Skip to main content

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Yes, Happy New Year! It's a time for fresh beginnings and a reset to our lives. Have you thought about what you might want to do differently for your pets? While our furry friends tend to not make resolutions all on their own, it may be a good time to think about what is best for them. Here is a quick list of 5 things to think about for the new year that we think are important. 

1. Annual Exam: Have your dogs and cats been in to see our Vets in the last year? While many pets seem healthy, there are sometimes underlying diseases that are going on that we do not know about just by looking at them. Perhaps your pet has gained some holiday weight or has weight loss. Have they had bad breath recently? Are they drinking more water or urinating more frequently. Do you notice if your pet is panting more or seems painful? These are all reasons, and more to have your pet checked out at least annually, but sooner if they are not doing well. 

2. Check your pets breath and teeth routinely: Have you been avoiding kisses from your dog because his breath just smells horribly? Has your cat not been wanting to eat their food lately. It is hard to remember in the chaos of today to look at our pets teeth to make sure that nothing is wrong, but it is important to their health too. Dental Disease is one of the leading causes of health problems in our pets (can lead to heart problems as well as other issues) and easily preventable. It may not work in your schedule to brush teeth every day, but do remember that if we did not brush our teeth for years, we would have dental disease as well. 

3. Take your dog for more walks and monitor weight: We all can forget that it is great for a dog's mental and physical well being to go for walks. It also helps them with weight control and obesity. This is also very true for young dogs. A favorite saying is "A tired dog is a happy dog." A puppy going for a walk can help with potty training as well. It is also just as important to monitor your pet for weight loss. Weight loss that happens very quickly can be a sign of disease as well. 

4. Know your pets poop : Yes, you read that right, but we just wanted to see if you were still reading. If you notice that your pet seems to have an upset stomach and has either diarrhea or vomiting, it may be due to foods that they are eating. Avoid foods that cause these problems and know that some dogs and cats also can have stress diarrhea. 

5. Monitor for signs of pain : Would you know if your pet was in pain? For dogs, signs of pain can include, but are not limited to limping, vocalization, panting, hiding, loss of appetite, change in behavior, and change in normal body postures. For cats, these may include, but are not limited to change in litterbox habits, lack of appetite, open mouth breathing, irritability, hiding, licking unusal body areas, increased vocalization, clingy behavior, or appearance of the third eyelids. 

The overall message that we would love you to take away from this is that your pets rely on you and us to make sure that they remain happy and healthy. We can notice the trends in your pets, however you see them on a day to day basis and know them better than anyone else. We look forward to seeing you in the new year and hopefully it will be just for a wellness visit or just to pop in to say hello. Have a wonderful new year. 





written by Danielle Fuller ~ RVT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meet Cindy

Fun Facts about Cindy 1. She loves to to cook and bake. 2. She LOVES ALL Tortie colored kitties. 3. She irons her tablecloth for the holidays.  4. She enjoys gardening. It is a relaxing pastime.   Cindy has been with HDAH since the grand opening! As the office manager she plays an intricate role in the daily operations of Hazel Dell and brought with her many years of management experience. She has a large furry family. Her cats include Jabber, Winston, and newest kitty addition Zeva, followed by Maggie, her sweet dog. Cindy even has some llamas named Cara and Cleo, as well as horses named Zoe and Belle. Cindy can be found frequenting the lobby passing out kisses and treats to our patients and keeping our hospital running at it’s best!

Pet Dental Care at Hazel Dell

What happens when your pet comes in for a dental cleaning here at Hazel Dell Animal Hospital? During an Exam:  The first step for when your pet might need a dental cleaning is for one of our doctors to perform an annual exam.  It can be difficult for owners to recognize periodontal disease in their pet, but not all pets need a cleaning every year. Most dogs will need a cleaning every 1-3 years and periodontal disease not only shows up above the gum line, but below the gum line too.  Dental disease may also be noticed when your pet comes in for reasons other than their annual exam.  The night before: To minimize the risk for anesthetic complications we ask that you to pick up your pet’s food bowl, at 8pm. Then, tuck everyone into bed and get a good night’s sleep before coming in to drop them off for their procedure.  In the morning you’ll pick up their water bowl too.  http://www.nedhardy.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2015/january/cats_dogs_tucked_in_for_bed

Forward Booking

       When you gone to your Dentist or to your Doctor visits and the staff asked you about your next appointment? A year from now? That is just too far out! At first you may think that you have no idea what you will be doing in a year, but let's face it: We are ALL busy and we all FORGET to schedule our appointments. This is no different for our pets. Have you run into that situation where you are going out of town in a few days and your pet needs their vaccines updated before they can be boarded? Or has your senior pet needed their semi-annual visit and it wasn't on your calendar already?                   This is how Forward Booking can help!  You will not have to worry about when your pet's next annual appointment is because it will be scheduled a year in advance. You also have the piece of mind that we will send you a reminder a month before and confirm your appointment the week that they are due. If you need to change the date and time, we can help yo