Ducklings Think Corgi is Mom

What an adorable story from Discovery News. Love knows no bounds.

Frontline and generics

We have been getting a lot of questions about generic flea treatments. Frontline Plus has been on the market for 15 years, and we trust it to be safe and not cause reactions. While the claims are that the generics work the same way as Frontline Plus, we have some concerns.

The reason there’s an explosion of new products is that the patent on Fipronil (one of the active ingredients in Frontline Top Spot and Frontline Plus) recently expired. Because of this there are many new products saying they have the same ingredients as Frontline Plus. While the Fipronil may be the same ingredient used in the generics, Merial still holds the patent on the exact formulation of Frontline Plus, so there is no other product exactly like it.

We know that Frontline Plus is stored in the oil glands under the pet’s skin, and that you must wait 2 days before or after giving a bath to apply it so the natural oils are there. After that it is distributed continuously (for 1 month) to the skin & fur through the hair follicles. The ingredients that make Frontline effectively disperse on the animals coat is still under Merial’s patent. We cannot be sure the generic medication is distributed over the whole body in a safe manner. How is it done with the generics? We just don’t know. Distribution of Frontline Plus on the body

Who stands behind the generic product if there is a reaction or a bad batch? Merial stands by the Frontline Plus sold in veterinary hospitals. When you buy a 6 pack box of Frontline Plus and use it for 3 consecutive months on every pet in your house, and your pets get fleas, Merial will pay for an exterminator for your house. They also have a Buy 6 Get 2 FREE deal as long as the Frontline Plus is purchased from a veterinary hospital, so you can save a bundle.

We recommend you play it safe and go with the known product with a history of safe, effective flea control.

Smallest E-collar Ever

Today we had to improvise a bit. A female, 2-year-old hamster who weighed ONE OUNCE (aw!) named Ziggy came in with an injured foot, and Dr. Kirchhoffer, always the trooper, said she would do foot surgery. This is Ziggy in recovery wearing the smallest e-collar in the world. It's made out of a paper cup and medical tape.We are not hamster specialists. We recommend regular veterinary care at a vet that specializes in pocket pets, but we were very happy we could help out little Ziggy today.

Quick Tips from Esther

We have a groomer here at Rau named Esther Cheeves. She grooms any dogs up 85 pounds, and she gave me some quick tips for maintaining your dog's hair coat. All of these tips work for cats as well.

Get a Comb Use a quality metal pet comb to untangle fur. Pull it through slowly, making sure the comb touches the skin lightly, so you will be able to find any hair mats if they are there. Pay attention to behind the ears, under the collar, and under the armpits. You may also use a slicker-type brush, but it is not nearly as effective at catching mats. Esther uses a comb like the one pictured.Make Combing/Brushing a Regular Routine At least once a week, do a full-coat brushout. Place your dog on a non-skid mat on top of a table, bench, or any other flat surface. Stay next to them the whole time so they don't fall. Handle your dog's feet and touch its face, and make sure your comb touches the skin lightly as you brush. Be firm and gentle, and give treats and praise when the task is done. The younger you start, the easier it will all be, and a dog of any age can learn. For cats, many of them really enjoy being petted already, so moving to a comb from a hand will be only a small step for you.

Trim Nails For Healthy Feet When a pet's nails grow too long, not only can they catch on carpets, but they can change the way the paw hits the ground, and also grow into the paw pads. Use a sharp nail trimmer. If your pet's nail tips appear to be getting crushed when you attempt to cut, you need a sharper nail trimmer.

Keep Combing When it's Cold In the wintertime, it's fine to leave the coat long for insulation against the cold. However, the haircoat must be combed as regularly as in the other seasons. Matted fur is poor insulation and can even trap moisture, causing chills, and hair mats are also extremely uncomfortable, due to the pulling of the skin by the matted fur. If you want, it IS ok to bathe your pet in the winter. Just make sure he or she is dried off afterwards.

If you find any mats on your pet, the best bet is to take him or her to the groomer. Some people try to cut out mats and end up cutting their pet's skin. Once the mats are removed, you can maintain it much more easily.

Thanks for coming

Thanks so much to everyone for making the 6th Annual Roslyn Pet Fair a success! The winners of our Rau Raffle Baskets were N. Powell of Willow Grove, PA and J. Tribolet of Roslyn, PA.

Update: Thanks from the mention and link to our site from Marc Lombardi.

The Calming Cap

Your pet getting his or her nails trimmed can be pretty traumatic. If they are uncooperative, which most of them are, our techs have to restrain the pet, sometimes hold them down or muzzle, just to get the job done. It’s stressful on our technicians, because they really want to use a little restraint as possible, and it’s stressful on the pet, because who likes being restrained? It can induce panic and make the next nail trim even more difficult.

Recently, one of our technicians attended an animal behavior seminar. One of the products she came back with is called the Calming Cap. Gromit models it for you below.

Gromit is a friendly dog who is quite high energy. He was in to our office, and when the techs led him into the OR to get him up on the table, he started barking at a cage that didn’t have an animal in it. They pulled him away from the cage, and he was very excited to say hello to everybody, but was too wiggly to allow for a safe nail trim. The technicians put the Calming Cap on him, and he immediately froze in his tracks! They put him on the table, and as you can see from the picture, used minimal restraint on his body. The nail trim was done very quickly, and Gromit just stood there, not resisting at all. He was put back on the floor, the Cap was removed, and he immediately unfroze, going back to his wiggly, gregarious self. It was a truly amazing sight to see; I couldn’t believe this thing actually worked right before my eyes.

The Calming Cap is not for everyone. Another dog was in last week that tolerated the cap at first, but started to get upset that he could not see, so the cap was removed at the first sign of panic. We will never force a Calming Cap on; we will always listen to the animal’s body language and if the procedure is too stressful, we will not continue. Your pet is always in caring hands at Rau.

Thanks so much to Gromit’s people for allowing us to use his picture and tell his story!

6th Annual Roslyn Pet Fair

If you're looking for something to do this Saturday, look no further than Living Word Lutheran Church in Roslyn, PA. A gathering of animal lovers, there will be a large raffle with animal-related prizes, and best of all, RAU will be there! Come visit us at our booth for some great pet givaways. We hope to see you there at 10:00 am!