Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws: Obesity in Our Pets — An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

A study conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention found that 56% of dogs and 60% of cats in the United States were classified as overweight by their veterinarians in 2017.

Given that the average dog encountered at the park and the average cat seen peaking out through a window is more likely to be overweight than not, pet owners are developing a skewed perception of a healthy body weight.

Your dog or cat’s annual physical exam includes a standardized body condition score. Your veterinarian certainly isn’t trying to body shame your furry friend — we think they are just as cute with a few extra pounds and a set of love handles!

However, when you take into account all of the impacts obesity can have on your pet’s health, and the added cost to your pet’s health care as a result, those extra pounds are far from “cute.” If you are looking for the absolute best way to keep your dog or cat happy and healthy for as long as possible, the answer is to keep them lean.

Not only is a lean body weight what is best for your pet’s health, it is also what is best for your wallet — it is guaranteed to save you money on the cost of pet food and veterinary care in the long run.

The most effective way to get your pet to lose weight is to feed fewer calories. This means that you’ll buy fewer bags per year of that expensive pet food you’ve been budgeting for.

Also consider that obesity leads to diseases that decrease your pet’s quality of life and increase your cost of veterinary care. Arthritis, cruciate ligament rupture, intervertebral disk disease, respiratory disease, liver disease, diabetes and heat stroke are all more likely to occur in overweight patients.

All of these diseases can require pricey medications, surgeries and treatments to manage, and can cause a lot of stress for both you and your pet.

The consequences of obesity may sound daunting, but the good news is that your pet’s body condition is entirely within your control. Your dog or cat (hopefully) can’t open the pantry or fridge door themselves, and they rely on you to control their food intake.

Think twice before you share your snack with your pet — what is considered a “snack” for you could be more than their total daily caloric requirement.

A helpful comparison provided by Hill’s shows that one ounce of cheddar cheese for your 20 pound dog is the equivalent of the average woman eating one and half hamburgers. For a 10 pound cat, this would be the equivalent of a woman eating two and a half hamburgers.

The best way to have control over your pet’s body weight is to avoid table scraps altogether and stick to food and treats that have a known caloric content. The packaging of any reputable brand of food or treat will provide the number of kilocalories per cup of food or per treat, which makes it easier to stick to the caloric intake recommended by your veterinarian.

If you are the type of person who just can’t help but slip treats to your best bud when he is being extra adorable (which happens a lot), try measuring out a daily allotment and drawing from this pile throughout the day when you’re feeling inspired to do so. Using some self control will help keep your pets slim and trim, which will keep them happy, healthy and by your side for many more years to come.

Healthy Paws: Cannabidiol — Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread?

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

We are frequently asked about CBD, or cannabidiol, particularly in the form of CBD oil and its various benefits. As this is still a fairly new product to the veterinary field, there is much we do not know. Anecdotally, it has been reported to aid in the management or treatment of numerous medical conditions.

Before we address its potential medical uses, a bit of background:

  • CBD is a cannabinoid, which is a class of chemical compounds that act on cannabinoid receptors in the brain to cause a variety of drug-like effects. The most well-known cannabinoid is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), which is responsible for the psychotropic effects of the cannabis plant.
  • CBD shares the same chemical formula as THC, but its molecules are arranged slightly differently.

  • While the cannabis plant has a higher percentage of THC, the hemp plant has a higher concentration of CBD — which is why hemp plants are the main source of most CBD products.
  • It’s thought that some of the potential psychological benefits of CBD may due to its action on serotonin and GABA receptors, which are well-known to be associated with behavioral modifying effects.

On the medical front, claims have been made that CBD can aid in the treatment of conditions such as epilepsy and anxiety. Another claim is CBD can help manage pain associated with arthritis or other orthopedic or neurological injuries, purportedly without the risk of the side effects or “high” associated with THC.

The FDA just recently approved a drug called Epidiolex, whose main ingredient is CBD, for aid in control of severe seizures. Many more studies are undoubtedly in progress.

