Reasons To Act More Like Your Pet

Pets aren’t always easy to take care of, and they often require a substantial time commitment (something you’re all too aware of at, say, 3 a.m., when Bing Clawsby is finally ready to go outside and do his business). But pets provide an amazing return on that time investment, especially when it comes to your health. Case in point: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels than non-pet owners. But that’s not all. Pets also model many surprisingly healthy behaviors that humans would do well to emulate. Here are just a few, according to veterinarians, dog trainers, and other pet experts. 

1. They focus on what matters most. You may get grumpy after a bad day at the office, but your pooch never does. “Companion animals mostly care about food, love, and shelter (not always in that order). As long as they have those things, they don’t need much else,” Mary Gardner, DVM, a veterinarian and cofounder of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice tells Yahoo Health. “Pets also don’t complain much at all. People believe they hide their pain; I simply think they manage it differently.” If humans could model these behaviors, Gardner adds, we’d be healthier, happier, “and more people would want to be around us.” 

2. They practice portion control (even if not by choice). Snowball might not want to limit her kibble intake any more than you want to limit your tortilla-chip intake. Nonetheless, she typically eats reasonably sized helpings of nutritionally balanced food — and never gets to eat straight out of the bag. Follow her lead. “Both animals and people need structure and regulation when it comes to portion size,” says Jme Thomas, executive director of Motley Zoo Animal Rescue based in Redmond, Washington. 

3. They know how to de-stress. Your pooch doesn’t pour a glass of cabernet when the going gets rough (though, yes, it would make a very popular YouTube video if she did). She may, however, start begging for a walk or to play a game. Smart dog! “Actively seeking healthy activities — that function as de-stressors when stress levels are high — helps to reset people as well as dogs, and bring us back to a productive and functional status, from which many things feel a lot more ‘do-able,’” Marisa Scully, a certified dog behavior specialist in Philadelphia, tells Yahoo Health. 

4. They hit the hay. People don’t get enough sleep: According to a 2014 survey by the National Sleep Foundation, 45 percent of Americans said that a lack of sleep had impaired their activities at least once in the previous week. Learn from your cat or dog, who knows just how important it is to get enough shut-eye, says Jeff Werber, VVM, president and chief veterinarian of Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles. “Whether it’s a lazy dog day afternoon, or a quick cat nap, you won’t find them burning the candles at both ends.” 

5. They stretch! There’s a reason one of the most common yoga moves is named downward dog. Dogs (and cats) stretch constantly — and we should do the same, notes certified dog behavior consultant Russell Hartstein. Why? Stretching can improve flexibility and reduce your risk of injury. 

6. They’re open to new things. Animals are naturally curious. “Open a box or empty a bag and before you know it, your cat will have climbed in to investigate. Walk your dog past a gardener planting flowers and chances are she will check it out before moving on,” Werber says. “And they’re always up for some fun. A game of catch, a walk, a visit — bring it on.” Since research has found that seeking out new experiences can keep people feeling young and healthy, we’d do well to follow suit.

7. They’re comfortable getting zen. Numerous studies have found a correlation between mindful meditation and reduced stress, decreased heart disease, and a stronger immune response — and that’s something your cat already knows how to do instinctively. “Each morning I sit on the sofa with my cat, Turtle, while I drink my first cup of coffee,” says Kristen Levine, a pet living expert. “We spend about 10 minutes together, her getting neck and head rubs, me enjoying her purring and having a few meditative moments at the start of the day.It sounds simple, and it can be, but depending on the activity, it can have a powerfully relaxing or invigorating effect for both human and critter.” 

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/health/7-health-lessons-our-pets-teach-us-112252958927.html

E-Cigarettes and Pets Do Not Mix

E-cigarettes are sparking heated debates as lawmakers, medical professionals and industry grapple over the relative safety of the nicotine-delivering devices. But for pet owners, there is no debate. Nicotine poses a serious threat of poisoning to dogs and cats, and e-cigarettes back a powerful punch. The problem is that many pet owners don’t realize it. 

Pet Poison Helpline has encountered a sharp uptick in calls concerning cases of nicotine poisoning in pets that ingested e-cigarettes or liquid nicotine refill solution. In fact, over the past six months, cases have more than doubled, indicating that along with their increased popularity, the nicotine-delivering devices are becoming a more significant threat to pets. While dogs account for the majority of cases, nicotine in e-cigarettes and liquid refill solution is toxic to cats as well. “We’ve handled cases for pets poisoned by eating traditional cigarettes or tobacco products containing nicotine for many years,” said Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT and associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. “But, as the use of e-cigarettes has become more widespread, our call volume for cases involving them has increased considerably.” In an effort to educate pet owners before an accident occurs, Pet Poison Helpline offers this important safety information. 

