Tips on Being a Responsible Pet Owner

Owning a dog is not just a privilege-it's a responsibility. These animals depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. If you are considering taking a dog into your life, you need to think seriously about the commitment that dog ownership entails. If you already have a dog, you need to consider if you are fulfilling all your obligations as its owner.

Here are some essential tips on being the best pet owner you can be:

• Think first- For example, recognize the commitment, evaluate your lifestyle, make a list, choose a breed, get a good breeder referral, contact some breeders in your area.

• Make the Commitment- pick your pet after you have researched the type of breed you want your pet to be, including their health risks. 

• Get Ready- Dog proof your home, make a schedule for you and your pet, buy some toys, a collar, contact your Veterinarian!

• Bring Your Dog Home- Housetrain, set house rules, name your dog, let your dog adjust, keep your dog healthy.

• Be a Friend- Play! Go on Walks, Talk to your dog, Give treats, Love your dog, give your time, leave the radio on, plan activities with your dog, give a massage, make that tail wag, go on trips, etc.

Source: http://www.akc.org/public_education/responsible_dog_owner.cfm#keephealthy

Ruby and Cooper

Ruby

Day 27 of the New Year and Cooper is still here. I haven’t been able to shake him yet. With this cold weather, it’s been impossible to plan my escape or his demise. I’ve ventured to the front desk many times, though. Weaving myself between legs and creeping past the swinging doors of the treatment area, each time a step closer to planning my path to the outdoors. I do have to admit, the weight loss does help in that matter. If only spring would hurry up already! I feel cabin fever is really setting in and I’m not sure how much more I can take of Cooper and his nonsense! I’ll report back later, once I come up with a better plan.

XOXO

Ruby

Cooper

Well, you guessed it! Captain Cooper is back to brighten your day. We are almost a month into the New Year, and MAN, is it COLD! Not much to do all day but wake up, eat, sleep, play, and, oh, yeah, bother Ruby. It seems my crew of technicians and doctors have everything under control so far in the treatment area, so I have trained them well. Anyway, back to Ruby. She seems a little upset the last few days. Maybe it’s this weather. It seems to be hard on a lot of us this time of year. I think I will bring her one of my toys or let her sit in my command spot and play with my favorite string!  I hope you all are staying as warm as you can out there. Let’s hope for some warmer weather soon!

Signing out,

Captain Cooper

Case Study of the Month

Fido, a 10 lb, 1 year old Jack Russell Terrier was presented to us after ingestion of some Nicotine gum.  With the ingestion of this type of gum in dogs we worry about TWO different toxicities, nicotine and a sugar called Xylitol.  A physical examination was performed and all was within normal limits.  

Fido's blood work was all within normal limits as well.  The idea behind bringing pets into the clinic after toxin ingestion is to decontaminate or help them vomit ASAP to prevent absorption into the blood stream, along with controlling any symptoms as a result of ingestion.  Pets are hospitalized in order to monitor them for the development of symptoms as a result of toxin ingestion.  Outlined below were the steps taken in Fido's case:

Step 1:  Since ingestion occurred less than 1 hour prior to Fido’s arrival and the patient was stable, we attempted to make him vomit to rid the stomach of its contents and prevent absorption into his blood stream.  We gave Fido several doses of hydrogen peroxide.  With no such luck we tried another emetic agent called apomorphine, which can only be obtained at a veterinary clinic.  Unfortunately, we were unable to induce vomiting. 

Step 2:  Since there is no antidote for either Nicotine or Xylitol toxicity, the next step is to give the patient activated charcoal.  This is performed if ingestion of the toxic substance occurred over an hour after presentation or after the patient stops vomiting.  Activated charcoal binds to the toxin and prevents absorption from the gut.  It is recommended that multiple doses be given. 

Step 3:  Fido was then put on intravenous fluids to flush/filter out the toxin (diuresis) more quickly. 

