palmer

Wow, Thanksgiving is nearly here and they are calling for some cold, nasty weather in our area.   Now is a good time to review our Inclement Weather Policy.   While it is rare for us (or at least most of us) to make it into the office, I tell my staff that if there is any question as to whether they can SAFELY make it into work, to stay home and call the office to see what the situation is weather-wise.    So on those days when you wake up with the ground covered in white, the best advice I can give our clients is to CALL THE OFFICE BEFORE YOU COME IN.  Staff is usually in at 7:30, so if you don’t get a live person please leave a message and we will call you back.     There are also rare occassions when the daytime weather becomes so nasty that we will close early.   In those cases we contact all of our appointments and in-house cases to let them know the status.  If you can’t make it in to pickup your pet, don’t worry—we can hold onto them until it is safe to pick them up.

Our schedule for the upcoming holidays are:

THANKSGIVING:

Wed, Nov 27th 8AM-5PM (Regular hours)

Thursday, Nov 28th:  THANKSGIVING DAY—- CLOSED

Friday, Nov 29th 8AM-5PM (Regular hour)

CHRISTMAS:

Tuesday, Dec 24th     8AM- 12 Noon (1/2 day)

Wednesday, Dec 25th   CHRISTMAS DAY — CLOSED

Thursday, Dec 26th  8AM-8PM (Regular hours)

NEW YEARS:

Tuesday, Dec 31st   8AM-5PM   (Short day)

Wednesday, Jan 1st  NEW YEARS DAY — CLOSED

Thursday, Jan 2nd  8AM-8PM  (Regular hours)

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

 

‘THANKSGIVING FOODS THAT SHOULD BE KEPT OUT OF REACH’

   Thanksgiving is a time of being thankful, of spending time with family and friends and of course, the food.  With that being said, if you, your family, or your friends, have animals in the house, make sure that the only thing they eat are safe and healthy.  We do not recommend giving table scraps to our pets at all, but to really keep things safe, here are some Thanksgiving Day food favorites to avoid as they can be harmful to your pet;

• Turkey skin-  High fat foods, can become extremely hazardous to your pets health, such as the turkey skin.  High fat foods can cause pancreitis in pets.  Symptoms include stomach pains, vomiting, and lethargy.

 

• Cooked bones-  Cooked turkey or ham bones are NOT safe for pets at all.  They can splinter in the pets digestive tract and become extemely deadly to your pet.  Make sure that you dispose of the bones carefully and our of reach so your dog doesnj’t find a way to get into it.   We have had to surgically remove bones from both dogs and cats, so please keep them away from your pet!

 

• Onions and garlic-  Sulfides and contained in onions and garlic, which are toxic to dogs and could lead to anemia. Cooking them dos not decrease the toxicity.

 

           Chocolate-  We all know chocolate is a HUGE no-no for dogs.  Chocolate can be toxic for your dog, and not only will it cause GI upset, but high doses can cause overstimulation of the nervous system

• Dough & batter- Dough and batter can actually rise in your dog’s stomach leading to bloating and abdominal pains.  We also know that dough and batter both contain raw eggs, which leads to Salmonella.  So, just be cautious of this and make sure your pet isn’t around while you’re baking and clean up any spills immediatly.

REGULATIONS ON PET FOOD

   The FDA  has proposed rules to prevent food-borne illnesses in animal feed and pet food.  The proposal is in response to numerous cases of contaminated pet food over the past decade.  The most current incident was the loss of hundreds of animals linked to contaminated jerky treats.  If the regulated proposal is put into effect, the manufacturers of animal food in the United States will be required to have written protocols to prevent food-borne illnesses.  The food producers would also have to be able to recognize critical points in the manufacturing process where the danger of contamination is the highest, and maintain protective procedures at those susceptible points.    In addition, the rules would require producers to re-evaluate the safety process every three years.  If problems arise, their contamination protection will need to be altered as needed.  Manufacturers who do not fulfill these standards would be subjected to actions by the FDA that includes a warning letter, consumer advisories to avoid those products, and potential fines. 

    In order to reduce the riskes your pets diet, at Palmer Animal Hospital we recommend;

           — Only buying well known name brands

           — Avoiding imported products (especially jerky treats)

           — Buying products that were manufactured in the United States only!

PREVENTING OBESITY IN YOUR DOG

    In order to prevent long-term health problems in your dog, you need to keep them at a healthy weight.  Obesity can lead to serious and expensive health problems in the future,  including heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic injuries that will require surgery.  Obesity can take 2 years off your dog’s life, so managing your dog’s weight is crucial to his well-being.  The main cause of obesity is simple: the dog takes in more enegy than it burns.   Adjusting your dog’s caloric intake and increasing exercise can result in a healthy weight.

   Gradual weight gain may be difficult to notice because you see your dog every day.  The best way to determine whether or not your dog is overweight is to talk to your veterinarian, who can provide you with an ideal weight for your dog.  One way to check at home is to pat your dog along its sides–you should be able to feel the dog’s ribs.  If the dog’s ribs are covered by fat, the dog is probably overweight.  Finding out that your dog is a couple pounds overweight may not sound alarming, but those two pounds are putting significant stress on your dog’s joints and organs.  Keep in mind that 2 pounds on a dog is like 20 pounds on a person.  Being aware of weight and prioritizing weight control will lead to a happier and healther life for your dog!

   Our recommendations for controlling your dog’s weight:

        —feed an appriopriate calorie  food for your dog’s body condition; many dog’s will benefit from low-calorie/weight-control diet

         —be sure to measure out the appropriate amount of food each day/meal and not offer “free-choice” feeding

          —limit snacks and treats as they can add up to a lot of calories very quickly

           —be sure your dog gets plenty of exercise

            —if you are concerned about your dog’s weight, be sure to ask our opinion the next time you are in with your pet.