Tips To Avoid A Trip To The Vet.

Daily there is a call, an online request, a pet parent at the door who has found themselves in a perilous pet predicament that they were not prepared for. It is unrelenting and exhausting. Worst of all it is in so many cases; they are avoidable.

Magpie

In an effort to ebb the tide I have assembled a short list of common avoidable pet health care issues.

As a small incentive I added associated costs for avoiding them and what you might expect to pay if you end up at the emergency clinic.

Brush teeth daily. Cost to client, FREE, cost to resolve when they are at stage 4 can range from $800 at my clinic to $2,000 (plus) at a specialists office. Not to mention the damage a diseased mouth does to the heart, kidneys, and overall health. 

Wren

Eat a good nutritious wholesome food. If your pet is predisposed to obesity, disease, and any other ailment by their breed or genetics then diet is a key element to avoiding the worsening or exacerbating an underlying predisposition or disease process. You are what you eat, and, you get what you pay for. These are inescapable. The expensive prescription diets are, well, of course, expensive, but so is intensive care for a diabetic coma, heart failure, kidney disease, and a multitude of other conditions. It is my firm belief that we make up for poor diversification in breeding by diet and exercise. We will willingly pay $2,000 for a giant round lab puppy, then balk at the joint prescription diet they need daily to preserve their ambulatory function after they blow both knees.

Wren

Get lots of sleep. Dogs and cats have this concept mastered. We have some important lessons to learn from them. Try to go to bed tired, clear headed and exchanging whispers of adoration. Stress does awful insidious unraveling of our core functions. Not to mention obsessive compulsive disorders, incessant chewing, and needful whining, pacing, or nocturnal activity. Free!

Wren

Lots of interesting nose grabbing exercise. What do I mean by this? Let your dog be a dog. Sniff, tug, play, hide, walks that are adventurous AND at their own pace and destination. Let them explore the world. The best exercise is the one that is fun. Stop walking the path everyone before you has forged. Go off leash! Get dirty! Embrace the flavors of the season. Heck, go ahead and roll in it! Free!

Charlie and Jekyl

Ideal body weight and muscle mass. Avoid lots of the diseases and disease processes that obesity predisposes your pet to. Indoor cats need exercise and I warn about poor quality free feeding of dry kibble. Few of us maintain healthy eating habits at the "all you can eat" buffet bar. Try feeding a high quality canned food for breakfast and dinner. For an average indoor cat this is about 3/4 of a 5 oz can twice a day with 1/4 cup of high quality dry kibble as a "scavenger hunt" snack. For dogs I recommend they be fed twice daily a vet recommended food. Again, make it fun, earned, palatable and intentioned. Make it part of your daily morning and evening regimen. Clean the bowl and monitor poor intake as a means of health status. Diabetes, thyroid issues, cancer, joint problems,, gosh the list is long and expensive. Crazy expensive and often debilitating to life threatening, if not, severely life impacting.

Wren

Basic parasite prevention. For my part of the world this includes fleas, ticks, heartworm, and intestinal parasite preventatives. For less than $20 a month you can protect and prevent a flurry of health insults that not only threaten your pets health and safety but also your own. Heartworm treatment costs up to $2500, intestinal parasites can lead to life threatening gi conditions, and more kittens die of fleas than almost anything else. Tragic and completely preventable.

Charleston

Spay and neuter your dog by 1 year old (7 months for cats). For the few poorly bred, hyperinbred, cancer prominent breeds they may benefit from sterilization at 18 months. Most pets were acquired to be companions. Spay and neuter. Avoid unwanted pet over population and behavior issues. Cost of pyometra surgery at an emergency clinic can be > $2500. Pyometra blog.

Chloe and Cooper. Two divine miracles!

Obedience and socialization. What would happen to you if you were not able to care for your pet AND your pet refuses to allow anyone else near it? Obedience is NOT about submission to humans. Rather it is enjoyment with sharing life with them. Be kind, compassionate and teach those around you to enjoy and love life. Not fear it. Too many pets are euthanized due to behavior issues that stem from not being adequately socialized.

Wren

Microchips save lives every single day. If you want the most affordable way to get one see a vaccine clinic, shelter, or rescue. They are obtainable for about $25 in many places. The statistics on finding your pet (cats predominantly) after they are lost is abysmal.

Start a savings plan for the unforeseeable accidents ahead. Wellness plans are not in the consumers best interests. Avoid them. Purchase pet insurance instead. Or, best yet. Put away $40 a month in a pet emergency fund. You will thank yourself later. Average emergency visits for trauma alone are in the thousands of dollars. Accidents happen, be prepared. Many are treatable with the help of an emergency plan and resources in place.

Poppy

Have a great vet who knows how much you love your pet and be there for each other. Here are my tips on how to get something for nothing from your vet. At our clinic there is an answer for every situation and dilemma. Find a vet who will help you in both the good times and bad. 

