When you bring your pet in for a routine wellness exam and vaccines, you are commonly presented with one of us reeling off a list of what vaccines your pet needs. These will often include the well known Rabies vaccine, the Kennel Cough vaccine, and the Distemper vaccine (also referred to as the DHLPP vaccine). What may not always be clearly explained is the fact that our “Distemper” vaccine is actually a combination vaccine that targets FOUR to FIVE different diseases. Let’s break it down: Feel free to ask us more questions about these diseases at your next vaccine appointment! Page 2
August 27, 2018 By Ridge Lake Animal Hospital No one likes to think about emergencies or disasters. As this is the season for hurricanes, severe storms, and fires, as well as other natural and manmade emergency events, we need to plan for ourselves and our pets. Let’s focus this discussion on planning for your pet(s) in a disaster requiring your evacuation. If it is unsafe for you to stay home, it is unsafe for your pet as well. FEMA guidelines restrict pets from Emergency Shelters. Service, guide and hearing dogs may be allowed. Local emergency management officials can be consulted to see if such a pet is eligible. Evacuating becomes much easier if you plan ahead on where you and your pet(s) will go. Local shelters and veterinary hospitals can be consulted on their ability to take in pets. Hotels and motels, out of the area, can be contacted about their pet policies and whether these would be waived in an evacuation. Create a list of places and phone numbers you and your pets can go in an emergency. Make sure you know the restrictions on the number of pets, size, and species allowed. Keep this list with your emergency phone numbers. Make reservations early if an evacuation is likely. If you need to evacuate with your pet(s), be prepared by making a Go Bag for each pet. All pets will need a minimum of 3 days of food and water and appropriate bowls and/or water bottles. Items need to be placed in a waterproof container and need to include: What about our more exotic pets? Birds should be transported in a secure travel cage or carrier. Provide fruits or vegetables with high water content during transport. Take medical records and any medications. Have photos of the bird along with band or microchip information. Do not let the bird out of the cage or carrier. Pocket pets need to travel in secure carriers. Take bedding, water bottles and food. Transport reptiles in a carrier or pillowcase. Transfer to a secure carrier when you reach your destination. Carry necessary food, soaking bowls, and heating pads.
Page 3I went for a walk with my pet. Now what? Check your pet for ticks! The warm summer months means spending more time outside and unfortunately, ticks. Many ticks are co-infected, meaning that they carry more than one disease, including Lyme disease. Did you know that only about 5% of dogs exposed will develop symptoms that are attributed to Lyme disease? But with all this said, you’re still going to go for walks with your dog and your outdoor cat will still want to be outdoors. You can prevent Lyme disease by making sure you thoroughly check your pet’s body after they’ve been outside and removing ticks before they attach themselves. Even if your dog or cat wears a tick and/or flea preventative collar or is given a spot-on medication, it is a good idea to do a quick body check. Keeping your pet’s fur short is an easy first step. Breeds with shorter hair are easier to check than those with long hair. Shorter coats make the ticks easier to see by keeping them close to the surface while longer hair allows a tick to hide deep in the fur and avoid being discovered for long periods of time. Brush or run your hands over your pet’s whole body, applying enough pressure to feel any small bumps or something the size of a pea. You may also use a brush or flea comb, stopping if you hit a bump or a snag to investigate. Most attachments occur in front of the shoulder blades, which includes the head, neck, and front legs. Make sure to also feel under the collar, under their armpits, between their toes, behind the ears, and around the tail. Ticks are attracted to dark, hidden areas and when attached can range in size from the size of a pinhead to a grape. If you find an unattached tick, place it in alcohol and dispose of it. Flushing a tick down the toilet will not kill it. If the tick is embedded, you must remove it carefully so you extract the whole tick. If you are uncomfortable removing the tick yourself then call your vet. While wearing gloves to protect yourself, use fine-tipped tweezers to grip the tick’s head as close to the skin as possible. Pull the tick straight out, slowly and steadily, without squeezing the body. After removing the tick, place it in alcohol and clean the bitten area with soap and warm water. Keep an eye on the bitten area to see if an infection arises or if your pet starts to act abnormally. It is very typical for a small nodule to occur at the site of the attachment and persist for up to three weeks. Signs of Lyme disease typically occur one to three weeks following a bite and may include limping, poor appetite, and fever. A very small percentage of dogs may also develop a fatal form that affects their kidneys. If the skin remains irritated or infected or you suspect something might be wrong, call us at (703) 662-0222. Page 4Take your dog to the beach! First, make sure to adhere to the beach’s specific rules as these are actually laws and you can be given a citation or fine. Some common laws include cleaning up after your dog, requiring your dog to wear a collar and ID tags and be up-to-date on vaccinations, be on a leash, and so on. Make sure to check prior to leaving to see if your beach destination is pet friendly! Just like people, dogs can only handle so much sun. Sunscreen that is safe for your dog is available at pet stores or online. Do not use a sunscreen unless it is specifically labeled safe for animal use. Make sure there is a shady spot for your dog to retreat to like an umbrella, picnic table, or tree and bring plenty of fresh, cool water and a dog bowl. Offer water refills often, making sure that the water does not get hot in the sun. Watch for signs of overheating, which can include: excessive panting or drooling, vomiting or diarrhea, collapse, and loss of consciousness. If you start to see any of these signs immediately move your dog to a cooler environment. While staying calm and speaking in a soothing voice, wrap the dog in cool, wet towels. A fan can be used to help blow air over the animal to speed up the cooling and applying isopropyl alcohol to the paw pads will facilitate cooling and should be repeated as the alcohol dries. It is important to never fully immerse your overheated pet in water as it may increase their anxiety. Hot sand is also a very real concern. Foot pad burns can occur when the sand is too hot. If a person cannot walk barefoot, their dog cannot either. While on the sand, lead the way for your dog to make sure they won’t step on anything sharp. Broken glass and shells are only two of many things that can hurt your pet’s paws. If your dog’s paw gets cut, apply pressure to the wound to ease the bleeding. If it’s severe, seek veterinary attention immediately. Once in the water, jellyfish and rocks start to potentially pose problems. If your dog gets stung by a jellyfish, douse the affected area in vinegar to ease the pain and kill off the stinging barbs before trying to remove the tentacles. If your dog does not come to you every time you call them, keep them on a leash. You can buy a long-reaching leash (20-30 feet) which will still allow you and your dog to play with a ball or Frisbee without worrying about the possibility of them running away. Pay close attention to your dog’s swimming habits. Fitness level, experience, and even breed of dog can influence how well your dog can swim. Poor swimmers and brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, and Boxers should probably not spend much time on the beach. When in doubt, put a life vest on your dog and keep an eye out. If your pet does go in the water, make sure to remove them if they start to drink the water. Instead offer fresh, clean water since salt water is bad for dogs and can cause gastrointestinal problems. Salt water may also cause some irritation to their skin and paws. Rinsing your dog off with fresh water before you leave or shortly after getting home will help him or her stay comfortable and happy. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, have fun! |