With the summer upon us, we want to provide you with information on how to prevent certain problems.

All pets, especially dogs and rabbits, are susceptible to overheating. Several dog breeds, which include flat-faced dogs like bulldogs and pugs, heavily pigmented dogs, overweight, older, and thickly hair coated dogs are especially susceptible to the effects of heat.

Be especially careful when your pet is in your car. On a hot summer day, the inside of a car in direct sun can heat up very quickly! On an average 85 degrees Fahrenheit day, for example, the temperature inside your car, with the window slightly rolled down, can reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit in approximately 10 minutes. In less than 30 minutes, the temperature can rise to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. On warmer days it will go even higher.

A dog’s normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees. A dog can withstand a body temperature of 107 to 108 for only a very short period of time before suffering irreparable brain damage, or even death. The closed car interferes with the dog’s normal cooling process, that is, evaporation through panting, and sweating through the pads on their feet.

If your dog is overcome by heat exhaustion, you can give immediate first aid by placing the pet in cool water until the body temperature is lowered, along with immediate veterinary attention.

One of the ways to prevent your dog from overheating is to take your dog for its walk early and late in the day when it is cool. Keep fresh water available at all times. Keep your dog indoors during the hottest part of the day. If it needs to be outside, provide shade and plenty of water. Apply sunscreen to the nose of dogs with light pigmentation.

The majority of skin conditions occur in the summer in most of our pets. This is because pets are outside more and exposed to potential allergens that cause skin allergies along with parasites like fleas.

In almost all these routine cases your pet will itch uncontrollably and cause some type of secondary skin infection. The best treatment is prevention.

Keep your pet’s hair trimmed very short in the summer for both dogs and cats. They will be substantially more comfortable and will get less hot spots and hairballs. Contrary to popular belief, they will be cooler even in the thickly coated dogs and cats.

Bathe approximately once per week with a high quality shampoo made for pets. Use a rinse afterwards to prevent drying of the coats. Its is advantageous to rinse your dog’s feet off before coming indoors to remove grass pollens that are the source of allergies. Check for ticks daily if they are in your locale, and any time your pet goes walking with you in woods, etc.

Always keep your pet on topical flea and tick prevention medication. These products are highly effective, convenient, and safe. Many of them also treat parasites and prevent heartworm.

This is the time of year when people plan on bringing their pet with them on car trips and airline flights. This can make your vacation more fun, or it can make it less rewarding. This depends on how well your pet travels and a little preparation on your pet.

Some pets go on car rides with their owner on a routine basis and will have no problem on an extended ride. Some pets though are conditioned to the fact that a car ride usually means the groomer, with an occasional trip to their doctor. These pets tend not to do well on a long car ride. Try to get them used to the car in small segments for a few weeks prior to any long trip. Minimize food and water prior to prevent vomiting, and take them to a place they look forward to. This might help them overcome any anxiety.

Make sure your cat is accustom to the carrier it will be in. Purchase a seat belt harness for your dog and do not let it sit in an airbag equipped passenger seat. Take frequent breaks for water, exercise, and bathroom. Of course never leave your pet alone in a car in the summer due to the potential for overheating.

Airplane flights can be a different story for some pets. Most pets do not travel on airplanes routinely so it is hard to predict their behavior. Always check with the airline prior to your flight to determine their exact policy regarding pets on their flights. Federal regulations require your pet to be at least 8 weeks old before flying.

Get to the airport early and exercise your pet before personally loading it into the crate if your pet is traveling in the cargo hold. Make sure your crate is approved and in good shape because your pet might try to escape. Let your pet have access to this travel crate for at least several weeks prior to your flight. Feed your pet the night before the flight and just give water during the day of the flight until you are at your final destination. If your pet has a medical problem check with your veterinarian on a feeding schedule.

Any time you travel you should have a picture of your pet, ID and your contact number on its collar, proof of all vaccines, and a health certificate from your veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian if a tranquilizer might be indicated for anxiety and to prevent vomiting. It should be given before you even leave the house to go to the airport. When you get to the airport give an additional tranquilizer only if necessary and according to your veterinarian’s directions.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

From the doctors at the Corner Animal Hospital

With the recent Menu Foods scare it might be a good time to review some of the symptoms pets show when they are ill with an internal disease. In some cases these symptoms are subtle and require careful observation on your part. Also, when a pet has multiple (and busy) owners it is easy to overlook the early signs of disease in pets.

