Warm May weather means summer vacations can’t be too far away. As you’re making your plans, don’t forget to plan for your pet during your travels. Will she go with you to the cabin in the mountains? Or will you book a kennel stay or arrange for a pet sitter?

If you’re organizing a “staycation” for your pet where she stays either at home with a pet sitter or at a kennel, plan ahead with:

1. Daily medicines. If your dog has any chronic condition that requires daily medicines, make sure your caretaker has an ample supply of what’s needed.

2. Emergency contacts. Leave behind accurate emergency contact particulars. Your caretaker needs your traveling communication details and a back-up contact should you be out of range.

3. Microchip Timing. If you haven’t made arrangements for microchipping your pet, your vacation could be an ideal time.

4. ID tags. Make sure your pet’s tags are up to date, legible and safely attached.

On the Road Again? If your “furry baby” will be traveling with you, consider the following points as you prepare:

1. Vaccines. Check with us and make sure all vaccines are up to date.

2. Daily medicines. To treat your pet’s chronic condition, make sure you have enough medicine for the amount of days you’ll be away.

3. Travel requirements. If you and your pet will be traveling by plane, double check the airline requirements for pet transit. If you’re going to another country, make sure you know what that particular country needs from you.

4. Identification needs. In a different environment, a pet that wanders could quickly lose his way from you. Microchipping and up-to-date ID tags can help others identify your pet and return her.

5. Packing for your pet:
       a. Take a first aid kit that should include pain medicine, anti-anxiety medicine, motion sickness medicine and bandage materials. Talk to your vet about Adaptil products for anxiety and Cerenia for motion sickness. Let us help!

       b. Tuck in bottled water because some pets may be sensitive to water changes.

PLUS, during the month of May, your pet’s entitled to a free VIP session with an overnight stay. Give us a call and allow us to take care of all the details.

How do you know your dog or cat has fleas? Take a look at the following signs to see if fleas are bugging your pet:

1.     Scratch that. A dog or cat that continually scratches himself could have fleas. Even one bite annoys your pet, and more bites can keep her very, very nervous and busy.

2.     Rash Decision. Dermatitis at the tail or neck remains the most common presentation.

3.     Seeing Red. You see red bumps or pimples around areas where the hair is thin.

4.     You see fleas. (This one’s particularly hard to ignore.) Combing your pet’s fur with a fine toothed flea comb that makes contact with your pet’s skin may help you see fleas more easily.

5.     You don’t see fleas….but he still scratches madly. Ask your vet to administer a fleas allergy test to determine if your pet suffers from fleas or another allergy.

Once you confirm that your pet has fleas, depend on these treatment options:

1.     Stopping Symptoms. When your pet experiences itchiness, red bumps, or watery eyes, your vet may prescribe antihistamines, steroids, antibiotics or antifungals.

2.     Don’t Come Back, Jack. Prevent recurrence by minimizing the chance of flea exposure. How?

a.     Last Bite. When you treat your pet with either Capstar or Triflexis, fleas will take one bite and their mouths will be paralyzed. Within 30 minutes, the flea is dead. Trifexis’s effects last for 30 days, and Capstar’s effects last 24 hours. Talk to up about which approach is best for your pet.

b.     Leave Your Home Alone. Depending on the case, your vet may recommend environmental treatment for your house and/or yard.

c.     Vectra 3D, Your Pet’s Secret Weapon. This medicine provides broad spectrum protection against a variety of parasites like ticks, mosquitoes, lice, biting flies, and fleas. If your pet is highly allergic to fleas, this option would provide consistent protection.

One solution you won’t find on the list is flea shampoo. It effectively rids your pet of fleas on your pet right now, but does nothing to prevent a new batch of fleas from jumping on and biting.

Spring could mean fleas, but it doesn’t have to. Call us today and set up a time for your pet. Let’s talk about what might be bugging your favorite animal(s).

Photo Credit: Found Animals via Compfight cc

If you’re prone to spring allergies, you might have overlooked the possibility that your pet might be suffering with a similar problem.

Have you noticed any of the following symptoms in your pet?
• Sneezing, watery eyes, mild itchiness: Mild
• One skin/ear infection per allergy season: Moderate
• Chronic recurrent skin/ear infections: Severe

So what’s your pet allergic to? Take a look at what’s common:

1. Fleas, please and no, thank you. This one absolutely ranks as the number one allergy seen at Town N Country, even when clients say “My wee dog only goes outside to potty” or “Our kitties are indoors.” Tenacious fleas work their way into your house more easily than you can imagine – especially with warm, cold and warm again weather.

