As winter continues on, pets’ waistlines can start to fill out. Lack of activity outdoors (lets face it, who wants to walk in negative 20 with 2 feet of snow?), shorter days leading to more sleeping, and a lower metabolism can all lead to weight gain in winter. There are ways to help prevent this however. Cut back on their food. Starting when the weather turns colder and you know activity will start to drop, cut back on food intake about 10%. Decrease treats as well, and avoid the temptation to share holiday foods with your pets. Increase activity indoors. If you have an area where your pet can play indoors, take advantage. Throw a ball down the hall or stairs and allow your pet to retrieve it. Use a laser pointer or cat toys on strings to encourage your pet to move around. Use feeder toys or puzzle toys. Feeder toys increase your pet’s mental activity to help combat long days of boredom from not being able to go outside. The pet has to work and move around to get the food to come out, so they burn calories while eating. This also will take longer than eating from a dish, giving the pet something to do other than lay around. Take […]
Read PostAs winter officially begins, many of us are busy dealing with the household chores that freezing weather present. Many of these tasks present hazards to our pets however. Ice melts and antifreeze can both be toxic if ingested by our furry friends. Ice melts are often applied to driveways and walkways to prevent people from slipping. If they are spilled or tracked indoors, improperly stored, or if your pet spends too much time walking on or rolling on sidewalks that are treated, they may exhibit signs of toxicity. Most commonly seen is vomiting, but diarrhea, excessive salivation (drooling), depression, decreased appetite, tremors, disorientation, increased thirst, seizures, and even death can result. Depending on the method of exposure, a bath may be indicated to remove salt from hair and feet. Inducing vomiting is sometimes indicated as well, but it depends on how long ago ingestion occurred and which type of ice melt was used. Please contact a veterinarian to see if vomiting should be induced in your situation. Hydration via IV catheter or subcutaneous fluids will help prevent or correct electrolyte issues. If electrolyte disturbances are noted, an EKG may be recommended. If seizures are occurring, an anti-seizure medication may be needed until the electrolytes are normalized again and seizures stop. Lastly, anti-nausea medications […]
Read PostWhile the temperatures have finally turned cold enough that ticks are a fleeting memory, this is one of the times of year where we see our highest prevalence of tick borne illnesses (spring being the other time). While there are a number of tick borne illnesses, one of the more common ones is Lyme disease. Lyme disease, or Borrelia burgdorferi, is a common tick borne illness in the Northeastern United States. It is carried by the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis. An infected deer tick must bite an animal and attach itself for 24-48 hours in order to transmit Lyme disease, so finding unattached ticks or using a product that kills ticks within 24-48 hours should prevent infection. If an animal does become infected, it takes many weeks to months before signs become apparent. Animals do not tend to get a target-like rash from the original tick bite like humans do. When they do show signs, they are often nonspecific such as fever, inappetance, lethargy, limping, especially shifting leg lameness, and just not acting like themselves. Often this is because of multiple joint arthritis, or joint inflammation and pain. Since it can take months to see these signs, a bite in early spring before the first dose of tick preventative is applied is usually […]
Read PostHeritage Animal Hospital is a full-service veterinarian clinic that provides examinations, diagnostic services, dental care, surgical services, medicine, grooming and boarding services in Maple Grove, Minnesota. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of pet care possible and facilitating an environment where client communication and education are at the forefront of our practice.
12624 Base Lake Road
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sat: 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.