

Better to be safe than sorry, and much better to catch something sooner rather than later!

My new kitten is beating up on our older cat. Should I stop him?

 This question came hot on the paws of another pet owners question,as to when to stop their rottweiler puppy from playing too roughly.  It is always a difficult decision to make to know when play time is becoming more like a free for all.  Let’s face it, any parent with more then one child knows this dilemma.  So, I tend to use the same guidelines.  Name calling and perhaps physical shoving may be ok, but anything rougher is unacceptable.  How does this translate in the pet world.

            It is vital for both dogs and cats to have physical contact when puppies and kittens, in the form of rough play.  At this time, I have had the unique experience of studying  six week old puppies in our house, from birth, and make note of the different stages of play and temperament building.  There is much growling at this time, and the start of posturing and staring.  However, most interesting, is watching the mother dog step in when things get a little too serious, but use the art of distraction to break up a situation. 

This is what you should do as well.  If nothing else, it should be very much in the front of your pets mind that you do not tolerate fighting in your presence.  This is also a safety mechanism in the wild.  There has to be a leader, and fights within the pack simply weaken it.  A team has to stay together to survive.

You should also be aware that sometimes they may be play fighting.  For example, our ten year old cat will rule over the food bowl and definitely put the twenty two year old cat in it’s place.  But, if there is an argument over a particular chair the older one reigns supreme and the younger one allows him to chase him around the house.  I think the two boys just like the idea of a fight but have learnt that the end result may not be worth it.

Next time your younger pet seems to be going too far, do what a mother would do.  Use distraction in the form of food or a toy to dissipate the impending situation.

Canine Influenza