Some symptoms of internal disease are obvious, the primary ones being lack of appetite and persistent vomiting or diarrhea, along with lethargy and a strong odor. Lets look at some of the more subtle symptoms that might indicate an internal problem.

A pet that does not eat its food as vigorously as it once did could indicate a problem anywhere from the mouth, to the brain, to the internal organs. Panting more than usual, even during the cooler time of the year, could indicate an internal hormone problem called Cushings disease or even discomfort or pain from arthritis or an internal organ problem.

Laying around more often, or gravitating towards warm areas could indicate another hormone problem involving the thyroid gland. Any eye or nose discharge that is persistent, and drains from only one side could indicate a number of problems. Subtle behavior changes that include a lack of recognition when your pet greets you, changes in sleep patterns, circling around a table in your house, staring into space, or wandering into a wall could indicate anything from an old age problem to a problem with a brain tumor or central nervous system infection.

A pet that drinks or urinates more than its usual amount is a potential symptom of many different problems. The same holds true if your pet experiences the opposite and drinks or urinates less. A significant change in the color of your pets stool, usually much darker or much lighter, is also a potential sign of many different problems.

One of the best ways to watch for any of these symptoms is to measure or monitor your pet’s drinking and eating habits. Use your calendar and mark your parameters down periodically. You can even weigh your pet monthly and write things down each time you weigh your pet. Any change that becomes apparent is an indication for a physical exam by a veterinarian.

Yearly Wellness exams that include a physical exam along with a fecal check for parasites and a routine blood panel go a long way towards identifying problems before they become well entrenched and difficult to treat. This is particularly true for our geriatric pets that commonly become ill but do not show any outward or apparent signs.

Cushings disease, technically called hyperadrenocorticism, is a hormone problem in which the adrenal glands produce to much cortisone. Even though it can appear in other animals, it is primarily a disease of middle aged and older dogs.

The small size of the adrenal glands, located at the top of each kidney, does not do any justice to their importance in regulating many body functions. In this disease an excess of the hormone called cortisol is released into the bloodstream. This hormone circulates throughout the body and has a profound effect on many of the internal organs.

In most cases the cause is a very slow growing tumor in the pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce and excess of cortisol. In a much smaller number of cases the adrenal glands themselves ban have an benign or malignant tumor that causes the excess secretion of cortisol.

Many of the symptoms of this disease are subtle, and can wax and wane. Things to watch for are excessive appetite or panting, drinking or urinating more than usual, a pot bellied appearance to the abdomen, or skin changes.

A routine physical exam with a blood panel can give us an indication of this problem. Specialized hormone tests are needed for a definitive diagnosis. Sometimes we even perform an ultrasound to try to visualize the adrenal glands.

Several different medications are used to treat the usual form of Cushings. Your doctor will tell you which one is appropriate in your pet’s case. Surgery is not commonly utilized and can lead to post operative complications. To learn substantially more about this problem follow this link: http://www.lbah.com/canine/cushings.htm

As sure as the sun rises every Easter morning, many moms and dads give in to “Easter bunny” temptation and buy a rabbit for their kids, vastly underestimating the amount of care that bunnies require. Weeks later, when “bunny fever” has subsided, many will consign now-unwanted bunnies to outdoor hutches, dump them at animal shelters, or simply set them free outdoors, where they will starve or be killed by predators. Most will end up dead or abandoned before their first birthday.

Kids Begging for an “Easter Bunny”?

Ask yourself this:

• Are you ready to possibly shell out more than $100 to get bunny neutered or spayed? Bunnies become sexually mature between 4 and 6 months of age. Left intact, they often chew, spray, bite, smell, and make more bunnies.
• Are you looking forward to more potty-training and bunnyproofing? Bunnies suffer horribly in cages and must be litterbox trained so that they can live happily in your home, but if your home isn’t rabbitproof, they will sharpen their teeth on electrical wires, house plants, or your new IKEA chaise or oak table.
• Is your child planning on taking bunny to college? Bunnies can live to be 10 years old, so you’re looking at a commitment that will last for many Easters to come.
• Rabbits must be brushed regularly because they shed like crazy and are susceptible to hairballs; if they get one, they can’t cough it up like cats do. They have to be taken to the vet and treated (possibly even operated on) or they’ll die.
• Do you like playing beauty shop? Clipping nails is no walk in the park, especially when Thumper tries to thump you in the stomach with his powerful back legs!

