Today was a very special day for me. I had surgery performed by Dr. Langlais at Hespeler Animal Hospital. The surgery was called an ovariohysterectomy or “spay” surgery. This will help protect me from getting breast cancer, infection of the uterus and other bad things when I get older.

My day started early this morning when Dr. Langlais and her nurses made sure I was OK to have surgery. They listened to my heart, took my temperature and did a full physical on me. That’s when I met “Mel”, the nurse cat. She explained anything to me I didn’t understand and that made me less nervous.

The doctor had recommended some blood tests for a pre-anesthetic work-up. Dr. Langlais said she would like to check for any problems she couldn’t see on the physical exam, to make sure I was healthy inside and out. Mel told me I would not even notice when the nurse took the blood sample, since she would talk nicely to me the whole time.

A little bit later, she came and put a tiny needle in my arm called a catheter and it was hooked up to a machine called an infusion pump. She was very gentle and I didn’t even know what she was doing until it was over! They gave me fluids in my arm then they gave me something that made me feel sorta sleepy. They were all very nice and kept telling me how good I was being.

Dr. Langlais came and told me that I was going to get very sleepy now and that when I woke up in a little while, the surgery would be over. She told me that I would be watched over very carefully by a pet nurse while she was performing the surgery. They had a neat Anesthetic Monitor that would check my electrocardiogram and heart rate, the oxygen levels in my blood (pulse oximetry) , my blood pressure, and if I was breathing OK by measuring my End-Tidal CO2 (I have no idea what that means but I know it’s a fancy machine). Cat nurse Mel told me that I would have a special warming blanket the whole time to make sure I was nice and warm during my procedure. She said I would have a breathing tube in my throat for oxygen and anesthetic gas (I think she said it was isoflurane) and that it might make my throat a little hoarse when I woke up. She said I would even have my nails done while I was asleep!

Next, the nurse gave me an anesthetic and I slowly went to sleep. It seemed like only a few minutes, but when I woke up I was all bundled up in soft, warm blankets and I had a little bandage on . The nurse was there talking to me and making sure that I was feeling okay. She said I already had some pain medication during my procedure so that I would feel nice and comfortable when I woke up but that she would keep checking on me just to make sure. Later on she gave me some dinner, and boy did that Medi-Cal taste good! I was starving since I hadn’t eaten anything since the night before.

Dr. Langlais came in a little later to check on me and I was feeling kinda tired by then. She said that my family had been called earlier and that they said they loved and missed me. She said I could go home tomorrow– if I promised to be a good girl!

The next morning they gave me breakfast and told me we had to follow these rules when I got home: (1) No jumping or running or roughhousing for the next week. (2) Watch for any bleeding or discharge from my surgery site. A little swelling and redness is normal. (3) Clean my surgery site once daily with warm water if needed– NO alcohol or peroxide. (4) Make sure that I eat OK the next week. If I don’t eat for 2 days in a row– call the hospital. (5) No bathing or swimming for 7 days. (6) Call if there are any problems at all.

So that was my big day. Everyone at Hespeler Animal Hospital was so nice to me and made me feel special. Cat nurse Mel said I was a “purrrfect” patient and was welcome back anytime!

1/ Although an incision from a laser is less painful than an incision from a scalpel, studies show that only lasts 24 hours. At Hespeler Animal Hospital, our pain management protocol offers 4 days of pain control (more below…).

2/ It costs the pet owner more. A surgical laser costs anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000. That’s an expensive piece of equipment. The hospital has to charge more for the surgery in order to pay for that. Most clinics in the area charge $50 to $100 in addition to the usual surgery fee when they use their laser.

3/ I think it’s a lot of hype. The sales reps do a great job trying to convince doctors that this surgical tool is the latest and greatest thing since sliced bread. I don’t know about you, but I usually take what sales people tell me with a large grain of salt. I think the fact that most board-certified surgeons, including those at university hospitals, do NOT choose surgical lasers over a scalpel speaks volumes. One specialist once told me “A cut is a cut, whether it’s made by a piece of steel or by laser”.

4/ There’s some controversy about the thermal damage to the tissues as a result of the laser beam.

