Pumpkin for Pets

Pumpkin is a power food for your pets. Skip the stem, the skin and stringy gunk inside, but the flesh and even the seeds pack a powerful health punch. Here are 6 benefits pumpkin can provide your pets:

• Mashed pumpkin helps with regular digestion. Ironically, if your pet is constipated, or has diarrhea, a few teaspoons in his or her food will alleviate the symptoms.
• Pumpkin seeds contain antioxidants and essential fatty acids that help moisturize your pet’s skin and fur. Also, the fiber found in mashed pumpkin can help move hairballs through your cat’s digestive system instead of being hacked up on your shoes or carpet. It can also help prevent hairballs from forming in the first place.
• The oils in pumpkin flesh and seeds may help with urinary problems such as bladder and kidney stones.
• Pumpkin contains high amounts of beta-carotene and Vitamin A for vision health and Vitamin C for joint health and to boost the immune system. It also contains minerals such as zinc, potassium, magnesium copper and iron, which are essential to your furry friend’s health and well-being.
• Pumpkin is loaded with antioxidants that can help prevent some cancers and help your pet stay young and vibrant.
• Pumpkin can also keep your cat or dog fit and trim. Pumpkin has few calories, and the fiber makes your pet feel fuller so he or she eats less.

Serving Up Pumpkin

Both pumpkin flesh and seeds are good for your pets, and you can either use fresh or canned. However, don’t use the canned pumpkin pie filling, which is loaded with sugar, fat, and spices, and don’t use the jack-o-lantern that has been sitting on your front porch for a week as it may contain mold or other organisms that can be harmful. You don’t need to overdo it. Just a couple of teaspoons daily will provide the health benefits you’re looking for.

If you opt to go the fresh route, cut off the top of your pumpkin and scoop out the gunk inside as if you were going to carve it. Save the seeds for roasting. Cut the pumpkin into large pieces, place skin-side up in a roasting pan with a half cup of water, and roast at 350 degrees for about an hour. Remove the skin and mash or puree the flesh.

Spread cleaned seeds evenly on a baking sheet, coat with cooking oil, and roast in a 375-degree oven for 5 or 10 minutes. You can serve them whole as a training treat or grind them up and to your pet’s food. Save a few for yourself. They’re delish.

After constantly being bombarded with warnings about what you shouldn’t feed your cat or dog, it’s nice to find a people-food that you actually should feed them. So give them a treat this Halloween, and any day thereafter.

Powell Veterinary Service wishes you and your furry friends a happy and safe Halloween.

The post It’s Always Pumpkin Season for Your Pets first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

What Is Kennel Cough?

If your dog has kennel cough, whose medical name is canine infectious tracheobronchitis, you’ll quickly know it by the constant dry hacking cough that sounds like a goose honking. However, kennel cough is not just one specific disease, but rather a group of viral and bacterial upper respiratory pathogens that are highly contagious.  These pathogens, most frequently parainfluenza virus or Bordetella bacteria, attack the lining of the respiratory tract, which leads to irritation of the airways and the typical dry cough.

Kennel cough can be spread in several ways–through the air when an animal coughs, by direct contact with an infected dog, or by sharing contaminated objects like toys or water bowls. It occurs most frequently in places where dogs are exposed to other dogs, such as kennels, animal shelters, dog shows, pet shops and dog parks.

How Is It Treated?

Treatment will depend on how severe the symptoms are. In many cases, the cough will run its course in 7-10 days and no treatment is necessary. See your veterinarian at the first signs of the cough. In older dogs or those with a weakened immune system, your vet may recommend cough suppressants and antibiotics—or nothing at all. Monitor your pup and if he doesn’t get better in 2 or 3 weeks, he needs to see the doctor again as the disease can sometimes turn into pneumonia. Make sure to isolate your sick dog from others to prevent the spread of the disease.

How Do You Prevent It?

Of course the best treatment is prevention. Make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date. The typical yearly vaccine can help protect against some of the kennel cough pathogens. If you will be taking your dog to a boarding kennel, dog show, day care, etc., request a Bordetella vaccine for added protection. In fact, most such places require proof of these vaccinations to help prevent spread of the disease. However, that being said, no vaccine can guarantee your pup won’t be infected, especially since there is not just one pathogen, but it will drastically cut down on the chances of infection and the severity if he does become infected.

