JOY CELEBRATION LOVE DREAMS SHARING CARING

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1 WELCOME to the 4th edition of Parkside Animal Hospital s monthly newsletter: December 2008, Vol. 1, No. 4. Look forward to health care tips and information, including services available for your pet; product rebates/promotions and much more, coordinating with the Parkside Animal Hospital website: Please feel free to make suggestions on what YOU would find helpful or enjoyable! Tis the season JOY CELEBRATION LOVE DREAMS SHARING CARING Wishing you peace at this holiday season, and blessings! Ludy Jessica Steve Rhonda Ashley Jamie Melissa Nancy Tracy Claudia Joanna Brittany Ashley Katy

2 Some of the many pets seen this month at Parkside! Bella Missy Mae LuLu Dakota Dublin Molly Rooski Ice Schautsie Ernie Marley Teddy Calvin Daisy Ripley Max Mr. Bella Camden Rocky Tiger

3 Have your PET PHOTO taken at Parkside! $10.00 per pet LAST DAY!!! photos taken: Wednesday, Dec. 17 th 2:00pm-4:00pm....cash donation; no checks or credit card; no people in photos. 100% of all proceeds will be split between LITTLE ORPHAN ANGELS RESCUE CAMP LONE STAR RESCUE Pets will appear on the Parkside Animal Hospital website and photos will be also be ed to you. Holiday costumes welcome but not necessary.

4 Ask the Vet By This month we thought we would change from discussing one single topic and do a Frequently Asked Questions page. All of the doctors, receptionists, and technicians at our hospital assembled some of the more common questions we get asked on a daily basis. If you find this article helpful, send us your questions and we ll post our answers in upcoming issues of the Parkside e-newsletter. Mail to: Questions Parkside Animal Hospital 1780 Rufe Snow Drive Keller, TX reception@parksideanimalhospital.com Why does my dog scoot and sometimes smell fishy? Dogs and cats have these little sacs that lie adjacent to the anus in the 5 and 7 o clock position called, appropriately enough, anal sacs. The sacs are lined by glands called anal glands. The glands secrete a foul smelling fluid that most people think smells like bad fish. Because these sacs communicate with the anus, little amounts of this material are expressed every time a pet defecates under normal circumstances. They can also be expressed when a pet is frightened or startled. Sometimes, the sacs become inflamed (anal sacculitis) or infected. If the infection is severe enough, the sacs will abscess and rupture creating a painful wound on the bottom immediately next to the anus. Some dogs never need help expressing these. Some dogs require regular expression of the sacs. Still others seem to have constant problems. If your dog is scooting, seems to be in pain, or is smellier than usual around the tailpipe, have your veterinarian check the anal sacs and see if they are a problem. How much food should I feed my dog/cat? By far, this is one of the most common questions we get! The simple answer is to check the bag. Most foods are about the same number of calories per cup. However, size of the kibble, quality of the food, and activity level of the pet all dictate the actual volume of food to feed. The recommended values on the bag are usually expressed in 8-ounce measuring cups. These are regular kitchen measuring cups, not stadium mugs, not teacups, and not giant scoops.