2. Allergies on the Menu. Food allergies commonly plague many furry patients. A good beginning would be to discuss your pet’s medical history and life habits with your vet to find the best solution. Sometimes a food trial is necessary. Once the allergen has been identified, products like Instinct’s Limited Ingredient and Purina HA (Hypoallergenic) bring welcome results.

3. A Product of the Environment. Your pet can be susceptible to the same allergens that bother you. Believe it or not, we tested one of our nurse’s dogs, and he was allergic to her cat! A blood test tells the tale and gives us the necessary information to treat.

Finding a Treatment Plan. Symptoms can make your pet uncomfortable, but the right treatment can alleviate pain, itchiness or other symptoms. A combination of antihistamines, steroids, antibiotics, antifungals can bring relief.

However, if symptoms are treated without determining and eliminating the underlying allergy, symptoms will return. A holistic approach means that your pet’s symptoms are attended to as steps are taken to discover the culprit of the symptoms.

With treatment and tests, we can quickly ascertain if your pet is a once-a-year or once-a-month recurrent case.

Stop the effects of your pet’s allergies – give us a call and let’s set up a time to chat and have a look at your dog or cat.

Right now you may think that spring is teasing you. Will it snow? Will the weather ever be warm? What can be expected? While April showers and May flowers cannot be guaranteed, spring will come…sometime. Take a look at these springtime pointers so that your pet’s ready to face a new season:

1. How are the toys in your pet’s toy box? Spring is a great time to look closely at your pet’s toy supply and purge the pitiful or potentially perilous. Are there loose parts that could be swallowed and present a choking hazard? Are there squeaky toys that no longer squeak? Get rid of anything you’d be embarrassed to have company see. Meanwhile, let your furry darlings know that you still care – and add a new favorite toy or two. Soggy spring weather can sometimes derail your walks, so a good game of fetch in the hallway or up the stairs can provide a good substitute activity.

2. Is your critter shedding or is your sweater supposed to look like that? ‘Tis the season for shedding and more shedding – don’t be caught unaware with a fashion phenomenon you can’t explain. One good grooming product is the Furminator, a de-shedding tool that keeps you a step ahead of loose fur.

3. Whose allergy is it anyway? Spring can bring on allergies for humans and pets when both spend more time outdoors and are exposed to allergens. One way to minimize allergies is to keep your pet bathed and groomed regularly; however, don’t dry your pet’s skin out by over-bathing him. Talk to your groomer or vet about how often your pet should be bathed. In between those times, you can touch up with a quickie (soap-free) shower or a lightly go over her with a wet cloth.

4. Is it time to schedule a spa day for your pet? If you can’t remember how long it’s been, it may be time to make this appointment. In spring, some pets need a good grooming that includes a very becoming haircut, shampoo, and nail clipping. Give our Pet Spa a call, and we’ll have your pet photo-ready before her next red carpet appearance.

5. What’s bugging your pet? Glorious warm weather woos us all outside, but unfortunately, it increases the risk of fleas, ticks and heartworms for our pets. Talk to us about Vectra and Trifexis, and let’s figure out the best flea, tick and heartworm medications for your pet.

All set? With a little planning, you and your pet can approach the new season with a spring in your step. If you need an appointment – or you simply have a question, don’t hesitate to call us. Through spring flowers, showers, and snow flurries…we love to hear from you!

Natura Pet Products has confirmed it is recalling four of its most popular brands of dry dog food due to possible contamination with Salmonella bacteria.

Brands being recalled include:

· EVO
· Innova
· California Natural
· HealthWise

If your pets are eating these foods make sure to discard the food immediately. Contact us immediately if your pet begins showing any signs related to Salmonella poisoning as this may be life threatening.

Here is a letter from Natura:

Dear Natura Family,

As pet parents and dedicated pet health advocates, it pains us to inform you of the first recall in our company’s 21-year history.

During a recent random sampling, the FDA confirmed the presence of salmonella in one of our products. We take this extremely seriously, because your pets are like ours – they’re part of the family – and we aren’t taking any chances. As a result, we have voluntarily recalled a number of our products as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, there have been no reported animal or human health issues associated with these products, and we have confirmed that this is not a widespread issue.

