When it come to fleas, the faster we can stop them the better. Talk to us to see about protecting your dog with a fast-acting monthly chewable.
Howdy from Fear Free Friday!
The veterinary community continues to grow in behavior knowledge for our beloved pets. We are a great resource to discuss behavior issues and help guide you on the recommendations for your pet. So when should you reach out to us if you notice a behavior concern with your pet?
📣NOW!
❗️ASAP!
➡️IMMEDIATELY!
The reason being that short term behavior problems are MUCH easier to address. The longer a behavior problem exists, the longer it can take to undo the behavior.
So don't delay if you have behavior concerns with your pet, reach out! We are here to help 💖🐕🐈💖
When it come to feas, the faster we can stop them the better. Talk to us to see about protecting your dog with a fast-acting monthly chewable.
Dr. Karagosian is now offering advanced TPLO procedures for torn ACLs. She is passionate about helping your pet with their orthopedic needs! 🐾
Below is a brief explanation of how we diagnose a cranial cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. X-rays are used to confirm the diagnosis. 🐾
Did you know this fact about heartworm disease? Luckily our clinic has an easy way to prevent it at your annual exam with just one shot—just ask us how!
We love to celebrate our Fear Free Wins, especially with staff pets!
These 2 videos are from our technician Luci, whose cat Prim now needs daily medication. To help keep stress of medicating to a minimum and to maintain the human:animal bond, Luci used the Fear Free Way to medicate Prim.
Step 1: Find a high value treat, such as Churu or Delectables
Step 2: Choose a quiet place with minimal distractions
Step 3: Offer some of the plain treat to start
Step 4: Add the pill to the treat to administer, trying to allow minimal break between the first treat. In some cases, it may be helpful to have a second treat already prepared with the pill in it.
Step 5: Follow with more plain treat
As you can see in the video, Prim takes the food and pill readily.
Way to go Luci & Prim!!! 💪💖🐈
Most cats can - and should- learn how to do a few simple tricks. Teaching and doing tricks with your cat deepens your bond and provides great mental stimulation
The 3rd trick we are going to talk about is the "high five" This is a great trick to show off to friends and family.
Start in a quiet area with minimal distractions. Use high value treats and remember that short frequent sessions work better (5 minutes). If you already taught them to sit, you can cue that first.
Then start by holding out your hand with a treat inside. Wait for them to paw at your hand, you may need to move your hand higher/lower/closer to see which one works best to start. Once they even lift their paw, click/mark and give a reward. Continue doing that until they are consistently touching your hand, then remove the treat from the offered hand. Once they touch the offered hand, click and take a treat from another source to give to them.
Consistency and repetition remain important- so keep practicing.
Once they are good with touching your closed hand, begin offer a palm (maybe a low five to start) and gradually move to high five position.
Wait to add your cue word "high five" until competent with the skill.
Feel free to keep your hand closed as well and teach a "fist bump"
You can then turn this into a standing up high five, switching paws, both paws, etc with time and patience.
Remember to only use positive reinforcement, if you get frustrated- take a break and try again later or on the next day.
Also- cats learn at different speeds. Give your cat space to learn in their own time, not yours. 💖🐈🎉
Most cats can–and should–learn how to do a few simple tricks. Teaching and doing tricks with your cat deepens the bond between you.
Sit on the floor by your cat, When she sees you have a treat, she may walk toward you. Bring the treat over her head. She will most likely stop and sit. When her rear end touches the floor or surface, click and then give her the treat. Tell her what a good cat she is! Repeat this a few times before ending the session. Sit training is a little more tedious for cats than coming when called, so keep sessions brief. When your cat consistently sits with the treat, add the verbal cue "sit". After that is solid, you can begin to ask with the treat further away.
Once your cat learns how to sit, sitting up, or sit pretty, is just a matter of raising the treat high enough over her head so that she has to sit on her hind legs to reach it. When she is already in a sit, say “Pretty,” as you offer the treat up high, click and give the treat when she accomplishes the trick. Again, keep sessions brief.
Do brief sessions two or three times a day, keep each session less than 5-10 minutes.
Use positive reinforcement only with your cat. Never get mad or punish her for doing a trick improperly or not doing it at all. Ignore it when your cat does the trick incorrectly and try again. If she walks off, she has decided the session is over, so try again later or the next day.