5 The ranges on the bag are assuming an INTACT (not spayed or neutered), average dog of average metabolism that is currently at an ideal weight. So, if your pet is spayed or neutered or has a slow/fast metabolism, the measurement on the bag might not be right. Spaying and neutering slows metabolism by about 25%. Therefore, most pets don t even need the calories in a regular adult food and only need a lite formula. Generally you want to feed no more or no less than 25% above/below what the bag suggests before you need to look for a different food that is more appropriate for your pet. Otherwise, the balance of nutrition isn t right and you ll either starve or fatten up the body. Lite foods are balanced to be fewer calories relative to all the micronutrients the body needs. Most importantly FEED YOUR PET, NOT THE BAG. In other words, find what works for them. If it doesn t seem to make sense with what the bag suggests, talk to your veterinarian and see if you re using the right food for your pet. Why does my dog shake her head? Usually the answer is because her ears itch. It could also be because something in her mouth hurts. All dogs and cats will occasionally shake their head. That s part of how they keep their ears clean. However, if the shaking seems constant or if the ear is red, full of debris, and stinky, go see your veterinarian right away so they can diagnose and treat an ear infection or mouth pain if either is present. My cat is indoor only. Why does she need heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention? Not long ago I would have told you that intestinal parasite prevention and heartworm prevention for indoor cats was a good idea, but that their risk was quite low. In the last three years, I have been proven mistaken! First, intestinal parasites have always been an issue for indoor cats. You can bring them in on your shoes or your cat could have had a very small infection at one point, but because they use a litter box and litter, it is pretty easy for them to self-amplify the infection and cause a severe buildup. For some parasites, like roundworms, this represents a real risk to you and your family. Second, research finished in 2004 at North Carolina State showed that heartworm disease in cats was being grossly under diagnosed. In other words, we were missing MOST of them! The majority of cats with heartworm disease actually develop severe asthma-like symptoms. Whereas we only saw occasional feline heartworm cases where there were adult worms in the heart, we saw quite a few asthma cats and never knew they were probably heartworm disease that triggered it! The most shocking thing to come of this study was that just under half (40%) of cats that were ultimately proven to have heartworm disease on autopsy were listed by their owners as indoor only! WOW! Turns out that mosquitoes are much better at getting inside than we thought! It also appears that the infection rate of cats in Texas is probably as high as one in ten! This is huge news and it has really changed how we approach PREVENTION in our cats. A product that prevents both intestinal parasites and heartworm disease in cats is now strongly recommended in ALL dogs and cats, whether indoor or outdoor.

6 My dog hardly ever goes outside. I give Heartgard every month religiously! Why are you still recommending a heartworm test to refill my prescription? Although uncommon, there is the occasional dog on heartworm preventative that manages to become infected with heartworm. Most of the time it is because we either forgot a month of prevention or perhaps the pet vomited the pill and we never saw it. I ve even had a pet that was spitting the pill out under the sofa and the owner didn t know until they moved the sofa and found 5 tablets! Because life and preventatives aren t perfect, the American Heartworm Society recommends annual heartworm testing. A good thing to know is that if your pet tests positive while they are on prevention, the manufacturer will nearly always pay for treatment. By the way, this only applies when the prevention is purchased through your veterinarian. On-line purchases are not warranted. ALL pets should be on heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention YEAR ROUND. It s rare to have a dog that doesn t EVER go outside, and so it s rare to have a dog that doesn t have direct exposure to mosquitoes or parasite eggs in the grass. Also, you can bring intestinal parasites in on your shoes. Finally, as I mentioned in the question about cats, indoor-only animals are still exposed! I ve killed mosquitoes in my living room in January in Texas before. The little buggers are amazing. So please protect you and your family. It s really easy, it s really safe, and isn t expensive compared to any kind of treatment. Why does my veterinarian suggest different vaccines and vaccination schedule than my friend s veterinarian? My, how things have changed regarding vaccines in the last ten years. Because of concerns about vaccine safety, side effects, and vaccine site cancers, there has been a huge push to only give vaccines that are absolutely needed and only when they are needed. This has been an issue for both human and veterinary medicine. Vaccines are CRITICAL TO THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE POPULATION. Without them, we d be dying early of small pox and our pets would be dying as puppies from distemper. These are nasty diseases and vaccines have been the difference between life and death. Here are a few facts: 1) Each vaccine is slightly different. Some vaccines only contain dead organism, some are modified live and as such are associated with different lengths of immunity. 2) We know that the core vaccinations of Distemper, Hepatitis (Adenovirus type 2), and Parvovirus last for longer than one year. They might last longer than 3 years and some may even last for a life-time. In cats, Herpes virus, calicivirus, and panleukopenia all last at least 3 years. Panleukopenia probably lasts longer, but herpes and calicivirus aren t likely to last much longer than three years. 3) Each major vaccine manufacturer that your veterinarian uses for their core vaccines (listed above) guarantees their product to protect pets for at least three years. 4) Several vaccines, including leptospirosis and bordetella, only last ONE YEAR at most. Some are probably only six month duration.