Natura was founded on the commitment to provide the healthiest natural pet food in the world. As Natura employees who live this commitment every day, words cannot express our disappointment with this finding. We place quality as the cornerstone of our products. It is a process of ongoing improvement, and we will continually review and raise these standards. Unfortunately, salmonella and other contaminants pose a great challenge to the food industry, and no company is immune.

We want to assure you, our valued customers, that we are more committed than ever to animal and human safety. We have fully investigated and identified the cause of this incident. Our production is ongoing, and you can continue to feed any Natura products outside of this incident with confidence.

We know that trust is earned. This incident further fuels our passionate commitment to your pet’s health and safety. We promise to demonstrate this commitment through our actions now and in the future.

See below for details on the recall products. If you have a product included on this list please contact us at http://www.naturapet.com/about/contact-us or (800) 224-6123.

Sincerely,
Employees of Natura Pet Products

Affected Products

Please download the appropriate PDF to see which products are affected by the voluntary recall.
Innova
EVO
California Natural
HealthWise

“Eat your vegetables!” and “Drink your milk!” Every parent wants their kid to grow up big and strong to lead long, healthy lives.

But when it comes to our dogs, it’s looking like the opposite might be true. According to the Live Science journal, “Large breeds often die young compared with smaller ones.” You’re probably nodding along, thinking “That makes sense.” But the real question here is: why?

Look everywhere else in nature. Time after time, you’ll find that the bigger animal is the longest survivor. Blue whales grow to the wise age of eighty, while brine shrimp live life in the fast lane until about age one. So why is it that dogs are the exception?

“Among dog breeds,” writes David Choi of Life Science journal “an increase of 4.4 pounds leads to a loss of approximately 1 month of life expectancy.” The reason for this is still a little fuzzy. Just by observing the patterns, most researchers suspect that the answer lies in the growing process. As Live Science points out, cancer stems from abnormal cell growth. And since big dogs have more growing to do, the risk of cancer dramatically increases in these larger breeds. It will take a lot more research before we know anything for sure.

Whatever the reason, small, or big, or somewhere in between, we still love our dogs. And at Town N Country, our goal is to keep your pets as healthy and happy as possible – for every stage of their life.

By the time pets are three years old, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some form of periodontal disease. That means that more than likely, your pet’s dental health is overlooked.

You might have heard some wise guy opine that if dogs and cats have survived since the beginning of time without having their teeth professionally cleaned does anyone need to bother? Do pets really need a cleaning by their veterinarian?

The answer to both questions is an emphatic yes. Why? Have a look:

1. Open wide! Now spit. When you go to the dentist, you know why you’re going. You may not be wild about a cleaning, but you recognize the benefits outweigh the temporary inconvenience or discomfort. Your dog or cat has no such assurance. She won’t open her mouth or spit on command. He loathes to choose what color toothbrush he wants.

2. Beware the offers of sedation cleaning. Sedation dentistry may seem like a safer, less expensive method, but nothing could be further than the truth. Dental services provided by anyone without a license is subject to criminal charges.* Their services give a false sense of security. A pet’s teeth will look cosmetically better and whiter when greater problems lie undetected under the gums.

3. What’s going on in here? The only way to thoroughly examine the mouth of a pet is to have that pet under the proper level of anesthesia. Your pet can’t communicate with you where it hurts, so it’s up to a trained professional to closely examine and detect the source of pain. Also a systematic check-up can give a good baseline and should problems arise, early intervention can make a huge difference.

4. Under the gum line. Cleaning under the gum line and in delicate, potentially pain-filled areas can only be done under anesthesia. Power scalers and hand tools have sharp edges to remove tartar, and the slightest move of a patient’s head at an inopportune time could mean pain for all involved. (Pain for pet could easily mean that the pet reacts and bites.)

5. “Suction! I need suction!” Think about how many times your mouth was suctioned out during your last cleaning. Now imagine this for your pet. Inhalation anesthesia delivered by a cuffed tube protects your pet’s airway and lungs from accidental aspiration.

6. Healthy mouth means healthy heart, lungs and kidneys. Just as humans are being advised to pay more attention to their oral health because of its link to overall health, a pet’s mouth shouldn’t be overlooked. When tartar builds up on teeth, bacteria and infection can spread to the rest of the body.

