What would you do if…

...your dog ate the bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips that was left out on the kitchen counter?

 ...your cat had a seizure right in front of you?

 ...your dog fell down the stairs and started limping?

 ...your cat was overheating on a hot summer day?

To avoid the feelings of panic that may accompany these situations, we recommend the following steps to better prepare you for a pet medical emergency. The following links summarize the basics you need for giving first aid care to your pet.

Always remember that any first aid administered to your pet should be followed by immediate veterinary care. First aid care is not a substitute for veterinary care, but it may save your pet's life until it receives veterinary treatment.

First aid supplies
Our handy checklist tells you all the supplies you should have on hand for pet first aid. Print out a copy to use for shopping, and keep a copy on your refrigerator or next to the first aid kit for your family, for quick reference in emergencies.

How to handle an injured pet
Knowing how to comfort an injured pet can help minimize your pet's anxiety and also protect you and your family from injury.

Basic pet first aid procedures
Read our simple instructions for providing emergency first aid if your pet is suffering from poisoning, seizures, broken bones, bleeding, burns, shock, heatstroke, choking or other urgent medical problems. Print out a copy to keep with your pet emergency kit.

First aid when traveling with your pet
A few simple steps can better prepare you to help your pet in first aid situations while you are traveling. Remember: pet medical emergencies don't just happen at home.

Pets and disasters
Whether confronted by natural disasters such as hurricanes, or unexpected catastrophes such as a house fire, you need to be prepared to take care of your animals. A pre-determined disaster plan will help you remain calm and think clearly.

Adapted by an article posted by the AVMA.

 

Importance of wellness exams

Do you know the importance of wellness exams for your pet? At West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic, client education is very important to us. We encourage you to read this article and contact our team if you have any questions. Thank you!

Importance of wellness exams

Veterinarians recommend regular wellness exams for the same reason your physician and dentist recommend them – if you can detect a problem in its early stages, it's more likely to be treated and resolved with less expense, less difficulty and better success.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Vaccinations, heartworm prevention and routine deworming are important components of wellness care and can prevent diseases that are not only life-threatening, but very expensive to treat.

Your veterinarian can recommend a wellness program based on your pet's breed (some breeds are predisposed to certain health problems), age, lifestyle and overall health.

Originally published by the AVMA.

Can Cats and Houseplants Just Get Along?

West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic Cares For Your Cat

The team at West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic is concerned about health and well-being of your pet and we're committed to providing the most detailed, up-to-date information to our clients. If you have any questions about your pet's care, please contact us and we'll be happy to schedule an appointment with our team of qualified doctors. 

Cats and Houseplants 

If your houseplants are looking a little ragged or your cat shows symptoms of illness, interaction between them could be the cause. Houseplants may be good for the health of a home but can be dangerous for our feline friends. It is possible, however, to create a level of détente between them.

Although cats aren’t herbivores (their teeth aren’t designed for grinding plant matter), they do like plants as both toys and snacks. “I haven’t seen any consensus or definitive answer on why,” said Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC, owner of Cat Behavior Associates in Nashville, Tenn., who is a former veterinary technician and author of the recently released Think Like a Cat. “Chewing greenery may help with digestion, or something may be lacking in their diet. Boredom can do it; plants become something dangling and irresistible to bat and play with, and the next step is to chew on them.”

The problem is that “plants are either deadly or, at the very least, toxic to cats,” Johnson-Bennett said. “If they don’t kill your cat, at least it will experience intestinal disorders. Even the most basic houseplant, such as philodendron, is toxic, and toxicity can be extremely painful. Dieffenbachia can cause the cat’s tongue to swell, which affects breathing.”

Signs of Trouble

It’s fairly easy to tell if your cat has chewed on or swallowed a plant; the symptoms are vomiting, difficulty in breathing and lethargy. “If you see bits of plant matter in the vomitus or stool, there’s a good chance” the cat has snacked on your plants, according to Johnson-Bennett. Be sure you know the names of plants in your house, because knowing what plant your cat has eaten can affect treatment; inducing vomiting is sometimes the right move, but that can sometimes make matters worse.

