Thursday, December 1, 2011

Pet of the Month - December 2011 - Dana Jasper

Kim Jasper loves checking out the animals at the Humane Society, but it seems when she does that, one of the cats out there, steals her heart.  That was how Dana became part of her family.  Dana was a mellow, friendly cat who loved Kim from the first minute she stepped into the cat room.  Dana was adopted on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010, they estimate she was 3 years old then.  She is a loveable cat, who puts up with most anything.  She loves kids, dogs, strangers.  Soon after she came home, she started having digestive issues.  Dana spent a lot of time at Taylor Vet after she was diagnosed with megacolon, which causes constipation, abdominal cramping and is very difficult to treat.  Kim tried all the treatments, Laxatone, enemas, other types of medicine, a major diet change, and Dana was just not getting better.  Dana was such a trooper through it all.  Finally after a lot of trial and error, they found the right combination of treatments that worked!  Dana now gets medicine three times a day, and eats a very special diet mixed with canned pumpkin.  She is a playful cat who loves to bring all her toys to Kim’s bed in the middle of the night and hides them in her shoes.  Even though Dana is more high maintenance than most cats, in Kim’s opinion, being able to have her healthy and whole is a blessing that far outweighs the costs.   

Friday, November 18, 2011

4 Tips for Bringing Your Cat to the Veterinarian

We know it can be tough to wrangle your cat for a trip to the veterinarian’s office. Many cats dislike the cat carrier as well as riding in the car, so heading in for an annual checkup can sometimes be a stressful proposition. Follow these four tips when you head to your next veterinary appointment to reduce your cat’s stress and make for a calmer car ride.

1. Make the carrier your cat’s second home.
Cat carriers are typically associated with many unpleasant things. Many cat owners keep the carrier in a closet or in the garage, so the cat hasn’t rubbed on it or slept inside it. Cats who haven’t transferred their scent to the carrier, therefore, see it as a foreign object. So give your cat time to mark the carrier with facial rubbing—she’ll feel like it belongs to her, and you may find it easier to place her inside. If you have room, make the carrier a part of your family room furniture. That means leaving it out all the time with the door open. Place a soft towel inside to make it a little more cozy. Pretty soon, your cat won’t think twice about entering the carrier.

2. Turn the carrier into a meal center.
Put part of your cat’s daily food in the carrier to help your cat associate something good with the carrier. Even better: Use a bit of especially yummy food, like canned food or even a little tuna. Or try tossing your cat’s favorite treat in the carrier when she wants to be left alone. This will reward her for seeking solitude in the carrier and continue to reinforce the notion that the carrier isn’t so bad after all.

3. Try a different kind of carrier.
If you have an emergency and don’t have time to let your cat adjust to the carrier, try using a pillowcase as a carrier. With the cat on your lap, slip the pillowcase over her body, head first. Knot the top of the case and support the bottom when holding your cat. Alternately, you can use any type of item your cat likes to nap in—two laundry baskets connected together could also work. These items aren’t a trigger for fear like your standard carrier might be.

4. Consider using a synthetic product.
Using a product that contains a feline facial pheromone can help calm cats during stressful events. These products can be sprayed on blankets, towels, or bandanas before you head to the veterinarian. Many cats become less agitated when their owners use these sprays, so purchasing one could make your life easier when it’s time to take your cat for a car ride.

Regular wellness exams are crucial for keeping your cat happy and healthy. Use these tips the next time you head to your veterinarian to make it much easier on both you and your cat.
 
Information courtesy of Dr. Sally J. Foote, Okaw Veterinary Clinic, Tuscola, Ill.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Paisley Cryer - Pet of the Month - November 2011

