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Celine Mazzella

Aug 01
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Adoption August: What to Expect When You Are Adopting

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Congratulations, adopting a pet is so exciting! You are providing an animal with a home while freeing up more space at these rescues and shelters for other animals in need. Although many rescues and shelters try their best to keep these pets happy and healthy, there are always situations where these animals may be sick due to hereditary or congenital conditions or not socialized well due to past experiences/trauma. Even when you purchase a pet, this can still occur.  

As veterinary professionals, we see all the mistakes. Here are the things every veterinarian would like you to know before adopting: 

Always plan to bring your pet to your veterinarian within two weeks of adoption, even if they were seen elsewhere.  

Is the pet socialized? 

Socialization is important for the lifelong behavior of your pet. Puppies and kittens learn how to interact with each other and their environment during this important stage. The socialization period for puppies and kittens starts as soon as their eyes open and conti9nues until they are 4 months old.  

An unsocialized pet can show fear: 

For Cats: ears pointed backwards, wide eyes, arched back 

Unsocialized cats are more likely to urine mark, act aggressively, and develop systemic illness.  

For Dogs: tail tucked between legs, averting eye contact, slow movement, dilated pupils  

Unsocialized dogs can become fearful and unpredictable with their human handlers. They may become aggressive or urine mark.  

How do they look when you meet them? 

Look for signs of illness such as nasal discharge, ocular discharge, coughing or sneezing. A quiet puppy may not “just be shy”, they could have an illness that is causing their quiet demeanor.  

Are they up to date on vaccinations? 

The core vaccinations are distemper and rabies. Make sure that either these vaccinations are up-to-date or that you have an appointment at your own veterinarian’s office to continue the series.  

Were they dewormed? 

All pets have parasites and you can contract these parasites from your new furry friend. Puppies and kittens in rescue and shelter environments should be dewormed regularly.  

Things to consider prior to adopting: 

Do you have time for a pet? 

Pets do take up some of your time. Many dogs need to be walked daily and many cats love to play and spend time with their owners. If you work long hours, you may have to hire someone to let out your dog to avoid accidents in the house. Cats can get bored easily and need access to scratch posts and toys especially while you are away.  

Do you have the financial capability to take care of a new pet? 

Between food, supplies, routine vet visits, unexpected vet visits, and pet sitting fees, pets can really rack up the bills. As a pet-owner, you have to be ready financially before owning a pet to ensure they have everything they need.  

Are you ready for a life-long commitment? 

When you adopt a new pet, you have to remember they can potentially be around for the next 10-20 years of your life. Make sure to ask yourself if you are ready for this long-term commitment. 

Adopting a pet is a great experience and helps open more spots for rescues and shelters to take more animals off the street. We as your veterinarian love to hear your adoption stories and just want to make sure you are getting a happy, heathy furry companion. If you’ve recently adopted, the best first step to take is making an appointment with your local veterinarian. We would love to meet your new family members and make sure they are in good health.  

 

Useful Links: 

Ohio State University’s Indoor Pet Initiative: https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats  

Puppy Checklist: https://www.aaha.org/globalassets/02-guidelines/canine-life-stage-2019/caninelifestage_checklists_newpuppy.pdf  

AAHA Canine Vaccine Recommendations: https://www.aaha.org/aaha-guidelines/2022-aaha-canine-vaccination-guidelines/recommendations-for-core-and-noncore-canine-vaccines/  

AAHA Feline Vaccine Recommendations: https://www.aaha.org/aaha-guidelines/2020-aahaaafp-feline-vaccination-guidelines/core-vaccines-for-pet-cats/  

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Jun 27
Love1

July is the Scariest Time of the Year (Says our Furry Friends)

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July: Fireworks, Traveling, Vet Visits, Yikes!

Does your pet look like this?

July is here, and it is one of the scariest times of the year for many pets across the country.  

Whether your pet is afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms or vet visits and traveling, there is a way to get through to our non-English speaking companions.   

You can help your furry friend feel more comfortable during times of stress and help them face their fears by following some of these simple steps. Sometimes, pets will need medications or products to help them  

 

Acclimation. 

We start helping our pets work through their fears with slow exposure training.  We use positive reinforcements before there is any fearful stimulations. For example: 

  • This can be done by slowly exposing the pet to a sound he or she may be afraid of, such as thunder or fireworks. Start by playing an audio of this sound on your phone during a nice, sunny day while giving them some of their favorite treats. 
  • A pet can be acclimated to their carrier by leaving the carrier out. You can also give your pets treats when they get close to the carrier or place their food on top of a hard carrier. Your pet will no longer associate the “tiny jail” in a negative way since we are forming many happy memories. Your pet will no longer run for dear life every time you take the carrier out of the closet. 
  • Nail Trims are also difficult for so many pets. You can get your pet acclimated to nail trims by touching their shoulders then legs and feet while providing yummy treats. You can also keep clippers in sight while they are eating or relaxing. 

