Category: Your Pocket Pet's Health

Concord Animal Hospital’s Emergency Preparations

8/18/2021

Hurricane season in New England lasts from June to the end of November, but emergencies also come in less predictable forms throughout the year, such as house fires and tornadoes. When disaster strikes, your pets are almost completely dependent on you to survive.
Follow Concord Animal Hospital's 5-point emergency checklist to keep your pets safe during an emergency.

ID & microchip your pets. Your pets should always wear identifications tags with your contact information on their collars or harnesses. If you haven't already, ask your vet to implant a microchip, a safe and effective way for good Samaritans to return your lost pets to you. Read our blog on microchipping your pet to learn more.
- Keep your contact information updated on ID tags and with microchip manufacturers - these methods don't work if someone can't contact you when they've found your pet!
Rescue alert sticker. Place a rescue alert sticker somewhere rescue workers can easily see it, such as on or near your front door. Your sticker should include the types and numbers of pets in your home. If you evacuate with your pets and time and safety allow, write “evacuated” on the sticker. You can order a sticker free from the ASPCA.
Know where to go. "If at all possible, don't leave your pets behind when you evacuate - if it's not safe for you, it isn't safe for your pet." says Dr. Wilson. Identify which emergency shelters will take pets (not all do), hotels in safe areas that are pet friendly (try a pet travel website such as petfriendlytravel.com) or friends and family outside of any evacuation area that would take in your pet.
- If you can't take your pet with you, don't tie them up in the yard or crate them in the house as this can lead to death from drowning or exposure. Allow your pets to move to safer areas of your home if one section of your home floods or otherwise becomes unsafe.
Travel safely. Keep a pet carrier labelled with your pet’s name and your name and contact information, a leash and/or carrier near an exit as well as proper equipment for your pet to ride in the car such as a carrier, harness or pet seat belt.
Emergency supplies. Put together an emergency kit for your pet. Consider adding the following to your kit:
- Food & water – 3 days minimum supply specifically for your pets
- Medicines
- Medical and vaccination records, registration information and adoption papers
- Collar or harness with ID tags, rabies tag and a leash
- Pet carrier lined with bedding
- Litter box and box liner (litter, newspaper, etc.)
- A picture of you and your pet together labelled with the species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics in case you are separated
- Favorite toys, treats and bedding to help reduce stress for your pet
- Dr. McCullough reminds owners of pocket pets to “keep the little guys in mind! In addition to food and water, pack a week’s worth of bedding, a salt lick and a tube or hidebox. Keep them warm and dry and consider covering their cage or crate with a towel to reduce stress as much as you're able."

Your Pet’s New Year’s Resolution!

12/29/2020

It's the time of year to write our New Year's resolutions. This year lets get our pets in on the act!

How COVID-19 is impacting pet health
Pet obesity was already on the rise before the pandemic, with over half of all cats and dogs in the U.S. overweight or obese. This problem has intensified along with the pandemic according to a survey from Hill's Pet Nutrition, conducted in partnership with Kelton Global. One third of pet parents with an overweight pet say their pet became overweight since the start of the pandemic. Many of us are home all day, continually giving pets treats and exercising less. All of this comfort and indulgence can put your pet at risk for serious health issues. According to CBS News, common obesity-related conditions for dogs and cats include arthritis, bladder and urinary tract disease, diabetes, as well as excess stress on the heart and joints.

How can you tell if your pet is overweight?
As Dr. Wilson, a veterinarian at Concord Animal Hospital (CAH), explains, a good indicator of whether your pet might be packing some extra pounds is to take a close look at your cat or dog. “If you see their ribs, they are too skinny. If you can’t see their ribs and you can’t feel them with your hands when you rub the side of their chest, your pet may be overweight.”

How can help your pet maintain a healthy weight?
You can dramatically improve your pet’s quality of life and life expectancy—not to mention, avoid additional veterinary bills—when you help your cat or dog maintain a healthy weight.
We can help you do this in 2021! Dr. Wilson has five tips for pet owners:

Concord Animal Hospital’s 5 New Year's resolutions to keep your pet’s weight in check:

Get to your vet! Before changing your pet’s diet or nutrition, Dr. Wilon suggests first talking with your vet to make sure the extra pounds aren’t due to an underlying health problem. During your visit Dr. Wilson says “you can also ask about food choices, such as when it’s time to switch from calorie-rich puppy or kitten foods to adult options and the number of calories your pet needs based on their age, breed, health and activity level.”
Put a limit on meal size and time. Once your pet has had a checkup, start measuring your pet’s food to keep track of and limit what he or she consumes each day. If you leave food out for your pet all day for an overweight pet, the American Kennel Club advises moving to a set feeding schedule: put the food down for a set period, perhaps 15 minutes, and remove the food that your dog or cat doesn’t eat.

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Ease up on the treats. Keeping an eye on snacking is just as important for pets! As with humans, too many treats can be the downfall for a pet’s healthy diet. Track your pet’s between-meal treats for a day, including training treats and treats from neighbors and friends. If your pet is gobbling up more than a few snacks during the day, work to manage snacking. Store-bought treats like biscuits, chews and bully sticks are often loaded with fat and calories. Dr. Wilson often tells his clients that many dogs and cats are just as excited with an extra piece of kibble instead of fatty snacks. Low-calorie options, such as lean treats or apples or carrots, can also be a big hit.
Break out the toys or hit the streets! If your vet says your pet is healthy enough for regular exercise, get them moving. For indoor cats, toss out a few toys that your cat likes to chase or bat around or just put out a few empty shoe or delivery boxes (search for "cats playing with boxes” on Youtube – you’ll thank me later).
Swing by CAH for a complimentary weigh-in! Bring your pet by anytime to weigh your pet – there’s no cost. After the pandemic you can bring them for a weight check in yourself, but in the meantime call 978-369-3503 and we'll weigh them and let you know the result. Check our hours and stop by!