Playful Paisley Cryer loves to balance on the rungs of the kitchen chairs, to "stalk" her owners, and to chase ice cubes on the floor.  Her favorite toys include a scarf, her own tail, and laundry baskets.  She loves to sleep on the third floor of a doll house and carries her little stuffed lion all over the house.  She also loves to take catnaps in her owner's arms.  Her 5:30 a.m. meowing is tolerated by her owners only because she's so cute and loving.  She's an enthusiastic bundle of endless purring and playful tail twitching.  Our family is blessed to have her!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease (a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans) that is found in many wildlife reservoirs, such as deer, raccoons, rats, skunks and opossums. The disease is caused by a spiral shaped bacteria and is transmitted through urine, venereal transfer, across the placenta from mother to fetus, bite wounds, and ingestion of infected meat.
The most common route of transmission is from a carrier animal into stagnant or slow moving water to a dog. Late summer and fall have a higher incidence of disease cases due to the optimal temperatures occurring at this time of year.  After only one day of infection, the bacteria begins to attack many organ systems including kidney, liver, spleen, central nervous system, eyes and genital tract. Clinical signs noted at home range from fever, little to no appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and reluctance to move. Death due to dehydration and organ failure can happen quickly.
Confirmed diagnosis of this disease is important because of the potential risk to all humans having contact with the affected pet. Unfortunately diagnostic lab tests that give a quick result have been difficult to interpret and have unreliable results. The reliable blood tests require several weeks time to confirm a diagnosis and this disease does not allow this kind of time to treat. Treatment must begin immediately based on history and clinical signs.
Treatment for Leptospirosis involves supportive care to treat dehydration and support the organs being threatened. Antimicrobial drugs are administered initially to stop the organism from multiplying and then continued for at least three weeks to stop the carrier state and chronic disease.
Prevention of Leptospirosis is very important. We are seeing an increase in the number of cases of this terrible disease in the Cedar Valley and have updated our vaccination protocal to address this change.
Initially two types, or serovars, of Lepto were believed to cause the majority of disease. They were icterohaemorrhagiae and canicola. After veterinarians began vaccinating for these two serovars the incidence of the disease went down. However the initial vaccine did not protect against all of the serovars of Lepto and soon the incidents of disease caused by these extra types began to rise also.  There are more current vaccines now that protect against four of the serovars of Lepto. Now the vaccine for Lepto also includes the serovars, grippotyphosa and pomona. For this reason, your veterinarian may be asking you to bring your dog in for a Lepto booster to boost your dogs immunity to these additional serovars and give your dog
more complete protection against this deadly disease.

Elizabeth Bixby, DVM

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Pet of the Month - October 2011 - Max Brown

Max is the beloved pet of the Brown family for the past 7 years. He came from a co-worker’s farm and was already named Max, but got the added middle name of Joseph, because he has a cross on his chest and a “coat of many colors.”   One of his favorite things to do is to snuggle up under a blanket, and in fact, any blanket that comes into the Brown household quickly becomes his!  He goes to bed early, and sleeps late and loves to be carried around like a baby and snuggle.  Cheese is one of his favorite treats but he also likes to try to “kill” any new toys he gets by chewing on them and destroys them quickly.  He loves his walks and gets so excited when he sees squirrels and bike riders through the front window of the Brown home.  He doesn’t like the vacuum cleaner and tries to protect his family from it whenever it turns on!  He loves his “camp” time with his friends when he gets to kennel at Taylor Vet.  Life in the Brown family would not be the same without him.   

Friday, September 16, 2011

Meet Thunder!

     Thunder is the newest member of the Bixby family. We recently adopted Thunder from the Aspire Therapeutic Riding Program in Waterloo. Like many of you, I had heard of Aspire, but never gave it much thought until now. We were looking for a pony for our children and a local horse trainer, Jenna Pearce, who also works at Aspire, recommended Thunder. Thunder has been living at the Aspire farm for several years and as many people do at some point in their lives, was becoming a little dissatisfied with his job in life and needed a change. This is understandable, because the horses at Aspire have a very important and tough job to do. After visiting the farm myself, I would say the horses there are more like counselors or paramedics for young souls who need someone to connect with.

     I am a veterinarian at Taylor Veterinary Hospital where we care for all small pets. However, once a month I do work at horse sale at a sale barn in northeast Iowa. I know first hand that there are many horses who come through the sale with life stories that include neglect, abuse, abandonment and physical impairments. Sadly, our communities are filled with children who have similar life struggles. Until this week, I didn’t realize that at Aspire, the loving staff there can pair up children whose life stories and struggles mirror an Aspire horse’s life story. I am very proud that there is such a unique and worthwhile program right here in the Cedar Valley. Aspire is so much more than a chance for a handicapped child to ride a horse. The connections that are made between kindred spirits is what is so important between all pets and people, but this program is truly an inspiring testament to the amazing things that can happen when the human-animal bond is fostered.
     Aspire has a fundraiser called Dances with Horses on September 24, 2011 at 7:00 at McElroy Auditorium in Waterloo. This is a night of music, choreographed dances with horses, trick riding performances and so much more. You can go to http://www.aspiretrp.org/ or http://www.danceswithhorses.org/ to get more information about how you can support the efforts of the Aspire program. Anyone who has a pet and understands the importance of the bond shared with that pet, should support the wonderful work done for our Cedar Valley kids through the Aspire Therapeutic Riding program.
Elizabeth Bixby, DVM