What are e-cigarettes? 

E-cigarettes are simply another way of delivering nicotine. Designed to resemble traditional cigarettes, the battery operated devices atomize liquid that contains nicotine, turning it into a vapor that can be inhaled. The most recent craze is flavored e-cigarettes, which are available in an array of flavors from peppermint to banana cream pie, and everything in between. 

What makes e-cigarettes toxic to pets? 

The aroma of liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes can be alluring to dogs, and flavored e-cigarettes could be even more enticing. The issue is the amount of nicotine in each cartridge, which is between 6 mg and 24 mg. So, each cartridge contains the nicotine equivalent of one to two traditional cigarettes, but purchase packs of five to 100 cartridges multiply that amount many times over, posing a serious threat to pets who chew them. For example, if a single cartridge is ingested by a 50-pound dog, clinical signs of poisoning are likely to occur. But if a dog that weighs 10 pounds ingests the same amount, death is possible. Dogs of any weight that ingest multiple e-cigarette cartridges are at risk for severe poisoning and even death. In addition to the toxicity of nicotine, the actual e-cigarette casing can result in oral injury when chewed, and can cause gastrointestinal upset with the risk of a foreign body obstruction. Some e-cigarette users buy vials of liquid nicotine solution for refilling e-cigarette cartridges. The solution is commonly referred to as “e-liquid” or “e-juice.” The small bottles hold enough liquid to fill multiple cartridges, meaning they contain a considerable amount of nicotine. Pet owners should be very careful to store them out of the reach of pets. 

What happens when e-cigarettes are ingested by pets?

Nicotine poisoning in pets has a rapid onset of symptoms – generally within 15 to 60 minutes following ingestion. Symptoms for dogs and cats include vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, elevations in heart rate and respiration rate, depression, tremors, ataxia, weakness, seizures, cyanosis, coma, and cardiac arrest. 

What to do if a pet is exposed? 

Because nicotine poisoning can happen so rapidly following ingestion, prompt veterinary care can mean the difference between life and death for a pet. Home care is not generally possible with nicotine exposure due to the severity of poisoning, even in small doses. Take action immediately by contacting a veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680. As always, prevention is the best medicine. E-cigarettes, cartridges and vials of refilling solution should always be kept out of the reach of pets and children. 

SOURCE: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/2014/09/e-cigarettes-pets-mix/   Published on September 2, 2014

Why Dogs Bark and Growl

Does your dog growl or bark when a stranger approaches your house or when something goes bump in the night? If so, you’re not alone.

Most dogs will vocalize when they are exposed to new or different situations, including strange people or animals entering their territory; being separated from their pack, mother or even your family members; or new or alarming sounds. Dogs may also bark or growl when they see prey, such as squirrels, and they may bark for attention, food or if they are anxious. Dogs often growl when they are fearful or trying to assert themselves in a situation. If the dog’s fear or assertiveness is alleviated by growling or barking, the dog will learn that his behavior is acceptable and the behavior may become more frequent or severe. Some medical problems may cause growling or barking and older pets experiencing senile changes may have barking problems. Intense and continuous barking may be considered compulsive. Check with your veterinarian to evaluate your pet’s barking or growling problem. Behavior training and drug therapy may be helpful in reducing barking for pets with medical, geriatric and compulsive disorders.

Socializing your puppy can help

Acclimate your puppy to a variety of different people, environments, situations and noises to help lessen anxiety as your puppy grows. Make sure your puppy spends time alone so that he doesn’t develop separation anxiety while you are away from him. Proper training is essential to preventing behavior problems, such as growling and barking. Ask you veterinarian for more information about puppy training. 

Correcting a barking or growling problem

Correcting a barking or growling problem first requires that you have effective management of your dog. Once you have achieved this, you can begin to train your dog to lessen his barking or growling behavior by using rewards for quiet behavior. The reward should be something that the dog really likes such as a favorite treat, tummy rubs, or a favorite toy. Punishment is generally ineffective in correcting barking problems. Too much punishment may even exacerbate the behavior and cause the dog to be fearful or aggressive.

Begin your training with situations that you can easily control (such as a family member making a noise that causes the dog to bark) before moving on to difficult situations (such as a strange animal in your yard). When your dog barks at the stimuli (for instance, a doorbell ring), immediately interrupt the barking. When the dog is quiet offer the dog a reward for their behavior. Without the reward there is no incentive to remain quiet.Reward your dog when, at your request, he has stopped barking. Only reward the dog when he is quiet and gradually increase the amount of time that the dog needs to be quiet for him to receive a reward.

As the barking or growling problem decreases, make sure to direct your dog to more appropriate behavior, such as play, and the problem should lessen over time. Don't forget to discuss training options with your veterinarian to find the one that will work best for your pet.

