Posts Tagged: Pet Safety

Cats are fully equipped to handle weather extremes, but they aren’t invincible to severe exposure. Their thick fur coats add layers of comfort, but what about the thin skin around their ear tips, those cute little paws, or that adorable triangular nose? It is critical to elevate cat safety during winter months in order to maintain overall good health. 

Turkey, dressing, fall leaves, pumpkin pie, a chill in the air…these are the elements of Thanksgiving. It’s also a time of gatherings and feasts, and your furry friend is probably pet right there with you during the festivities. Unfortunately, many pet emergencies occur around the holidays because they get into something they shouldn’t get into. 

Since we are winding our way to the holiday table, the team at Arlington Animal Hospital is here to give you some tips on Thanksgiving pet safety. By exercising caution you and your fur family can have a happy holiday indeed.

There are many reasons to keep pests away from your family, but the fact that some have the potential to carry and spread diseases tops the list.

While you certainly want to maintain a pest-free house and garden, the idea of pet safe pest control might seem impossible. After all, for a product to cause harm to one species, isn’t it fair to assume that it could negatively affect your pet? 

How It Works

Many pet owners may be applying pest control techniques without an eye on how their pet could be impacted. In fact, many people spray for pests, lay traps, or sprinkle bait in areas that could be easily accessed by an animal. 

Between Fall Harvest Days at Mount Vernon and Boo at the National Zoo, there’s no shortage of family outings to celebrate the season. In fact, we all get so caught up with the annual revelry that we soon forget our daily routines. 

Normal meal times, opportunities for play and exercise, and important snuggle times are parts of a larger pattern that pets utterly rely on. However, with a hearty nod to Halloween pet safety your pet can enjoy the season for all it’s offerings – and avoid a serious illness or injury.

Preparedness is the name of the game when it comes to an emergency situation – or really any situation that requires a quick response. If your pet is injured or ill, knowing what to do and what you need is critical to a better outcome.

We’re pretty sure you have a first aid kit for yourself and your family (and if you don’t, we highly recommend getting one!), but it’s equally important to have a pet first aid kit as well. While a basic first aid kit isn’t the only thing your pet needs during a medical situation, it can help stabilize your pet while getting them quick treatment.

So, what are the essentials of a pet first aid kit? Let’s find out!

The Essential Components of a Pet First Aid Kit

Both online and at your local pet supply store, there are a wide range of first aid kits on the market, but not all are created equal. It’s likely you’ll have to find a base kit and add to it. Here are some of the absolutes that go into a good pet first aid kit: Continue…

The holiday season has finally arrived, and the excitement of shopping, baking, decorating, and planning is upon us. Pets are not likely to share in our revelry, as many of the seasonal delights we love can cause undue stress for them, or pose significant danger to their health.

Bone up on our holiday pet safety tips to make this the best season ever for your family (both two-legged and four)!

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It may not be a name that rolls off of the tongue, or one that is as common as parvo; however, Leptospirosis  (‘lepto’) is on the rise and is one of the more serious offenders when to comes to contagious illnesses in our pets. In cities across the United States, we have seen a steady increase in the number of lepto cases, including in the Arlington area.

The Arlington team wants you to better understand leptospirosis in dogs, what lepto is about, the signs of infection, and what you can do to prevent this serious disease.

Lepto 411

Leptospirosis is caused by the Leptospira bacteria, which is a spiral organism known as spirochetes, and is shed through infected animals (via water, soil, or direct contact). While dogs who spend time in outdoor or rural areas are more at risk, we are now finding an increasing prevalence of lepto in urban areas, too. This is due to several reasons, including an increase in infected rodents and other small mammals that spread leptospirosis in areas where pets play.

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In this world of increasingly grey areas, one thing is absolute: children adore animals. There’s nothing simpler or more meaningful than the bond between a pet and his or her young master/mistress/guardian/playmate/partner in crime.

That being said, many dynamic duos need a little help to make sure everyone remains safe. Wondering how to make the world of children and pet safety easier on the whole family? Arlington Animal Hospital is here to help!

The Cart Before the Horse

Welcoming an animal into your home has unlimited benefits. Pets tap into your child’s potential for learning trust, respect, compassion, empathy, and caring.  They can even boost his or her self-esteem. However, your child must be patient, understanding, and accommodating to the myriad needs of a new pet.

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While warm weather may bring out all of the fleas, ticks, and other pests of the summer season, leaving your pet unprotected from parasites during other seasons may put him or her at risk for a number of vector-borne diseases.

Despite the thought that pests are only active during warmer months, flea infestations can pose problems year-round and deer ticks (black-legged ticks) are often active during the winter months, as well.

Because sporadic treatment makes it difficult to prevent initial infestations, skipping your pet’s parasite preventative can be a dangerous gamble, no matter the time of year.

Fleas, Ticks…What’s the Risk?

Although many pet owners may consider parasites to be an itchy annoyance, the diseases they carry can pose serious risks to the health of a pet.

Fleas and ticks, for example, have a life cycle that perpetuates the risk of exposure through continuing to lay eggs and multiply. Fleas can also thrive indoors during winter months, going through the cycle of laying eggs which produce larvae, pupae, and then hundreds of adult fleas.

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When confronted with troubling symptoms, it can be difficult to know when to “wait it out” or when to call in a bona fide pet emergency. Your pet is also skilled at masking symptoms, leaving you to wonder whether he or she is simply having an “off” day…

That’s why Arlington Animal Hospital wants you to know how to recognize and handle a pet emergency. Your swift actions will enable your pet to get the life-saving help he or she needs.

Red Flags

When it comes to a pet emergency, there are certain tell-tale signs that indicate immediate medical attention is required. Please do not wait to contact us if you notice any of the following:

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