5 Tips to Help Calm Your Pet During Storm

1. Provide a Safe Spot:
   Your companion’s crate can be a relaxing, hideaway place for them. Any small space can provide secure feelings. Crates are more effective if your pet has grown up using one. Do not use crates if your pet builds up anxiety from them.

2. Counteract the Noise:
   Find a more quiet space for your pet and add comforting sounds to cover the sound of thunder. A great cover sound that works well is classical music. You can also distract your pet by using the radio, television, or “white noise.” Make sure the volume is not too loud so you are not adding on to their stress.

Source: pixabay.com

3. Use Desensitization:
   Aid your pet’s fear. Some pets can overcome their fears by playing recordings of loud noises during times of calmness. Start off by playing the recordings at low levels and directing positive reinforcement with treats and affectionate petting. Then slowly increase the volume level over a period of time until it reaches the level your pet will encounter in real life.

4. Use Electromagnetism:
   Might sound crazy, but experts believe your pet can become sensitized to electromagnetic radiation caused by lightning strikes. You can even purchase “Thundershirts” or special calming collars for your companion.
5. Consult our Veterinarians:
   If their anxiety becomes very overwhelming, contact Parkway Small Animal & Exotic Hospital or one of our sister sites and our Veterinarians can help relieve the stress and anxiety through prescription drugs or herbal/nutritional remedies.

Read more at http://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/care/thunderstorms-fireworks-and-dogs

-Brought to you by Julie F. and Parkway Small Animal & Exotic Hospital staff

Gala Award Recognitions

We are proud to announce two recognition awards that were given away at our 2nd Annual Holiday Gala!

---

Our first recognition is a team member that consistently does things for others without the expectation of return, goes above and beyond expected job duties, and makes other team members feel happy and acknowledge…

Dr. Holly Pope!

 

Our second recognition was presented The Spartan Award, a new tradition that will be carried on for years…

We are awarding a team member every year who shows dedication to the community over self, values honesty above all, shows strength, maintains a quest for excellence, strives for perfection, and maintains discipline…
Our first recipient of 2016 goes above and beyond, dedicated over 15 years to the team, shares their knowledge and skills, and shows great flexibility in working with the management team…

LVT, Sheri Grace!

 

 

Why do dogs scoot on your cleaned carpet?

Catching your dog scooting across the floor again? Great chances are it is an area that we try to avoid on our canines, their anal glands. (Yikes!)

Don’t worry though! That’s why we have professional veterinarians to do the dirty work and properly fix the problem.

Source: Shutterstock

The anal glands in dogs are similar to the sweat glands, they produce a unique scent, known as pheromones, which are passed when there is a bowel movement.

Why do they need these scent glands?

Theoretically, they serve as a territorial marker. A “biochemical information” for other dogs to know about another dog. In a manner, butt sniffing of another’s pheromones is their version of “hello, who are you?”

When the gland becomes dry, or inflamed and the duct swells shut can lead to infections or abscessation of the gland(s).

It is important to call your veterinarian right away when your dog starts scooting excessively. What they will do is manually expressed their glands, or in some cases receive oral medication.

There are other possibilities other than anal gland problems.

Parasitic worms could be present, which can cause irritation to that area. Allergies are also another possibility lead to the scoot.  A change in environment or a change in diet can lead the itch.

Remember sometimes an itch is just an itch, and check to see if there is just fecal matter that needs to be cleaned and wiped up.

Cats can also do the scoot too.

It is very rare among cats, but it can indicate the same factors as dogs of that type of behavior.

Source:
http://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/evr_dg_anal_sac_problems?page=2
http://www.petmd.com/care/cat-scooting

-Brought to you by Julie F. and Parkway Small Animal & Exotic Hospital

National Pet Diabetes Month

November is National Pet Diabetes Month.

Similar to human diabetics, diabetic animals have an absolute or relative deficiency of insulin.

Insulin deficiency can develop for different reasons in dogs and cats. Including disorders of the pancreas which cause the pancreas to be unable to secrete enough insulin,  the presence of other hormones which may be antagonistic to insulin or cause resistance to insulin, insulin may be unable to function normally in the body.

Symptoms that can be seen with diabetes:
1. Increase in thirst
2. Increase in urination
3. Sudden weight loss
4. Increase in weight
5. Obesity
6. Weakness / Lethargy
7. Hair thinning
8. Cloudy eyes
9. Depression
10. Vomiting
(Call our practice or one of our sister sites to schedule an exam if you notice any symptoms or changes of behavior of your companion)

How to manage diabetes in dogs and cats:

The best way to manage your pet’s wellness regarding diabetes is to maintain a consistent, regulated level of glucose, avoiding large spikes and drops. Since diabetes cannot be cured, you can successfully manage your dog’s or cat’s health by changing their lifestyle, diet, and administering any necessary insulin injections.

Who is at risk?

Anywhere between 1 in 100 and 1 in 500 dogs and cats will develop diabetes in their lifetime. It can occur at anytime in their life, but is more likely to be found in middle-aged or older dogs/cats, overweight cats, female dogs who are not spayed, and male cats who are neutered.

Dog breeds with a higher incidence of diabetes:

Miniature Schnauzers, Cocker Spaniels, Dachshunds, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Pomeranians, Terriers, Toy Poodles

For more information in regards to Diabetes in your companion, visit http://www.petdiabetesmonth.com/

-Brought to you by Julie F. and Parkway Small Animal and Exotic Hospital staff

Get Smart About Antibiotics!

