March 23 is National Puppy Day https://nationalday365.com/national-puppy-day/. We have been seeing a lot of puppies lately, for a variety of reasons. A new tool that I have been using is a “game” called “Puppy Bingo”. It is a free handout, also available online, that is a grid of 25 squares with things to do with puppies to help socialize them to 25 different things. I was amazed when I saw it. I could probably think of 10-15 of them, but 25 if great! Our goal is to help expose puppies, especially before the age of 16 weeks, to novel experiences that might generate fear if exposed later in life. Some example are hearing construction sounds, seeing a train or bus, or walking on 3 different surfaces like wood, gravel, sand, rubber, and metal.
The same concept of new experiences works for kittens too. It has squares for meeting new people, being touched by towels, and walking on different textures.
If these experiences trigger fear, then we stop, and “circle back” when the youngsters are in a calm, happy place, maybe distracted with food or toys, and try again.
Imagine a world where adult dogs and cats aren’t afraid of vet visits, thunderstorms, or other animals.
Check out this link.
https://fearfreepets.com/puppy-kitten-socialization-bingo/
Author: Pamela Henricks
I am a small animal veterinarian practicing in Lewisville Texas, a suburb of Dallas. I have been practicing for 36 years on dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, rabbits and ferrets. I have owned my own practice for 28 years. I am a long time member of Texas Veterinary Academy, and past president.
164 Free Free Cat Appointments
This cute picture of a cat with a grumpy looking face reminds me to talk about how to make cat appointments Fear Free.
Step #1– Make the appointment. If you know your cat is nervous/anxious, or just downright difficult to get into a carrier or cat, talk to our staff about some tips.
Step #2– Get the carrier out several days to weeks before the appointment. Clean it up so it is not scary. Put Fluffy’s favorite toys in it, snacks, anything that will create happy memories and experience associated with the carrier. In some cases, you may even have to take it apart into two halves to make it not scary.
Step #3– Get your cat used to being the carrier with the door closed for short periods of time. Make it a game. Wait until Fluffy is calm, then give treats through the door. Build special memories, then open the door. Pretty soon “carrier= treats/positive experience”.
Step #4 – Practice getting cat the carrier, putting carrier in car, wait until calm, give treats.
Step #5– Put cat in carrier, carrier in car, go for short trip, come home, give treats.
Step #6– Now we are ready to go the vet.
This is all classic conditioning to a new experience. We break it into lots of baby steps, with positive experiences at each step.
If you cannot get a calm cat in a carrier & into your car, we can also suggest adding calming pheromones (like Feliway spray by Ceva) sprayed onto a nice fluffy towel or fleece that is placed in the carrier. This is best done at least 5-10 minutes before attempting to put Fluffy in the carrier. We cannot smell these pheromones, but cats can get to their “happy place” easier. I compare it to humans and lavender.
If the pheromones are not calming enough, it is time to premeditated with gabapentin. This old human medicine for pain works on the nervous system of cats to blunt a panic attack. Better yet, it is a tasteless powder that comes in a capsule that you can open, sprinkle on some yummy, canned food, and most cats eat it without having to be “pilled”.
Our long-term goal is calm cats, not stressed out by carriers or car trips, so we can begin our vet experienced without fear.
https://fearfreehappyhomes.com/your-cats-vet-visit-begins-at-home/
163 Still Doing Curbside
Curbside appointments are still in place to curb the Coronavirus at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital. Currently, only euthanasia appointments are allowed inside.
Governor Abbott’s repeal of the statewide mask mandate will not change our curbside appointment systems. As an essential business, we have ALWAYS BEEN OPEN through Covid (except for the snowstorm week), just not allowing clients in the building. Businesses in Texas are free to choose what works best for their staff safety. I know many clients have either recovered from Covid and/or had the vaccines, but my staff and I have not. Veterinary employees as a class have not been eligible for vaccines like human doctors and nurses. The curbside system is in place to protect our staff.
At some point in the future, veterinary hospitals including Garden Ridge will begin offering face to face appointments, and then later inside pickup of medicines and foods. I am not sure when that will be. We are weekly reassessing the situation. Stay tuned to the website and my blog for updates.
162 National Peanut Butter Day (March 1) is for Dogs Too
Why am I talking about peanut butter in a veterinary blog? As a Fear Free Certified Vet Professional, I use a lot of peanut butter during exams. Happy dogs, nervous dogs, new puppies. (We use other foods for cats).
Dogs love peanut butter. Just like with people, food can elicit an automatic positive response. What we are going for is an association that a vet visit= yummy snack. We want our patients to WANT to come in the building, hop on the scale, go into an exam room, be lifted onto a table, and a strange person (with a mask on these days) give them YUMMY treat like lick-able peanut butter.
