Cherokee Hills Veterinary Hospital

Cherokee Hills Issues First Heat Alert of 2013

cherokeehills — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:31:44 +0000

Looks like summer is finally here. Oklahoma City temperatures are forecast to be near 100 degrees this week. How can you protect your pet? Dr. Bob is alarmed when he sees dogs being exercised on hot, sunny days. Keep in mind our pets are wearing a fur coat all the time and the hot pavement may hurt or burn their feet. If you want to walk or run with your pet, ensure he or she is acclimated to the heat and plan your activity in the early morning or evening. The high humidity typical of Oklahoma creates additional stress. Our yellow lab, Cowboy, spent quite a while on the cool tile kitchen floor recovering from his morning walk when the temp was only 73 degrees. Panting is a dog’s primary means of releasing heat and Cowboy is doing plenty of that even before he cools off enough to get a drink of water.

Outside pets should have shade and plenty of cool, fresh water. NEVER ever leave your pet in a vehicle during the summer. If you see a dog inside a vehicle, call 911 immediately.

Euthanasia….one of life’s difficult decisions

cherokeehills — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:36 +0000

The decision to euthanize one’s pet has to be one of life’s most difficult decisions. We have experienced this with our own pets and we empathize with you. Gauging the quality of your pet’s life can be helpful in making a decision. Is your pet still interested in eating, mobile, pain free, responsive to family, alert, and experiencing more good days than bad?

The attached articles from our website may assist you. We have included articles specific to both dogs and cats. This is a very personal decision and each pet’s circumstances are unique. Please call us at 405-721-2520 if you would like to discuss your situation. We consider it a privilege to help you in your decision making.

http://cherokeehillsvet.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?rid=6751

http://cherokeehillsvet.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?rid=7522

http://cherokeehillsvet.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?rid=6752

http://cherokeehillsvet.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?rid=7523

Dr. Bob on Heartworms: Prevention vs. Treatment?

cherokeehills — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:07:43 +0000

As you probably know, consistent with the American Heartworm Society and AVMA guidelines, Dr. Bob strongly recommends year-round heartworm prevention and annual testing. Heartworms is transmitted by mosquitoes, and even if your dog is on a heartworm preventive, annual testing is essential to confirm the dog has not contracted heartworms. Sometimes clients balk at the costs associated with this regimen. Dr. Bob recently provided a cost comparison of year-round prevention and annual testing vs. treatment once a dog is infected with heartworms. For a 7.5 pound dog, administering heartworm prevention every 30 days year-round and having the dog tested annually costs $101.30. Dr. Bob recently treated a 7.5 pound dog for heartworms. The cost to the owner for the treatment regimen was $653.50. As you can see, the difference in prevention vs. treatment is significant–in this case, $552.20! Of course, the expense of treatment does not include the risks to the pet, inconvenience, and the emotional costs for the owner. A wet spring and mosquitoes create a perfect storm—make sure your pet is protected!

Dr. Bob Advocates Year-Round Heartworm Prevention and Annual Testing

cherokeehills — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:31:08 +0000

Heartworm disease is serious and potentially fatal, primarily affecting dogs, cats, and ferrets. The infection is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Even if your pet rarely or never goes outside, Dr. Bob recommends heartworm prevention year-round as only a single mosquito bite is required to transmit the disease. IDEXX Laboratories reports from 2007 to the present, 1,024 cases of heartworms have been detected in the Oklahoma City metro area. In dogs, symptoms may include coughing, lethargy, and a loss of stamina. Cats may develop coughing and breathing difficulties similar to feline asthma. Year-round heartworm prevention also protects your pets from other parasites. Even with year-round protection, annual heartworm testing is advocated by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Bob diagnoses approximately six cases per year in dogs. Of those cases, none were on consistent, year-round heartworm prevention.

Dr. Bob Marshall Declares it’s That Itching Time of Year

cherokeehills — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:57:11 +0000

Spring has sprung in Oklahoma! In addition to tornadoes, springtime brings seasonal allergies which affect us and our pets. Dr. Bob is seeing more itchy dogs as we experience the effects of pollens. Dogs may scratch for a number of reasons, including seasonal allergies. In most cases, itching is treated symptomatically. The more extreme cases may be referred to a veterinary dermatologist for testing and the development of specific allergy treatments. Dr. Bob finds that some breeds, such as labrador retrievers and schnauzers are more prone to itching. How do you know when to seek treatment for your dog? Dr. Bob says if your dog is scratching to the point of injury, he or she should be seen. Waking up to a licking, scratching, chewing dog may also prompt you to call us for an appointment!

