New Year = New You...and "Lucky" Too!

Are you looking ahead to the New Year with some goals in mind? Perhaps the idea of weight loss or increased exercise is on your list. Before embarking on your new routine consider making the task more fun by adding "Lucky" to your plans. What better encouragement could you ask for?

According to AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), a 2008 study by the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention showed that more than 44% of dogs in America are considered overweight - about 33 million. If your dog is part of the statistic, now is the time to get him moving.

AAHA has created a tool for a 2010 New Year's Resolution for you and your pet to resolve to get in shape. A signature and a paw print mark your commitment to a healthy new year. To download your own copy just click over to the AAHA website .

There are lots more health and fitness tips for you and your dog in Dogs Lose Lbs! You Win!, also available through AAHA. To order your own copy click here.

While on the AAHA site you might also spend some time on the www.healthypet.com website for fun and useful information for all pet owners.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays

Central Veterinary Emergency Services will be open from 2 pm on Christmas Eve until 8 am on Monday, December 28. Hopefully all will be well and we won't see you, but rest assured that we will be here should an unforeseen event with one of your four-legged friends change your holiday plans.

Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many...
- Charles Dickens

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Did you know?
We've just come out of a cold snap in Colorado with temperatures in the teens and single digits and wind chill below zero. Other areas of the country are still in the middle of a deep freeze. You may have noticed your four legged family members being just as hesitant as you to roam outside for long in these temps. It is a misnomer that an animal should be able to withstand really cold temperatures just because it has fur without conditioning or special gear. I've covered this topic a bit already in the post titled "Winder Adventures", but let's consider a few other dangers that pop up in the cold weather months.

Small Vs. Big, Short Vs. Long
Although some pets are conditioned to cold weather, veterinary experts agree that you should bring outdoor pets indoors if the temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Puppies, kittens, and short haired pets should come inside anytime the temperature goes below 40 degrees. Long haired pets do have a bit of an advantage, but proper grooming is essential to help them maintain a layer of warming air within their coat. Pets who are heavily matted cannot keep themselves as warm.

Shelter
If your pet must stay outdoors, be sure to provide shelter for your pet. A good "house" will have three enclosed sides, will be elevated off the ground, and will contain generous amounts of bedding such as straw or hay. In cold weather, bigger is not always better. A house just big enough for your pet will warm up faster and retain heat better than something that is too big. Your pet will need access to fresh water that isn't frozen. Use heated water bowls and replenish them frequently.

Antifreeze
Antifreeze is a common and deadly pet poisoning during colder months. If you suspect your pet has consumed any antifreeze at all, you must contact your veterinarian immediately! Antifreeze has a sweet taste to pets, so they will readily lap up any spilled material. If you spill antifreeze, dilute the area well with water and sweep excess water into a rocky or sandy area. Cover area with soil to keep pets from licking at the rocks. Read my post on a pet friendly Antifreeze alternative.

Cars and Pets
Cats love to warm up underneath car hoods. If your car is kept outdoors, or if cats have access to your garage, be sure to pound on the hood of the car prior to turning the ignition. Many cats are killed or injured grievously by fan belts and moving engine parts. Also, pets should not be left alone in vehicles due to the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning or hypothermia.

Hypothermia
Our pets suffer from frostbite and hypothermia just like we do. Consider keeping dogs on a leash when they go outside. Many curious dogs off leash will explore "frozen" retention ponds, lakes or streams and fall through the ice into frigid water. I cover signs and treatment of hypothermia in the "Winter Adventures" post.

Heat Source Cautions
You may encourage your dog or cat to warm up by a wood-burning stove, fireplace, or space heater. Be very careful to monitor your animal around any of these heat sources. They can cause severe burns. If your animal is mobile, let him move away from the heat when he's had enough. For non-mobile pets keep the animal a safe distance away and turn its body every 5 minutes to allow the area near the heat source to cool off.

Arthritis
Older pets may suffer more from arthritis during these months. You might consider providing warm, raised bedding to decrease the exposure to cold floors and drafts that can intensify the pain and stiffness of arthritis. Hydrotherapy can be a great exercise for pets with arthritis to gently loosen up stiff joints without weight bearing pressure on painful limbs. Marty Pease leads the CRCG clinical rehabilitation staff. She is a licensed Physical Therapist with over 21 years of experience and was certified by the University of Tennessee in canine rehabilitation in 2003. Marty would love to have you visit the Canine Rehabilitation & Condition Group (CRCG) to take your dog for a swim in the Open Dog Pool. You can also talk to your family veterinarian for other arthritis treatments for dogs and cats.

