 How old is my pet? What To Do in an Emergency Dental Health for Cats and Dogs What should I feed my puppy or dog? What should I feed my kitten or cat? Preventative Medicine Traveling With Your Pet Dealing with the Loss of a Pet How old is my pet?
Back to top of page Emergencies Doctor Montana and the American Animal Hospital Association cannot stress enough that you should not get online during a pet emergency, or when your pet is seriously ill. In an emergency, first aid is not a substitute for veterinary treatment. However, before you are able to get your pet to a veterinarian, knowing some basic first aid can help. Always seek veterinary care following first aid attempts. When your animal companion has an emergency, being prepared is very important. Before an emergency strikes, follow these simple guidelines to streamline emergency care for your family pet: Post the telephone number of the family veterinarian in a prominent location (ask your Doctor if a refrigerator magnet is available!) Please note that, if you contact us regarding an emergency illness or injury when our office is closed, you will be given the contact number of the local emergency clinic. Create a first-aid kit and confirm that all family members know where it is located. Affix your family veterinarian's business card to both the inside, and front of the container. Your first aid kit may include the following useful items: Gauze bandage rolls- both 2" and 4" Non stick telfa pads White medical tape-both 2" and 4" Elastic bandages - both 2" and 4" Clean washcloths (2) Triple antibiotic ointment (polysporin is great) Sterile eye wash- in a squeeze bottle- buy the smallest size, and replace after each use Clean hand towels (2) Large sturdy blanket that may double as a stretcher In an Emergency Create a safe environment for your first aid efforts; if your pet has been injured in a roadway, enlist help to assure your safety as well as that of your pet. Once the area is safe - approach your pet carefully, pain or fear may cause a gentle animal to bite without warning. Check the animal over - look for the A B C's of first aid: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation Airway: if the animal is not breathing, check to see if her airway is blocked. If she is conscious, she may be panicky and will be more likely to bite - if you are able to open her mouth and remove a blockage -do so- being careful not to force the blockage deeper into her throat. If no blockage is seen, turn her left side up, listen for a heartbeat in the middle of her chest (where her elbow touches the chest). Breathing: If you hear a heartbeat, but no breathing, you may give her artificial respiration through her nose (not her mouth). First, assure that her airway is clear. Then, breathe firmly but gently in through her nose, holding her mouth closed. Watch for her chest to rise, breath once for her every 5 seconds. Don't breath harder than is necessary to cause the chest to rise, especially in small breed dogs. Check periodically to see if she is breathing on her own. Transport her to a veterinarian immediately- breathing fore her while transporting. Circulation: If she is not breathing and has no heartbeat, you may begin CPR. Hold one hand, palm up, under her chest - with the other hand compressing gently. Alternate two sequential breaths through the nose with ten chest compressions. Smaller animals will require chest compressions with the fingers and thumb (be gentle!). Continue CPR while transporting to the veterinarian. Wound Care Open wounds, fractures, and closed wound-soft tissue trauma can be extremely painful. Approach the animal slowly and with care - even the gentlest animals will bite under the influence of pain and fear. Open Wounds: Using the clean washcloth, or towel, from your first aid kit; apply firm, gentle pressure to profusely bleeding wounds. Gently wrap or cover open wounds that are note bleeding - do not attempt to debride or clean away road dirt- this may start bleeding that may be difficult to stop. Unstable Fractures: Do note attempt to reduce, or set broken bones. If fracture site is open and bleeding, and you can control the bleeding without causing more injury, do so. If your animal is unstable on his feet, and is too heavy to carry, you may be able to assist him by slinging a bath towel under his chest or abdomen- carry the leash in your right hand, and the towel in your left. Transport wounded animals immediately to the veterinarian, supporting the injured part as gently as possible. Back to top of page Dental Health for Cats & Dogs Common dental ailments Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) may appear as redness along the tooth margin, and may be associated with bad breath, and bleeding of the gums. Gingivitis is often fully reversible with treatment. Periodontitis is a more serious infection of the gum, which can spread to the tissues and bone in which the tooth is rooted, causing bad breath, bleeding of the gums, tooth root abscesses, tooth loss, ulcers in the mouth, and (more often in cats with severe dental disease) jaw bone breakdown. Periodontal changes are irreversible, however the associated problems may b treated, or minimized with early intervention. Broken teeth, a common problem with dogs worn or broken teeth may need immediate treatment. Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORLs), a genetically predisposed disease which localizes along the gum line, and can cause teeth to break off along the line of the lesion. Prophylactic dental cleaning Most dogs and cats will require a dental cleaning under anesthesia by the time they reach five years of age- and many need dental care sooner! Sedation is essential for a thorough dental cleaning, as even the nicest dog or cat cannot tolerate the discomfort associated with gingival pocket evaluation, root planing, and oral radiographs while awake. Your dog or cat will be admitted to the hospital early on the day of their procedure, and they will undergo a thorough pre-anesthetic examination which will include blood-work, blood pressure evaluation, and an electrocardiogram. We only use the safest form of gas anesthesia and induction medications, protecting our patients from any possible peri-anesthetic issues. Intravenous