If you answered, “No way!” to any of these questions, please pass up those cute animals in store windows this Easter and choose stuffed animals instead. Remember, bunnies are not a child’s toy; they are at least a 10-year commitment.

Fascinating Rabbit Facts

Famous for their reproductive abilities, rabbits can have multiple litters of up to nine young, known as “kittens,” each year. Bunnies are born helpless in a shallow hole lined with grass and mamma’s fur, but they grow rapidly and are very social animals who live together as a family.

Although rabbits build nests, the parents do not stick around much during the day after their kids are born since they might attract predators. The youngsters hunker down at the bottom of the nest, hiding until mom shows up for mealtimes.

A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing! Like beavers, they are kept worn down by gnawing on food and wood. But they aren’t rodents! They are called lagomorphs.

Normally, adult rabbits occupy about 2 acres or even more if food is in short supply.

Why Bunnies Aren’t Suitable for Young Children

Rabbits are extremely sensitive, and the enthusiasm of even a gentle toddler is too stressful for bunnies. Rabbits are ground-dwelling animals who become frightened when held and restrained. The result? Children lose interest and the bunny is left alone in a cage or abandoned.

Be Prepared

Spay and Neuter: Rabbits will live healthier and longer lives when altered and won’t contribute to the overpopulation problem. As your companions, they will be calmer, easier to litter train, and able to enjoy the company of other animal friends because they won’t exhibit such aggressive behavior. Surgery can be safe for rabbits, but it is important to choose a knowledgeable and experienced rabbit veterinarian.

Rabbitproof: Since your bunny is happiest being a part of the family, you can provide a safe place for him or her by redirecting electrical wires and moving plants and other furnishings out of the way. Because of their instinct for digging, it is best to provide a large box or basket filled with shredded paper. Your bunny will enjoy lots of toys to play with, such as untreated wood, straw, wire cat balls, keys, paper towel rolls, and hard plastic baby toys.

Caregiving: Rabbits love attention! Groom them at least once a week to control shedding and for quality bonding time. Contrary to the belief that rabbits like to be left alone, bunnies need daily monitoring and space for running, jumping, and using those hind legs. Confining them to a wire hutch without interaction, exercise, or comfort is cruel. A diet of grass, hay, fresh vegetables, and a limited amount of pellets will keep your bunny in shape.

Adopting: Clearly, rabbits aren’t for everyone. Are you a gentle adult living in a quiet household? If you think that you’re someone who would enjoy sharing life with a bunny, please visit your local shelter or rabbit rescue group. Please NEVER buy bunnies from a pet store. These animals often come from rabbit mills, where they are overbred. Dealers and “pet” stores usually request 4-week-old bunnies because they require less space and are “cuter,” but bunnies of this age are ill-prepared to be weaned from their parents. An animal who is purchased at a pet or discount store will be replaced by another one from these rabbit mills, leaving one less home for a bunny already in an animal shelter awaiting adoption.

(Source: helpinganimals.com)

Allergy Fighters

“The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided,” says researcher James E. Gern, MD, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

However, a growing number of studies have suggested that kids growing up in a home with “furred animals”-whether it’s a pet cat or dog, or on a farm and exposed to large animals-will have less risk of allergies and asthma, he tells WebMD.

In his recent study, Gern analyzed the blood of babies immediately after birth and one year later. He was looking for evidence of an allergic reaction, immunity changes, and for reactions to bacteria in the environment.

If a dog lived in the home, infants were less likely to show evidence of pet allergies-19 percent versus 33 percent. They also were less likely to have eczema, a common allergy skin condition that causes red patches and itching. In addition, they had higher levels of some immune system chemicals-a sign of stronger immune system activation.

