Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Making Visits To the Veterinarian Easy For Your Cat


A trip to the vet can be stressful for both you and your cat.   This is the very reason many cats do not get the preventive health care they need.  Trips to the veterinarian can be more pleasant for all if your cat sees its carrier as a safe haven. 
Unlike most dogs, cats do not instinctively like their carriers or traveling in a car.  The only time most cats see their carrier is when they are being taken to the veterinarian.  This creates a negative association with their carrier, which can be difficult to break. However, there is hope!  You can get your cats to LOVE their carrier by following a few simple steps at home!
  • Once or twice a month , get your cat's carrier out and leave it in the living room or other common area of the house. 
  • Leave the door open and throw some kitty treats or a special toy your cat loves into the carrier. 
  • Leave the carrier out for the entire day. 
  • Do not try to coax your cat into the carrier or draw  attention to it in any way. Just leave it out for them to explore on their own terms. 
Your cat may not go into the carrier the first few times.  Don’t get discouraged! Eventually your cat will be curious enough to go in and may even end  up staying in there to sleep or play.  Once your cat  has learned that the  carrier is safe, it will go in without a fight.  They learn that once in a while the door gets locked and they will be brought to the veterinarian, but most often nothing will happen. 
You will need to continue the monthly play sessions with the  carrier to reinforce this lesson. Your cat will be less anxious about trips to the veterinarian and will even enjoy being in its   carrier at home!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Microchip Your Pet!

Did you know that 1 in 3 pets go missing during their lifetime, and without proper ID, 90% never return home? A microchip for dogs & cats gives the best protection with permanent ID that can never be removed or become impossible to read.

Microchipping for Identification

Tags and collars are a good start to making sure your pet is able to be identified in the event he or she becomes lost. However, they aren't 100 percent dependable. Tags can fade, rust, or get scratched and be impossible to read. Collars can tear or slip off, or even worse, get caught on something while your pet is wandering in unfamiliar territory and hurt or kill them.

How it Works…

Your pet is injected with a tiny computer chip about the size of a grain of rice just under your pet's skin between the shoulder blades. NHAH uses only the best for your pet which is the HomeAgain pet recovery system. After being injected, the number on the computer chip is entered in an international database. If your dog or cat is found, any animal hospital, shelter, or humane society can use a microchip reader to read the unique ID number contained on the chip. The veterinarian or pet professional then accesses the database, either by telephone or the Internet, and enters the number read on the microchip. The database matches the number to your name and phone number. The chip can't be lost or damaged and it lasts for the pet's lifetime.

Is it Expensive?

While the price can vary however, this Saturday, NHAH is hosting a microchip clinic where pets can receive their microchip and their registration for $32.99. The chip never needs maintenance or replacement. The initial registration lasts for 1 year. After that, there is a nominal, annual fee charged by the manufacturer to maintain access to the pet recovery database.

Will it hurt my pet to get the chip implanted?

No. The procedure is simple, routine, painless, and doesn't require any anesthesia. Your pet simply gets an injection just under the loose skin between the shoulder blades; it's a lot like getting vaccinated. Most animals don't react at all.

My cat never goes outside. Why does she need a microchip?

It's wonderful that you're keeping your pet safe inside, but a guest or a repair person could easily leave the door open or a screen could come loose from an open window. Unaltered pets in particular will take any chance to roam. There's a possibility that your house could be damaged in a heavy storm, flood, or other natural disaster, causing your cat to run away in fear. Pets can even be stolen, particularly birds and exotic or purebred animals. No matter how closely you watch your favorite animal friend, there's always a chance she could get out, and if she doesn't have any ID, it will be extremely hard to find her.

NHAH has microchip clinics regularly through the spring and summer.
We have one scheduled for this Saturday, April 21st. If you cannot make an appointment for this clinic, watch our "events" section on our website for additional dates.

A pet microchip creates a forever bond between you and the pet you love. And together with the HomeAgain pet recovery system, you’ll give your pet the best chance of coming back home to you!
 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

NHAH Introduces Pet Loss Support Group

Are you mourning the loss of a pet?

Do you think it might be time to euthanize your pet?

Is your pet facing a terminal illness?

Do you wonder what to tell your children?

Grief over the death of a beloved pet, whether furred, feathered, or finned is natural and normal. As pet care-givers, we have been privileged to observe the beauty and depth of the bond between people and their pets. We are very much aware of the pain that comes from the death or anticipated loss of a family pet. To help  process through this difficult time, New Hartford Animal Hospital is offering a Pet Loss Support Group. 

Meetings are held on the last Thursday of the month in the NHAH conference room. The group is free and open to clients and their family members. It is a place to share feelings or concerns with others who consider their pets as members of their family.

Discussions will center on personal stories, euthanasia choices, hospice care, preparing for pet loss, and burial options.

Experienced facilitator, Marguerite Kershaw, leads the group.
Please call (315) 737-7387 to learn more or sign up for the next meeting.

Friday, April 6, 2012

All Vaccinations Are Not Created Equal

Vaccinations are a critical component of protecting animal health. This includes our cats and dogs as well as livestock and poultry in the food industry.

As a pet owner, you may think that all vaccinations are the same, but this is not the case.  Today, vaccines are not all the same even when they protect against the same infectious disease.  Vaccination technology within the veterinary industry is more advanced than human medicine in many aspects.  This is especially true at New Hartford Animal Hospital with our extensive use of recombinant vaccines.

Recombinant vaccines do not need adjutants (additional components to the vaccine which stimulate an immune response) and as a consequence are safer in stimulating a protective immunity.  Recombinant vaccines are produced with the use of bacteria such as non-pathogenic strains of E.coli. In the case of Feline Leukemia and Purevax Rabies vaccinations, the canary pox virus is used because it is less likely to cause a reaction, and therefore safer for your pet.  With cats, we have been using the recombinant Purevax Rabies vaccine since its introduction almost ten years ago.  There are other Rabies vaccines available for cats but they are associated with an increased risk for development of an aggressive soft tissue tumor called fibro sarcoma which occurs at the vaccination site later in life. 

Cost is often a factor when veterinarians choose which vaccine brand and type to use. This often accounts for the difference in vaccination prices between veterinary hospitals.  At New Hartford Animal Hospital we only use the most effective vaccinations with state of the art technology.  Our vaccines may sometimes be more costly than other available vaccines, but at New Hartford Animal Hospital, we will not compromise when it concerns your pet’s health.  Our vaccination decisions are based on infectious disease risks for our specific upstate New York region.  For dogs, we are considered the highest risk area in the United States for a combination of Lyme Disease and Leptospirosis.

Vaccinations given by breeders and in pet stores are often purchased by mail order or from farm stores not directly from the manufacturer like your veterinarian.  Many times they can be ineffective because they have not been properly handled, stored at the correct temperatures or administered properly.  Vaccinations need constant temperature refrigeration from the time they are manufactured until delivery into the animal.  They also must be administered in certain areas of the pet in order to be effective.  Non-veterinary individuals are not always aware of these issues.

At New Hartford Animal Hospital, we understand the importance of providing high quality medicine for your pets. We are honored to help you keep your pet in good health and we take that very seriously. Our entire staff is willing to address any health concern you may have for your pets and I especially enjoy discussing the science behind vaccinations and the strategy for use with your pet.

A healthy pet is a happy pet!