While theoretically low-risk, potential side effects can include extreme lethargy or agitation, ataxia (stumbling, difficulty walking), increased anxiety, aggression, incontinence and lowered blood pressure.

An important factor to take into consideration is the legality of CBD. According to the DEA, any cannabinoid-related product is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substance Act.

Even among experts there seems to be some ambiguity about the legality of possessing, selling or prescribing CBD. Virginia did recently pass HB 1251 that allows physicians to issue a written certificate for the use of cannabidiol and THC-A; however, at this time this does not apply to veterinarians. At the federal level, CBD is still considered illegal.

Additional Resources:

Healthy Paws: Safe Disposal of Medicines and Preventing Environmental Contamination

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

While research continues, it is becoming clear that chemical pollutants are impacting animal health, human health and the environment.

Human-made chemicals flow into streams and waterways where it comes into contact with wildlife. Wildlife interacts with these products in unpredictable ways. Pharmaceuticals are in the mix of contaminants arriving from various places like wastewater treatment plants, drains of manure fertilized fields, washed off livestock farms, landfills and septic systems.

Any household or farm product has the potential to become an environmental contaminant. One of the largest concerns is also the easiest to source and reduce, unused drugs that are flushed down the drain.

The pollutants are dangerous to fish, insects and other life with the potential to kill, prevent reproduction, change behavior or alter appearances.

Potential human health concerns are unknown because the pharmaceutical dosage in waterways is low. However, research shows that antimicrobial concentrations in wastewater may be high enough to create selection pressure and harm beneficial microbes.

Antibiotic resistance is also a big concern. Thousands of pharmaceutical compounds, including animal-use drugs, are used in the U.S.

Along with current research and studying the ability of wastewater treatment plants to remove pharmaceuticals, we as veterinarians and clients of veterinarians have a role and responsibility to dispose of unused drugs properly to reduce the risk of environmental contamination as much as possible.

The AVMA and FDA have developed guidance on how to get rid of unwanted drugs. The best choices for disposal of unused or expired medications are the following:

  • Medicine take-back options
  • Disposal in the household trash
  • Flushing certain potentially dangerous medicines in the toilet

For more information on these options, what is available in your area, and the potential environmental impact of flushing medicines please visit this FDA web-site.

Healthy Paws: Summers End

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

With the unofficial end of summer this week, it’s time to look at what changes and challenges fall brings to our furry friends.

Most notably, school has started and the weather will start to cool. This combination generally brings about school and home improvement projects, which also creates an smorgasbord of inappropriate things for our pets to ingest.

Cats tend to go for shiny objects as well as string-type things. Dogs, well, they might go for just about anything — but we’ve personally seen them ingest carpet that was being ripped up, nails and many a kids art project. Glues, paints and markers can cause upset stomachs and other toxicity.

Antifreeze is highly toxic to both cats and dogs. Generally, cats are known to be particularly attracted to its taste. Antifreeze can cause seizures, severe kidney failure and ingestion is often fatal if not treated rapidly and aggressively.

The use of rodent traps and poisons increases in the fall as well. Products used to kill small rodents are toxic to both cats and dogs and can lead to neurologic dysfunction or bleeding problems, depending on the product used.

Ticks and fleas are just as active through the fall in this area! They don’t look at the calendar and because we don’t get multiple hard freezes in a row even during the winter they never actually go away. In fact, the fall tends to be the time of year we see fleas and tick-borne illness in our patients the most frequently.

This may be because pets spend more time outside when it’s nicer out but also it’s easy to think that because it’s cooler it’s okay to stop using preventives. This may hold true much farther north, but in our neck-of-the woods it’s best to use preventives year-round.

Mushrooms also start to come out in the fall — and while most are non-toxic, there are a small handful that are very toxic. It’s best to steer clear of all wild mushrooms. If you’ve seen your pet ingest a mushroom, please contact ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) and your veterinarian.

For information on toxic plants in general — ASPCA Animal Poison Control has a great website resource.

This recent sweltering heat definitely makes us appreciate the upcoming cooler seasons — Have fun and be safe as we start to transition to fall!

