Dogwood Pet » cat

Welcoming Dr. Betty Huang!

dogwood — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:14:12 +0000

Have you met Dr. Betty Huang? She is the newest doctor to join our team of caring and dedicated staff, and has actually already been with us for almost a month!

Dr. Huang received her master’s degree from UC Davis, and her veterinary degree from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006 and has been practicing in the field ever since.

During veterinary school, Dr. Huang received grants and honors including:

NIH T32 Training Grant
Veterinary Scientist Training Program Fellow
UC Davis, Vet Med, Students Training in Advance Research Grant Recipient

Dr. Huang concentrates on primarily dogs and cats, but has a special place in her heart for poultry and rodent medicine as well. She brings a wealth of experience with preventative medicine, internal medicine and soft tissue surgeries. Her current endeavors include jogging, hiking, and backpacking with her beloved mutt Baba Ganoosh. With those interests we know she’ll love the Pacific Northwest!

We are very excited and fortunate to have Dr. Huang on our team. Please feel free to contact her if you have any questions about your pets.

Nestlé Purina Recalls Dry Cat Food in Three States

dogwood — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:55:49 +0000

by www.foodsafetynews.com | Jun 28, 2011

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is recalling approximately 870 bags of dry cat food shipped to Colorado, Idaho and Oregon that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

These bags of dry cat food were distributed in error in February, 2011 to a small number of customers in Colorado, Idaho and Oregon, which may have further distributed the product to other Western states.

There have been no reports of illness.

The recall involves:

– Cat Chow Naturals Dry Cat Food: 6.3 lb. bag; best by August 2012; production code 10331083 13; bag UPC code 17800 11320

– Friskies Grillers Blend Dry Cat Food: 3.15 lb. bag; best by August 2012; production code 10381083 06; bag UPC code 50000 08450

– Friskies Grilllers Blend Dry Cat Food: 16 lb. bag, best by August 2012; production code 10381083 06; bag UPC code 50000 57578

No other Purina cat or dog products are involved in the recall.

Consumers who have purchased any of these dry cat food products with these “best by” dates and production codes should discard them.

For further information or to obtain a product refund, call NPPC toll-free at 1-800-982-6559 weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time, or visit www.purina.com.

Salmonella can affect animals and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product.

Pets with Salmonella infections may exhibit decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Dogs and cats can’t drink from a cup. How do they drink?

dogwood — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:21:56 +0000

It looks pretty inefficient: Watch a dog or cat drink. How do they actually get enough water to swallow? Harvard University has been studying this for us, and HERE is their answer, with video. (CLICK HERE)

Sick raccoons roaming Astoria neighborhoods

dogwood — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:27:13 +0000

December 13, 2010 — ASTORIA, Ore. — Police issued a warning to Astoria residents about a growing number of sick and injured raccoons wandering through town. A serious outbreak of distemper forced officials to kill at least two sick raccoons in the past two weeks, said officers.

Pets can catch distemper when raccoons mess with food and water dishes left outside. According to wildlife officials, pet owners should avoid feeding pets outside and should never approach raccoons. They should also have their pets vaccinated against distemper and other diseases. A remainder that raccoons can carry distemper and also leptospirosis. (information provided by Dr. Emilio DeBess, Oregon’s State Veterinarian)

OUR COMMENTS: Distemper and leptospirosis are common in raccoons. These cute masked animals carry and spread both feline distemper and canine distemper. Make sure your dogs and cats are properly vaccinated, and keep any outside water bowls clean and refilled with fresh water.

Cat Does Dog Tricks

dogwood — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:21:40 +0000

Kizzy is one talented cat! He has his human trained very well.

Halloween Pet Safety Tips

dogwood — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:00:55 +0000

Here are some tips for keeping your pet safe on the spookiest night of the year:

Candy & Chocolate
Keep holiday treats and candies, out of your pet’s reach as they can make your pet quite sick. If eaten, candy wrappers can cause an upset stomach.

Chocolate, particularly unsweetened, dark, bittersweet and baking chocolate, can be toxic to pets, especially dogs, who are more prone to eat it. If your dog eats chocolate, call your veterinarian or an animal poison control center immediately, as treatment may need to be rendered immediately. Symptoms of toxicity include excitement, nervousness, trembling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst or urination, muscle spasms and seizures.

Keep gum, candy or breath fresheners containing the sweetener Xylitol away from your dog. When a dog eats even a small amount of Xylitol, it causes a surge of insulin, and the animal’s blood sugar may drop quickly and dangerously. Cases of liver damage have also been associated with ingestion of Xylitol. Recently, our very own patient, Sophie, ate a package of sugar-free Trident gum containing Xylitol — read Sophie’s story.

