Lake County residents should be extra cautious about skunks.  There have been 3 rabid skunks in Lake County recently, and 5 in the past year.

Signs of rabies include:

• Daytime activity of animals usually out only at night
• Loss of coordination
• Loss of fear of humans
• Drooling
• Sometimes aggression
• Acting Sick

You can help to minimize the risk of rabies in your community by:

• Supervising and confining your pets
• Making sure all your pets have current rabies vaccinations
• Reporting suspicious animals (especially skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes) to your local police department

Thanks, and be safe!

The Doctors and Staff of Animal Hospital, Inc

When the lazy days of barbecues and swimming pools roll around, you can make them even better by sharing them with your favorite pet. By following a few summer pet safety tips, you can keep your animal friends healthy and enjoy the months of sun and fun.

Even with emergency treatment, heatstroke can be fatal. The best cure is prevention, and Fido and Fluffy are relying on you to keep them out of harm’s way. Summer does not have to be fraught with peril–with ample precaution, both you and your furry friends can enjoy those long, hot dog-days of summer.

Signs of Heatstroke:

• Panting
• Staring
• Anxious expression
• Refusal to obey commands
• Warm, dry skin
• High fever
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vomiting
• Collapse

From AAHA’s Healthy Pet

Every time your pet eats, food particles mix with saliva and settle along the gum lines. This smelly slime is plaque. If it stays there for more than 24 hours it will mineralize and become tartar, which sticks to the surfaces of the tooth like cement. The rough surface of tartar holds even more plaque which causes irritation and inflammation of the gums. This is gingivitis. As the gums become inflamed there is separation from the tooth to cause pockets where more plaque can accumulate. This is periodontal disease and is not completely reversible. Eventually the bacteria invade deeper structures that hold the tooth roots in place and can even invade the animal’s blood stream. Once in circulation, these bacteria can cause damage to internal organs like the kidneys, liver, or heart.

Our staff has been trained to alert pet owners when they see signs of dental disease. A dental exam by a veterinarian is the next step. The doctor will evaluate your pet’s mouth and recommend a treatment plan. This plan of professional dental treatment includes cleaning the teeth and along the gum lines, assessing the health of the tissues that support the teeth by probe and x-rays, and extraction of diseased teeth when necessary. These treatments require general anesthesia so your pet’s general health will be evaluated in a physical exam and pre-anesthetic blood tests.

Dental X-rays are a very important component in your pet’s oral health. These x-rays can help us make important treatment decisions that could be hard to make without them. They can help provide a clearer picture of how healthy your pet’s mouth really is, and they are highly recommended for all pets.

If your animal does not need dental surgery, then you can prevent your pet from needing it by taking good care of your pet’s teeth at home and coming in for regular checkups. Here’s how you can help prevent dental disease in your pet:

• Your pet’s teeth need to be brushed daily, and the gums need to be wiped. Get into a routine. Never use toothpaste designed for people’s teeth, and use a soft cloth or gauze to wipe along the gum line.
• Monitor your dog for periodontal disease by looking for: bad breath, yellow-brown crust on teeth, bleeding gums, change of chewing or eating habits, tooth loss, change in behavior, or abnormal drooling.
• You can also buy special products to ensure that your dog’s teeth are healthy and clean. This includes Science Diet T/D, for both dogs and cats, which has been proven to reduce gingivitis and reinforce your pet’s teeth. You can also use Oravet Plaque Prevention Gel, which usually is first applied by a technician after dental surgery. It is applied once weekly. These products are available for purchase at Animal Hospital Inc.

 Dental Health True/ False

• Chewing hard food and biscuits prevents dental disease. FALSE
  • Hard food still leaves particles as it is chewed. Some dental diets have a special design to remove plaque as it is chewed.
• Soft food causes most plaque and tartar. FALSE
  • Soft food is often swallowed whole without chewing.
• Wild animals do not get dental disease because they eat raw food. FALSE
  • Wild animals with dental disease may die from malnutrition or may live such short lives they do not develop as much dental disease. Raw food does not prevent dental disease and may expose the pet and owner to dangerous bacteria.
• Only small dogs have dental disease. FALSE
  • Small dogs may have more teeth crowding which increases pockets for plaque to accumulate. They also tend to live longer so they have more dental problems.
• If I brush my pet’s teeth he/she will not need dental treatment. FALSE
  • Brushing is an important part of dental care but cannot prevent all dental disease.
• Chewing bones, ice cubes and some toys can cause tooth fractures. TRUE
  • We recommend checking with your veterinarian about the best chew toys.
• Rawhide and dental chews can reduce the accumulation of plaque. TRUE
  • Make sure your pet’s digestive tract tolerates these products and always supervise.
• General anesthesia is much safer now than just ten years ago; even geriatric animals can be safely anesthetized for dental treatments. TRUE
  • Thorough pre-anesthetic assessments, safer anesthetic drugs, and modern monitoring equipment have greatly reduced the risk of anesthetic complications for dental procedures.
• Some breeds have more dental problems than others. TRUE
  • Dogs with unusual bites and open mouth breathing have many more risk factors for dental disease.
• Cats can get cavities and may need many teeth pulled. TRUE
  • Some cats get resorptive disease of the tooth roots and affected teeth need to be extracted to reduce pain and infection.

