Back to school!

 

Going back to school!!

It’s that time again kids…..back to school!!  Luckily since I am a cat and know EVERYTHING I don’t have to attend school.  Most kids are getting new pencils, notebooks, pens and an all new wardrobe.  Kids might also be getting vaccines or immunizations.  Don’t forget your pets!

Dogs and cats need to be kept up to date on their Rabies vaccine, which is required by CA state law.  There are also some other core vaccines that they need to keep them healthy and safe.  Dogs and cats need yearly blood work to monitor their overall health as well as being current on heartworm prevention and flea control.

Be sure to call us to set up an appointment today to get your pets current on vaccines, blood work and heartworm and flea control.

Toodles, Betty Crocker

Foxtails!!

Its that time of year again everyone......foxtail season!!  At Cordova Veterinary Hospital we have seen our fair share already of foxtails in the eyes and ears of both cats and dogs. 
I'm sure you have seen those fan tail weeds that grow during the spring and turn yellow towards the start of summer.  The annoying weeds that get stuck in your shoes and socks when your out walking?  Or perhaps you have a few of them growing in your back yard? 

Since I'm an indoor only cat and refuse to get my paws dirty, I have decided to send out two of my field reporters for this story.  Dookie, a 2 year old American Bulldog and Dustmop (what an ugly dog) who is a 1 year old Poodle mix to scout out the foxtails.  As the pictures show, you can see that longer haired dogs like Dustmop are a magnet for weeds, such as foxtails, and smoother coated dogs not as much.  However, don't let that fool you!  Foxtails can also become lodged between the toes especially in dogs like Dustmop with furry feet. 

Foxtails are very adept at making their way in small crevices like ears, eyes and the nose of either dogs or cats.  This can cause great injury if left untreated.  Warning signs to look for if you suspect your pet has a foxtail:

• shaking of the head nonstop
• sneezing uncontrollably (if in the nose)
• discharge from the nose such as blood
• pawing at the face/eyes
• discharge/weeping/squinting of the eyes
• ears can be painful when touched
• paws can become swollen as well as have small wounds in between the toes

So to summarize, foxtails are a bad deal and need to be addressed immediately!  Check your pets feet, furry or not, for foxtails after your walks, and try to steer clear of tall weeds.  Keep your yards free of these nasty weeds and dispose of the foxtails in your green waste to avoid any problems.  And be sure to contact us, Cordova Veterinary Hospital if you have any questions or fear your special pet has a foxtail. 
Thanks to Dookie and Dustmop for their great reporting skills.  I guess Dustmop isn't so ugly after all!

~Betty Crocker

Heartworms! 'Tis the season.....

Hello all,
Hope ya'll have been enjoying the warmer weather we have had lately. With the warmer weather, comes a few unwanted guests, namely mosquitoes.  Did you know that mosquitoes help to transmit heartworm disease?  A mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected animal like a dog or coyote and then as it bites an uninfected animal, the microfilariae, or the larval stage of the parasite, enter in the blood stream and from there take about 6 months to develop into a full grown adult.  The adult worm makes its home in the heart, hence the word Heartworm disease.  Heartworm disease can be fatal if left untreated!!

The current treatment for a dog with heartworm disease is a very costly and the medication is on an allocation basis only.  However this diease is preventable!!  Here at Cordova Veterinary Hospital we recommend giving your dog a once monthly pill such as Interceptor or Sentinel to help prevent this disease, which is much more cost efficient, on top of being easier to do.  We also recommend that dogs be heartworm tested annually, even if they are on a preventative.

Cats should not be forgotten in this potentially fatal disease!  We are also susceptible to this awful ailment.  Cats should be given Revolution once monthly as this protects us not only from fleas but heartworm disease too.  Even though I live in an air conditioned castle, a.k.a. Cordova Veterinary Hospital, I am given Revolution on a regular basis, because you never know where mosquitoes are lurking. 
**My information was taken from http://www.heartwormsociety.org/ which has helpful information that I encourage you and your pets to read.  Also below is an interactive map to find confirmed cases of heartworm disease as well as tick borne diseases.

http://www.dogsandticks.com/diseases_in_your_area.php


http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/heartworm.html#where

Thanks for you undivided attention, I've got to get back to filing, its never ending here!!