Trick-or-Treaters
If you plan to participate in Halloween festivities, such as answering your door to trick-or-treaters, keep pets in a quiet part of the house. Pets can become overexcited, confused or frightened by trick-or-treaters in costume.

Watch for open doors and make sure your pets have ID tags and/or microchips in case they do get out. Remind your guests that your normally friendly pet may want to be left alone. Young trick-or-treaters may be scared of dogs who run excitedly toward them when the owner answers the door.

Outdoor pets, especially black cats, should be kept indoors on Halloween.

Halloween Decor
Halloween decorations such as fake cobwebs should be kept out of reach of pets. Light strands, loose wires and electric cords can be a serious hazard to your pet, especially puppies, who may chew them. Never leave candles, such as those in jack-o-lanterns, unattended, especially around puppies and kittens. They can knock them over and start a fire. Never allow your pets to eat a leftover jack-o-lantern, as a rotted, moldy pumpkin can make them seriously ill.

Costumes
Some pets might not mind “dressing up” for Halloween, but, for others, it could be a stressful experience best avoided.

Resource: http://oregonvma.org/care-health/halloween-safety-tips-pet-owners

March 2010: Cricket!

dogwood — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:57:33 +0000

: Cricket

Cricket is our adorable Pet of the Month for many reasons. He will turn 18 this August and has the personality of a kitten! Cricket has been coming to Dogwood Pet Hospital since October 1993! Most of his life he has been healthy with only a few surprises here and there. In December 2008, we ran some blood work on Cricket and found his kidney values were increasing. We changed Cricket’s diet and added some supplements to help bring these values down. During a recheck exam, we discovered Cricket’s blood pressure was high! Yes, cats get high blood pressure too! Lately, Cricket has been having some breathing problems, and we’ve had to supplement him with oxygen and take chest x-rays. Currently, Cricket is doing great!

Dogwood staff helps PAW Team care for needy pets

dogwood — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:56:27 +0000

http://photos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2010/03/paw_team_helping_needy_pets_1.html

Dr. Becky Prull and Sandy help PAW Team

What’s all the buzz about Pre- and Probiotics?

dogwood — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:17:36 +0000

The intestinal tract contains a complex, dynamic, and diverse population of healthy bacteria. There has been a lot of research focusing on the mechanisms by which un-healthy bacteria induce disease (like salmonella and E. coli); however, recent attention has focused on the natural, healthy microorganisms and the ways in which they may benefit the body.

Probiotics refer to live microorganisms which confer a health benefit when administered in adequate amounts. Familiar sources of probiotics include the acidophilus found in yogurts. Recently, sources of probiotics have become available in higher concentrations and without the lactose that is found in yogurt that can make our pets sick.

Prebiotics are defined as food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of healthy bacteria in the colon. In other words, prebiotics feed the probiotics. The most common prebiotic found in diets of dogs and cats is dietary fiber. Prebiotics and dietary fiber are also important in feeding colon (large intestine) cells, or, “colonocytes”. Examples of prebiotics include inulin, FOS, and beet pulp.

Providing the right types of bacteria and fiber in the diet helps the intestine maintain normal absorptive fuction, normal motility, and prevention of the overgrowth of “unhealthy” bacteria. Pre- and Probiotics may be given to help with recovery from illness and long term to maintain good health.

In a nutshell, Pre- and Probiotics are beneficial in promoting a strong defense system. By adding pre-and probiotics to your pet’s diet, you are doing your pet’s intestinal tract and overall health a great favor. Ask us about our supplements today!

Pet of the Month: October 2009: Odin

dogwood — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:29:08 +0000

“O is for Odin!”

Our October pet of the month is an Outgoing and Outrageously loving Orange feline named Odin.

Odin a 1 ½-year-old orange tabby was severely injured from being struck by a car. Odin had just enough strength to find his way home and get help. His mother immediately rushed him to the hospital.

His accident severely injured his right eye and fractured his jaw. Like the ancient Norse god whom he was named after, Odin too lost his eye. Fortunately, he had a successful surgery and showed no signs of internal organ damage.

Today, Odin is recovering remarkably! His recovery treatment includes: recheck exams, acupuncture (to promote healing), adding supplements such as Amino B-Plex (for increased energy), eating a high-quality diet, and most importantly receiving lots of love and care from his mom, sister, Meg, and his entire family!

We wish Odin and his family the very best!