Healthy Paws: Dog Park 101

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

The dog park is a super fun place to bring your puppy for exercise and socialization with other dogs, but there are some things to keep in mind before heading out to the park with your pup.

First of all, not all dogs should go to a dog park:

  • Dogs that are under 4 months of age are too young. Dog parks put them at risk for contracting infectious diseases and parasites. Young puppies can also be at higher risk for injury when playing with older and stronger dogs. If a puppy has a bad experience at the dog park, they can also learn to be afraid of other dogs. That said, socialization for puppies is very important for their development, but best to introduce them to dogs you know well (friends, family or neighbors) and in one-on-one or smaller settings or at a puppy kindergarten class.
  • Dogs that are reactive around other dogs should keep away from the park. Reactive behavior (growling, biting or lunging) is a sign of fear in dogs. If a dog is acting this way towards other dogs in a park, this means they are scared and want to be away from the dogs. If these signs are ignored, this can progress to causing a fight and injuries between dogs and ultimately worsen their fear long term. Some dogs may do better with dogs their own size, if this is the case, look for parks with a “small dog” and “big dog” area.
  • Dogs that cannot be let off a leash should stick to walks. When dogs interact off-leash they are able to exhibit normal canine behavior. Being on leash can cause a dog to feel restricted and can limit normal canine interaction, potentially leading to stress and fear.
  • Female dogs in heat should take a break from the dog park. This is to avoid unwanted attention from male dogs, particularly intact males, as this could lead to an accidental pregnancy.
  • Dogs that are sick should stay home and recover. This may seem pretty obvious, but dogs that are showing gastrointestinal symptoms or coughing, runny nose, or excessive sneezing, could have infectious diseases they could spread to other dogs.
  • Dogs that are not up to date on vaccines should wait until they get all of their shots. If you aren’t sure if your dog has all of the vaccines it needs for the park, reach out to your veterinarian for advice.

Before you head to the Dog Park:

  • Make sure your dog is trained in some basic commands — most importantly a “come when called” command so you can always redirect your dogs attention and get them to come to you when needed.
  • Check the weather. Prolonged exercise in hot temperatures can cause heat stroke in dogs, even if they have water available. If it’s a particularly warm day, plan to go to the dog park in the early morning or after it cools off in the evening to avoid excessive heat.
  • Consider bringing a few helpful items — including water, ball or toys for fetch, and poop bags, in case these aren’t available at the park. Just know that toys will likely be shared and may go missing — so don’t bring anything you or your dog is attached to.

Basic Dog Park Etiquette:

  • Intervene when play between dogs gets too rough or a pack is ganging up on a dog. This is best done by simply calling your dog away to redirect their attention.
  • Pick up all of the poops and dispose of properly.
  • Don’t let your dog hump another dog… it’s just not nice and a little awkward for everyone.
  • Take off the leash — that’s the point, right? Most parks have convenient double gates that allow for easy leash removal.
  • Pay attention! It’s best to avoid talking or texting on your phone and just enjoy the view of your pup having a great time with his or her friends. If you are distracted you could not be aware of tense situations brewing and miss an opportunity to intervene and avoid problems between dogs.
  • Don’t carry your dog around the park. This is a very unnatural way for dogs to interact and can lead to fear and reactivity. Picking up your dog can also tempt other dogs to jump up on you, a very bad situation overall. If your dog doesn’t do well on all fours, then it’s best to leave the park and try again another day.

Avoid having treats or food. Dogs will smell it and you might have more friends than you want following you around. Also, some dogs have food allergy, while others are reactive to other dogs when food makes an appearance, so best to leave the food out of your dog park experience.

Healthy Paws: Are Grain Free Diets Good for Pets?

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

We have been asked a lot recently about our take on grain free diets and a possible link to dogs developing a serious heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM).

There’s still a lot of unknowns out there — but here is what we do know:

About two years ago cardiologists a the veterinary school at UC Davis started seeing an uptick in the number of golden retrievers with DCM and started noting that most of these dogs were on a grain free diet. They also noticed that many of these dogs had low taurine levels (an important amino acid, whose deficiency has been linked to DCM in cats and dogs).

