So far this has been a fairly mild winter. However, we all know that it can’t hold for much longer and we will eventually be blasted with freezing cold temperatures and mounds of snow. As we prepare our homes and cars don’t forget your pet could use some winterizing too. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Anti-freeze (Ethylene glycol) – This is a chemical that likely every household in America has in their garage. Anti-freeze is a shimmery green color that tastes very sweet but even the smallest amount can be lethal. We recommend that all spills are cleaned up thoroughly and bottles of anti-freeze are closed and put in an area where your animals do not have access.
Fresh water – Pets are just as likely to become dehydrated in the winter as in the summer time. In cold temperatures water can freeze very quickly. To prevent this from happening you can use heated pet water bowls or fill their bowls often.
Shelter – If possible bring your pets inside. Otherwise, provide a shelter for your pets to stay out of the wind and moisture. There are now heating pads that are made specifically for dog/cat housing. If you choose to heat your animal’s housing, please, be sure that the product is pet friendly as there is a potential for contact burns and fires.
De-icers – Wipe your pet’s belly and feet after being out on walks. If your dog or cat comes into contact with de-icer and ingestion occurs by licking their paws it can cause an upset stomach.
Check under your hood- Cats are sneaky creatures that love to stay warm and if there is a source of heat they will find a way to be close to it. Be cautious and check under your car’s hood to make sure your cat has not found a warm place to take a nap.
Be fashion forward- Because shorthaired dogs do not have a natural fur coat to keep them warm, think about putting a cute sweater on when they are headed outside.

As always, please call or email us with any questions or concerns regarding your pets’ winter weather safety.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could go an entire Holiday season without any spills on your carpet, burnt holiday desserts, or accidents with your children (2 and 4 legged)?  I can personally attest to the fact that Murphy’s Law is in super mode during the Holiday season and this had led to me being an overtly helicopter mom to all of my babies.  Let me begin with Christmas of 2008, it was my first year of veterinary school, and the first holiday season in my own home.  At the time I had a 3 legged, energetic, yet mentally challenged cat named Chit, short for Chitterbox and Lucq, my mild mannered Boston terrier who believes that the world and all of its beings revolve around his needs. 

After a week of very demanding finals and the need to shop and prepare for the impending holidays I felt as if I were on the brink of a nervous breakdown.   I was so thankful that the first semester was complete and was looking forward to packing Lucq and Chit into my VW bug and heading to my hometown.  As I hopped out of my car and skipped through my front door whistling “To Grandmother’s House We Go,” I saw a trail of vomit from the doorway to the cabinets of the kitchen where 3 dozen, that’s right a variety of 36 chocolate chip, sugar, and gingerbread cookies, used to be.  They had been packed and ready to be dispersed to friends and family, all GONE!!!!  I looked around the room, called out to Lucq, and as he came down the stairs he was wagging his butt (he has a stub for a tail) and smiling at me, indicating that he is indeed the culprit of this misdeed.

Once I had calmed down enough to think, I realize that he had probably vomited the majority of the cookies and was not in dire need of emergency medical attention, but being a good and studious veterinary student, I took his heart rate and assessed his hydration status.  After this assessment I determined that he was stable enough to make it home so my dad, a veterinarian, could examine him.  I then promptly started cleaning my carpet and the doorbell rang, it was the neighbors with a basket full of goodies.  As I open the door, Lucq barks scaring Chit who runs through my legs making a great escape into the street.  This is the incident which led to me being known as the crazy lady who ran through the neighborhood, looking under bushes and yelling profanities.  Yes, before you name your pets, first consider what this will sound like when you are yelling it out your front door.  Unfortunately I did not take this into consideration when naming Chit. 

 So as I was somberly making my way back to my house after 45 minutes of searching, I was thinking I would never see my cat again.  Then I see Chit lying on the mat of my front door.  Thrilled, I drop Lucq and ran to pick up Chit.  Once I get both of my heathen children back inside, I resume cleaning the carpets.  This lasted approximately 30 seconds before Lucq jumped onto the kitchen table to get into my lunch box and in the process knocked over a glass making a loud kaboom.  This sent Chit immediately into the Christmas tree which came tumbling down, leaving Chit with a very obvious lameness. 

By this time I was sitting on the vomit covered floor in tears.  It took me another hour to clean up the house, pack my car, and head home.  Thankfully there were no more problems on the ride home but once we arrived at my dad’s veterinary clinic and x-rays were taken of Chit’s leg and Lucq’s abdomen, it quickly became obvious that both would need surgery!  Chit had a pin placed through a broken bone in his one and only back leg and Lucq had a small, stuffed Santa removed from his belly.  Yep, not only did he manage to eat 3 dozen cookies, but when he was finished stuffing those into his gullet, he thought to himself…”I am still awfully hungry, this small rotund man looks like he could do the job.”  Both recovered and are as feisty as ever.  Although the following Holiday seasons have not been quite as eventful, I can honestly tell you that I have had at least one mishap with my 4 legged children every year.   I hope you can benefit from my past experiences and horror to help prevent your own.  Below you will find a few websites that have helpful hints for preventing Holiday accidents.  We hope that you can avoid any tragedies of your own but if by chance one befalls you please know that we are here to help. Best wishes for a joyful holiday season from all of us at Pets and Vets As Partners!

