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Pet Care

National Pet Week Starts May 1st

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National Pet Week began back in 1981. It is celebrated during the first week of May. The American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA) helped create this week that celebrates pets and encourages the best possible care of our companion animals. 

The AVMA  themes each day that you can check out by clicking here.

You probably won’t be surprised by many of the recommendations. But it is always good to see if you can make any improvements. Many of the tips can be applied to the human beings in the household, not just the pet.

For example, the AVMA recommends proper nutrition and exercise for your pet. What better way to improve your own life by being active with your best friend? Finding an exercise routine that both your pet and you can share is an essential joy that has long lasting benefits.

Unsurprisingly, they recommend regular checkups and screenings, particularly as your pet reaches the senior years. Just like humans, the preventive measures you take could extend the quality and longevity of your pet’s life. 

You could also review preparation protocols for travel and review the latest procedures for handling an emergency event. 

Whether you are looking to find a pet or already have one, your veterinarian is a great resource for making sure you understand all the facets required for a healthy, happy pet.

Let us know how you plan to celebrate National Pet Week. 

National Respect Your Cat Day March 28th

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Do you think that your cat feels respected? Like, really valued and understood? If the answer is maybe not, take the opportunity to turn that around on March 28th.

The National Respect Your Cat holiday was designed to bring awareness to the proper care of cats. According to PetMD.com, it is also a day to draw attention to the importance of interpreting and appreciating all cat behaviors. 

Today we are going to take Dr. Sarah Wooten’s top three ways she recommends you can show care and respect for cats. Let’s see how many of these you already do.

Suggetions

  • Respect the Hunt. Since cats are carnivores and natural hunters, an indoor cat needs a way to work through those natural instincts. Providing your cat with an environment that allows them to climb and hunt is important to curb boredom. Whether you create some type of cat tree or design a puzzle game or just give them an old fashioned cardboard box, stimulation is important to keeping your cat mentally engaged.
  • Respect the Claws. Vets know that declawing a cat can lead to lifelong pain in their toes. The alternative is to provide your cat appropriate areas to engage their natural scratching behavior. Do you have a scratching post?
  • Respect the Space. Much like introverted humans, cats that are too crowded run the risk of being stressed out. And a stressed out cat can start doing things that their housemates may not like, such as urinating outside the litter box. Be sure to give your cat a safe place where they can escape when they don’t wish to be bothered.

How did you do? Are you a respecter of cats? Let us know if you have any other tips or tricks to respect your cat on March 28th or the rest of the year. 

Celebrating National Veterinarian Technician Week

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This week you can celebrate the wonderful people who do the important work at veterinary offices all over the country. November 17-23 is National Veterinarian Technician Week.

The American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA) recognizes the value of these staff members on their website, offering thanks for all they do. AVMA says that Vet Techs are “critical to the day-to-day function of veterinary practices, and play vital roles in preserving animal health and welfare.”

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) focuses this year’s event on self care. The theme is appropriate considering that Vet Techs “have worked incredibly hard over the past 18 months, handling a workload and stress level never seen before.  It is critically important that NAVTA emphasize the importance of self-care and a healthy work-life balance.”

Understandably, with the number of pandemic pets adopted, it is no surprise that the volume of work for the pet healthcare industry has been overwhelming.

The poster for this year emphasizes who Vet Techs are “when the stethoscope comes off”. They highlight the many activities your Vet Tech might be engaged in when not in an exam room, lab, or office setting. You can find out more by going to their website at https://www.navta.net/page/nat_vet_tech . 

According to the Vet Tech Colleges website, Vet Techs are highly trained professionals deserving of recognition and gratitude. “Compared to human medicine, a Vet Tech can serve as a laboratory technician, a respiratory therapist, a dietician, a nurse, a radiation tech, an anesthesiologist, and a physical therapist in a single role.” 

If you are looking for gift ideas for your favorite Vet Tech, Vet Tech Colleges offers some options to consider at https://www.vettechcolleges.com/blog/vet-tech-appreciation-week. 

Thanks to all of our Vet Tech friends!

How Do I Know If My Pet Is In Pain?

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I think about pet pain a lot. My dog, Ginger, is 11 years old now and beginning to turn from a vibrant red to a heavy dose of white fur. And she’s struggled with lameness.

September is Pain Awareness Month for both pets and people. But, unlike those of us training for fall marathons who can articulate where our bodies hurt, pets cannot.

Signs

“According to the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC), more than 45 million household pets suffer from chronic or acute pain.”

Signs that you should look for according to International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) include the following list of most common signs of pain:

  • Decreased activity – Take notice if your animal is not playing as much as usual
  • Not going up or down stairs – This could be an early sign of osteoarthritis
  • Reluctance to jump onto surfaces – This especially applies to cats
  • Difficulty standing after laying down – This is a sign of osteoarthritis
  • Decreased appetite – This can signal mouth pain
  • Over grooming or licking a particular area – This can be a sign of referred pain

What To Do

Fortunately, there are a number of options available to pet parents. Ginger was able to get some physical therapy, massage, and laser treatments. That, combined with some relatively inexpensive medications, have returned her to a level of activity that is satisfying to see.

While her veterinarians were all good doctors, the resources available to do the therapy and laser treatments came as a result of a conversation with a behaviorist trainer. Her bloodwork never identified acute health concerns. It was only after doing a few expensive X-rays that some early spinal issues were spotted.

You may have to investigate resources for your pet if they are showing signs of pain. Fortunately, as the pet care industry has expanded, so have the number of options. Your vet may be able to offer suggestions for quality treatment options if their practice doesn’t provide them.

You are your pet’s best advocate, so keep an eye on them and have any signs of possible chronic pain looked into. You’ll both feel better.

Take Your Cat To The Vet Day

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According to PetMD, a recent study showed that more than half of the cats in the US had not been seen by a veterinarian in the past year for a wellness exam.

While I do not parent a cat, I know many people who do have cats. And they all indicate that getting their cat to the vet’s office is one of their biggest challenges. From the disappearing cat act when the carrier appears, to the fight to get them into the carrier and car, and the subsequent fight to get them out of the carrier at the vet’s office, it goes on and on. 

The woes of transport lead many cat parents to simply avoid the annual visit to the vet for a checkup. Many cite undo stress as the reason they opt to avoid the ordeal. According to PetMD, cats have a unique survival tactic that results in them attempting to hide symptoms of an illness until they simply can no longer do so. 

That means skipping those annual visits may result in a missed opportunity to address a treatable disease until it is too late to head off the worst. 

Symptoms and Signs

Since cats are creatures of habits, some signs that you should signal an immediate trip to the vet might be needed include:

  • Hiding
  • Change in eating or appetite
  • New litter box habits
  • Chang in sleeping location 

Strategies

There are some ways to minimize stress in those trips to the veterinarian with your cat. First, don’t get the carrier out until you are leaving for the vet’s office. Pulling it out too soon can result in a game of hide and seek you probably don’t want to play.

Second, you can build a positive association with the carrier in the months leading up to the visit. Or, consider a mild sedative prescribed by your vet to take the edge off your cat’s anxiety. If all of that fails, see if your vet would make a house call (there are still some that practice on site visits).

Let National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day be a motivator to get your feline seen for a wellness exam.