Pet Information

Information to help keep your pets happy and healthy.

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We have compiled a list of many different sources with helpful information for pet owners. Each of these sources has been reviewed by Dori before being added to the list.

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FREE ANIMAL POISON CONTROL NUMBERS

Kansas State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital  1-785-532-5679
FREE 24 hours poison control hot line for pet owners and veterinarians. Be patient. The person answering the phone may have to take a few minutes to consult the vet on duty.

Tuft University School of Veterinary Medicine 508-839-5395

ADOPT, ADOPT, ADOPT.

Please go to an Animal Shelter or Rescue League and adopt.  There are millions of animal euthanized EVERY year, simply because there are not enough homes.  So, please neuter your pets and adopt.  Please go to our Resource section (click on to go there), to find a complete list of all animal welfare organizations in the new Hampshire area.

Great Animal Resource

is the website ASPCA Virtual Pet Behaviorist a division of the ASPCA.  Just click on anything from cat to horses.

Leaving your pet in the car

Many pet owners love to bring their pets with them on a car ride, whether they are going to the store or traveling.  However, when the weather is wonderful and the temperature starts to go up, it can be VERY DANGEROUS for your pets.  If the temperature is around 70 degrees, even leaving your car windows open about 2 inches, will increase your car’s temperature to over 100 degrees in a VERY short time.  Since our pets cool their body temperature mainly by panting, when the air temperature they are breathing in is very high, they are unable to cool.  Their internal body temperature increases and if they can not cool down, your pets will slowly die.  My rule is if, the outside temperature is over 60 degrees, do not leave your pets in a car.

To learn more go to 

How long can I safely leave canned food out, un-refrigerated?

Many people feed canned food to their pets.  I am asked all the time how long can canned food be safely left out, un-refrigerated?  According to canned food manufacturers, canned food should never be left out for more than 2 hours.  Canned food is a meat product.  After that, just like human grade steak or chicken, it will start forming harmful bacteria that could possibly make our pets sick.

Read our article – Is Your Canned Food Safe

Feeding free choice or just feeding morning and night?

Many clients call and ask how should they feed their pets.  What is better?  Feeding free choice means to leave the dry food out all the time or feeding the correct amount at a specific time such as breakfast and dinner time.  Most veterinarians prefer that pets are fed the correct amount for their weight morning and night. Each pet should be fed in their own bowl (glass bowls are preferred over plastic, plastic becomes pitted after a while and harbors more bacteria.   Bowls should be cleaned after each feeding).  Pets should be prevented from eating another pets’ food.  You may need to separate each pet in a different room. This will prevent one pet from eating too fast before the other pet comes or hurrying up his food so he can eat the other’s food too.  In many cases, eating too fast can cause stomach upset and the pet who does not get to eat his entire meal is left out.  Behavioral problems may also occur over food.  Each pet should be able to eat their entire meal at their own pace.

Feeding pets alone and at certain times, also helps the pet owner to monitor a pets food intake.  If a pet is coming down with a health problem, in many cases the first sign may be that they will slow or stop eating.  If a pet does not eat his full meal every time, it may not be a cause for alarm, however, it may be a cause to call your veterinarian if he has not eaten at all in 2 days (unless you see other signs, then call immediately).  However, it is never wrong to call and ask your veterinarian if you have concerns before 2 days.

Getting your pet used to eating at certain times also has the advantage that the pet will be hungry.  Not having food around 24/7 allows the pets digestive system to have a rest, rather than allowing the pet to nibble and graze at anytime during the day or night.  Allowing access to food at all times also encourages pets to boredom eat (which brings on weight issues) or become territorial over food dishes, keeping others away.  In most cases, free choice of food allows pet owners to not notice any problems until the problems are established.

Free choice feeding also creates a problem if one pet needs to go on a diet for specific health problems, while to other does not.  The free choice feeding owner must choose to put both on the medical diet or put none on the medical diet.  Both choices are not the best.

So, what is an owner to do?  The hardest part is for all pet owners to get into a habit.  Believe me, I am the worst to change my habits.  However, once it is done, it is great.  If you have rooms to separate pets in for feeding am and pm, that is one choice, however, I have 10 cats, and finding ten different rooms in my small home to feed them in is not feasible.  So, all my cats are fed in their crates.  I have stacked 3 on the bottom, 3 in the middle and 3 on top with the tenth one on the very top.  At feeding time, all the cats run straight into their CORRECT crate.  Each crate is labeled with the cat’s name and description (in case I need someone else to feed).  The food is appropriately measured out for each cat, 3 cats are on special food and 2 cats require smaller portions (they gain weight very easily).  I have found that feeding the cats in the crates has added benefits.  Each cat is locked in the crate for however long it takes for them to eat (about 30 minutes).  It enables each cat to eat at their own speed, no more wolfing down the food before another pushes in, no bullying going on.  It also helped the two cats that were absolutely terrified of their crates feel comfortable.  Now they jump in on their own happily.  One did not like the door closed (maybe a bit claustrophobic?).  All are doing well.  I can monitor how much each cat eats at every feeding.  They are all contained in one room.  If there ever was a fire or I needed to evacuate, I am able to get all cats in their respective crates in a short period of time and place out the window….For me, this way of feeding works quickly, is great for healthy feeding, helps with pets who hate their crates and if ever you needed to evacuate in an emergency.  This is a good thing.