 Rhetta Mellencamp, DVM

 http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/holiday-safety-tips.aspx

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2098&aid=932

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2131&aid=931

http://www.sniksnak.com/holidays.html

With the recent media attention of diseases associated with the administration of vaccines, and the concern of over vaccination of children, the veterinary profession has seen a multitude of questions and concerns from pet caretakers.  This is not a new topic to the veterinary profession, in fact, it has been one of the most highly debated and researched topics in the field.  As a result, committees were assembled to make recommendations about vaccine protocols.

In the past, veterinarians would vaccinate every animal that came through their clinic doors for the same diseases on an annual basis.  This cookie cutter approach was adopted based on the vaccine manufacturers’ recommendations for ensuring the best immunity for pets.  Recently, there has been a push for research to prove that there is a reason EVERY animal needs to be vaccinated EVERY year for EVERY disease we vaccinate against.   The driving force by veterinary professionals for this research has not stemmed from whether or not vaccines are beneficial; we KNOW that vaccinations have saved an enormous number of lives.  Our main concern is that vaccinating our patients for the same diseases on an annual basis can lead to immune mediated diseases such as Lupus, anemia, bleeding disorders, and degenerative joint disease.   So, you can imagine how thrilled the veterinary community was when 3-year vaccines became available for our adult patients.  This was accompanied by well documented evidence that these vaccines provide equivalent protection to the annual vaccines over an extended duration.

Based on the results of this new research, the licensing of several 3-year vaccines, and their clinical experience, the vaccine advisory committee has recently updated their recommended vaccination guidelines.  These new guideline recommends that a vaccine protocol should be individualized.  Now, you may be wondering what exactly we mean by individualized, aren’t all pets basically the same?  Just take a peek into a typical day for a veterinarian and you can see how differently our pet’s activities and environments are.

My first appointment is with Miss Kitty, a cat that comes to her appointment dressed in an argyle sweater and a carrier that matches.  She never comes into contact with other cats or dogs, except for the occasional stray she spies through HER picture window at home as she lazily lays on her perch.  The next appointment of the day is with the Simpson family who share their home with 3 cats, 2 of which contently live inside only, and then there is Houdini.  So appropriately named, because no matter what kind of barriers they have created for him, they find him out and about every morning in the neighborhood, mingling with all of the dumpster diving, stray kitties.   My last appointment of the morning is with Earl, a Coonhound that has traveled the Mississippi river with his best pal, hunting lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!  I start my afternoon off with Mitsy, a Bichon Frise, who has a monthly standing groomer’s appointment for a hairdo, nail trim, and massage.  Although she rarely leaves her mom and dad’s lap, she does occasionally spend time with the Shetland Sheepdog clan that lives next door to her.  Her friends are well known for their winning ability at agility competitions.  Next up is the litter of puppies from the humane shelter, they are getting so big, and are here for their next vaccines in their puppy series.  After running around a room vaccinating a pack of crazy puppies, I am thankful for Ol’ Pete, he is a 14 year old Labrador Retriever who was a great pal to a little boy that has now become a college student.  Although apartment living is a little cramped for Ol’ Pete’s style, he could get used to this dog park thing, where he gets to exercise and meet new friends!  My last appointment is with a feline rescue group who is concerned about housing cats together that range in age from kittens to geriatric cats, as well as new additions coming in on a regular basis.  They would like me to help them with a preventative health plan.

This little peek into our daily lives has hopefully made it obvious that not every pet is the same.  We have to carefully ask questions about where your pets go on vacation, if they go to the groomer, and who they spend time with… The strays they just can’t stay away from, the neighborhood clan, friends at the dog park, or new strangers that quickly become family.  Although it may be annoying having to answer the same questions year after year, we have an important obligation to you and your pet; to make a vaccine protocol that will provide the best immunity to the diseases which they may come into contact, while remaining vigilant about the potential ramifications of overtaxing the immune system.   We are ecstatic that these new 3-year vaccines are available to us and hopeful that this will allow us to vaccinate less frequently yet provide the best immunity possible to our patients.  However, if there is ever a question about the level of protection of your pet, we will be cautious and recommend vaccinating.  Ultimately the decision to vaccinate is yours, our goal is to provide you with information regarding vaccine reactions, the duration of immunity each vaccine is labeled for, and why we are recommending specific vaccines for your pet, so we may help you keep your pet healthy and strong for many years.  We encourage you to ask us about 3-year protocols at your pet’s next appointment!

*The stories you just read are true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Check out these links for more information

http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/PetCareArticle.aspx?art_key=d67f75bb-e978-4abf-a3be-3e405af1abf7

http://www.catvaccines.com/feline_vaccination_guidelines.htm

It’s been a busy few months since this website was revamped and a blog was created, but it’s finally time to get this blog show on the road. Please look to this blog for informative and hopefully interesting health topics to be discussed in the near future.  Pictures and clinic happenings will also be posted here, so please visit often. Coming soon will be a blog topics such as our transition to primarily three year vaccination protocols and conditions affecting our mature patients.

For today, we’ll leave you with a link that the doctors find particularly interesting. This link is from the American Association of Feline Practitioners, a society of which our doctors are members.  Please feel free to post comments.

http://www.catvets.com/healthtopics/wellness/?Id=213

This will be the home for our future blog here at Pets and Vets as Partners. Be sure to come back and check out this site as we continually update it. We hope that you will find it informative and helpful in providing care for your pets.