Pet Owner’s Manual

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We all wish that our pets came with an owner’s manual.  What do I do at what age?  What’s recommended?  What’s the gold standard of care to maintain the health of my new family member?  How can I catch disease early?  Our pets age 5-7 times faster than us and their disease also develop quicker than ours.

Pediatricians can tell you exactly what vaccines your children need at certain ages.  Our own doctors make recommendations (mammogram, colonoscopy, etc.) based on lifestage.  Even a mechanic can rattle off diagnostic tests and services to be performed every 10,000 miles on your car; and that’s not a living, breathing member of your family.

Our doctors and staff at Animal General have put together a checklist both for cats and dogs of lifetime recommendations for your pet.  With this in mind when you get a new cat or dog, you won’t be thrown for any surprises as they age.  Remember that these are general guidelines and the exact schedule may change due to your pet’s age, breed, and other medical conditions.  The Animal General veterinarians are here for the lifetime of your pet to answer any questions and serve as experts in your pet’s health.

A Lifetime of Canine Wellness

A Lifetime of Feline Wellness

Health recommendations for your dog’s lifestyle

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Your dog’s vaccination and treatment needs are largely determined by his or her lifestyle.

Which lifestyle best represents your dog?

 • Couch Potato: An inside dog who goes outside on a leash or a confined yard with no contact with other dogs including boarding, bathing or grooming.  There is no interaction with wildlife.

Recommended vaccinations/treatments:

*Canine Distemper/Parvo/Adenovirus vaccine: series of three or four puppy vaccinations, booster in one year, then every three years.

*Bordetella vaccine: first vaccine as a puppy, then once yearly.

*Rabies vaccine: first vaccine as a puppy, repeat in one year, then every three years.  New York State law requires rabies vaccination for all dogs.

*Heartworm and flea preventative: Revolution® once monthly year-round life-long to prevent heartworm disease, fleas, and intestinal parasites.

• Active Lifestyle: Stays on a leash or areas with minimal exposure to wildlife.  Your dog spends vacations at a kennel or has periodic grooming appointments.  Your dog does not travel outside the five boroughs of New York City.

Follow the previous series for Couch Potato with the following additions/changes:

*Leptospirosis vaccine: initial series of two vaccinations as a puppy or adult, then booster once yearly.

*Bordetella vaccine: increase booster to every six months in accordance with NYC Department of Health Regulations.

• Globetrotter: Your dog runs in fields and woods with exposure to wildlife.  Goes to dog parks, doggy day care, and boarding and grooming facilities.  Travels outside the NYC area.

Follow the previous series for Couch Potato and Active Lifestyle and add the following:

*If only occasional trips outside of the city, add the Preventic® collar 24 hours before leaving the city and keep it on 24 hours after returning to the city. The Preventic® collar lasts for three months.

*For regular country/beach adventurers, in lieu of Revolution®, use a combination of Frontline Plus® and Heartgard® once monthly year-round.  Recommend concurrent use of Preventic® collar while outside of the city.

Alternatives to Pet Insurance? We don’t think so.

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When the cost of quality medical care exceeds the family budget, pet owners are forced to incur burdensome debt or even euthanize their pets. Animal General does not want any pet to face euthanasia, a compromised quality of life, or even death resulting from an illness or injury simply because of veterinary costs, and we believe pet health insurance is an excellent way to prevent that from happening.

Statistics show that pet health insurance is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. In fact, the number of American pets covered by pet health insurance has more than doubled since 2002.  Still, far too many pets are uninsured, and every year, some are euthanized simply because their owners can’t afford the cost of medical care.

Don’t let this happen to your pet! With several pet insurance companies and dozens of different policies to choose from, pet health insurance deserves your serious consideration.  We, at Animal General, are happy to answer questions regarding pet insurance as well as make recommendations based on other clients’ experiences.  Animal General does not receive any incentives or benefits from any pet health insurance company.

