VT NH Veterinary Clinic

01/25/2025

Did you know that only 40% of cats receive routine veterinary care while close to 80% of dogs receive routine veterinary care every year?! I know the cat owners out there love their cats as much as dog owners!

So why is there such a barrier to getting your cat to the vet?
Some reports show that it's because of the stress involved with cat carriers, car rides, and with indoor cats, low risk of disease exposure are all reasons given by cat owners.

It's no fun to try and wrestle a ninja with 4 blades of death, I mean 4 paws with claws, and the flexibility of an inflatable tube man! However if you start training your cat, it will not only help them get better health care but will reduce their stress of coming to use if they experience an emergency.

You can leave your cat carrier out at all times and even place toys, favorite blankets, and food in the carrier. Some people are feeding their kittens IN the carrier on a daily basis to associate positive experiences with it. If the carrier only comes out for wrestling matches and vet visits, you are training or cat to associate negative things with the carrier.

Top loading carriers are less stressful for cats and make sure you have the appropriate size carrier for your pet.

You can use feline pheromone sprays to help calm them as well and even talk to your veterinarian about anxiety medications.

When you do carry your pet in a cat carrier, remember to think about how it feels to be in the carrier. Carrying the carrier flat, not swinging it, or placing it on the ground facing dogs or scary scenes is important. Covering the opening with a towel sprayed with feline pheromones can also be helpful.

Cats tend to hind their illness until they are nearly on death's door. Routine care is very important to catch things like dental disease, kidney disease, and thyroid disease. They are more prone to fleas than dogs, due to their smaller size and can get an infectious disease from fleas. Mousers and cats who go outside should be dewormed for intestinal parasites. ALL cats, even if they are indoor only, should be rabies vaccinated, this is because who is most likely to catch a bat in your home!?

Many of the illnesses we see in cats at EMEVC can be caught earlier with routine wellness visits and blood work. We hope that we can help get more cats to their day doctors, but if you need us, we are here!

01/22/2025

Attention pet owners - avian flu has been in the news a lot lately. This disease can affect birds and mammals, including humans. In addition to exposure to wild birds, raw diets and raw milk have been linked to outbreaks. These tips can help protect you and your pets!

01/15/2025

What is H5N1?
H5N1, commonly known as avian influenza A or bird flu, is a highly pathogenic strain of influenza virus that primarily affects birds, but cases have recently been reported in wildlife, cattle, cats, and humans.

What do we know about the latest outbreak?
Recently H5N1 influenza cases have been reported in cats that have consumed contaminated commercial raw food diets, unpasteurized milk, or had contact with wild birds and cattle.

Precautions:
Consider discontinuing your pet’s raw diet. Even if their raw food is human grade, frozen, or freeze dried, this does not prevent the potential spread of pathogenic bacteria, parasites, or H5N1 that may be present in the food. Consider cooking your pet’s raw food and/or consulting your veterinarian about diet change.
Limit your pet’s access to wild birds that may be carrying the virus and avoid giving them raw milk.

What are the symptoms to watch out for in our pets?
Clinical signs in pets may include the following:
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Fever
• Neurologic signs (ataxia, circling, tremors, seizures, sudden blindness)
• Copious oculonasal discharge
• Difficulty breathing
We recommend seeking veterinary care if your pet shows any of these signs. If they are having any life-threatening symptoms (neurologic signs, seizures, difficulty breathing, or collapse) seek veterinary care immediately.

Can this cause illness in humans?
Yes, H5N1 can cause illness in humans. Current human infections have been linked to contact with infected cattle and wild birds. There is no current evidence of human to human transmission.

What is being done?
The CDC, FDA and USDA are closely monitoring cases as they develop. One voluntary product recall has been issued for contaminated raw food diets for cats & dogs. We are continuing to monitor this emerging virus.

Follow our animal health centers' social media accounts for regular updates.
https://hubs.la/Q031WZ2g0

08/15/2024

08/14/2024

Phones are working!

We are currently having phone issues, if you need our assistance please call our phone # and leave a message and our staff will call you back as soon as possible! Phone calls are not going through, but we are checking messages and able to make outgoing calls. You can also send us an email. We are working on fixing the problem, thank you for your patience and understanding.

07/23/2024

Travel requirements have changed prior to the August 1st deadline and travel back to the US from low risk rabies countries (ie Canada) has been simplified. Dogs will still need to be microchipped, six months of age or older and the owner will need to fill out an online CDC Dog Import Form and present the receipt. Rabies vaccination is still also required to travel to Canada. Check the CDC website for changes before travel with your pet!

There are four requirements for dogs that have ONLY been in countries that are dog-rabies free or lo

07/03/2024

Please join us in welcoming our newest veterinarian Dr. Heather Federow! We are excited to have her join our team here as a mixed animal practitioner providing care in both our small animal clinic and to equines. Dr. Heather is a 2024 Ross graduate, from New York, and enjoys trail riding her QH, crocheting and paddle boarding. Her veterinary interests include surgery, holistic medicine and fostering the human-animal bond.

06/18/2024

This week is supposed to get really hot. Make sure that your pet has plenty of water available, try to do exercising during the cooler hours, if you would not walk on the pavement/asphalt barefoot do not walk your pet on it, and NEVER leave your pet in the car! All pets stay safe during this heat.

06/12/2024

Did you know that female cats can go into estrus (heat) and be able to reproduce as young as 4 months of age? More typically they will start going into heat between 6-9 months of age, but late spring is typically "kitten season" when un-spayed cats are having kittens. Local shelters and rescues already have their hands full this time of year, so we do recommended spaying and neutering for the majority of cats at 5-6 months of age, sooner if you have a brother - sister pair!

06/05/2024

Does your dog like to swim? If so please keep a look out for blue-green algae blooms which can be toxic to our canine companions and avoid contact with affected water. For more information you can check out the Cornell Riney Canine Health Center 's page on cyanobacteria linked in this post. In the next few weeks the Vermont Department of Health cyanobacteria tracker will also be updated to search for and report blooms.

05/29/2024

Traveling with your dogs this summer? If you plan to leave the country, including to Canada, and back please take some time to review the new rabies and health certificate requirements to take effect August 1st:

https://www.cdc.gov/importation/traveling-with-pets.html

05/25/2024

Reminder that our office will be closed Monday May 27th for the Memorial day holiday. We do have a veterinarian on call for equine emergencies as usual and a small animal veterinarian on call 8am to 2pm for current patient's needing urgent care. We will re-open Tuesday morning.

05/16/2024

More at home dental care tips for your pet:

Neglecting your pet's oral hygiene can lead to pain and health problems. Here are some easy-to-follow tips on how to care for your pet's teeth without overwhelming yourself or your furry companion.

05/14/2024

How can you help maintain your pet's oral health at home? Daily brushing is the best option, but there are a variety of other ways to aid in dental health maintenance at home including chews, food and water additives as well as gels and sprays. Look for the VOHC seal to help select safe and effective home care products.

05/08/2024

Have we mentioned our amazing staff lately? Not only do they provide compassionate nursing care for our patients, skilled technical support and keep our clinic running smoothly, but they also provide entertaining environmental enrichment. Here is the kitten crew on their very own cardboard ship! These cuties all have homes, but spent some time here with us for care and socialization.