Pet Care

Do you supplement your pet’s recommended dry food with moist grocery store food? You are not alone. But many pet owners don’t realize that supplementation of a veterinarian-recommended food is usually unnecessary and may even decrease its effectiveness. There are ways, however, to provide variety for your pet without compromising dietary goals.

As techniques to measure blood pressure in pets have become available, veterinarians have found that cats can suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension). Chronic long-standing hypertension can cause serious and even life threatening problems. Complications of hypertension can include loss of sight, heart disease, kidney disease, seizures, disorientation, and strokes. Fortunately in cats hypertension usually responds to treatment.

If the baby bunny is not injured it should be returned to the nest site and left there. The mother rabbit only comes to check on the babies once a day, usually at night or in the early morning. You can use flour around the nest to see if the mother has returned overnight.

As veterinarians we know that bones can be dangerous for both dogs and cats, and we recommend to not feed bones to your pets. We have seen catastrophic results due to ingestion of bones. Recently the FDA released a paper on this subject and we wish to pass it along to you. All 10 points listed in the paper have been seen at Anchor Animal Hospital.

Start foot search immediately. The sooner you start searching, less distance your pet will have traveled. Thoroughly search the surrounding property and continue in the direction that your pet was last seen heading. Go door-to-door, starting close by initially, moving further out later.

“Diet” Pet Foods - A new study from Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine found a significant variation in both calorie density and suggested consumption in “low-calorie” dog and cat foods.

A message from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health - Toxoplasmosis - Pregnant women should be aware of a disease called toxoplasmosis. When acquired during pregnancy, it can cause birth defects, spontaneous abortion, or stillbirth.

Our pets can at times have parasites which may infect humans. Human exposure occurs when children eat soil or put contaminated hands in their mouths. Likewise adults may be infected if they eat using unwashed hands which have been exposed to parasites.

Here are some tips to help prevent infection of you and your family.

Keeping your pet's teeth healthy is important as they use their mouths for many things: eating, playing, fetching, grooming! Nobody likes the smell of “dog breath” which is caused by the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth in the form of tartar. Establishing a dental plan for your pet is best started when they are a puppy or kitten but even older dogs and cats can be taught these “new tricks.”

The following was excerpted from an article published in the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association Newsletter earlier this year.

In recent years, raw food diets have become popular among certain pet owners. Many veterinarians believe that raw diets are not only inferior but can also be dangerous for our pets.

You can assist your veterinarian in the care of your pet by keeping a pet health diary. Your diary doesn’t have to include the typical day. Diaries are important when you detect health or behavioral changes or when you suspect that your pet is ill.

Cats like dogs and humans can suffer from heart disease. It’s interesting to note that each of these species is prone to a different form of heart disease. Humans are most likely to have coronary artery disease which may cause heart attacks. Dogs most commonly have valvular disease in which one or more of the valves in the heart leaks and allows blood to flow in the wrong direction.

The most commonly diagnosed heart disease in cats is cardiomyopathy or disease of the heart muscle rather than valvular or coronary disease. Although each species has its predominant form of heart problems any of these heart problems can occur in man, dogs, or cats.

If your pet goes outdoors, the day may come when he or she has been sprayed by a skunk. How are you going to deal with this?

For years the veterinary profession has recognized the threat of canine heartworm infection and promoted monthly prophylactic medication to protect dogs from this parasite. Over those years, we erroneously believed that cats were at minimal or no risk.

The doctors at Anchor Animal Hospital frequently attend national conferences to learn the most up to date medical information and bring the latest medical and surgical techniques back to Anchor Animal Hospital. Drs. Katherine and Gerald Pietsch attended the Annual Penn Conference presented by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. The conference was held in Philadelphia, Pa. on March 12 &13, 2009.

Rabbits are friendly, interactive pets that can be a member of you family for 8 to 12 years if provided proper nutrition and husbandry. Here are some guidelines and hints to help keep your bunny healthy.

Research at the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine has demonstrated a genetic link between degenerative myelopathy, DM, (degeneration of nerves) in dogs and Lou Gehrig’s disease in humans.

On Tuesday, November 18, we closed our door for the afternoon to present a lecture and wet lab for our technicians and doctors. Dr. Paul Mitchell, a boarded veterinary specialist in dentistry (AVCD), came to discuss the importance of dental health and recent advances in veterinary dentistry. Dr. Mitchell did a 3 year dental residency in Dallas, Texas, and has spoken national and internationally on veterinary dentistry. He is the author of Small Animal Dentistry.

Dogs age in a very similar way to humans, except that it happens faster. As they get older they begin to slow down, develop arthritis, have problems with vision or hearing, develop dental problems, may develop diseases such as diabetes or Cushing’s disease, develop liver or kidney problems, or even develop cancer. The best prevention of problems in older dogs is early detection.

Winter is here and with it comes the cold weather. While dogs and cats have fur coats that help provide protection from the elements, they are not immune to cold weather. The ability to tolerate cold weather depends on a number of factors including size, thickness of coat, age, general health, cold weather acclimation, and access to shelter.

Did you know that dental disease is the most frequently diagnosed health problem in pets? Dental disease can cause significant problems for our dog and cat friends, particularly as they get older. Fortunately, veterinary dental techniques have been developed to prevent, minimize, or treat the damage caused by dental disease.

Anchor Animal Hospital is proud to announce the launch of our pharmacy service online. Working with our trusted suppliers we now offer an online pharmacy providing many of the medications and diets available at the hospital. In addition, a number of items that we do not currently stock are available as well. Available products include heartworm preventatives, flea and tick products, pain medications, prescription diets, and much more.

Fall is a busy time of year for everyone. You’re getting kids back to school, trying to finish those summer projects, and getting the car ready for winter. This time of year we get concerned about one of the most serious poisonings that we see in dogs and cats….ANTIFREEZE.

In the United States, all hospitals that serve people must be accredited, that is, they must undergo regular reviews and quality checks to ensure they meet standards of quality for every aspect of medical care.

You might be surprised to learn that the same is not true for veterinary hospitals. When it comes to pet health care, accreditation is voluntary. In fact, only about 15% of veterinary hospitals (also called clinics or practices) are accredited.

Many bird owners, in an attempt to give their bird the best possible diet, cage, and care, turn to a variety of books, pet store employees, or friends for advice. Often people take home mite protectors for parasite protection, cuttlebones for calcium supplements, seed mixes supplemented with millet sprays as treats, and sandpaper covered perches to help keep the nails short. Unfortunately, a lot of this information is outdated, and some of it is even dangerous.

With the holidays just around the corner we know that many people will be travelling with their pets. We want to help everyone be prepared for their trip so that both owner and pet make it to their destination happy and safe.