Veterinary inflation is not the only cause of increased veterinary spending and an increased need for pet medical insurance. More technological advances, once reserved for humans, are now becoming widely available for pets. Items such as CAT scans, MRIs, organ transplants, pacemakers, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are amongst a rapidly growing trend in pet healthcare. Most recently, some hospitals have even started offering canine bone marrow transplants running at $15,000.

What would really happen if your pet got sick?

What would really happen if your pet got sick? We can talk until we’re blue in the face about why having pet health insurance is a smart move, but the truth is, you can always rationalize our reasoning away. Think about the alternatives and see why they don’t really hold up under scrutiny.

“If my pet gets sick, I’ll just use my savings.”

If you’re like most of us, you probably don’t have as much in your saving account as you would like (and it probably comes out just as fast as it goes in). Using your personal savings is just one way to pay for unexpected veterinary bills. Take a look below to understand when this is a good and bad option.

The Good

  • Works well for small veterinary bills and routine pet care
  • No claim filing and paperwork
  • Easy access to funds
  • No worries over what is and isn’t covered
  • No monthly premium to pay

The Bad

  • Requires self discipline to save every month– and keep it for pet care
  • If started today, it would take years to have enough to pay for cancer or other expensive treatment
  • Unexpected illnesses or accidents can eat up years of savings
  • Depleting savings makes you financially vulnerable to the next emergency

Real Life Example

  • Starting this month, you automatically put away $35 a month in a saving account with a 3.5% interest rate. After inflation, it would take you approximately 15 years to generate the $6,000 it would take to treat your dog or cat’s cancer. Putting those monthly savings towards pet insurance premiums would be much more cost effective in case of emergencies tomorrow.

“I would use my credit card to pay for an expensive veterinary bill.”

Of course, you can always put your dog or cat’s veterinary expenses on a credit card. Credit cards do have some benefits, but it’s easy to get into financial trouble if you rely on them too much. At last count, 61% of Americans carried a credit card balance every month, making the “charge-everything” strategy a little risky.

The Good

  • An affordable option for small veterinary bills and routine care
  • No waiting periods
  • Immediate payment possible
  • Able to dispute a charge via Fair Credit Billing Act
  • If you know the money is coming, you can ‘float’ for 35 days

The Bad

  • It becomes a loan when the credit becomes due and you do not pay for it
  • Adding monthly interest charges means you pay more for services
  • Credit limits will restrict the amount you can spend on pet care
  • Failure to pay on time will damage your credit score

Real Life Example

  • Say you have a $5,000 bill to pay for your cat or dog’s unexpected foreign body removal surgery. You put it on a brand-spanking-new credit card with an 18.5% APR. If you paid $100 a month towards the balance, it will still take you almost 14 years to pay off your credit card debt and the total amount paid would be $16,800. That means you’d pay over $10,000 in interest.

“If something horrible happens to my pet, my family will loan me the money”

Maybe you have a loving family and generous friends who will loan you thousands of dollars for your dog or cat’s surgery or medical care. You could spend years paying down your debt, which is not only financially taxing but also can take a toll on your relationships.

The Good

  • No claim filing and paperwork
  • No waiting periods
  • Immediate payment possible
  • Won’t damage your credit score

The Bad

  • Strained (and sometimes lost) relationships with those you love and care about
  • Misunderstandings can occur about precisely what the friend or family member expects in return for their money

Real Life Example

  • If you borrow $5,000 from your relative and fail to pay it back immediately, you will have to face them at every holiday event until you pay it back. This can often lead to sour or even torn relationships.

Air Travel Tips

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Top 10 Tips for Safe Air Travel with Your Pet

Cat in SuitcaseTraveling can be highly stressful, both for you and the four-legged members of your family. But with thoughtful preparation, you can ensure a safe and comfortable trip for everyone.

The ASPCA urges pet owners to think twice about flying their pets on commercial airlines, especially if they plan on checking them in as cargo.

