Play With Your Pet

When was the last time you spent some play time with your pet? Your pet thinks very highly of you and looks at time with you as the most important time in their day. Throw your dog a bone, and give them some much-desired playtime with you today!

Did You Know???

Did you know…dogs can smell 44 times better than humans! Can you even imagine how amazing a steak must smell to a dog?

Pets & Insects

It's time to go outdoors with your pet and check out all flowers and plants. Make sure to keep an eye on your pet in case a bee decides he doesn't want your pet to get up close and personal. There are all sorts of flying critters out in the garden, so make sure your pet is protected from allergic reactions to insect bites or stings. Protect your pet so you both can enjoy the summer season together!

Pet Friendly Treat Recipe

1

MASH banana

STIR WITH peanut butter - stir in wheat germ - throw in the 1/4 c. chopped peanuts

Make sure items are mixed up well.

2

CHILL for one hour.

3

PLACE in container serving size, or ice cube tray, and store in freezer until ready to serve.

Pets In Cars

Summertime is almost here and that means a wonderful time to be outdoors and enjoy longer days with our pets, but caution is advised; danger lurks on these bright beautiful days. Driving around, parking, and leaving your pet in the car for "just a minute" can be deadly. Just a few minutes in a car during the summer months can raise the temperature to as much as 120 degrees -- even with the windows cracked.

June is Social PETworking Month

June is Social PETworking Month! This is a month designated to help pair families with homeless pets. The campaign allows Facebook, MySpace and Twitter addicts to put their hours online to good use by advertising adoptable pets to their networks to help get them seen and into loving homes. So if you know of any pets in need of good homes, take to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and get the word out this June!

5 Items in Your Purse That Could Poison Your Pet

You’ve probably dog-proofed your house…but have you thought about what’s in your purse? Did you know that there are 5 items in your purse that could poison your canine companion?

Here’s a look at the top five most hazardous handbook contents:

Sugarless chewing gum and breath mints

Many women carry chewing gum in their purses and don’t realize that, if ingested by a dog, it can be fatal. Most sugarless gums, including some Trident™, Orbit™, and Ice Breaker™ brands, contain xylitol, a sweetener that is toxic to dogs. Some sugarless mints and flavored multi-vitamins may also be made with xylitol. When ingested, even small amounts of xylitol can result in a life-threatening and rapid drop in blood sugar, and if large amounts are ingested, dogs can suffer from severe liver failure. Signs of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, collapse, tremors and seizures.

Human medications
Many purses contain pill bottles and dispensers. They are irresistible to some dogs, as they resemble toys that rattle. Each year, nearly half of the calls to Pet Poison Helpline concern ingestions of potentially toxic human medications. Common drugs including NSAIDs (e.g. Advil®, Aleve® and Motrin®), acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol®) and antidepressants (e.g. Effexor®, Cymbalta®, Prozac®) can cause serious harm to dogs and cats when ingested. NSAIDs such as Advil can cause stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure, especially in cats. A single Tylenol tablet containing acetaminophen can be fatal to a cat, and in dogs, a larger ingestion can lead to severe liver failure. Of all medications, antidepressants account for the highest number of calls to Pet Poison Helpline, and can cause neurological problems like sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors and seizures.
Asthma inhalers (albuterol)

While asthma inhalers are often used in veterinary medicine for cats and dogs, when accidentally chewed and punctured by dogs, they can cause severe, life-threatening, acute poisoning. Because inhalers often contain concentrated doses (often 200 doses in one small vial) of beta-agonist drugs (e.g., albuterol) or steroids (e.g., fluticasone), dogs that chew into them are exposed to massive amounts of the drugs all at once. This can lead to severe poisoning, resulting in life-threatening heart arrhythmias, agitation, vomiting, collapse and death.

Cigarettes

As few as three cigarettes can be fatal to a small dog, depending on the strength or “lightness” of the cigarettes. After ingestion, clinical signs of distress can become apparent in as little as 15 minutes. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and even gum (Nicorette®) contain nicotine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. Exposure causes high heart and respiratory rates, neurological overstimulation, uncontrolled urination/defecation, tremors, seizures, paralysis and death.

Hand Sanitizer

In recent years, hand sanitizer has become a common item in millions of handbags. Many hand sanitizers claim to kill almost 100 percent of germs, and this possible because they contain high amounts of alcohol (ethanol) – sometimes up to 95 percent. Therefore, when a dog ingests a small bottle of hand sanitizer, it can have the same effect as a shot of hard liquor. This can cause a severe drop in blood sugar, incoordination, a drop in body temperature, neurological depression, coma and death.

Whether you are the host or a guest at a holiday party, be sure that purses are placed in a safe location and out of the reach of pets. When in doubt, hang it up.

