Julie Richardson VetMed

06/04/2022

Please skip the lilies if you have kitties 🐈

Please! Do not bring these into your home if you have cats! Lots of people think that pointsettas are toxic - these are so. much. worse. All parts of the plant, including the pollen, can lead to irreversible kidney failure if integested by a cat. We shared before, but if this saves even one kitty, it was worth sharing again.

26/02/2022

It can be difficult to leave your home country on short notice with pets, this post includes information for those with pets leaving Ukraine 🇺🇦🐕🐈🇺🇦

13/02/2022

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, please remember that chocolates and many types of flowers are toxic to pets! When in doubt, check your plants against this list by the ASPCA 🌹♥️🌹

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants

Our handy list contains plants that have been reported as having systemic effects on animals and/or intense effects on the gastrointestinal tract.

17/12/2021

Santa’s reindeer had their check-up and have been cleared for flight!

https://www.avma.org/news/press-releases/santas-veterinarian-gives-reindeer-green-light-flight

Children around the world received some good news today, with officials from the North Pole confirming that Santa’s reindeer have been approved for their Christmas Eve flight, following a health checkup from Santa’s veterinarian.

21/11/2021

The holidays are coming up, and it’s always better to spoil your pets with love and attention, but if you can’t stop yourself from sharing your holiday meal, refer to the guide below for some dog friendly snacks. Please remember that many seasons (like onions and garlic) are toxic to pets!

14/10/2021

Not only do vaccines save you money in the long run, it also saves your pet from unnecessary pain and suffering

03/10/2021

Obesity is one of the most commonly diagnosed medical conditions! See some images below with descriptions 🐕

27/08/2021

Happy National Dog Day! Ft this pool loving pooch 🐕 ❤️

26/08/2021

Canine influenza is not covered by the Bordetella vaccine! Please discuss with your vet the best vaccines for your pet based on their lifestyle

Dog owners are being warned of outbreaks of canine influenza and leptospirosis in Los Angeles County.

25/07/2021

This is one of my favorite illustrations showing healthy body weights in various breeds

10/07/2021

Dog behavior is a very complex area of study, but this short piece brings up a good point. Don’t trap your dos in their fears and anxieties, find healthy ways to help them overcome them. Although I wouldn’t advocate for a handful of steak, but a few well timed treats can start to make a big difference

"He's afraid of X, so he must have been abused by/with X."

In rescue, a lot of dogs come into care with unknown histories. Many of these dogs present with specific or generalized fear and anxiety.

It can be easy - so, SO easy - to attach a story to their behaviour. In fact, it's becoming increasingly common for people to adopt dogs BECAUSE of their story. The more tragic, the better.

The problem with this is that it tends to freeze dogs into their neuroses. Their owner becomes so attached to the story, so emotionally invested, that they themselves cannot move past it. When the owner gets stuck, so does the dog.

Then the story becomes an excuse.

He's aggressive to the postman because one must have abused him.

He's leash reactive to other dogs because he was a 'bait dog'.

He runs from us when we grab the fly swat because someone has hit him with it.

In most cases, these behaviours are caused from a lack of experience in the critical period of socialization. Their inexperience can present itself as fear, anxiety, stress and aggression; mechanisms they develop over time to cope.

But what exactly caused their rescued dogs behaviour is irrelevant. It's a fools errand to try to figure it out; an addictive oxytocin-fueled quest to justify a lack of action.

He's afraid of men? Make men = good things. He runs from the fly swatter? Pick the damn thing up and throw the dog a handful of steak a few times. See what happens.

When we adopt a dog, we're making a commitment to BETTER their life. Holding on to their past is doing the opposite. Show them they're in a better place by overcoming their problems, not nurturing them.

13/06/2021

The weather is starting to warm up, and with warmer weather we start to see more and more owners out walking their pets. Please remember, if the ground is too hot for you without shoes, it’s too hot for them ☀️ (photo credit to the original image creator)

25/04/2021

It’s World Veterinary Day!! My clinical rotations have been keeping me extremely busy (peep my new alpaca friend), but I’m grateful to be part of such an incredible field surrounded by amazing people! Sorry for being so busy and not posting as much, I’m hoping to start posting interesting and educational material on a more regular basis soon

03/04/2021

With Easter this weekend, remember that all parts of lily plants are toxic

28/03/2021

This is a big step in better understanding why grapes and raisins are toxic 🍇🚫🐶 

27/02/2021

It's been a while since I've posted, but thank you for sticking with me. I'm currently doing my clinical rotations in my final year of vet school. Did you know that vet students do at least a full year of work in a clinical setting ,like a teaching hospital? We get to experience "being the doctor" while still having the support of experienced clinicians and residents. I've been loving it, but it's also very hard work and has taken a lot of my time (12+ hours in the hospital doesn't leave much time for social media)

I'm currently on a nutrition rotation and have learned a lot about balancing diets and how to make the best recommendation for each pet. Many people assume vets don't study nutrition, but that's just not true. I've learned quite a bit in my lectures and during this rotation and I'm looking forward to being able to discuss the best nutrition options for every pet that comes to see me.

For example, this is Felix and his nutrition has been somewhat complex. He's considered a chronic vomiting case. He throws up pretty regularly, not every day, but often enough for there to be concern. We'd started him on a special hydrolyzed protein diet to help reduce this. It's helped some, but we are hoping to reduce it even more with the novel protein diet he's starting soon! Adverse food reactions or food allergies are fairly common in both cats and dogs. Did you know that usually it is the protein source causing the reaction? Meaning beef, chicken, fish, etc. And it's actually a myth that "most dogs are allergic to grain"

Happy eating, Felix!