Unless your animal is small enough to fit under your seat and you can bring him or her in the cabin, Animal General recommends pet owners to not fly their animal. If pet owners have already committed to transporting their pets on commercial airlines, we offer the following top ten tips for safe air travel with your pet:

  1. Make an appointment with your pet’s veterinarian for a checkup, and make sure all vaccinations are up-to-date. Obtain a health certificate from your veterinarian dated within 10 days of departure. For travel outside of the continental United States, additional planning and health care requirements are necessary. Contact our travel expert, Mary Vazquez, at 212-501-9600 for more information.
  2. Make sure your pet has a microchip for identification and is wearing a collar and ID tag. Breakaway collars are best for cats. The collar should also include destination information in case your pet escapes.
  3. Book a direct flight whenever possible. This will decrease the chances that your pet is left on the tarmac during extreme weather conditions or mishandled by baggage personnel.
  4. Purchase a USDA-approved shipping crate that is large enough for your pet to stand, sit and turn around in comfortably. Shipping crates can be purchased from many pet supply stores and airlines.
  5. Write the words “Live Animal” in letters at least one inch tall on top of and at least one side of the crate. Use arrows to prominently indicate the upright position of the crate. On the top of the crate, write the name, address and telephone number of your pet’s destination point, and whether you will be accompanying him or if someone else is picking him up. Make sure that the door is securely closed, but not locked, so that airline personnel can open it in case of an emergency. Line the crate bottom with some type of bedding—shredded paper or towels—to absorb accidents.
  6. Affix a current photograph of your pet to the top of the crate for identification purposes. Should your pet escape from the carrier, this could be a lifesaver. You should also carry a photograph of your pet.
  7. The night before you leave, make sure you’ve frozen a small dish or tray of water for your pet. This way, it can’t spill during loading, and will melt by the time he’s thirsty. Tape a small pouch, preferably cloth, of dried food outside the crate. Airline personnel will be able to feed your pet in case he gets hungry on long-distance flights or a layover.
  8. Tranquilizing your pet is generally not recommended, as it could hamper his breathing. Check with your veterinarian first.
  9. Tell every airline employee you encounter, on the ground and in the air, that you are traveling with a pet in the cargo hold. This way, they’ll be ready if any additional considerations or attention is needed.
  10. If the plane is delayed, or if you have any concerns about the welfare of your pet, insist that airline personnel check the animal whenever feasible. In certain situations, removing the animal from the cargo hold and deplaneing may be warranted.

Article courtesy of ASPCA.org.

Adopt Sandy!

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Sandy, spayed female born 2008.

Would you ever adopt a kitty, microchip her, and then not want her back when she is found? Meet Sandy. Sandy was found huddling in the vestibule of an Animal General employee’s building. She brought her to work and we scanned her for a microchip. After a few missed calls we finally got a hold of the owner. Yes, Sandy was her cat of several years. Yes, Sandy had been missing for over a month; she escaped through a non-screened first floor window. But no, she didn’t want Sandy back because she had already gotten a new cat. Sandy is very endearing, a little nervous, doesn’t mind another friendly cat, and loves to have her chin and ears scratched. Come meet her at Animal General and give this girl a real forever home.

Download Adoption Application for Sandy >>>

 

Winter Care for Pets

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Dogs in SnowFor pets that spend most or all of their time indoors, winter months can be particularly challenging. Extra attention to a few details will help keep our furry friends comfortable and happy.

Closed windows and switched-on heaters result in lowered humidity that can lead to dry and itchy skin or stand up static hair in your pet, similar to the way that it does with humans.

To help combat these winter ailments:

  • Brush your pet more frequently to encourage natural body oils to emerge
  • Placing a pan of water atop a radiator can help raise humidity.
  • Add a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil as a food supplement to enhance healthy skin.

If these suggestions do not help, and your pet is still experiencing discomfort, please consult your veterinarian as other problems such as allergies or psoriasis may exist.