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Pet of the Month - September 2011 - Louie and Lenny

One day last July, Deb Gallagher and John Smith were taking their normal early morning walk in North Cedar.  As they walked along the road, they noticed a small kitten that was laying at the edge of the road.  John and Deb have been dog owners for years, but never had any desire to have a cat of their own, but being animal lovers, they had to try to help this sweet kitty.  They figured they could take the kitten to the vet to see if there was anything they could do for it.  The cuddled it and held it close as they walked home.  By the time they were home, “Louie” had stolen a piece of their hearts.  After a visit to the vet, they decided to keep Louie as their own.  He is a sweet, affectionate cat, who will put his paws on either side of your head and hold you close.  After a while, they decided that they would add another cat to their house and visited the humane society.  Lenny was adopted and has changed the atmosphere in their home immensely.  Louie and Lenny are opposites.  Louie is the “Dad” in the family, they call him their “Buddha” with his calm ways.  Lenny is the adventurous son who is always into something.  Running, chasing and tumbling, Lenny is the daring one.  Louie adjusted to having a new cat in the house quickly and now they are the best of buddies. 

Monday, August 1, 2011

August 2011 - Pet of the Month - Buddy Cordes

Buddy has been a part of the Cordes family for about 7 years.  He is about 12 years old but began his life as a rescue dog.  When his original owner passed away, Buddy was taken into the Cordes family.  He is a black lab who loves his family.  He gives “hugs” to the kids and loves to be around them.  About 6 months ago, they noticed a growth on Buddy’s leg which needed to be removed.  The tumor was so large that there wasn’t much skin to close the area.  With Buddy licking the wound, and the tight skin, the incision kept coming apart.   The area became infected and swollen and Buddy stopped using that leg.  Dr. Smith suggested they try laser therapy to help the skin heal faster and reduce the swelling.  Once they began the laser therapy, Buddy began to use his leg again and the incision began to heal.  The Cordes family was a bit skeptical of the laser therapy at first, but they were amazed at what a huge difference it has made for Buddy.  Buddy has regained his mobility, runs and jumps and enjoys life again. 

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pet Talk - Help for Motion Sickness!

While striving to educate people about issues that may arise with family pets, we would also like to help address concerns that our readers may be currently facing.  It is our goal to answer general questions related to pet health care that will benefit multiple households. Keep in mind that we recommend pet owners contact their veterinarian for assistance if an immediate answer is required.
~A reader writes..."My dog gets car sick, always has and does every time. Is there anything I can do to help her (drugs, etc.) and does it mean she has stomach issues?”
~It sounds like your dog is experiencing typical motion sickness, just like some people. Motion sickness usually begins very shortly after starting the car ride. The dog will begin to drool and then vomit. It’s not serious, but certainly not something that we like to clean up.
To solve the problem, first try acclimating your dog to car rides by a process called desensitization. Desensitization is the gradual exposure to situations or stimuli that would bring on the undesirable behavior, but at a level so low that there is no negative response.
Do this by simply putting him in the car for a few minutes each day without going anywhere.
Then try just going down the driveway and back, and the next day going around the block.
Gradually build up the distance and time the dog rides in the car. Sometimes this will help to decrease the dog’s anxiety over riding in the car and may help to decrease vomiting.
If desensitization doesn’t work, there are some medications that may help. Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and Dramamine Less Drowsy (meclizine) are common over-the-counter medications to try.
Ask your veterinarian to determine the proper dosage for your pet. (Never give any medications to your pet without your veterinarian’s advice!) These drugs are safe, with drowsiness as the only major side effect. If over-the-counter medications don’t work, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe some tranquilizers which can lessen agitation and motion sickness.

