🌷 Grass is growing and flowers are in bloom. Your pet may be tempted to eat them - don't let them! This can upset their stomach and cause diarrhea. Some common plants around here, like lantana camera or lilies, are also toxic. Check out the ASPCA's Poisonous Plant guide. You might want to take pictures of plants in your yard and do a reverse Google image search to determine what kind of plants they are. Also, make sure your pet doesn't drink from any standing water like puddles from heavy rain or birdbaths. Puddles that have formed from rain runoff can be a source of leptospirosis, other bacteria, and parasites.

 🐝 We talked about flora; how about fauna? Watch out for bugs, snakes, and spiders! All of these types of bites (or stings) can present similarly - sudden painful swelling, usually on a paw or the face. Each scenario is urgent (some cases more so than others). Seek medical treatment right away, especially if it's a snake bite, there's swelling on the face, or hives all over the body. It's a good idea to have Benadryl on hand to be able to give right away, but the pet usually needs steroids and maybe pain relief as well. If your pet is bitten by a snake, take a picture of the snake if you are safely able to do so. It can help determine what treatment your pet needs. 

 🐶 If you paused on flea, tick, and heartworm prevention, now is the perfect time to restart. Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, so it's very easy for a dog that's not on heartworm prevention to become infected. Visit our online pharmacy to get trusted products to keep your pet safe. Questions? Don't hesitate to call, text, or email if you need help determining which products are best for your pet. 

 🐱 Warmer weather means we like to get outdoors more, and a lot of times we take our dogs with us. Cats that explore outdoors will want to be outside more. More socializing means more opportunity to transmit diseases. Make sure your pet is up to date on vaccines! For dogs, this means at least DHPP and Rabies. Bordetella and flu vaccines are also recommended, especially for those that will be around a lot of other dogs, such as at the dog park, doggie day care, the groomers, or boarding. Cats should have at least FVRCP+C and Rabies vaccines. The Feline Leukemia vaccine is also recommended for cats that go outdoors. 

 🌞Spring is the time for change and the one thing that changes the most is the temperatures! What might feel like a perfect day for us can be really hot for our pets. On a 70 degree F day, the temperature inside a parked car can reach 100 degrees in just 20 minutes. See this AVMA article's hot car temperature chart. Watch for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke: excessive panting, excessive drooling, weakness/collapse, vomiting, disorientation, racing heart, muscle tremors, and seizures.  Temperatures fluctuate a lot this time of year, don't let a hot day catch you off guard. 
 
 🌼 Last but not least, spring = allergies! If your pet is exhibiting allergy symptoms such as itchy skin, infected ears, or nasal and ocular discharge, then they should be seen by a vet. Antihistamines, such as Benadryl, do a better job at preventing allergy symptoms than treating a reaction. Once your pet has itchy skin and a skin infection, they will need antibiotics and possibly steroids to treat it.  See my previous blog post to go in depth about allergies. 

Hope this information helps you and your pets have an enjoyable spring! 😎

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Spring is in the air! And so are allergens. This time of year we see a lot of pets with ear and skin issues due to allergies. Let's talk about the different types of allergies.

Fleas
First and foremost are flea allergies. Some pets are not only itchy from the usual flea itchiness, but they're actually allergic to the saliva of the flea. It's hard to imagine something so small causing so much damage but it happens! Common symptoms of Flea Allergic Dermatitis (FAD) include itching, fur loss (particularly around the back of the neck and near the rear - fleas' favorite spots), and red skin. It's important to address the flea issue, but also to address the secondary skin infection that usually accompanies this allergy.

Atopy - Inhaled allergens
The second most common type of allergies are inhaled allergens. We're talking about pollen, mold, cigarette smoke, cutting the grass, smoke from burning leaves, etc, that manifests as itchy skin. Does your dog have seasonal or chronic ear infections? Lick their paws constantly? These are common symptoms of atopy. It's important to thoroughly clean the ears and treat them with medication, as well as stay on antihistamines throughout your pet's allergy season (which may only be spring, or it could be all year round).