Extra Care for Dogs

  • Less time outside may mean more frequent nail clipping.
  • Chemicals and salt tossed on streets and sidewalks to melt ice can cause dry, cracked, and painful footpads. Wipe dog’s feet with a warm wet cloth when returning from a walk to avoid painful feet and the ingestion of harmful chemicals. Rubbing Bag Balm into a pet’s feet helps cracked foot pads.
  • Some dogs tolerate booties for their walks. These help reduce exposure to salt and chemicals.
  • Short haired and small to medium sized dogs generally enjoy a warm snuggly coat or sweater for their daily outings.

Debunking Declawing

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For cats, scratching is an instinctual activity.  It helps them sharpen and condition their claws, as well as mark their territory.  But when your purring pet chooses to mark your carpet and furniture, the resulting frustration may interfere with your bond. To remedy the situation, some pet parents choose to have their cats declawed.

The procedure known as “declawing” is technically a partial digit amputation, during which the first joint of each toe is actually amputated.  It is a very painful procedure with significant recovery periods and potential for post-operative complications.  Declawing is not a routine surgery and should never be done as a preventative.

Declawing is a controversial subject, and the procedure is illegal in most of Europe, parts of Asia and in several U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica.  The American Veterinary Medical Association discourages declawing unless all other options to discourage scratching have been truly exhausted.  Some adoption agencies will not adopt a cat to a person who intends to have her declawed.

Throughout the United States, declawing is often performed along with spay and neuter procedures, when cats are between four and six months old, before proper training to discourage scratching has taken place.  Declawed cats should remain hospitalized for several days after surgery to receive appropriate pain medications and have surgery sites monitored.  At Animal General we require hospitalization before surgery in order to start IV pain management.  Once the cat is ready to go home, she will need additional pain medications, special litter, and weeks of restricted activity.

What are the potential complications of declawing?

  • Post-surgical complications: Lameness, abscesses, and claw regrowth can occur days or weeks or many years after surgery.
  • Pain: It is impossible to know how much chronic pain and suffering declawing causes. However, we can look at similar procedures in people. Almost all human amputees report “phantom” sensations from the amputated part, ranging from merely strange to extremely painful. Because declawing involves ten separate amputations, it is virtually certain that all declawed cats experience phantom pain in one or more toes.
  • Joint stiffness: In declawed (and tenectomized) cats, the tendons that control the toe joints retract after the surgery, and over time these joints become essentially “frozen.” The toes can no longer be extended, but remain fully contracted for the lifetime of the cat.
  • Arthritis: Researchers have shown that, in the immediate post-operative period, newly declawed cats shift their body weight backward onto the large central pad of the front feet and off the toes. This effect was significant even when strong pain medication was given, and remained apparent for the duration of the study (up to 40 hours after surgery). If this altered gait persists over time, it would cause stress on the leg joints and spine, and could lead to damage and arthritic changes in multiple joints.
  • Litterbox problems: Experts say that declawed cats have more litterbox problems than clawed cats. Not many people would choose urine-soaked carpeting (or floorboards, sofa cushions, drywall, bedding or mattresses) over scratch marks, but this is a distressingly common outcome. In one survey, 95% of calls about declawed cats related to litterbox problems, while only 46% of clawed cats had such problems — and most of those were older cats, many with physical ailments that accounted for the behavior.
  • Biting: Some experts believe that naturally aggressive cats who are declawed are likely to become biters.

Luckily, you can avoid putting your cat through a painful procedure but still nix his itch to scratch:

  • Clip kitty’s claws.  The easiest (and most inexpensive) option is to keep your cat’s claws short.  Trimming every other week won’t prevent scratching behaviors, but it will minimize the damage done to your home.  Animal General offers free nail trims to current patients on Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m.  Just call that morning to let us know you are coming.
  • Consider covers.  Soft Paws® are plastic nail caps that are designed to fit over each nail, covering their sharp points and preventing damage.  They will need to be reapplied every 4 to 6 weeks.  They can be put on at home, but many pet parents choose to have their veterinarian apply them.
  • Tricks for training.  Teach your cat to distinguish “good” scratch surfaces from the family furniture.  Provide BOTH vertical and horizontal surfaces like scratching posts and corrugated cardboard scratchers, then entice your cat with catnip.  Be sure the vertical scratchers are made with sisal rope, not carpet, and are tall enough for the adult cat to stretch his entire body length.  Reward appropriate behavior with treats.  Use Sticky Paws® or double-sided tap to cover inappropriate items.