So what do we do at Hespeler Animal Hospital to ensure our feline declaws are as pain-free as possible?

1. We give pain medication before we start the surgery. That’s called pre-emptive analgesia. Giving it early prevents wind-up pain, where the nerves get “angry” and therefore are more reactive post-op. It means we don’t need to give as high of a dose post-op, because the nerves never had a chance to get irritated. Lower doses of drug translates into fewer side effects for the pet. And, given pain meds pre-op means the patient wakes up with the medication already on board, so recovery is as comfortable as possible.
2. We use local anesthetics via nerve blocks to numb the area. We choose bupivicaine because it lasts 6-8 hours. The cat wakes up with no sensation at all in the surgical area.
3. We add a narcotic to the local, because studies in humans have shown this can extend the duration of analgesia to as long as 3 days. It does not block muscle function, just the ability to feel pain.
4. We administer a dose of hydromorphone immediately after anesthetic induction, before the patient is taken to surgery. Some vets like to give the narcotic to an awake animal, but because it can make them vomit, we prefer to give it when it cannot cause this side effect. (We thank Dr. Nancy Brock, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist, for that suggestion!)
5. We give an injection of Metacam, an anti-inflammatory, at the end of the surgery, if the cat’s blood pressure has been stable during the entire surgery. Metacam can be hard on the kidneys if the patient experiences hypotension, so giving it at the end is safer because we’ve been monitoring the blood pressure through-out the entire procedure. That’s another reason we highly recommend pre-anesthetic blood tests, to make sure it’s safe to give Metacam as a pain-killer.
6. We sent the cat home on two, not just one, pain medications. Metacam for its pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties, and buprenorpine because it is a narcotic that is 30 times as potent as morphine.

What can you do to make sure your cat gets a pain-free declaw and no post-op complications?

1. Ask questions when you decide on who is going to operate on your baby! What do they do for pain control while your kitty is in the hospital? What do they prescribe for your kitty at home?
2. Make sure your cat is healthy. Sick animals are more likely to develop more post-op inflammation. Bring your kitty in for a physical exam before the surgery. You want to meet the person who is going to operate on your cat, right? And, a thorough check up means that you can feel sure your cat is a-ok for an anesthetic.
3. Make sure your cat is up to date on all of its inoculations. Kitty will be going into an environment where there may be patients hospitalized with infectious diseases!
4. Say “yes” to pre-anesthetic blood tests that screen for silent diseases than can affect how your cat handles the anesthetic, and dictate what pain medications are safest.
5. Follow the surgeon’s post-op care instructions closely. Some exercise restriction is in order after any surgery, to make sure the patient doesn’t hurt the incisions!
6. Don’t shop for the lowest price. There may be a reason it’s so low, and that might be because they’re not offering a good pain management protocol.
7. Choose a hospital that believes in pre-emptive analgesia. Many veterinarians only give pain meds post-op. By then it’s too late, the animal is already sore! And, I know of a few older vets who choose not to give any pain medication at all. No, I’m not kidding! They think that animals don’t feel pain like humans do, or they believe that being in pain means an animal won’t use the limb and hurt itself. At Hespeler Animal Hospital, we strongly feel that animals do feel pain just like we do, and we believe there are better options than withholding pain medications to limit self-trauma after a surgery.

Here’s we you can read more about pain management for feline declaw surgery:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5379005_laser-surgery-better-traditional-declaw.html
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2002.221.651
http://www.avma.org/reference/backgrounders/declawing_bgnd.pdf

We’re located in Cambridge, Ontario and your cat’s well-being is very important to us. If you’re looking for a vet in the Cambridge, Kitchener and Guelph area, please give us a call!

Why does my dog need to be tested before it goes on preventative medication?
We test first because: 1/ If your dog has Heartworm and you start preventative medication, a severe allergic reaction might occur. 2/ Preventative medication won’t work if your dog already has adult worms in its heart. 3/ Early detection is important in surviving this disease.

I consider the American Heartworm Society to be the “experts” about Heartworm Disease. Read here what they have to say.
If you need more convincing, read this article by the OVMA, or this blog by Dr. Scott Weese at the University of Guelph.

