Pet Health Clinic

07/05/2024

Happy 4th of July! We hope everyone's pets were safe!

04/29/2024

There will be a memorial service for the fallen Ada County deputy tomorrow (Tuesday, April 30) that will impact traffic flow. The picture below shows the traffic impacted. We just wanted everyone to be aware in case you are driving around, it might take longer than normal to get places!

03/27/2024

Canine leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can have serious consequences in dogs and can also affect humans. There are multiple strains of the bacteria called Leptospira that cause leptospirosis. Prevention of leptospirosis includes vaccination, which protects against the four most common strains. It has historically been thought of as a disease that is only in water and only seen in more rural areas and a lot of vets still either don't offer the vaccine or don't recommend it unless a patient goes out into the woods.

Rodents are the most important reservoir for Leptospira spp, especially rats, “in which a worldwide prevalence of infection of 30% has been identified, with prevalences exceeding 80% in some regions,” according to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). However, they are not the only source of infection. Spread through the urine or body fluid of an infected animal, the bacteria can survive in water or soil for weeks to months. Infections occur when Leptospira bacteria are brought into contact with skin abrasions or mucous membranes of human and animals, such as following ingestion of contaminated water, dirt, or predation. Leptospirosis can be devastating if not addressed quickly and can progress rapidly to acute kidney injury.

The prevalence of leptospirosis in dog has increased in recent years and is being seen more and more in house dogs that never go anywhere. Because of this and the fact that it is zoonotic (can pass to humans from dogs), we do recommend this vaccine for all patients. Most rescues and shelters don't vaccinate for it, which is another good reason to bring your new pet to a veterinarian soon after adoption to get established and discuss things like this.

I have linked some good, scientific articles about leptospirosis if you want to learn more about it. Please call us if you have any questions and we will ask you each year if you want to add this vaccine if we haven't done it before!

https://www.avma.org/news/updated-guidance-canine-leptospirosis-reflects-better-understanding-disease

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/leptospirosis #:~:text=For%20dogs%2C%20the%20midwestern%2C%20eastern,of%20year%2C%20and%20other%20factors.

03/05/2024

Dental disease is seen in almost every dog and cat we examine. Periodontal disease is caused by plaque (bacteria). Bacteria are attracted to the tooth surface within hours of the teeth being cleaned. Within days, the plaque becomes mineralized and produces calculus. Once that calculus has formed, it won't typically come off with brushing, it needs dental scaling.

This bacteria can seed through the gums and affect the heart and kidneys long term. Once we see some tartar build up and gingivitis (swelling of the gum), we recommend a dental cleaning. We do the same thing as a human dentist, take xrays, scale, and polish, but our patients do need to be under anesthesia to get a proper cleaning. Some vets will offer awake dentals but, ultimately, you can't get under the gums, get xrays, or make sure you are doing a good cleaning without the animal sleeping.

After the dental, we do really recommend home dental care. The best thing is daily brushing but there are also water additives, chews, and special diets that are designed to clean their teeth. There are a million "dental" products out there and it can get confusing knowing which actually help. https://vohc.org is a great website that lists products that studies have shown actually work to reduce tartar build up. We carry water additives and dental treats that are on that list.

We are continuing our dental month discount into March. Please give us a call to schedule an exam to get a dental estimate or to schedule a dental if we've already given you an estimate, you'll get an extra $40 discount in March!

12/06/2023

We wanted to write about the canine respiratory illness that the media has covered lately. We are very closely following the respiratory illness as it has hit multiple states across the US. So far, we have not seen a pattern of symptoms outside of the seasonal norm at our hospital, however we are still taking precautions.

At this point, veterinary researchers have not yet determined whether this is bacterial or viral, or if it is spread via air particles, contact, or both. I will attach a couple good articles about it below. Meanwhile, if your dog is having symptoms such as congestion, lethargy, runny eyes/nose, or cough with no appetite, there are many possible causes including a contagious illness. It is common at this time of year to see an uptick of respiratory diseases and the normal ones are likely what we most commonly seeing (i.e. kennel cough). We do recommend an exam if your dogs are experiencing any of the above symptoms. Depending on how severe the symptoms are, we might have to do the exam outside to prevent contagion to other animals, though animals might be brought inside for testing. Be assured that we are deep cleaning as we always do, especially if we have any potentially contagious dog in the clinic, and have chemicals that will kill all the viruses and bacteria. We do recommend ensuring your pet is up to date on all their respiratory vaccines which includes bordetella and DAPP (one of the P's is parainfluenza which is another respiratory illness). If a dog is current on vaccines, our vaccine manufacturer (Merck) is assisting us in doing PCR testing, and paying for it, if our vets deem it necessary.

