THANKSGIVING PET SAFETY TIPS

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it’s a great occasion to have your family join you in the kitchen for a fun day of food prep. When the enticing aromas of food start wafting through your house, it’s likely that your pets will want to get in on the action. However, the hectic environment in the kitchen on this food-filled holiday poses some potential health risks for your pets. Remember these safety tips as you whip up the perfect batch of mashed potatoes and gravy:

Let’s talk turkey: If you decide to give your pet a nibble of your Thanksgiving turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked—no raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.

Sage advice: While sage can be a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving stuffing, it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression in pets. Cats are especially sensitive.

Doughy dangers: When an animal ingests raw bread dough, his body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. Ouch! This may cause vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency. Cake batters made with raw eggs are also dangerous to pets.

Portion control, please: While it’s ok to share a bit of well-cooked turkey with your furry friend, it’s best to stick to your pet’s regular diet during the holidays. Allowing your pets to over indulge could cause stomach upset, diarrhea or pancreatitis.

Source: http://www.aspca.org/parents/term/its-turkey-time-check-out-our-thanksgiving-pet-safety-tips

November Pet of the Month: Muffins

Muffin is an 11 year old Border Collie and Lab mix from West Virginia.  She is a rescue dog from a shelter in Redmond.  Her owners found her on-line,  met her and fell in love.  She was about 7 months old when they picked her up on Halloween.  She has always been gentle and loving, loves to cuddle on the couch and leans into you like she’s giving you a hug. She loves the beach and will run happily on the sand.  She’s not too fond of the ocean however!  It took several trips before she ventured into the water, but only belly-deep!  She’s definitely a people dog who loves attention and is well-loved. She is a gift from God.

Featured Pet of the Month: Mollie

Mollie came to her owner as a four month old rescue puppy. It didn't take long to realize this adorable white blur of activity suffered from severe anxiety and was ill-equipped to deal with most social situations.

Mollie was a skittish, hyperactive, seemingly un-trainable ball of nerves. Mollie and her owner clashed from the beginning. She started fights at the dog beach, evening walks were punctuated by panic attack over cars, gates, and other dogs.

Her owner read everything about canine behavior and enrolled in obedience and socialization classes.
Mollie persevered.

It has taken years to build a trusting, working relationship with Mollie. Her walks are more calm and she has learned to tolerate other dogs.

Mollie has taught her owner about patience, boundaries, and trust. She's also taught her about unconditional love.

We are proud to honor Mollie this November!

PET OF THE MONTH

Piglet is a Survivor! She's a Mackerel Tabby, and was found at Oak Harbor Waif Rescue in 2002. She is around six years old and had been adopted and returned. She's the purrfect indoor only, lap-cat/couch-cat. Dr. Remick and the team at Edmonds Veterinary Hospital has kept her in great shape!

Pet of the Month: Buddy

Buddy was adopted with his littermate Griffin, both are American Cocker Spaniels, from Rescue Pups in 2001. They were two years old when they were adopted.

Unfortunately, Griffin passed away last year, but Buddy has been thriving as an only child and loves all the attention he gets from people on his daily walks on the Edmonds waterfront.

Buddy is sweet, patient, and has endured so many medical issues during his life. He loves the kind care and attention he gets from the whole team at Edmonds Veterinary Hospital!

Back to School for Bowser, too!

We’ve seen a lot of puppies this summer and with families in back to school mode, it’s a good time to remember that your pup needs an education, too. 

Many of our team members are able to help you with the basics-potty training, crate training, chewing nipping, and many behavior problems,  however puppies (and all dogs) need to understand the basics to be good citizens and, if not happy to meet people, how to at least tolerate us two legged creatures. 

Below are some of the services used by many of our clients:

The Whole Pup:  http://www.thewholepup.com/

Academy of Canine Behavior:  http://www.aocb.com/training/classes

Gentle Paws Dog Training:  http://www.gentlepawsdogtraining.com/

Some other tips that help pups get started on the right feet!  (and remember these things should be done by as many members of the household as possible)

·         Buy your puppy lots of toys!  Reward good behavior with play time (instead of food) and you’ll have a healthier puppy for a lifetime.

·         Speaking of food-using treats for training is very helpful.  Just remember that they don’t need a whole calorie packed dog cookie.  Breaking them into smaller chunks doesn’t bother them at all!

·         Remember to get your puppy starting with a collar, harness and leash as young as possible (please remember that pinch type collars are not recommended except for the most extreme problems)

·         Handle their feet-bottom, top and between toes, and trim their nails frequently to get them used to it.