Be patient. Some cats pick up tricks in a few sessions. Others take a much longer time. Give your cat space to learn in her own time, not yours.
Most cats can–and should–learn how to do a few simple tricks. Teaching and doing tricks with your cat deepens the bond between you.
Start with your cat, the treats, and the clicker in your designated quiet space. Click and treat once to make sure your cat isn’t afraid of the sound. Then choose a specific behavior to reward, such as looking in your direction. When your cat looks at you, click and then toss her a treat. Repeat every time she looks at you. Once your cat understands that offering you attention results in a click and treat, you can start to increase your distance from her.
As she approaches, click and treat. As she eats the treat, move around the room and repeat the click and reward as she comes to you.
When your cat comes to you consistently, add the verbal cue. It shouldn’t be her name (although you can use her name to get her attention), but a specific word, something simple, such as “Come” or “Here.” Say it when she looks up from finishing her treat and click as she comes toward you. Eventually, you will want to go into a different room from your cat and call her. When she comes and finds you, click and reward. When she comes consistently from different areas of your home, you do not need the precision of the clicker to communicate that she has done the correct behavior. Simply reward her when she comes to you on cue (with a treat, attention, play, or whatever your cat loves).
Do brief sessions two or three times a day
Use positive reinforcement only with your cat. Never get mad or punish her for doing a trick improperly or not doing it at all. Ignore it when your cat does the trick incorrectly and try again. If she walks off, she has decided the session is over, so try again later or the next day.
Be patient. Some cats pick up tricks in a few sessions. Others take a much longer time. Give your cat space to learn in her own time, not yours
Fear Free Friday is back with more enrichment ideas for our dog friends.🐶
Most of these are simple and require little effort, but can be so rewarding for the dog. Replace the plain bowl with a puzzle feeder, and you can feed and enrich your dog in the same moment!
🧩Puzzle feeders are readily available through online and in store. There are many kinds, with variety of difficulty levels. I recommend purchasing a higher level one, as the simple ones they figure out pretty quick (especially the smart puppers!) Don't worry though, there are always ways to make a puzzle toy MORE challenging, including freezing and placing on a chair.
💲You do not have to spend a ton of money on different puzzle toys, as the best ones can be homemade. Use a muffin tin with tennis balls to cover the food, use a PVC pipe with drilled holes, use recyclables to stuff with toys/paper/fleece and treats. You can even roll up a towel with kibble placed randomly in the roll. It does not have to be fancy to be effective. You can google DIY enrichment toys for dogs and find MANY options.
Try it out and see- your dog deserves it! 💗
Fear Free Friday, y'all!
We know that our indoor cats probably lack the most enrichment, which can lead to other symptoms including inappropriate elimination. Cats are natural born hunters, and we need to make sure we are providing outlets for that.
You could just hide food around the house in small quantities, but these feeders take it to the next level. They have a cloth mouse body, which cats love to carry around. The plastic insert can be filled with food or treats, and requires "batting" around to get the food to fall out.
These specific feeders were created by a veterinarian and can be purchased on most online retailers and even in some pet stores. They are called Doc & Phoebe's puzzle mice feeders for indoor hunting. There are many other similar products available as well.
Enrichment for our felines will help prevent boredom, provide enrichment, encourage portion control and keeps them happy.
We would love to hear your feedback!😻😽
Welcome back to Fear Free Friday! For the next few weeks, I am going to be sharing some enrichment ideas for our pets.
To start it off, one of my favorites for dogs (and other animals)- the Snuffle Mat!
The concept behind snuffle mats is simple: strips of fabric are attached to a flat mat to create pockets and folds, and then treats or bits of kibble are tucked among the fibers. Dogs follow their noses to “snuffle” through the soft fabric and find the hidden treats or food.
This seek and find process using scent is SUPER DUPER enriching to dogs. A dog's nose can be 40 times more effective than humans at detecting scents, and stimulates a larger portion of their brain.
Benefits:
-Slows down eating
-Encourages appetite because of need to forage
-Distraction
-Reduces anxiety
-Enhances brain function (good for senior dogs)
These snuffle mats can be DIY with many instructions online, or you can purchase a pre made one from Etsy, Amazon and most pet stores.
Give them a try and let me know what you think!