If you notice these behaviors, call the veterinarian right away. “I don’t wait,” Johnson-Bennett said. “If I think my cat has ingested something poisonous, I am on the phone to the vet right away. Don’t have a wait-and-see attitude.”

The Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ poison control center (aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/plant-list-cats.aspx) may be able to help, but nothing replaces getting to the vet right away.

Creating a Safe Harbor

A big believer that cats can be trained, Johnson-Bennett said that cats can be discouraged from eating houseplants if you apply bitter antichew spray made specifically for plants to the tops and bottoms of leaves. “You have to use it a couple of times at first, and reapply it on occasion.” (Be sure to wear gloves and a mask when using such a spray, and to wash your hands immediately after using it.)

Give cats a safe alternative that fulfills their apparent need for greenery; grass is the best bet. “You can grow cat grass in a place away from your plants; there are kits at pet stores and organic food stores. Wheat grass is very safe,” Johnson-Bennett noted. This may cause vomiting as well in some cats as a natural reaction when eating grass.

The best way to encourage cats to leave plants alone is to make sure they have enough play time, activities and toys to distract them from the plants, she said.

By the way, cats aren’t the only animals to pose a threat to houseplants; dogs may also nibble on houseplants when bored or lonely. “Dogs are chewers, so that problem can be solved by providing chew toys—something that is self-soothing, encourages comfort behavior and reduces separation anxiety,” Johnson-Bennett said.

Even better than training your cat to stay away from your plants is to “train the plants”:

• Trim the trailing leaves and fronds of plants in hanging baskets to keep them out of reach.
• Move plants away from areas where your cat likes to play or relax, and out of the path to the litter box.
• Put garden netting or double-sided tape in planters in a criss-cross pattern to keep cats out.
• Put large (too big for the cat to swallow and too heavy to move easily) river stones on top of dirt so that potting dirt isn’t easily accessible, which is both effective and decorative.

RESOURCES

• The Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals maintains a list of plants that can be safe versus toxic to cats (aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/plant-list-cats.aspx).
• The Cat Fancier’s Association also maintains lists of plants that are safe for (cfa.org/client/plantsnontoxic.aspx) or poisonous to (cfa.org/client/plants.aspx) cats.

This article originally appeared in PetsMatter March / April 2012, published by the American Animal Hospital Association. Copyright © 2012 AAHA.

Traveling by Car With Your Pet

The team at West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic knows that your pet is part of your family, and you're going to take them with you when you travel! We recommend a few travel safety tips for hitting the road with your pet in the article below, but please always check with us about specific travel needs that we recommend for your individual pet. 
 

Traveling by Car With Your Pet

Traveling with a pet usually involves more than putting the animal in a car and driving off, especially if you will be driving long distances or be away for a long time. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) offers these tips to help you prepare for a car trip with your pet and make it go a little smoother.

If your pet is not accustomed to the car, take it for a few short rides before the trip. This can help keep your pet from becoming nervous or agitated, and may lessen the effects of motion sickness. If, after a number of practice trips, your pet continues to cry excessively or becomes sick, consult your veterinarian.

Buckling up is an important safety precaution for your pet. Many states now require that pets be restrained while in a moving vehicle, and restraints have several advantages. They help protect pets in case of a collision, and they keep pets from running loose and distracting the driver. They also keep pets from escaping the car through an open window or door. Cats and smaller dogs are often most comfortable in pet carriers, which can be purchased in various sizes at most pet stores.

Carriers give many animals a sense of security and familiar surroundings, and can be secured to the car seat with a seat belt or a specially designed carrier restraint. There are also pet restraints available that can be used without carriers, including harnesses, seat belt attachments, pet car seats, vehicle barriers, and truck/pickup restraint systems. No matter what kind of restraint you use, be sure that it does not permit your pet’s head to extend outside the car window. If pets ride with their heads outside the car, particles of dirt can penetrate the eyes, ears, and nose, causing injury or infections. Excessive amounts of cold air taken into lungs can also cause illness.