The moral of the story...snuggle a little closer with your cold nosed dog or cat to keep warm this winter.

What Should Santa Bring "Lucky"?

Even if our pets don't know the true meaning of the holidays, they do enjoy the attention and special presents that owners give them. Pet owners and those looking to give gifts to pets or owners could consider actual physical gifts, gifts that benefit other animals, or a gift that might benefit the pet in the future.

Remember, when giving gifts to your pet to consider his or her personality. If your dog tends to shred his toys than a stuffed animal with a squeaky center is probably not a good idea. The last thing you want is to have a Christmas present become an ingested foreign body that leads to an emergency visit to the nearest veterinary hospital.

That said there are lots of great options on the market these days, and whether you plan a trip to your local pet super store or want to stay home and shop on-line we have some suggestions to get you started.

Consider the "Croc" shaped shoe bed at http://www.sasquatchpetbeds.com/ or the beds made from recycled material at http://www.mollymutt.com/, either option gives your friend a new and comfortable place to stay. It may take some time for "Lucky" to get accustomed to his new bed. Placing one of his familiar blankets in the bed may help his acceptance of his luxurious new accommodations.

Toys are important to help keep your pet occupied and out of trouble. A variety of laser pointers are available at most major pet retailers, including the new FroliCat BOLT Automatic Laser toy. Dogs love any number of toys and this year you can choose from tough durable Kong® toys and the new GoughNuts. PetSmart has their soft plush Luv-A-Pet toys and 10% of sales go to help homeless pets. Remember when choosing a toy for your pet to ensure that the toy is durable without any removable pieces that could be swallowed. The first introduction to a new toy should be at a time when you can spend time with your pet to make sure they "play responsibly".

Or maybe you just want your pet to have a new outfit for the holidays. At http://www.poochieheaven.com/, you can find everything from Santa hats to elf outfits and gingerbread tees!

Overall, beyond the fun toys or fancy clothes for your pets, we recommend that you consider some less common, but definitely helpful gifts.

Millions of pets wander off each year, unable to find their way back home. A microchip, along with proper registration can insure your pet's safe return in case he becomes lost. Ask your family veterinarian for more information.

Being prepared for any emergency may not be a flashy gift, but it could save your pet's life. Consider pet insurance or even a Pet Health Savings plans as one way to help protect your pet from serious illness or injury. A variety of insurance plans are available at http://www.purinacare.com/ or http://www.petsbest.com/ and you can even set up an interest bearing, insured savings account for your pet by visiting http://www.pawsitivesavings.com/.

There are lots of families who need some assistance with their pet's medical bills. Here at the VRCC Specialty & Emergency Hospital we raise funds for the Animal Care Foundation, a non-profit organization providing one-time, partial financial assistance for emergency or specialty veterinary care from VRCC to low income Colorado residents. You can donate here.

Remember your local pet shelters this holiday season. In the Denver area the Dumb Friends League or Maxfund could always use a donation to care for the animals for which they provide shelter and love. Can't add one more pet to your house? Consider being a Pet Pal for a Maxfund animal.

And, as Dr. Arnold Goldman from Connecticut writes, "the gift of time matters to them the most." Make it a point to spend a little more time with your pets each day.

Our pets give us so much and ask so little in return. Ask your family veterinarian about ideas to help keep your four legged friend healthy and happy.

Happy shopping!

Winter Adventures

Did you know?
Sitting in a nice hot sauna at the gym today I was conversing with a guy who was excitedly conveying his plans for a three day winter camping trip with his dog, a Rottweiler/Doberman mix. I must admit, I was jealous. I remember the days when I had the freedom to take off for a few days into the silence and solitude of the back country on snowshoes. I never got to take a dog along, but that certainly would have been the cherry on the ice cream sundae for the soul. However, I digress. What I really want to write about are the precautions to take when bringing your four-legged friend on a winter adventure.

You may not be quite the die hard fan of winter to want to do a snow camping trip, but even if you decide to take your dog on a winter walk in the snow there are some things to consider, especially if the temperatures are in the teens or below.

Let me tell you why.
Some dogs are more sensitive to the cold than others. Small breeds, short haired dogs, puppies and geriatric dogs, dogs that are normally "indoor" pets, and those with heart or other medical conditions are all more sensitive to colder temperatures. A dog's normal body temperature is between 99.5 and 102.5. When a dog fitting one of the above descriptions is exposed to colder temperatures he or she often has a difficult time keeping his/her core body temperature within the normal range. When the temperature dips below the normal range hypothermia sets in. Hypothermia means that your dog is loosing body heat faster than it can be replaced.

