PET TALES
Newsletter from Countryside Veterinary Service
JANUARY 2008
HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE 2008!!!
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful and safe Holiday season. We are focused on behavioral issues this January to help us all have a great 2008. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. -Dr. Wise
HUGE SALE!
We are reducing our inventory of Advantage and Advantix. These products are being sold at a clearance rate. There is no expiration date on these items so if you like these particular flea and tick products and want to purchase ahead for next year, now is the time. Sale is good while supplies last.
HOW TO HAVE A WELL-MANNERED DOG:
The single most important thing you can do is teach your dog to sit before it gets any sort of attention or reward. All family members must make a united stand. When you come home, don’t make eye contact, pet your dog, or say hello. Wait until your dog calms down and sits on his own. Then say “Sit” and calmly pet and praise the dog or give a small food reward. You may have to carry treats in your pockets for a while. Soon he will catch on that he doesn’t get attention or a treat unless he’s sitting down. The dog will connect the word with the action with repetition and patience. Once this habit is established, your dog will greet you (and company) by sitting down instead of jumping all over. As an added bonus, once the dog knows the “sit” command, you’ll be able to use it to get him to pay attention when you want to teach him something else. It also allows you to redirect the dog when it’s about to get into trouble.
QUOTE FROM A GREAT DOG:
Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There's so little hope for advancement"
-Snoopy
TIPS FOR KITTIES:
The key to having a kitty with manners is knowing what is natural behavior and providing an outlet for that behavior. Cats like to scratch, and even declawed cats will go through the motions. Providing an appropriate scratching post early in life can eliminate the need to declaw later. Most cats prefer a tall vertical surface for scratching, so pick a post that lets your cat stretch. Carpet is a popular choice for scratching posts, but many cats prefer the “natural” woodsy feel of sisal rope. If your cat prefers to use the rug, there are horizontal scratching boxes that you can place on the floor. When you catch your kitty scratching someplace she shouldn’t, a firm No! followed by picking up the cat, placing her paws on the scratching post, and praising her there will let the cat know that she can scratch to her heart’s content, just do it on the post. When you see her using the post on her own, praise her to reinforce the good behavior. You can rub catnip on the post to make it more attractive. If your kitty already has a habit of scratching someplace you don’t want her to, the trick to getting her to stop is to make that spot unattractive. You can buy a commercial cat repellant spray, or cover the spot in an unappealing texture. Tin foil and double-sided sticky tape work well. For the floor, a plastic carpet runner turned upside down, so the prickly texture is exposed, works quite well to deter most cats.
HILLSDALE COUNTY DOG LICENSES AT THE FRONT DESK
Hillsdale County Dog Licenses can be purchased here at Countryside. They can be purchased at the front desk through February 1, 2008.
Checks or cash are required for licenses. (We are unable to charge these to your credit card.) Please see Janet with any questions.
IT’S COLD OUT THERE!!
Remember to check on your outside pets and their water supply during this cold season.
NEWSLETTER IDEAS
As we enter the New Year, we would like suggestions from YOU for topics to be covered in next year’s newsletters.
Ideas can be sent to cvs@wcomco.com. Put ‘Newsletter Topics’ in the subject line. Thanks and Happy New Year!!
YEAR ROUND HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE
This is the time of year a number of pet owners stop using heartworm preventative. Although the risk for a heartworm- carrying mosquitoes has decreased please know that the risk for parasites is not gone. We had 15 cases of heartworm positive dogs this year and a few of the cases were given monthly preventative through October last year. Some of the intestinal parasite eggs can live through the cold of winter and still infect your pet. A number of these winter cases can be transmitted to humans as well. For the health of you and your pet, please continue monthly heartworm preventatives through the winter months.
INTERESTING FACT
A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime