Author Archive

Cats, though they seem very independent, are very sociable animals. Sometimes they will become lonely and bored if owners don’t  spend enough time with them. To minimize the chance of your cat feeling this way, you may want to consider getting another cat. And to minimize the chance of that cat getting lonely, you may want to get yet another cat…and the cycle continues. Here are some tips you might find useful for multiple cat households.

Consider your current cat’s personality before getting another cat. An energetic and active cat is more likely to accept a new kitten while a quiet, more reclusive cat may prefer an adult cat. Be sure to neuter or spay your kitten as soon as they reach the age suggested by your veterinarian. We prefer to spay or neuter young pets at four months of age. This helps reduce hormonal aggression and territorial marking.

If your cats exhibit personality conflicts, you can reduce the tension between family felines by making sure each cat has enough personal space and their own toys to fulfill their needs. Make sure you have at least one litter box per cat plus one extra, and that they are easy to get to. To avoid conflicts between cats, consider placing litter boxes in different locations throughout the house to avoid the exclusion of one cat from another cat’s territory.

Be sure to keep plenty of clean, fresh water available for your cats at all times. Keeping bowls in multiple locations throughout the house might be a good idea. Keep scratching posts and beds in several locations to accommodate all the cats in your household.

We also recommend a product called Feliway. It uses calming pheromones to reduce instinctive urges to mark and scratch. Pheromones are naturally secreted when cats rub objects with the side of their face. These pheromones are later recognized by the cat and produce feelings of familiarity and comfort. Feliway spray entices your cat to rub his face on treated objects, depositing his own facial pheromones on the object so that it becomes a place he is unlikely to urine mark.

May 3^rd was a very hard day for my family. We had to say goodbye to Rusty, our 8 year old Labrador who had suffered from a cancerous growth in his nose. He was diagnosed with cancer months before and we were expecting that this day would come, but it didn’t make the pain of having to let him go any easier.

It is always hard to know when to euthanize your pet, even when they’ve had a happy and long life. When deciding to put Rusty to sleep we looked at his quality of life even though he wasn’t very old. Here are some of the things we considered:

• Is your pet still eating?
• Does your pet like interaction with people or other pets?
• Are they in pain?
• Is your pet still going to the bathroom outside?
• Can their medical problems still be managed?

When the answer to most of these questions was no, it was time for us to euthanize Rusty and let him go peacefully. You and your family know your pet best, and only you can decide when the time is right. If you are struggling with the decision to euthanize your pet a veterinarian can help guide you and help evaluate your pet’s quality of life.

It was very hard for our family to let Rusty go even though it was time, and he was suffering. I don’t think it is ever easy to euthanize your pet, but it is a peaceful option, and better then letting them suffer.

Rusty died as he had lived, in our best care, in our hearts, and surrounded by those that loved him. We will miss you Rusty, we will never forget you.

Summer is coming! The weather is warming up and it’s time to get your dogs out of the house for some much needed exercise. Did you know that obesity affects more than 50 percent of America’s pet population? If your pooch is overweight, he or she can develop all kinds of health problems, such as painful arthritis, heart disease, breathing difficulty, diabetes and even bladder cancer. For your dog, the excess weight and the resulting health problems can mean less play time and depression.

Here are some easily identifiable causes of weight gain in dogs:

• Overfeeding - Dogs with unlimited access to food understandably eat more than they need
• Overeating - Many commercial foods are loaded with salt and fat. This improves taste, which means your dog will want to gorge
• Feeding habits - Feeding table scraps and “people food” can lead to obesity
• Lack of exercise - Too much food and too little exercise produces a typical result: Obesity
• Age - Older, less active dogs are prone to weight gain

Food plays a very important role in treating an overweight dog. Along with exercise, a low-fat and low-calorie food is essential in helping your dog lose weight and stay fit. Fiber is also a key ingredient since it helps your dog eat less while keeping her full. Once your dog has been overweight, she may be prone to weight gain and should have an ongoing weight-management plan based on good nutrition, exercise and regular check-ups and weigh-ins.

Our staff understands how difficult getting your pet’s weight under control can be. We are here to help. Call our office to schedule a free weight check up for your dog today. Our Veterinarian can prescribe a diet that will work to help shed those unwanted pounds. Mention this online article and receive 15% off a bag of Science Diet for weight control for the month of April!

Above is an incidence map showing cases of Heartworm, Ehrlichia, and Lyme disease present in Mohave County.

Each year thousands of dogs contract Lyme disease, Heartworm disease, and Ehrlichia.  Ticks and mosquitoes can be present anywhere, even in your own back yard. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes and is a serious and potentially fatal threat to dogs. Lyme disease is caused by ticks and signs are difficult to detect and may not appear until several months after infection. Canine Ehrlichia is also caused by ticks and like Lyme disease, warning signs may not be readily apparent.

Despite the availability of simple testing, prevention, and treatment options, many people don’t know their dog is suffering from these debilitating diseases until it’s too late. The good news is we can screen for these diseases with an simple blood test that can be preformed here at the animal hospital on your pet’s next visit.

Even though your pet may appear to be healthy based on physical appearance and activity, many clinical signs of disease do not develop until late in the disease process. Pets cannot tell us when they do not feel 100% and because of their instinct to protect themselves, many animals will ‘hide’ their illness.

A good example of this situation is a cat with kidney disease. This patient may be afflicted with kidney disease for months to years before developing signs of disease because a pet can lose up to 75% of kidney function before clinical signs will develop. Performing blood work will detect early changes in kidney enzymes and allow us to manage this disease process properly—allowing the patient to live a longer and healthier life.

Pets of any age can have problems with their internal organs. As pets age, their immune system and health starts to decline and they can have multiple organ problems. That is why we recommend doing yearly blood work to ensure that your pet stays as healthy as possible.