How is it transmitted?
Many pet owners mistakenly think their dog is not at risk for Heartworm Disease because it is never around other dogs. This is not the case! You see, the parasite is spread by mosquitoes and all it takes is one bite. Even if your dog does not spend much time outdoors, it is still at risk.

Most dogs I know go outdoors to go to the bathroom, and of course they get bitten by mosquitoes while they’re in the yard. Yes, dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors or on walks in the woods are at higher risk, but please don’t tell me your dog can never be bitten by a mosquito! Even if your dog is litter trained and never steps outdoors (really?), mosquitoes can get into your house and expose your dog there, too.

In our part of the world, heartworm season usually runs from late May until late October.

What are the signs of infection? There may be no signs, until the damage to the heart is more advanced. Symptomatic dogs may cough, experience shortness of breath during exercise, poor appetite or weight loss.

How is it diagnosed?
A simple blood test is all that is needed. Many veterinarians combine testing for heartworm disease with Wellness Testing, where they also screen for organ diseases, diseases involving the blood cells, and certain types of cancer. Early detection of any disease means the chance of survival is much better.

With canine heartworm, the test is positive only if there are adult worms in the heart. If the heartworm is less than six months old, the test may be negative. That is why we test dogs that have never been on heartworm preventive in the spring. We can test dogs that have been on yearly heartworm preventive at any time, if their owners have been compliant and have not forgotten to give any doses.

How is it treated?
Heartworm disease in dogs is treated with an arsenic compound. It is expensive and risky. About 30 per cent of infected dogs can die from the treatment. That is why it is far better to prevent this disease than to wait until a dog is infected and then deal with it. Please don’t take this chance with your dog’s health.

How is it prevented?
Prevention is relatively inexpensive and easy. Your veterinarian can prescribe pills or a spot-on formulation for you to give to your dog once a month. The preventatives even come with nice stickers for you to put on your calendar as a helpful reminder. Some dog owners are opting to give heartworm medication year-round, since it also protects against intestinal parasites that can be transmitted to humans. Ask your veterinarian for more information on how you can protect your dog from parasites including canine heartworm.

Friendships that have been so cherished are terribly hard to let go of. We want our friends to live, but we also wish to spare them pain and indignity. We hope to time their passing wisely; to recognize the moment when prolonging their lives serves only to postpone the pain of losing them. We should not require them to suffer so obviously that our decision is made for us, sparing us the agonies of doubt and guilt.

Although many times the correct path is quite clear, it is often very difficult to decide when a life should be ended. In such a case the answers to the following questions may help clarify the issue.

€ What is the prognosis? How much improvement, if any, can be expected? How much pain and discomfort will accompany treatment? This must be balanced against the prognosis.

€ How rapidly can the condition be expected to progress? Can the patient return home for a time, during which leisurely goodbyes can be said?

€ Is the nursing care required at home within the household’s capabilities? Many people find it very gratifying to nurse their pets through their final days, but this can also be difficult and stressful, causing frustration and guilt.

€ How much is the patient suffering? This can be extremely difficult to judge. To expect a pain-free existence is often not realistic–after all, few people over the age of thirty experience life with no pain whatsoever. The question is whether pain and distress exceed or eliminate the enjoyment of life. But pets are often very stoic and give little external evidence of suffering. Here are some general guidelines we have found useful:

€ Is s/he eating?
€ Is s/he having difficulty breathing?
€ Does s/he seem to enjoy contact with people or other pets in the household?
€ Is s/he able to move about, or does s/he lie in one place?
€ Is s/he able to get away from his/her own urine and/or stool?
€ Does s/he cry, or whine, or moan?

The relative importance of these factors varies with each situation and each person’s outlook, but asking these questions may help make your decision more clear. Please do not hesitate to ask us to assist you in making the decision that seems most right for you and your pet.

EUTHANASIA–WHAT TO EXPECT

If you and the doctor agree that the time has come to humanely end your pet’s life, here is some information you should have:

€ For the sake of your privacy we like to make appointments at specific times, usually the last appointment of the day. That way you can have as much of our time as you need. We usually allocate a 30 minute appointment for euthanasias.