To have your question answered, e-mail it to petdocs@taylorvet.com with Pet Talk in the subject line.

Dr. Chad Smith is a veterinarian at Taylor Veterinary Hospital. He has a special interest in solving pet behavioral problems. E-mail him at cdsmith@cfu.net.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Pet of the Month - July 2011 - Roxy Davis

Roxy Davis is a 7 year old Weimaraner who is the “sister” to Abby, Amelia and Ava Davis.  She has grown up from the time she was a puppy as part of the Davis family and plays with the girls as if she was one of them.  From running and playing outside, to dress-up, and even hide and seek, she has amazingly human characteristics!  For her birthday, she gets to sit at the table, dressed up (the picture is this past birthday), eating hot dogs and cupcakes.  She loves stuffed animals and cares for them as if they were her babies.  She sits patiently while her “sisters” give her pedicures or dress her up.  She gets her own Christmas stocking and when the girls were younger, would give them pony rides.  Roxy is an amazing family dog and the Davis family wouldn’t be complete without her. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Pet of the Month - Maddie and Rosie DeVoll

Maddie and Rosie DeVoll are lucky Lemurs. They are a small part of Barry DeVoll’s family of exotic animals. Barry grew up in Cedar Falls and knew early on that he was a hands-on learner and he wanted to provide opportunities for other kids to explore and learn in tangible ways. He started with magic and animal shows as a young entrepreneur and those shows have blossomed into an educational show that travels nationwide. “Bixby and Friends” is a show that teaches families about conservation and how to best take care of the world that we live in.


Maddie was Barry’s first ring tailed lemur. She is 5 years old and just had her first baby, Rosie who is almost 2 months old. While lemurs are cute and social animals, they do not make good pets. After the age of 2, lemurs reach full maturity and their behavior becomes more unpredictable. In order to keep the animal handlers and the audience safe, Maddie is retired and lives a comfortable life in an animal sanctuary. Lemurs are very social animals, and have some human characteristics. They live in groups (called Troups) of 30-60 lemurs. They are adventurous and brave and also affectionate with other lemurs. They eat “monkey biscuits” (a prepared dry food with protein and vitamins) and many fruits such as bananas, papayas, star fruit, apples, strawberries but don’t really like vegetables. For treats they like to eat fruit loops, and fruit snacks.

Bixby’s Rainforest Rescue show can be seen every day this summer at Adventureland. There will be an 8 foot Burmese python, a green winged Macaw, and a kinkajou in addition to a ring tailed lemur that will bring the rainforest alive for the audience. If you get a chance, stop by this summer to see some of these amazing animals and learn how to best take care of our world.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Do you know the 10 signs of sickness in cats?

Signs of illness may be not readily apparent in cats, says Susan Little, DVM, DABVP.  Dr. Little says that one reason cats are not being brought in for veterinary visits as often as they should be is that pet owners don't always know their cats are sick.

Clients should look for these 10 subtle signs of sickness in their cats:
1.  Inappropriate elimination
2.  Changes in interaction
3.  Changes in activity
4.  Changes in sleeping habits
5.  Changes in food and water consumption
6.  Unexplained weight loss or gain
7.  Changes in grooming
8.  Signs of stress
9.  Changes in vocalization
10.  Bad breath

If you have seen  any of these signs in your cats - call today to talk with your vet!  We want your cats healthy and happy. 

Taken from May 6, 2011 issue of  VETERINARY MEDICINE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

What Vaccine Refusal Really Costs: Measles in Arizona

This article taken from Maryn McKenna is a journalist for national magazines and the author of SUPERBUG and BEATING BACK THE DEVIL. 
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/04/cost-vaccine-refusal/

Every once in a while, there’s news of a measles outbreak. On the surface, they don’t involve large numbers of cases — there’s one in Minneapolis right now that has racked up 21 cases so far — and so people seem to wonder why these outbreaks are such a big deal.