Source: http://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/pet_health_library/dog_care/behavior/barking_and_growling.aspx

Car Sickness In Pets

Does your dog throw up in the car when you go for rides? He may be experiencing typical motion sickness, just like some people do. Motion sickness usually begins very shortly after starting the car ride. The dog will begin to drool and then vomit. It’s not serious, but certainly not something that we like to clean up! To solve the problem, first try acclimating the dog to car rides. Do this by simply putting him in the car for a few minutes each day without going anywhere. Then try just going down the driveway and back, and the next day going around the block. Gradually build up the distance and time the dog rides in the car. 

 Sometimes this will help to decrease the dog’s anxiety over riding in the car and may help to decrease vomiting. If that doesn’t work, there are some over-the-counter medications you can try. The medication will need to be given about an hour before the car ride. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation as to what drug to try and the dosage for your pet.

(Never give any medications to your pet without your veterinarian’s advice!) These drugs are safe, with drowsiness usually the only major side effect. But since your dog isn’t driving the car, that shouldn’t be a problem! If over-the-counter drugs don’t work, your veterinarian may be able to suggest another method for curing the car sickness.

Source: http://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/pet_health_library/dog_care/general_health/car_sickness.aspx

Heartworm & Pets

Warm weather means the return of mosquitoes and the heartworm disease that they carry. Because a single bite from a mosquito could transmit the deadly heartworm parasite to your pet, it’s important that your pet stay on a heartworm preventative at all times. We can’t prevent the mosquitoes from biting, but we can prevent their harmful effects. We would love to discuss heartworm prevention for your pet!

Dr. Rurak in Costa Rica

Safe Travels!

West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic would like to wish safe travels to Dr. Rurak who has left for Costa Rica for two weeks! We hope you have an incredible journey!

Who's Caring for Daisy???

We all get excited about going away on a vacation. Unfortunately we can't always take our pets with us.

The question arises.... who will look after Daisy??

There are several options:

• leave your pet at home with remaining family members
• leave your pet at home with a caregiver coming in to provide care
• hire a live-in pet sitter
• take your pet to a kennel or boarding facility

Regardless of the chosen option the question arises...what is to be done if Daisy becomes ill when her family is away???

As veterinarians we see what happens when the hard questions of veterinary care and accompanying finances have not been addressed in advance of situations arising. 

The following is an example of what can, and does, happen.

Daisy's family are heading off on vacation. They take her to a local boarding facility and check her in for two weeks of care and lodging. They give their personal information, a contact number and the name of Daisy's regular veterinarian. They sign a release of liability should Daisy be lost or injured during her stay. The people at the facility are warm and friendly. Daisy's family feel confident she will be well looked after and head off to the airport.

After a few days the staff at the kennel notice Daisy is urinating more frequently. They call the owners and let them know they have some concern. Daisy's condition rapidly worsens...she seems painful when she tries to urinate and her urine is now blood red. 

The kennel owner takes her to the local veterinarian in hopes of obtaining some antibiotics to "fix the problem". She is told an examination is required. As Daisy's family are not clients of the local veterinary hospital payment is required at the time of service. The kennel agrees to pay for a basic examination. Daisy is examined by the veterinarian. She seems well except for the red urine stains on her hind end. Her bladder is tiny as she piddles small amounts often. The veterinarian tells the kennel owner that further testing is advised as there is a concern that Daisy may have a bladder stone....a painful and irritating condition...rather than an uncomplicated  bacterial infection 

The kennel refuse to sign the admission paper for Daisy. They do not want to be responsible for procedure authorization or payment for additional services. They still want the veterinarian to give Daisy antibiotics. They take her back to the kennel. They are now unable to contact the owners. Daisy is increasingly uncomfortable. The kennel does not want to take responsibility for her medical care. 

The kennel has a dilemma! A sick dog under their care and concern they may not be able to collect payment from the owners.

Fortunately the veterinarian, after several attempts, was able to contact the owners. Daisy's situation was explained to them and they authorized diagnostics and treatment as required. They provided a deposit via credit card. Once payment had been arranged the kennel agreed to sign as Daisy's agent to have her admitted to the veterinary hospital for care. The question arises...what would the outcome have been if the veterinarian could not get in touch with the owner??

Several tests were done and Daisy was found to have bladder stones, no bacterial infection of the urine and no other issues. She was returned to the kennel with medication to keep her comfortable until her owners returned home. Daisy will likely require surgery to remove the stones.

