A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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By Jennifer Herne, LVT In this modern day of technology, it may seem strange to save papers, but please do! When it comes to vet visits and vaccination certificates it is very important you keep them in a safe, known place. We have seen it all before, you bring that cute puppy or kitten to the vet and they get their first vaccination and a cute little record book with their weight, temperature and vaccination information, you leave the office and lose it. The next time you go in you don't have...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT Cats are most comfortable with the familiar and need time to adjust to the unfamiliar. Getting your cat to the vet is often very difficult because the carrier, the veterinary hospital and the situation is not familiar. Here are tips to help you make trips to the vet less stressful for both you and your cat. 1. Purchase a carrier for your kitten, but not a small carrier. While you might want to buy the smallest carrier possible because you have a tiny ball of fluff, you...
Submitted by Jennifer Herne, LVT Cold weather and snow mean no ticks, right??? WRONG! The cold weather is upon us now and most pet owners discontinue flea and tick prevention in the cooler months. However, it is recommended that you continue the prevention on a year-round basis. The reason is ticks are active in cooler weather, especially the deer tick, which is the tick responsible for the transmission of Lyme disease. The tick will come out in temperatures above 32 degrees Fahrenheit to feed....
By Jennifer Herne, LVT Oh no! The last few days have been horrible, for me anyways. I am not a summer heat type of person. I prefer the cold. I know there are a lot of you who enjoy this heat, but those of you with pets should take precautions during times of high heat and humidity. Did you know that dogs cannot sweat like we do? I am sure you have seen your dog panting, this is when their mouth is open, tongue is hanging out and they are breathing heavily. This is one of the ways they remove...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT How can anyone resist a cute little kitten? I know I can't, but as a responsible pet owner you should be aware of the things that come along with acquiring that cute little ball of fluff. There are some items needed when you get that kitten, they include: a litter box, kitten food of a quality brand, scratching pads and posts, toys, and dishes, just to name a few. The most important thing you can do when you get the kitten is schedule a visit to your veterinarian, which...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT Welcome to the second part of our discussion on community cats. How do you help them? Most people say by feeding them, but this sometimes creates more problems. Sometimes our best intentions may create more problems. There are so many cats here in Akwesasne, and everywhere for that matter, because owners aren't properly educated about preventing litters of kittens and why spaying and neutering is so important. The single most important thing you can do as a cat owner is to...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT If you didn't know by now, I am a cat person. I have met a lot of people who have taken in cats and dogs that just showed up at their home and became part of the family. But what about those cats that people toss out like trash; what about them? What about the ones outside right now, struggling for survival, searching for a warm place to sleep and scrounging for food wherever they can find it? These cats, called community cats, are the product of irresponsible pet owners....
By Jennifer Herne, LVT As a Veterinary Technician I have witnessed the surgical procedure of a cat being declawed. I have never really understood why people choose this option. In some states the procedure of declawing cats is now illegal for veterinarians to perform. Instead, I choose to educate owners about this procedure and why it is detrimental to cats. The most important thing to understand about clawing and scratching is it is NORMAL behavior of cats. They do not do it to get back at you...
Ocular health is something that we don't think about too often in our pets. How do you know if your pet's eyes are healthy? They don't get regular eye exams like people do. There are some things to keep an eye (no pun intended) out for. There are many conditions that can be treated at your veterinarian. Signs of a possible eye problem are: • Excessive tearing • Squinting • Ocular discharge or gunk in and around the eye • Pawing at the eye or rubbing their face a lot • Red or inflamed eyes • Bu...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT The snow has arrived and we want to make sure you are prepared and that your pet is safe. Your furry friend may have a thick coat so this may lead you to believe that he can be out in the cold for long periods of time. While certain breeds such as the husky are bred to be more cold tolerant, this does not mean that they are not susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia. So, just how tolerant to cold is your pet? Just like people, pets' tolerance for the cold can vary from p...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT As a responsible pet owner, we are obligated to provide care for our pets. In a world where the cost of everything is rising, you need to know how to reduce the added expense of an emergency or an expensive disease. Some things you can do are: • Schedule regular wellness exams. You may pay an exam fee but it is well worth it in the long run. Your pet should be examined yearly, even if they don't need vaccinations. It is a good time to check lumps and bumps and monitor w...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT I love fall, especially Halloween. Who wouldn't, right? Well, your pet might not love it. Using your common sense can help keep your pet safe. Here are some tips for this Halloween: 1) No candy for Fido. Keep that bowl of candy safely out of your pet's mouth. Chocolate in all forms, especially dark chocolate and baking chocolate, is harmful to your pet. The artificial sweetener xylitol is toxic as well; this is found in sugar free candies. 2) Costumes are cute for your...
