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Pets First Monthly
February 2022
MAINTAIN YOUR PET’S HEART OF GOLD! HowWe Test for Heart Disease
Your furry family members’ hearts are full of love for you. This is why it’s so important to have your pet checked out once a year to make sure they don’t have any issues with their heart. Unfortunately, heart disease is very common among pets, particularly dogs — 1 in 10 dogs develop some form of heart disease during their lifetime. Often, with heart disease, it goes undiagnosed because your pets don’t show too many symptoms until it gets severe —mainly in cats. If the condition worsens, cats may not eat, lose weight, become lethargic, collapse, or experience paralysis in their back legs. Likewise, dogs can show heart disease symptoms by frequently coughing, being lethargic, and having fainting episodes.
to examine the heart’s rhythm for
abnormalities. Having a heart ultrasound is one of the best ways to determine your pet’s stage in heart disease. I conduct the ultrasounds here at the clinic, and
they are helpful because we can determine if your pet needs to go on any further medications depending on the stage of their heart disease. We can also provide heart supplements to support your pet’s heart. One of the ways that you can check your pet’s health is by listening to their breathing while they’re asleep. It’s essential to listen to their breaths while they’re sleeping because they are resting, not running around and playing. If your pet takes more than 36 breaths per minute, you want to seek medical attention. Because your pets can be asymptomatic and not show any signs of heart disease, it’s good to use preventive care and bring your pets in for examinations. Here at Petersen Pet Hospital, we don’t want any of your pet’s illnesses to go undiagnosed. Anytime your furry friend is acting abnormal and is out of their regular routine, it’s crucial that you get a veterinarian to look at them. You can use our Pet Health Checker on our website and list out the symptoms your pet has to see if they require immediate attention. You can also call us anytime with questions or concerns about your pet.
Because it’s hard to see if your pet has heart disease, it’s crucial that you get them checked out once a year for pets under 8 and every six months for pets 8 years and
older. If we examine your pet and hear a heart murmur (abnormal whooshing or swishing sound caused by turbulent blood flow), then we would like to see them twice a year. Depending on the case, we might
do some bloodwork and make sure the heart murmur isn’t happening due to other reasons besides heart disease. Other things can cause heart murmurs, such as structural issues, anemia, heartworm disease, and other conditions.
We also recommend having chest X-rays done to check your pet’s heart size and see if there are any apparent masses. We can also conduct an EKG or electrocardiogram
–Dr. Emily Saunders
www.PetersenPetHospital.com
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SUBWA Advice A
BunBun is a 5-year-old spayed female rabbit that came to see Dr. McGinty in October for a second opinion on a swelling on the side of her neck. Bun Bun’s owners had noticed that she had become less energetic and enthusiastic about her favorite foods and was spendingmost of her time lying in one place. BunBun’s swollen areas had previously been diagnosed as suspected abscesses, had been through several rounds of antibiotics, and had been surgically lanced twice. Owners reported that each time they would improve for a while but would quickly return and never completely resolved. Dr. McGinty started by drawing a blood sample from BunBun to evaluate her overall health. The bloodwork showed sign of chronic inflammation (consistent with her abscesses) but showed that Bun Bun is otherwise a healthy bunny. He then took a small sample of fluid from the area and sent it to the lab for analysis to determine what it was, if any bacteria was present, and what antibiotic was needed to clear the infection. Testing returned as an abscess with a resistant bacterial infection. BunBun was started on the correct antibiotic, but two weeks after receiving the medication, her abscess had continued to worsen. Dr. McGinty and BunBun’s owners talked about her options and decided that surgical removal of the abscess and an oral exam to look for underlying dental disease was the best option for her. BunBun was placed under general anesthesia. With the help of his wonderful technicians and assistants, Dr. McGinty was able to fully remove the abscess and she recovered from anesthesia very well. Her dental examination was unremarkable with no obvious cause for the abscess identified. BunBun was sent home with her owners continuing on her antibiotic and a seven-day course of pain relief medication. At her recheck examination 10 days later, BunBun was more alert, more energetic, and was eating her food again, and the incision was healing very well. Her owners stated that this was the best she has felt since before the abscess first appeared. We will continue to monitor BunBun for any new abscesses and are very glad that she is back to her normal, sweet, healthy, happy, and hoppy self! BunBun Makes a Full Recovery! Success Story
What You Need to Know About Den
Meowlo, newsletter friends! Subway here to talk to you about tooth disease and your furry family members. Sam is an awesome canine, but I decided that this topic is purrfect and right up my alley! According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of dental disease by the time they reach 3 years old. Tooth disease can be painful for all pets and make everyday activities difficult. These pains can come from gingivitis, inflammation of their gums, a fractured tooth, infection in the roots of their teeth, and even mouth tumors. If the disease is severe, the bacteria can travel to the bloodstream and affect other parts of the body as well. You can notice if your pet is having issues with their teeth if they are uninterested in treats, chew slower, chew on one side, drool a lot, or paw at their mouth. You can use the Pet Health Checker on PetersenPetHospital. com to see the priority level of your pet. If your pet’s priority level is high, give us a call to book an appointment as soon as possible.