Wishing you all a very healthy and happy 2021!

a tiger was diagnosed with COVID-19. what does this mean for your pet?

4/7/2020

New data indicates that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can infect cats, though it still doesn’t appear to infect dogs. It’s still unclear whether cats can spread the virus to people, so we urge caution but not alarm.

With the first case of an animal in the US testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, pet owners are understandably concerned. Two days ago a tiger in a zoo in New York City was confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. Outside of the US there have been a handful of reported SARS-CoV-2 positive pets. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) lists two dogs in Hong Kong, one cat in Hong Kong, and one cat in Belgium that have also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Visit "CAH & COVID-19" for more information
on how cah is responding to this outbreak

COVID-19 in Cats
According to a recent article published in Nature, cats can be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and can spread it to other cats, though results suggest “the virus may not be highly transmissible in cats.” There is still no direct evidence that infected cats secret enough coronavirus to pass it on to people. None of the infected cats showed symptoms of illness.

COVID-19 in Dogs and Other Animals
Data continues to indicate that dogs aren’t really susceptible to the infection. The same goes for pigs, chickens, and ducks, all included in the study published in Nature. However Ferrets are highly susceptible to COVID-19.

Are Our Pets a Risk to Us?
It doesn’t not appear that our pets will put us at risk. According to the AVMA, “it appears that dogs and cats are not readily infected with SARS-CoV-2, we have little to no evidence that they become ill, and no evidence that those that may be naturally infected spread SARS-CoV-2 to other people or pets.” The primary mode of transmission of this virus continues to be person-to-person.

Keeping pets safe
We urge an abundance of caution to protect pets. If you are ill with COVD-19, restrict contact with your pet and have another member of the household feed and care for your pet if possible. The US Center for Disease Control advises that if “you have a service animal or you must care for your pet, wear a facemask; don’t share food, kiss, or hug them; and wash your hands before and after any contact with them.” Don’t share bedding or any dishes, towels, drinking glasses with other people or pets in your home.

While we urge caution, there isn’t any reason a pet would need to leave a home where someone is infected with COVID-19 unless no one in the home will be able to care for the pet appropriately.

It’s a good idea to have a two-weeks supply of your pet’s food and medicines in case you are diagnosed with COVID-19, are quarantined or are self-isolating and can’t leave your home.

Please continue to reach out with questions and concerns. We are open and here for you and your pet!

Let’s talk about CBD

1/14/2020

Concord Animal Hospital’s team of veterinarians gets questions about CBD and pets almost every day – here’s their take CBD and your pet.

Small amounts of marijuana are now legal in Massachusetts. Products with CBD are available at your local grocery store, gas station, and even pet store. This has many pet owners wondering whether these products could have health benefits for their pets.
“I’d say each of the doctors here has a client per day asking about CBD products for their pets,” says Dr. Rhea McCullough, CAH veterinarian. “Owners of older pets and pets with chronic diseases in particular want to know whether they should consider CBD products marketed for animals.”
Knowing that many in our community are curious about CBD, we’re sharing the four things you need to know about CBD and your pet.

What is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a product of both the cannabis and hemp plants. It is only legal when it is derived from hemp – any product for sale containing CBD should not be derived from cannabis. CBD does not have psychoactive properties. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive component of cannabis, or marijuana.
What research has been done on CBD and pets?
Not enough! “At this point there are very few published results that determine benefits of CBD for pets or how it interacts with other medications or supplements,” notes Dr. McCullough. “Not only have benefits not been confirmed by the research, but proper dosing and CBD toxicity levels have not been defined.”
There is anecdotal evidence that CBD may have benefits for pets. These claimed benefits include reducing inflammation, stimulating appetite, reducing anxiety, and controlling seizures. There are studies underway and all in the veterinary community eagerly await the results.

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What are the risks of giving CBD at this point?
"My biggest concern at this point is the lack of standardization across CBD products and possible contamination," says Dr. McCullough. "Many contain more or less CBD than they claim. Others contain undeclared and potentially significant levels of THC as well as toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals."
Even CBD itself isn't completely benign. Potential health risks the FDA is currently investigating include liver injury, drowsiness, diarrhea, and changes in mood. Also concerning is that we don’t know how these products might interact with current medications. If we are working with you to manage your pet’s cancer or seizures, a product containing CBD may interact with another medication.

What is Concord Animal Hospital’s stance on CBD?
Our team of veterinarians suspects that there CBD does have health benefits for pets. However, there are significant knowledge gaps in the science, safety, and quality of CBD for pets. Until there are published studies on the safety and efficacy of CBD and standardized dosing, we do not recommend that our clients administer CBD products to their pets.

“We may get there, but we aren’t there yet,” says Dr. McCullough. “We want to proceed with caution. Something that appears benign like CBD might carry risks that have yet to be uncovered. A good parallel is vaping, whose risks are being investigated and restrictive legislation considered only now, after use has become widespread.”
It’s also important to note that recommending a product like CBD for your pet that has not yet been deemed safe or effective could put our veterinarians at risk for board discipline or actions against their veterinary licenses.

Though we don’t recommend CBD products, we want our clients to be open with us about CBD products that they are administering to their pets and to feel that they can ask us questions about CBD. We’ll discuss CBD for your pet to the best of our knowledge. We’re your partner in your pet’s healthcare and want you to feel that you can be transparent with us!

Concord Animal Hospital’s Emergency Preparations

Your Pet’s New Year’s Resolution!

a tiger was diagnosed with COVID-19. what does this mean for your pet?

Let’s talk about CBD

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