Take care of your heart!

Have you ever heard of an Echocardiogram?  I haven't, until I talked with Dr. Siemens, our traveling Cardiologist who visits Cordova Veterinary Hospital twice a month.  Dr. Siemens is very kind and caring about her patients and spoke with me about echocardiograms and the importance about them.

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. This advanced test is available for dogs and cats, just like it is for humans. An echocardiogram is usually done by a cardiologist or a radiologist since it takes specialized training to do one properly. Unlike chest X-rays, an echocardiogram will allow for exact measurements of the heart chambers, assess the strength of the heart, and detect all kinds of heart problems. Your veterinarian might recommend an echocardiogram for your pet if they hear an abnormal heart sound with their stethoscope, if the heart looks enlarged on chest X-rays, if your pet is showing symptoms typical of heart disease, or if your pet's heart needs to be evaluated prior to anesthesia.
The echocardiogram is not painful and it is almost always done without sedation. This test normally takes about 15 minutes to perform, during which the pet is asked to lie on its side on a table in a quiet, dark room while a technician holds and comforts it. The following is a list of some of the heart problems that can be found in dogs and cats: leaky heart valves, a weak heart muscle, a thickened heart muscle, narrowed areas in the heart, holes in the heart, tumors, blood clots, fluid in the heart sac, and infections within the heart. The echocardiogram will provide a lot of valuable information so that your veterinarian can make the best decisions for treatment. Being proactive and well-informed in the treatment of heart disease is very important in order to keep the pet's quality of life high and allow it to live as long as possible with its heart disease.  
Check out Dr. Siemens website: http://www.healinhearts.net/ 

Have you heard about our Wellness plans?

Since I've been back from vacation in Maui, here at Cordova Veterinary Hospital, we have started Wellness Plans.  The Wellness Plans are for all ages of cats and dogs and they offer a lot of great services!!
For instance the Feline Senior Wellness plan includes UNLIMITED office visits, all vaccinations recommended by the Veterinarian, intestinal parasite screening (up to 2), bloodwork and urine analysis (up to 2), blood pressure screen (up to 2), annual thyroid screen, FELV/FIV test, and a feline heartworm test, along with YEAR ROUND flea and heartworm prevention.
This is an annual savings of $365 for the Feline Senior Wellness plan!!  The Wellness Plans offer affordable monthly payments or discounted full payment. (Any additional diagnostic testing not listed in the plan will be at an additional cost to owner)

This a great plan!!  If you would like further info, please contact us here at (916) 363-9443.  I wanted to sign up but since I am the hospital cat here at Cordova Vet, I get most of my services free.   And the techs always clean up after me.  Ha ha

Have a great week everyone!!

Great time in Maui, but good to be back home.

I had an awesome time vacationing in Maui.  Everything from sunbathing, to "exploring" (hunting) the locals, and I guess, Trudi, my technician handler.  (She follows me everywhere.)   We took some great pictures, with me in them of course.  I even told Trudi I would take a photo with her.  If you have never been to a Hawaiian island, I highly recommend it!!  Relaxing is the most important part of being in Hawaii, along with having fun.  Cordova Veterinary Hospital is a great place to be, however vacation is nice too. 

So now its back to blogging about the important things that go on at this wonderful, AAHA accredited hospital.  If there is something you would like me to blog about, let me know!  I always appreciate feedback and ideas from our patients and their owners. 

Another great day in Maui

Howz it?  I have become very accustomed to life here in Maui.  Today has been a busy day.  I've really tried to do a few things on my own, but Trudi keeps telling me not to talk to strangers or wander off too far.  I only have three legs, how far can I go?  I've been chatting it up with the resident cats here at our condo.  I took a picture with one of them.  He wouldn't tell me his name, said it would give away his secret identity.  Some cats!  I hear tell there are some lizards or geckos running around this island, so I went on a little hunt.... I mean exploration.  Trudi frowns on me eating the locals, so I've had to keep my hunting habits in check. :)  Trudi went a whale watching tour in Lahaina, I decided not to go because I get a wee bit sea sick.  More hunting time for me....dang it, I meant exploration time.  Have a great Tueday everyone!!