When do we use peanut butter? We use it for almost everything, from weight checks, exams, vaccinations, blood draws, nail trims to grooming. We even have sticky mats with little nubs that we can stick to the wall of the bathtub, coat with peanut butter, and it takes a while to lick it clean. I do avoid it if they get car sick, if they are already nauseated, in for anesthesia, or if the owners have a family member with peanut allergy.
Sometimes we go with freeze dried meats, pill pockets, or other small dog treats. But the advantage of peanut butter on a tongue depressor is that is takes a while to lick and swallow it, so they are pleasurably distracted. And we hope they shift from being a little nervous or anxious about all those needles to a memory of “that wasn’t so bad, and I got peanut butter!”
It is not just a reward for good behavior like giving a child a sucker after a pediatrician visit. We use peanut butter before touching them, while touching them, and after. It is part of our whole Fear Free Approach to provide low stress experience for our pets, which also benefits owners and staff.
If your dog is anxious or timid about even getting in the car or approaching the building, we might suggest adding some oral mild anti-anxiety medications. We even schedule “Happy Visits” to some in when we do absolutely nothing except invite them in, offer treats.
Expect more to come about using Fear Free techniques for nail trims, cats exam, and puppy visits.
For more information and videos, Fear Free has a companion website for pet owners that is free and loaded with articles and videos. Check it out! https://fearfreehappyhomes.com/
161 Fear Free Level 2 Certification during the Snow Storm of 2021
Like many of you, the animal hospital did experience some power blackouts. We were indeed closed for 4 days due to impassable roads for staff and lack of power. We had no animals in the building. We had no pipes freeze, no internal damage. We will see what happens with the shrubs and pansies.
Anyway, we are back, still doing curbside (for now), and short staffed. We expect that to change soon.
So, what did I do during the long hours at home? I completed Fear Free Level 2, and several other modules. I learned so much that I want to share and utilize. I especially like the extra classes on Fear Free Nail trims, and Canine Enrichment. I will be writing about those later.
Stay tuned……
160 It’s Bloodwork Special Time
Every year before Halloween, our reference laboratory offers us some “wicked” deals on wellness blood for dogs and cats. There are bundles for young dogs, old dogs, young cats, and old cats. It usually included a CBC, some blood chemistries, Heartworm testing for dogs, fecal parasite check, urinalysis, and some extra testing like thyroid and new early detection kidney testing. We get different bundles for dogs and cats, young and old. These are 25-35% off regular prices, and a great value.
This is a quick way to monitor your pet’s health and avoid scary surprises later. We commonly catch animals with early kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, enlarging hearts, anemia and more. The earlier we catch them, the better chance of managing or curing them.
We are still limiting the inside of the hospital to animals only, so humans stay curbside. Please call to schedule an appointment, call when you are in the parking lot, and our trained staff will take the history, and bring your pet inside. In a few minutes, you pet will be brought back to you. Payment is usually via credit card, but we still accept checks and cash.
The lab will get the results back in 24-48 hours. The doctors will call, email, and/or Facetime you with the results. You don’t need to make an appointment to get results, unlike with our human doctors.
Call soon- this special pricing ends on Halloween!
Here is what is included in the different Profiles:
Young Dog: $125 with CBC, Chemistry, Heartworm test, fecal with giardia
Old Dog: $175 with CBC, Chemistry with T4, heart pro BNP, Heartworm test, fecal & Urinalysis
Young Cat: $ 125 with CBC, Chemistry, fecal with giardia
Old Cat: $175 with CBC, Chemistry with T4, heart pro BNP, fecal & Urinalysis
Call 972-436-2199 now to set up an appointment
159 Going Back to Work Could Be Tough on Your Pet
As I prepare to return to being back in the building to see patients next week, I worry about my two little high energy terriers. They have LOVED this time when they were out in the country, running over acres, digging holes, and eating rodents and rabbits (yes Chuck eats rabbits now). I am anticipating some destructive chewing up the backyard, or the house if I keep them inside on a hot day.
https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2020-05/as-people-return-to-work-those-who-adopted-a-dog-during-the-pandemic-could-be-in-for-a-rude-surprise/
Many of the owners I have talked with in the last two months have described good quality time with their pets since many are home more. Many of the behavior issue clients describe are better, except the thunderstorm phobias.
Veterinary behaviorists are predicting an increase in problems as many of us go “back to work” outside the home. I read a great article, which I will share rather than write my own. The bottom line is we need to train our pets to be OK home alone. Here is the link.
https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2020-05/as-people-return-to-work-those-who-adopted-a-dog-during-the-pandemic-could-be-in-for-a-rude-surprise/
“People are preparing to go back to work, but their new pets most likely won’t be going with them. And those who adopted a pet during lockdown could be in for a rude surprise once they get home.
