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Resolutions don’t have to be ruff….Meow is the time to set your pet up for a Healthy and Yappy 2018. Veterinary Examinations  Every year, every pet.  Ideally twice a year is best.  Our veterinary examination checks your pet from tip of nose to tip of tail and all areas in between.  We look for disease and disorders that you may not have noted and can offer recommendations for a healthy pet.  We look for signs of dental disease, weight loss (or more likely gainL), joint disease, lumps, bumps, muscle changes, coat and fur issues, etc. Preventive Lab Test The most basic of lab tests would be a heartworm and fecal test for both dogs and cats.  However, we practice a preventive wellness lifestyle.  This means we want to know how your pet is doing on the inside.  How are the organs and body functioning?  In order to perform a physical exam of the inside of the body, blood and urine testing is combined with the fecal/heartworm testing.  This creates a unique picture of your individual pet’s health. This is great for over the time monitoring as we compare each new year’s results with the previous year’s results and can trend changes that are significant for your pet.  Preventive lab tests also let us detect changes that may be occurring before your pet is clinical and before you may even know there is an issue. Dental Care Dental disease is by far one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders among our pets.  By 3 years of age, 85% of all pets have some degree of dental disease.  Flip a lip and take a look at your pet’s teeth, but really look at the back teeth.  The canine teeth and premolars build up most of the plaque, tartar and disease. The gums can become red and inflamed. There may be an odor.  Bark Breath and Tuna Tongue are not normal.  Only a professional veterinary dental assessment and treatment with anesthesia will provide proper dental care.  At home preventive care can slow the formation of disease, but our professional services are the best, once the plaque and tartar has formed.  Most pets need this service once a year.  Some pets can go 2-3 years between cleanings while for others its every 6 months. Weight Control There is an obesity epidemic in pets just as with their human counterpoints.  This is a fact.  It is very easy for our pets to consume more calories than their body needs and burn less due to more sedentary life styles.  We love our pets and many times we show that love with treats and goodies and extra food.  Proper nutrition with balanced ingredients and a basic exercise program is needed. We can guide you with prescription weight loss and weight management diets with exact calorie requirements.  Regular weight checks can be done to make sure we are on a good schedule of weight control. Parasite Preventives One of the most important things you can do for your pet is to be sure they are on proper parasite preventive medications.  These medications are designed to prevent heartworm disease, flea and tick infestation.  Some of the preventives also prevent ear mites and help to control intestinal parasites.  Most of these are administered on a monthly basis, but some extend from 3-6 months long, depending on the type used.  It is far easier and much less expensive to prevent these parasitic infestations than to treat them.  Also, by preventing flea infestation and tick bites , you are also preventing the most common type of tapeworms and tick borne diseases (Lyme, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, etc). Vaccinations Proper vaccinations have reduced so much needless suffering from preventable disease.  Rabies vaccination, as required by law is very important as this disease is deadly to both pets and people.  Dog vaccinations for distemper, hepatitis, parvo, bordetella, influenza, leptospirosis and lyme disease may be needed depending on your dog’s lifestyle.  Cat vaccinations for rhinotracheitis, calici, panleukopenia and feline leukemia may be needed depending on your cat’s lifestyle.  Vaccine titers can be performed to better determine if your pet needs a particular vaccination booster.   Our hospital use purified vaccines with fewer ingredients that have minimal side effects and allow for less volume of vaccine to be administered.  This improves the safety factor of our vaccines greatly. Make a New Year’s Resolution for your pet’s optimal care and keep it going all year long.  Then next year, rinse and repeat.