·         Look at your puppies mouth and teeth, they need to understand that fingers in their mouth is something they should expect (be careful with those pointy baby teeth!)-this will help you as they get older if they ever need medication and it helps us when we check them for oral disease.

·         Bring them by the vet clinic, even if just to weigh them-this helps reduce their fear doctor visits!

·         Consider Crate Training your puppy!  A crate is just like an indoor dog house and becomes your puppy’s own space.  It helps potty training, chewing problems and gives you peace of mind that your pup is safe while you’re away from home.

·         Using an appropriate tone of voice can make a big difference-we usually use a higher pitch tone when we say something like ‘Let’s go for a Walk’.  Usually they’ll understand one word…such as walk, but it’s also the tone that sends the message that they get to do something fun!  Scolding with a higher pitch tone simply confuses them.

·         Teach children to follow all of the above (age appropriate of course)

Following a few simple rules can reduce the stress and frustration that can sometime occur and make their adjustment to your family smoother!

Featured Furry Family

Sammy

Sammy came to us 17 years ago, as a neglected kitten, tossed out into the world to fend for himself. He's a magnificent specimen of a truly regal and intelligent creature. While he doesn't like to be coddled, he does appreciate a good chin rub! 

Dimitri

We adopted Dimitri from Purrfect Pals in the spring of 2003, when he was barely a year old. His owners moved and left him behind. he stormed into our home and hearts with a personality that demands all the things be his, now! He loved his big brother Sammy the moment they met and have been best friends ever since. 

 

C.C.

We found C.C. in the basement of the Washington DC Convention Center in the summer of 2003. She was a very sick little kitten behind when the area was cleared after construction. We flew her home to Edmonds where her older brothers, Sammy & Dimitri accepted her with open paws and the 3 lived a charmed life. 

In the summer of 2004, our world was turned upside down when we rescued 4 kittens from an irresponsible pet owner. We thought we'd properly care for the 4, foster and send off to forever homes. Quickly we realized, the 4 insurgents would be with us forever. 

Bruiser

Bruiser, by far the largest and most gentle of the 4, quickly became Dimitri's shadow. Bruiser drives Dimitri crazy. 

 

Velcro

Velcro, the sweetest and most intelligent of the 4, requires a ride on Dad's shoulder daily. Dad has learned to do many chores while holding a cat on his shoulder. 

 

Willie

Willie is content to be the baby and a true momma's boy. The way Mom dotes on him is an embarrassment to independent felines everywhere. 

Angel

Angel, the smallest and only female of the 4, rules her brothers with an iron paw, but melts when she's in her dad's arms. Angel is daddy's little girl. 

Becca's Featured Pet: NOAH

My family adopted Noah when I was 8 years old. When we brought him home he had an upper respiratory infection that is so typical of shelter kittens. He had an incredibly rough beginning of his life, but he persevered. He is a typical loving big orange male. His purr can be heard from across the room and he will take any chance he can to snuggle. He is now 14 years old and living quite comfortably. He is currently taking Terbutaline for his asthma, as well as Metacam for his fused verterbrae. 

Caring for pets during emergencies

Nothing says it better than the horror story from Hurricane Floyd: A man was leaving his flooded home when he noticed a neighbor’s dogs swimming in circles around the yard. Wondering why the dogs didn’t simply swim to safety, the man swam over to investigate. To his horror, he found that the dogs had been left chained to a stake in the yard and were swimming frantically just to stay alive. He was able to rescue the dogs, but stories such as this pointedly demonstrate the need for to you to have a good action plan in place in case a natural disaster strikes your home. In this case, the dogs’ owner most likely had been told to leave everything behind and flee as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, his dogs nearly lost their lives as a result.

In the event of an emergency, your life and your family’s lives are the first you should be concerned with. You should only look to save your animals once you are sure you and your family will be safe. But once you are safe, you most likely will want to ensure the safety of your pets. Are you prepared?

Consider your location

First things first. You can only be prepared with a plan of action if you know what you’re planning for, so take some time to think about the area you live in. Some areas are naturally prone to certain disasters California’s earthquakes, for example. Find out what types of disasters have previously struck your area hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. Contacting your local emergency management office or Red Cross will help you to identify what could affect your particular neighborhood. You should also plan for non-natural disasters fires, gas leaks, chemical spills, etc. If, for example, there’s a big chemical processing plant in your area, then you need to be aware of the possible dangers so that you can react if need be. No matter where you live, you’ve got your own special brand of disaster just around the corner, and it may strike at any time.

