Month: January 2019

97 Your pet might need a teeth cleaning – Jan 31, 2019

February is National Pet Dental Health Month, again.

In the great tradition of Jeff Foxworthy, let’s play …… “Your pet might need a teeth cleaning”
1. If your dog’s mouth smells worse than his butt…
2. If you smell your dog before you see him…
3. If your dog pants in your face and your eyes water…
4. If you have to feed canned food because she can’t eat kibble anymore….
5. If his pillow is wet in the morning from drool…
6. If the edges of the sofa are stained with blood from her rubbing her mouth on it…
7. If she flinches when you pet her face…
8. And last – If you have to chew your pets food for him…

Actually, these are examples of oral and gum disease gone WAY past needing a “just a cleaning. “

Let us help BEFORE it gets that bad.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month. Here at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital, we offer 15% off dental cleaning procedures during February. All animals will have pre-anesthetic bloodwork, be fully anesthetized, monitored, and on fluids during the ~30-45 minute procedure. The entire mouth will be fully examined, probed, cleaned, polished & fluoride treatment applied. If we find problems like teeth that need extractions or oral masses, you will get a phone call with a plan. It is a “day” anesthetic procedure, and they don’t stay overnight. We don’t perform dental radiographs, but if they are indicated, we will refer your pet to the local veterinary board certified dentist.

Test Yourself!
How much do you know about your pet’s dental health? Take this quiz to find out.

For more information:
https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Pet-Dental-Care.aspx
Periodontal youtube video by AVMA

96 Cold Weather Tips


It feels like winter has finally arrived, and is not leaving.  I am especially aware of it this year with my two 4 month old puppies. 

Sweater weather.  Some dog do need some extra insulation when it is really cold.  Other dogs seem to love it and are friskier.  My Sheltie is one of those cold loving breeds, but he was bred for it with a snow proof coat.  My new short coated terrier/doxie  mix needs a sweater, or a at least a towel wrapped around him when I carry him outside.  He really shivers and won’t spend more than a few seconds outside.   I see numerous small patients that are just more comfortable during the winter wearing a sweater even inside.  So look at your dog after being outside in the cold or rain and dress him appropriately.

Activity.  Few of us want to play outside when it is cold, wet, or super windy like it was this week. Too much indoor inactivity makes us all a little crazy.   In people we call it cabin fever.  Indoor dogs can get it too.  My puppies manifest it by acting out, zooming around more inside, and generally being naughty for attention.  I am trying to counteract that with lots more indoor play, interactive toys, and allowing them to just zoom around.  I used a laser pen for my Sheltie years ago.  It is important to match the play with the dog’s interests.  Ball chasing is great for Labradors, but my terriers want to bite and shake stuff.  Food puzzles are great if your dog is food motivated, and not overweight. Many of my clients are still going to dog parks, they just pick the right day and time for comfort.

Frozen water.  Make sure any drinking water outside doesn’t freeze or your pet can get dehydrated.  Insulate any outdoor dog houses.  Most dogs can tolerate a light freeze if they can get out of the wind and rain, off the ground, and can cocoon themselves in some material like hay or blankets.

Antifreeze/deicing compounds.  It is true that antifreeze can taste sweet and attract dogs and cats to lick it.  Avoid yellowish puddles in streets and driveways.  Be careful applying deicing products (rock salt, “ice melt”) on driveways and porches as the chemicals can burn sensitive bare feet.  There are pet safe deicing products available.

Emergency kit in the car.  It is always a good idea to have an extra leash, blanket and some water for pets.  You never know when the car won’t start, slips off the road, or you might be stranded somewhere. 

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Cold-weather-pet-safety.aspx
https://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_dg_sweaters_for_dogs
https://www.poison.org/articles/2010-dec/ice-melt-products-harmful-to-pets-and-kids
https://www.chewy.com/safe-paw-ice-melter-dogs-cats-35-lb/dp/138554
12 Rainy Day Entertainment Ideas To Keep Your Dog Busy

95 The Truth about Pet Insurance

One in three pets will need unexpected veterinary care each year. Wouldn’t it be great if there were Pet Health Insurance?