Stop smoking. It is killing everyone in your home. Your feline family first. Smoking shortens everyone's life. Please quit for your kids, two and four legged. 

Basic hygiene and grooming. This includes petting, brushing/combing/brushing teeth every single day. The most beautiful and luxuriously coated cats are those who are loved, caressed, and kept matt free, flea and tick free and groomed by their family. Your fingers can feel the grit of flea dirt, the hair bunched in the armpits, behind the ears, around the face, and base of tail, etc.. The simple act of petting your pet is the single best indicator of their overall health. Train your hands to be the best instrument a vet has. And, at the same time you are reinforcing the love and trust every pet longs for. A sore spot, a wet spot, a decrease in muscle mass are all vital clues in identifying a problem at its infancy.

Magpie

Do you have any tips you think I forgot to mention? Please add them as a comment.  I look forward to hearing them.

If you have a pet question or concern please find me on Pawbly.com. I am also on Twitter @FreePetAdvice, YouTube, Facebook at Jarrettsville Vet, and in the clinic seeing appointments.

Please always be kind.

Cats 101. The Litter Box

Frankie, female, spayed Snowshoe cat.
She is awaiting a home after her parents, and very dear clients of ours, died.
She and her brother are both in dire need of a new home.
Please help us find them a new family.
They would have gone to the Humane Society and might have been put down as surrendered cats.

There are a few BIG advantages to cats over dogs.

My mom and her kitty Ramsey.
At 15 years old he had been chronically vomiting.
An ultrasound revealed an intestinal mass. It was removed and he has made a full recovery.

There’s the whole compact design, portability, and ease of care. Cats require a smaller space and have simple needs and demands. They also learn quickly

The list of items to provide your cat is short.;

Litter box

Remember there are some guidelines for litter boxes.

1.      Two for the first cat and one additional for each additional cat.
2.      Also remember that cats prefer unscented, non-clumping sand-like litter.
3.      In a large low sided open litter box.
4.      Away from any electric outlets, noisy areas, high traffic spots, or dark scary areas.
5.      It should also be kept on the floor in an area that your cat isn't afraid to go to.
6.      If your cat seems to be missing or avoiding the box, rethink everything associated with it. Size, shape, litter, and placement. Cats are discerning, complex individuals. They are far more sensitive to smell, touch, and their environment. Think like your cat, and provide them what they prefer, not what you prefer.
7.      It is important to keep the litter box clean. Scoop out waste daily and dump all of the litter weekly. Every week the litter box should be cleaned and dried. Be careful to not use any harsh chemicals that might cause your cat to not want to visit the box again.

Jitterbug, scoping and claiming his spot on the bed.
The puppies stand quietly and let him do whatever he wants.

I know many of my clients don’t want to share their living space with their cats litter box, but putting the litter box in the basement, in the laundry room, or garage is fine as long as it is in a place your cat can get to easily, safely, and quickly.

This is my art studio.
There are four cats in my house and Magpie has decided she prefers to not be with them all of the time. So, Magpie has claimed it as her space.
Can you see her litter box?

Litter box issues are one of the biggest complaints I hear from clients. For the simple demands that our cats place on us, the continual use of the litter box is the single greatest demand we ask of them. If your cat starts to have issues with inconsistent use of the litter box see your vet immediately to rule out a medical problem first. Then take a good long well thought out look at your cats litter box and ask yourself if there is anything about it that you would change if you were a cat? Remember the longer there is a problem the harder it can be to fix or resolve it.

Magpie's room has a bed, windows, and her own litter box.

She may not be affectionate with two of the other cats,
but she loves her own time on the couch with me.

For more information on litter boxes, and litter box issues, please see;

The 20 Minute Cure To Peeing Outside Of The Litter Box

Inappropriate Elimination in Cats

Feline Marking

If you have a cat, or any kind of pet question you can ask it for free on Pawbly.com. It is free for everyone to use, so come on and join in the conversation! We are dedicated to helping pets everywhere!

Or you can find me on Twitter, @FreePetAdvice.

Cat Tips

Doesn't everyones bed look like this?
Three cats and a tentative-to-even-move dog on the floor?

I was enjoying the June 2012 edition of Veterinary Economics and thought I would highlight some of the items that struck my interest.

There has been a great deal of focus on trying to figure out innovative ways to try to convince owners that their indoor cats should be brought to us veterinarians on a yearly basis. The data shows that fewer and fewer cats are being brought into veterinary clinics each year. It is likely a combination of a tightening economy and an overall impression that “indoor” implies “a safer environment and not needing to be vaccinated.” Every pet health care person understands and admits that the most important part of any pets examination is the discussion that the vet has with the owner and the physical examination. Yes, in many states a rabies vaccine is required by law, but your cat is probably at a low risk for acquiring rabies, but it is still possible, and why wouldn’t we vaccinate your pet to protect both them and you? Also, the yearly examination is the time we can discuss things like diet, physical and emotional health, and help you both understand the aging process and how to best protect a body as it ages.