Food
Food allergies can be challenging because without an allergy panel it's a process of elimination and guessing. Luckily, there are hypoallergenic prescription diets to cut to the chase if a food allergy is suspected. We can also send off a blood sample to the lab where they will test against a large panel of allergens and different brands of food to see what your pet is allergic to.

Contact
Contact allergies are usually pretty easy to figure out. It usually follows an event such as carpets being shampooed or new clothes detergent being used.

Asthma
Cats can develop asthma due to allergens. Symptoms include coughing (they may sound like they are trying to get a furball out of their throat) and wheezing. Cats with asthma may need steroids, bronchodilators or even inhalers. They make a chamber mask to help administer the inhalers since it's hard to demand a cat when to inhale ;) Surprisingly, cats tend to get used to it after awhile! Maybe the realize it helps them breathe better?
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Summation theory
Dr. Mastafiak uses the term "summation theory" to explain why you pet my have an allergy that suddenly decides to flare up at times. For example, maybe your pet has minor food allergies that are easily managed, but when spring time comes and the pollen is in the air their allergies are out of control. We can't do anything about the pollen in the air, but we can try a hypoallergenic diet to help reduce allergic reactions. 

How to treat allergies
Treatment depends on individual needs but consists of treating:
- skin infections
- ear infections
- difficulty breathing
- itchiness
- watery or dry eyes

Usually, antibiotics and steroids are initially required to treat skin and ear infections and help with the itchiness and inflammation. Then pets are maintained on antihistamines. If the allergic reactions are severe and persistent, sometimes an immunosuppressant like Cyclosporine is prescribed. Immunosuppresants and Immunomodulators can have some potentially serious side effects, so Dr. Mastafiak tries to hold off prescribing Cyclosporine or long term steroid use until it has been proven that antihistamines and a hypoallergenic diet are not enough to put an end to allergy discomfort. 

The main take away is this: If your pet is itchy, licking their paws, and/or has dirty ears it's likely that they have allergies. Depending on how bad the allergy symptoms are, your pet may need to be seen for antibiotics and/or steroids; But what you can (and in some cases maybe should) do at home is:  

-Get rid of fleas. We like the name brand Frontline, K9 Advantix, Advantage or Seresto collars. You can also give Capstar/Fastcaps (Nitenpyram) at the same time as applying one of these flea/tick control methods. Capstar/Fastcaps will kill what fleas are on your pet at the moment, but does not offer residual prevention. You don't have to do this at the same time as applying one of the preventions listed about (Fronline, Advantix, or Seresto) but it your pet is really miserable from the fleas, it is a safe to give at the same time.  Don't forget to separate a flea/tick application from a bath by 2 days. This means, if you have given your pet a bath, wait 2 days to apply Frontline or Advantix. Then wait another 2 days after application to give a bath if your pet needs one. This is because the topicals work via oils on the skin. So if you bathe your pet and then immediately apply Frontline or Advantix, it will not be able to spread over all of the body since the oils have been washed away.  

-Clean out the ears and USE SALINE. Ear cleaner will BURN infected ears. When they are red and raw you want to use saline and gauze to gently clean out the ears. Cleaning will help, but they probably will need medication to get rid of the infection. 

-Bathe your pet in a hypoallergenic shampoo or something mild like baby shampoo. DO NOT use Dawn! I know there have been many rumors over the years about using Dawn to get rid of fleas. The truth is ANYTHING that suds up will kill fleas, so you don't need to use something as harsh and drying as Dawn. It's great if your pet has been in an oil spill, but for regular baths it's pretty harsh and will dry out their skin.. leading to more itching. 