Being vigilant with your pet’s dental health could add years to his life. If you can’t remember the last time your pet’s mouth was examined, or if it’s never been examined, give us a call. And remember, this month, you’ll get a free dental goody bag along with the cleaning!

* American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC)

You may feel like you’re trying out a new dance step the first time you try to brush your dog or cat’s teeth. You go left, and your cat steps right. You talk soothingly, and your dog’s ears go up. You fake left, and the cat leaps over the coffee table and out the pet door. Yikes!

While beginning the “brush, brush boogy” can challenge you, this habit can add years to your pet’s life. Just like for humans, a pet’s dental health is intrinsically linked to the health of its heart, liver and kidneys.

When do you start? Grab your partner! Ideally you should start with your kitten or puppy by slowly introducing toothpaste specially formulated for them. Keep in mind that your own toothpaste isn’t meant to be swallowed, and if a pet swallows enough of it, the fluoride could cause gastrointestinal irritation.

The best time to introduce a new concept like teeth brushing is when your pet is relaxed. For a dog, after a long walk would be a great time. For a cat, a good time might be when she’s just waking up or when she’s starting to settle down for a nap.

Kitty Tries a New Thing. Curiosity can work to your advantage when it comes to your cat and something new. Put a dab of his special toothpaste on a treat. Try this approach for several days, and by the second week, you can put a dab of the toothpaste on her special toothbrush and leave it within reach.

By the third day, you can try brushing. If your cat flinches, stop; you can try another day. With some cats, you may have to persistently introduce the concept for the first month; however, your patience will pay off.

Do the Doggie Dawdle. You’re not running a race – you’re slowly starting a new habit. You can get your dog started by putting a little of the pet toothpaste on a treat. He can slowly become accustomed to the taste if you serve up one of those special treats with toothpaste each day for a week.

During the second week, you can start with actually brushing your dog’s teeth. Talk soothingly and move slowly. If she balks with your first efforts, call it a day. You can try again tomorrow. Offer a treat after each brushing session, and make your dog’s experience a positive one.

Dance Your Pet to Better Health Looking into your pet’s mouth on a regular basis means you will know when anything changes. Since your pet’s dental health offers dependable insight into his overall health, her mouth should be examined by a veterinarian regularly.

If you can’t remember the last time you brought your favorite pet(s) in, call and make a date with us. We’ll put you and yours on our dance card!

PS Remember, this month, we’re giving away a free bag of dental goods for everyone who has a dental cleaning!

Considering Your Pet’s Dental Health

Your pet’s stinky breath could signal more than it’s time to avoid face-to-face time with him. A pet with untreated periodontal disease can develop serious problems with her kidneys, lungs, heart or liver.

Unfortunately, a pet’s dental hygiene is more likely to be overlooked by most owners. Recent studies by the American Animal Hospital Association point out that 2/3 of owners don’t follow their veterinarian’s advice when it comes to proper dental care for their pets.

Think about your own dental health. You probably brush at least a couple times a day, and if you’ve been listening to your hygienist, you floss too. Now imagine going a year without brushing. Unfortunately, many pets routinely do this!

While most humans don’t want to neglect dental health and worry about releasing harmful bacteria into the bloodstream, pets need a little help to reach the same goals of good dental health.

Starting early with dental care is best. Kittens and puppies are more likely to accept the routine of tooth brushing, but with a patient, non-rushed approach, an older pet can also get used to the idea.

Unfortunately, many pets can effectively hide dental problems, living out “survival of the fittest.” Before you start ambitiously brushing your pet’s teeth, have your vet examine his mouth. She can show you what to look for.

In the pink. That’s the color you want to see in your pet’s gums. Red or purple sections on your pet’s gum indicate gingivitis.

Up Close and Personal Buddies. With a little practice, both you and your pet can become accustomed to you examining his mouth. Your dog or cat’s mouth can often give you a good idea of her health in general. Take a look at the following danger signs for your pet’s dental health:

1. Chewing on one side
2. Not eating
3. Red gums
4. Lethargy
5. Excessive drooling
6. Swelling under the eye

If your pet exhibits any of these symptoms, it’s time for an oral check-up with us. Good dental care can add years to your pet’s life.

So give us a call today…don’t forget that for the month of February, 2013, you’ll get a free dental treat bag when you have your cleaning!