May 19-25 is Dog Bite Prevention Week.

There are several precautions you can take to help prevent a dog bite. Not all dogs are friendly, but not all dogs are mean. Dogs may bite because they are protective, frightened or feel threatened. You should always approach every dog with caution.

Tips for Preventing Dog Bites:

- ALWAYS ask before petting someone’s dog. Parents: Always have children ask before petting a dog.

- When approaching a dog, go slow. Quick movements may startle the dog and trigger a reaction.

- When petting a dog, allow them to sniff you first. If they are familiar with your smell, they will be more receptive to you petting them.

- Don’t reach your hand over a dog’s head. This can be seen as a sign of aggression towards the dog and they may react negatively.

- Never try to take food, treats or toys from a dog. They may be protective of their possessions.

- Read a dog’s warning signs: cowering, ears back, snarling, tail tucked

- Never startle a dog. Don’t try to scare them or wake them suddenly.

A dog’s teeth are their defense. If they feel they need to defend themselves, they will bite. Use these tips and be cautious when approaching a dog.

April is Heartworm Awareness Month. Is your pet on heartworm prevention? If not, please read about heartworm disease and how it affects your pet.

Myths:

“My pet is indoors and doesn’t need to be on prevention.” We often hear that a pet doesn’t need to be on heartworm prevention because he or she stays indoors. This is not the case. Mosquitos can easily get into your home and when they do, your pet is the first thing they seek out! Even if your pet doesn’t go outside to potty, mosquitos can still come inside.

“My pet only needs prevention during warm months.” Mosquitos are found all year long, especially in the south. It’s strongly recommended that your pet stay on prevention 12 months out of the year.

“My pet is not around any other animal so he or she doesn’t need prevention.” Heartworms are not transmitted from pet to pet. They can only be transmitted from a mosquito bite to the pet. It only takes one bite to become infected!

“My pet is on prevention so he or she doesn’t need to be tested yearly.” Even though you may give your pet a monthly oral prevention. Your pet may vomit up the medication or be hiding it from you even though you think he or she has taken it.

Facts:

- Heartworms are carried by mosquitos.

- Cats, Dogs and Ferrets are at risk for heartworm disease.

- Indoor and outdoor pets are at risk for heartworm disease.

- It is cheaper and lower risk to prevent than to treat.

- Heartworm disease can be deadly.

- Heartworm disease is hard to detect in cats and there is no treatment.

- Pets in the southeast are at higher risk due to the mild temperatures.

Tips:

- Most heartworm preventatives also protect against intestinal parasites.

- Keep your pet on prevention all year. It is easier to remember giving prevention monthly, rather than stopping and starting back during warmer months.

- Puppies and kittens should start on prevention at 8-12 weeks of age.

- There are many kinds of heartworm preventatives including an oral tablet or chew, injectable and topical. Speak with your veterinarian to see what is recommended for pet!

Statistics:

- In 2012 we tested 906 dogs for heartworms. 46 came back positive.

- There have been 297 canine positive heartworm cases in Anderson since 2007

- 25-30% of heartworm positive cats are indoor

(Click the photo for more information)

What happens if your pet is positive for heartworms?

If you have a dog positive for heartworms, there is a treatment. Depending on the age, physical condition and extent of the heartworm disease your pet may be a candidate for treatment. However, it is long process, very expensive and can be risky. It’s in the best interest of your pet to prevent all year!

Heartworm disease causes damage to the heart and lungs. Clinical signs may not occur right away. Clinical signs include: Coughing, vomiting, trouble breathing, ascites (fluid in the abdomen).

 If you’d like more information about heartworm disease please visit: http://www.heartwormsociety.org/think12/archives.html

April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

Has your child ever fallen and scraped their knee? Have you ever burned yourself cooking? Most of the time, the first thing you do is go for the first aid kit. Have you ever thought what you might do if your pet has a minor injury? Pets need first aid kits too!

April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month. First aid doesn’t consist of just kits. First aid also includes learning pet CPR and being prepared for emergencies.

Pet first aid kits should include:

 *A copy of your pet’s veterinary records (vaccines, medications, etc)

*Emergency phone numbers (veterinarian, after hours emergency)

*Thermometer (cats and dogs normal temperatures range from 101.0 – 102.5)

*Gauze, Telfa pads, medical tape and bandage materials

*Gloves

*Muzzle, Leash, Towel  (If a pet is injured, they may bite due to the pain. It is best to take precautions and not get injured yourself. Don’t apply muzzles if your pet is having extreme difficulty breathing or if their gums are blue or white. This is an emergency and they need to see a veterinarian immediately!)

