Move over dogs. After the latest news from the scientific community, cats may be man’s better friend. Although often saddled with the blame for allergies and asthma in children, new studies say cats may do just the opposite. Danish scientists recently released results of a study of 400 toddlers that showed that growing up with a cat in the household were much less likely to suffer from asthma. It’s believed that a particular genetic variation plays a significant role in triggering an asthma attack. For some reason, that variant is switched off when a cat is present, resulting in fewer asthma episodes and a lower risk of pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Dogs don’t seem to have the same blocking effect on the asthma gene. However, both cats and dogs can help boost immunity in young children by exposing them to bacteria and viruses from outside the household.

Pets do your heart good. Literally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have both done studies that show that people with dogs and cats at home have decreased blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides, which lowers your risk for heart disease. For those who have already experienced a heart attack, pets tend to help them recover better. It is thought that the calming effects of petting or sitting with an animal reduces stress, leading to better heart health. In one study reported in Time Health, a group of stressed adults were asked to pet a rabbit, turtle or toy. Those that touched the living creatures, whether furry or shelled, reported decreased anxiety. Ever wonder why so many dentist offices have aquariums? Fish tend to focus our attention and calm our mind and body.

Your workout partner. Dogs are one up in this category. You rarely see a person jogging with their kitty (not to say you couldn’t), but dogs motivate us to get up off the couch. They provide incentive (and sometimes coercion) for us to grab a frisbee or leash and get outside. They remind us to take a break from our computers or chores and give us and our pups some exercise. Dogs do a body good.

Calling Dr. Freud. Many of the benefits of pet ownership are mental or emotional. You have a friend who loves you unconditionally, listens to your rantings and lets you know you’re important to them. Pet owners tend to be happier and more social. Studies have shown children who have experienced traumatic events heal quicker when they have the opportunity to interact with animals – horses, cats, dogs, guinea pigs. Doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are using dogs to help soldiers deal with PTSD. They’ve discovered that returning soldiers who have a pet that they are responsible for are able to cope better and re-enter society quicker. There is also a decrease in suicide rates among veterans with pets.

Part of your medical team? You have doctors, nurses, specialists, lab personnel that work as a team to provide healthcare for you and your family. Soon, dogs may be a part of that team. Their amazing sense of smell is proving helpful to medical doctors and their patients. Some dogs have the ability to sense when a person is about to have an epileptic seizure. They are then able to prepare and protect themselves. Some dogs can detect abnormal blood sugar levels in diabetics and alert their owners to adjust their insulin. Still other dogs have the ability to detect certain types of cancer cells in humans, before they can be detected by other means.

As a pet owner, you know first-hand how animals enhance our lives. But it’s good to know that their presence in our lives means more than simple companionship. They make us healthier, in mind, body and spirit.

The post Pets: Your Prescription for a Healthier Life first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

For those of us in Northern Colorado, the eclipse on August 21 will not be total. However, it will still be an event worth viewing, if you are so inclined. And you’re probably aware that you need to wear special viewing glasses to do so safely. But what about your furry friends? Do you need to take precautions for them as well?

Are Your Pets Safe?

A dog or cat eye is fundamentally the same as a human eye. Therefore, your pets’ eyes are subject to the same type of damage that unprotected viewing of the eclipse can cause to your eyes. The sun’s rays can burn the retina causing vision impairment. Should you be concerned for your pets? Well, yes, but not really.

Yes, if a dog, cat or any animal, stares at the sun, damage can occur. But because of the sun’s brightness, we, and our animals, find it difficult if not impossible to stare at the sun long enough for damage to occur. However, during an eclipse, the moon blocks enough of the sun’s rays that it’s possible to stare at the sun and damage your eyes. Will your dog or cat look at the sun long enough to cause damage? Highly unlikely. Have you ever seen your dog or cat or any animal staring at the sun? Probably not, and it most likely won’t happen during the eclipse either.

If you are still worried, you can obtain a pair of eclipse-viewing glasses and attempt to get Fido or FiFi to wear them during the height of the eclipse. Hint: It might take time to get your furry friend to wear them, so don’t introduce them on the day of the eclipse. Or you can simply keep them indoors and away from doors or windows.

Animal Behavior During an Eclipse

Unless you have a furry friend who takes an avid interest in what’s happening in the skies above, there’s little to worry about. That’s not to say that there won’t be anything interesting to observe with our animals during the eclipse. It will basically be similar to having dusk in the middle of the day. The unexpected darkness might cause some anxiety, dogs that prefer to come inside at night may bark to come in, and cats that are used to prowling at night might head out early. In addition, cattle might head home to their evening quarters, chickens may retire to their roost, birds may nest and crickets might start to chirp.

