July 2010 Pet of the Month - Velvet Austin

Velvet Austin is a black Lionhead rabbit that was born in the late fall of 2009. She was adopted by Megan from the Cedar Valley Humane society in Cedar Rapids and named for the song "Black Velvet." Her middle name is Lulu, which is Native American for rabbit. Her first visit to Taylor Veterinary Hospital was a busy one at the hospital when another rabbit had a c-section to deliver her bunnies. It was one hopping day there!

Velvet loves any kind of veggies and greens (especially parsley and cilantro). She is very active and runs around both her cage and the house. She doesn't really like to be held for very long, but does love to be petted, especially along the bridge of her nose. One of her new favorite activities is to explore outside with her new harness. She found that she loves clover and has a "cousin" Zoey the poodle who like to spend time together. They are an unlikely pair, but Velvet will even sit still long enough for Zoey to sniff and lick her. Velvet is usually a pretty independent bunny so new visitors and friends have to slowly introduce themselves to her. Velvet will soon be moving to a new home with more room to run and explore. She is one of Taylor Vet's many rabbit friends.

Choosing the Perfect Dog

Thinking about adding a new puppy or dog to your family? Congratulations! Dog ownership is one of life's most rewarding experiences. Dogs make wonderful companions and friends and can add a great deal of love and joy to your home and family. Before you begin your search for a canine companion, it is very important to do your homework to ensure that the dog breed you choose is a good match for your lifestyle and family. If you're thinking of a mix, it will make your search much easier if you have in mind "something like a lab" or "some kind of terrier."

In finding the perfect dog, a number of questions should be addressed. What is your previous experience with dogs? There are some breeds that are not recommended for first-time owners. How much time and/or money are you willing to spend on grooming to keep a long soft coat free of tangles and mats? Children and dogs can make a wonderful mix... or a very bad one. If you have children, are you prepared to spend time training both the dog and the children to treat each other appropriately?

What size dog is right, how much space do you have and how much exercise can you give your dog are all related questions. Even though large dogs can take up a lot of floor space, they can be quite happy if allowed to expend their energy outside. Some large breeds do not require a lot of exercise and are content lying on the rug in a small apartment. Some small breed dogs only require short walks, while others can be extremely active and a large house may not be enough space to contain their exuberance.

What do you plan to do with your dog? Do you want a loyal couch potato, a jogging partner, or a good watchdog? Keep in mind that only a few breeds were originally designed to be pets. Most dogs were bred to be hunters, herders, guards or some other job which might be contradictory to what you want from a pet.

There are a number of ways to find out "the scoop" on your favorite breeds. A veterinarian is an excellent soruce of information. Talk with people you know about dogs they have had or go to a dog park where you can meet dogs and ask the owners questions. Breed books are available and there are some very good resources on the internet. AAHA's website, http://www.healthypet.com/, is a great place to start. Click on "Find A Pet" to see breed information or take a short quiz to find out the right pet for you. Never buy a dog just because you like how it looks.

If you are thinking about buying a dog for a present, make sure you or the potential owners are ready. You should not get a dog for someone that isn't expecting one or buy one on impulse. Getting a dog is a long-term commitment and should be planned for accordingly.

Whatever breed or mix you choose, remember that no breed is perfect, but researching positive and negative attributes before you get a dog will help ensure the best match possible. A well-behaved, housebroken, quiet, loyal dog doesn't come from any breed, but can be found in any breed, if the owner is willing to work at developing that relationship.

Chad Smith D.V.M.

June 2010 Pet of the Month - Atreyu and Moon Dalbey

The Dalbey family loves animals and wanted to add a pet. Unfortunately one of the children has allergies to most cats and dogs. Glenn, the father, decided to do some research and found out that Bengal cats do not have as many allergens as other cats. On February 12th, Empress Moon Child (Moon for short) joined the Dalbey family. Soon after Atreyu was also adopted from Iowa Bengal Babyz. They were named after the characters in the “Never Ending Story.” Bengals typically have temperaments more like dogs, according to Glenn, they come when you call, walk on a leash and love to be outside with the family. They are very active, but also love to curl up in your lap and snuggle. They love kids and are very vocal when they want your attention.
Moon and Atreyu love chicken and will eat other meats, except pork. They won’t touch cat treats. Bengal cats continue to get more coloration until they are about 2 years old. They typically have spots kind of like a tiger. They can do amazing jumps, Atreyu can jump about 4 ½ feet straight in the air without running first. As they get older they will be able to jump closer to 6 feet! Moon and Atreyu love to play with anything that has a feather. Their favorite toy is a stick with a feather attached to the end of it. The Dalby family is thrilled with their pets and amazingly enough these Bengal cats are not causing any allergy problems with the family. They are a perfect fit!

New Tests to Keep Your Dog Healthy

The SNAP 4Dx test is our newest diagnostic tool to help identify and treat diseases before they cause irreversible damage to your dog. It is a simple blood test that can be run in less than 10 minutes and can determine if your dog is positive for heartworm disease or if your dog has been exposed to three

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tick-borne diseases: Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.

As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and that holds true in veterinary medicine. Preventing heartworms can be as simple as giving a pill once a month. As heartworms are transmitted from dog-to-dog through a mosquito bite, using a product like Vectra as a mosquito repellent will help. Vectra also repels and kills fleas and ticks which will minimize disease transmission. Vaccinating your dog for Lyme disease is one more step to help prevent infection.