Ultrasound of bladder stones

Radiograph of bladder stones

The take home points from this scenario are:

• ask the caregiver/kennel what protocol for care is in place should your pet become ill in your absence
• indicate if the caregiver/kennel is to use your regular veterinarian unless they are not available
• provide the caregiver/kennel with a budget they can work with for your pet's veterinary care should they be unable to contact you

In the above situation:

• there was no standard protocol in place for a sick pet
• the caregiver/kennel made a lay person diagnosis
• the regular veterinarian was not contacted by the caregiver/kennel
• the caregiver/kennel would not take agent, or interim financial, responsibility for the pet in their care
• there was no emergency budget in place for veterinary care

Expect the best but PLAN for the worst

and have a WORRY  FREE vacation!

Sarah's New Mug!

This is Sarah's new mug.

 Sarah loved her old mug as it held a lot of tea...a beverage she sips throughout the day. Although the new mug is beautiful Sarah isn't one to turn over something solely for the sake of beauty!

Sarah's mugs have radically different shapes. The shape is the key to the change.

Meet Siegfried....

...Siegfried is the catalyst for Sarah changing mugs!

After Christmas our AHT, Kari, decided it was time to get a dog of her own. Her wish list was a quiet dog that had an easily managed coat, was larger breed that was not aggressive and could jog with her for miles without tiring. At WBVC we are involved with medical and psychological management of various rescue dogs so it was only natural that Kari's dog was to be a rescue dog. We care for several rescued retired racing greyhounds. With time and dedication they all have become wonderful companions.

Thus Kari had decided on her breed of choice...a racing Greyhound rescue. The task... to find the face of HER companion. Days became weeks of looking on line...which faces touched her heart? White ones, grey ones, mottled ones, black ones, fawn ones and brindle ones were all on offer. There we males and females. Some were shy and others boisterous. Some older and others youthful. Some would eat a cat!

Kari added on to her search criteria. Male, as she worried a late spayed female may develop mammary cancer as she aged. Cat friendly as she has three kitties. Brave enough to come to work each day and laid back enough not to trash the office or her town home! 

The next step was seeing if Kari was deemed by Greyhound Pets Inc. to be a suitable Greyhound adopter. After several telephone calls, emails and  form filling Kari passed with flying colours!

In February a date was set for Kari and Sarah to take off a Friday from the hospital to visit the greyhounds and bring home the perfect fit. All was organized and then IT SNOWED...a lot!! Now Kari was worrying her short list of dogs, and thus her perfect companion, would be adopted to other adopters before she could drive to Washington. She was upset. However the weather cleared and off she went to Washington...without Sarah as there were now surgeries scheduled.

Kari met a lot of Greyhounds and a match was made...M's Motown Rock....a four year old, newly neutered, brindle male.  He was not one of her short listed dogs but he was her first choice. The fellow who had been on the top her short list came out to greet her and promptly lifted his leg and urinated on the hall wall! He missed out on a great home:(

Paperwork completed Kari and the newly named Siegfried headed back to his forever home.

He spend a quiet weekend at home and came to work with Kari on Monday. He had a great start at Greyhound Pets Inc www.greyhoundpetsinc.org . All his health needs had been seen to before he came home. His teeth are badly chipped and worn, presumably from biting at cage bars, and he has a small esophageal diverticulum but other than that he is in good form.

We quickly found that Siegfried: 

• will walk through any door that is even left slightly ajar
• is great with cats and other dogs
• is not so great with "Red" the clinic's African Grey
• can't be trusted with rabbits....to him they are the lure!
• loves soft doughnut beds
•  has to be fed with his food at chest level or higher
• gets upset when Kari is out of sight (thankfully this is resolving)
• is needy and loves to be touching someone
• is incredibly laid back
• is deaf to subtle hints
• never makes a bathroom mistake indoors
• panics and screams if you raise your voice at all
• would rather watch Kari jog than actually participate in jogging
• COUNTER SURFS

By now you may be getting an inkling why Sarah has a new mug.

Siegfried can drink up the contents of a mug without tipping the mug, without spilling a drop and without leaving a drop behind. It happens to all of us but I think he prefers tea over coffee. 

Sarah could not tolerate her tea disappearing any longer! Her solution...a very tall, very narrow mug. 

To our surprise it worked...he now drinks from everyone else's mug and leaves Sarah's alone!

To see Sieg's racing history and pedigree go to: 

 http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?d=M%27s+Motown+Rock&sex=&color=&birthyear=&birthland=

Check back...we will keep you posted on Sieg's transition to a house pet, running companion and clinic mascot:)


If you are looking towards a new dog in your life consider a Greyhound rescue. There are various groups that coordinate Greyhound rescue and here in the Pacific Northwest, Greyhound Pets Inc. are doing a wonderful job! 

WHAT a DOG!!

How to Pill A Cat

Giving your frisky feline their medication can be tricky and frustrating...for you and your cat. There are a couple of different techniques that can make this process easier for you and your feline family member. 

View the video below for some great suggestions.