7 5) Vaccine associated cancers are infrequent, but are proven to occur. Some vaccines have been blamed more than others. 6) Your veterinarian has your pet s health first and foremost in their mind and will recommend the vaccination protocol that they feel is best for their patient. My puppy had two vaccines at the breeder when he was 6 and 8 weeks. Why does he need more than two? It s more about timing than numbers. Mom s immunity that she passed to the puppy begins to peter out sometime around 6 weeks, but can last as long as 12 weeks. Puppies immune systems become competent and able to respond to a vaccine sometime around 6 weeks, but can be as late as 12 weeks. Proper response to a vaccine takes about 21 days. If given too close together, they re not going to give the protection your puppy needs. The moral of the story is that we start sometime around 6-8 weeks, give vaccines every 3-4 weeks, and we need two vaccines over the age of 12 weeks to be sure they are protected. Pit bull terriers and Rottweilers require a booster at 20 weeks to protect against parvovirus because of their quirky immune system. Protocols can vary a bit from hospital to hospital, so follow your veterinarian s recommendations. How often should I bathe my dog/cat? Rule of thumb: When they need it, bathe them. Usually once a month is adequate unless they need it more often. Some dogs need bathing weekly. As long as you use the RIGHT shampoo (hypoallergenic, soap free, moisturizing, but NOT flea and tick shampoo), you can bathe more frequently. Focus on brushing and regular care of their hair coat. My dog s nose is cold/wet or dry/warm. Are they sick? Nope. Probably not. Maybe. Don t use the dog s nose to judge. It ll fool you. Use a thermometer to judge temperature and use the dog s overall attitude to judge if they re not feeling well. A dog s normal rectal temperature is usually between 100 and 102 degrees F if they re not exercising. I saw worms in my dog s poop! Help! What should I do? Don t panic! If it s summer and you see a bunch of moving rice grains in the stool that s out in the yard, they might be maggots. If it s a little, flat, rice grain stuck to the outside of fresh stool or stuck to the bottom, it might just be a tapeworm. If they look like vermicelli noodles, they might be roundworms. A FRESH fecal sample taken to your veterinarian can be examined to look for eggs and proper deworming treatment can be prescribed. Remember if you have questions you need answered, send them to the address below and we ll try to answer them in an upcoming issue of Northeast Times or in our e-newsletter. To sign up for our e-newsletter call our hospital at or reception@parksideanimalhospital.com.

8 PARKSIDE ANIMAL HOSPITAL e-newslette NEWSLETTER 1780 Rufe Snow Drive Keller, Texas FAX: Please meet DR. AARON HERNDON Dr. Herndon graduated high school from Grapevine High School and began his undergraduate studies at Texas A & M. He graduated from the College of Veterinary medicine at Texas A & M in He and his wife, Sonya, are parents of twin girls, Addisyn and Kerenza. While his professional interests include endocrinolory, nutrition, nutritional therapy, surgery ry and dermatology; his personal passions include organic gardening, heirloom roses, and cookery of all kinds. Dr. Herndon delights in collecting and modifying vintage receipes; and spending time with those delightful little girls! D.

9 Our groomer.. BRITTANY! with her darling Emily HOLIDAY GROOMING APPOINTMENTS are booking FAST.. call today! GROOMING APPOINTMENTS with Brittany currently being booked. MONDAYs -- TUESDAYs WEDNESDAYs THURSDAYs FRIDAYs Brittany has been grooming for 5 years and is extremely attentive to providing a positive, happy grooming experience for your pet. Bookings are currently 7 days out; but occasionally cancellations occur. Dogs must be current on RABIES and BORDATELLA vaccinations and cats must be current on RABIES vaccinations to be eligible for grooming services. Boarding your pet over the holidays? Consult our website for a list of boarding facilities and pet sitters in the area. Also, kennel cough is much more prevalent at this time. Get your bordatella (kennel cough) booster10-14 days ahead of boarding, if possible. Even a few days prior to boarding allows your pet to gain needed immunity; but please know, efficacy of this vaccination is in the 65-70% range. It is still possible for your pet to contract kennel cough, but usually the symptoms are milder and the duration is less. Vaccinate your pet as soon as possible!

10 Ludy Jessica Rhonda Steve Jamie Melissa Ashley Katy Nancy Ashley Tracy Claudia Joanna Brittany Friendly faces, caring hearts PARKSIDE ANIMAL HOSPITAL 1780 Rufe Snow Drive Keller, Texas

11 1780 Rufe Snow Drive Keller, Texas FAX: Rita Ruple, D.V..M. Dr. Wigginton Dr. Boeving Dr. Herndon Dr. Ruple Wishing you ha appiness in the holiday season, and the bles ssings of family and frien nds.