*Don’t forget to keep a kit in the car also (Include bottled water, bowl and rabies certificate)

There are many items that can be added to a pet’s first aid kit. You can personalize it to fit your pet’s needs. However, be careful with medications! Not all human medications can be administered to pets! Check with your veterinarian first.

CPR and Emergency Preparedness:

It’s best to be prepared for a natural disaster. Having your pet microchipped and registered can help get your pet back to you if separated. ID tags are also a good idea, but collars can come off. If evacuation is necessary, know your plan. Find out early where pets will be housed if your pet cannot come with you.

Disaster can strike at any moment. We want to make sure you are prepared to handle a situation and help save your pet’s life. The Red Cross offers pet CPR classes. Find your local chapter here: http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter

The month of April is “Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month”. We care about the welfare of animals beyond their routine health care. We want to bring awareness to animal cruelty by helping you to understand how to be proactive and safely handle a situation if necessary.

Animal cruelty comes in may forms:

-Neglect: Medical conditions that are left untreated including skin conditions, untreated wounds or hit by car, no water or water that has not been changed, starvation, no shelter during extreme weather including heat, severe rain/hail and cold

-Abuse: Hitting or kicking an animal, purposely causing injury, dog fighting

There are several ways that you can help fight animal cruelty.

- Notify the proper authorities if you feel an animal is being abused or neglected. For your own safety it is best to let law enforcement handle the situation and not confront those that may be abusing an animal.

- Get involved! Sign petitions and write legislation to pass stricter animal cruelty laws.

- Support local shelters. Many animals in cases end up at local shelters. Your support can help these animals get the care they need. Since so many animals end up at shelters, there are lots of pure breds rescued from puppy mills or owner surrendered. If you are looking for a particular breed, check your local shelter rescue first.

Be aware:

We all want to do the right thing and help an animal in need. Sometimes cases may look suspicious, but the animal may have a condition that is currently being treated. Be cautious. Older animals aren’t always going to look as healthy as a spry puppy. The geriatric patient may be taken care of, however he or she may suffer from a condition that causes severe weight loss or hair loss.

Know your laws. Each state and some counties vary in regards to animal cruelty laws. A dog tied to a chain in one area may be illegal, however it may be accepted in another place.

Animal cruelty doesn’t just happen to dogs and cats:

Rabbits, horses and farm animals can be victims of cruelty and neglect. Here are a couple of websites with more information:

Equine Cruelty

Farm Animal Cruelty

When you hear “dental health”, most people think of getting their dogs’ or cats’ teeth cleaned. This is an important part of dental health, however they are not the only animals that need dental care.

Horses:

Horse’s have teeth that continue to erupt or grow for most of his/her life. Chewing is the body’s natural way of grinding the teeth down; however, horses often do not wear down their teeth in the correct manner. This leads to sharp tooth edges that cause ulcers on the inside of the cheeks, hooks that interfere with a bit, ramps that cut into the opposite gum line, and many other painful conditioins. Also, if teeth grow in at uneven rates, abnormalities in tooth height are likely (termed a step or wave mouth).

A full dental exam requires standing sedation to allow access to the back of the mouth. Each tooth and the surrounding gumline is felt for abnormalities. A dental generally consists of filing down the sharp points and high teeth to create a smooth chewing surface that allows the mouth to move without dental pain. This process is called “floating teeth” and is accomplished using hand and/or power floats.

Young horses are checked for presence of Wolf teeth. These rudimentary premolars can interfere with the bit and should be removed. Horses that wear a bit should not only be free of Wolf teeth, but the first normal sized premolar (technically the second premolar) is rolled to allow the bit to sit comfortably on the dental bars.

Rabbits/Guinea Pigs/Rodents:

These animals teeth are “open rooted”. This means that they continue to grow. It is imporant to get regular check ups for smaller pets. An oral exam will be done during the physical. During an oral exam, the veterinarian will check for tooth overgrowth. This can go undetected for quite some time, until a problem is noticed. By that time, your pet may be in a great deal of pain. Overgrown teeth can cut into the cheek, making eating and swallowing difficult. Keeping up with regular physicals may help eliminate this common problem.  If your pet’s teeth are overgrown, they can be sedated and the teeth can be filed down.