Happy Holidays From Fear Free Friday! We are sharing a post from last holiday, just because it resonates so much with all of the beliefs of Fear Free. Our pets are such a big part of our lives, and we control so much of what they do (and don't do!) Remember that one of the greatest gifts we can give our pets is enrichment AND communication. Working towards understanding behavior and meeting their basic needs goes a long way in fulfilling their lives AND preventing behavior issues.
We hope everyone has a purrfect holiday season with all their loved ones!
🐈❤🐕🎄
Holiday celebrations include visits with family and friends. Since we consider cats and dogs part of the family, holiday visits that include them require special preparations. Changes to routine can increase fear, anxiety, and stress in everyone, especially our pets.
Give pets space.
Cats and dogs don’t always appreciate change, and meeting new people or pets can raise everybody’s stress levels. Allow them to have their own space- No hugs!
Gate for privacy.
For dogs and cats who enjoy meeting new people and pets, a pet gate allows them to meet and interact safely through the barrier. Moveable baby gates can divide a hallway or stairs to segregate sections of the house when necessary and allows pets to be part of the festivities at a safe distance.
Treat for calm.
Reward calm behavior with favorite munchies. You can also create positive associations between the guest pet and resident pets by offering yummies on opposite sides of the closed door or pet gate. This helps each identify the other pet’s presence with “good stuff” and helps relieve tension.
Maintain routine.
Pets love the status quo, so continue your normal schedule as much as possible. Feed the same food at the same times, in the same bowls, for example. If you always go for a walk, or have a game at certain times, try to keep these favorite pet activities on your holiday schedule.
Let pets decide.
Friends and family love to meet your pets, but don’t force interactions. Don’t overwhelm pets with too much attention and be ready to give dogs and cats a break in their guest room to decompress. If your pets aren’t used to children, for example, supervise to make sure everyone enjoys the interaction.
Yard Time/Enrichment:
Make sure to give your pet things to keep their mind engaged- puzzle toys, lick mats, snuffle mats, time to smell on a walk, trick training, etc. This can be all the difference in a calm pet.
We can’t always anticipate how pets will react to holiday visits.
Fear Free Friday 🐩🐾🐕
Dogs and cats are good communicators if we pay attention and know what to look for. They use many things to communicate, including body language and posture.
Another communication tool that is VERY important?
➡️Growling and Hissing!⬅️
Humans tend to think of a growl or hiss as a bad behavior, and our knee jerk may be to tell the animal "no" or use some form of punishment to stop it.
Although I do strongly support RESPECTING a growl or hiss and giving the animal space, I do not recommend punishing or trying to correct in the moment.
The reason to not punish is simple: If we punish a growl or hiss, the animal may stop doing it but then WE have lost our warning signal ❗️👀 That means that animal may progress quicker to a bite/attack without a warning, which can lead to more injury to humans including those trying to help.
Growling and hissing are natural communication tools for animals, and are rarely from a place of aggression. Animal behavior is simply behavior- it is not good or bad (those are human terms). In many cases, growling and hissing are an elevated sign of fear, stress (including pain) and anxiety. These animals are not trying to "dominate" us, but are needing help. ❤
So what do you do if your dog or cat is growling/hissing?
1. 🛑Respect the warning and give them space- as much as possible(SAFETY 1st)
2. ☎️Call your veterinarian right away - it could be a medical or behavioral issue and we can help you sort it out with an exam and discussion
3. 💡Make a new plan to address the underlying problem so we do not progress to the point of growling or hissing in the future
❤
🐩❤🐈
Last week Fear Free Friday posed the question: True or False? "Behavior problems can be fixed with medication"
Did you know the answer? These are important discussions to have regarding all behavior concerns with our beloved pets.
The answer is FALSE 🛑: We CANNOT fix a behavior concern just with medication. Expecting a magic pill to change emotions, fear, anxiety, etc is setting up both us and our pet for failure.
The TRUTH is ✅- Medication is just one part of a behavior modification plan. Medication can help decreasing anxiety levels and calming our animal, which gets us to a place where learning can happen. When anxiety is high, there is limited learning potential AND reduced learning retention. When the brain is relaxed, that is when change happens.