- Give Benadryl. The dose is a milligram per pound of body weight twice daily. So if your pet is about 12.5 lb, give 1/2 of a 25 mg tablet twice daily. 25 lb gets 25 mg, 37 lb - 1 1/2 tabs of 25 mg, 50 lb - 50 mg, etc. if you have the 25 mg tabs just divide your pet's weight by 25 and that's how much their dose is. If applicable, try to get to the closest fraction of a tablet without going over.  There are other antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Claritin, etc but in our experience they haven't been as effective as Benadryl. Cats however do have another option with Clemastine. Their dose is once half (1/2) of a 1.34mg tablet once daily.  Since these are over-the-counter drugs we want you to be aware of the correct dosage for your pets, but as always, it's best to consult us or your pet's vet before starting any medicine, especially if your pet is already taking medication.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

At home you can use dental chews, oral hygiene rinse, and brushing to help combat tartar and bacterial buildup. But the closest thing that will get their mouths "back to square one" is a professional dental while under sedation.

I know you want the best for your pet. Maybe you already know this and have tried to get your pet to lose weight. It's hard! (Especially for cats!) Here are some vet-approved tips to help you out.

• I know the biggest challenge to exercising your dog is probably you trying to find the time. Try walking your dog for 5 minutes a couple times a week. If your dog isn't used to walking for a long period of time, you'll want to start small anyway.
• For cats, try getting exercise in by playing with the laser pointer, feather, or something else that attracts their interest to hunt and chase. They even make automatic laser pointers with a timer.
• To lose weight you also need to limit calories. Make sure you are feeding the appropriate amount each day. Most pet food has a chart dictating how much a pet should be fed based on weight. 
• If you free feed, it might be better to limit access to the food by feeding the appropriate amount twice daily.
• Sad to say, but unfortunately you'll have to cut back on treats and table scraps. This doesn't mean you can't give them, but be mindful of how much you are giving.  Some treats also indicate how much you should give based on your pet's size, too.
• You can also substitute treats with healthier alternatives. Make sure you wash and cook them appropriately, if needed. In the summertime, freezing slices of these fruit can offer a cool treat!
  • apples
  • bananas
  • pears
  • oranges
  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • strawberries
  • cantaloupe
  • watermelon
  • pumpkin (also good to help constipation)
  • lettuce (I know a few cats that really like it, surprisingly!)
  • spinach
  • kale
  • broccoli
  • carrots (make sure they're not swallowed whole!)
  • green beans (a big hit!)
  • peas (another big hit!)
  • sweet potato
  • squash 
• Speaking of food, here's what NOT to give. They are OFF LIMITS due to toxicity.
  • grapes
  • raisins
  • figs
  • avocado (the pit is the biggest concern)
  • onions
  • scallions
  • shallots
  • garlic
• Weight loss food for pets is also available. Some "regular" food you can buy normally, others that are a Prescription Diet and require a prescription from a veterinarian. 

You can visit PetObesityPrevention.org for more resources, such as how to check your pet's body conditioning score, your pet's caloric need, weight translator, and more tips on how to help your pet lose weight.

When it comes to pet insurance there’s A LOT to talk about, so I definitely see this being a multi-post topic. Not only is there a lot to learn about insurance in general (can you even easily explain any of your insurance policies?), but there are also many pet insurance companies, and within each company, many different options to choose from. But that’s a good thing! It’s proof that pet insurance is in high demand and with so many options to choose from, pet parents are sure to find a plan that suits them and their pet. I’d like to start by explaining a little bit about pet insurance and its associated jargon, how you can search and compare policies, and what I have learned from a handful of pet insurance companies.
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Full disclosure, I’m interested in getting insurance for my two dogs. You might think, “But why? Your mom is a vet, Caitie.” Of course, my mom is a GREAT vet, but there are some things she simply can’t do. What if, God forbid, one of my dogs may need a CT or MRI scan one day? Can’t find those at your general practitioner. What if Charlotte, my border collie mix that LOVES monitoring the yard, develops cataracts? You better believe I would definitely get cataract surgery for her; but a board-certified ophthalmologist would need to do the surgery (Animal Eye Care) so she can see clearly again.  I’ve seen almost everything, so believe me when I say I can understand the difficult situations I’ve seen many pet parents in. The goal with pet insurance is to help ease this burden- so when it comes time to deciding what’s best for your pet, you can focus on getting the best care, and not so much the final bill. ​

I​​ spoke for over an hour each with both ASPCA Pet Insurance and Embrace (and briefly with Trupanion). Let's start with basic terminology and what it means for you. Pet insurance has become so customizable that it's important you understand the following if you're interested in pet insurance for your pets. 