If You Leave, They Leave

In the event that you have to leave your home, take your pets with you. If it isn’t safe for you to be there, it isn’t safe for them either. Too often people rationalize that their pets’ instincts will kick in, and they’ll be okay. Even if your cat, who has spent the last six years of his life hunting only the fake mice you pull around on a string for him, does have the instincts to survive, it doesn’t mean that the conditions are survivable. No drinkable water for you means no drinkable water for him too. Of course, you have to have somewhere to take your four-legged friends--Red Cross disaster shelters cannot accept pets. Make a list of all the places with in a 100-mile radius of your home where you might be able to take your pet if the need arises, include boarding facilities, veterinarians with boarding capabilities, hotels that will accept pets (ask if they’ll allow pets during a disaster situation), and animal shelters. (Use animal shelters only as a last resort, as they will be overburdened with other animals whose owners did not plan for them). Also, you need to gather your critters inside the house as soon as you are aware that you may have to leave, so that you can easily get them when it’s time to go. Then, when you do leave, make sure you have your little friends under firm control--even the best behaved dog can become scared during an emergency, making his behavior less than predictable.

Be prepared

Like a Boy Scout, you should always be prepared. This means having a disaster kit in your home as well as a smaller version in the trunk of your car if your pet routinely rides with you. Make sure that your pet’s kit is contained in something that is easy to pick up quickly and take out the door with you. You should replace this food and water every six months and rethink your pet’s needs for the kit once a year to make sure that the supplies meet your current needs the same collar that fits your new kitten is not likely to fit him a year later.

The kit should include a week’s supply of food and water in nonbreakable, airtight containers to ensure safety and freshness. If you pack canned food you’ll want to make sure you have a hand-held can opener too. And don’t forget a plastic dish that can double as a food and water dish. An extra collar and leash are also important things to have in your kit. You should also have a portable kennel for each of your critters handy. The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that the official Red Cross policy is that there are no animals allowed in emergency shelters, but they have been known to make exceptions if the animal is securely confined. Pets such as birds will obviously have to have a carrier of some sort as they cannot be leashed. You will want to make certain that you have a well-stocked first-aid kit for your pet that includes tweezers, gauze bandages, first aid cream, antiseptic spray, and hydrogen peroxide. Ask your veterinarian about storing any medications that your pet may need to take regularly.

All the right papers

Many people have their home telephone numbers on their pets’ ID tags. You may want to have an extra set of tags made that list the number of a friend or family member outside the area so that if your phone lines are down, or you’ve been evacuated, your pets can still make it back to you. Another option is to simply include an out-of-area number on your pets’ everyday tag, which can be useful if you’re away on vacation too. And many people don’t have tags for their cats at all, even though they should. According to the 1996 National Council on Pet Population Study, out of one million dogs and 580,000 cats that were taken in as strays, only 17 percent of the dogs and two percent of the cats made it back to their owners. The American Humane Association strongly believes that tags are your pets’ ticket home. You may also want to consider having your pet microchipped or tattooed. And finally, don’t forget the paperwork. Have a copy of your pet’s recent vaccination records in your kit--some boarding facilities may require them before they will take your pet in. A recent picture of your pet may also come in handy if you should become separated and need to make "Lost" posters. Hopefully you won’t ever have to put them up, and hopefully you’ll never have to use your disaster plan. But if you do ever need it, you’ll be very thankful that you were prepared; it could make a trying time a bit easier for you and your faithful companion.

Source: http://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/pet_health_library/general_health_care/caring_for_pets_during_emergencies.aspx

Pets of the Month Oly, Bear and Atlas!

Meet our Pets of the month!  Oly, Bear and Atlas!

Our featured Pet's Parents are none other than Mike and Wendy.  The family will be celebrating the 4th of July as the Grand Marshals of the Edmonds 4th of July Parade!

Our blonde dog Oly is 11 years old, he is a golden retriever mix.  We don’t know his background.  11 years ago he and 5 other puppies were brought to work in a cardboard box

filthy dirty and covered in fleas.  He had never been allowed in a house.  We took him home, gave him a bath and a name! We love him, he is the best dog we have ever had!

Bear, the black dog just turned 2.  He is half golden retriever and half border collie. He is smart, fast and loveable!

Atlas the cat is a tabby who just turned 1 year old.  We have never owned cats before and we are enjoying all his silly cat behaviors.

We cannot imagine life without our pets and we thank Edmonds Veterinary for taking good care of them.

