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Pets First Monthly
May 2025
Win Against Doggie Woes TOP TIPS TO TAME ANXIETY
With winter officially over and better weather upon us, most people are starting to look forward to summer. While the months ahead often bring great times for humans, they could lead to heightened fear and anxiety for their dog companions. May 5–11 is National Dog Anxiety Awareness Week — the perfect opportunity for me to share thoughts and helpful reminders to keep your beloved dogs content and secure. First, let’s talk about the weather we typically experience this time of year. Whenever a bad storm rolls through, we receive calls from pet owners asking what they can do to help reduce their dogs’ anxiety. We advise our clients to do as much as they can to think and plan ahead for storms, fireworks, and other seasonal events that could cause their dogs stress. Once a dog is anxious and worked up, it’s challenging to calm them down, so be proactive in protecting their peace of mind. If the weather forecast predicts storms — or once the countdown to the Fourth of July begins — we recommend using supplements and/or medications before those stimuli occur. Zylkene is a supplement that has a calming effect similar to mother’s milk, while Trazodone is a medication that helps with fear and anxiety. Sileo , a paste applied between the lip and gum for a sedative effect, is another option. You can use a combination of all three or just one based on veterinarian recommendations, and you should start giving your dog(s) this supplement or these medications one to two days before the big events arrive. Waiting until your dog is anxious is a mistake, as these treatments won’t do much for them once they’re in that state. Ensuring your dog receives the proper amount of exercise and mental stimulation is another way to combat anxiety. Mental stimulation can come from regularly teaching your dogs new tricks or practicing the ones they already know to encourage them to use their minds. Obedience training is another way to help them maintain a positive mindset. Additionally, dogs should get a good 30-40 minute walk daily. Getting them out to experience new sounds and smells is very important. Following these tips will help your dog feel calmer and more content and exhibit less anxiety around lightning, thunder, or other intense noises.
Common signs of anxiety in dogs include pacing, restlessness, flat ears, and barking. In severe cases, they may become destructive toward household items or relieve themselves inside. Sometimes, they may just disappear — they’re suddenly not next to you as usual and may venture into closets or the bathroom. Anxiety is most common among border collies, blue heelers, Australian shepherds, and other high-energy herding breeds. When a dog is anxious, it’s natural to want to comfort them physically. However, coddling an anxious and nervous dog is one of the biggest mistakes you can make, as petting them and addressing them in a calming voice inadvertently rewards them for this behavior. It’s much better to be confident and business- like, which will help your dog eventually see that the disruptions aren’t making you anxious and follow your example. I hope these tips help you spot your dog’s signs of anxiety and better prepare them for the triggers that are bound to come. With the right precautions and steps in place, your dogs can enjoy spring and summer as much as you do!
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Greetings, all! I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the spring. Thanks to starting my day with an excellent breakfast, I’m feeling fantastic today. This morning, I ate green beans, baby carrots (all chopped up into bite-size pieces), six blueberries, two strawberries, and about 3 tablespoons of pumpkin mixed in with my regular dog food. This combination gives me plenty of energy and keeps me happy and healthy. Like a lot of humans in the United States, many dogs are overweight. Being overweight can lead both species to experience arthritis, heart disease, cancers, and other severe conditions. Unfortunately, most dogs’ diets are full of dry, processed foods, which aren’t the best for us nutritionally. Eating this way gives us a high carbohydrate load we don’t need, and it may contribute to us getting chunky and lazy. If you want to help your dog keep their weight down and feel better throughout the day, replace as little as 10% of their daily dry kibble with fresh food. That small percentage can be fruits and vegetables — but hold the onions and grapes, which aren’t good for us. Given twice a day, this minor addition alone is a potent way to improve your dog’s health and create positive changes in their body. It even works better than giving us a multivitamin! Dog Diet Do’s and Don’ts Sam’s Corner
Dexter’s Successful Adrenal Journey FROM LETHARGIC TO LIVELY
Dexter is a handsome German shorthaired pointer mix who came in to see Dr. Green after about a week of not eating, acting lethargic, vomiting, diarrhea, and generally not being himself. On examination, he was dehydrated with a low temperature and a tense abdomen. Abdominal X-rays were performed to ensure he hadn’t eaten something he shouldn’t have. Thankfully, there was no evidence of a foreign body present.
Dr. Green’s team collected a blood sample to check his kidney and liver function and his white and red blood cells. They also performed a test called a PLI to help determine whether he had pancreatitis caused by a high-fat meal. His PLI test returned normal, but his other bloodwork revealed elevated kidney values
and red blood cell counts, low sodium, and elevated potassium. Kidney values commonly elevate from dehydration, toxins, infections, primary kidney disease, metabolic issues such as Addison’s disease (hypoadrenocorticism), or medications.