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. There are more dogs in need of homes than ever before. Adopting a dog is huge responsibility and one that you should not make in haste. If you aren't sure about adopting a dog, there are so many other things that you can do to help shelter dogs. You can volunteer at your local shelter. There are so many different things that shelters need help with. Some people can walk the dogs and play with the dogs, it is so important for shelter animals to socialize...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT Most dog owners know when their dogs need grooming. But did you know that trimming your dog's nails is just as important? Most people wait until nails become a problem for them and for the dog before getting them trimmed. Dog's nails continuously grow; the domesticated dog isn't out in the wild running over various terrains, which would naturally cause the nails to wear down. Instead, most of our dogs are living in the lap of luxury. Our dogs walk on tile or laminate...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT Who can resist a tiny ball of fur? I know it is difficult to do but keep in mind that a puppy requires lots of care and time. Here is a list to keep in mind when you are bringing that puppy home: • Vaccinations. Puppies require a set of vaccines that need to be given at the ages of 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks and 16 weeks of age. Breeders usually take the pup to the vet for deworming and the first "puppy shots" at 6 weeks of age. It is up to the new owner to go back to t...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT Who doesn't like kittens? Right now we are towards the end of kitten season. You might ask if there is such a thing as kitten season. Yes, sadly there is. In the animal shelter world this is a time when shelters are overrun with kittens and cats. You may have noticed everyone trying to get rid of kittens right now, I sure have noticed. It is sad that kittens are getting dumped at dead end roads, at barns or even in the yards of people. Most people are nice and will help th...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT What exactly does that mean? In the summer, Sirius, the "dog star," rises and sets with the sun. During late July, Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, "dog days" after the dog star. We are in the dog days of summer from early July to early September, and yes it is very...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT If you haven't yet had any ticks on your pet this year, you are lucky. This is a busy time of the year for ticks. If you are seeing ticks you should start using a topical preventative on your pet as soon as possible. Ticks pose a major health risk for your pet. Ticks play an integral role in the transmission of many diseases. I think the most common disease we think of in our area is Lyme disease. But there are many other diseases spread by ticks, depending on where you...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT You might be thinking that my question is asking what breed of dog is most dangerous, but I'm not. I am asking about something else, it is behavior. The most dangerous dog of them all is probably an untrained dog. An untrained dog has no rules or guidelines, so they also have no "right" or "wrong." It is this type of dog that is probably the most capable of causing accidental or purposeful harm to humans or other animals. This is because they are lacking in impulse...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT It's beginning to warm up and you can smell the spring in the air lately...I don't mean flowers, I mean skunk! It's the time of year when your dog wants to start running around chasing skunks. I have tried many over the counter remedies and have yet to find one that works. I came across this recipe on the internet and wanted to share it with you. The ingredients make sense, from a chemistry standpoint. Here it goes and if you try it and it works send me a message at...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT I have to say I am more of a cat person and I always have been. Everyone who knows me says I have a special connection with cats. They seem to sense that when they are around me. There is a saying that goes "Cats are like potato chips, you can't have just one." I have two "chips" but some day I would like to open a cat rescue, there are so many cats and kittens suffering without medical attention, shelter and even food. While I think that saying is cute, what isn't cute...
Yes they can! Cats communicate in many different ways by using mostly body language and they can also use communicate vocally. Here are some very common ways that your cat is communicating with you: Cats use "tail-talk" A tail up means "Hi I am happy," a tail down may mean "I am scared" or "I feel threatened." A tail that is moving back and forth quickly does not mean the same as a dog tail that is wagging. When a cat does this it usually means, "watch out, I am not happy!" You should probably...
Submitted by Jennifer Herne, LVT I know Halloween is over but let's talk about orange. I don't mean pumpkins I mean orange cats. We have all seen them and they are all so pretty but let's face it, their color is quite obvious when you see an orange cat. Studies have shown that orange cats are the most popular cat color adopted at shelters! But did you know that orange cats are usually male? When I see an orange cat come into the clinic I can pretty much guarantee it's a boy, but usually male...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT Halloween is usually a fun time for all, but sometimes pets and Halloween don't always mix well. Here are some tips for your furry friend during this "spook"tacular time! 1) Candy, candy, candy...kids love to stash candy in their room but make sure you properly store all candy. A dog's keen sense of smell can help them find even the best hiding spots. Chocolate, sugar free and candy containing xylitol can cause problems with your pets. 2) Glow sticks are great for kids in...
By Jennifer Herne, LVT As a pet owner I am sure you love to give your pet treats. I know that our dog gets so happy when we give him treats, but are treats always good for your pet? There are a few things to keep in mind when feeding treats. 1) You should never be giving your pet table scraps. The fatty foods we eat can cause pancreatitis for our pets. Their diet doesn't require all of the fats that we eat. As long as you are feeding a quality pet food then they shouldn't need any other...