If your pet is diagnosed with heartworms or a tick-borne disease, early treatment will help minimize any long-term damage.

The Ending of Go Fetch Fitness for 2010

Today is May 21, 2010, the last day of Go Fetch Fitness for 2010! We had such a tremendous group this year and each week was just packed with fun and learning. Our last two weeks, week five and six, were so exciting! In week five our special guest was Mary McInnis Meyer who has a yoga studio (Field of Yoga) right across the street from the veterinary hospital in downtown Cedar Falls. Mary is a wonderful speaker and she opened her studio up to all of our dogs and us for the first ever DOGA class in Cedar Falls. (That's dogs plus yoga = Doga!) We had a blast and really came away from this experience with a new understanding and appreciation for the health benefits of yoga. You can see pictures from this class at the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier Website.
Week Six, our last week together, brought some glorious weather as we really pushed our way through our last three days together. This week was all about the exercise and we did our stretch out exercises and then immediately hit the trail. Our goal was a solid 45 minutes of walking which we accomplished along the beautiful Cedar Valley Trail system excending from Taylor Veterinary Hospital to Big Woods Lake and back!!

Team 2, the K-9 kids, were our big winners this year losing a total sum of 22.7 pounds! Wow! Congratulations! These determined walkers will be receiving a year supply of FREE dog food from Hill's Science Diet Pet Foods! Our individual with the most outstanding weight loss is no stranger to Go FEtch Fitness. J. Schmitz and his dog Blue have been through the Go Fetch Fitness program three times. J. is extremely committed to the program once he starts and this year he lost 14 pounds. For his tremendous effort, he received a 6-month FREE membership to the Family YMCA of Black Hawk County.

We have had so many opportunities to learn about our health in the past six weeks. We are all truly blessed to live in a community where we have access to such wonderful professionals to help us stay on the road to good health! Tyson Burton at Snap Fitness, the nurses at the Allen HeartAware program, Merriam Lake and her staff at Wheaton Fransciscan Healthcare, Mary McInnis Meyer our local yoga instructor at Field of Yoga and the Family YMCA of Black Hwk County are all right here and offer a huge variety of styles of health and fitness opportunities. It is our hope that you will take advantage of one or several of these means of improving or maintaining your health.

By taking care of yourself, you do take care of your whole family, even the furry four legged members! They depend on you to be healthy so that you can continue to make good choices for them as well!

Elizabeth Bixby, DVM

Heartworms: Is Your Dog Infected?

Heartworms are worms found in the heart and large blood vessels of infected dogs They

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are found in most regions of the United States and may cause life-threatening problems if not detected and treated quickly.
The mosquito plays an integral role in the transmission of heartworms. A female mosquito bites an infected dog and ingests microfilaria (immature heartworms). The microfilaria grow in the mosquito and when the mosquito bites a healthy dog, she transmits the microfilaria. It takes five to seven months for the microfilaria to mature into adult heartworms in the dog. At this time, the adult heartworms start producing microfilaria and the cycle continues.
Most dogs act normally and do not demonstrate any signs of heartworm disease for up to two years after infection. Unfortunately, by that time, irreversible damage has already been done. The worms interfere with the function of the heart leading to heart failure and subsequent damage to other organs. The signs of heartworm disease include a dry cough, weakness, shortness of breath, and exercise intolerance. Some dogs may even die suddenly during exercise or excitement.
A diagnosis of heartworm disease can be made early with the proper tests. Your veterinarian can run a simple blood test to determine if your dog is infected. This should be done on a regular basis to detect heartworms before extensive damage is done. If detected, heartworms can be treated, though treatment is expensive and requires hospitalization. The treatment consists of drugs administered at proper doses and time intervals to kill the adult heartworms and microfilaria. Rest is also a key factor in recovery. The success rate is high and even higher if the disease is caught early. As in many instances, the best solution to heartworm disease is prevention. Prevention is as easy as a pill given every month. With simple and affordable heartworm preventives available, no dog should have to worry about this potentially fatal disease. Talk to your veterinarian today.
Chad Smith, D.V.M

Check out these links to find out more information
Heartworms in Dogs: Facts and Myths
Heartworm Disease in Dogs and Cats
Heartworm FAQ

A Message from Melissa, one of our technicians who's serving with the Army Reserve in Haiti:

I thought I'd write a little update. One more week to go! It's been going really well. We have treated over 2000 animals so far. Mainly we've seen goats, equine, and cattle. We (two vets and myself) are doing a lot of deworming. Many animals are very bloated and skinny. There's been a few treatments on wounds that have been infested by flies. Overall they are taking good care of their animals. Understandable considering they use them for many things. They have appreciated the care for both animal and human. They haven't had anyone help with healthcare for 10 years and the last time an animal clinic came through, they charged for vaccinations. We are vaccinating birds against New Castle and swine against a Swine Fever. Then all the goats, cattle, and equine are getting an anthrax vaccine. Not too many cats are seen here. I guess they are a delicacy for Haitians. (and especially for alcoholics according to our interpreter). Interesting story. It's been pretty hot here. In the sun it's measured at 120 degrees. I've been wearing plenty of sunscreen."