Here’s one reason why: Measles transmission within the US stopped in 2000 because of vaccination. Outbreaks here start with an importation from somewhere else where the disease still flourishes — but they gain a foothold because lack of vaccination, primarily from vaccine refusal, lets the disease get past what should be an impregnable barrier of herd immunity to attack those who are too young to be vaccinated or whose immunity has faded.
Here’s another reason: Stopping the measles virus before it can cause serious disease — and by “serious,” I mean deafness, pneumonia, encephalitis and miscarriage — is incredibly costly and labor-intensive. An account published overnight in the Journal of Infectious Diseases gives a glimpse at just how costly. To stop a 14-person outbreak that began with one unvaccinated tourist visiting a US emergency room, the Arizona Department of Health had to track down and interview 8,321 people; seven Tucson hospitals had to furlough staff members for a combined 15,120 work-hours; and two hospitals where patients were admitted spent $799,136 to contain the disease.
Here’s how the outbreak unfolded:
In February 2008, a 37-year-old Swiss woman who had never been vaccinated against measles arrived in Tucson after a visit to Mexico. She developed breathing problems and a rash and went to a local hospital’s emergency room. They suspected she had a viral illness and admitted her.
Here’s what you have to know, to understand what happened next. Measles is extremely contagious; up to 90 percent of unvaccinated people who are exposed to it will get it. And if someone nearby has it, you will get exposed — because coughed-out measles virus can travel across a room, and hangs in the air for hours. The best protection against spreading measles in a hospital is putting someone in a negative-pressure isolation room, which is engineered so no air can leak out into the rest of the hospital. It took two days to get the Swiss tourist into isolation, because measles is rare enough in the US that it was not the hospital personnel’s first thought.
Meanwhile:
A 50-year-old woman who had spent an hour in the ER at the same time as the Swiss woman caught the disease from her. Patient 2 got taken care of, went home, and started feeling feverish nine days later. She had difficulty breathing and thought at first she was having an asthma attack, so she went back to the hospital and was admitted for two days. That she had measles would not be discovered until six days after that.
While she was in the hospital, Patient 2 unknowingly infected a 41-year-old health care worker who took care of her — and who was scheduled to get a measles-vaccine booster shot that very day, because the hospital was also caring for the tourist. Patient 2 also passed measles to an unvaccinated 11-month-old boy who was in the same ER while she was waiting to get checked for asthma, and to two unvaccinated siblings — 3 and 5 years old — who were visiting their mother on the same hospital floor after Patient 2 was admitted.
Patient 3, the health-care worker, passed measles to a 47-year-old woman in her emergency department — who later ended up in an intensive care unit with measles pneumonia — and later to a 41-year-old man in his home. Patient 4, the toddler, gave the virus to an unvaccinated 1-year-old while they were both in the same pediatrician’s office. Five other people were infected somewhere in their everyday lives: a 2-year-old boy who had never been vaccinated and who also ended up in an ICU with seizures brought on by high fever; a 9-month-old and an 8-month-old, also unvaccinated; and two adults, 35 and 37, who might have gotten one dose as children, but had no documentation of receiving a second dose.
Those 14 are just the confirmed cases. In addition to them, there were 363 suspected ones, and today’s paper makes clear authorities believe there were more illnesses than they know. And for every known case, there were dozens or hundreds of exposed people who had to be checked: 145 passengers on the tourist’s flight from Mexico, 1,795 patients in the ER that treated Patient 2, 25 people who attended church with Patient 7, 10 kids in the same day care center as Patient 8.
There’s an important dimension to this outbreak that may not be evident at first. We tend to blame parents who hold their kids back from vaccination for breaches in the wall of herd immunity. But the people who were infected in this outbreak and shared responsibility for passing it on included adult health care workers who had never been vaccinated and who had missed or declined the chance to get booster shots. By doing that, they put their unknowing patients at risk — and infected, among others, someone with brain cancer and another person living with Down syndrome.
When the hospitals checked to see who among their staff wasn’t vaccinated, they found that 30 percent didn’t know or couldn’t prove it. The two hospitals where measles patients were cared for actually did blood tests on their staff, and found that 9 percent were non-immune: never-vaccinated, never-infected. If the hospitals had not acted to identify those employees and send them home or vaccinate them, they could have hosted a roaring epidemic that might have been impossible to contain.
We can argue endlessly, and do, about people who refuse vaccination for themselves or their children. Under law, they have the right to take that risk. But what this Arizona outbreak makes clear is how many more people are forced to assume that risk without being consulted: not only the infants, elderly and immune-compromised among those 8,321 people exposed in this outbreak, but the hospital shareholders and taxpayers who paid the bill for it to be contained. Until we start counting up those costs as well, we won’t achieve an honest accounting of vaccine refusal’s true price.



