Rabies!!!!

I seriously am seeing FAR too many people bringing their pets in without a current rabies vaccination.  IT IS A REAL THREAT.   Just this week I had SEVERAL people tell me they "never bothered with a rabies vaccine" for their dog.

Well, first of all, it's a REQUIREMENT by the State of CA to keep your dog current on rabies vaccination.  You can be fined, you can be forced to pay for quarantine, and you can and will be held responsible if your pet exposes any one else to the disease because you didn't take the time or spend the money to keep them current on the vaccine.  Cheap vaccine clinics have taken away all excuses for not doing this!

While it's not required for cats - it's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you also keep ALL of your cats current on rabies vaccine.  Yes, EVEN THE INDOOR CATS.

WHY?  Well, because we have rabies here in the desert!  Rabies kills PEOPLE!   I say this until I am blue in the face but until someone here actually dies from it, I suspect people will still refuse to follow this simple, life saving rule:  VACCINATE ALL DOGS AND CATS FOR RABIES!!!

A person was just exposed to a rabid bat here in the Mojave Desert and they are trying to find that person because he may have been exposed.  Point being that if the bats have it, then there is GREAT potential for a dog or a cat (or other animals!) to also be exposed.

How do you avoid it?  How do you avoid DYING from rabies?  Well, one way is to make sure your dogs AND cats are kept current on the vaccine so they don't expose YOU to the deadly disease.

And please do not argue with me about this vaccine because it's not a winnable argument.  :)

Here's the link to the news article that came out just this week:



RABIES IN THE MOJAVE DESERT

Don't Leave Your Dog in the Car!

Some very important info considering we are now starting to have warm, sunny days.

Pet Obesity

Anyone who has met me in person and who has known me for some time, like a good majority of my clients, know I've lost a LOT of weight in the last year.  I've succeeded through a LOT of hard work and significant changes to my diet and lifestyle.  For example, I don't drink sugared drinks or eat fast food any more.  Those things MAKE US FAT.  Eating a lot of bread MAKES US FAT.  Eating too many desserts MAKES US FAT.  And above all, leading a sedentary lifestyle without so much as going for a walk every day, MAKES US FAT.

I take this very seriously, and when it came to my own health, decided it was time to make the changes necessary to make myself healthier by losing weight.

So I'm not completely surprised that I'm seeing an increase in how many of our pets are FAT.  It's bothering me a LOT because it's one medical condition - yes it is a condition - that I can't do anything about except talk to owners until I'm blue in the face about making their pets lose weight.  I can't control anything they do once they walk out the door, and more often than not, the next time I see their pet, they've gained even more weight!  It seems the "new normal" is that fat pets are generally  thought of as "normal"  while pets at a normal weight are considered "too thin".

Considering our pets eat what we give them and don't go to the grocery store to stock up on donuts and cookies, the fault relies 100% on the owners.  I know that is harsh, but it is true.

WHAT can we do about this???

PLEASE bring your pets in to see me so we can talk about how to get those extra pounds of your doggies and kitties.  THEIR LIVES DEPEND ON IT!!!

I found this online and thought it was some really good info so I wanted to share it with my readers.

1. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats in the U.S. are obese or overweight.
    
2. 22 percent of dog owners and 15 percent of cat owners said their pet's weight was normal, when it was actually overweight or obese.
    
3. The "fat pet gap" is the normalization of obesity by pet parents. (Read: fat pets = the new normal.)
    
4. Dogs and cats who are 10 to 20 percent over their ideal body weight are considered overweight. Dogs and cats 20 percent over their ideal weight are considered obese.
    
5. A golden hamster should weigh 5 to 7 ounces and dwarf hamsters should weigh 3/4 to 1 3/4 ounces.
    
6. Obesity is the number one health problem in pet birds. Most birds have food available all the time, so they don't have to work for their dinner. And because there's not too much else to do, they sit around and rest all day.
    
7. Amazon parrots, cockatiels, rose-breasted cockatoos, canaries, quaker parrots and budgerigars are more prone to obesity than other birds.
    
8. Overweight or obesity can cause arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, certain cancers, heart and respiratory disease, and more for your pet.
    
9. According to the Purina Lifespan Study, obesity takes almost two years off a dog's life.
    
10. To check if your pet is obese or overweight, you should be able to easily feel your pet's ribs without pressing on the pet and your pet’s stomach should be tucked in.
     
11. Veterinarians determine if a pet is overweight or obese by their body condition score, or BCS. Veterinarians assess the amount of stored fat and assign a number to score if a pet is underweight, overweight, or just right.
 

