Heat Wave!

Hi All,

Libby here.

Just like the song, it really is a Heat Wave!

After a relatively mild spring, we have been blessed (or cursed) with this insane heat and humidity!

As much fun as warm weather can be with beach outings, pool parties and even more excuses for cold beers, it behooves me to remind you of some warm weather safety tips. When you're out and about having fun, it's sometimes hard to remember that too much sun and heat can be harmful to you. Well, same goes for your pets. 

Unlike humans, dogs (and outdoor cats) can't exactly lather on the sunblock. Which  means you need to take different precautions. Here's some warm weather tips:

• Always be sure to carry around a pet water bowl so furry friends won't get deyhdrated
• Alternate time in and out of doors so pets are never overexposed to the sun
• Never lock a dog in a car with the windows closed
• If you are out all day, be sure to open windows or leave fans on to keep your pets cool
• Don't let pets run around outside too much in extreme heat

Aside from my obvious desire for 'safety first' (I know- so not in my character, right?!) you might be wondering why I'm being so dogmatic (haha) about this. In fact, I had originally been planning on writing about another equally savory topic this week- rat poison to be specific- but altered my plans at Dr. Silverman's suggestion. The reason behind this suggestion, is that something terrible happened this week; a dog was brought in DOA as a result of dehydration and the heat. I know...it's terrible and the worst part is, it could have been avoided.

So boys and girls, kitties and doggies, what I'm trying to say to you is, some people love spending time outside and bringing their pets, too. But if you insist on subjecting yourself and your furry friends to this weather (Lord only knows why!) then take a safe approach and do everything you can to protect you and your pets. OK?

Be safe.

Til next time,

Libby

Happy Belated Father's Day

Hi All,

Libby here.

Do you know what yesterday was?

It was father's day!!! That's right. A day dedicated to celebrating all the daddies in our lives. A day of picnics and baseball games and barbecues. A day to honor the men who taught us how to catch baseballs (or catch mice!) It's so nice that many of you out there can experience father's day.

But here's a little sob story from moi. I never knew my daddy :( My momma raised my siblings and I until we were old enough to leave the nest and embark on our own journeys.

So, I traveled around and ended up in the lovely neighborhood of Park Slope Brooklyn.

And now, you're probably wondering how I came to live at the PPAC, right?

OK! I'll tell you! About eight years ago, I was hit by a car. A generous soul found me on independence day and took pity on me by bringing me into the PPAC. I bet you didn't realize it but my name is short for Liberty. Since I was found on Independence day...well, the name just seemed to fit.

Anyway, the good news is, even though I don't recall who my actual father was, I have been fortunate enough to have a number of father figures in my life.

Since coming to the office, Dr. S. has treated me like one of his own as have Brian and Dr. Quim. They spoil me with love, bring me treats, rub my belly. They definitely compensate for my not remembering my real dad.

I'm a lucky kitty to have so many special men in my life. And I'm writing to remind each of you who know your daddy and have the opportunity to spend the day with him, to do so and show him a lot of love. They're special guys.

Til next time,

Libby

Safety First! Rat Poison, Second.

Hi Guys,

Libby here.

A few months ago, I told the story of a brave doggie named Rosie who had the unfortunate mishap of consuming large amounts of chocolate. Now class, what did we learn from this? All together now: Chocolate is bad for dogs. Good boys (and girls).

Today, we have a similar tale to tell. Recently, a sick kitty was brought into the PPAC with a history of vomiting and not eating for three days (and if you're a pet owner-which presumably most of you are-then you know how uncommon it is for an animal to not be into their daily meals!)

Anyway, when Dr. Holloway took a look at him, she found that he was a bit dehydrated and lethargic (tired in layman's speak!)

As a precautionary measure, they decided to hospitalize the cat for observation.
The next day, symptoms had not changed and when vomiting persisted, Dr. H. ran some barium (a liquid that would help outline any foreign objects in an X-ray) through the cat's digestive tract, to see if the young cat had eaten anything he was not supposed to.

Something appeared to be in the stomach so exploratory surgery was planned and the kitty was given fluids under his skin for support. The following day (the day of the surgery), the kitty was bleeding from many orifices, including the place where he had been stuck to receive fluids.