While the number of pandemic-inspired pet adoptions may be less than media reports suggest, there are still a lot of new pet owners out there whose pets have never known anything but 24/7 attention from their owners.
And those new best friends who kept their owners from going crazy during lockdown are going to be faced with a lot of unfamiliar alone time.
That could mean problems.
“I think we’re being a little naive to think we can spend 24/7 for [several months] with these guys and then abruptly leave,” says Leslie Sinn, DVM, DACVB, CPDT-KA, a certified veterinary behaviorist and owner of Behavior Solutions for Pets, a consulting firm in Hamilton, Virginia.
Does that mean Sinn is expecting a huge wave of unpleasantly surprised pet owners? “Truthfully, yes,” she says.
Sinn told NEWStat that the primary issue is going to be separation anxiety. “With these dogs being used to having that social support and that social contact, and now being left basically alone under house arrest, I think that’s going to be rough for some of them.”
Sinn doesn’t blame this plethora of new pet owners for not expecting anxiety issues when the time comes to go back to work. “I don’t know that people are aware of [separation anxiety] as a problem in dogs and cats. So there’s been no reason for them to anticipate it [or] to take any particular steps.”
But Sinn says there are steps veterinarians can take to help their new patients and clients prepare for it.
“Hopefully, veterinarians have been having conversations with new owners about appropriate socialization in general,” Sinn says. That includes “encouraging independence and encouraging exposure to as many different people, places, and things as has been physically possible during the pandemic.” She acknowledges that introducing pets to the wider world can be difficult, given the CDC’s recent recommendations on social distancing pets, but stresses its importance.
The most important thing, she says, is “accustoming the pet to some period of time alone.”
For example: “In the past, if I had to run an errand, I’d take my dog with me when I left the house because it was a chance to spend more time with him,” Sinn says. But that’s the opposite of what you want to be doing during lockdown. “Now, when I go out for my [semimonthly] grocery run, I make a point of leaving the dog behind.” This allows for some much-needed separation between owner and pet, and gives the pet a chance to practice being alone.
Owners should avoid taking their dogs with them every single place they go, Sinn says. That way, it’s not such a shock when they have to leave for work.
Sinn says veterinarians can make these basic recommendations to owners to practice the healthy separation behaviors we want dogs to acquire while there’s still time: “The ability to be alone, the ability to be independent, the ability to settle without us having to encourage them to settle,” Sinn says. “Those are all things a new pet owner should be doing on a regular basis.”
Sinn adds that veterinarians who haven’t had this conversation with their clients yet should have it sooner rather than later.
“[Because] one way or another they will be having the conversation,” Sinn says. And if they’re having it later, then “it’s going to be a disaster-mitigation conversation versus a preventive conversation.”
158 Grief is Hard, Grief Hurts
I thought I knew everything about grief. I have had to say goodbye to numerous family pets, my grandparents, my father, a miscarriage, and a marriage. I give advice on grieving to my clients and have written blog posts on it. But the unexpected death of my little Sheltie, Sarge, had been much tougher. Perhaps it is because it was mostly unexpected. I haven’t done my “pre-grieving for Sarge like I had my other losses. Or maybe because of this social distancing thing I do not have the same community to cope.
So, I did more research on types of grief. Most experts start with 6 basic types, and then some add even more.
Anticipatory grief is what we go through when a pet or person is chronically ill, and we know the end is coming. It still hurts.
Absent grief is when someone does not acknowledge the loss and shows no signs of grief. This can be the result of complete shock or denial of the death. It’s important to note that in some instances, just because you can’t see the signs of grief, it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is not grieving.
Chronic grief can be experienced in many ways: through feelings of hopelessness, a sense of disbelief that the loss is real, avoidance of any situation that may remind someone of the loss, or loss of meaning and value in a belief system. If left untreated, chronic grief can develop into severe clinical depression, suicidal or self-harming thoughts, and even substance abuse.
Delayed grief is when reactions and emotions in response to a death are postponed until a later time.
Inhibited grief is when someone doesn’t outwardly show any typical signs of grief.
Unauthorized grief (disenfranchised grief) can be felt when someone experiences a loss, but others do not acknowledge the importance of the loss in the person’s life. Others may not understand the importance of the loss or they may minimize the significance of the loss. It is common with the death of a pet since some well-meaning people say, “it was just a dog”.
Common symptoms of grief include depression, decreased appetite, altered sleep patterns, physical pain, and disinterest in previous hobbies and activities. I also learned that grief increases inflammation and batters the immune system. Those are not good in this time of Covid-19. As if the emotional pain isn’t enough, the physical pain can cause headaches, chest pain (“broken heart syndrome”), stomach aches, and fatigue.
