NEWS YOU CAN USE
HAZARDS OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
From Cornell University Feline Health Center:
Cats, being the inquisitive creatures that they are, appreciate things that are new and different. Because the holidays bring an array of novel and interesting stimuli into the home, the curious kitty can certainly get into trouble.
For the climbing kitty, a holiday tree offers the excitement of the outdoors inside the home, and even an undecorated tree is not without risk. Unless the tree is anchored, the results can be devastating for both the tree and the cat. If your cat enjoys chewing on greens, he may dine on the tree's needles, and having an artificial tree may not discourage a persistent feline from choosing the branches as a midnight buffet. A light coating of something distasteful on the lower branches may keep kitty from snacking on them. Peppermint or other pungent oils may dissuade your cat from eating your tree. Cats' noses are sensitive, so mix it in a spray bottle and spray the areas you don't want your cat to attack. Not all cats dislike the same things, so you may need to experiment. If you have a live tree, keep your cat away from the water used to keep the tree fresh, and be sure to use only plain water with no chemicals added.
Many tree ornaments can appear to be play toys, and if they are made of glass, ceramic, or other breakable materials, they can quickly become a hazard for your cat. Place cat friendly ornaments made of cloth, straw, wood, or other nonbreakable materials at the bottom of the tree and tie them to the tree with cloth loops rather than metal hooks. In the case of tinsel, all that glitters is not good. Eating this decoration can lead to vomiting (if you're lucky), or may become lodged in the intestines and cause an obstruction that can be fatal without surgery. Other decorations can pose problems as well. Chewing on things like little bulbs, wires, and electric cords is all dangerous to your pet. To keep cats away from cords of any kind, tie them up out of reach or place them in a heavy cord protector available at hardware stores. Finally, be careful of ribbons, string, or yarn used to wrap presents. All of these things can be very tempting and can be swallowed easily, leading to all sorts of serious problems.
A few simple precautions can lead to a safe and happy holiday season for ALL of your family--2 legged and 4 legged. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Atglen Veterinary Hospital!!!
CAN MY CAT OR DOG CATCH H1N1 FROM ME?
According to Cate Dewey chairwoman of the Department of Population Medicine and Professor of Epidemiology and Swine Health Management at the University of Guelph:
"Cats and dogs cannot catch influenza from people. Many influenza viruses live in only one type of animal. Horses, dogs, and cats each have their own influenza viruses, which cannot spread ro people. Horses and dogs can be vaccinated against the flu. Cats can get the avian flu from eating an infected bird.
"The novel H1N1 influenza virus spreads most easily between people, but pet ferrets, pigs, and birds living with a person infected with the H1N1 virus may also become infected. They will develop a fever, stop eating for a few days and then will recover without treatment."
MY PET'S MEDICATION--
FROM MY VETERINARIAN OR AN ONLINE PHARMACY?
Your pet's health and well-being, as well as your satisfaction as an informed, valued pet owner are some of our primary goals. In deciding where to purchase medicines for your pets, you need to balance any cost savings with the unique services and expertise you receive from our practice. Despite what the T.V. commercials say, you will find that our prices for medications such as heartworm preventative, flea and tick products, and many other medicines are the same as or very close to the prices you'll find at the online pharmacies. In addition, we are able to offer extra value in the form of free extra doses, manufacturer's guarantees and plain old-fashioned service that the online pharmacies cannot. We will be there for you, as we have been for the past 35 years.
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