Frequently asked questions:

Have these animals been tested for Covid-19? Yes, samples from this investigation were tested for Covid-19 and were negative.

Can other animals, including people, be affected by this respiratory illness? Evidence at this point suggests that it is limited to dogs.

How much of an outbreak is this? At this time, the media has hyped it up but it isn't an outbreak at all. The lead veterinarians studying respiratory illnesses are saying there is about a 2% increase in respiratory cases across the US from what we would expect normally. There is, however, a general increasing trend in respiratory diseases in dogs over the last few years. There are many reasons for this including the number of owned dogs increasing, the expansion of dog socialization facilities (i.e. daycare), and the increasing prevalence of brachycephalic (or squish-faced) dogs such as the French Bulldog.

What can I do to prevent this? First, avoiding dog-dog contact is the best way to avoid being exposed. This includes dog parks, daycares, and boarding facilities. Coming to the vet should increase your dog's risk only minimally, as we take precautions to control the spread of contagious diseases. Second, make sure your dog is up to date on vaccines! If you want to look at your pet's health record with us, we do utilize Petly which is a website where you can access your pet's records. If you do not have a Petly account set up, let us know (call us or text us at 208-465-6572) and we can send an invite out to you.

Please feel free to call or text, 208-465-6572, if you have any questions or concerns, hopefully this eases some minds!

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/01/1216209026/dog-respiratory-illness-mystery-cause-symptoms-research

https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2023/11/articles/animals/dogs/a-dog-owners-guide-to-navigating-respiratory-disease-concerns/

https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2023/12/articles/animals/dogs/canine-infectious-respiratory-disease-update-dec-1-2023/

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween!! 👻🦇

10/18/2023

I've been slacking in giving a shout out to our staff this week! This is National Vet Tech Week and we use it to celebrate all of our support staff, including our receptionists, technicians, assistants, and kennel assistants! There is so much emotion and self that goes into our job and our staff are amazing at always putting the animals first and giving such compassionate care. It's a tough job at times but know that we are all working hard to make sure your pets get the best care possible! If you see us, tell us thank you, even if it's not this week! And chocolate, chocolate is always good 😛

07/25/2023

We're hiring for a part time after school kennel assistant, a perfect job for a responsible high schooler. This person will come in 3-5:30, Wed - Fri (we are flexible with school), and help us close the clinic. It is basically a cleaning job and can be very physical, though there might be some animal loving involved and we can train the right person to help the technicians. Must be OK with blood, p**p, and p*e as we deal with a lot of that and also be OK lifting up to 50-60 #. They do need to have reliable transportation.
Pay is $10/hr. If you are interested, please email a resume to [email protected] (I understand most high schoolers don't have a resume per se but it's a good learning experience!).

03/23/2023

Happy National Puppy Day!

Puppies are the best in so many ways - they make you smile watching them be silly, they give amazing snuggles, and you are the center of their universe. Proper care is so vital to make sure they stay healthy and happy.

All puppies should start their puppy vaccines at 7-8 weeks and they will get boosters every 3-4 weeks until they are 4 months old. Crate training every puppy is so valuable for many reasons - it makes potty training faster, it keeps them from getting into trouble when you're gone and potentially eating something that can make them sick, and it actually helps reduce anxiety long term and they learn how to self regulate their behavior. Puppies should also be on a high quality puppy food tailored to their adult size - small bites, regular, or large breed. We recommend Science Diet, Royal Canin, or Purina Pro Plan. We also recommend all puppies do obedience classes. Basic obedience is the foundation to reducing all unwanted behaviors.

Getting a new puppy? Make sure you call us with plenty of notice as we are usually booking a few weeks out. We'd love to chat with you about all of the things needed for your puppy to ensure they become a happy and healthy member of your family!