With both cats and dogs, it’s essential that they have their annual exams. This allows your vet to look over your pet’s teeth and make sure everything
No-Bake Valentine’s Yogurt Dog Treats
Inspired by Rover.com
Healed incision 10 days post-op
Abscess day of surgery
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AY’S Alley
You, Me, and the Great Outdoors
ntal Disease
is okay. With dental disease, you can’t always see it by looking into your
pet’s mouth— the disease may be below the gum line. By having routine teeth cleanings, Petersen Pet Hospital can conduct X-rays to ensure there are no signs of diseases. To prevent your pet from getting dental disease, it’s recommended to brush their teeth at least once daily. But if you’re like me, I don’t like getting my teeth touched. Luckily, Petersen Pet Hospital can also provide teeth cleaning for your pet. I see my humans clean their teeth all the time, so why not do the same for your furry friends? If you have any questions about dental disease or want to schedule an appointment for a teeth cleaning or annual examination, allow your friends at Petersen Pet Hospital to help you and your pet!
3 Outside Date Night Ideas
Did your significant other leave it up to you to come up with a romantic date idea this Valentine’s Day? Luckily for you, there are tons of date activities that are easy and affordable for you to enjoy with Mother Nature. While the possibilities are endless outside, here are three popular outdoor date ideas!
Watch the sunset.
Sunsets are intuitively romantic: The sun paints the sky in calming reds, pinks, and purples, creating a beautiful backdrop. While watching the sunset, you and your partner can have a romantic picnic with the sky in view. Or you can embrace the scenery with your other half and create memories you both will never forget.
Valentine’s Day has gone to the dogs — literally! Whip up these easy treats in 10 minutes to show your pup some love!
Go stargazing.
If you live in the city, stargazing is a good chance to escape for the night and get away from the light pollution in the city. If you already live in a location where you can easily see the stars, take advantage of the peaceful privacy with your loved one. Maybe you’ll spot a shooting star you can wish upon while you’re out there!
INGREDIENTS • 1 1/2 cups oat flour (or pulverize rolled oats in the food processor)
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1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, shredded
Hit up a drive-in movie.
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1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp dried pomegranate seeds 1 tbsp coconut oil
If you’re looking for a way to be extra comfy while still sitting outside, a drive-in movie is the best destination! The best part about a drive-in is that you can view both new and old movies as well as bring your own snacks and drinks. If the weather permits and if you have a truck, you can load the bed with blankets and pillows and have a cozy night while watching a movie. These date night ideas are perfect for Valentine’s Day, but they don’t have to be limited to just the holiday! You can also consider these for any date that you have with your significant other. Nothing brings couples closer like being together with nature.
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1 cup coconut flour
1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1/3 cup strawberries
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DIRECTIONS 1.
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Pulse until they have reached a desired consistency.
2.
3. Roll the mixture into balls, squeezing tightly as you go. The size will depend on what you think your dog would prefer. 4. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
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Inside This Issue
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Why Annual Examinations Are Important
PRIMARY
BLACK Success Story February Is National Pet Dental Health Month! No-Bake Valentine’s Yogurt Dog Treats 50% BLACK
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SECONDARY
Include Mother Nature in Your Next Date
Humpback Whales: The Heroes of the Sea
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THE HEROES OF THE SEA Humpback Whale Saves Scientist
In the movie “Cast Away,”we see a whale notifying Chuck Noland of a nearby ship. The whale continuously sprays him with water to get his attention. Although this is a fictional story, what happened in “Cast Away” isn’t just movie magic. There are real-life stories about whales helping people in need. In 2018, a marine biologist, Nan Hauser, was swimming in the waters off the Cook Islands when she noticed a 50,000-pound humpback whale near her. For 10 minutes,
know the whale wanted to protect her until she returned to her team’s research vessel. This is when she noticed the tiger shark creeping nearby. This isn’t the first time a humpback whale has intervened to help another creature. In fact, the humpback’s altruism has been well-documented over the years to show how they benefit other species at their own cost.
Hauser swam around the whale while it nudged her with its head, bumped her with its belly, and swiped at her with its fins. At first, Hauser thought the whale was trying to attack her. But actually, it protected her from a 15-foot-long tiger shark on the other side of the whale. Hauser told the Daily Mirror, “I’ve spent 28 years underwater with whales and have never had a whale so tactile and so insistent on putting me on his head, belly, or back, and most of all, trying to tuck me under his huge pectoral fin … I was sure that it was most likely going to be a deadly encounter.” Hauser didn’t
In 2009, Robert Pitman took a photo of a humpback cradling a seal while rolling out of the water. The whale had protected the seal from a group of killer whales. Pitman, a marine biologist, has analyzed 115 interactions with humpback whales and concluded that they will travel long distances in order to prevent killer whales from attacking, regardless of what type of animal the killer whale is pursuing.
Whether this behavior is out of instinct, accident, or altruism, they have saved the lives of many aquatic animals and people. They are the heroes of the sea!
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