March Newsletter @ Grantview Animal Hospital

GRANTVIEW AH NEWSLETTER

March 2017

Dr. Alicia Rueschhoff

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Grantview’s monthly newsletters are available for tidbits of information regarding pet healthcare. Dr. Alicia Rueschhoff is in charge of the newsletter and is hoping this will help increase clients education and their relationship with Grantview Animal Hospital. We are hopeful this will aid you in keeping your furry family member healthy!  Please feel free to share these with your family and friends

What to expect from our monthly newsletters:

1. Fact or Fiction? We will provide a “True” or “False” statement and you will receive the answer with the next month’s newsletter

2. Information regarding services we offer at our practice, that you might be unaware of.

3. New information regarding any recalls or other matters pertaining to your pet’s health.

4. Updates on monthly discounts offered at Abell Animal Hospital.

5. Seasonal recommendations for your pet.

6. Behavior training recommendations for your pet.

7. Question of the month. One client’s burning questions will be answered by a veterinarian.

8. Pet of the month

FACT or FICTION:  

• February: Dogs can see color.
• TRUE
• Dogs may only have two cones vs. our three, but they can see color. Cones are the receptors in the eye that pick up color. Dogs have cones for green and blue shades but lack red. This means they can see similarly to a person that is color blind; they cannot distinguish between yellow, green and red, but when it comes to blue, purple and gray they have it covered!
• MARCH: A wagging dog = a happy dog.

 Tune in next month to find out the answer for March. Let us know what you think on our facebook page!

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that we have a pill that gives your dog 3 months of flea and tick preventative!!

• You heard me right! The medication is called Bravecto.  
• Bravecto is a chewable treat (like nexgard) that only needs to be administered every 3 months to provide full protection from ticks and fleas. 

IMPORTANT MONTHLY INFORMATION

Products recalled in February

• Evanger’s 12 oz Hunk of Beef Dog Food for having Pentobarbital.
• Grreat Choice Adult Dog Food with Chicken & Rice for having metal pieces in food.
• Against the Grain Dog Food for having potential presence of Pentobarbital.

SEASONAL REMINDERS:

March into Prevention. As the months continue to get warmer and we go outside more, remember that the parasites are enjoying this trend as well! Make sure to keep your pet protected from harmful “bugs” that can cause significant disease processes. Our recommendations are listed below:

1. Cats: Revolution once a month. This protects against heartworms (yes cats can get this disease as well, even our indoor kitties), roundworms, hookworms, ear mites and fleas!
2. Dogs: Interceptor plus once a month to protect against heartworm disease along with preventing against roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms.  Nexgard (monthly) or Bravecto (once every three months) for flea and tick preventative.

BEHAVIOR:  VOCAL ANIMAL?

Does your cat or dog meow or bark constantly? Have you ever wondered why or what can be done to solve the issue?

It has been shown that vocal animals are predominantly those that live with people. We believe this is because animals learn that we do not pick up on their body language, but can get us to respond with voices. This means that a vocal dog and cat is training YOU to listen to them.

The best way to begin un-training your dog or cat to vocalize is by ignoring them.  Once he/she has been quiet for 5-10 seconds, then toss them a treat or give them a hug. If they continue to remain quiet, then give them small treats in a systemic manner. Continue to increase the length of time in between the treats. Hopefully, you can get the interval between treats the same as their period between meals.

Another exercise to try is the sit and quiet approach. Performing these sessions multiple times a day (5-10 minutes each) can help your pet learn that sitting quietly = rewards. Start by teaching them to sit and then give them treats while they are quietly sitting.

Cats are usually not as food motivated as dogs, so they may be harder to train. Just as dogs, cats meow to get your attention, so ignoring them until they are quiet is best. I recommend using canned food, tuna or their favorite snack to motivate them to sit. Give them these treats only at times when they are sitting quietly.

I hope these ideas can help you with your vocal pet.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

What collar/harness should I use for my dog?

This is a question I get asked all the time, so I thought I would break it down to help out. There are several different varieties of collars and harnesses and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. I believe some are better for others and it also depends on the dog and which one works best for him/her, which may take some testing.

1. Flat Collars
1. Advantages:

Flat Collar

                                                              i.      Easy to display tags

                                                            ii.      Easy to take on and off

2. Disadvantages:

                                                              i.      Can cause pressure on the trachea

                                                            ii.      Can increase pressure in the eye when pulling

                                                          iii.      When playing, dogs mouth can get caught in collar and cause panic, tightening and suffocation

3. Conclusion:

                                                              i.      Good for well mannered dogs that do not pull on the leash

                                                            ii.      Do not leave on when playing with other dogs

                                                          iii.      Can slip out if easily frightened/excited

Choke Chain

2. Choke Chains
1. Advantages:

                                                              i.      Easy to take on and off

2. Disadvantages:

                                                              i.      DO NOT USE in bracheocephalic dogs (short nose, small trachea and large eyes)

                                                            ii.      Most people do not know how to properly use the collar

                                                          iii.      Can cause worsening of collapsing trachea and cause airway damage if yanked too hard

                                                          iv.      Animal should never be left unsupervised with this collar on

3. Conclusion

                                                              i.      There are many other collars out there now that work better for training with less harmful side effects

Pinch Collar

3. Pinch Collar
1. Advantages:

                                                              i.      Less pressure then choke chain = less pressure on neck. It can still lead to airway issues if used to much

2. Disadvantages:

                                                              i.      Can be a negative reinforcing agent. Example: if a dog is already fearful of another dog and then feels the pain associated with the pinch collar it can associate the fear with more fear. Same if a dog is highly anxious/aggressive

3. Conclusions:

                                                              i.      Never leave them on unattended

                                                            ii.      I believe there are many collars/harnesses that are better for training, but better than the choke chain

4. Harness



Back Attaching Harness

1. Advantages:

                                                              i.      More directional control

                                                            ii.      Does not cause damage to airway or eyes

                                                          iii.      Easy to display tags

                                                          iv.      Not easy to get out of

2. Disadvantages:
1. Can alter natural gait (do not use with competing athlete dogs), but this can come in handy if the dog is bigger than you
3. Conclusion



Front Attaching Harness

1. A harness is a very good option to train a dog. I recommend using the harness where the leash attaches to the front because when pulling on the leash, the dog is forced to look up at the owner and gives you a little more control. 

5. Head Halters



Head Halter

1. Advantages:
1. Easy to control pet
2. No harm done to airway or eyes
2. Disadvantages 
1. Not all pets enjoy to wear them at first; but you can train them to love the harness
2. Not east to attach tags
3. Conclusion
1. A head harness is a great tool to train an unruly dog. This is what I personally use for my dogs, as they are somewhat dog aggressive and I have found it much easier to regain control when lost

                                                         

 Each dog is different and not every collar or harness will work for them. It is a great idea to test each of these on your pet to see what works best for you. My personal favorites are the head halters and the front attaching harnesses and I tend to stay away from the choke and pinch collars.  

PET(S) OF THE MONTH

There were no submissions for pet of the month for March. PLEASE send us a picture or two with a small description of why your pet is so special! We would love to show them off!

Please send us a picture and a small paragraph about your pet to get them featured in our next newsletter. Send the information to Grantview@sbcglobal.net Attention PET OF THE MONTH.