My coping mechanisms are mostly the same as depression. I have been trying to stay on a schedule, get regular exercise and plenty of sunlight. I have been eating small sensible meals and avoiding excess alcohol (I did not say ANY alcohol). Writing these blogs help. I have been also reviewing photos (to build a tribute scrapbook page), tending the grave site (I am planting flowers and propagating some Rosemary), and playing with my other dogs. The two terriers are a source of joy just watching them run, play, and hunt rodents.
Some owners would like a way to memorialize their companion animal. The following are some ways that others have found helpful:
• Conduct a memorial service• Keep your pet’s tags, toys, collars, bedding, etc.
• Keep your pet’s hair
• Save condolence cards or e-mails from friends and family
• Create a picture collage, scrapbook, story, or poem about your pet
• If you chose cremation, you may keep the ashes in an urn or locket, or you may choose to scatter them in a place that was special to your pet
• Journal your pet’s story; how, when, and where you met, unique personality traits, nicknames, what you love the most, and what you’ll miss the most
• Donate time, money, or talent in your pet’s honor
https://www.faithfulfriendspetcemetery.com/grief-support/
https://elizz.com/caregiver-resources/types-of-grief-and-loss/
https://edge.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/18.13_Types_of_Grief.pdf
https://exploringyourmind.com/6-types-grief/
https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/grief-stages/20190711/how-grief-affects-your-body-and-mind
157 Eulogy for Sarge
This is a really hard blog post to write.
We lost our 13-year-old beloved Sheltie, Sarge, last week to a farm accident. He was deaf and visually impaired, and as such was at risk for such things, but we were not ready to say goodbye yet.
He was my constant devoted companion. I told lots of stories about him over the years, especially about his agility classes, thunderstorm phobias, and farm escapades.
He loved the cold and snowy weather. His coat was made for breaking a trail in the powder. It was also incredible as a sticker magnet. He loved backing up to anyone to get his rump scratched.
He had definitely slowed down the last year or two. Like many shelties, he had arthritis that was managed. He could not jump up on furniture easily or get into cars on his own at the end. The saddest symptom was the dementia. He was starting to get lost, which was a problem out here in the country. I had him on a CBD product which helped.
I miss my buddy. I miss tripping over him. I miss his fuzzy rump.
156 30th year Anniversary
On April 30, 1990, I opened Garden Ridge Animal Hospital. My ex-husband and I envisioned a free-standing homey small animal hospital where we could be our own bosses, grow a business, raise children, engage in our community, and have a wonderful life. The business succeeded, but the marriage failed in 1997 shortly after the birth of my son, Wayne. Life went on, I met a wonderful man in 2002, we married, and today we are celebrating 15 years of marriage.
Here I am 30 years later, and it has been a wonderful ride. The technology, computers, websites, and medicines, children and my hair color have changed, but the fundamentals of the human-animal bond, examining a pet, doing surgery, and communication with staff and owners are steadfast. The types of patients I have seen has changed slightly over the years, especially since I started seeing exotic pets like rabbits, ferrets, birds, reptiles, and pocket pets (rodents, hedgehogs). The last six weeks have been a crazy period, but we are still open for business. I am missing seeing my clients, many I have known for close to 30 years. I even have two clients I knew before 1990 from the first practice I worked at in Dallas, Hines North Animal Hospital.
I have been blessed with fantastic staff, pet parents, wonderful patients, lots of interesting cases, and social involvement. I have been on the City of Lewisville Animal Control committee several times, serving 6-8 years all together, most recently during the construction of the new Animal Shelter by Railroad Park. I have lead Girl Scout troops, Cub Scout troops, and hosted numerous scouting merit badge events. I have done Career Days at the High School level and Middle School level. I have worked with child daycares for Bite Prevention. We treat classroom pets. We work with pet stores to keep their critters healthy.
Lately, I have gotten involved with the Medical Reserve Corp in Denton, and Ham radio out in East Texas where we have a small cattle ranch and Airbnb lodge. My mom is alive and well, but cannot drive, so we do a weekly “lunch”, and run errands. And I get to enjoy my granddaughter in Flower Mound!
Achievements:
AAHA certification since 2006
Fear Free Certification since 2017
Best Animal Hospital People Choice Award
Best Landscaping award in 1995
I had hoped to do something special for the 30th anniversary. Something like a big open house, or a big 30% off sale, but that is not going to happen during the time of the Coronavirus. Maybe I will just have to do it for the 31st anniversary!
I hope to see ya’ll soon! Stay safe. Hug your pets.