ANNUAL DEDUCTIBLE - I was told by the ASPCA Pet Insurance rep that this is the most important thing a pet parent should look at when comparing pet insurances. Select the option that will give you the most money back. An annual deductible is the amount you pay for covered healthcare services before the insurance plan starts to pay. Make sure to choose a company that wants you to meet the deductible only once per YEAR. Some insurance companies want you to meet a deductible once per "EVENT" (You are not getting the most back this way). Examples of some deductibles are $500, $250, or $100 per year. A popular option is $250 per year. 
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REIMBURSEMENT OPTIONS - Reimbursement is the amount of the bill the policy will cover (once the deductible is met). Some examples are 70%, 80%, and 90% of the bill. 90% is the popular option. You can receive reimbursement via check or direct deposit. A very helpful new option that has surfaced is the ability for the pet insurance company to reimburse the veterinary hospital directly in the event of unforeseen circumstances!

ANNUAL LIMIT - This is the maximum amount the policy will cover each year.  Some options are $5,000; $10,000; $15,000; $20,000; and Unlimited. Some companies won't let you increase your annual limit option (but will allow a decrease), so be sure to choose carefully. If you have been coming to CCVH for a while I can look how much you've spent with us to help you get an idea of what option may be best for you.

PRE-EXISTING CONDITION - An illness or injury that occurred prior to the policy starting. Unfortunately, there is not a pet insurance that will cover pre-existing conditions. But from my talks with ASPCA and Embrace, I have found them to be very fair in judging pre-existing conditions. ASPCA will deem it NOT a pre-existing condition if your pet has been symptom-free for 180 days. For example, say your pet had a urinary tract infection (UTI) before you got a policy. It was successfully treated and cleared up, but your pet developed another UTI over 180 days later. Your policy will still cover it.  For Embrace, they only look at the past year of medical history to determine what constitutes as a pre-existing condition. (I'm sure there are other companies that treat pre-existing conditions fairly, but these are the two examples I know at the moment). This is why getting a policy sooner is better, before there are pre-existing conditions to consider.  Maybe you're thinking "but my pet is older and already has an issue that can't be covered." If this is the case, I would still recommend an accident only policy...

ACCIDENT ONLY POLICY - Some companies offer "accident only policies." This won't cover preventative care (vaccines,  routine bloodwork, spay/neuter, etc), but does cover events such as bites, lacerations, foreign body ingestion, toxic ingestion, and broken bones. Pet insurance companies have different lists of what is considered an "accident" in their accident-only policies. So if you're considering this type of plan, be sure to compare these lists.

NAPHIA - The North American Pet Health Insurance Association - The association comprised of reputable health insurance companies and pet health professions, committed to advancing and growing the pet insurance industry.  A great resource for more information. 

I also suggest visiting PetInsuranceQuotes.com for more terms and definitions explanations and to get a pet insurance quote.

PetInsuranceReview.com is another great resource to compare insurers' basic info (without needing to provide any of your information), get a quote, and read reviews. 

I'd like to make future pet insurance-related blog posts that go into more details about policies and the different pet insurance companies. 

We still have 2 more weeks of our Spay/Neuter Special.
We also have a $25 off coupon on the home page. Be sure to mention/show it at check out!
February is National Dental Health Month! In an upcoming blog post I will introduce our February specials, which will be sure to include a discount on dental cleanings!

It finally feels like winter - stay warm, my friends!