The possible relationship between diet and DCM was also noted in 2017 by the Morris Animal Foundation, which is currently undergoing a huge study involving 2,000+ golden retrievers for their Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.

Then, last month the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine put out a notice that they were also going to start investigating the possible link between grain free diets and DCM in dogs that are not typical in their presentation or genetic susceptibility. This led to a bit of a firestorm of publicity and was picked up by news outlets like NBC and the New York Times… and then lots of questions by concerned pet parents.

The best article out there currently is written by the veterinary nutritionist at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Lisa Freeman. She excellently goes into what we know, what we don’t know and things we can be doing. You can find her article here.

Additionally, local veterinary cardiology group Chesapeake Veterinary Cardiology Associates, has put up a statement on their website with guidance for pet owners.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your veterinarian if you have questions about your pets food, about DCM or your pets general health. It’s what we’re here for!

Healthy Paws: Leptospirosis

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

It’s finally summer time, and nothing means summer quite like playing in puddles, creeks and rivers. But keep in mind that your pup isn’t the only creature that loves fresh water.

Leptospirosis is a bacteria that is on the World Health Organization’s list of Top 10 most important emerging infectious diseases and it thrives in fresh water in warm, humid environments.

It is usually thought of as a tropical disease that is found in other countries close to the equator. Unfortunately, however, our weather here in the United States is becoming warmer and wetter, and public health officials are concerned that it will become more of a problem in the US than it is already is.

The most common times for leptospirosis to be contracted are in the mid-summer through early fall, and after flooding or heavy rains. Confirmed cases of canine Leptospirosis are not uncommon in the DC area. We have even had some outbreaks of human leptospirosis in this area.

It is spread through the urine of infected mammals such as raccoons, deer, rodents (especially city rats and opossums in urban environments), farm animals and dogs.

The most common route of exposure is by drinking contaminated fresh water. Leptospirosis can also enter the bloodstream through cuts in the feet or legs, and it can be found in wet, shaded grass as well. In addition to making your pet very sick, Leptospirosis can be spread to you or your family.

Typically, lethargy, fever and loss of appetite are the first signs that we see of Leptospirosis, but in serious cases, we can also see vomiting, diarrhea and even liver, kidney or respiratory failure. Death can result in those that are very sick.

Treatment means a long course of antibiotics, and in severe cases, hospitalization at a critical care facility may be required. Leptospirosis can be difficult to diagnose in animals and humans.

Veterinarians take Leptospirosis very seriously and fortunately there is a good vaccine for it. Leptospirosis has many different serovars, and the vaccine that we carry here protects against the 4 most common disease-causing serovars in the United States.

The vaccine requires two boosters that are about 3 weeks apart, and then a yearly booster after that.

Other forms of prevention involve avoiding fresh water: creeks, puddles, rivers, and lakes, and avoiding wet shady grass next to bodies of water. Leptospirosis can be contracted by eating infected carcasses, which is another great reason to keep your pooch on the leash while on those wonderful long walks in the woods.

Historically, dogs that contracted Leptospirosis were field/hunting/working dogs as those were the dogs in the most contact with wildlife. However, across the United States that demographic has changed, and dramatically. Now most cases are seen in dogs that live in urban environments and are under 30 pounds (presumably because they were the least likely, historically, to be vaccinated and increased exposures to small urban rodents).

If your own dog has been diagnosed with Leptospirosis, please take precautions at home. Avoid contact with your dog’s urine, and if you have to clean up in the house, wear protective gloves and wash your hands afterwards.

Administer the full course of antibiotics as prescribed by your veterinarian. Avoid walking your dog near bodies of water or places that other dogs congregate, to minimize the spread of Leptospirosis to other pets.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Healthy Paws: Ensuring a Safe Independence Day for the Fur-Kids of the Family

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

A good rule of thumb is that your dogs and cats likely don’t want to watch the fireworks with you and should not be around those backyard/neighborhood displays.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but we see far too many cases of injuries, burns and ingestion of the toxic substances found in many fireworks. Additionally, the sounds, smells and sights can be downright terrifying for some.

