Goodison Veterinary Center, News

Holiday Pet Warnings

Pet are especially susceptible to poison and other dangers during the holidays, and throughout the winter. One of the most dangerous toxins for pets is automotive antifreeze. Antifreeze products containing ethylene glycol are highly toxic, and can produce life-threatening kidney damage in pets, even in small amounts. Most cases of antifreeze poisoning occur around the pet’s home and are usually due to improper storage or disposal.

The following precautions can help minimize antifreeze poisoning:

• Clean up antifreeze spills immediately;

• Store antifreeze in original containers, or in clearly marked sealed containers that your pet cannot reach;

• Consider switching to antifreeze products that contain propylene glycol, which are less toxic and provide an extra margin of safety for pets;

• Watch for antifreeze spills where ever your pet might be, such as neighbors and friends’ homes, and in your neighborhood.

If you suspect your pet has ingested any antifreeze, even a very small amount, contact your vet or the closest emergency pet facility immediately.

Additionally, many household plants and holiday foods can cause a wide variety of symptoms. A good resource if the ASPCA website for toxins and a poison control service (there is a fee to call the poison control hotline). Log on to www.aspca.org.

Digital Dental X-Rays
Click to view photos of our dental services

In January 2008, we switched from traditional film type x-rays to digital x-rays.  We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from clients and other specialty and emergency veterinarians to whom we refer patients. Images are obtained much faster, are superior in quality and can be viewed on-line. In many cases, this has allowed our doctors to confer by phone with specialists immediately saving valuable treatment time.

Expanding on this digital success, we have implemented a digital dental x-ray system. This is helping us better diagnose and treat dental disease in cats and dogs.

Dental disease in pets is quite common, yet frequently undiagnosed, affecting about 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by three years of age.  Left untreated dental disease can be severely painful to your pet and affect vital organs, such as heart, kidneys and brain.

By adding digital dental x-rays to our dental procedures, Goodison Veterinary Center doctors can better identify problem areas, providing earlier treatment. Approximately 75% of dental disease is below the gum line and not visible to the eye.

We also carry a variety of products that can aid in the prevention of dental disease.  We would love to have the opportunity to educate all owners on these different products and techniques to help promote healthy teeth and gums.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month.  Contact us for any specials offered on our dentistry products or services during this time.

Year Round Heartworm Prevention

For optimum protection from heartworm disease, our Goodison vet doctors recommend year round heartworm preventative for your pets, for a couple of reasons. The heartworm medication works by killing any heartworm larvae that were transmitted to your pet the month before the medication was administered. For instance, if you gave your pet his/her last dose of heartworm preventative on December 1, it would kill any heartworms transmitted by mosquitoes throughout the month of November.

In Michigan, our variable weather means that we occasionally have warm fall and winter days when mosquitoes may still remain active. It can also take a while for mosquitoes trapped inside the house to die off, so threats can remain both indoors and out. Due to the very serious nature of heartworm disease, it is safest for your pet to be protected year round against this deadly disease.

Also, the heartworm preventative kills intestinal parasites which can be acquired from exposure to wild animal droppings (rabbit, deer, etc.). Dogs can pick up these parasites on their feet and fur, even by licking snow and grass, and even just going outside briefly. These intestinal parasites are present all year and have the potential to be transmitted to humans. Therefore, we recommend year round heartworm preventative.

De-Skunking Recipe

There is nothing like the smell of fresh skunk! It can bring water to your eyes, and make even the strongest stomach turn. There are many tales of how to get rid of the smell, and as many over the counter shampoos. Tomato juice makes a terrible mess, and usually the stick prevails. The trick is to dissolve the oil that the skunk sprays.

We have found one recipe that uses common household ingredients, and that seems to be pretty effective.

Mix 16 oz. hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 tablespoon liquid dish detergent (Dawn works well), and use as a shampoo. Wet, lather and allow to set on fur for 10-15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Avoid eyes and mouth. Concentrate on areas that appear oily.

If your pet’s eyes are irritated from the spray, you can rinse them with plain saline eye wash. If your pet is salivating more than usual, you can feed them a small amount of bread.

Thank you for your patronage!
Goodison Veterinary Center Staff