€ Making financial arrangements for this service in advance allows you to make a more comfortable exit. Some pet owners prefer to sign consent forms and pay for the service one to two days before the scheduled appointment. Others opt to do so immediately before the procedure.

€ You will be asked to fill out and sign a form granting your permission for the procedure and designating whether you wish your pet’s remains to be returned to you. If you wish to take them home, please bring a suitable carrier to take your pet home in. If the remains are left with us, they will be sent to an animal crematorium and incinerated. We use a local company that has demonstrated they can be trusted. The doctors and staff have all had their own pets cremated by this company, so you can rest assured they will take good care of your pet.
There are two kinds of cremation available: group cremation and private cremation. With group cremation, several pets are cremated at the same time; the cost of this is less than for an individual cremation. Should you wish cremation with the ashes returned to you, please let us know so we can make the necessary arrangements on your behalf. It usually takes a few weeks for the ashes from a private cremation to be returned to the clinic; we will call you as soon as they arrive.

€ Some pet parents choose to stay with the animal until the very end. Some stay until their pet is so sleepy it is not aware of them any more, but leave before the animal has passed on. Others prefer not to be present for the procedure. We want to do what is easiest for you, and will support you in either choice. If you choose not to stay, please rest assure we will make sure your pet is petted, cuddled and bundled in a blanket, so that its last memories are all pleasant.

€ We may give a sedative first, so your pet is not afraid and doesn’t feel any discomfort during the catheterization procedure.

€ The doctor will likely pre-place an intravenous catheter, to ensure the injection goes as smoothly as possible. If this is the case, your pet will be taken to the treatment room for placement of the catheter before being re-united with you for the actual procedure.

€ The drug we use is a very strong barbiturate (anaesthetic agent). In most cases it can be administered via two types of injection:

1. Intravenous

With this method the drug takes effect very rapidly. The animal will experience a moment of euphoria, due to the “high” humans experience from barbiturates. Your pet will then feel very sleepy and then its brain will stop all functions. Often, by the time the doctor has finished the injection, the animal has already passed. Occasionally the pet will give a little gasp or a mild twitch after it has died. These rare events are the body’s final electrical and chemical activities. They do not indicate pain or distress, since brain death has occurred. We know it can be unpleasant to observe but rest assured your pet is dead at this point and no longer aware of anything.

2. Intraperitoneal

This method can be used in cats but not in dogs. The drug is injected into the abdominal cavity. This rarely causes any significant discomfort, only the small pinching sensation of an injection, and the pet simply falls asleep. Because the drug is absorbed through the lining of the abdomen this method is much slower than the intravenous method; ten minutes or more may pass before the patient loses consciousness, with the heart continuing to beat for several minutes more. The I.P. method is a good option for frail elderly cats whose veins might not be easy to find.

€ In either case the doctor will listen to your pet’s chest periodically until the heart has stopped and life has ended.

€ It is not uncommon for anal and urinary sphincters to relax at the time of death, resulting in the release of urine and/or stool. With certain disease conditions or injuries there may also be drainage from other body openings. If you are taking your pet somewhere else for burial, you will want to bring blankets and plastic bags to protect your car’s upholstery.

Finally, please accept our condolences. And please allow yourself to grieve. It is only natural to do so. We get so much love and pleasure from our pets, but we do have to pay a price, all at once, at the end. The pain is great now, but in time your grief will soften and you will be left only with the sweet memories of the love and companionship you and your friend had the great good fortune to share.

Grief Resources:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0+1278+1494&aid=635
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/grieving_pets.htm
http://www.petlossontario.com/

The answer to your question depends on your dog’s age and its lifestyle. Some dogs need vaccines less often, some more often. All need check-ups 1-2 times yearly.

At Hespeler Animal Hospital, we recommend all dogs and cats get an annual physical exam at the very least. Senior pets need check-ups every 6 months. Dogs and cats age 6-7 years for every people year. A lot can happen in that time. Your pet might develop a heart murmur or a dental infection or a skin tumour (cancer). An exam less often means your pet might have advanced disease by the time it comes in for its next check-up. The earlier we detect illness in pets, the better. Especially if we diagnose the problem well before your dog or cat is showing any signs. Animals are good at hiding the fact they are sick, as a way of surviving in the wild, so their owners might not even know there’s a problem until it’s too late to do anything about it. Since we’re here to help your pet have the best quality of life possible and be around as your companion for as long as possible, we’re huge fans of preventative health care!