Please visit our website (www.animalhospitalinc.com) to print a valuable coupon for a dental cleaning for your cat or dog!

The doctors and staff at AHI wish you and your family a Happy New Year!!

Please let us know what we can do to ensure a healthy 2011 for the 4-legged and winged members of your family!

A huge Thank You to everyone who came out to AHI for pictures with Santa last night!  It was a huge success, and we raised $300 for the Cherished Cocker Rescue!  Check back soon for a few pictures from the event!

Santa Clause is coming to AHI!  On 12/20/10 from 2:30-8:00 he will be here to take pictures with your pet, kids, and even yourself!  There will be presents for the pets and candy canes for the kids.  Donations are welcomed and will be given to local pet rescue organizations.  Come and see the “Jolly Old Elf” himself!

With the weather changing and the road conditions not always at their best, we understand that these issues may prevent you from making it in to your appointment on time or even at all.  If you know you will be late or unable to make it in, please try to call to let us know.  We try to keep our records and schedules as up to date as possible, and with your help, this becomes easier.  We here at AHI are concerned for your safety and your pets safety all year through!  Thank you for continuing to trust us with your four-legged family members!

Don’t forget that Animal Hospital Inc. offers Gift Certificates that make GREAT presents for loved ones, human or furry!

1. Be patient with your humans during this time. Unless they try to force you to wear a ridiculous ‘costume’ complete with antlers.

2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. You may safely assume all the gifts are for you, that the bags are for your use, and that they don’t really mean it when they shout “No Kitty!”

3. Just say NO to collars with jingle bells, sweater vests, and Santa hats.

4. Your humans may bring a large tree into the house and sent it up in a prominent place, and cover it with lights and decorations.  Bizarre at this may seem to you, it is important to your humans.  Here are a few guidelines:

• That sparkly stuff that looks so appetizing and is called tinsel? Don’t eat it. It’s bad news. It’s worth a trip to the vet, where all kinds of unpleasant things happen.
• Don’t drink the water in the tree stand.
• If you do feel it necessary to climb the trunk, be careful not to knock any ornaments off the tree or to actually knock the tree down.
• The needles generally aren’t poison, but they will cause an upset stomach if you eat too many.

5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during the season. These parties can be lots of fun, if you play your cards right:

• Remember to seek out the people who are clearly allergic to cats, and spend the evening being very affectionate to them.
• Be generous; no guest should leave your home without cat hair on their clothing
• If any of the ‘guests’ sit on your sofa, you may sharpen your claws on their pant legs

6. Things that, if eaten, will land you in the vet’s office (remember, this is the place we want to avoid): mistletoe, lilies, amaryllis, chocolate, caffeine, potpourri, avocado, sago palms, eucalyptus, holly (all varieties), onion, garlic, many varieties of mushrooms. Contrary to popular believe, poinsettia plants are actually not all that toxic. They’ll usually just cause an upset stomach.

7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night. Feel free to bite and scratch him, especially if he drinks the milk that your humans obviously left out for you.

 1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed out than usual and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans.

2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.

3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers.

4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are some things you need to know:
     a) Don’t pee on the tree
     b) Don’t drink water in the container that holds the tree
     c) Mind your tail when you are near the tree
     d) If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don’t rip them open
     e) Don’t chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree

5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for some discretion on your part:
     a) Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans
     b) Don’t eat off the buffet table
     c) Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa
     d) Don’t drink out of glasses that are left within your reach

6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important:
     a) Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people’s houses. (4a is particularly important)
     b) Respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house
     c) Tolerate children
     d) Turn on your charm big time

7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night.  DO NOT BITE HIM!!