“Dogs are dirty animals, and this suggests that babies who have greater exposure to dirt and allergens have a stronger immune system,” Gern says.

Date Magnets

Dogs are great for making love connections. Forget Internet matchmaking-a dog is a natural conversation starter.

This especially helps ease people out of social isolation or shyness, Nadine Kaslow, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, tells WebMD.

“People ask about breed, they watch the dog’s tricks,” Kaslow says. “Sometimes the conversation stays at the ‘dog level,’ sometimes it becomes a real social interchange.”

Dogs for the Aged

“Studies have shown that Alzheimer’s patients have fewer anxious outbursts if there is an animal in the home,” says Lynette Hart, PhD, associate professor at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

“Their caregivers also feel less burdened when there is a pet, particularly if it is a cat, which generally requires less care than a dog,” says Hart.

Walking a dog or just caring for a pet-for elderly people who are able-can provide exercise and companionship. One insurance company, Midland Life Insurance Company of Columbus, Ohio, asks clients over age 75 if they have a pet as part of their medical screening-which often helps tip the scales in their favor.

Good for Mind and Soul

Pet owners with AIDS are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. “The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets,” says researcher Judith Siegel, PhD.

In one study, stockbrokers with high blood pressure who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did people without pets.

People in stress mode get into a “state of dis-ease,” in which harmful chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine can negatively affect the immune system, says Blair Justice, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health and author of Who Gets Sick: How Beliefs, Moods, and Thoughts Affect Your Health.

Studies show a link between these chemicals and plaque buildup in arteries, the red flag for heart disease, says Justice.

Like any enjoyable activity, playing with a dog can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine-nerve transmitters that are known to have pleasurable and calming properties, he tells WebMD.

“People take drugs like heroin and cocaine to raise serotonin and dopamine, but the healthy way to do it is to pet your dog, or hug your spouse, watch sunsets, or get around something beautiful in nature,” says Justice, who recently hiked the Colorado Rockies with his wife and two dogs.

Good for the Heart

Heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without, according to several studies. Male pet owners have less signs of heart disease-lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels-than non-owners, researchers say.

(Source – Oprah.com)

Dog lovers will enjoy the pictures, but the words that follow are pretty powerful…

A Dog’s Purpose (from a 6-year old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why.’

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, ‘People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’  The Six-year-old continued, ‘Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

College students who own a pet are less lonely or frazzled, survey finds

When school gets too overwhelming, college student Joanna Olsen has a tried-and-true stress reliever: an hour of Frisbee with her dog, Mischka.

“She always seems to know when I’m stressed and comes over and paws at me if I seem out of it,” says Olsen, a senior equine business major at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., of her beloved rat terrier.

When deadlines loom and homework piles up, a furry friend can be a source of support, companionship and stress relief for college students, finds a recent Ohio State University study. While other research has shown that pets can reduce anxiety and provide comfort for the elderly or the terminally ill, the new study showed the same is true for college students – a demographic dealing with the simultaneous worries over leaving home and the uncertainties of entering the real world.

Chasing the blues away

Researchers found that students who lived with a pet were less likely to report feeling lonely or depressed. They often relied on the animal to help them through stressful times, says lead author Sara Staats, professor emeritus of psychology at OSU’s Newark campus.

“Many students said that their pets fulfill a significant role that is missing in their lives,” Staats says. “The pets are not a substitute for human social interaction and support, but they do provide important interaction for these kids who might otherwise feel isolated from their current environment.”

The study was based on survey responses from 350 pet-owning students at the college campus, as well as nearby community members who had dogs or cats.

Nationwide, just a handful of colleges and universities, including Stephens College, allow students to keep pets on campus. While Lory Arnold, director of residential life at Stephens, has seen the comfort a pet can provide a student, she cautions that caring for a pet while in college could add more pressure to an undergraduate. Finding adequate time and money to keep an animal well-cared for can be difficult for a busy college student.

For Olsen, Mischka’s expenses are covered by money she sets aside from her summer job each year. But when she’s rushing from class to the library to parties, Olsen admits feeling a little guilty over not giving her pooch enough attention.