At the beginning of your pet’s Wellness Visit, we’ll ask you to complete a Lifestyle Questionnaire. Based on your answers, we’ll make recommendations for vaccines, deworming and other preventative care that is customized for your pets and your family. That way your cat or dog gets what it needs, no more and no less.

There are some vaccines that your dog needs once a year and others that can be given less often. Leptospirosis (Lepto) and Bordetella vaccines have a short duration of immunity, so they only last one year. That means they need to be given at least once a year for your dog to be protected from disease. Since Lepto is one of the more common infectious diseases in this part of the country, we include it as part of the core vaccinations for all our canine patients. Bordetella is necessary if your dog goes to boarding kennels, since Kennel Cough is an airborne germ, easily spread if a dog is coughing near other dogs, and so all kennels insist on it before they’ll look after your dog for you.

Other vaccines, such as Canine Distemper and Rabies, have a longer duration of immunity. Once your dog is an adult and has had both the puppy series and a yearly booster at age one and two, the Distemper Combo and Rabies can be given every 2 to 3 years. The Distemper combo vaccine also includes Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus protection. At our clinic, we like a 2 year rotation. Why? Because we feel it’s safer for your family and easier on your dog. With a 3 year rotation, if a family emergency requires you to postpone your dogs’ vaccinations, the rabies protection may not be there if your dog needs it. But, if we vaccinate for rabies every 2nd year, there’s a built-in safety factor for you and your dog. Even if you’re a little late for the booster, your dog still has left-over immunity against the rabies virus.

And, by having the vaccines take turns, we can space the antigens out more evenly so your pet is not getting as many all at once. So, your dog might get Lepto and the Distemper combo for 2012, Lepto and Rabies in 2013, Lepto and Distemper combo in 2014, Lepto and Rabies in 2015, etc. Two year rotations are also easier to track, so it’s less confusing for you and for your pets’ health care team at the clinic.

We’re always very happy to answer any questions you might have about your pets’ innoculations. Please don’t hesitate to call, or you can ask the doctor at the time of your pet’s Wellness Exam.

I don’t think that’s a good idea. Some animals do pass away in their sleep, but unfortunately many more die from organ failure, dehydration, or even starvation because they feel too sick to eat. It may look like they died of old age, but usually it is more complicated than that. I am sure that you would not like to chance that your beloved kitty might be suffering. Weight loss, poor appetite, lethargy and problems walking are not “normal” symptoms of ageing. They may be common in geriatric pets, but these are signs of disease. Conditions such as kidney failure, dental disease, cancer or arthritis can cause animals to eat less, slow down or sleep a lot.

Please take your cat to a veterinarian for an exam and assessment. You might be pleasantly surprised to find out that she has something that can be treated. With proper care, she might even live to be 20 or 22.

Even if she has a condition with a poor prognosis, however, at least a lot can be done to keep her as comfortable as possible for whatever time she has left. And, when the time comes, euthanasia will ensure she leaves this earth peacefully, without pain, and with dignity. I know how hard it is to have to make the decision to euthanize a pet. I’ve had to do it with some of my own animals. It was really tough, even when I knew it was an act of kindness.

Something I see happen all the time in practice is owners of old pets think their animal has a terminal condition when actually there is a lot that can be done. They may have avoided coming in sooner because they didn’t want to hear their cat or dog should be put to sleep, but it turned out that wasn’t what I would have advised at all! Please don’t second guess your veterinarian. Make an appointment for a consultation and find out what your options are before you jump to any conclusions. And please don’t wait so long that it is too late to do anything for your pet any more.

Dental disease is easy to treat, kidney failure can be managed when caught early, some cancers are curable, and there are medications that can alleviate signs of arthritis in pets.

I find it heartbreaking when I see an old dog or cat with irreversible kidney failure or advanced dental disease, when I know so much could have been done if only it had been in for regular check-ups. I feel even worse knowing that pet had probably been feeling pretty yucky for many months or even years before it started to look bad enough for it’s owner to finally bring it in.