26/11/2020

Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁
Let’s keep all our pets safe and happy today
And remember that pancreatitis is $500+ to treat 🐕 🐈‍⬛ To our pets it’s just another Thursday, so let’s keep dinner on the table for the humans in house ♥️

15/11/2020

The holidays are one of the busiest times of year in the vet field. Help keep emergency vet visits to a minimum, and don't feed your pets "people food"

The best foods to feed your pets on hoidays are: dog/cat food and treats 😁

Thanksgiving is around the corner!! Here is a list of foods that ARE NOT good for them.

Remember if you feed them pumpkin from a can, make sure it's PURE PUMPKIN not Pumpkin Mix !!! That could be deadly for your pet. So read the labels :)

31/10/2020

Let’s talk all things SPOOKY 🎃 👻
Halloween is tomorrow, and while many normal events are canceled or modified because of COVID-19, there are still some potential dangers you should be aware of with your pets.
1. Costumes: Sadie is sporting her Wonder Woman costume in this photo. It is not too tight. She can easily move in it. It does not cause her excess stress. It is attached with velcro and can easily break away if she got it caught. If you choose to dress up your pet follow these simple guidelines: if they are stressed/struggling remove the costume, nothing that drags on the ground (tripping hazard), avoid things around their neck (choking risk), and make sure they can still comfortably move
2. Candy: I love Halloween candy, but I’m always cautious of leaving it within reach of my dogs and cats. Most know that chocolate is toxic to pets, but did you know that sugar free candy also posses a big risk? If animal ingest the substance xylitol (found in sugar free foods) and can be lethal even in small doses
3. Guests: if having people over, feed your pet just before guests arrive to decrease begging, and reinforce a “no feeding the pets” rule
4. If opening your door for trick or treaters, ensure you animals are in a safe location, like a quiet escape proof room. Make sure tags and microchip information is up to date
Avoid emergency vet trips and missing animals, the only scary things this Halloween should be monsters and ghosts

11/10/2020

It can often be difficult for pet owners to see their pet as overweight. As a society, we have glorified obese animals, and while they can be seen as "chonky cute," it can actually have a negative effect on their overall health and life span.

Vets use a rating system called Body Condition Scoring to evaluate how "fit" your animal is. the "ideal" body score can vary between breeds, but in general you want the dog's stomach to tuck up after the end of their rib cage, you want to be able to see a "waist" on them from above, and you should be able to feel their ribs with a mild amount of pressure.

Here are some common breeds with different body condition scores to help you compare your own dog's body type.

How close to ideal is your pet?

09/10/2020

Vaccination is way less expensive than treating for the diseases they help prevent. A lot of the unease about vaccines comes from a lack of information or fear of the “scientific ingredients”. Talk to your vet about your pets vaccines if you don’t understand how they work or why we recommend a complete vaccination protocol 🐶 🐱

06/08/2020

It’s been awhile since I last posted. I’ve been extremely busy with finishing up my last semester of my pre-clinical classes for vet school. Today, let’s talk about TNR or Trap Neuter Release/Return programs. All 5 cats in this video are feral, unowned cats. They enjoy their life outside, have lived outside their entire lives, and are unable to be domesticated to be house pets. However, all 5 have been trapped, neutered/spayed and released back into their preferred environment. This practice helps decrease feral cat populations, because they can’t reproduce, but also allows these animals to continue to live out their lives. Typically after surgery these cats have the tip of one of their ears removed to be easily identified as sterile. This prevents us from trapping the same cats repeatedly. Have you ever seen “ear tipped” cats?

22/07/2020

This parody is entertaining, but pancreatitis is extremely serious. Pets don’t understand holidays or special occasions. They don’t need “human food” treats, especially foods high in fats and salts. So next time you want to spoil your pet, skip the cheeseburger, meat trimmings, or pan drippings and instead spoil them with attention and affection. If you feel like you MUST give them a human food treat try a little bit of unseasoned boiled chicken, a small piece of cheese, or even an unseasoned scrambled egg

04/07/2020

July Fourth is a festive day of celebration for people, but it can be terrifying for our pets due to the loud noises associated with fireworks.

Pets spooked by fireworks have been known to jump fences out of fear and confusion resulting in a higher number of stray animals entering the shelter post July 4th celebrations.

Be sure your pet is microchipped, licensed and wearing a collar and tags before July 4th!

Here are some more tips from our friends at ASPCA:

01/07/2020

Independence Day is this weekend!! How is it July already?!? More pets are lost in the United States on July 4th than any other day of the year. Make sure you’re doing everything you can to be prepared

09/06/2020

The weather is warming up as we head into summer. All pets need cool areas to rest and access to water, but brachycephalic breeds needs extra care. Check out the image eblow to see how much of a dog's nasal cavity is devoted to temperature regulation

A picture is worth a thousand words

Share this one with your clients so they have a better understanding of the struggles for a brachycephalic pet.

Image credit: International Canine Behaviorists

21/05/2020

Taking a moment to show some love on National Rescue Dog Day!! 🐕💕 Do you have a rescue dog to love today?

11/05/2020

Hoping to shower our moms with love as well as pool water this Mother’s Day

06/05/2020

Social distancing doesn’t mean you have to stay inside the entire day. Walking your dogs is healthy for you and your pets. Please follow restrictions on your specific country/state. Maintain at least 6 feet between you and anyone who does not live in your home

01/05/2020

Please stop putting peanut butter on your heads. You look ridiculous and it's dangerous

Please share this.