Signs of hypothermia:
- shivering
- lethargy
- stiff muscles
- pale or gray gums
- stumbling or lack of coordination
- fixed and dilated pupils
- low heart and breathing rates
- collapse
- or even coma

With mild hypothermia your dog is likely to be shivering and appear lethargic. As the hypothermia increases in severity the other symptoms become evident - effectively your dog becomes increasingly unresponsive as his body goes into heat conservation mode. At this time your dog's focus will be on keeping his vital organs working by restricting the blood flow to all but these parts of his body. If it's not treated, hypothermia can be fatal.

Prevention is Key
Dogs sensitive to cold should be kept inside with quick potty breaks outside. The small dogs and short haired breeds benefit from a doggy jacket that helps to keep their core warm. Booties may also be a good idea for three reasons. One, lots of heat escapes through a dogs foot pads. The booties can help decrease the heat loss. Two, dogs with long hair often get ice balls caught in the hair between the toes. The ice balls can be irritating and your dog may stop every few minutes to chew at the balls of snow. Three, if there is a layer of ice on top of the snow; the jagged edges can actually cut your dogs pads. That is rare here in Colorado, but might be more likely at higher elevations with repeated melting and freezing.

Treatment
Mild hypothermia can be reversed by getting back in a warm environment and wrapping your dog with a blanket until the shivering stops. Hypothermia that has dropped the dogs temperature to the 90-94 degree range will require rewarming methods. Water bottles filled with warm water placed around your dog deliver a warm heat source that is safe. Stay away from heating pads as it is easy to burn your dog's skin and cause a hot spot. It is recommended that you take your animal to your family veterinarian or veterinary emergency service for observation and/or treatment if you need to treat for hypothermia. Severe hypothermia requires immediate veterinary intervention. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to reverse the damage at this level of hypothermia, but we can hope for the best.

Fortunately the gentleman at the gym was aware of the potential dangers for his dog from winter camping and was prepared. He had two dog jackets, was prepared to have his dog sleep with him, and knew the signs and treatment for hypothermia. He volunteered that he would willingly cut his trip short if his dog didn't seem to be able to handle the cold weather. I hope for both their sakes that their trip is peaceful and refreshing and is just the beginning of a many more adventures together.

Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a great holiday.
We are coming to the end of a year that has been difficult. Economic fears have become reality for many people and businesses, and lots of folks are feeling the pinch. But at the end of the day, in the midst of the worries and stresses of daily life, it's great to walk through the door to a friendly greeting. The tail wags, entangled feet, wet kisses, and cold noses remind us that we can be thankful for the unconditional love of pets.

So this Thanksgiving, whether you are gathering with lots of family and friends or warming up a Hungry Man dinner, be sure to give your dog or cat a little bit of turkey and lots of love. Then start thinking of all the things you can be thankful for. You'll be surprised that even the simplest things, when added together, make up quite a list. We could all use a little bit of giving thanks this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

H1N1 and Pets

Did you know?
It's true, the headlines declaring a cat was diagnosed with H1N1 have been confirmed. But what does that mean for you and your feline friend?

Until recently, experts believed that, with the exception of birds and pet pigs, our pets were not susceptible to the H1N1 virus. In fact, we don't generally worry about our pets with any of the common seasonal flu strains. Now, several cases of H1N1 in ferrets, one cat that tested positive for the virus, and another reported case in a cat, have shown that human transmission of the bug to our pets is possible. So, even though pets bring us lots of comfort, it is best to avoid sleeping or snuggling with your pets if you are ill with flu like symptoms.

The good news is that like most people, it appears that this flu causes a mild illness in pets. Both cats survived and have recovered from the virus. Treatment for pets that contract H1N1 are supportive care and antibiotics if a secondary bacterial infection is present.

Your family veterinarian, the Veterinarians here at VRCC, the AVMA, and the CDC are all continuing to monitor H1N1 in order to make sure pets and people say protected. If pets were especailly susceptible, we would expect infection rates that mirrored the human population.

If your pet is showing any signs of illness, such as lethargy, fever, and runny nose, call your family veterinarian to schedule an exam. Or, if it is after hours, the Veterinarians and technicians at CVES are happy to see you and your pet to relieve your concerns and provide any care that is necessary for your animal.

As Leonardo da Vinci so elegantly stated, "the smallest feline is a masterpiece".

For additional information on the H1N1 virus and pets visit the AVMA website.