While I’m on this topic, I would like to urge all dog and cat owners (especially cat owners because so many of you don’t) to take their pet to a veterinarian for a check-up at least once a year. It doesn’t matter if they never go outdoors, they still need preventative care. Senior animals should go even more often, at least twice yearly.

In January 1990, we had our dog Sam euthanized at your clinic. As a thank you for the compassionate service we received we presented the doctors with a framed loss of pet poem. We just suffered the loss of our dog Goliath and thought of that poem and were wondering if you still had it and could forward the words to the poem to us by e-mail. It would mean a lot to us to be able to read that poem at this time.

Here’s the poem they asked for. If you’ve ever had to euthanize a dog or cat, I think you too will find the message comforting. We’ve read it to many a pet owner, and have made it into a handout we sometimes tuck into our sympathy cards.

A DOG’S PLEA

And, my friend, when I am very old and I no
longer enjoy good health, hearing and sight,
do not make heroic efforts to keep me going.
I am not having any fun. Please see to it that
my life is taken gently. I shall leave this earth
knowing with the last breath I draw that my fate
was always safest in your hands.

As the snow deepens in the Adirondacks, deer will soon be moving toward their winter “yarding areas.” As you may already know, deer leave their summer feeding range as snow depth approaches 15 inches and begin moving toward their wintering areas. Too many deer, however, will not be moving toward their traditional “yarding” areas but rather to human-populated areas. Some deer have learned to raid backyard bird feeders. Some have learned to wait around, eating the homeowner’s lawn trees and shrubs, until they get a free handout.

As a caretaker with a long history of winter deer feeding, I am concerned that “backyard” deer feeders may be doing more harm than good to the deer they are trying to help. Until banned by the Department of Environmental Conservation, the property I caretake for had a 75-plus-year history of winter supplemental deer feeding. I have spent more than 20 years feeding and learning from the wild deer under my feeding charge.

Over the many years of winter feeding, we learned better ways to meet our deer’s nutritional requirements. Some of our learning was through trial and error. But much of what we learned was from our close relationship with Syracuse University and the two graduate students who completed their field study on our property. The first study began as a winter survival and spring dispersal study. The second evolved into a nutritional and feeding behavioral study. Both studies were conducted in the 1990s when we were allowed to winter-feed. Because we had the financial resources to feed responsibly, both in quality and quantity of feed, we also had the manpower to feed large numbers of deer every day from December until spring dispersal. Because of our exceptional feeding program and the large number of deer we were feeding, Syracuse University felt this property was a near-perfect laboratory for deer research. For more than four years, we worked closely with Syracuse U. to gain mutually wanted deer information.

As strange as this next statement may sound, we learned deer can die, will die and do die with a full stomach. You may already know that deer, like cows, are ruminants. They have multiple-chambered stomachs. What you may not know is that deer rely on microorganisms to break down their foods. Because of their microorganisms, deer are browsers, not grazers. Within a given year, from the spring season to the next season and so on, deer will browse on a variety of new seasonal vegetation while still feeding on some older vegetation. This allows the microorganisms within their stomach to adjust slowly from one food source to the newer food source. It may take weeks, however, for the microorganisms to adjust completely to new foods. We soon learned it was best to feed every day once our feeding program began. Feed consistently with the same feeds and in the volumes needed for each deer, every day. I can personally testify that to abruptly change deer foods puts their digestive system into a dilemma, causing problems from bloating to diarrhea.

I have seen deer arriving to our feeding station in late winter that would not survive because their stomach microorganisms could not adjust to our feed quickly enough to prevent starvation. After their deaths, a check of their femur marrow always showed depleted stored fat. Deer rely on stored fats to get them through our long winters when natural browse (or supplemental feeds) is not available. When their stored fat is depleted, there is most often not sufficient time for the deer’s microorganisms to adjust to new foods. So deer can, indeed do, die of starvation with a full stomach.