“Sometimes it’s hard to spend enough time with her. I’d like to take her for walks … more often than I am presently able to,” Olsen says. “Sometimes I worry that she gets bored, but she has her own personal indicator to me that I need to change something: She pulls the stuffing out of her pillow when she has nothing else to do. So unless I want to have a ‘pillow fund,’ I have to make sure she doesn’t get bored.”

Still, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

“My days are usually brimming with activities and at the end of the day it’s nice to just play with my dog or take her for a walk and forget about things for a little while,” says Olsen.

Julie Chappell, a sophomore majoring in communications at DePaul University in Chicago, doesn’t have the family golden retriever, Allie, with her at school, but says there are days when Allie’s presence would be a plus.

Furry stress reliever

“Allie is such a stress relief when I’m at home. If I’m working on an essay or studying and I feel overwhelmed, she always helps me relax,” Chappell says.

But would she want Allie with her at school all the time? Not exactly.

“While I would love to have Allie or a pet living with me, that would be a horrible idea,” she says. “If I’m not busy with school, I’m busy with my social life, which includes going out and sometimes coming home at unnatural hours. I would not be able to devote enough attention to an animal, no matter how hard I wanted to.”

Schools that permit pets typically limit pets to certain floors or buildings. At Stephens, which has allowed pets since 2004, only one residence hall permits pets, and students must abide by rules addressing such issues as noise, grooming and waste disposal. Abandonment between semesters, which is often a concern of humane groups, isn’t really an issue at Stephens, Arnold says.

“A lot of students bring their pets from home,” she says. So, “they take them home with them.”

While a pet can ease loneliness for some students, it could cause others to feel more isolated. “Students will stay in their rooms because they want to spend as much time as possible with their pet because they’ve been in class all day and their pet’s been alone, says Arnold. “So they don’t socialize as much as they probably should when they have a pet in their room.”

The pet policy is sometimes a factor for students who are deciding between Stephens and another college, Arnold says.

That’s not surprising, says Stephen Zawistowski, the executive vice president of programs and science advisor for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“(A) lot of these kids were … the first generation of latchkey kids,” Zawistowski says. “In many cases, the dog and the cat were the family they greeted when they came home. The stresses of school and homework and everything else were shared with that companion animal.”

So while students can’t bring mom or dad or siblings along with them to school, with a pet, “you can have a piece of your household that you remember and enjoy a great deal,”says Zawistowski.

For Mischka, at least, the choice of Stephens was a no-brainer.

“When I couldn’t decide between Stephens and another college,” Olsen says, “one morning I woke up and found that Mischka had gotten sick – on my acceptance letter to another college.”

(Source: msnbc.com – by Kim Campbell Thornton msnbc.com contributor)

Arthritis literally means inflammation of the joint, but the term is used more generally to describe several different processes. Many people use the term arthritis synonymously with osteoarthritis (OA), a complex, slowly progressive, and degenerative arthritis that is characterized by the gradual development of joint pain, stiffness, and a decreased range of motion.

This is a prevalent disease as pets age, especially the larger breed dogs. The signs can be subtle and easily missed early in the course of the disease. This is especially true in the larger breed dogs that can be stoic and not show overt signs of pain even though the pain is present.

Signs to watch for a slow rising in the rear quarters after resting, slowing down after a period of time on routine walks, limping on any leg, and lethargy after returning from a walk.

Cats get this problem also, commonly manifested as reluctance or inability to jump routinely, and sensitivity when petting the spine along the lower back.

There have been tremendous advances in recent years for the treatment of this painful condition. We use a balanced medical approach in our treatment of arthritis, using the body’s natural healing process with judicious use of medications used to directly decrease pain in increase comfort for your pet.

Signs that your pet may have arthritis include:

• Favoring a limb
• Difficulty sitting or standing
• Sleeping more
• Seeming to have stiff or sore joints
• Hesitancy to jump, run or climb stairs
• Weight gain
• Decreased activity or less interest in play
• Attitude or behavior changes
• Being less alert

Shop for Pet Arthritis Medication at the Corner Animal Hospital’s Online Pet Pharmacy here

Some of our pet arthritis medications include:

• Cosequin DS Chewable Tablets for Dogs
• Cosequin for Cats
• Glyco-Flex (GF 600) for Dogs
• Synovi G3