What Are Essential Oils? Lavender, lemon, black pepper, peppermint…If you\’ve ever enjoyed these scents, then you have experienced the wonderful aromatic qualities of essential oils.  These naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. Essential oils provide plants with protection against threats and play a role in plant pollination. In addition to their plant benefits and being beautifully fragrant to people, essential oils have long been used for food preparation, beauty treatment, and health-care practices. How Do I Use Essential Oils? Essential oils are used for a very wide range of emotional and physical wellness applications. They can be used a single oil at a time or in complex blends in one of three methods: Aromatic Certain essential oils, when diffused, can be very stimulating, while others can be calming and soothing. Diffusing essential oils can also cleanse and purify the air of unwanted odors. Topical Essential oils are easily absorbed by the skin and can be safely applied topically. Internal Certain essential oils have a rich culinary history and can be used as dietary supplements for targeted wellness. Essential oils are both exciting and promising when it comes to taking care of your own and your family’s health. Whether you’re applying essential oils topically, enjoying the aromatic benefits through diffusing, or taking essential oils internally, the positive effects of essential oils are boundless. That’s why you’ll want to ensure that the essential oils you are using are capable of delivering on their promise. You’ll want to make sure that you are choosing essential oils for their potency and their purity. Are you looking for a more natural way to a healthy self and healthy pet?  I bet you are!  Most people at these times are looking to take care of their body and that of their pet with less drugs and chemicals and more natural solutions.  In addition to recommendations for Acupuncture, herbal therapies, food therapies, etc, Dr. Hodge highly recommends Essential Oils.  He recommends them so highly, that he has become a Wellness Advocate for the use of Essential Oils.  If you are interested in what these wonderful gift of nature can do for you and/or your pets, then contact Dr. Hodge by clicking this link for Essential Oils.  You can review information about Essential Oils, but let Dr. Hodge help you set up any orders you may desire or for more information.  Contact about Essential Oils.

Dr. Hodge was recently featured on Rover.com as a guest blogger discussing the importance of Pet Birth Defects Awareness. What causes pet birth defects? Most of the causes are unknown. Abnormalities to the mother’s metabolism, trauma or extreme body temperature variations can cause birth defects. Infections and exposure to chemicals or drugs can also cause. Some are more common in certain breed of pets as well, indicating there may be an inherited component. Some of the common defects may be noted at birth or shortly thereafter. Cleft palates, umbilical hernia, inguinal hernia, and limb deformities can be readily visible. Other abnormalities that may be subtler, such as heart murmur, will require veterinary examination. Some defects such as retained testicles or liver shunts may not be seen until the pet is maturing or older, which may also be true of heart murmurs. All newborn pets should be presented to the veterinarian shortly after birth for a physical exam to evaluate them for birth defects that may not be visible or known to the owner. The veterinarian can also discuss treatment options if there are abnormalities noted. Treatments for common pet birth defects Cleft palate: Puppies and kittens with cleft palates should be fed with a bottle that has a long nipple that allows the food to go beyond the cleft into the back of the throat, but in front of the voice box. A feeding tube inserted into the stomach may be needed for severe cleft defects until surgery can be performed. A recheck of the pet’s weight should occur daily to ensure the pet is getting the proper amount of nutrition and growing. Surgery can be performed at 3-4 months of age. Lack of proper nutrition can quickly exacerbate a pet’s condition and may result in mortality. Limb Deformities: Since newborns don’t walk, this may not be an issue until they start trying to crawl or walk. Ensuring that the newborns get access to the mother for nursing or bottle-feeding may be needed. The ultimate treatment depends on the limb(s) affected and will change as the pet grows. Padded braces or splints may be needed. Carts with wheels can allow pets to be mobile. These can be made for front or rear limb deformities. Surgery can assist some pets with limb deformities. Self-trauma needs to be prevented as these pets may harm themselves trying to move around or walk. Most other pet birth defects will require aid from the veterinarian. Deformities of the eyes, nose, palate, heart defects, hernias, retained testicles, liver shunts, etc will require veterinary specific care and treatment. This may be a combination of medical and surgical. Home care to maintain a high quality of life will vary and depends on the defects present. Other care is the same as for those pets without birth defects and includes proper nutrition, housing, access to fresh water at all times, proper sanitation, deworming and vaccinations, heartworm preventives, social enrichment and proper handling by all. This is especially important in teaching the very young how to properly handle their new family members. Click here to read Dr. Hodge’s post on Rover.com and explore other great articles!

This little cutie’s whiskers are hidden under all that fur. But, they are there nonetheless.  Their purpose – sensory organs.  Dog’s whiskers have evolved to detect vibrations, air movement and touch.  These help dogs to be more aware of their surroundings and environment.  Whiskers can also serve as communication devices.  Dogs can move their whiskers forward and backward to signal to other dogs a state of fear, or a strength of confidence. While it is not painful and will not cause a dog distress, we recommend that you do not trim, pluck or remove dog’s whiskers as they serve as an important source of information.