That is my concern with “backyard” deer feeders. They are unknowingly doing harm, out of uninformed kindness, to the deer they are trying to help. The people I am most concerned about are inconsistent with the foods they feed and inconsistent with the frequency they feed. They may feed apples one day, carrots another, bread and lettuces another day and then go days without feeding. These people need to be informed; the deer they are feeding inconsistently and with inconsistent feeds are most likely the deer to die with full stomachs. And in the meantime, deer will be browsing on any tree or ornamental plant they can reach. Backyard feeders draw deer too close to roads and vehicle traffic, domestic dogs and other human-associated hazards.

The DEC presently prohibits winter supplemental feeding of wild deer, by regulation. The regulation does permit, however, summer food plots and winter cutting of brush and trees, with some restrictions. The regulation specifically bans the feeding of any processed feeds. You should know, some processed feeds may contain mammalian parts from animals with chronic wasting disease (CWD). And processed feeds may be a source for spreading CWD. The regulation unfortunately also bans locally grown corn, alfalfa and all other feeds deer may like.

Until there is winter feeding compromise from Albany DEC, backyard feeders should desist. There is a proper way to winter-feed deer, but it should be legal to feed. Make your feeding concerns known to Sen. Betty Little and DEC Director of Division of Fish and Wildlife Pat Riexinger. Let them know, if you could feed deer, you are willing to feed properly, you are willing to be a volunteer information collector, and you are willing to be a watchful monitor of backyard deer health.

P.S. My friend feeds her deer whole corn and is consistent in visiting them in the winter.

A: Yes, indoor cats need to go see a veterinarian on a regular basis. It is just as important for them as it is for an outdoor cat, or for a dog.

All dogs and cats should have an annual physical exam. This allows for early detection of disease. If caught early, most diseases can be successfully treated, and the prognosis is much better than if the animal is presented once it is showing clinical signs of illness.

In some ways, indoor cats are more prone to disease than outdoor cats. Yes, they are at lower risk for infectious diseases and getting attacked by other animals, but they have a more sedentary lifestyle than outdoor cats. This makes them more susceptible to obesity, diabetes, urinary tract disease, heart disease, and arthritis. Indoor cats are also more prone to behavioural problems and housesoiling. It’s important to identify any of these issues while they are still easy to treat.

And, whether they go outdoors or live inside all of the time, all cats can get dental disease. As many as 70% of cats have periodontal disease by age three. And many cats suffer cavity-like tooth disease called Tooth Resorption or Resorptive Lesions. Dental disease hurts! Most animals do not show signs of oral discomfort, but rather suffer silently. They have the same dental structures that we do, and need dental treatment just like we do. And, not only will they feel better, but they’ll live longer too! Statistics show that dogs and cats who receive regular dental care can expect to live an average of 3 years longer than those who do not!

Most cat owners find it difficult to examine the teeth near the back of their cats’ mouths. That’s just one of the things we will check when your kitty comes in for an exam. We’ll also assess your cats body score (is it at an ideal weight?), listen to the chest with a stethescope, feel the spine and joints, look in the ears and eyes, and examine the skin.

Dogs and cats age approximately 6-7 years for each human year. Taking your cat to the vet every 3 years would the same as you or I getting a check-up once every 20 years. Once a year is the bare recommended minimum, and twice a year preferred for older pets.

In addition, booster vaccinations at prescribed intervals help protect your cat by maintaining a strong resistance to disease. Many of the diseases we inoculate against are very serious and prevention is the only way to avoid death or disabling illness. Many are so contagious that even indoor pets are at risk. They can be exposed to respiratory viruses carried in the air or germs carried on your clothing or shoes. Cats do not have to go outdoors at all to be at risk.

Rabies is a significant human health hazard. Rabies is a frightening disease because it is 100% fatal for humans and for pets. There is post-exposure treatment for exposed individuals before they actually come down with the infection, but once an animal or human is showing clinical signs, there is no cure. Why take a chance with your family’s and your pet’s life with a disease as scary as rabies! That’s why rabies vaccinations are mandatory by law for all dogs and cats in Ontario . That includes indoor cats too. Indoor cats usually get exposed to rabies when a bat gets inside the house, or when they accidentally get let outdoors.

Your indoor cat is an important family member. Why not ensure it gets the very best medical care, and help ensure it lives a long and happy life.