If your cat can’t seem to stop scratching, please talk to your vet.  You may find trimming and training are the right solutions, rather than surgery.

A Look at Fleas

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Suddenly your dog is itching and your cat is scratching.  Your home is infested with fleas.  What exactly are fleas?  What is their life span?  How can we prevent them?  Read on for an up-close and personal look at fleas.

What are fleas?

Fleas are small, brown or black wingless insects with flattened bodies that are often seen scurrying or jumping abruptly on the hair or skin of a host animal (your pet).  Their bodies are compressed laterally and are covered with posteriorly-directed bristles which aid in their mobility.  Despite the belief that fleas fly, they, in fact, move from site to site by jumping.  Using highly developed hind legs, they have been observed to jump from eighteen to thirty-six inches.

The Cycle of Fleas

Fleas feed by siphoning blood through piercing mouth parts which contain salivary and mouth tubes.  A blood meal is needed for egg production.  Once they have fed, fleas generally drop off the host animal and lay their eggs.  The bedding or area around a favorite resting place of a cat or dog is frequently littered with eggs, as are cracks, crevices, and carpeting.  A single breeding pair of fleas may produce 20,000 fleas in 3 months.  Eggs hatch after 2-12 days into larvae that feed in the environment.  After a week or more in the pupal stage in the cocoon, adults emerge to begin another generation of bloodsucking parasites. The life cycle is usually completed in 30 days.

Flea Producing Diseases

The most common effect of fleas is flea allergy dermatitis.  This is a disease caused by an allergy to flea bites.  The offending substance is carried by the flea’s saliva and causes redness, swelling, and itchiness.  An effected animal scratches, licks, and bites its skin, especially around the rump, lower back, and tail where fleas most commonly live and breed.  The pet may also scratch around the neck and ears.  Flea bites appear as tiny red bumps; hair loss, crusts, and inflamed broken skin may result from extended scratching, although sometimes no fleas or evidence of flea bites are found.  To define the problem as fleas, look for tiny, black granules that resemble black pepper.  This material is flea “dirt” or feces and consists of digested blood.

The other major flea-related disease is tapeworms.  This is an intestinal parasite transmitted solely by an ingested flea.  Tapeworms usually produce few symptoms byt large numbers may cause digestive upsets, variation in appetite, poor haircoat and skin, weight loss, and vague symptoms or abdominal distress.  Diagnosis of tapeworm is made by finding the segments in your pet’s feces or clinging to the hair around the anal area.  Segments will be white, and 1\4-inch long, and may expand and contract.  Dry segments will resemble cucumber seeds or rice grains.

Flea Prevention

The best cure for fleas is to prevent your dog or cat from being infested in the first place.  There are several different products available, but Animal General only recommends two: Revolution® and Frontline®.  Revolution is the first-ever FDA-approved topically-applied medication for cats and dogs that kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching.  Revolution enters the bloodstream through the skin.  Revolution selectively redistributes from the blood to the skin and other tissues, where it provides protection against fleas, flea eggs, and ear mites.  Frontline is an EPA-approved topical parasiticide that kills adult fleas and kills flea larvae and eggs.  Frontline works by its active ingredient, fipronil. Fipronil is absorbed through your pet’s skin and into its oil glands. This allows Frontline to be released to your pet’s hair follicles and skin every time the oil glands are activated.  Both of these products are applied topically, monthly, year-round, lifelong.  Your veterinarian will make the best recommendation based on your pet’s lifestyle.