Springtime is here. With the leaves on the trees, the flowers, blooming, and the temperatures rising, more dogs will be going outside on many fun adventures and excursions. Here are a few reminders to make sure your dogs stay safe.
1) Never leave a dog locked in the car, even if for a few minutes with the windows rolled down
2) Is my dog on effective flea and intestinal worm control to prevent unwanted parasites? (we recommend Trifexis)
3) Is my dog going hiking where we need to worry about ticks? Is my dog going to an area where Lyme Disease is endemic? (we have ticks in the hills, but Lyme Disease is very rare locally)
4) Is my pet going to be around rattlesnakes? Is my yard snake proof? Please read the article on our blog on rattlesnakes. This is the best time of year to consider vaccination for at risk dogs.
5) Is my pet conditioned for long activities? We see weekend warrior syndrome in dogs too. Work on conditioning your dogs for the summer with increasing moderate exercise. We can consult on activity levels and nutritional plan for losing that winter weight to get your dog conditioned for exercise.
6) With swimming comes ear infections. Use our Oti Flush wash each evening after swimming (apply, massage, and let them shake). Keeping ear hair on inner flaps and ear canals short helps too!
7) Time to get rid of the undercoat and get a haircut. Don’t want the extra heat
8) Don’t forget some breeds overheat easily. May especially can get warm suddenly. Bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, and those Frenchies can have a hard time releasing heat from panting and can overheat. Exercise restrictions during heat of the day is critical for those dogs.
9) With increased mixing with other dogs, please make sure vaccinations are current
What’s New
Dr. Cooper is returning from her maternity leave. Congratulations on her new daughter. We deeply appreciate everyone’s patience while we were running a doctor short. Even better news is that she will now be available for appointments four days a week. Our doctor schedule is:
Dr. Horn: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
Dr. Murphy Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
Dr. Cooper Sunday thru Wednesday
Apoquel update. Apoquel, the new anti-itch allergy medication continues to be in extremely limited supply. Fosr those who already are using the drug, we will do everything in our power to keep your pets on it to control their itching. We will be getting shipments every two months. A more stable supply may not be available until spring 2015 according to the manufacturer. If your pet has allergies and the Apoquel is not available, we still can help your pet, so call us if your pet gets itchy!
Trifexis rebates are here, with special rebates on 12 doses. Get your Trifexis while rebates are still good! There were 82 cases of heartworm in Orange according to http://www.dogsandticks.com. The actual number of cases is likely even higher. If your dog is on Trifexis and ticks are a potential issue, please talk with the doctor about what to d about tick protection.
For dogs that don’t tolerate or like Trifexis, we have Nexgard, a new oral flea AND tick medication. Because Nexgard does not cover heartworm or intestinal worms, dogs that change from Trifexis to Nexgard will also need Heartguard. We have a limited supply of complimentary Heartguard that we can send home with purchase of 6 ot 12 months of Nexgard. Again this supply is limited, so if you need to make the switch, call us soon!
Margo has openings for her training classes. You can discuss this with the receptionist if interested.
Trupanion pet insurance is offering a complimentary, no strings attached one month of coverage. All that is required is an exam within 24 hours of calling to activate. Trupanion covers pets up to 14 years of age. They cover 90% of charges except exams and preventative health care and after deductible is met. No lifetime maximum. It’s best to enroll BEFORE your pet gets sick as preexisting problems are generally excluded. While we honor almost all plans, Trupanion is our current favorite as we are getting lots of positive feedback from our clients.
Pets for Adoption
Baby Monster (grey cat in our reception area) and Lucy (a very cute little mixed dog) are up for adoption. Please go to our Facebook page for information. Lucky and Forest are permanent residents are are not up for adoption.
We are always looking for meeting new families. We deeply appreciate referrals and your on-line reviews. Thank you so much for entrusting your pet’s health to the OC Veterinary Medical Center
Happy Spring