So on Monday, don’t worry about the safety of your pets. Instead, focus on the rare and amazing phenomenon occurring in the skies above. It will be a very long time before such an opportunity comes again.

The post Are You Ready for the Eclipse? What About Your Pets? first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

A Bit About Rabies

Rabies is an acute neurologic disease caused by a virus. It can infect any mammal, including humans. The rabies virus is transmitted via the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite. The incubation period varies greatly—typically, symptoms begin within 20-80 days after a bite. The virus travels to the spinal cord, and up to the brain. It then travels to the animal’s salivary glands, where it will be transmitted to the next bite victim.

Symptoms of Rabies

There are two primary categories of rabies symptoms: behavior changes and progressive nerve involvement and paralysis. Behavior changes include sudden loss of appetite, nervousness, irritability, confusion, loss of balance and abnormal aggression. Symptoms quickly progress over the next few days. Animals lose their fear of humans and other animals, often attacking without provocation. Pupils are dilated. Loud noises can provoke viciousness. Dogs will often attempt to swallow sticks, stones and other foreign objects, but may have difficulty swallowing. As the disease progresses, muscular incoordination, seizures, and coma can occur. Death results from progressive paralysis of all parts of the body, typically within a few days of when the first symptoms become apparent.

Rabies and Regulations

Law enforcement agencies and state health departments have strict rules for handling dog and cat bites. If you are bitten by a dog or cat, it’s important to seek medical treatment immediately. The medical team will clean the wound and likely give antibiotics to prevent infection. If you are not current with your tetanus shots, they will administer that as well. Medical professionals will contact law enforcement who will investigate the bite occurrence and the culprit.

If the pet appears healthy and is current on his or her rabies vaccinations, the dog or cat may be quarantined at home for a period of 10-14 days. If the animal seems sick and/or is not current on rabies vaccinations, it will need to be quarantined in an animal shelter. Why 10 days? Because if the rabies in the dog or cat has progressed to the point where the virus is present in the animal’s saliva and able to infect another animal or person, the animal will die or be close to death within those 10 days. If the animal does die, the head will be sent to the health department to be tested for the rabies virus. If present, or if the biting animal was never located, you will need to undergo post-bite rabies prophylaxis. You’ve probably heard about painful rabies shots in the abdomen for 21 days. Don’t worry, that may have been true in the past, but these days, you’ll undergo a regimen of one dose of immune globulin and five doses of rabies vaccine over a 28-day period. Current vaccines are relatively painless and are given in your arm.

Prevention

Yes, it’s as simple as a rabies vaccination. Although vaccination is not an option for rabies control in wildlife—the virus will likely always be present to a degree in these populations—vaccination is VERY effective in cats, dogs and ferrets. However, it takes a community-wide vaccination effort to keep rabies virtually non-existent in the United States. Most municipalities require rabies vaccinations every year or three years, depending on the vaccine given.  In addition, keep cats and ferrets indoors and dogs under your control to help prevent exposure. Spay or neuter pets to help prevent unwanted strays in the neighborhood as well as reducing roaming behaviors. Call animal control to remove stray animals from your neighborhood because they may be unvaccinated or ill.

Give Powell Veterinary Service a call if your furry friend isn’t up-to-date on his or her rabies or any other vaccinations. And don’t approach any animal, wild or domestic, that is acting strangely.

The post More Rabies Cases in Colorado. Are Your Pets Protected? first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

Why Dogs Bite

Most people immediately think of pit bulls, German shepherds, or Dobermans when they hear about a dog attack. But even the tiniest, cutest or sweetest pup can bite under certain circumstances. They bite as a reaction to something. Dogs may bite if they are:

• Startled, fearful or feel threatened
• Defending their territory, food or toys
• Protecting their offspring or human family
• Not feeling well or injured and just want to be left alone
• Playing and get overly excited to the point of nipping.

No matter the circumstances, there are things that you can do to help prevent your dog from biting or keep yourself and loved ones from getting bitten.

Responsible Dog Ownership

You have a big influence on how your dog behaves in stressful or threatening situations that can result in bites. Here are steps you can take to lessen the likelihood your dog will react aggressively in such situations.

• Socialize your pup at a young age so that he or she is comfortable around other dogs, strangers or unfamiliar environments.
• Train your dog to obey commands such as no, sit, stay, and calm. Dogs are more at ease when they know what is expected of them.
• Reprimand your furry friend when they growl or snap while protecting their food or favorite toy.
• Always keep your pup on a leash or under control in public, and make sure your yard is escape-proof.
• Introduce your dog to people who will be visiting regularly, such as your mail carrier, housekeeper or neighbors.
• Spay or neuter your friend as it can decrease aggressive tendencies.
• Don’t play games or roughhouse in a manner that can encourage nipping

Avoiding Dog Bites

The best way to avoid getting bitten is education. Learn dog body language that may alert you that a dog is uneasy and could bite if approached. An aggressive dog’s ears are often straight up or forward, he may have a stiff stance, the fur on his neck may be standing, and his tail may be straight up or even wagging a bit. A nervous or scared dog may crouch, put her tail between her legs, yawn, lick her lips and lower her head. Typically, a nervous dog will want to get away, but if she can’t, she may growl and snap out of fear. Don’t approach any dog who is showing any of these behaviors as it could lead to a bite.