03/01/2023

March is dental month at Pet Health Clinic! Schedule your dental in this month and you will get a $25 discount and a bag of goodies to go home.

Dental health is a very important part of your pet's overall health and can cause, or be caused by, other health problems. Indications of dental disease include bad breath, loose or falling out teeth, abnormal chewing or drooling, or even reduced appetite. Periodontal disease is the most common dental condition in dogs and cats - by the time your pet is 3, many will have some early evidence of periodontal disease. It starts with plaque that hardens into tartar. This tartar is full of bacteria and can eat away at the jaw bones holding the teeth in place.

The treatment of periodontal disease includes a thorough dental cleaning and x-rays while under anesthesia. Anesthesia allows us to get a full look at all the teeth and get under the gum lines without having to struggle with our patients. Smaller dogs are more prone to dental disease and many need annual dental cleanings. Just think, we brush our teeth 1-2 times a day and still need to get professional cleanings twice a year. Getting your dog's and cat's teeth cleaned is vital to keeping them healthy into old age. If we can do it before there is bone loss and recession (as demonstrated by the pictures below), we can keep the teeth and mouth healthy for a long time.

02/21/2023

It's "National Love Your Pet Day"! Show us some cute pictures of your pets!

02/02/2023

Somebody didn't love seeing us but we all loved her!

01/26/2023

Check out these bladder stones, they're like something from outer space! We removed them from a dog bladder yesterday and I'm sure he's going to feel so much better!

Bladder stones are most commonly formed when the pH of urine is altered. Higher pH, or alkaline, urine generally causes struvite crystals and stones and low pH, or acidic, urine generally causes calcium oxalate stones.

We see this happen with some diets (not any specific food, it's just how each animal's body responds to that food) and also with those supplements you can buy to save your grass from urine scald. This is one of the big reasons we like Science Diet and Royal Canin food - all their foods, both OTC and prescription, are designed to keep the pH neutral. There is also a genetic component to bladder stones so it can be hereditary. We more commonly see them in smaller dogs but they can happen with any breed, and also cats!

If you notice blood in the urine or straining to p*e but only getting a little out, we definitely need to see your pet asap!

01/18/2023

And the results of Mojo's DNA test! I can see the poodle as he does have a wiry coat. Just like any of the doodles, the more percentage of poodle, the curlier the coat is, and less poodle gets more wiry. The other breeds are a little off the wall! I didn't even know I had a fancy doodle designer breed!

01/16/2023

Let's play a game! This is my newest foster fail, Mojo. I ran an Embark DNA test on him and just got results! He has 5 main breeds besides what they call "supermutt". Any guesses to what he is? He's about a year old and is 17 #.

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas from all of us! We love all of our wonderful clients and hope you have an amazing Christmas with your families!

11/01/2022

Happy Halloween! We hope everyone gets lots of candy and keeps it away from their pets!

10/18/2022

Happy National Vet Tech Week to our amazing staff! We use this week to celebrate all our staff, not just the techs. We have an amazing group of caring staff who are passionate about what they do and it shows! Help us celebrate them and tell them good job for all their hard work!

08/27/2022

Happy National Dog day! Give all your dogs extra scratches and kisses today!

08/10/2022

A posse of pomeranian puppies! So cute! It's important to start puppy vaccines around 7-8 weeks and then they will need boosters every 3-4 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. This protects them from very serious diseases such as parvo.

08/02/2022

We have rabbits! A lot of people have noticed lately the rabbits running around our property. Unfortunately, a neighbor let her unfixed rabbits get loose and decided she didn't want them any more. Then they started breeding. We now have a lot of rabbits, they started in our back area but have moved out front because there are so many. We are working with a couple rescues to get them trapped but have had little success. Anyone have experience catching wild rabbits? We'd like to catch them all and then the rescue will fix and rehome them. We are definitely worried that once Midland reopens we might see some get hit but they're being stinkers about the traps!

07/30/2022

Here is an interesting article from the CDC showing that monkeypox is contagious to pets and what to do if you suspect it. We had our first confirmed human case here in Canyon County this week. Definitely let us know if you are suspicious of this or if your pet has been exposed as it will start becoming more prevalent.