While packing for your trip, remember to throw in a few of your pet’s favorite toys, food and water bowls, a leash, and food. You should also carry a first aid kit for your pet, and know basic pet first aid. If your pet is on medication, be sure to have plenty for the trip -- and then some. Dr. Walt Ingwersen, AAHA veterinarian in Whitby, Ontario, points out that veterinarians cannot write a prescription without a prior doctor/patient relationship. This means that in order to get any drugs, your pet will need to be examined first by a new doctor. This may be inconvenient if you need medication right away. Also, if your pet is on a special therapeutic diet, bring along an extra supply in case you can’t find the food in a strange area.

Stick to your regular feeding routine while traveling, and give your pet its main meal at the end of the day or when you’ve reached your destination. It will be more convenient to feed dry food if your pet is used to it. Dispose of unused canned food unless it can be refrigerated. Take along a plastic jug of cold water to avoid possible stomach upset the first day, as new areas can have minerals or bacteria in their water supply that pets need time to adjust to. Give your pet small portions of both food and water and plan to stop every two hours for exercise.

Remember that your veterinarian is a good source of information about what your pet will need when traveling. Consider having your pet examined before you leave as well, to check for any developing problems. If an emergency occurs while you are on the road, you can call the American Animal Hospital Association at 800/883-6301 or visit our hospital locator for the names and phone numbers of AAHA veterinarians near you. Have your current veterinarian’s phone number handy in case of an emergency. Also, be sure to travel with a copy of your pet’s medical records, especially if the animal has a difficult medical history.

Some pets travel better while tranquilized. Tranquilizers can lessen agitation and motion sickness in pets traveling by car. Discuss this with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may suggest giving your pet a tranquilizer three to four weeks before your trip to check the dosage and adjust it if necessary.
Find hotels, motels, and campsites that accept animals and book them ahead of time. "Vacationing with Your Pet" by Eileen Barish is a directory of pet-friendly lodging throughout the United States and Canada. Copies can be ordered by calling (800) 496-2665.

Learn more about the area you will be visiting. Your veterinarian can tell you if there are any diseases like
heartworm or Lyme disease and vaccinations or medications your pet may require. A health examination following your trip should be considered to determine if any internal parasites (roundworms, hookworms, heartworms) or external parasites (ticks, fleas) were picked up in contaminated exercise or wooded areas. Also, be aware of any unique laws. Some places have restrictions on exotic animals (ferrets are not allowed in some cities), and there are restrictive breed laws in others, such as no pit bulls allowed. Your pet could be affected by these laws, so call ahead to the city or travel information bureau for more information.

To avoid losing your pet during a trip, make sure your pet is wearing an i.d. tag. To be doubly protected, consider having your pet tattooed or having a microchip implanted. "The more methods of identification, the better chance that the owner will be found," says Dr. Ingwersen. Microchip databases are specific to the United States and Canada, so register your pet in both countries if you will be driving from one to the other. Dr. Ingwersen also suggests owners register the name and phone number of a relative who can identify the pet in case the owner can’t be reached while traveling.

It’s important to carry health and rabies vaccine certificates, particularly if you will be crossing the border into Canada, the US, or Mexico. All three countries allow dogs and cats to enter if they meet stringent entry requirements. Depending on the country, exotic pets may be allowed to enter, though they may need further documentation. Call the Agriculture Department or embassy of the country or state to which you are traveling for information on the vaccinations, documentation, fees, or quarantine that may be required to bring your pet into the country.

Most importantly, try to plan ahead for unusual or emergency situations. What you don’t need in the middle of a trip is one more thing to worry about. "People get into a panic if they don’t have enough medication for their pet, no appropriate documentation for travel to other countries, or money to pay for border fees," says Dr. Ingwersen. "Be prepared by bringing a copy of your pet’s medical records, proper documentation and medication and knowing the laws going into the new city or country." Preparation is the most effective way to help ensure a smooth, enjoyable trip for you and your pet.

Originally published by Healthy Pet.