Cite: Chen SY, Anderson S, Kutty PK et al. Health Care–Associated Measles Outbreak in the United States After an Importation: Challenges and Economic Impact. J Infect Dis. (2011) AOP April 28, 2011. doi:10.1093/infdis/jir115

Monday, May 2, 2011

Pet of the Month - May 2011 - Missy Kelly

John and Linda Kelly have a passion for pets. They love both cats and dogs, but when their beloved beagle Kasi passed away, they quickly decided that they needed another small cuddler to help ease the pain. While at the dog show in Waterloo they met up with a breeder of small beagles and within two days were the proud parents of Missy who is also a beagle. Missy is now 6 ½ years old and an integral part of the Kelly family. She is a snuggler, and has to spend time with “Daddy” as soon as he comes home from work and showers him with kisses. She played with assorted toys until one day Linda bought a stuffed fox toy. “Foxy” instantly was the only toy that Missy would play with. She takes “Foxy” with her wherever she goes, uses her as a pillow, and cuddles her as if she was her baby. Missy has recently been on a bit of a diet, but loves carrots, sweet potato, red and green pepper, cabbage and the occasional bite of egg and toast.


Anyone who has dealt with the death of a pet knows the pain of loss. For John and Linda, Missy was the balm to ease that pain and bring joy back into the Kelly family.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Pet of the Month - April 2011 - Shiloh Schnackenberg

Shiloh Schnackenberg is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and "daughter" to Mark and Melissa Schnackenberg.  She is 4 1/2 years old.  She was adopted from a local pet store.  Being the dog of a meteorologist, she was introduced on the news because we wanted the viewer's help in naming her.  We had many options from viewers like Puddles and Radar, but the one we loved most was, of course, Shiloh.  Her favorite thing to do is chase our two cats and any poor squirrel that ends up on our deck.  She loves to run.  Our house is her own personal raceway daily as she runs laps through each room.  Her favorite treat are mini marshmallows.  She is a really wonderful little dog.  :)

Monday, March 14, 2011

Baby Chick and Duckling Safety Tips


Salmonella bacteria are a common cause of foodborne illness, but can also be spread to people by direct contact with animals that carry the bacteria, such as reptiles and birds. Children can be at particular risk from these birds, since they are less likely to wash their hands and have more frequent hand-to-mouth contact than adults. Outbreaks of Salmonella infections have been linked to exposure to baby chicks and ducklings, and many of these outbreaks have occurred in the spring, around Easter.
Here are some important tips for parents and child care providers to reduce the exposure of young children to Salmonella from chicks and ducklings.
· Do not let children younger than five years of age handle baby chicks, other young birds, or items contaminated by the poultry.
· Wash your hands thoroughly after handling poultry or their droppings. Pacifiers, toys, bottles or other objects should not touch the baby birds or their cages. If these objects become contaminated, wash them with warm soapy water.
· Do not eat or drink around poultry or their living areas.
· Keep the bird area separate from areas where food and drink are prepared or consumed. Do not allow chicks or ducklings on table surfaces or places where food will be prepared or eaten. Do not wash the birds’ food and water dishes in the kitchen sink.
For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/easter_chicks.htm
Taken from Iowa Department of Public Health - EPI Update

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Pet of the Month - March 2011 - Whiskey Dunakey

