Holiday Traditions

Over many years of working in the clinic, clients have shared with me the special holiday traditions they have with their pets.  One in particular stands out for me and I think of it every year.  For many years, one family always gave their dogs a special Christmas treat.  Not so unusual as most of us buy special treats or toys for our pets every year.  Every year this family gave their 2 large dogs sausages as a Christmas treat.  The end result was always the same.  The next day (and for several days after) both dogs would vomit and have diarrhea.  We could count on getting a call for an appointment every year to see the dogs and prescribe medications to deal with the aftermath of the sausages.  Personally, I can think of better ways to spend my holidays than cleaning up vomitus and diarrhea from around my house.  I was never sure if they thought that some year the consequences would be different or what but I never did understand this tradition.  I'm sure the dogs enjoyed their sausages very much at the time, but I'm also pretty sure they did not enjoy the way they felt for the next several days. Fortunately, neither of the dogs ever developed pancreatitis (a potentially fatal condition) after eating the sausages.  We all like to treat our pets to something special, but we need to use caution in what we give our pets.  Fatty treats like sausage and ham can lead to serious illnesses, such as, pancreatitis.  Too much of anything other than our pets' normal diet can lead to gastrointestinal upset. So, by all means treat your pets to something special for the holidays, but use caution and learn what human foods can be toxic to your pets and always treat in moderation. You may be very surprised at what can be toxic to pets.  Check www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/ for a list of dangerous foods.
Jan Hueben, RVT

What is best for your pet

Sometimes a pet comes to us that has multiple conditions that need to be treated.  When such a pet comes in, we have to try to treat each condition, but in treating one condition we can worsen another.  There are times when specialized equipment and/or medications are needed that we don't have in clinic.  In these cases, we are very fortunate to have two very good specialty/emergency clinics nearby where we can send our patients for treatment.  We had such a case last week with one of our feline patients.  He is a very sweet boy who likes to give hugs and snuggle - even here in the clinic.  When we found that he had developed a second serious condition that was complicated by treatment for the first condition, we looked at our options.  Because he could receive treatment with equipment and mediations that were available at the specialists', we referred one very sick kitty.  Within a couple of days of being admitted there, he was greatly improved and went home with some very happy owners and continues to do well.  We would like to be able treat every pet that comes to us here in the clinic where the owners and pets all know us, but if it is in the best interest of your pet, we will refer you to the appropriate specialist(s).  We are kept up to date with your pet's condition and are thrilled to hear you have that your pet has been discharged from the specialists' care to take home and look forward to seeing you and your pet for ongoing veterinary needs.  As the title of this blog states, we will always recommend what best for your pet.
Jan Hueben, RVT