Click here for more information on the recent FDA warning regarding recently recalled dog food.

Check out this great MSN video – After 8 years, lost dog reunited with family.

Contact us to discuss HomeAgain microchipping and to set up your appointment today!

During the holiday season, we are here to offer a list of the most common holiday pet hazards. They include, but are not limited to, feeding problems, foreign body ingestion and poisoning that occurs by accident.

Food Related Items:
Common gifts such as chocolate, tea, and gum can cause serious toxicities (liver damage, seizures, even death) in cats and dogs. Rich, fatty foods, like gravy and grease can cause stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration or even pancreatitis. Some of these conditions could require hospitalization. To be safe, keep food related presents in a safe storage area, put food away immediately, and pet-proof your garbage.

Poisonous Plants:
We enjoy making our homes look festive with plants, unfortunately many plants can be poisonous or irritating to pets. Some of these plants include Holly berries and leaves, Mistletoe, Poinsettas, and most Lillies. When decorating, place these plants well out of reach of your pets or limit their use.

Decorations and Wrapping:
Ribbons, yarn, and string can cause intestinal obstructions and bunching of the intestines along the length of the string. This can require surgery and can be fatal.

Christmas Tree:
Tree needles both real and fake can cause mouth irritation and may be toxic. Electrical cords from lights can cause shock, burns or even death. Unplug decorative lights when not home, use pet proof extension cords, and spray cords with bitter apple or chew stop. Glass ornaments can cause serious lacerations to the mouth, and hooks can become lodged in the mouth or further into the body if swallowed. Be sure to place these things well out of reach of all pets.

Holiday Traffic:
The flow of holiday guests provides an open door for escape. Be sure your pet is microchipped and has current ID tags.  Give us a call to discuss HomeAgain microchipping!

Winter Hazards:
Cold weather and wind chill can threaten your pets life. Be aware of the conditions when taking your pet outside. Short-haired dogs may need a sweater to keep them warm. Salt on sidewalks can be irritating to pet paws, so it’s a good idea to wipe them with a wet wash cloth after being outside. Furthermore, warm vehicle engines can attract cats. Bang on your vehicle’s hood to scare away cats before you start your engine. Antifreeze tastes sweet to animals, but it is a deadly poison. Make sure your pet can’t access antifreeze around or under your car or in the garage.

Wishing you and your furry friends a safe & happy holiday season!

Click here for more information on the recent FDA warning regarding canine chicken jerky treats.

Doctor Elizabeth Bradt tells us that more than eighty-five percent of pets over the age of three suffer from some sort of dental disease. Because of this, it is important for owners to religiously follow annual dental exams and cleanings for their pets. Despite this, it is still an unfortunate fact that most pet owners forget this.

Aside from forgetting annual dental exams for their pets, some remain cautious of anesthetics used for dental procedures. For this reason, the Anesthesia-Free Pet Denstristry (AFPD) protocols were developed. The brochures for these protocols feature dog who sit on the lap of a person who is gently scraping their teeth clean.

However, while a number of dogs can find this acceptable and will tolerate it patiently, many more dogs will have to be physically restrained, which leads to stress and fear. When a pet is given a dental cleaning, scalers and sharp instruments are used. This is why a general anesthetic is recommended and said to be needed. Sedation or a general anesthetic will allow a more in-depth procedure and will also help the veterinarian examine your pet more thoroughly and safely.

A serious factor that needs to be considered is that with AFPD examinations, only the visible portions of the dog’s teeth can be cleaned. Areas found under the gum line or on the insides of the pet’s teeth will be left with much tartar. Harmful bacteria may be a result, and the bone structure of the jaw can somehow deteriorate and cause your pet to lose his teeth. With safe anesthetic, a veterinarian can examine all areas of the mouth and make use of tools that would be to dangerous if a pet is uneasy.

Basically, without the use of general anesthetic, one cannot fully examine a pet’s mouth, which will eventually damage his teeth and cause more plaque accumulation. In essence, this can lead to more problems in the future.  Dental cleaning without the use of anesthesia may sound like a good idea, but one should know that there are serious risks that should be considered.

As a note, in order to help reduce dental problems, certain diets may also be followed. Some dental chew products (e.g. Greenies, dental bones) can aide in the reduction of the amount of plaque. When choosing chew products, remember to search for the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal.

One downfall to joyous dog parks is that your pet may bring home diseases from them.

Cynthia Smoot says in her article that the moment their dog, Sparkles, started to cough after a trip to a dog park, she immediately researched about the causes. Her veterinarian was not surprised when she heard the dog coughing, stating that it was an upper respiratory infection that can be either bacterial or viral.

When a dog goes to the park, there’s a huge chance that he may pick up many bugs that carry diseases, or he may catch a contagious disease from another dog. Some of these diseases are worse than others, some are even life-threatening.

The best way to ensure that the chances of your dog catching a disease is slim is to keep your pet up to date on their shots. Doctor Tolksdorf encourages dog owners to protect their pets by making sure that their vaccines are done when they need to be done. This is especially true if your dog is going to socialize with other dogs. Doctor Tolksdorf lists the following vaccines as highly recommended: rabies, distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, bordatella vaccine for the upper respiratory infections they get. Read the full article.

