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When temperatures rise, pets tend to spend more time outside, either relaxing in the sunshine, taking long walks or playing. While the fresh air and exercise are great for them (and you!), it’s important to be aware of some outdoor risks — specifically, bugs and parasites that can bite your pet and make him sick. But don’t worry, taking a few precautions before you head outside can help keep these pests away.

The Troublesome Tick

Ticks are attracted to motion, warm temperatures and the carbon dioxide that your pet exhales. Ticks cannot jump or fly, so they climb onto objects like fences or vegetation. They wait there for a human or animal to walk by so they can cling onto an unwitting host and hitch a ride. Ticks can carry different diseases, depending on the area of the country in which you live. Ask us which ticks are prevalent in our area so you can be on the lookout.

Once ticks find a host, they take a bite — though your pet probably won’t even feel it. The bite can transfer pathogens to a pet, which can lead to disease, or the bite site can become infected. If this happens, your veterinarian will often treat the infection with oral antibiotics. Topical antibiotics aren’t enough, as the infection could have already spread through your pet’s body, making it much harder to treat.

Keeping Ticks at Bay

One of the best ways to deal with ticks is to avoid them in the first place. Don’t take walks in the woods during prime season. Keep the grass, trees and bushes in your yard trimmed, and clear away any brush where ticks might like to hide.

Speak to us about which of the available preventive products are best suited to your geographic area and the age of your pet. These products help kill ticks, but be sure you check with us before using them. Some products should only be used on adult dogs or cats. The new generation of preventive products is highly effective at tackling ticks, but only use them as directed, and talk to us before combining products. Insecticide sprays intended for use on clothing and/or humans should never be used on pets.

Most importantly, never use any product labeled for a dog on a cat. Products labeled for dogs may contain pyrethrins orpermethrins, which can be extremely toxic to cats. Your veterinarian can advise you on the best preventive products for your particular pets.

Removing Ticks

After your pet spends time outdoors, check him carefully for ticks, especially in hard-to-reach places (ticks like to hide in warm areas, so be sure to check folds of skin, under the arms, in the ears, between the toes, etc.). Keep in mind that ticks can be very tiny — some are as small as the head of a pin. If you find a tick on your dog or cat, first of all, don’t panic. Try to remove the tick as soon as possible. Cats can often remove ticks during grooming, but not if the tick is in an inaccessible place, like behind the ear. For safe removal, avoid touching the tick with bare fingers. Use tweezers to take hold of the tick, and pull slowly and steadily. If you can’t remove the tick’s mouthparts fromyour pet’s skin, don’t worry. Once the body has been removed, the tick can no longer transmit pathogens, and the area should heal on its own. Just tossing the tick down the sink or toilet may allow it to survive and crawl out, so first put the tick in rubbing alcohol to kill it. If you have a hard time removing the tick, or are unsure how to do it properly, contact us.

By taking a few simple precautions and checking with your veterinarian, you can help keep your pet tick-free all summer long!

Facts About Ticks

• Lyme disease may be the most well-known disease that can result from pathogens transmitted by ticks, but it isn’t the only one.

• Ticks affect many different mammals, birds and reptiles because they can transmit pathogens from prior hosts.

• If a tick bites an animal with a particular disease, that pathogen can sometimes be transmitted when the tick bites another animal.

• With your veterinarian, discuss possible tick-related diseases in your geographic location and the steps you need to take to prevent tick infestations on your pet.

A little prevention can go a long way!

This blog was written by McQueen Animal Hospital, an animal clinic (vet hospital/vet clinic) in Brampton committed to providing only the highest level of veterinary care to our beloved pets.

Cats scratch furniture for a number of reasons. Scratching is a good form of exercise for them. They get to stretch out their bodies and extend and retract their nails. When they scratch, the movements help remove the outer nail sheaths. Cats also scratch to leave visual and olfactory (scent) markers. Their interdigital glands, which are located between the pads of their paws, leave odors behind so that other cats know that the “marker” cat has been in the area. When cats scratch objects, they also leave small gouges, which are visual signals to other cats that there is a cat in the area.

Since cats often scratch to shed their outer nail sheaths, regular nail trims might help reduce the scratching. But there could be something more serious going on: Retreating beneath the sofa could indicate that your cat isn’t feeling well, either physically or emotionally. A cat who is fearful, anxious or stressed may take shelter under a couch or bed to escape an upsetting situation — for example, a new baby or new pet in the home. And cats will often mask pain or illness, so your cat may be hiding, because he’s sick or injured.

In either case, the first step in dealing with the behavior is to schedule a visit to the veterinarian to determine if your cat is suffering from an undiagnosed medical condition, is in some type of physical discomfort, or if he’s anxious or stressed about something in his environment. Your vet may also refer you to a veterinary behaviorist for extra help as needed.