fluids will be required, and antibiotics may be administered prior to the procedure. Routine prophylactic cleanings begin with a thorough oral examination, including assessment of each tooth's root margin health, and identification of any areas requiring special attention. A supra and subgingival ultrasonic scaling will follow a hand scaling. The doctor may take oral radiographs of root margins, as 70 percent of the tooth lies below the surface, and is invisible to the eye. Your animal's needs will be assessed and discussed prior to dentistry, but in some cases your Doctor may call you during the procedure to discuss new findings and treatment protocols. Your dog or cat may also return home with antibiotics, and possibly a liquid pain medication. Your companion will return home with a healthier, more comfortable mouth and a clean bill of health! Back to top of page Feeding Your Puppy or Adult Dog Dogs grow and thrive on a healthy well balanced diet- dry or canned may be offered, but dry food offers optimal chewing for strengthening jaw musculature and bone. Feeding a diet of all-dry food will not assure your dog of good dental health - brushing his teeth every night at bedtime, and encouraging the use of lots of great chew toys will protect his dental health more assuredly. Food quality is very important for your dog’s overall health and fitness. Look for a source of canned, dried, dehydrated or frozen food that offers high quality proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The following is a short list of some great sources for healthy puppy and dog food: all are available at DogGoneCrazy in Tahoe Vista, phone (530)546-2484. Azmira Holistic Animal Care Canidae Eagle Pack Holistic Back to top of page Feeding Your Kitten or Cat Forget most of what we’ve been telling you for the last fifty years - and listen to the expert: Your Cat! Your kitten or adult cat needs to be offered a high quality canned diet, twice daily. After each feeding, be sure to wash his bowl thoroughly. Providing canned food used to be considered a naughty luxury, but recent long term studies in Europe strongly indicate that your cat’s metabolic requirements call for a; higher protein and fat content than can be provided by kibbled products. Continue to avoid soft moist foods, as they are very high in sugar (a source of carbohydrate) and contribute to dental disease, obesity, and insulin dependent diabetes. Most cats do well eating about 1 tablespoon of canned food per 10 pounds of kitty-weight, twice daily. We have found that healthy, we fed cats vary in their intake between 1/4 of a 6-8 oz can twice daily to 1/2 of a 6-8 oz can (for a 10 pound cat) twice daily. Remember that cats are not unlike their owners - some days they are quite hungry, while on other days, they may not be quite as voracious. As long as your cat is consistently eating, these fluctuations can be normal. The following food manufacturers really do an excellent job, and generally include the highest quality sources of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in their product. We recommend you offer your cat a selection of foods- rotating between several flavors of the same brand for variety. Stop by DogGoneCrazy in Tahoe Vista for Canned, Feline foods by any of these manufacturers: (580 National, 530)546-2484, www.doggonecrazy.biz) Azmira Holistic Animal Care Canidae Eagle Pack Holistic ** If you’ve been feeding dry food and making it available all the time, you’ll need to gradually transition your cat to the new feeding program. Remember also that feeding dry food does not prevent tooth decay, or dental disease, only daily brushing will do this for our animal companions. **If your cat or kitten has been diagnosed with a disorder that requires a medicated feeding protocol (prescription food), contact your Doctor before changing the diet regimen. In most cases, canned medicated diet will be the best choice, but careful evaluation is key to our success! Back to top of page Preventative Medicine Annual physical examination and routine vaccinations are key preventative practices that will keep your animal companion healthy and comfortable from weaning through maturity. Not long ago, many doctors recommended annual or semiannual vaccines for all dogs and cats, at all stages of their adult lives. Now, however, we are advocating a more holistic, forward thinking approach to preventative medicine. We are working to obtain optimal benefit from our vaccines, while minimizing our pets' exposure to the potential side effects of vaccination. We recommend that all animals be vaccinated against "core diseases" - those diseases that are more serious, or potentially fatal, and which are more easily transmitted. For dogs these include distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parvovirus and rabies. For cats we recommend core vaccinations against feline viral rhino tracheitis, panleukopenia, calici virus and herpes virus, as well as rabies. Non-core vaccines are recommended for those patients who are at risk for disease due to their daily activities or lifestyle. Cats may require vaccination against feline leukemia, while dogs may require the non-core vaccinations against kennel cough, Lyme disease, leptospirosis or giardia. We will work with your family to tailor a vaccine protocol that will fit your pet's lifestyle, and the level of exposure risk. Following the initial vaccination series, viral titers are recommended to test for protective levels of antibodies. As more doctors utlilize the titer protocol, the testing facilities are providing easier means of obtaining titer levels. The following schedules provide an overview of the vaccine protocol that might be recommended for your dog or cat - when we meet to build your animals preventative medicine program, we will develop a schedule that is appropriate and comfortable for your family!
Back to top of page Traveling with Your Pet Traveling by Car Whether you’re preparing for a long trip or just a short cross-town jaunt, safety is the first consideration!
Traveling by Air "Caring for people who care for pets" An excellent website dedicated to helping people and their pets. Special focus on pet loss and the human-animal bond. http://www.petpeoplehelp.com/
|