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With all of the nasty weather that we've had recently my dogs have been spending more time in the house.  Having a German Shepherd, a Saint Bernard, and a Border Collie all roaming around the house though can be a recipe for disaster, especially for animals who are used to being able to run and play outside. 

I recently came across a great article about how to keep your calm and sane during the long winter months spent indoors.  I thought that this might be good information to pass on.  The main points are included below, or you can find the original article at zootoo.com.

1. Keep your pets' toys out and available so that they can get moving, even if it's just for 15 or 20 minutes.

2. Carve out extra time in your schedule for interactive play to keep both cats and dogs active.

3. Do your pets follow you around the house constantly? Take advantage of their behavior and let them chase you up and down the halls, or up and down stairs.

4. Your own indoor exercise regimen will help your pets. If you exercise along with DVDs or a game console such as the Wii, your pets will get excited and will be wiggling around with you.

5. Older dogs may be more inclined to become inactive in cold weather, so spend more effort to get them up and around.  The key is finding what works for your pet and getting them active.

Cats can be very independent creatures, and sometimes it can be difficult to monitor their health.  Maybe they'll hide or simply won't let you see that they're not at 100%.  We have a new handout that gives a nice quick summary of what things to keep an eye on.  You can find the handout at the following link, or read the text belowL

http://veterinarybusiness.dvm360.com/vetec/data/articlestandard//vetec/292011/731173/article.pdf

1. Inappropriate elimination

A cat that urinates inappropriately could have any number of conditions associated with the behavior, including lower urinary tract disease, kidney disease, urinary tract infection, and diabetes mellitus. It can also be a sign of arthritis, which makes it difficult for cats to get into the litter box.

2. Changes in interaction

Cats are social animals, so changes in interactions with humans or pets can signal disease, fear, anxiety, or pain. 

3. Changes in activity

A decrease in activity is often a sign of arthritis or systemic illness, while an increase in activity can be caused by hyperthyroidism.

4. Changes in sleeping habits

If your cat is sleeping more than normal (keep in mind that average adult cats may sleep 16 to 18 hours a day—though much of that is “catnapping”), it could be a sign of an underlying disease.

5. Changes in food and water consumption

Most cats are not finicky eaters. Decreased food intake can be a sign of several disorders, ranging from poor dental health to cancer. Increased food consumption can be caused by diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, or other health problems.

6. Unexplained weight loss or gain

Sudden weight loss can be a sign of hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, or a host of other diseases. Obesity, on the other hand, can cause an increased risk of diabetes mellitus, joint disease, and other problems.

7. Changes in grooming

Patches of hair loss or a greasy or matted appearance can signal an underlying disease. Cats who have difficultyg grooming often suffer from fear, anxiety, obesity, or other illnesses. An increase in grooming may signal a skin problem.

8. Signs of stress

Stressed cats may exhibit signs of depression, hide more, or spend more time awake and scanning their environment.  These signs may indicate a medical condition, so it’s important to rule out physical ailments before addressing the stress behaviorally.

9. Changes in vocalization

An increase in vocalization or howling is often seen with an underlying condition like hyperthyroidism or high blood pressure. Many cats also vocalize more if they’re in pain or anxious.

10. Bad breath

Bad breath is an early indicator of an oral problem—studies have shown that 70 percent of cats have gum disease as early as age 3.

We hope this information is helpful to you.  In the comments, let us know if there are unique ways that your cate lets you know how he or she is feeling.  For more useful info, click on Cat Care in the main menu at the top.

Last week we emailed the November newsletter (sidenote: if you didn't receive it and you'd like to, shoot us an email and we'll add you to the list). In the newsletter I said that I was going to start adding content more regularly, so I was browsing through some pet websites for inspiration and I came across this interesting article.  Apparently daylight savings time can have an impact on our pets:

"Animals that live with humans develop routines related to human activity — for example, cows become accustomed to being milked at particular times of day, or pet dogs become accustomed to going for walks or being fed at a particular time of day," Holdhus-Small said. "When humans apply daylight saving time to their own lives, if they carry out their routine according to the clock, the animals can become confused."

If you think your pets are sensitive to the time change, try keeping them on their previous routine and then moving their feedings or walkings to the new time in 10 or 15 minute increments. If this isn't possible, don't worry; they'll adapt quickly to their new schedule.

I know my dogs are so gluttonous that it wouldn't matter if you fed them at 3:00 in the afternoon or 3:00 in the morning. You can feed them and then 20 minutes later rattle their food bowls and they'll come running and line up. You'd think they were starved...

*Bella and Angus playing on the farm (These are actually Dr. Genova's dogs....he's my stepdad).

Happy Thanksgiving

We hope you and your pets have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day. We want to express our thanks for all of your ongoing support and referrals.