 

Here is a GREAT link to how to check your pet by using your own hand bones as a guide to what you should feel on your pet:


Judging your pet's Body Condition Score (BCS)


If you are not sure about your pet's weight, give us a call and schedule an exam so we can talk about this!  It's so very important for their overall health and nothing makes me more sad than to see a pet struggling just to walk in the door because they are so obese they cannot carry their own weight - and I'm seeing too much of this these days!!

Pet Dental Health Month

Today is the start of Dental Health Month!

We offer a FREE dental cleaning for the month of February in order to encourage more people to bring their pets in for this very important procedure!  That's a savings of almost $50 off the cost of a dental!

I came across this video today and it's a goodie.  With the exception of a few variations, this is what happens when an appropriate dental cleaning is performed on our patients.   Please take note of what they talk about at the end about non-anesthetic dental cleaning!  (Illegal in the state of CA unless done by a veterinarian)

Pets Need Dental Care Too!

Give Animal Care Hospital a call today at 760-247-0292 so we can fit you into the schedule for this busy month!  Don't miss out on the savings!!!  But MOST importantly, don't miss out on the chance to give your pet the best care possible!

Why Does My Dog Scoot?

Often we hear clients report that their dog (and sometimes their cat, although it is a lot less common in cats)  likes to drag their bottom on the floor.  Is this normal behavior?  Why do they do that?  Are they in pain?  Do they have worms?   Many times it is really an indicator of a problem with anal glands/sacs.  These little nuisances can really create frustration and misery for your pet!

At Animal Care Hospital, we evaluate and express anal sacs on a daily basis. 

The anal sacs are little balloons within the skin around the anus that fill with a sometimes thin or thick liquid that is supposed to empty when they go poop.  Most pets are able to naturally express them but some need a little help sometimes.  Think of a balloon filling up, but unable to release the pressure.   The frequency of needing them expressed varies from pet to pet.  It can be monthly, to once a year.  Some pets never have a problem with their anal glands!  (the lucky ones!)   Unfortunately for the owners, the worst part of it is the odor.  They are super stinky!

A sac left untreated when a pet is showing signs of discomfort can lead to a painful problem called an anal sac abscess, which can lead to a messy rupture.


A rule of thumb is that if your pet scoots his bottom on the floor only once or twice, then there likely is not a problem.  Continued scooting and licking without stopping is a sign that there may be discomfort and an issue developing.

The team at Animal Care Hospital is trained to manage these situations carefully.  Give us a call today if you have concerns about your pet!

Rabies in a Llama!

Another case of Rabies!!  Not in California, granted...  but people have got to take this more seriously!!!

Rabies in a Llama in Georgia!!

A Little About Me

Ahh, since a new year is upon us, I thought maybe I'd write a short post and share a few things about myself, so that those of you who don't know me for now, might get to know me in 2013.  :)

I'm originally from Louisiana.  I graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2003.  Soon after, I moved here to California where I immediately started working in a small animal practice.

After about 4 years of that, I decided to make the leap into practice ownership - mostly because I wanted to stay in Apple Valley and needed to do more to build my future here and entrench myself into our small community.  So, in 2007, I bought Animal Care Hospital and started turning it into my own homey little practice.

I'm currently 43 years old and married to my wonderful husband, Steve Reynolds.  Here's a recent picture of us, taken this past Christmas:

 I don't have any children but I do have the world's GREATEST dog name Vinnie.  He's a rescue doggy, and I got him through a rescue called Almost Home, through petfinders.org.  I've gotten most of my dogs through petfinders, and after looking through hundreds of pictures last year, I came across the cutest face ever and had to take him home!

Here's a picture of Vinnie in his Monkey Hat costume:

No he's not happy.  :)

I have a lot of hobbies and I really love living in the desert.  Sure, I miss green trees and rain, but the trade offs for those things are NO MOSQUITOES (remember, I'm from Louisiana) and beautiful weather.  I love that I can sit on my patio every evening in the summer and not get bitten by any bugs.  :)  I guess I'm kind of a bug-phobe in that I very much dislike them.   I'm one of those girls who will scream if you put a spider on me.  :)

I love hiking and traveling to our National Park.  I am also an avid SCUBA diver and try to go on a dive trip every other year or so.  I started diving when I was 20 - that's a long time!  But also something I am very proud of doing.   

Every year we throw a good ol' southern crawfish boil for our staff.  It's something we really enjoy doing, and our staff loves it!  It's quickly become a popular event.  :)  You can see pics of this on our website, or go to:

Annual Cajun Fest

So there ya have it.  A little about me.  :)