Gardening for you... and your pets!

Thanks to Dr. Mel Cirinna for sharing her tips for gardening safely with pets, and including them in your landscaping plan!

Growing up my family always had a vegetable garden as well as a number of flower gardens that my mother tended.  I always enjoyed seeing the cats relaxing under the bushes and sharing veggies with the dogs.  There is nothing tastier than a tomato fresh from your own garden!  However, while these are wonderful images from my childhood, I am now learning that there is some planning that goes into enjoying your garden with your pets.  The first time I planted my own tomato plants it became a race to see if I could get to them before our black lab Sadie did.  The same held true of the raspberry bushes. It was not uncommon to see the rear end of Sadie sticking out of a raspberry bush while she delicately removed all the berries with her front teeth.  It wasn’t just the vegetable garden that was at her mercy, Sadie loved to lay in the shaded areas of the flower gardens as well. Any flowers in her way just provided a soft green mattress or she would dig out a cool spot in the dirt below a bushy plant.  Thankfully our gardens were never frequented by the local cats, but this is a problem that many gardeners have as cats see our wonderfully tended gardens as giant litter boxes.  As the years have passed we have made some changes that allow us to enjoy our gardens and the pets to enjoy the backyard.  Hopefully these suggestions will help if you are also struggling to share garden space with furry family members.

Teaching your pets to respect garden boundaries is best done at a young age; however, even older dogs and cats can learn new tricks. For dogs, start by designating a certain area of the yard for elimination. In the beginning you will need to go out with them each time to show them where to go and provide lots of positive reinforcement when they use the appropriate area. With time they should automatically eliminate in the designated area. For cats it can be helpful to provide one sandy area for them to use as a litterbox. The remainder of the garden should be densely planted or mulched. To encourage your cats to use the designated kitty area, plant cat grass and catnip in that area of the yard. Be sure to keep children’s sandboxes covered when not in use! 

Once a designated washroom area has been allocated, the next step is to create visual boundaries to keep pets out of garden beds.  Fences work best, but can be less aesthetically pleasing than decorative garden edging such as stones and bricks.  Keep in mind that even a half foot fence can be enough to visually deter dogs from entering flower beds.  Plants can also be used as visual borders, try varieties such as barberries, roses, euphorbia, Joe pye weed or bamboo.  Coleus Canina (Scaredy-Cat) can be useful in deterring cats, as can lavender.  Also helpful is to create pathways through the garden with mulch, flagstone or pebbles.  By nature, pets will use a groomed path over forging their own way through the garden.

Cats often need more than a visual barrier to be convinced to stay out of gardens.  Try deterrents such as cayenne powder, crushed chili peppers and citrus rinds.  There are also motion activated products on the market that spray water or emit high pitched sound to deter cats. 

Another important thing to consider is the potential toxicity of some plants for our pets.  Many plants will cause gastric upset when ingested, but some can lead to liver and kidney failure.  An extensive list of potentially toxic plants can be found at www.icatcare.org/advice/keeping-your-cat-safe/cats-and-poisonous-plants. 

Taking the time to carefully plan out your garden so that it provides space for you and your pets is well worth it so that everyone can enjoy the space.  Hopefully with our newly fenced in vegetable garden I will be enjoying some tomatoes this year, although I will be sure to save a few for Sadie!  Happy gardening!

GLVH sponsors U16-18 Guelph Soccer teams

Guelph Lake Veterinary Hospital is proud to be sponsoring two Guelph Soccer house league teams! We'll be watching their progress as the U16-18 Girls Royal Blue team and the U16-18 Boys Kelly Green team work their way through the season. We're also looking forward to cheering them on in person at the Eastview Sports Park, just across from our location at Eastview Rd and Watson Pkwy N.

Goooooo, Team(s)!

Thunderstorms: Strategies to calm an anxious pet

It's that time of year in southern Ontario when warm humid days often mean evening thunderstorms. If you have a dog who shivers and quakes with anxiety each time thunder rumbles in the distance or someone in the neighbourhood sets off some holiday fireworks, spring and summer can be a stressful time.

There are a few things you can do to help your pet feel a little calmer.

Staying with your pet can help them feel more secure, but if that isn't enough there are prescription medications that can help. Reactions to thunder or loud noises are often very strong for animals, and being able to treat them in advance with a prescription medication can help reduce their stress levels once the storm sets in.

There is also a product on the market called the Thundershirt - a tight vest that goes around your pet's chest and uses constant pressure to help calm them. Swaddling babies to soothe them and using weighted blankets to calm people with anxiety is common practice and the same premise applies for dogs and cats. There are different sizes and styles to suit a range of pets.

If you have an anxious pet, be sure to mention it at your next appointment. Your veterinarian would be happy to discuss the options available and help determine which strategy would be best for your pet.  Maybe you and your pet can get a little more sleep the next time a thunderstorm rolls in!