There really is a pet insurance industry, and it works much more efficiently than human health insurance. I think of it more like car insurance or property insurance. You enroll online; no exam need, pick a plan and deductible, and pay a monthly fee. Most plans reimburse at 80-90%, after a deductible. This switches pet medical expenses to a planned monthly budget item.

We all know that veterinary expenses can add up, especially if your pet has an emergency (like gets into rat poison or in a dog fight), or even a chronic problem (like skin allergies, frequent ear infections or thyroid problems), or gets cancer. No company covers preexisting conditions. So I usually suggest signing up when the pets are puppies or kittens. I just looked up the price for my little terrier puppy on Pet Plan, and it was about $30/month. So the insurance pays off if I have a vet bills over $360 after my deductible (not including routine vaccination or heartworm prevention on most plans).

As a veterinarian, I don’t get a commission on recommending pet insurance. The reason I recommend it because those insured pets usually get better care in the long run because the cost isn’t as big an issue. Our staff members have carried pet insurance before, and one nurse used it to have her beloved pit bull treated TWICE for two cancers with expensive radiation & new chemotherapy. She used Pets Best, so I have recommended that company for years.

AAHA has recently partnered with a different pet insurance company called Pet Plan. They have done their research, and picked this company. They cover injuries and illnesses, hereditary and chronic conditions, prescription medications, specialist treatments, imaging (x-rays, MRI, CT scan and ultrasound), and even alternative therapies. Reimbursement is as easy as submitting their claim form on your smartphone. You choose your maximum annual coverage (2500 to unlimited), your deductible (from $100 to $2500), and your reimbursement (70%, 80%, or 90%). You can go online to GoPetplan.com/AAHA to get a free quote, and get a 10% discount using the promo code “AAHA”.

Ask yourself:
1) Would it be comforting to know I have help managing my veterinary costs?
2) Could I handle an expensive veterinary bill without some financial cushion?
3) Would I pay almost any amount to care for my pet?

I suggest checking out several insurance providers before selecting a plan. PetPlan, Pets Best, ASPCA Pet Health, Nationwide, Trupanion are the ones I have seen my clients use.

You can decide for yourself it pet insurance makes sense (and saves you cents in the long run) or gives you peace of mind.

94 New Signage for 2019

Well it has taken a while to get the new sign up, but it was worth it. It all began about two years ago when I decided to redo my logo. I used an online company called 99 Designs to create a new logo to be put on business cards, websites, letterheads and a new sign. It was a fun creative process where you state your preferences, and dozens of global graphic designers submit graphic ideas to you. Over a few weeks, you narrow it down, keep tweaking it, and commit to a final design. I remember I wanted it to be simple, easy to read at 30 mph, convey the species we see, reflect the “garden” in the name, and have 2 colors. You see the winning design.

We began using the graphics on business cards and websites, then this blog, but the sign was the last project. I held off getting a new sign waiting on construction next door, at The Beehive Assisted Living/Memory care facility, thinking I would piggy back on their look. But the Beehive never built out the front, just a structure way in the back.

This is actually the 3rd sign at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital. The first was a rectangle, dark blue, with our name in clear plastic, lit from inside. But it was hit by a car, and was replaced 20 years ago with the one we had until this week.

You may notice we kept the same frame shape, which reflects the cupula shape of our front exam room roofline. The new LED lights inside illuminate it nicely after dark. I think Sigma Signs in Highland Village did a nice job for us. Let me know what you think!

93 RIP Spotticus

We had to euthanize our 25 year old leopard gecko today. He has been plagued by abscessing hemipenes the last year or so, and this last time it spread to a cellulitis of his entire cloaca region. Despite our best efforts and husbandry, he got much worse and lost over 20% of his body weight.

Having an older reptile here has been a great teaching tool for the staff and clients on basic reptile husbandry. He was a local celebrity for many children who came through. He was “gifted” to us by a client in 2012, but she had had him since 1993! He was 25 years old. He is survived by his latest “wife” Dotticus.

RIP Spotticus 4/1/1993-1/3/2019