Step 4: Hospitalization and observation for any clinical signs associated with either toxin exposure as listed below was the final step for Fido.

·         Nicotine initially causes excitement, excess salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or muscle tremors.  Symptoms can rapidly progress to muscle weakness, depression, shallow respiration and paralysis.  The ingestion of this toxin can lead to death because the respiratory muscles can't do their job.  The lethal dose is very little = 2-3mg/kg.  In Fido's case 3 pieces of gum could have been lethal! 

·         Xylitol causes a drop in blood sugar less than 60 minutes after ingestion causing depression, lethargy/weakness, muscle tremors, coma and possibly seizure.  This toxin causes liver damage within 8-12 hours after ingestion leading to vomiting, diarrhea, seizures and possibly death. 

Outcome:  Fido was very fortunate and he never showed any adverse symptoms as a result of the toxin ingestion due to our fast action in decontamination.  His blood sugar remained normal and we kept him on fluids in the hospital for 24 hours.  He was released to his owners the next day.  We followed up a week later to check blood work to make sure his liver wasn't affected by the Xylitol.  His lab work remained normal!  Fido is continuing to live a happy and healthy life with his loving family!

Ruby/Cooper Holiday Blog

Ruby

It’s I again, Princess Ruby. Last month I blogged about escaping from Ruby-Traz, which is my version of Alcatraz. Mind you, I do enjoy it here at the clinic. Sometimes I just want to be able to explore what’s on the outside of these walls…and of course taste all of the yummy food the world has to offer! Speaking of food, Thanksgiving has come and gone and do you think I got even a tiny piece of Turkey?!?! Absolutely not! You would think that someone here would have the heart to give this Princess at least a nibble, but, apparently not! It is called ThanksGIVING you know.

We did have a busy November especially with the big wind storm. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago something I believe the humans call a tornado hit around this area. We had several cats and dogs that had to stay with us for shelter. Our awesome staff took them in with open, loving arms while times were rough. The staff helped in trying to find their lost owners. They put pictures and descriptions on Facebook for owners to view. There are still two cats who have not been matched with their owners yet. We aren't sure if they even had a place to call home before the storms, but I do hope that we will find their owners soon. I can barely handle sharing this clinic with Cooper, let alone two more MALE cats!

On a lighter note, Christmas is right around the corner. My favorite holiday, of course!! Everyone here is in the holiday spirit, and not to mention…it’s a time for presents! I feel like I have been an exceptionally good Princess this year. So, I’m sure Santa will bring me lots of goodies.

            “Dear Santa, I like lots of treats! Any kind of treats, lots and lots of treats.”

Well, I should probably get going, Cooper is heading up the….ohh, Cooper, are you ok? He just fell out of the Christmas tree. Silly cat! Every year the technicians tell him not to do that.

Anyway…Merry Cat-mas!

XOXO,

Ruby

Cooper

Hello again, folks!
It’s me Cooper, back to spread some joy. The holidays are fast approaching. This is a time when I notice that most people, even the staff here at the clinic, are very distracted. And it's no wonder, with all of the decorating, shopping, and constant holiday bustle that comes with this time of year.

When you come in to visit us during the holiday season, you'll notice that our lobby is filled with festive decor! One of my favorite decorations is the Christmas tree! I love it! So many colors, ribbons, and lights... but every year, when I finally get a chance out of my busy schedule to climb to the top and "inspect" all of the decorations on the tree, it never fails; one of the girls ALWAYS pulls me down and takes me back to the treatment area. I mean, come on, it is my job to make sure everything's in order both in the treatment area and the front; they should know this!

Now, I can understand why they are concerned. Many cats have hurt themselves trying to climb Christmas tree; whether it be from falling, biting into a string of lights, or even ingesting a long piece of ribbon or tinsel. With “normal” cats, an owner has to be very careful to keep these items away, as some Christmas hazards could even be deadly! But the girls shouldn't worry about me. I've had extensive training.