Does your dog or cat have bad breath? Have you thought about having your pet’s teeth cleaned, but not sure what to expect? Here is a walkthrough video of exactly what we do at Electric City Animal Clinic. If you have any questions prior to scheduling your pet’s dental cleaning, our doctors, receptionists and technicians will be more than happy to help!

Meet Skynard! He’s a rehab patient at ECAC.

Skynard’s Story:

In July 2011, Skynard was diagnosed with OCD (Osteochondritis Dissecans) in both hocks. OCD is a joint disease where the cartilidge and bone in the joint are affected. It can be very painful. After resting and anti-inflammatory medication, Skynard was on the road to recovery.  He was started on a strong glucosamine supplement, prescription joint diet and a weight loss program.

Skynard is an athlete so regular exercise is extremely important for his daily life. This means keeping him as comfortable as possible so that he can stay conditioned and continue doing what he loves to do most…dock dive!

At ECAC we work on pain management to keep Skynard’s joints comfortable. We also work on flexibility. Skynard gets regular laser treatments to help stay ahead of any inflammation. We do joint compressions to help push healthy joint fluid into his hocks. Skynard comes in for acupuncture as well. He was so relaxed that he fell asleep during his last treatment! Skynard’s favorite thing is getting massages. This helps keep his muscles loose and promotes healthy bloodflow to his joints.

Skynard lost 20 pounds on his diet! This took a lot of stress off his joints. He also runs about 3 miles a day. The best treatment for his condition is strengthening. Skynard does strengthening exercises at least 3 times a week. Keeping strong muscles in his hind legs help support his joints better.

Here are some of the exercises he does:

Balancing on the peanut ball helps with his hind legs and core.

Walking backward strengthens his back legs.

Squats are a great workout for his hindlegs and core.

Skynard will continue to have rehab at ECAC so that he can do his favorite thing…

Compete in Dock Diving!

Hello everyone! I’m back with some tips on keeping your pets safe during the chilly winter months.

1. Keep pets indoors, especially at night, to stay warm. This is the best way to make sure your pet is safe from the elements.

2. Be careful around fire and heaters. Pets (especially us cats) like to curl up around the fire or in front of heaters. Make sure we don’t get too close and end up with burns.

3. Old, young and pets with medical conditions (such as diabetes, thyroid problems and heart conditions) can have a harder time regulating their temperature. Being in the cold too long can cause problems. Make sure to keep an eye on your pet when getting exercise outside. If your pet is shivering, bring them back in immediately. Also be conscious of arthritic pets. The cold can affect them more

4. Watch for ice! Pets can slip and easily become injured, just like humans. The ice is also very cold on their pads. Consider boots for your pets if they are walking in snow or on ice.

5. Careful of chemicals! Antifreeze is deadly to pets! Store this in a place where pets can’t access it. Also check under your vehicle for leaks. If your pet has ingested antifreeze call the vet immediately!

6. Check under the hood! Even if your pet doesn’t stay outdoors, stray animals will try to find a warm place to sleep. Cats like to crawl around the warm engine of the car and can become injured or even killed when the car is started. Give your hood a good tap or take a quick peek each morning before starting up!

7. If your pet stays outside, make sure they have fresh drinking water. Water bowls can freeze quickly overnight.

Hi everyone! I wanted to talk to you about keeping your pets warm during chilly months. We have been fortunate to not have ice or snow so far this winter, but some nights still get down to freezing temperatures.

Ways to keep your pet warm:

1. Keep your pet indoors. This is the best way for your pet to stay safe and warm. If you aren’t able to keep your pet inside your house, consider the garage. Just make sure there are no hazards for your pet to get into! The garage will provide shelter from cold wind and rain. Be sure your pet has a comfortable place to sleep.

2. If you can’t keep your pet inside and have no other option, make sure that your pet has a well insulated house to escape the cold. Make sure the house is big enough for your pet to stand up and turn around. It should block the wind and provide an escape from rain. Use bedding to help your pet stay warm.

3. Board your pet. If a bad winter storm is coming and you have nowhere else for your pet to go, consider boarding for a night or two. This will ensure your pet’s safety and provide a comfortable place out of the cold.

4. If your pet stays indoors and exercises outside, provide a coat and/or boots for your pet. Shorthaired dogs can get cold easily. An extra layer will help them stay warm. If your pet is going to be walking through snow or ice, doggy boots can help keep their feet warm and help prevent injury.

Stay tuned for my next post on winter safety!

Meet William the Orange. He is our January Pet of the Month!

Looking handsome as usual