 WHAT’S NEW
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Nutura Pet Products
We have some fun new varieties of treats from Natura Pet Products. These Mother Nature Gourmet Treats are a healthier alternative to some of the "junk food" biscuits that are available at grocery and pet stores. Stop by and check out these new varieties. We also carry Innova, Evo and California Natural brand pet foods. If you have questions about our selection or just want to know more about the brand and its benefits, please call and ask for Shannon or Melissa at the front desk. They are our pet food specialists!
Although these are not new, kitties are absolutely crazy about the Pawbreakers catnip balls! Get one for your feline friend, and they will thank you!
What’s New with Our Staff
We are sad to announce that Lindsey will be leaving us at the end of April. Lindsey is part of our extraordinary kennel crew! She recently got married and is going to attend graduate school, which will take lots of her time and energy. We offer our congratulations to Lindsey on her recent wedding. We will miss her, but wish her well!
Dr. Best will soon be certified to perform the PennHip method of hip certification. This is an advanced method of hip analysis for dogs to help decrease the prevalence of hip dysplasia in dogs. If you have questions about this method or want further information, visit their website at www.pennhip.org or call our office today. For more information on hip dysplasia, visit our Pet Health Libraries and click on Veterinary Partners link.
We are happy to announce the Liz got a new puppy, a Doberman named Charlie. Liz has wanted to Dobie for years, and was recently able to get one from a breeder client of ours. Charlie is adorable and Liz is having lots of fun with her.
In Loving Memory:
Circle of Life lost one of their own family members this spring when Gretchen, Melissa's sweet old dog, went to heaven. Gretchen had been diabetic for many years and had thrived until the past 6 months or so, when old age and her disease caught up to her and made her life more difficult. All of our hearts are heavy with sadness at her loss.
SPRING WELLNESS TIPS |
Ticks and Heartworm
Spring is the time to start thinking about tick prevention and heartworm disease. With the long, wet spring that we have had, ticks will likely be out in full force. You will more likely find these in wooded areas, so those of you that take your dogs to the river for a swim or out in the country for a run should strongly consider a tick preventative product. We use and recommend Frontline top spot. Frontline requires a topical application once a month. Usually treating through June is adequate, although it somewhat depends on when we start to see real summer heat. Since there is no systemic absorption, it is safe for all dogs and cats.
In our last Summer Newsletter, we featured Interceptor, our heartworm preventative and broad-spectrum deworming product. We are once again proud to be carrying Interceptor. While heartworm disease is still considered a fairly low risk in this area, it has been diagnosed in dogs that have lived their entire lives in Yellowstone County. Although the risk may be low, we still believe in preventative medication. The other additional benefit of Interceptor is the broad-spectrum intestinal parasite protection. This is particularly important in households with small children, as many of these intestinal parasites are contagious to humans. Children are at higher risk due to hand-to-mouth contamination, with little hands that might not always be clean. In order to receive Interceptor for heartworm prevention, we require a current heartworm test (within the past 2 years) and current exam (within the past year). If you have questions, please call our office today!
Keeping Indoor Cats Happy
It is generally accepted that indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats. They are not exposed to the dangers of outdoor life, such as cars, dogs and other wildlife. They are not getting into fights with the alley cats that might carry dangerous diseases. They are not exposed to potentially dangerous toxins or poisons.
The other side of this is that indoor cats may not always be as happy as outdoor cats. There are no trees to scratch. There are no mice or birds to chase and hunt. Sometimes indoor cats just get bored and start exhibiting behavior problems such as urination or defecation problems, scratching up furniture or possibly becoming aggressive to people by stalking them and perhaps biting them.
Researchers are spending a great deal of time on developing recommendations to keep indoor cats happy, so their minds are as healthy as their bodies. The most complete and useful of these studies is the Indoor Cat Initiative from the Ohio State University and Dr. Tony Buffington.
Some basic recommendations from the site include having at least one litter box per cat in the house, and perhaps one extra. This allows cats to choose where to go to the bathroom and find a clean box when they need to go. Many litter box problems in homes can be fixed by adding more boxes and keeping them squeaky clean. Cats are very clean animals and are often reluctant to use a soiled box.
Cats like to scratch in order to keep their claws sharp, stretch the muscles in their feet and legs and mark their territory. If not provided adequate places to scratch, they may choose the leg of your dining room table or your sofa arm! Providing a variety of scratching posts or boxes is important, especially in a house with multiple cats. Cats have different preferences for what to scratch on. Frank, our clinic cat, likes the flat cardboard box scratching area. We sprinkle a little catnip on it and he scratches is several times a day.
Providing lots of toys for your cat to play with, chase and stalk is important as well. Cats have a natural instinct to hunt, so if they are given the opportunity to "hunt" in the house, they will fulfill that need. Try toys that are on strings or poles, so you can mimic natural movement of mice or birds. Small balls are often popular, because they roll away, making the cat chase them and stalk them. We have clients that have taught their cats to retrieve small foam balls or other small toys. What a great way to exercise an indoor cat!
Since cats like to hunt and search for their food, try leaving a few nuggets of dry cat food on small saucers hidden throughout the house. When your cats start finding these treats, not only will it encourage them to continue searching for that easy "prey", it will give them exercise as well. Please visit the Indoor Cat Initiative website for even more suggestions to keep these special creatures safe and happy!
FEATURED CASES |
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I decided to feature a couple of our own pets in this newsletter, to show what resilience that pets can have after hardship or disease. These are two of our staff members' dogs.
Maggie
Maggie is one of Holly's dogs. Maggie has quite a history! In the fall of 2000 Holly found Maggie on the top of Airport road after she had been hit by a car. She had injuries to her front leg and her vision was impaired due to head trauma. Once her original family was located, we figured Maggie would be fine. Unfortunately, Maggie somehow ended up abandoned at a shelter in western Montana. As fate would have it, Holly and Maggie were reunited! Maggie had her left front leg amputated in 2001 and she is blind. We joke that Holly should have named her "Lucky"! Maggie lives with Cooper, HollyÕs yellow Labrador, and truly gets around fine. She even finds her way out to the back yard down several deck stairs and manages not to fall in the swimming pool in the summer! Maggie is now 12 and doing well. Her spirit is amazing and every time she comes to hospital, her tail wags uncontrollably! This is truly a remarkable story of fate, love and resilience! It shows that one should never give up on a dog who's will to survive is so strong!
Jake
Jake is Cynthia's 14 year old Chow Chow. In 2004, he had bladder stones removed. In 2005 it was discovered that he had an enlarged left kidney, a condition known as hydronephrosis. Since this was a non-functioning kidney, it was removed to relieve Jake's abdominal pain and discomfort. There were several tense hours after surgery, waiting for Jake to urinate and prove that his right kidney was functioning properly. It was, and still today, his kidney function is completely normal. That right kidney is just as strong as the rest of Jake's old body! Jake also struggles with severe hip dysplasia, but takes Metacam which keeps him comfortable and still getting around fairly well. Last year Jake developed an unusual condition with his eyes. His eyelids became swollen and he developed a nasty skin infection around his eyes. He had basically become blind, due to the swelling and pain in his eyes. After several treatments and a consult with a veterinary ophthalmologist, Jake's eyes were still no better. Finally, Dr. Allbright performed some alternative therapies on Jake that have provided him with great relief. Although his vision isn't normal, at least he can see enough to get around. One kidney, bad hips and bad eyes, and he's still going strong! What a trooper!
You can see pictures of both Maggie and Jake on our staff/about us page. They are in the staff photos with Holly and Cynthia
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