Based on these symptoms, Dr. H. thought it might be rat poison and so began treating with vitamin K (the antidote), and submitted blood tests to look for coagulation disorder (blood clotting). After a couple of days, the cat began to feel better and was released to his home with continued vitamin K treatment.

The moral of the story is, if you have dogs or cats, make sure to leave rat poisons (or any other poison or chemicals) in places where they cannot find them or come in contact with them. As much as you may be trying to keep your house rat free, you want to make sure that the animals you do want to live with you, can continue to do so healthily!

Til' next time!

Libby.

And Then There Were Three

Hi All,

Libby here.

It may seem like I am #trending tales of woe. But I'm not- it's more par for the course what with the whole doctor's office thing. Sometimes, sad things happen. And I write about them. So shoot me.


Anyway, this week I have a story about a kitty who came in to the PPAC with a bump on her head. Now at first, it seemed like the type of bump incurred by being dropped on your head as a baby (har har...imagine that with the whole scruff carrying thing). Just to confirm that nothing was amiss however, Dr. S took an X-ray of the bumpy cat and saw that the bump was not eating away at any bone—the possibility of cancer seemed low.

Fast forward a few months and the owners brought the same kitty back in because the bump appeared to be growing.

This time, when a biopsy was taken, the bump turned out to be malignant. The poor gal had cancer :( The owners however couldn't bear the thought of their beloved pet suffering through chemotherapy or radiation and decided to offer different sorts of treatments to make the cat feel comfortable.

Fast forward another five months or so and mom and dad brought their cat in for a check up only to find out that the condition had continued to worsen. At this point, Dr. S. offered euthanasia because the kitty seemed to be in pain. The owners agreed to putting their furry friend out of her misery.

Now, if you've ever lost a pet, you know how devastating it can be and what a hole it can make in the chink of your family's armor. But, there's always tons of pets looking for homes out there so, in an uncharacteristic attempt to find the silver lining, let's think of a pets passing as the closing of one door and the opening of another.

So...after their mourning period was over, the pet parents decided to adopt Ducky! Remember that huge orange furball of a cat? Who was sooo sweet and who was featured in my 'adoption post' a few weeks back? Well, now he lives with this family.

You know what that means...one down, three loving kitties still looking for homes!

Til' next time,

Libby

Taking Care of Business (And Your Pet's Mouth)

Hi All,

Libby here. You've probably seen the Orbit campaign extolling the virtues of clean mouths.

Ok so maybe those commercials are not the most realistic representations of dental hygiene but, they do have a good take away message- take care of your teeth (that is the message, right? anyway...)

Well beloved pet parents, it's just as important for you to take care of your pet's mouths as it is to take care of your own.

I raise this very important issue because a kitty was recently brought in to the PPAC with one of the worst cases of dental neglect I've ever seen! This poor guy came in with a swollen lower jaw and a fever of 104.When Dr. S. anesthetized him, it turned out that one of the kitty's beloved 'fang teeth' otherwise known as canine teeth, (yes, I have grasped the irony) had a root that was eroded. The erosion was so bad that it had also eaten away at the surrounding bone, causing his jaw to break. Although the offending tooth was subsequently removed, this whole situation could have been avoided!

Unfortunately, oral hygiene in cats and dogs is often overlooked as an unimportant factor in a pet's overall health. Since cats and dogs can't exactly be masters of their own destiny when it comes to taking care of their teeth and gums, the onus falls on you to make sure they have healthy mouths.

I mean think about it, when you are leaning in to get a kiss from your honey, what's a big turnoff? Smelly breath, right?

So why do people seem to not care all that much about their pets' stinky breaths? It's not easy meeting a pet soulmate out here. Much less so when we open our mouths to make a move and out comes a foul smelling, fish-esque stench.

The good news is, there is a way to take care of this bad breath epidemic.

Regular oral hygiene and annual visits for cleanings will leave your pets' mouths in much better shape.

So do us all a favor...take care of your pet's dental hygiene. I promise you. Everyone will be happier as a result.

Til' next time,

Libby