Also, know how to approach a strange dog and teach others, especially children, how to approach unfamiliar dogs, including yours.

• Always ask before petting a dog, and let the dog sniff your hand first.
• Pat a dog on the shoulder or base of the neck rather than the top of the head.
• Never get your face within biting distance of an unfamiliar dog. That being said, sometimes getting down at their level can help a dog feel more at ease. Just don’t invade their space until they seem to accept you.
• If a dog is behind a fence on its property or in a car, don’t try to pet it as it could become protective.
• Never startle a dog who is sleeping or unaware of your presence.
• Don’t approach an unfamiliar dog who is eating, chewing on a bone, or caring for puppies.
• Never run from an aggressive dog, as it will likely chase after you. Back away slowly.
• Sometimes, all you need is a treat to break the ice.

Most dog bite avoidance tips are simply common sense. Keep them in mind when around an unfamiliar dog, and make sure you do your part to prevent someone from getting bitten by your furry friend. And on a related note, make sure your pup is current on its rabies vaccinations. Rabies is a deadly disease transmitted by a bite. If your dog is not vaccinated and bites someone, not only is the person at risk of rabies, but your dog will have to be quarantined and possibly even euthanized. If your dog is not current on its rabies shots or you are unsure, give Powell Veterinary Service a call, and we’ll make sure you’re up to date.

The post But MY Dog Would Never Bite first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

But according to Dr. Melanie McLean at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Easter lilies can be deadly to your pet cats. This is also true for Asiatic, Day, Japanese Show, and Tiger lilies.

The whole lily plant is poisonous to your housecat.

If the cat ingests just a couple leaves or licks any pollen off its fur, this can quickly cause kidney failure in the animal.

Dr. McLean says if untreated, a cat that ingests the lily will die within 4 to 7 days.

If your cat does happen to eat a lily or part of the common Easter plant – early treatment is very important.

Take your animal to your trusted veterinarian where the cat can be treated promptly and correctly to prevent dehydration and maintain the kidney function.

If you have cats in your home, Dr. McLean recommends not having any type of lily plants, especially not in reach of your cats. Dogs are not seriously threatened by lily plants but it can still cause some stomach issues if they ingest them, but not life threatening.

The Humane Society has more about plants that may poison your pets.

If you have any questions about lily plants or their effects on your pets, Powell Veterinary Service can help. Our services provide specialized care to treat various conditions, and we use state-of-the-art equipment to give each pet the most reliable and safest care.

Contact us today at 970-352-9164 today for more information.

The post FDA Warns Popular Easter Plant Can Be Dangerous To Your Pet Cats first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

What they eat and how much they eat must always be carefully monitored. In other words, they are creatures of duality.

Thoroughbreds are very special horses; fit and athletic. Many of these horses are entered into the world of racing, which is an extremely strenuous occupation for any horse. Often thoroughbreds live under strict diets and conditioning to remain ready for the race.

But what happens to these horses when their days of competition are over?

The fortunate ones will end up in a program like The Retired Racehorse Project.

In 2016, 450 trainers across the U.S., Canada and England will have the opportunity to acquire and train a retired thoroughbred. The thoroughbreds and their trainers will enter the 2016 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium.

Racing thoroughbreds are hardworking horses and The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) gives these animals a new life.

One of the things that makes the RRP competition and event interesting and anticipated, is that ten finalists from last year’s event will come back to compete with seventy-three new thoroughbreds.

The event showcases not only the greatest horses but also the cream of the crop when it comes to trainers, riders, and Grand Prix dressage riders.

Whether you are a former horse racing fan or a horse admirer, the competition will offer a form of entertainment for all horse lovers.

Even more amazing is that the because of the RRP, more retired horses will be re-homed and given the chance to show trainers and enthusiasts their magnificence.

With the prize being $100,000, it is not difficult to gain press and attention for the event. The best of the best are coming out to either participate or enjoy the event.

All the attention is a wonderful thing because retired thoroughbreds will have an even greater chance of finding a new home.

At Powell Veterinary Service, we provide specialized care to treat a variety of common and specific conditions that you pets might be afflicted by.

For more information on our veterinary services or about boarding, please contact us at 970-352-9164 today!

The post Thoroughbreds Find A Second Life From RRP first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.