April PetPrints from Arroyo

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The Pet Health Newsletter of Arroyo Veterinary Hospital April 2012

April

Heartworm Awareness Month

at Arroyo

50% OFF
Heartworm tests

We Match PetMed's

Prices on Flea,

Tick & Heartworm
prevention products!

_______________

Click Here

for Special offers on Advantix®
Frontline®
Certifect®
Revolution®
Trifexis®
& Heartgard®

What About Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance can help you to provide the best medical care possible for your dog or cat.

Read this article on VNN, "Putting Pet Insurance to the Test" for guidance in choosing among several pet insurance providers.

Here are links to several pet insurance providers you may want to consider if you're thinking about getting coverage:

Is your dog a candidate for Acupuncture?

Acupuncture can relieve the symptoms and lessen the discomfort of many canine health problems.

DS Acupuncture

Dr. Deanna Schwab

Click Here

for a list of problems that can be treated with acupuncture.

CareCredit®
A third party financing option. A dedicated credit card for pet care.
It only takes a few minutes to apply by phone or online or we can do that for you while you're here at the hospital.
For more info go to:
www.carecredit.com

Thanks!

For referring your friends to us. Did you know that we give you a $10 credit on your account when you send us a new client?

Quick Links

avhsonoma.com

The Arroyo Veterinary

Hospital web site.

dogwork.com
The coolest pet web site on the planet, yeah! Lots of dogs, some cats and other cute animals. dumbfriendsleague.org

A national leader in providing humane care to lost and abandoned animals, ..., and educating pet owners and the public about the needs of companion animals.

Healthy Pet

The American Animal Hospital Association's web site for pet owners.

www.petdental.com

Web site focused on pet dental health.

petsandandparasites.org

A non-profit organization dedicated to protecting your family and your pets from parasites and zoonotic disease.

veterinarypartner.com

Reliable, up-to-date animal health information from the Veterinary Information Network. 72hours.org

Are you prepared? In a major disaster it might be several days before vital services are restored.

April is Heartworm Prevention Month...

     . . . With the recent heavy rains and the warmer weather we need to remember that mosquitos are flying again. This means your pets are at an increased risk for exposure to Heartworm.
     We are clearly in an area where pets are at risk for heartworm.
According to the American Heartworm Society:
    1. Heartworm disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, is debilitating, and may even prove fatal.
    2. All dogs and cats are at risk regardless of whether they are considered indoor or outdoor pets.
    3. Treatment for heartworm disease is expensive, traumatic and risky, and its outcome is unpredictable.
    4. Prevention is the best treatment - and it's easy, convenient and affordable.
    Your dog and cat should be on a year round Heartworm preventative. Ask us about Heartworm prevention and the risks associated with this potentially fatal disease.
     We strongly recommend that your dog or cat be tested annually for heartworm disease - EVEN IF THEY ARE ON YEAR ROUND PREVENTION. A heartworm test is fairly inexpensive. Treatment for Heartworm disease is not. This month we are offering a 50% discount on Canine Heartworm tests.
     Watch these videos to learn more or click here to read more about where heartworm is found, the heartworm life cycle, symptoms, prevention and treatment.

New Flea/Tick preventive . . .

. . . Merial has released a new and improved version of it's Frontline® flea and tick prevention product.

Certifect®

Starts killing ticks within 6 hours - completely killing them in 18 hours
Kills adult fleas, flea eggs and larvae with the same complete flea control found in FRONTLINE Plus
Kills troublesome parasites that transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis and tapeworm disease
Causes ticks to detach and die
Provides waterproof effectiveness
Keeps killing all month long

Pet First Aid & Emergency Preparedness . . .

. . . We will be hosting another Pet First Aid and Emergency Preparedness Workshop on Thursday, April 26 from 6pm - 8pm at Sonoma Valley Hospital.

5 Easy Steps The workshop is being sponsored by SVDOG (Sonoma Valley Dog Owners & Guardians), a local non-profit organization dedicated to making Sonoma dog-friendly.

The workshop is designed to give pet owners the knowledge to recognize and respond to all types of pet emergencies as well as how to prepare for a disaster such as an earthquake.

A donation of $20 is suggested with the proceeds going to SVDOG.

Anyone interested should email: info@svdog.org to reserve a space in the workshop as space is limited.

Hill's new Balance® Diet . . .

. . . We now carry the new maintenance diet from Hill's, "Ideal Balance". It is a nutritionally balanced diet that comes in several dry varieties including grain-free, chicken and potato as well as chicken and brown rice for both dogs and cats. There is also a wet (canned) version for dogs only. Ideal Balance comes in Puppy, Adult and Mature Adult versions and in sizes ranging from 2 lbs to 30 lbs.. Click on the image at left to go to the Ideal Balance page on the Hill's web site for more information.

Foxtails are back . . .

. . . As the warm, dry weather approaches we need to remember that foxtails will soon be out and ready to latch on to your pet. These pernicious little devils can wreak havoc as they often get on feet - in between toes - or inhaled through the nose. They are often found in the

ears, especially with long coats that offers a good grip for the barbed grass seeds.

A foxtail is basically a spikelet or cluster of grass that serves to disperse seeds. When the grass dries the foxtail falls off the stem an

d is free to blow about in the wind or get picked up by an unsuspecting furry victim.
Once embedded in the fur or soft tissue of the lining of a nose or ear the barbed spike will only travel in one direction - much like a fish hook that can't easily be pulled out once it has penetrated. What this means for the pet who has one is that sedation is often required to extract it. It's always a good idea to check your dog for foxtails after a walk where dried grass is present.
Signs that your pet may have a foxtail are frequent and violent sneezing, shaking of the head or squinting - a sign that a foxtail may have gotten into the eye which is very painful for the dog or cat. Excessively licking feet or their privates is also a sign. Seeing any of these symptoms is good reason to call us and get your pet to the vet right away.