What to Do?
Once your cat has a clean bill of health, you can start to address the behavior. The goal is to redirect your cat’s scratching away from the furniture to something more cat friendly, like a designated scratching post.

1. Place a scratching post right next to the furniture the cat is currently scratching.

2. Deter the cat from scratching furniture by placing double-sided sticky tape on it. Many cats find the stickiness of the tape unpleasant.

3. Praise and offer food rewards whenever your cat scratches her scratching post. You can use clicker training to capture the cat as she is engaging in appropriate scratching behavior to teach her to scratch on the preferred objects.

4. Offer a variety of scratching substrates; don’t offer just one carpeted scratching post. For example, also offer one of the inexpensive cardboard scratching posts or one made from sisal rope. I often recommend an untreated wooden log, which is what many cats scratch in the wild. However, you need to make sure this “au naturel” scratching post is secure, so it can’t tip over and injure your cat.

5. As the cat starts to scratch the new scratching post, you can slowly move the post to a more desirable location.

Create resting and play spaces that cater to your cat’s preferences, including spaces where he can sleep, hide and survey his surroundings. Burrow beds, tunnels, cat trees — especially those with covered areas and den spaces — allow your cat to watch the action in your home — or escape from it, if needed. Tunnels and boxes also provide spaces to play or just chill. Your cat’s crate or carrier can also serve as a quiet resting place when he wants to be alone.

And remember, if you’ve tried all these recommendations and your cat is still “redecorating” the furniture, seek professional help from your veterinarian.

This blog was written by McQueen Animal Hospital, an animal clinic (vet hospital/vet clinic) in Brampton committed to providing only the highest level of veterinary care to our beloved pets.

The bacteria from periodontal disease can spread to other organs and cause illnesses. More than 70 percent of cats and dogs over four years old are affected by periodontal disease — you don’t want your four-legged companion to become part of that alarming statistic.

Here are five steps to help your pet’s teeth and gums remain healthy:

1. Beware of Bad Breath
If a musky scent is coming from your pets mouth, don’t ignore it! This could be a warning sign that she has periodontal disease or another oral disease such as stomatitis, a common feline condition that causes painful inflammation of the gums and mouth tissues.

Other dental-health warning signs include bleeding gums, yellow or brown teeth, pawing at the mouth, and loose or missing teeth.

2. Brush Your Pet’s Teeth
While it might seem daunting at first, with enough patience and plenty of yummy rewards, you can turn tooth brushing into a bonding experience with your dog or cat. It might take several weeks to train your four-legged friend to warm up to the toothbrush, so start by letting her smell the toothbrush and pet toothpaste, then gradually work your way to brushing for 30 seconds on each side of her mouth. The goal is to eventually brush her teeth daily if you can. By the way, human toothpaste isn’t safe for pets, so be sure to use a product approved for your pet.

3. Consider Dental Toys, Treats and Food
While it’s not as effective as brushing your pet’s teeth, giving her treats, toys and food specifically designed to promote oral health will help her maintain healthy gums and teeth. Check for the Seal of Acceptance from the Veterinary Oral Health Council to make sure that whatever alternative you choose meets the standards for effective plaque and tartar control.

Ask your Vet for more information about these products.

4. Ask Your Vet for a regular Dental Exam
Humans aren’t the only ones who need their chompers checked by a professional; your four-legged friend needs to have her teeth and gums checked by a veterinarian. During the dental exam, the vet will first take your pet’s medical history, then ask if you’ve noticed any dental health warning signs such as bad breath. Next, he’ll examine your pet, including checking the head and neck for any abnormalities. Finally, he’ll check out your pet’s teeth and gums for redness, bleeding and inflammation. He’ll also be on the lookout for tooth loss, cracked teeth, and tartar, as well as potentially cancerous lumps and bumps.

A cursory dental exam can usually be performed without sedation, unless your pet becomes aggressive or his teeth are very painful. For a complete dental evaluation, though, your pet will usually have to go under.

5. Don’t Let Anesthesia Stop You From Getting a Dental Cleaning
To thoroughly examine your pet’s teeth and gums, properly get rid of nasty plaque and tartar, and really clean your pet’s pearly whites, most veterinarians recommend anesthesia. Though sedating your dog or cat sounds scary, it’s not as bad as it sounds — in fact, the procedure has never been safer or more comfortable. Before your vet even begins anesthesia, he may recommend pre-screening tests to help ensure that your pet is healthy enough for the procedure.

When you think about it, the benefits of dental cleaning outweigh the possible risks of anesthesia. When Fluffy wakes up, her breath will smell better, and her teeth will be shinier and healthier. And as an extra bonus, maintaining healthy teeth and gums helps protect the body’s other organs, like the heart and kidneys, from the damaging effects of dental disease.

This blog was written by McQueen Animal Hospital, an animal clinic (vet hospital/vet clinic) in Brampton committed to providing only the highest level of veterinary care to our beloved pets.