When you can see what Kandu, a jack russell terrier, is capable of, you will never forget him. Why? Because despite only having two legs, Kandu has so much spirit. Most of the credit goes to his adoptive family, who not only saved his life but also gave him a life. Kandu was supposed to be euthanized because his previous owner did not believe he could live a life of good quality. However, after being featured on CBS4 and receiving more than a hundred adoption applications, he finally found a new home with Ken and Melissa Rogers.

Born without his two front legs, Kandu is obviously different from other dogs. However, according to this video, and also from seeing him in action, Kandu has no idea he’s different from other dogs. He has a device that allows him to run as if he’s the same as any other dog. During the winter, this device features a sled-like contraption instead of wheels, and Kandu enjoys sledding down hill with much joy. Inside the house, he needs to wear a sweater so as not to hurt his chest (without the device, he simply drags his upper body around). Watching Kandu run around with so much spirit can bring so much inspiration to anyone who watches him.

Nicole Dupont clinches why so many people absolutely adore puppies: they’re cute and cuddy, even when they’re tearing apart our things and leaving puddles around the house! It’s no wonder puppies are so popular. However, how does one make sure that they’re making the right choice when purchasing a puppy?

Anyone looking to find a new purebred puppy needs to be informed about everything. Just recently, Grande has launched PupQuest.org. PupQuest is loaded with information about nationwide breeders and health screenings. The website also provides access to various links, hosts a community blog, and most importantly, tells potential dog buyers about the red flags they need to look out for.

Grande tells us about the number one thing that should make us suspicious of the breeder:

I think that the No. 1 recommendation I have is to never buy a puppy sight unseen. Reputable breeders would never send a puppy to a stranger. They want to know as much about you as you do about them.

Sending a puppy to an unknown buyer is just out of the question for most reputable breeders. Of course, reputable breeders care enough for their puppies to want to make sure that they’re being sent to a good home. That means that if a breeder agrees to send a puppy to you without first knowing more about you, it may mean that this breeder does not care enough, or worse, is arranging a scam.

Aside from that, a good breeder will know all about the breed he or she is raising. They will know about the breed’s dispositions and certain genetic problems, and goes through the effort of testing for these problems. A potential buyer will be able to recognize this trait by simply asking the breeder questions. Researching both the breed and the breeder are the top things a potential puppy buyer should do. Unfortunately, not everyone does this, and thus many puppy buyers are misinformed.

To better inform potential buyers, here is the full list (compiled from PupQuest) of what you should look for to suggest that you are speaking to a reputable breeder:

1. Requires you to meet the puppy in person.
2. Insists on meeting you and your family in person and wants to know about you, a lot about you!
3. Socializes the puppies to people, places, and things.
4. Has a veterinarian individually examine and vaccinate each puppy and has verifiable proof of this.
5. Knows about the breed’s predispositions to certain genetic problems and has had their dogs tested for them.
6. Raises puppies in the home, not a kennel.
7. Happily and proudly introduces you to the parents of the puppies.
8. Has healthy, long-lived adult dogs and contact info for previous buyers.
9. Is able to knowledgeably answer all of your questions.
10. Will take their pups back at any point in their lives.
11. Is involved with local and national breed clubs and abides by their Code of Ethics
12. Raises only one or two breeds.

Photo via LymeDiseaseGuide.org

In June, it was announced that there’s a new test available for Lyme Disease in dogs and horses. According to the lab, this test will replace ELISA and Wester blot testing. Blood samples are being submitted for this new antibody test.

Lyme Disease is carried by ticks. A tick carrying this disease may latch upon your dog or horse and give him a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. Some of the general symptoms of this disease are: lameness, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, and severe pain. Some animals may develop kidney failure. It is possible that some animals develop a chronic form of Lyme disease. If stressed, they may suffer a relapse. Many dogs or horses can be treated with doxycycline.

The Animal Health Diagnostic Lab (Ithaca, NY) describes the new test as:

The Lyme multiplex assay combines the advantages of the previous ELISA and Western blot testing. It is a fully quantitative assay that simultaneously detects antibodies to different specific antigens of B. burgdorferi as indicators of acute or chronic infection. The assay also distinguishes between antibodies induced by infection with the spirochetes or vaccination against Lyme disease.

According to a Debra Eldrege, a Belgian Breeds Examiner, so far it has been difficult to tell apart dogs with the antibodies (from vaccination) for Lyme Disease from those who are actually infected with the disease. This new test will make this distinction for us, and even tell us what stage the disease is. This is good news for veterinarians and animal owners alike.

You and your pet are cordially invited to

Deepwood Vet Clinic’s 7th Annual Fall Festival

October 23rd
12-5 pm

You and your pet will enjoy:

• Hay Rides / Pony Rides
• Petting Zoo
• Gift Basket Raffles
• Yard Sale / Bake Sale
• Clinic Tours
• Jewelry
• Pet Photography
• Adoptions!
• Teddy Bear Surgery
• Dog & Kids Games
• Agility Demos and
• NEW this year: Microchipping at huge discounts!

See you there! Please print out our flyer to post at work, around town, or tell your neighbors!