His X-rays showed no concerning findings, and he also tested negative for heartworm and a few tick-borne diseases. At the time, Dexter’s guardians decided to try medical management at home with canned food and anti-vomiting medications. Unfortunately, he didn’t improve, which ultimately led to his hospitalization for aggressive supportive care and IV fluids to help with hydration. Reevaluated bloodwork revealed he was still experiencing elevated kidney values and electrolyte abnormalities. His blood pressure was also low. This bloodwork, along with low blood pressure and his GI symptoms, pointed toward potential Addison’s disease. Dr. Green’s team performed an ACTH stimulation test to check how well Dexter’s adrenal glands responded. His values returned below normal, confirming his Addison’s diagnosis. This disease occurs when specific hormones are not released from the adrenal glands. When the adrenal glands aren’t functioning appropriately, patients commonly experience lethargy, weakness, vomiting, decreased appetite, and/or diarrhea. In severe cases, such as Dexter’s, they can experience shock.
Dexter continued his supportive care in the hospital, which included some steroid injections, and began to feel much better. He was started on two steroid medications — both of which he will need to be on for the rest of his life — to help supplement his body’s lack of steroid production. He improved almost immediately after receiving these steroids and has been doing amazing ever since!
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Of course, dogs also need plenty of exercise. A nice-paced, leashed walk of at least 40 minutes is a great way to help us stay in shape — and it will likely do the humans walking us some good as well. Although I wouldn’t recommend that humans eat our kibble, I would say that adding more fruits and vegetables to their diet is a good idea. Just as our faithful dog guardians want us to feel great, we want our loving humans to be healthy, too.
When our furry friends get sick, it’s up to us to bring them in for a veterinary appointment. It’s part of the responsibility of being a pet owner, but stray animals have no owners. Who takes care of them when they most need it? Sadly, help is beyond their reach in many cases. However, some dogs won’t let anything stand in their way, especially if it’s a difference between life and death. In January 2025, a stray mother dog noticed her puppy stopped moving and jumped into action. Without an owner to guide her, the mother brought her baby to a local veterinarian clinic in Istanbul, Turkey. The staff saw the dog standing outside their door, so they checked on her and noticed the lifeless puppy. The pup was freezing cold, and the vet wasn’t even sure if it was still alive! The vet could not hear the puppy’s heartbeat with a stethoscope, so he checked it with a needle, which provided promising results! The dog was alive but had a very slow heartbeat. The vet used a blow dryer to warm the puppy up, and before long, it was awake and moving again. All the while, the mother was at the puppy’s side with her head perched on the examination table. So, how did the puppy’s mother know where to take her baby? This wasn’t her first encounter with this vet clinic; the same doctor was already treating the puppy’s littermate after good Samaritans brought her to the same clinic a few days earlier. Both puppies have been reunited with their mother and are all under the close eye of the clinic. Whether discussing humans or dogs, parents are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their children survive and thrive. However, dogs might have to be more creative with their efforts. Stray Dog Outsmarts Fate and Saves Her Puppy’s Life
Until next time, eat wisely and live happily!
–Sam
Nothing says “good dog” like a fresh batch of tasty puppy cookies. Prepare for extra tail wags when you treat your four-legged friend to these special beefy biscuits! ‘GOOD DOG’ COOKIES Inspired by AllRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS • 2 cubes beef bouillon • 3/4 cup boiling water • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
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3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
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1 egg, beaten
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1/2 cup vegetable oil
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2 tbsp brown sugar
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. 2. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and allow to cool. 3. In a bowl, combine flour, dry milk, egg, oil, beef broth, and brown sugar. Mix well and knead dough for 1 minute. 4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into bone shapes and place on cookie sheet. 5. Bake for 30 minutes and allow to cool before sharing with your good dog.
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www.PetersenPetHospital.com
1031 Kacena Road Hiawatha, IA 52233 www.PetersenPetHospital.com 319-743-0554
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PRIMARY Inside This Issue
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Cures for Nervous Canines
PMS4655
BLACK
50% BLACK
A Victory Against Addison’s Adversity
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Natural Foods for Perfect Nutrition
SECONDARY
‘Good Dog’ Cookies
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PMS292 A Stray Dog Pulls Off the Ultimate Rescue Mission PMS5635 PMS1215
PMS258
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The Monsters History Tried to Forget
Weird, Wild, and Once Feared Monsters Lost to Time
History is full of strange creatures. Some may not haunt our imaginations today, but their stories provide a fascinating glimpse into the fears of the past.
Bycorne The Bycorne was a cow-like beast with a human face that thrived on “patient husbands” for food. His spouse, Chichevache, ate patient wives but was always lean. The Bycorne’s legacy reflects how folklore blended humor and fear with cultural commentary. Lamia In Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen who became a child-devouring monster. Her name later became synonymous with witches and female demons. Snallygaster A reptilian-winged beast, the Snallygaster emerged in early 20th-century American folklore, inspiring public hysteria before fading into obscurity. However, its name survives in “snollygoster,” a term for an unprincipled person.
Though these monsters vanished from everyday discussions, their stories remind us that legends and the words used to describe them are constantly evolving.
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