Dr. Bob Marshall Reports Seeing Increase in Diabetes

cherokeehills — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:07:17 +0000

Dr. Bob reports he has seen an increase in diabetes in cats and dogs in the past two years. You may have noticed the same trend in the human population. If you notice your pet is drinking excessive amounts of water, has an increased appetite, and is urinating frequently, diabetes may be the culprit. Diabetes may also produce an unexplained and sometimes drastic weight loss. An effective diagnosis requires blood and urine testing. When Dr. Bob presents pet owners with the diagnosis of diabetes and discusses the regimen of administering daily insulin injections, he often hears, “Oh, I can’t do that!” The reality is we humans CAN learn new tricks and most of us will do whatever we can to ensure our pet(s)’ optimum health. Dr. Bob will teach you how administer insulin to your pet and discuss with you necessary dietary changes. He has seen dramatic improvement in his patients when their owners commit to managing their pet(s)’ diabetes. The management of diabetes is a lifelong commitment, which Dr. Bob terms a work in progress. Check out our website’s pet health section which includes discussions of the diagnosis and management of diabetes in the cat and the dog. If your pet is exhibiting these symptoms, please give us a call at 405-721-2520.

What’s in Your Pet’s Name?

cherokeehills — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:20:18 +0000

At Cherokee Hills we are always intrigued with how a pet’s name was chosen. Our experience is there is usually an interesting story behind the choice of a pet’s name. Some are obvious, like Blackie, Snowball, Little Bit, or Fluffy. Many of our clients have rescued pets and changed the name given to the dog or cat at the shelter. Others chose a name based on where the pet was found—like Freeway. Some pets are named after characters in TV shows or movies, such as Spike and Buffy. Linus and Lucy are characters from Charlie Brown. Other pets are named after favorite poets or authors. Not surprisingly, in Oklahoma, many dogs are named Boomer, Sooner, Cowpoke, Pete, and Cowboy (Dr. Bob’s for instance!) We even have a canine patient whose name is Kitty! And some names are just popular right now, like Lexy, Chloe, and Bella. So…..how did you decide what to name your pet?

February is National Pet Dental Health Month

cherokeehills — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:54:54 +0000

Did you know that over 68% of all dogs over the age of three are estimated to have some form of periodontal or dental disease? Your pet’s dental health is related to his or her overall health. During your dog’s annual exam, Dr. Bob checks for dental issues and he sees many dogs with early or advanced dental disease. Small breed dogs may be more prone to dental disease.

The attached article offers valuable information about the importance of dental care for your dog. Please contact us at 405-721-2520 to discuss a plan to improve your dog’s dental health.

http://cherokeehillsvet.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?rid=742

Counting Calories with Your Canine

cherokeehills — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:24:32 +0000

So your new year’s resolution is to lose weight, right? How about your slightly overweight canine companion? Did you know obesity is the primary health concern for our pets? Dr. Bob says most pet owners do a good job of feeding their pets the amount recommended on the pet food bag. It’s those tasty treats we love to give our four-legged friends that add so many calories. Have you read the caloric content of your dog’s favorite treats? You may be surprised! Try cutting down the number of treats you give daily, or just breaking each treat in half. Our Charlee Bear treats are a minimal 3 calories each and many dogs love them. Dr. Bob also recommends providing raw carrots or even canned green beans as a treat. Also, we can’t underestimate the value of daily exercise for your pet. Reducing calories taken in and increasing calories burned works wonders for us humans and our pets!

Please call us at 405-721-2520 if we can help with your dog’s weight reduction. We are happy to see you and your pet any time you’d like to check his/her weight. The attached article also has helpful tips. And remember, your dog wants to take YOU for a walk!

http://cherokeehillsvet.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?rid=895

Happy Holidays from Your Pets

cherokeehills — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 16:21:23 +0000

Our pets add so much spice to our lives. They make our holiday celebrations more festive. They tolerate our human foibles as we festoon them with Halloween costumes, team t-shirts, and reindeer antlers. We buy them treats, comfy beds, and chew toys. Our pets have no use for roaming the malls seeking the perfect gifts for us. They understand the true meaning of giving as they provide us with priceless presents each day. From our yellow lab, Cowboy and our black/tan kitty, Sophie we receive unconditional love, affection, devotion, humor, and companionship. Although Cowboy loves to take us for a walk or chase a ball, he is also utterly content to just lie at our feet—moving, of course, from one room to another as we do. Our geriatric Sophie provides an extra heat source as she welds herself to us each night. Each of our pets adds immeasurably to our emotional well being and happiness. As George Eliot so aptly stated, ”Animals are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” Cherish your pets this holiday season and always!