Dogs vs. Chocolate

Many pet owners are aware that chocolate is considered toxic to our pets; however, how much chocolate and how toxic it is are common questions that we in the veterinary profession answer.  Often we hear stories of the family Labrador getting into a whole box of chocolates and suffering no ill effects, so how bad can it be?  The answer lies in understanding the toxic component of chocolate, how the concentration differs depending on the type of chocolate and how the size of animal impacts the risk of toxicity. 

The ingredients of concern in chocolate are theobromine and caffeine.  Theobromine and caffeine belong to a family of compounds called methylxanines.  Methylxanines act as a central nervous system stimulant and cardiovascular stimulant.  Toxic levels of methylxanines cause nausea, vomiting, an increase in blood pressure, increased heart rate, restlessness, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures and possibly even death.  Theobromine is present in much higher amounts than caffeine in chocolate, therefore, it is the theobromine concentration that we consider when determining if chocolate toxicity has occurred.  The concentration of theobromine in chocolate is related to the percentage of cocoa, meaning that unsweetened baker’s chocolate has much more theobromine than a Kinder Surprise milk chocolate egg.  The chart below shows the average amount of theobromine in one gram of various common types of chocolate.

Let’s look at what all of this would mean to a 5kg Miniature Poodle that has just ate a 43g milk chocolate bar versus 43g of unsweetened baker’s chocolate.  In the first scenario signs of toxicity would be very mild and likely consist of nausea and vomiting.  However, the same volume of unsweetened baker’s chocolate would cause severe signs of toxicity including tremors, restlessness, vomiting and possibly seizures.  Conversely a 30kg Labrador Retriever that consumed the same 43g of baker’s chocolate would show little to no signs of intoxication.  How does this apply to your pet?  If your pet has ingested any chocolate it is important to contact your veterinarian.  Provide the veterinarian with the type of chocolate and volume of chocolate consumed, this will help them determine whether or not your pet requires medical attention as well as what level of treatment is required. 

Treatment for chocolate ingestion varies depending on the severity of intoxication.  Most cases of chocolate ingestion involve small quantities of milk chocolate with mild signs of vomiting and nausea.  In cases with mild signs and a small quantity of ingested theobromine, close monitoring is recommended, but no further treatment.   With larger volumes of cocoa ingestion the veterinarian will likely induce vomiting and administer a charcoal compound to decrease the amount of theobromine that enters the blood stream.  A complete blood test may be ran to assess kidney and liver function.  Dogs and cats suffering from toxicity may then be placed on intravenous fluid therapy to help flush their system of theobromine. 

The effects of chocolate vary significantly depending on the size of your pet and the type of chocolate ingested so please be sure to contact your veterinarian during any case of chocolate ingestion.  Remember, even dogs and cats have a sweet tooth, protect your pet by keeping all chocolate in closed cupboard. 

What happens when your cat stops eating? Part 1

Thanks to Dr. Melissa Cirinna for sharing this story of her own cat, Galileo, and his recent health challenge. Our veterinarians approach each case individually, and even when it is their own pet, they often face many of the same challenges to care and diagnosis as with a client's pet. Read on to find out how Dr. Cirinna handled this rather tricky case from her own household.

Galileo

A few weeks ago I received a rather disturbing call from my husband - our cat Galileo would not eat his breakfast.  As a matter of fact he would not even enter the room in which the cats are normally fed.  Knowing Galileo’s love of food, this behavior was very concerning so I had Galileo brought to the clinic for a full examination and bloodwork.  Galileo’s exam showed lethargy and mild dehydration and the results of his bloodwork showed an increase in his calcium levels (hypercalcemia).  The two main causes of hypercalcemia are Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Intestinal Lymphoma.  A definitive diagnosis is made by intestinal biopsy and histopathology.  Treatment for IBD and lymphoma both involve the use of a steroid and an immunosuppressant, and for this reason Galileo was started on treatment immediately rather than pursuing a definitive diagnosis at this point.  Now I could work on encouraging him to eat again.

When cats are ill they will often develop an aversion to their regular food and become anorexic.  The causes for the original aversion can be anything from gastroenteritis (upset stomach), inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), stress, liver disease, kidney disease, bladder infection and a multitude of other diseases.  The sheer number of possible differentials makes the anorexic cat a very difficult patient.  To add another level of complexity, the anorexic cat is an urgent case.  Unlike dogs, cats cannot go very long without food.  If a cat is truly anorexic for more than a few days they may begin to develop hepatic lipidosis or fatty liver syndrome.  During anorexia the cat begins to mobilize fat stores which can accumulate in the liver cells.  The accumulation of fat hinders proper function of the liver leading to liver failure and death if the cat does not start eating.  Thankfully, with proper supportive care most cats recover fully from hepatic lipidosis.  Knowing the risk of hepatic lipidosis, I was anxious to get Galileo eating again.  With some anorexic cats, simply changing their food to something more palatable will work and with this in mind we offered Galileo a high energy canned recovery food.  Success!  He readily ate half a can of food while at the clinic, however, we knew we weren’t out of the woods yet.  The real test would be whether he would continue to eat at home.  After 24 hours of intravenous fluids, I was able to take Galileo home to see if his appetite would hold up with the new food.