Whiskey  was found while Barb Dunakey was scrolling through PetFinder, looking at pictures and descriptions of Shelties available for adoption, when I came across a photo of a little guy listed with a rescue in the Minneapolis area. His story and his picture captured my heart, within a few days we were approved to adopt, and we headed up to visit 'Tate' to see if he was the one for us.
We'd found out that 'Tate' was a dog originally from Iowa, saved by an individual rescue person at a Midwest Auction - more than likely a puppymill dog - and relocated to a caring organization in the suburbs of Minneapolis. They told us 'he was the most disengaged dog from human interaction' they'd ever taken in to their rescue. For the first month he wouldn't even look at them, and it was apparent he hadn't been given any love or affection in his nearly 2 years of life.
When we went to visit, he'd been with them for over 2 months and we were the FIRST potential adopters he even allowed to approach. Anyone else who had come to see him hadn't been able to get close to him as he would run in fear from corner to corner trying to get away. He allowed my husband to approach him in the corner, and his rescurer was amazed that my husband was able to pet him and talk to him. Shortly thereafter, he allowed me to approach and talk softly to him while I petted him as well. It was apparent this little guy had led a traumatic life. Encouraged by the fact that he appeared to like us as much as he was capable, we happily adopted him and brought him home to be a part of our family.
From his arrival home on 8/21/10 until Thanksgiving weekend, he never made a single peep - not even a sigh or a yawn, let alone a bark; however, he did bark playfully at our Granddogs when they were here to visit during the holidays. He has made progress with tiny baby steps towards becoming a more normal, happy dog in the 5 1/2 months we've had him, but he has a long ways to go yet. His past life has left him highly stressed, and he appears to suffer a bit from OCD tendancies as well, but he's learning to trust and is coming out of his shell little by little.
Our little Whiskey is a beautiful Color-headed White/ Blue Merle purebred Sheltie with one blue eye and one brown, and weighs just under 15 pounds. We love him to death and can hardly wait for the time when he feels safe and secure with us! When that finally happens, we know he'll be a happy, content boy in his furrever home and we'll spoil him as much as he'll let us!!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Pet of the Month - February 2011 - Chagall Cook

Chagall Cook is a White Cockatoo (or Umbrella Cockatoo). One interesting thing about most birds is that it is nearly impossible to determine the sex of the bird without scientific testing. Chagall’s person, Carol, has decided it isn’t worth the stress to Chagall to know for sure and refers to him as a “he.” Chagall is 5 years old and has lived with Carol most of his life, she has had him since he was a few months old and had to hand feed him until he was old enough to take in enough nutrition by himself. He eats pellet food and other food for parrots, but also eats the occasional hard-boiled egg, fruits and veggies. His beak is strong enough that he can crack an almond shell, but also delicate enough that he is able to peel the skin off a grape before he eats it.

Chagall is a very social bird and loves to cuddle. He can be calm and still, but also when he gets nervous, or excited he will show his crest, puff up his feathers, bounce up and down and chatter. He can imitate some human noises and words. He can say his name, “Are you alright?” and “Goodnight”. He can also imitate Carol’s laugh. He feels more comfortable around women, but loves children as well. Cockatoos are chewers, so they need constant attention and toys to keep their chewing from causing destruction to wood. Cockatoos make great pets, but only after careful homework and research. Umbrella Cockatoos can live up to 80 years. The decision to be a Cockatoo owner is not one to be made lightly, but once you commit, they will be your friend and companion for life.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Bengal Cats

     In the recent issue of the IVMA Update, there is an interesting paragraph about Bengal cats. Bengal cats and other hybrid feline species, such as Savannahs, are currently considered part of the Dangerous Wild Animal Bill. This bill can be found on the Iowa General Assembly website and the code for it is 717F. Although the bill states that domestic cats are not included in it, owners must be aware that the Bengal and Savannah are NOT considered by this bill to be domestic cats. It is illegal to breed these cats and owners are required by law to have them microchipped. These cats must also be registered with the state of Iowa.

      If you happen to have one of these cats, you can go to the Iowa Department of Agriculture website. Once there, scroll under the Animal Industry Bureau to Dangerous Wild Animal Registration to find the form required for registration with the state of Iowa. You can also just phone 515-281-5305 to inquire about the registration process.

~Owners who do not comply with the bill can be fined $200.

     This has been a controversial bill. If you want to voice your opinion about it our state veterinarian recommends you contact your legislator as soon as possible.
Elizabeth Bixby, DVM

Monday, January 3, 2011

January 2011 Pet of the Month - Uncle Sam

“Sally” was brought to Taylor Veterinary Hospital by one of our staff member’s family as a young pregnant cat and was quickly discovered to be a handsome male. Sam is approximately a year and a half old and is not declawed. Since his arrival, he has been neutered, tested negative for feline leukemia/FIV, dewormed, and has received his distemper and rabies vaccinations (he will require a distemper booster three weeks after his first vaccination).


Sam has established himself as an affectionate cat who enjoys being held and cuddled; his purr is activated almost immediately!