Does your dog tremble at the sound of fireworks, sirens, thunder or other loud noises? They could be suffering from \”noise aversion\”. You may have never heard of noise aversion, but based on studies at least one-third of all dogs in the United States suffer from noise aversion. It\’s a real and serious medical condition that when left untreated, progresses to a more severestate – not to mention how upsetting it is to see your best canine friend in distress whenever loud noises happen! Noise aversion causes your dog to suffer from anxiety and fearduring noise events and creates a strain on the bond you and your family have with your beloved best friend. Great news: help is available! SILEO is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for noise aversion in dogs. This unique gel medication has been developed specifically to treat the fear and anxiety experienced by dogs during the occasions of loud noises. If you think your best canine buddy may suffer from noise aversion, please call us at (813) 994-6929. The 4th of July and loud fireworks will be here before you know it, so call soon!

Of course dogs dream.  If you\’ve ever noticed a sleeping dog have shallow, irregular breathing, followed by muscle twitching and eye movements behind closed eyelids, then your dog is dreaming.  The characteristics of sleeping and dreaming are very similar for both dogs and humans.  Dogs tend to get to dreaming much faster than people, typically within 20 minutes of dozing off.  What we don\’t know , is what do dogs dream about?  Running, playing, eating, fun times or serious times?  Perhaps someday, we will bet let in on the secret of doggie dreams.

It’s time to take your cat to the veterinarian.  We know cats aren\’t the best travelers and the car ride and visit can be stressful. You can make this a much more pleasant experience by following these simple helpful tips and using Feliway. Ideally, the cat carrier should be out in the open at all times.  To make the carrier a positive experience, you can feed you cat in the carrier and place soft bedding in the carrier.  If you are not able to leave the carrier out at all times, then at least one week prior to visit: Put the cat carrier in a room where your cat spends a lot of time and prop open the door so she can explore it. Place familiar soft bedding in the carrier to encourage your cat to spend time in the carrier. Place treats, catnip or toys in the carrier through out the week. Every day, spray or wipe the carrier with Feliway.  Feliway contains a reassuring pheromone that helps your cat feel safe and secure. The day of the visit: Spray or wipe the inside of the carrier with Feliway 10 minutes before putting your cat in the carrier.  This will allow the alcohol to evaporate.  Also, spray a towel that you\’ll use to cover the carrier. Put a treat in the carrier to entice your cat to enter it willingly. If your cat doesn\’t enter the carrier willingly, remove the top of the carrier and place your cat in the bottom half and calmly replace the top. Place the towel that you sprayed with Feliway over the carrier so your cat can\’t see out.  Leave the towel on the carrier until the veterinarian is ready to examine the cat or the cat is willing to walk our of the carrier on its own, in the exam room. The return home from the veterinarian:  Reapply Feliway to the carrier and towel in the exam room. As soon the cat is in the carrier, place the towel over it until you have returned home. If you have multiple cats at home, leave the returning cat in the carrier for a few minutes to see how all the cats react.  When everyone is calm and peaceful, let the cat out of the carrier. Give treats or affection to your cat as she gets home to associate good things with her carrier and the car ride.  Feliway is a synthetic copy of the natural facial pheromone that cats use to mark their areas as safe.  Cats recognize the pheromone in Feliway, which helps them feel calm, safe and secure.  Feliway is clinically proven to help reduce stress-related behaviors due to travel such as excessive meowing, vomiting or eliminating.  Feliway can also help reduce or eliminate common behavioral issues such as urine spraying and ventricle scratching.  For more information, ask us how Feliway can help your cat.  This article is made possible by Ceva Animal Health.

  Do you or someone you know have heart disease?  Is there a diagnoses of valvular disease, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, etc? Does your pet or someone\’s pet you know have heart disease?  Did you know that there are similarities and differences in the way cats and dogs -vs- humans have heart disease? My own dog has congestive heart failure with pulmonary hypertension and valvular insufficiency.  The valvular insufficiency started first, then progressed to the congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.  This has occurred slowly over many years.   His heart disease has been treated at each stage of the disease and additional medications added as needed.  Over the years, he has had lots of lab tests, chest x-rays, ECG\’s, Echocardiograms, etc done to diagnose and monitor his disease.  As of the writing of this blog, he is 17 years old.  Not the young, spry puppy he once was, but still enjoying life as much as is possible for a 17 year old Chihuahua. I posed quite a few questions above, but they can be easily answered by reading the following post.  Human-vs-Dog/Cat Cardiac Disease Let me know if any of your pets have heart disease, how they are being managed or if you would like us to perform a cardiac evaluation for your pet if you live in our area. Dr. Timothy Hodge