Desensitization. 

Systematic desensitization is the process of introducing your pet gradually to a stimulus that would normally cause an undesirable reaction. During an acclimation process a sound or touch stimulus can be increased gradually to produce desensitization. Slow and steady is the way to go here. By working slowly, you may be able to bring trust and your pet will allow a nail trim or ear cleaning.  

If your furry friend is afraid of veterinary appointments, we encourage you to stop by with your pet for a “happy visit”. These visits are just quick stops for treats and all the love we can possibly show your pet. Now they will know we are not a threat. Please call ahead 

845-986-9900 

Medication. 

For when it feels like all hope is lost, we turn to medications that reduce anxiety. The use of a combination of medications to help your companion fully relax before coming to their appointment will diminish the stress on your pet and will decrease your stress as the pet parent as well! 

 

It is truly a terrible feeling watching your beloved companion cower in fear when approaching the vet’s office and it makes us feel terrible for them as well. We want everyone’s experience at the vet to be a positive one. 

 

Helpful Products: 

  • Nutritional supplements: Composure, Zylkene, Purina Calm Probiotic 
  • Pheromone Sprays: Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cat 
  • Devices: Thundershirts, earmuffs and goggles made for dogs and cats. 

 

 

Useful Links: 

About the Fear Free experience: https://fearfreepets.com/fear-free-pet-visits-how-to-take-the-pet-out-of-petrified/  

Fear Free for Dogs: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/fear-free-for-dogs—overview  

Fear Free for Cats: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/fear-free-for-cats—overview  

 

Links for products to turn to: 

Thundershirt: https://thundershirt.com/ 

Noise-Canceling Earmuffs: https://www.amazon.com/Famikako-Protection-Cancelling-Headphones-Fireworks 

Calming Cap: https://www.amazon.com/Delifur-Anxiety-Calming-Grooming-Sickness 

Composure: https://www.vetriscience.com/behavioral-health.html  

About Feliway: https://us.feliway.com/pages/what-are-cat-pheromones  

About Adaptil: https://www.adaptil.com/us/Products/ADAPTIL-comforting-messages  

Jun 13
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Why Does my Indoor Cat Need a Rabies Vaccine?

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Author Celine Mazzella

Being the owner of an indoor-only cat has its advantages. As an indoor-cat owner, you do not need to worry about your pet contracting diseases from other fury friends that they may meet during their time outside. You may ask “if my cat lives indoors, why would I need to give him or her a rabies vaccination?” There are a few reasons why a rabies vaccination is so important, even for your indoor-only companion.  

Outside critters may find a way into your home.  

Cats are natural hunters. It is not uncommon for wild animals that most carry rabies in the United States such as bats, to break into your home. Sometimes an indoor cat can also get outside and meet a skunk, racoon, or fox which are also carriers of the rabies virus. Whether one of these furry friends enter your home or your beloved pet finds a way out, it is always better to be safe and have your indoor pet vaccinated.  

There is no cure for rabies. 

Rabies is a fatal viral disease. Once potentially exposed to rabies, a vaccinated pet will have to receive a booster vaccination and go through a quarantine. If a pet is unvaccinated and has potential exposure to rabies, the health department may recommend euthanasia. The only way to confirm a rabies diagnosis is to send *trigger alert* your cats head to the laboratory.  

Some Facts: 

  • Our region has a high number of cases of cats exposing owners to rabies.  
  • In New York State from January of 2008 to December of 2020, 13,915 owned and wild cats were submitted for rabies testing.  
  • Throughout this testing, 314 cats tested positive. 
  • 81% of these positive cats had contact with a human. 

Rabies vaccinations are required by law. 

Vaccination protocol for rabies varies by state, but most states require rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets. In New York State, the law requires all owners of dogs, cats and ferrets to get their pet’s first rabies vaccination by 4 months of age, have their pet vaccinated again no later than 1-year after their initial vaccination, and to maintain their pet’s rabies vaccination status with no lapse in coverage from year-to-year.  

 

For more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/animals/index.html#:~:text=The%20wild%20animals%20that%20most,US%20were%20infected%20by%20bats.  

https://www.suffolkveterinarygroup.com/about/pet-owners-information/nys-mandatory-rabies-vaccination/#:~:text=Rabies%20Vaccination%20is%20also%20a,at%204%20months%20of%20age.   

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998993/