I don't know about you, but we've still got quite a bit to do before Santa comes! Speaking of the jolly big guy; what presents are you hoping for this year? I know what I’m hoping for!! I could really use a new mouse toy and treats, but I have a feeling that all of the techs are conspiring to give me a dental cleaning. Not that I couldn't use one, but really girls... catnip would be appreciated much more.

Well, I better sign off. I hope to see you in the clinic this month!

Merry Christmas,
Cooper

Christmas Pet Safety

“My pet would never eat food off the table!”

“My pet would never knock over the Christmas tree!”

“My pet would never bite someone!”

We all know our pets pretty well, but what we don’t always realize is that stress can make anybody do crazy things! When you have holiday guests or flashing Christmas lights or loud holiday music—or all of the above—at your house all at once, your pet may get stressed and frustrated, causing them to act out in unexpected ways. Most pet accidents are met with the statement, “He’s never done anything like that before!”

We recommend always making sure that your pet has a safe place to sit and relax during your holidays parties. Just like some people, pets need to get away from the action and de-stress, but most of the time they don’t know how to ask for their space. If your pet is comfortable in their crate, we recommend moving it into a quiet room and letting them spend some time resting during your holiday get-togethers. Your pet will be happier, and by extension, you and your guests will be happier! And holidays disasters will be prevented.  

Cooper & Ruby

Hey, All! It’s Captain Cooper again, signing in for duty. 

Well it’s the month of November and I’m positive that Ruby is the most thrilled about it! There always seems to be a lot of people food and smells around the holidays.  

Although I do think she’s scheming something in that calico head of hers. She has been trying harder than normal to get in the garbage and I was almost certain the Technicians had broken her of that nonsense.

Anyway, as you know I am quite the helper here at Pekin Veterinary Clinic and I spend most of my day on the counter top supervising the Technicians and Veterinarians. We've all got to be on our toes and someone has to whip them into shape. 

I also enjoy sitting on their paperwork or obstructing the view of the computers during working hours; everything must be approved by me, so I find this part of my job very essential.

As I said before, Ruby and I are very anxious for Thanksgiving to get here. 

Many clients and employees bring us treats, but we have found in the past that the Technicians usually get to them first or rudely interrupt our chowing down on the good smelling “people” food; but I’m sure it is meant for us!

Note from Technician:  “Remember, pet owners, be careful around the holidays because the food that tastes good to us also tastes and smells good to your furry family members. The doctors here say you shouldn't treat your pets to a Thanksgiving dinner because changing their regular diet can cause stomach irritation and diarrhea.”

I figured I could let her slip that in for the less sophisticated cats, but I just say that’s what the litter boxes are for!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Signing out,

Captain Cooper

Zeus’s Story Continued

While Zeus may tell you that his true motivation for getting his entrances and cues spot on during the show is his love of the theater, his mom and dad will say he was purely motivated by treats and extra loving from the cast.

Zeus in Anything Goes

 Once he saw the audience reacting with laughter at some of his antics, he seemed to "ham it up" even more for the crowds. After each show he had the pleasure of going out to greet the audience and it was easy for him to make several new fans. He was even asked for a few autographs which Dad, Jeff Craig, gladly helped him with.

Zeus in Anything Goes

 Zeus's dad has said that he seems to be happiest when he's being held and petted by his fans. He enjoys licking each and every one of them. When not on stage, Zeus is not at all like other "star dogs." He enjoys laying in the back yard, eating treats, chasing his feline sisters, barking at the garbage truck and the deer in his back yard. He is also preparing for his new task of big brother this winter when mom and dad welcome his new baby brother.

 He's an avid Cardinals fan and proudly wears his jersey during playoffs and the World Series. He's taking a break for now, but anxiously awaits his next opportunity to shine under the lights. Keep an eye on our blog for details of any upcoming shows that Zeus might be a part of.