Dan’y

When I first met Whistlestop’s Victory Dance he was called Vick.  

He was the “pick of his litter” and had been claimed by the owner of his sire. He was sent out with a field trainer and was of such a “soft” temperament that he was deemed unsuitable for field work. His co-breeder had seen me working with one of my other Water Spaniels and knew that I was thinking about adding a new dog to my family and asked me if I would be interested in adopting him. 

When I first met him he seemed to be a bit shy but quickly warmed up to me so at approximately 18 months old he became one of my “fur-kids.” 

The first thing we did was change his call name to Dan’y and began to teach him that learning new things is fun. It quickly became clear to me that he is one of the most naturally happy beings ever to walk the earth. There are times when he is truly “Dan’y the Delirious”. 

He has never met a person or dog he does not like. We finished his AKC Championship, showed him to an International championship and have so far achieved seven different Obedience titles working together. Here is a photo of him doing the Utility “Scent Article” exercise.

He is now officially known as

AKC/Int’l CH U-CD Whistlestop’s Victory Dance CD CDX RN RA RE CGC

To me Dan’y is the best working partner and snuggle-bug anyone could ever hope for. I am truly richer for having this exceptional dog in my life.

Source: The Proud Owner of Dan'y

June Pet of the Month: Casey

We are proud to honor Casey as our June Pet of the Month! Casey is always so happy and constantly waving her tail and smiling at everyone she meets.  Casey has been with her family since she was 8 weeks old, and she has brought so much joy into their lives.  When other dogs retrieve the ball and drop it 10 feet away from you, she is always the one that will go get it and bring it right to your feet.  She loves playing chuck-it, hunting, and eating, but most of all, she loves catching the Frisbee.  She has visited Edmonds Vet. quite a bit throughout her life due to her bone tumors on her spine when she was very young, and tearing both knees which caused her to get two TPLO surgeries as well.  She continues to wag her tail through it all and comes out as good as new every time.  We are glad to have Casey as our Pet of the Month this June! 

Sad news about our clinic cat Lilly

We all love our Lily.  Today she was scheduled for her dental cleaning.  Before putting her under anesthesia, we performed routing blood work as we do for all patients before anesthesia.  That blood worked showed some major changes.  Her hematocrit (packed cell volume-a measurement of red blood cells) turned out to be only 17%.  The normal range for a cat is 30-52.   The low number indicates anemia. 

Dr. Remick and the technicians reviewed slide of her blood under the microscope and discovered that her red blood cells are indeed very low and clumping together (agglutination). These factors led to a diagnosis of Autoimmune Disease.  The rest of the blood work all looked normal.

This shows how important it is to do blood work on our pets, even our seemingly healthy pets at least once a year.  Lily is our clinic cat, very healthy, no signs of illness at all.  She is only 6 years old and bounces around this places like a mad cougar.  We are so thankful we did the blood work and discovered her illness.  She has been started on cortisone as the primary treatment which will likely continue for the rest of her life. 

As for Lily and her teeth?  She had one tooth that troublesome that was cleaned since she was already sedated and we did the best we could with the rest of her teeth for now.  She will still need to have her teeth cleaned in the future, but that will wait until we are certain that she will be a good candidate for anesthesia. 

Lily’s Likes and Nora’s Nopes

My cat Phoenix recently had his teeth cleaned at Edmonds Veterinary Hospital. I enjoyed his sparkly white teeth and his fresh breath. My vet told me without daily dental care at home, the fresh breath and the white teeth would not last forever. I wanted what was best for my beloved Phoenix. The technician talked to me about a few options I had of things I could do at home to keep up on his dental health.

She first told me about brushing his teeth. Phoenix was not a good candidate for this option. He does not like his mouth handled and I was kind of nervous about putting my fingers in his mouth.

The next option we discussed was using dental treats but once again Phoenix was not a good candidate for that option either. He has never been a cat that likes treats, not even catnip!

Finally the technician suggested one more option, the C.E.T AquaDent drinking water additive. This product I just simply put in his drinking water and the enzymes do all the work for me. The enzymes keep the particles that form plaque from even sticking to his teeth: they don't even have a chance to turn into the hard smelly tartar. As soon as I heard this, I was sold and very excited…no work on my end and my pet gets to keep beautiful white teeth and no bad breath.

It sounded almost too good to be true. I purchased some of the C.E.T. AquaDent as his dental discharge and added it to his water right away at home. It was an easy transition adding this product to my daily routine. I simply added it to his water every day when I changed his water dish. Phoenix never even noticed something was different.  I love C.E.T. AquaDent water additive and I recommend it to all my friends to keep the pretty white teeth and fresh smelling breath.