New Referral Program

 A referral is the highest compliment we can receive from you.  We appreciate the way you allow us to care for your pet and respect you for being a responsible pet owner.  If you know other responsible pet owners like yourself looking for the best veterinary care, please refer them to us.  We are always excited to meet new people and pets! This enables us to spread our knowledge and care to others.  To thank you for these referrals, we will be holding a drawing every couple of months for various prizes!  To be entered into the drawing, please have your friend bring in a referral card (these can be picked up at our office) with your name on it when they come in for their first visit. All cards will be placed in the prize box and a winner will be randomly selected from the box.

Parasite Protection

 All too often, we see and treat pets with intestinal parasites that could have been prevented.  It is so easy to keep your pet protected from these harmful parasites.  If your pet is not currently on a monthly parasite preventative and having their stool checked at least once yearly for parasites, THEY ARE AT RISK!  Please call for more information on how to protect your pet and your family from these invasive parasites.

Dental Health Month

 Keeping your pet’s mouth disease-free is critical in determining how many years you will have together.  We now know that pets with healthy teeth and gums will live 3-5 years longer than those without a healthy mouth.  To put that in perspective consider the following:

You visit your doctor and he or she mentions that a great discovery has been made that may add 20 to 30 years to your life.  All you have to do is brush your teeth weekly and get your teeth cleaned on a regular basis.  Would you consider doing it?  Your pet is dependent on you to give them at least one minute of brushing per week, as well as following through with regular dental cleanings.  If you follow these recommendations, your pet will have several extra years to greet you with a smile and a warm heart.

More Dental Facts

 *Domestic dogs and cats are dependent on us humans to care for their teeth as opposed to those in the wild.  Wild dogs and cats are classified as prehensile eaters.  These animals grab their food, bite down once or twice to tear it loose, rip back and swallow.  Carnivores will chew the meat left on the bones and in the process rub their teeth and gums, which helps to keep them clean. These wild dogs and cats do not eat the leftover bones; therefore, we should not encourage our pets to eat them. 

*Waste products made from the bacteria that live in the mouth can cause damage to your pet’s organs.  These microbes also cause odor to linger on your pet’s breath.  The bacteria cause the gums to become inflamed and bleed. This allows the bacteria to enter the blood stream and attack the kidneys, liver and heart. The damage caused to these organs can result in a shorter life span. Spending one minute per week brushing your pet’s teeth will help reduce the number of bacteria present in their mouth.  It is very easy to brush your pet’s teeth. The outside surface is all that needs to be scrubbed to prevent tartar buildup.  You can use a standard pet toothbrush or a finger brush to achieve desired effects.  Do not forget to brush along the gum line; this is where we see the most tartar accumulation.

*Pay attention to your pet’s gums while brushing their teeth.  Your pet’s teeth and gums should be as clean and healthy as your own.  If the gums are red, inflamed, bleeding, or if bad breath is present, it is time to make an appointment for professional dental care.  To avoid these ailments, regular dental cleanings are advised.  For pets with a low grade of tartar, we offer extra discounts on their cleaning!  This makes it more affordable to give your pet the preventative dental care they need. 

Advances in sedation and anesthesia allow the dental cleaning procedure to be done (in most cases) on an outpatient basis.

During the month of November, we will provide up to $141.88 off the cost of any dental procedure we perform.  

Ask one of our veterinarians if your pet qualifies for our dental club. If so, we will contribute an additional $100 toward the cost of their dental cleaning.

We do this as a part of our contribution to maintaining your pet’s health through prevention.  Call 503-570-9735 to set up an appointment.

Things to Remember

*Vaccine clinic will be held Saturday, November 12^th from 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.!

*Do NOT give your pets bones or Thanksgiving leftovers.

*If your pet is stiff and sore we have natural products and laser therapy packages to relieve discomfort and put a spring back in their step.

*Check your pet for lumps and bumps weekly. Cancer develops very rapidly in pets.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ken Genova and the staff at Village at Main Veterinary Hospital

Thanks for visiting our brand new website!  We are excited to now have a site that is not only great to look at and easy to use, but offers a lot of great tools to help you care for your pet.  Some of the things that you can do include:

• Manage your pet's health through your personal account.  Once we have your email on file you will automatically receive an email with login information.  You can use it to track your pet's medical history and monitor upcoming health needs.  Give us a call today and we'll make sure that we have your email so you can start taking advantage of this powerful tool!
  

• Schedule appointments online.  Just click on "Welcome Guest, appointment," on the home page to submit an appointment request.  You tell us what day you want to come in, what part of the day works for you, and any special instructions.  Once we receive your request we'll schedule you in and send you a confirmation.  It's as easy as that!
  

• Make boarding reservations.  Same as above.
  

• Find educational articles and videos.  Check back soon to access the Animal Care Technologies Websoure, an online resource that gives you access to hundreds of articles and videos to help you take even better care of your pet. 
  

• Track the latest news from our hospital.  Visit our site regularly to follow our blog, learn about monthly promotions, and find out the latest in veterinary technology.
  

We hope that this site will be very useful for you.  Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.  Feel free to give us suggestions on ways for it to be of better use to you.