I am a cat parent. I have also had to address the stress involved in capturing, containing, traveling and waiting with my completely stressed out, crying in agony and breaking my heart kitty. I understand, acknowledge, and empathize. So how do I help make my cat clients feel better about a difficult decision to pry their cat out of its nap and come to visit the dreaded vet?

Magpie the magestic.
She always looks this intense.

Well the June article has some great tips. Here they are;

1.       “Even if you don’t have separate waiting areas for dogs and cats in your veterinary practice, make it easy for clients to separate themselves so a cat doesn’t suffer the stress of a dog nosing up to its carrier.” Great idea! No home bound kitty, (especially ones that don’t live with dogs and therefore must think that must be horrible flesh eating barking monsters quickly advancing toward their inescapable metal prison) wants to be sniffed by a dog in a foreign smelling, loud, scary hospital. All cats in carriers in a veterinary clinic are petrified. to try to minimize this we try to reduce the  dog exposure time by moving our cat clients into a room ASAP. I also recommend a blanket or towel over your cat’s cage to minimize the nosey dog exposure. Cats tend to feel safer in a small dark place, and it’s quieter. (See No Evil, Hear No Evil).

2.       “Move cats and their owners to an exam room quickly to reduce stress. If you can keep one exam room ‘dog free’ so cats don’t smell dogs in the environment, and treat that room with cat pheromones.” Oops, already said that! I try very hard to stay on time when I am in appointments. An efficient cat exam makes everyone happier. We have three dog exam rooms and 1 cat exam rooms. This allows us to keep the doggy smells out, and the cats on time. it also has minimal hiding spots for the occasional cat on the ceiling fiasco.

3.       “Make sure your practice environment is secure so if a cat gets loose it can’t escape through doors or windows.” I have some kitties that are so wound up and afraid that when the carrier opens they run for any corner or exit. We have had to pull cats off of drapes, and pry off of shelving. If I walk into a room and the cat is already screaming profanities I usually ask the owners to step out do I have one less potential victim to worry about. I have some cats who are so stressed out that we cannot even begin to examine them. I send them home with the number of our mobile vet. We have had to tear out dry wall to extract a cat that found a tiny hole behind our bookcase and wormed his way into our walls. My husband was not happy to tear down a wall and we have subsequently learned and sealed every other tiny hole or escape access to prevent any more inter office demolition.

4.       “Make it clear to cat owners that you care about cats by making sure that dog pictures don’t outnumber cat pictures in your reception area. You can also post photos of clients’ or staff members’ cats, provide books and magazines about cats, offer a range of cat products, post displays of cat breeds, and hang a bulletin board that displays feline information.” Here’s what we do; we have pets with Santa pictures in the cat room, I have my kitties framed photos up, and we have the cat room painted with cats. We also sell cat nail trimmers and an extensive full line of veterinary feline products. Or you can read my blog and get a really good idea of how important my cats are to me personally. And then there are the 8 cats roaming our clinic looking for that special someone to walk in the door and take them home to love as the incredibly majestic creatures that cats are.

5.       “If you have space in your facility, offer seminars or handouts on topics specific to cats such as life stage needs (from kittens to geriatric cats), dietary recommendations, tips on administering medications, and information about cat friendly boarding facilities. And consider offering kitten kindergarten classes.” Could anything be better that kitten kindergarten classes? Can we finger paint? Sign me up!

Wren, always kissing Oriole.
And Oriole always basking in the attention.

Here are some of the items that I would add: use a towel whenever possible. Cats hate slippery cold metal surfaces. And owners like to think of us providing a safe comfortable environment for their pet.

I have also heard some experts suggest “cat only appointment times,” to reduce the noise and anxiety in the clinic when dogs are sharing the same reception, waiting, and examination areas as the cats are. I think that’s a novel idea.

Oriole, trying to elicit even more attention from my husband.
She is pretty hard to resist!

I also think that offering “borrow-able, or affordable (there are cardboard carriers available for a few dollars) to any client coming into the clinic without a carrier or harness. I cannot even quantify how many cats have been lost forever because owners carry their cat into the clinic in their arms, and then lose their grip because something spooks their cat. Restraining and adequately holding a cat for transport is a dangerous proposition. Even the pros don’t take chances. I hold the scruff lightly, support the cat from underneath, shield their face and rush from point A to point B if I have to carry your cat to the treatment area for blood work or care. BUT I would NEVER EVER dream of carrying anyone’s cat outside without a sturdy safe carrier. Please, please, please, err on the side of caution, and don’t make the mistake so many of my clients have made, and use a carrier! Your cat’s life does depend on it.

I also make my cat owners feel loved by providing microchips to ALL of our patients free of charge. Cats are far more likely to be lost than dogs, so we protect them and offer the best assurance of them finding their way home to you by offering micro-chips for free to all patients.

May everyday of your kitties life be as happy as Wren and Orioles!