From the article, "Possible clinical signs of monkeypox in animals include lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, bloating, nasal and/or eye secretions or crust, fever, and/or pox-like skin lesions (may initially resemble a pimple or blister before progression to a characteristic monkeypox lesion) or rash."

https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/specific-settings/pets-in-homes.html

Learn more about monkeypox in the United States.

06/23/2022

It's tick season! The peak season for ticks in Idaho is May and June for the nymph stage and then later summer and fall for adult ticks. The nymph stage are the tiny ticks that are hard to see. All ticks are looking for a good meal from a warm-blooded source!

Ticks can carry many diseases that can cause serious issues both with pets and people. The most commonly known one is Lyme disease, though we don't see that often in Idaho. We do have Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and I even know a child who got it from a tick at Warm Lake a few weeks ago.

We definitely recommend tick prevention for any dogs or cats that spend a lot of time outside, especially in wooded areas. There are many OTC flea/tick products but we do see some toxic reactions to the cheaper ones (Hartz, Sargent, etc.). We carry two products that are a lot safer and more effective: Bravecto is a pill for dogs or a topical for cats and it lasts 3 months, Effetix is a topical you apply monthly. If you know your pet is going to be exposed to ticks, call us to come get a flea/tick product for them! I'll link an article below about ticks in Idaho.

https://birdwatchinghq.com/ticks-in-idaho/

Learn the different types of TICKS in Idaho, AND how to identify by sight or sound. How many of these species have YOU seen?

06/14/2022

Glameow, queen of the clinic! This cute baby was just visiting tonight!

05/23/2022

Just a reminder that construction on the intersection of Lake Lowell and Midland started today so that intersection is closed! You'll now have to come to us from the west (Middleton Rd).

05/18/2022

The intersection in front of our clinic (Lake Lowell and Midland) is getting a stop light installed! They've started putting cones up today and the intersection is slated to be closed starting May 23. It is anticipated to stay closed for three months. To get to us, everyone must come in from the west side (from Middleton Rd). Please be patient with us as this will likely cause some delays with people getting to us which might skew our schedule a bit!

04/30/2022

This French bulldog was found today in Nampa. Recognize him? PM us if you think you know who he is!

04/19/2022

It's almost cheatgrass season! Cheatgrass is sometimes called a foxtail and is a grass awn that can burrow into skin, especially in dogs and cats as their fur holds it in place. It's everywhere around here, even in some yards, so we highly recommend checking your pets fur, especially paws and ears, every time you come back from a hike or a walk. Some people choose to shave their dogs feet a little closer in the summer to help avoid this risk.

Once a cheatgrass has burrowed in, we usually have to sedate the animal to allow us to use forceps and try to pull it out. It's a procedure that is fairly avoidable with some good fur checks each night!

Cheatgrass is an invasive species often found in the Boise Foothills. The seeds can get stuck in dog paws, ears, mouths, and noses and cause severe infection.

04/13/2022

This is Dr Longworth doing an ACL repair. A ruptured ACL is the most common orthopedic injury in dogs. Having an overweight dog is a big factor for it happening but it is typically a random and sudden event that causes it (chasing, playing ball, etc). The most common signs are hind leg lameness and sometimes swelling of the knee. Dogs can also have a partial tear which typically causes more intermittent lameness.

ACL tears can only get better with surgical intervention. Without it, they will scar up and give more stability eventually but it will always cause chronic pain and arthritis. There are different types of surgery for it - at our hospital, Dr Longworth can perform a surgery called a lateral suture repair. This is more commonly used with smaller dogs and bigger dogs we will usually refer out to an orthopedist to do a TPLO surgery.

If you notice limping in your dog, schedule an appointment to come see us so we can figure out exactly what's going on!

04/04/2022

Giving subcutaneous fluids is a way we help manage chronic kidney disease in cats. We're always happy to show you how to do it or do it for you if your cat isn't this compliant!

Have you ever had to give subcutaneous fluids to your cat? In this video, Dr. Margie Scherk demonstrates how to set up the intravenous bag, needle preparation, and proper cat handling to provide the fluids.

Watch the full video at https://bit.ly/3IBFcIk