Noise phobias, especially, can be very distressing (to both owner and fur-child) and while many animals may just get a little anxious with the sound of fireworks — some go into an all-out distressed panic.

If you know that your pet is noise-phobic please have a discussion with your veterinarian about the use of anti-anxiety medications, sedatives and non-pharmacologic strategies to manage noise-phobias… NOW (don’t wait until right before the festivities!); and have a safe, quiet and escape-proof place to keep your pet.

Additional considerations and tips for a safe 4th with your fur-kids are below:

  • Keep your pets safe and indoors!
  • Have your pets identified — make sure they have a collar with an identification tag and/or a microchip that is up to date on its registration.
  • Resist feeding cook-out/table scraps… many pets do not tolerate dietary change, and these foods can lead to inflammation of the stomach, intestine and pancreas; and some items may require surgical removal (corn cobs, cooked rib bones, skewers, etc.)!
  • Glow sticks and citronella candles/repellants are also irritating to your pet’s GI tract and should be kept away from them
  • Overheating, stress and anxiety are common issues seen with pets in these situations. While celebrating the 4th is fun for most of us bipedal human folk, our fur-kids have no idea what’s going on other than that their normal routine just got thrown out the window and we expect them to be OK with that.
  • Our pets are very sensitive to the effects of alcohol — so please don’t give them any. It’s not cute to see them vomiting, having seizures or going into respiratory arrest from alcohol intoxication.
  • Don’t assume your pet knows how to swim. If you’ll be spending your day pool-side on a boat or at the beach/lake/other large body of water, be sure you are watching your pet at all times and have a life-preserver for them to keep them safe.

Keep these tips in mind, and we hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July! And while we hope you don’t need it — information on a few of the local 24/7 veterinary emergency hospitals can be found here.

Healthy Paws: How the Opioid Epidemic is Affecting Veterinary Medicine

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

The opioid epidemic has been in the news quite a bit recently and for good reason.

While opioid and other prescription drug abuse is of significant concern on the human side, its effects are spilling over into veterinary medicine.

If you have a pet on an opioid pain medication, or drug of concern, you may have been contacted by your veterinarian recently about changes to how Virginia is handling those prescriptions from veterinarians.

As of July 1, 2018, veterinarians in the state of Virginia will be required to participate fully in the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), which is a 24/7 database containing information on “dispensed covered substances,” which primarily pertains to controlled drugs and “drugs of concern,” which are defined as “drug or substance where there has been or there is the actual or relative potential for abuse.”

With these new guidelines, veterinarians may elect between not dispensing any controlled drugs or drugs of concern from their office, prescribing only for a single 7-day course, or registering as a dispenser of controlled drugs and drugs of concern.

Additional Virginia regulations on veterinarians with respect to the prescribing of chronic covered substances includes a mandatory re-check in within 2 weeks of starting a covered substance and mandatory physical exams at least every 6 months.

If you have a pet on chronic, controlled pain medications, please contact your veterinarian to come up with a plan to keep everyone in compliance with the new regulations, and to reduce the risk of lapse in pain control.

  1. What is the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)?

Virginia’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is a 24/7 database containing information on dispensed covered substances (see definitions below for information on covered substances). The primary purpose of the PMP is to promote safe prescribing and dispensing practices for covered substances by providing timely and essential information to healthcare providers.

Law enforcement and health profession licensing boards use the PMP to support investigations related to doctor shopping, diversion, and inappropriate prescribing and dispensing.

  1. What are the PMP reporting requirements for an individual veterinarian?

To review the legislation, SB226, with the amendments highlighted click here. This legislation requires that all veterinarians report the dispensing of covered substances for a course of treatment to last more than seven days. Please note that the amendments become effective on July 1, 2018.

The Code of Virginia states the following:

54.1-2519. Definitions.

“Covered substance” means all controlled substances included in Schedules II, III, and IV and all drugs of concern that are required to be reported to the Prescription Monitoring Program, pursuant to this chapter.