Katee and Phoenix

Lily Likes;
Nora’s talking about it!

MAY PET OF THE MONTH - EINSTEIN

Einstein is a Golden Retriever, known as Einar to his close friends.

He is the most friendly, happy, playful and mischievous boy always ready for fetching tennis balls or searching for them in the bushes. Einar loves swimming, usually at Edmonds Off-leash Park, and whenever he is along on a boat trip.  Without even a bark, he is playful with other dogs and most willing to give a hug to anyone person he meets.  Typical of Goldens, he is a wonderful family companion and in particular he has made us members of his pack.  Like a child he has dog toys around the house, pillows for napping, and a jar of dog treats. We are proud to honor Einstein as our May Pet of the Month!

Weather or not to leave your pooch in the car….

Here in Western Washington, it’s uncommon for us to experience unseasonably warm weather and today is sure to be one of those days.  While running errands for the clinic earlier this week (cooler than today, overcast and in the morning) I sat in my car while returning phone calls and answering email.  In the 20 minutes that I was doing so, the temperature in the car rose and was uncomfortably hot.

When I left the car to run my next errand and walked through the parking lot, I was dismayed to see the number of pets in their owner’s cars-windows up, them yapping wildly, panting, hot and frantic.  And it’s only MAY!

This isn’t about what I did, but what you should do with your own pets. 

We urge you to consider that the interior of your car can warm up dramatically even on cooler days.  In just 10 minutes on a 70 degree day the interior of the car can warm to 90 degrees; on an 85 degree day the interior can reach 130 degrees in 30 minutes…with the windows cracked open!  Most the heat increases in the first 10-20 minutes.

So what should you do when you see a distressed pet in the car?  You can go into the business the car is parked and ask the manager to page the person that owns the car (have the license plate) providing the animal is not in severe distress.  Otherwise, call Animal Control or 911 if you don’t know the number for Animal Control.

You can also visit www.redrover.org search for ‘my dog is cool’ and you can read more and download flyers to raise awareness.

Featured Employee- Cyndy

Cyndy has been a team member at EVH for 7 years. One of the things I love most about working here is seeing the bond between our clients and their pets. The pets we see here truly seem to be a member of their family. I love being able to help keep these pets healthy and happy. My pets include two rambunctious labs -Poppy and Dodger - and 6 chickens who love to sleep on the dogs pillow outside.

How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth

Why Dental Care is Important

Proper dental care can detect dental disease that not only affects the mouth, but can also lead to more serious health problems such as heart, lung, and kidney disease. Good dental hygiene is just as important for pets as it is for humans. Yet, it is one of the most overlooked areas in pet health. 

Studies by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) reveal that nearly two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care recommended by veterinarians. AAHA’s Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats are a working framework for small animal dentistry practice, including dental examinations, cleanings, and surgical procedures.

Be sure to set up an appointment with your veterinarian today!

How To Brush Your Cat's Teeth

Featured Employee: Jannie

Jannie is a student and Edmonds Community College. She lives with four cuddly felines, one of which really enjoys piggy back rides. Jannie enjoys caring for he pets that stay at Edmonds Veterinary Hospital and assisting other team members with a variety of duties.

January Pet(s) of the Month: Mack and Squid

This month we say farewell to the Mach Dachs and Squid as they relocate to sunnier weather (Hawaii).  All of us at Edmonds Veterinary Hospital has had the pleasure of providing care to Squid, Barney, Charlie, Emma, Oliver, Oscar and Owen (and a whole brood of others) for around 30 years.  We will miss them and wish them well...and hope to see them on return visits, whenever that may be.  Best wishes and safe travel to this great family!

Sidewalk Salt and Ice Melt

As pet owners, it’s important for us to be aware of the many new safety concerns that appear in the wintertime. Sidewalk salt and ice melt are often used during the winter months and can be tracked from the streets and sidewalks to inside the house. Because these products are actually toxic for pets if consumed, it is important to always make sure your house is safe and salt-free. We recommend gently washing your pet’s feet with warm water and mild soap when they come inside to keep dangerous chemicals from being tracked through the house. We also recommend keeping your pet from licking the salt off their feet. If you’re concerned about keeping your pet safe, many home supply or hardware stores now carry pet-safe ice melt products, but remember that city trucks that sprinkle salt on the streets are always using the poisonous kind.