This week we are raising awareness on antibiotic resistance in our companions!

Source: Shutterstock

For those who do not know, antibiotics treat bacterial infections and do not treat viruses. Antibiotics kill and stop the bacteria from growing, but can also eliminate the good bacteria in the digestive system.

It is important to know when it is necessary to prescribe antibiotics to a pet. Misuse of an antibiotic can lead to a rise of bacterial resistance. This means that the antibiotic no longer works against the bacteria.This usually happens when the antibiotic is used too often or is not used correctly (ie. stopped too soon, not given at the correct dose, etc…)

When bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic, they can multiply and even pass on the resistance to other bacteria.  Bacteria that are resistant are a lot more difficult to treat, and sometimes are even untreatable.

Know when your pet needs antibiotics and when they don’t. Ask your veterinarian to see if there are treatment choices other than antibiotics or if antibiotics are necessary.

Take this situation for as example:

Let’s say a cat is showing signs of:
-blood in their urine (known as hematuria)
-difficult or painful urination (known as dysuria)
-showing behavior of urinating in inappropriate places
-abnormal & frequent passage of urine (known as pollakiuria)

These symptoms are common in both bacterial infection of the lower urinary tract (UTI) and feline idiopathic lower urinary tract disease.

After testing, the doctor determines it is feline idiopathic lower urinary tract disease..

A UTI can be treated with antibiotics, yet the feline idiopathic lower urinary tract disease cannot be treated with antibiotics, even though both conditions have similar signs.

The treatment for the disease is depended on the underlying cause, such as bladder stones, interstitial cystitis, etc. ( the “idiopathic” means relating to or denoting any disease/condition that arises spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown).

With situations where signs are a compilation of two different health conditions, it is critical for your veterinarian to determine the underlying cause and provide proper options for treatment.

-Brought to you by Julie F. & Parkway Small Animal & Exotic Hospital staff

Sources:

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/08/antibiotic-resistance-pets-increasing-problem

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/antibiotics/art-20045720

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/read-this-before-giving-your-dog-antibiotics/

Smelling for Love

We humans, tend to ponder the age old question, “What is going on in our dog’s mind?”

Are they deliberating over when to take their next nap, ruminating on when to destroy the whole toilet paper roll or just pondering a potty break…

As we spend time over analyzing their thought process, it is fortunate, that we do not have to question whether or not they love us. They symbolize their love towards us with actions, such as wagging their tails, laying on our laps, or even stealing most of our personal space on the bed.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend, and what we don’t know is a man is a dog’s true home.

Source: Shutterstock

In fact, a recent study has shown how our canine companions consider us as family.

How did one find this out? Well, a dog’s nose certainly pinpointed out their top-priority.

You!

The study entailed an order processing through neuroimaging done by Gregory S. Berns, Andrew M. Brooks, and Mark Spivak. The case was proved by conducting MRI testing, while presenting orders and smells to dogs who were trained to sit still in an MRI.

In the study’s conclusion, the dogs were able to sense their desired smell of their owners above all the smells that were familiar and unfamiliar to them.

For further information and a deeper analysis about the neuroimaging study, visit these two articles:

https://mic.com/articles/104474/brain-scans-reveal-what-dogs-really-think-of-us#.zjA7ByQwU

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635714000473

-Brought to you by Julie F. and Parkway Small Animal & Exotic Hospital

October 21st is RAD!

How rad? So rad that it happens to be Reptile Awareness Day!

Lizards, Turtles, & Snakes, Oh my!

Source: pixabay.com

This day was created to help educate those who are not familiar with these creatures, and their habitat loss and threat of extinction.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, 32 species of our cold blooded friends in the United States are deemed endangered or on the line of extinction. These threats are caused by habitat destruction, invasion of nonnative species, and even climate change. Reptiles are fighting for competition with food, shelter, and protection from predators.

There are more than 10,000 species of reptiles in the world. These creatures are an important part of the food chain, and perform valuable ecosystem services such as seed dispersal, pollination, and control of pest species.

As a reptile pet owner, it is important to know the extra care for your companion. It is highly suggested to do your research before owning a reptile, making sure you can accommodate to their care and health.

For more facts about reptiles, you can go to http://www.reptileknowledge.com/articles/article19.php

-Brought to you by Julie F. and Parkway Small Animal and Exotic Hospital staff

Source:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/
http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/photozone/archives/2015/photo-of-the-week-10-19-2015.aspx

Share and Save

Parkway Small Animal and Exotic Hospital offers a Referral Program to clients who love to spread the word to family and friends about how great our clinic is!

Here at Parkway, we know the greatest compliment you can give to us is the referral of family of friends and we want to do our part to thank you for this!

Each time you refer a potential client to us and they schedule an appointment at Parkway, you will receive credit on your Hospital account when they come in for their first visit.

Breakdown on how it works:

1 referral – credited $5 on account
2 referrals – credited $10 on account
3 referrals – credited $15 on account
4 referrals – credited $20 on account
5 referrals – credited $25 on account

For each referral after the 5th one, you will get $25 credited to your account.

The credits are only applied onto your hospital account. They are not transferable to retail purchases and have no cash value too.

Have additional questions about the referral program?  Reach out to a team member at (586) 416-8800!

-Brought to you by Julie F. and Parkway Small Animal and Exotic Hospital staff