What are some winter care tips for my pet?

  • Keep indoor pets in a dry, warm area free of drafts. If possible, elevate your pet’s bed off the floor.
  • Provide dogs and cats with a dry, insulated pet house or shelter out of the wind. Bring your pet inside if the temperature or wind chill goes below 32° (pets feel the cold as well as we do, no matter how thick their coat is) or with nasty weather.
  • Staying warm requires extra calories, so feed your pet accordingly when the temperature drops. Talk to your veterinarian for advice on feeding your pet.
  • Cats and kittens often nap on car engines for warmth. Knock on the hood and honk the horn; then wait a few minutes before starting your car. (Cats and kittens are always safer as indoor pets)
  • Pets like the smell and taste of antifreeze, but even a very small amount can kill them. Thoroughly clean up spills at once. Tightly close containers and store them where pets cannot get them.
  • Always have fresh, clean water available for your pet. Check water every 2 hours for freezing or get an electric heated water bowl. Fresh, clean unfrozen water is essential.
  • Remove ice, salt, and caked mud from your pet’s paws and coat at once. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet has frostbite. Frostbitten skin may turn reddish, white or gray, and it may be scaly or sloughing.
  • Alcoholic beverages, holiday treats such as chocolates, and bones from poultry, pork and fish can be harmful or toxic to your pets. Keep your pet on his regular diet.
  • Many plants – including Christmas rose, holly, mistletoe, philodendron and dieffenbachia – are toxic to pets. Keep them out of your pet’s reach.
  • Holiday paraphernalia can be dangerous to pets. Cover or tack down electrical cords. Keep tinsel and glass ornaments out of your pet’s reach. Read warnings on items like spray-on snow. Never put ribbons around your pet’s neck or allow it to play with plastic or foil wrappings or six-pack beverage holders.

Source: The Ralston Purina Company

Pet Web Library

This website is a wealth of information on animal diseases to medical information to toxic items, diabetes and so much more.

Diseases that can be transferred from animal to human

Some germs are passed form animals to human.  Learn what germs can be passed from your pet to you and how you can prevent it.  Learn about Toxoplasmosis, how to protect yourself while pregnant and that cats are only a small probability for contamination, you are more likely to get it from raw meat or gardening.

Very interesting sites, click on to view

Veterinarian approved homemade pet foods

This website helps you the owner, in making good nutritional well balanced pet food.  Follow the recipe very carefully to help ensure that your pet receives all the nutrition their body requires.  Click here to view the Balance IT website.

Neutering Your Pet

All pets, male or female should be neutered.  Not only is it necessary to help in pet overpopulation, with millions of homeless pets but it helps pets medically, psychologically and in most cases behaviorally.  For every puppy or kitten that you bring into this world and find a home for, that is one LESS home for a homeless pet in a shelter.  There are simply NOT enough homes.

See our article, scroll down for a list of Spay/Neuter Clinics

Pets and Cancer

Cornell University has a narrated live action video designed to give pet owners a complete overview of cancer.  Click here to go to Dogs and Cancer – ASPCA.

Animal Hoarding – What is it & more

Tufts University answers questions about Animal Hoarding, what it is and is not, health issues, animal welfare, intervention and other resources.  We start you off at the general overview, then just click on the different sections on the navigation bar at the top.  If you know of a possible animal hoarding situation, please call our office and we will refer you to the proper help.  Click here to go to About Hoarding.

Do You have Allergies to Your Pet?

Many animals are brought to shelters because someone in the home is allergic.  There are a few things that you can do to help alleviate allergic symptoms and possibly keep your pet.  Click here to learn more about Allergies to Your Pets

Pet Loss for you and your pets

The loss of a pet can be the most devastating thing.  I have been through the loss too many times, but did you know that our surviving pets also grieve. When we lost our cat a few years ago, many of our surviving cats went through a grieving process.  Here are a few websites that may help you and your pets – A Grieving Pet , Coping with the loss of a Pet.

Intestinal Worms in Dogs and Cats

Our pets can pick up many intestinal parasites.  Check out these websites to learn more.

Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease is becoming a bigger problem in New Hampshire, so check all pets every day after they come into your home.  Click here for more information: A Lyme Disease Primer.

Humane Certified Food For Humans

The American Humane Association does many things in the world of animal welfare.  They make sure that any animals in many of the movies we watch are treated humanely and are not harmed (look for the American Humane Association statement at the end of the credits or go to American Humane Home Page).  This organization also protects children from abuse, check Protecting Children to learn more.  Now they are protecting farm animals.  If you would like to buy only humanely treated food, check  American Humane Certified Producers to learn what to look for on your food labels.

Products that do not harm animals

PETA has a list of many companies with their web sites, that do NO harm to animals, such as any testing on animals.  It is a pretty extensive list.  Click here to read more, and scroll down a few pages to get to the links for the websites.

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