Stay tuned for Part II as we find out whether Galileo continued to recover at home or needed more veterinary intervention.

Opt to Adopt - Sandra Dee

Guelph Lake Vet Hospital is happy to welcome little Sandra Dee to our clinic! This adorable 9 month old calico kitten is available for adoption through the Guelph Humane Society.

Sandra Dee - making herself at home on the reception desk!

She is friendly and chatty, with an adventurous spirit and a strong desire to snuggle. She also has a top-level purr that isn't hard to coax out. On just her second day here at the clinic she has already made herself comfortable lounging on our reception desk with a great view of the outside world.

Staff at the Guelph Humane Society shared that in her time at their facility she seemed to be very interested in other cats and would be a suitable pet for all ages.

If you're interested in meeting Sandra Dee, drop by GLVH during our regular office hours for a visit, or you can call the Guelph Humane Society directly for more information.

Have you found a lost pet? Tips for helping them get back home!

At Guelph Lake Vet we always encourage our clients to have some kind of permanent identifier on their pet, whether that be a micro chip or tattoo. Collar tags are also very important for helping a lost pet get home quickly and safely. Regrettably, companion animals are lost every day and they don't always make their way back home when there isn't a way to identify them.

What should you do if you've found what appears to be a lost pet? We recommend that you first try to find the owner - most pets are lost in the neighbourhood where they live, and the pet's people could be looking for them already. 

Step 1 - Be cautious

Remember that the pet may be confused and scared. It could be difficult to get close enough to a dog or cat that is anxious to find it's way home. Be conscious of the pet's behaviour and don't put yourself at risk if they are aggressive or acting strangely.

Step 2 - Get control of the pet

Leash the pet so that you can keep an eye on them, and ensure that they have some water nearby since they may be thirsty after their adventures!

Step 3 - Check for indentification

If the pet has a collar and an ID tag, this should be your first point of contact. It might be a registration number if they have a license with the city/region, or it could be a phone number to call.

There are a few permanent identifiers that people can choose for their pet:

Ear Tattoo - the pet may have a tattoo inside their ear, which can be traced back to a veterinarian who can often locate the owner.

Microchip - unfortunately, there's no way to know if a pet has a microchip (a small electronic chip embedded under the pet's skin) without scanning for one. A veterinarian or an animal shelter can check for a microchip.

If there is no easily visible identification on the pet, more action will be required.

Step 4 - Spread the word

Use the internet! If you are connected to people in your community via Facebook, Twitter or other social networks, post a picture of the pet and the general area where it was found. If word spreads, the owner or someone who knows the pet might be able to connect.

Talk to local veterinary clinics and let them know the description of the pet you've found.

Call your local Humane Society - the owner may have gotten in touch with them in case the pet was turned over to the Humane Society, and the staff may be able to offer suggestions about what to do next.

Bell is ready for adoption!

The staff at Guelph Lake Vet are enjoying having little Bell in the clinic for the last week - she is the friendliest, cuddliest little kitten!

A sister to the two kittens we had in a couple of weeks ago, Bell is a sweetheart who loves to be around people. She is spayed and has had her first shots and is ready to go to a loving home.

If you or someone you know would like to meet her, drop by anytime during our office hours for a visit!

Call (519) 824-9898 for more information, or come by 322 Eastview Road to meet Belle.

As always, there are lots of dogs and cats available for adoption at the Guelph Humane Society - you can find out more about them on the GHS adoption gallery page.

Our first kittens have arrived!

Guelph Lake Vet is happy to start our partnership with the Guelph Humane Society as a satellite adoption location. We've got a brand-new multi level cat condo in our hospital which will be home to kittens and cats looking for their forever families. The current residents are these adorable little two month old black kittens. They even have black whiskers and black paw pads!

These sweeties have already been claimed by a family who visited them on Sunday, and we don't blame them one bit for falling in love with both of them! Snow and Charm are tightly bonded and follow each other around, so we're happy that they will be going to the same home once all of the Humane Society interview and approvals process is completed.

Until then, we'll be cuddling them and making sure they are spayed, neutered and have their first round of shots.

Holiday hours at Guelph Lake Veterinary

Please see below for our holiday hours schedule!

Dec 24th - 8am-noon
Dec 25th - Closed
Dec 26th - Closed
Dec 27th - 10am - 7pm (normal hours)
Dec 28th - Closed (normal hours)
Dec 29th - 11am - 2pm (normal hours)
Dec 30th - 10am - 7pm (normal hours)
Dec 31st - 8am - noon
Jan 1st - Closed
Jan 2nd - return to regular weekly schedule.

If you have any questions or concerns about your pet over the holidays please call in to the hospital to be directed to emeregency medical services. If it is not an urgent medical question, we will be checking emails daily and will respond at that time.