 | We see heart-worm in dogs every year. Be sure to have your dog tested yearly and start preventive medication by May 1. If you travel to the southern part of our country in the winter, your dog should be on a preventive year round. |
| Spring cleaning should include fresh bedding for your outdoor pets, clearing the yard of a winter’s worth of waste, and a trip to the groomer for a trim, pedicure and bath. |
| Ticks and fleas will emerge as the snow disappears. Be ready to apply a high-quality spot-on repellent such as Frontline or Advantix when spring arrives. |
| If your pet has become infested with fleas, most likely your house is, to. Call your veterinary hospital to discuss a total flea control program that will remove the pests from both the animal and the environment. |
| If your cat or dog is rubbing its eye or cannot open the lids, it should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Foreign material left in the eye can quickly cause serious injury that may take a long time to heal. |
| Teach a man to fish and he will leave fishing tackle out where cats and dogs can play with it. Pets with hooks embedded in the skin or lip will require a trip to the animal hospital. |
| Providing your pets with legible identification tags bearing you name and phone number, or having a microchip implanted, can speed their return to you should they become lost. |
| Housebreaking puppies can be a frustrating process, but they will respond better to treats and praise than to punishment. Puppies should be accompanied outside every time and should be rewarded immediately after they have relieved themselves. |
| Keep sweets out of the reach of your pets. Chocolate at an ounce per pound of a dog's weight can be fatal and lesser amounts can cause serious illness. |
| Check your pets ears weekly for signs of infection. Early detection and treatment may help prevent the long-term complications of chronic disease. |
| Marked changes in appetite and water consumption, along with unexplained weight gain or loss, can be indicators of serious problems in both cats and dogs and should be discussed with your veterinarian to determine the cause and possible treatment. |
| Pets left in parked cars, dogs left outside without shade or water in the hot sun, and dogs overexerted on warm days can all succumb to heat stroke. Rapid cooling with water and veterinary attention are necessary to prevent irreversible brain damage, kidney failure and death. |
| Good dental hygiene, maintained by regular brushing, appropriate diets, treats and chew toys, as well as cleaning done at your veterinary hospital, will help to prevent tooth loss, gum disease, and secondary infections throughout the body. |
| Gift certificates for pet health care or products, or for spays and neuter, make good gifts for friends and relatives. |
| Do not allow dogs to ride unrestrained in the open bed of a pickup truck. Every year we see pets seriously injured after falling out of a moving vehicle. |
| Dogs can be seriously injured when falling from a moving motorboat. If you take your pet on the water with you, be sure it is safely secured inside the boat. |
| | An insurance program for puppies and kittens sponsored by the Iams Company makes coverage affordable for most pet owners. Insurance is also available for older dogs. An insurance policy may make the difference between treating an ill or injured pet and putting it to sleep. Ask your veterinarian for details. |
| | Spaying and neutering cats and dogs will help reduce the number of unwanted pets and will help to prevent health and behavioral problems later in life. |
| | Do not handle or move wild birds or mammals without first consulting a wildlife specialist. Unnecessary injury may occur either to you or the animal. |
