Start 2015 On The Right Paw!

The New Year is coming up, and everyone is getting their most important yearly tradition ready: New Year's Resolutions! 

Here are a few simple resolutions and some New Year's Eve safety tips that can help keep your pet happy and healthy as they dive into 2015!

New Year’s Eve Resolutions

Schedule A Date With Your Vet - Since our pets cannot talk to us and tell us what is wrong or what hurts, regular visits to the vet are a key component of good preventive care. We recommend yearly physical exams for pets between the ages of 1-7 years old. However, senior pets, over the age of 7 years, and pets with medical issues may need to be seen more frequently, as these pets may require diet changes, supplements, and/or medication. Veterinary visits are also the perfect time to ask for advice, renew flea and tick preventatives, or get an expert opinion on any behavioral issues that may be affecting your bonding with your pet.1

Keep Those Teeth Clean! - According to veterinary dental studies, 70-85% of companion animals over the age of 3, have periodontal disease. Keep your pet’s teeth clean and healthy by committing to daily toothbrushing. If your pet isn’t fond of the toothbrush, ask us about other ways to care for your pet’s teeth. You can also stop by one of our free monthly dental seminars to learn toothbrushing techniques and other helpful dental care information.

Say ‘NO’ to pesky parasites - Fleas, ticks, and other parasites carry diseases that can cause illness for your pets and even for your family! Fleas can transmit parasites that can result in gastrointestinal symptoms and other illnesses for your pet. Terrible ticks can carry diseases, which, in some cases, can be quite serious. Prevention is the key to keeping your furry friend safe from these pesky parasites! A yearly fecal test is recommended, in all healthy pets, to screen for intestinal parasites. 

Start Weight Loss At Home - If you are committing to your pet’s healthier lifestyle, don't feel guilty about spoiling them less with food treats. Try putting some (or all) of your pet's dry food into a treat dispenser, like the KONG Cat Wobbler or the Dogit Go Slow Dog Bowl. Make sure you are feeding your pets the appropriate type and amount of food for his age and weight.

Get Moving! - Buy or make interactive toys, instead of reaching for that bag of treats. Focus on items that will get your cat moving, like a laser pointer or a feather on a stick. Get out the leash and take your pup for a quick, 20 minute walk in the backyard, or even around the house! Just remember to keep your pet up-to-date on their flea and tick prevention to avoid bringing home pesky critters!

New Year’s Eve Safety Tips

Microchip - Microchip or tag your pet. Loud noises from New Year’s festivities can cause pets to become spooked and run off.

Tire ‘Em Out - Take your pet for an extra long walk during the day so pets can sleep through the festivities

No Party Pets - Keep pets away from party foods and drinks - especially alcohol! When ingested, alcohol can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Peace & Quiet - Fireworks and other loud noises are frightening to pets. Keep them in a quiet area with plenty of water, toys, and treats to keep them occupied.

1. http://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/seasonal/top-10-new-years-resolutions-for-your-pet-you

Is your pet featured on your holiday card?

Get into the holiday spirit and enter our Holiday Card Contest for a chance to win a customized portrait of your pet from C.M. Maniet's Pencil Smudged Pet Portraits!

How To Enter:

Email your holiday card to socialmedia@rauanimalhospital.com to be entered into the Holiday Card Contest, and we will post your photo to an album on our Facebook page. Contest participants, friends, family, and the general public will be invited to vote for their favorite pet photo card.

Be sure to share your pet's holiday card on your Facebook page, after we post it, to encourage your friends and family to boost your pet's votes. 

We will select a winner on Wednesday, December 31st and award a special gift, which includes a gift certificate for a customized portrait of your pet from C.M. Maniet Pencil Smudged Pet Portraits!

Ronin & Keiko, our 2013 contest winners!

Contest Rules:

1. Email your pet's holiday card to socialmedia@rauanimalhospital.com

2. Please put your pet's name followed by "Holiday Card Contest" in the subject line of the email (Ex: Fluffy - Holiday Card Contest)

3. You may submit only (1) holiday card per family; and photos must be new to the contest (cannot resubmit from a previous contest)

4. Eligible holiday cards will be posted to our Facebook page

5. Encourage your friends and family to "like" your pet's holiday card

6. Photo submissions and voting will run until December 30, 2014 (11:59pm EST) and winners will be announced on December 31st, 2014!

Safe Hallowe'en for your Pets

Halloween can be a really fun holiday for humans, especially for youngsters. In all the busyness of putting up decorations, buying candy, and making costumes, do you think about how this holiday affects your pets? It can be a major upheaval and stressor in their lives. Here are some tips to make it a little easier for them.

Dangerous Ingestion
Keep the candy locked away. Many types of candy can be fatal to pets. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, raisins, and artificial sweeteners can cause things like low blood glucose levels, liver damage and kidney failure. Foil wrappers can cause tears in the intestinal tract when ingested. If you're having an adult party, make sure alcohol is far away from your pets because just a little bit can kill. Put decorative items such as corn cobs and pumpkins out of reach, due to the high risk of intestinal obstruction when ingested.

Decoration Catastrophe
Pumpkins also can pose a fire risk, so it's a good idea to use artificial candles. I purchase mine at the dollar store. Wires and cords can be a problem if a pet becomes entangled, smoke machines can cause irritated eyes or even burns if you are using dry ice.

Uncomfortable Costumes
Some pets ham it up and love wearing their doggie Halloween costume (I'm assuming cats hate being dressed up). Unfortunately, they definitely don't all like the capes, hats, antlers and what-have-you that accompany the holiday, so don't force them to wear them. The first danger of a costume is the possibility of eating it. Eating a large piece or even a small piece of fabric can cause a blockage, and strings or tassels on costumes can get caught in intestines. A few days before Halloween, put the costume on your pet. See how he or she reacts. Doing it a couple days ahead of time will get the pet used to the costume before the excitement of the big day. Animals really can read our moods, and if you have some really excited children in the house, it may make things very scary.
Another danger of costumes comes from a HUMAN wearing a costume, even a human that the pet knows. The animal may attack or run away. Pursuing your retreating pet while wearing a costume may elicit a fight-or-flight response that can pose danger to human and animal alike.

Anxiety
The excitement of the holiday can translate to anxiety and confusion for your pet. Animals can dart out the front door when it's opened to greet trick-or-treaters. Doorbells being rung every 3 minutes make noise and are not a normal part of everyday life. One thing I do is put a note on the doorbell that says "Zombies ate the doorbell. Please knock." It dissuades people from ringing the bell. Taking your pet out on the town on Halloween can be especially dangerous, not only because of the high anxiety, but because sometimes people do not act like themselves hidden behind their costumes and may do careless things or drive when they shouldn't be driving. Keep your cats indoors, ESPECIALLY black cats. Black cats are at greater risk at this time of year to be harmed.

Don't forget clear and up-to-date ID tags. If your pet does run out the door and get lost, the ID on your pet will help make sure you are reunited. Take those extra precautions and keep your furry babies safe!