Furry Friends & Fireworks

The 4th of July is coming up quickly. While we all love to celebrate with fireworks there are a number of our 4 legged friends that DO NOT! And that is ok! Fireworks are not natural and it makes perfect sense why your dog might have an aversion to them. You may choose to refrain from lighting them this holiday but rest assured that others will not. If you know your dog is going to have a rough night (and lets be real, a few before and after) on the Fourth of July please make an appoint with Anaconda Vet Clinic to discuss ways to help your furbaby relax. We have experience in everything from thunder jackets, to pheromone therapy, and even prescription pharmaceuticals. We are here to help!

Big City Medicine with a Home Town Feel.

THANKSGIVING DANGERS

The turkey has popped, the stuffing is done, the family sits down to eat. Thanksgiving 2019 is in the books!

The furry family members nose gets to sniffing, you are feeling generous, and frankly you just cant finish your second plate of food – so you put it down and let the dog go to town. HUGE mistake!!! Do you know how many hazards a dog faces from your Thanksgiving meal? The biggest of them being food poisoning and swallowing bones.

I am sympathetic to the love of your dog and I know that puppy dog eyes are killer – but these hazards can actually kill, and an emergency vet call is the last thing you (and your vet) want during the holidays.

Cooked bones can splinter and cause severe internal damage to dogs. Bones can also be a choking hazard. This Thanksgiving make sure turkey bones are absolutely off-limits, along with any other cooked bones.

If you want to treat your doggo to a holiday meal I suggest you look at the treats below. They are all holiday themed, but they are 100% safe. Not only safe but they are made by Hills Science Diet, so a team of veterinary nutritionists specially formulated these to be healthy for your dog. Seriously, take a look! I wish I could say my Thanksgiving meal was healthy for me!

Tick Season is All Seasons

HOLD ON - READ THIS AND THEN RE-READ THIS

Every season is flea and tick season.

Yes Karen, that means winter too. Snow on the ground - yep tick season. Fleas and ticks can live through the winter and are found in people’s houses, chicken coups, dog houses, and especially deer and elk. If you stay here in the winter or head to the South for the warmth and sun, they are equally likely. The point is you need to keep you cats and dogs on flea and tick preventative year-round!

When it comes to medications there are so many options. You should go with a meat flavored chewable, called Credelio, for both flea and tick prevention. Your fur baby will just think it’s a treat. That is the option Dr.Z prefers!

There is the classic liquid you can place on their back which is great for fleas and ticks BUT they are just as likely to cause dermatitis reactions, and they are likely to washed away down the drain just like your money.

There are also collars that will deter and kill fleas and ticks. However, most collars are utterly worthless. There is only one collar one the market that, called Seresto. Seresto works for 8 months on both dogs and cats. Dr. Z recommends them for cats and small dogs (think up to 20lbs), he recommends Credeilo for any medium to large size dog, because rough housing can break the collar.

There are many options, brands, and ways to keep your babies safe, but in order to kill fleas and ticks and the diseases they carry these are the recommendations of Dr.Z! If your pets contract flea or tick borne disease the vet bills are large and there are cases that become fatal. Take home message… prevention is ALWAYS cheaper and safer than treatment.

Check out the medicines below, these are the only ones that Dr.Z recommends at his clinic! Stop in to the clinic and talk to our team about protecting your furbabies today!