Note: The definition for “Covered substance” was amended in HB1556 and is effective on July 1, 2018. The amended definition will state the following: “Covered substance” means all controlled substances included in Schedules II, III, and IV; controlled substances included in Schedule V for which a prescription is required; naloxone; and all drugs of concern that are required to be reported to the Prescription Monitoring Program, pursuant to this chapter.

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Healthy Paws: Blue the Elder Dog

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

Written by and shared with the permission of Clarendon Animal Care client Sonya Barsness

Sometimes being a Revisionary Gerontologist can get me down. There are a lot of things that need to change in how we see people as they grow older and grow with dementia and how we support them. The negative, deficit-based, overly medical paradigm is so pervasive and so deep.

What to do? Sigh. I get very frustrated, and then a little despondent.

And when that happens, I watch videos of capybaras babysitting puppies (seriously, look it up). That makes me smile, and then the happy hormones sustain me.

I also happen to have a source of animal happiness living with me, and I go to him when I am in need of rejuvenation. His name is Blue.

Blue is thirteen and a half, so he is an elder dog.

Blue is an Australian Shepherd, very smart, tennis-ball obsessed, beautiful, soft, afraid of large black dogs and children, very fond of loud sighs, has a great “side-eye” and is the strangest combination of serious and silly that I have ever witnessed.

Blue also has diabetes, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, arthritis, is nearly deaf and mostly blind.

And he is the best dog he has even been, because of all these things that make him who he is.

As Blue has grown older, he has taught me a lot about aging and living. Here are some of the things I have learned.

1. Blue is still him. And he is changed.

Blue will always be Blue. And each day he also evolves into something new. Both are true.

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Healthy Paws: It’s National Pet Week

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has declared May 6-12 National Pet Week (but, really, we think of every week is pet week)! They’ve listed seven steps towards a happier, healthier pet:

1. Choose well, commit for life — adding a pet to the family should be a step that is taken seriously and with plenty of thought ahead of time. Not every dog or cat (or fish or turtle, for that matter) may be the right fit, and at the right time, so it’s important to consider what you’re looking for ahead of time.

Here is a tool to help find the best cat or dog type based on your “wish list” and lifestyle.

2. Socialize now. New doesn’t have to be scary — Inadequate socialization as a puppy or kitten can lead to behavioral issues later in life. We highly recommend following the Puppie’s Rule of 12 for things, people and experiences to expose your puppy to prior to 12 weeks of age (and, even if your dog is over 12 weeks of age, it’s never too late to start).

Dogs aren’t the only ones that benefit from socialization — early exposure of a variety of people, animals and experiences can be very beneficial for kittens as well — we especially love the idea of Dr. Sophia Yin’s Kitten Kindergarten.

3. Nutrition and Exercise Matter — Obesity is the number one health issue among our patient population, both dogs and cats. Calorie control and exercise are both key in controlling weight. To read more on body condition scoring check out our previous article.

4. Love your pet? See your vet! — Because animals are very adept at hiding signs of illness until it is more advanced, it is important to check in with a veterinarian at least annual (and many veterinarians recommend biannual exams in senior pets).

Additionally, often times when we see our pets every day it can be a bit more difficult to pick up on changes in their behavior, attitude, appetite and habits (Dr. Gloor found this out personally this week when she brought her previously 150 pound dog into the office and discovered he’s now 170 pounds!).

5. Pet population control: Know your role — We’re very fortunate in our area to have exceptionally responsible pet owners. However, in many areas of the country, thousands of dogs are homeless or even euthanized due to pet overpopulation.

Spaying/neutering your pet and/or taking appropriate precautions with an unsterilized pet (no off-leash activities, only supervised play with other pets) are very important in helping to control pet over-population.

6. Emergencies happen, be prepared — Hundreds if not thousands of dogs have been separated from their families in recent years during natural disasters in various parts of the country.

It’s important to be prepared in the event of an emergency in order to maximize the chances of you and your pet reuniting in the event of separation during such an event. Here’s a link to an article we wrote previously about disaster preparedness. (more…)

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