If you’ve noticed your dog has a dry hacking cough, or if you plan to board your pup or take him to obedience classes, give Powell Veterinary Service a call at 970-352-9164 and we’ll get your furry friend taken care of.

The post Stop the Cough first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

Ear infections are common this time of year, and we at Powell Veterinary Service are seeing quite a few cases. Many ear infections are due to foreign bodies such as foxtails, arrow grass, or plant awns—all the little sharp grasses that stick to your clothing and your dog’s fur. These nuisances can get into your pup’s ears and work their way down deep where they are difficult to remove. They cause irritation, which causes your furry friend to scratch and rub on the ear. This can cause open sores that allow bacteria and yeast to grow, causing an ear infection. Environmental or food allergies and damp ears can also cause ear infections.

So What Do You Do?

If you notice your dog incessantly scratching her ears, take a look. Are they red and inflamed? Is there a discharge or dark, crusty scabs? If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to consult your veterinarian promptly. A foreign body or infection can penetrate or spread to the middle and inner ear causing damage to the ear canal and ear drum, causing hearing and equilibrium problems

Treatment

Your veterinarian will take a look deep into your pup’s ear’s to see what might be causing her problems. If it’s an embedded foxtail or grass awn, it will need to be removed—sometimes requiring sedation. The doctor may also take a swab of the infected ear to determine the microorganism causing the infection so it can be treated appropriately. He or she will likely thoroughly clean the ear and send you home with cleaning materials and antibiotics.

Prevention

If you live in an area with lots of weeds and tall grasses or frequently visit them on your outings with you dog, it will be difficult to prevent contact with foxtails and other sharp grasses. But you CAN reduce the likelihood that the grass will cause an infection. After every outing, check your furry friend thoroughly for foxtails and other sharp grasses. If they are in the outer ear canal or ear flap and easily removed without getting into the ear, carefully remove it. If it is deep in the ear canal, Do Not try to remove it yourself, as you can push it deeper into the ear canal and perhaps rupture the ear drum.  And don’t forget to check her body, tail, belly and between her toes, as foxtails can bury themselves most anywhere and cause problems.

Summer may be ear infection season, but that doesn’t mean your pup has to suffer. If you notice your dog scratching her ears constantly or shaking her head a lot, give Powell Veterinary Service a call at 970-352-9164. We’ll uncover the problem and provide the appropriate remedy.

The post Excuse Me. Is That a Foxtail in Your Dog’s Ear? first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

Many owners of guard dogs prefer to have their ears cropped to create an intimidating look to ward against intruders. Working and hunting breeds also have their ears cropped, historically for safety reasons. For example, hunting breeds used to have them cropped to protect from the bites of wild animals.

While ear wounds are not usually life threatening, they do bleed a lot and frequently need to be stitched, often resulting in scarring. For owners with multiple dogs, ear cropping can prevent your animals from harming each other during rough play.

Also, ears that flop hang over the ear canal can prevent air and light from getting inside. This can result in an increase in bacteria and infection, which can lead to permanent hearing loss. For pets with frequent ear infections, cropping can reduce the problem.

While many people still believe the AKC breed standards of cropping, we feel your pets ears should be allowed either way. Deciding to have your dog’s ears cropped is a personal decision and the choice is yours alone! If you do decide to get your pup’s ears cropped, please have a professional perform the procedure. We have seen many botched home procedures that result in pain and infection, something we don’t want any pet to experience.

At Powell Veterinary Service, we typically perform the ear crop procedure on puppies between the age of eight and twelve weeks. Ears can be cropped in a variety of lengths and in a rounded or bell shape.

Performed under general anesthesia, this surgical procedure includes the measuring, trimming and suturing of the puppy’s ears. Ears are then bandaged for support. Follow up visits take place at five to seven days to ensure proper healing and again at ten to fourteen days for suture removal. Most ears will stand in a week or two, though longer ears often take longer to stand.

To view the ear cropping procedure and some of our work, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. Contact our Kersey, Colorado office at 970-352-9164 to learn more and to schedule an appointment for your pup.

The post Ear Cropping: Why and How it is Done first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.