Pet of the Month: Quite

Quite is our April Pet of the Month. He lives here permanently at Pets First Veterinary Center. He is a fun cat to have around the clinic. Quite is also our permanent greeter and is always going on adventures outside and constantly keeping us entertained. Come say hi to him and I'm sure you will leave with a smile!

Pets & Cookouts

The weather is getting warmer and many people are firing up their grills for burgers, hotdogs, steaks and ribs. Dogs love the smell of meat, and some dogs will do anything to get some for themselves. Knowing this, it's important to use extra caution around the grill during cooking. Remember, your dog won't use caution about which part of the meat he eats if he grabs a piece, and swallowed bones could mean injury, or even death. It's just not worth it! Keep Fido inside during the grilling festivities.

Employee of the Month-MICHELLE

Michelle is our April Employee of the Month. She has been working here for about two months and is a blessing to have at our clinic. Michelle graduated from Michigan State University, majoring in Veterinary Technology with a minor in Zoology. She is enthusiastic and a joy to be around! We are very excited to have her as a part of our team!

Pets & Easter Chocolate

Chocolate is delicious to most of us, but for your pet, it's a different story. Chocolate can contain high amounts of fat and methylxanthines (a caffeine-like ingredient), which can cause flu-like symptoms in your pet if eaten. Some of these symptoms could include vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, seizures and in severe cases it can be fatal. Avoid endangering the life of your pet...give them pet-safe treats instead!

Pet of the Month

Buster is our pet of the month!  He is one of our rescues we received from Animal Care Services. We have had Buster for quite a while and we are looking for his forever home. He is a fun loving dog and very sweet. Potty trained and well behaved.  Please come by and take a look at him. I promise you will fall in love!

Tomorrow is 'If Pets Had Thumbs Day'

Pet of the Month-Little Man

This is Little Man! He is our January Pet of the Month! He is the cutest three month old King Charles Dachshund mix ever. His eyes will melt your heart! 

Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips

Pet of the Month-Wally

Our Pet of the Month is Wally! Wally is a 2-year old possible Chihuahua/Dachshund mix weighing just 12 lbs. (Small enough to easily carry around in your arms!) Wally is being fostered here at Pets First Veterinary Center. Dr. Meadows rescued Wally in his "11th hour" from San Antonio's Animal Care Services. Wally is an ADORABLE and PRECIOUS little dog!! He is cuteness personified. He is a cuddlebug, lovable, affectionate and loves attention. He is also very good with other dogs. Little Wally will make a perfect little pet! He has been neutered, he is current on vaccinations and he is microchipped. For adoption information and to arrange to meet sweet Wally, please contact the staff at Pets First Veterinary Center by calling (210) 349-9393. 

Wackiest Pet Names of 2011

Ozzy Pawsbourne and Almost-A-Dog top this year's list of quirkiest monikers.
Fido, Spot or Fluffy? For some peculiar pet owners, these names are just too traditional. Although "Bella" and "Max" currently lead the pack as the nation's most popular pet names, thousands of other four-legged friends have much more distinctive names.


So drumroll, please... the 10 Most Unusual Dog and Cat Names for 2011:
Dogs

1. Almost-A-Dog
2. Franco Furter
3. Stinkie Mcstinkerson
4. Sir Seamus McPoop
5. Audrey Shepburn
6. Dewey Decimell
7. Knuckles Capone
8. Beagle Lugosi
9. Shooter Mclovin
10. Uzi Duzi-Du

Cats

1. Ozzy Pawsbourne
2. Mr. Meowgi
3. Murderface
4. Fuglee
5. Scruffernutter
6. Corporal Cuddles
7. Cat Masterson
8. Spam
9. Tape W. Orm
10. Louisiana Purchase

Employee of the Month

This is Derling our Employee of the Month!  He is one of our new team members here at Pets First!  He has been working as a veterinary technician for over two years and we were lucky enough for him to find his way to Pets First! His hard work and fun loving spirit bring a lot to our clinic and we are lucky to have him here!

Pets and Fireworks

Fourth of July is one firecracker of a day, but maybe not for your pet. We recommend keeping your pet away from sparklers and other fireworks that may be ingested. Please remember their sensitive ears during those firework displays. We can give you suggestions about how to reduce your pet’s anxiety to loud firecrackers. We want you and your pet to enjoy safe summer holidays.

 

Did You Know...

Did you know that Sir Isaac Newton, who first described the principle of gravity, also invented the swinging cat door for the convenience of his many cats? The story goes that Newton, working on laboratory light experiments, was repeatedly foiled by unwanted light from a cat pushing open a door. Not wanting to banish the cat, Newton cut a hole in the door, and attached a piece of felt to block out unwanted light. Since Newton and the cat were now happy, the world's first cat flap solved the light problem nicely. Do you have a Cat Flap in your home for your feline friend? If so, you have Sir Isaac Newton to thank!