A full behavioral plan will include 3 components:😼
1️⃣Environmental management
2️⃣Medications and Supplements
3️⃣Behavioral Modification and Training
Using these 3 together is 🔑 for any behavioral concern.
And remember we can help with behavior problems/issues and the sooner we can address with these 3 components, the easier it can be- so reach out to us NOW ❤
Fear Free Friday
🐩❤️🐈
Fear Free Friday is back to talk about addressing behavior problems, such as:
- Unruly behaviors ( jumping, leash pulling, counter surfing)
- Fear/stress/anxiety at vet hospital or groomer
- Separation anxiety
- Aggression towards people and/or other animals
- Resource guarding
- Inappropriate urination/defecation
- Hyperattachment to owner
- Compulsive behaviors
- And many more....
💊Many times, a veterinarian may discuss using medications or supplements with the behavior problems listed above. But what exactly are these medications or supplements doing? Are they able to fix the problem just by giving your pet some pills? Does it work right away? What else may we need to take into consideration to address these issues?💁
Let us know what you think in the comments! 💡📝
And join us next week for the answers to these questions, from current science and literature. 👩🔬
This week we will be celebrating National Veterinary Technician Week! We are also making sure the entire team knows how amazing they are!! If you're stopping in this week, please don't forget to thank everyone for all the do for our patients, clients, and each other!! We couldn't do it without them.
Welcome Back to Fear Free Friday! 👋🐩🐕
❗️Training collars may be something you have used in the past or were recommended to use by friends, family or a dog trainer. Training collars are also known as e-collars, electronic collars, stim collars, shocks collars or tens unit. Training collars may have the option to use just a vibrate or tone- which is still NOT recommended.
😡Training collars are toted as being able to "fix" problem behaviors in a short time frame. What they actually do is suppress behavior which may seem to work in the short term, but causes WAY more issues down the road.
👉Numerous studies have been performed with dogs trained with these methods and they universally increase fear and anxiety, causes physiologic stress along the lines of a panic attack and can cause physical pain and injury. Educated and science based animal profressionals will NEVER recommend these training collars.
🛑Some people may say that these collars do not hurt the dog, and may even have you try it on your arm. While it may be true that the collar won't likely cause permanent damage or scars, they do in fact hurt - both physically and emotionally. This is why they do suppress behavior because the dog is trying to avoid the stimuli.
💣I see MANY dogs that have behavior issues, including aggression, that we are trying to undo the past use of aversive collars. Please if you have a behavior concern, please reach out to us before trying one of these collars. Believe me, there are better FEAR FREE options to address undesired behaviors that maintain the human:animal bond and keep your pet safe.
So call us first, and your pet will thank you. ❤
Fear Free Friday 🥰 is back with more tips/tricks
Some smart animals 🤓 can put together associations with medications quickly, including just seeing the pill bottle. So our first trick is to keep the pill bottles away from sight, and open without your pet seeing. You can do this in a separate room or while your pet is outside/distracted. If needed, you can move the pill bottles to different locations so even opening a specific drawer or cupboard does not make them notice. 👀
After handling the bottle and pills, remember to wash your hands. Animals sense of smell is WAY stronger than ours, and even a small amount of pill residue may be detectable. 👃
Do you have more than one pet? Use them to help increase the odds of ingesting the pill in a treat. ⚠️ CAUTION ⚠️ only do this if food does not trigger anxiety/reactivity between your pets AND make sure that the wrong pet does not eat the medication. Hand a few "blank" treats for your other dog, then hand a few (one with the pill) treats for the intended pet. 😼
The next 2 tricks must be cleared by your veterinarian ✅ first to make sure the medication remains stable.
1. Crush the pill- Using a pill crusher to make powder, you can then mix into a high flavored liquid such as chicken broth, tuna or clam juice. 🥛
2. Make a frozen treat- Take wax paper and place a food substance that’s going to freeze together when frozen such as peanut butter, kong spray, and spray cheese. Start with the spray or spread of treat lining the paper. Then, place the medication on the top of each blob and on top with an additional covering so the treat is concealed inside.🧊
Last but not least- many medications can be ordered through a compounding pharmacy to get the preferred form for your pet- this can include liquids, soft capsules, different flavored medication and even treat form. 💊✨
Let us know if any of the tips to Pill Your Pet With Kindness help you out! Even when medication is ne
