Wishing you a Happy and Blessed Easter!

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International Cat Day was created to celebrate the friendship between humans and cats, and to advocate for the safety and well-being of cats. Cats bring joy into the lives of so many people, so today is about celebrating them! Celebrate with us! Send us a selfie of your kitty, so we can share it with others! Adopt a homeless cat from the local shelter this month and receive a free physical exam for your new companion. All this week, all feline annual or semiannual exams are $10 off. Call to schedule your appointment today!

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July 31st is National Mutt Day!   This special day was created to be celebrated on two dates per year, to raise awareness of the plight of mixed breed dogs in shelters around the nation, as approximately 80% of dogs in shelters are mixed breeds. Our mission is to educate you about the sea of mixed breed dogs that desperately await new homes, and to celebrate the amazing characteristics that the mix of breeds creates in each individual dog.   Mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier, better behaved, to live longer and are just as able to perform the duties of purebred dogs – such as bomb and drug sniffing, search and rescue and guiding the blind. There are millions of loving and healthy mixed breed dogs sitting in shelters, who are desperately searching for a new home. If you are looking for another furry canine friend, please consider adopting from the shelter.    Send us a selfie and tell us about your marvelous mutt today!

If you’ve been by the clinic in the past week or so, you’ve probably noticed a new face around the office. We’re so pleased and excited to welcome Kaitlyn Coggins-O’Neal to the YAH family!

Kaitlyn  has always had passion for animals. At a young age, she could be seen helping her mother rescue kittens or tending a small livestock farm with her father. During her time as a child and in the professional field, Kaitlyn has gained valuable experience with animals from all walks of life. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband,Tyler, and their four-legged children: Peppers, Bella, Wookie, & Callie. Kailtyn also enjoys reading, fishing and volunteering at animal shelters or farms. She is very excited to help the pets of the community as she grows and learns with the YAH family.

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Now YAH goes with you anywhere and everywhere with our new app! Download it today from the Google Play or Apple App stores. You can make appointments, order food and prescriptions, and even have a little fun by uploading pics and selfies of you and your furbabies. That’s the best part!

To download from either the Google Play or Apple App Stores, simply search for ‘Youngsville Animal Hospital” and you’ll have YAH right at your fingertips!

July is dedicated to bring attention to lost pets. Here are some sobering statistics:

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Did you know that more pets go missing over the 4th of July than any other time of the year? But the big booms of those fireworks aren’t the only reason that your furbaby may end up missing.

Lost pets instances also increase when a pet is adopted into a new home for the first time. One of the biggest challenges that new adoptive pet owners face is that many times a pet coming into a new household might be intimidated, nervous, and also curious. If they find a way to get out and explore, they will. Make sure your home is escape proof and monitor the pet more closely until they feel safe in their new surroundings. Doing your research and making sure you know the best ways to prevent your pet from getting lost is a big part of being a responsible pet parent.  

If you adopt a feline, keep them indoors. That is the safest way to take care of your cat. In addition, be sure to have your feline microchipped. It is not recommended to keep collars on indoor cats, unless they are break-away collars that have been safety tested. However, make sure that you know the most common scenarios of lost cats, as they differ from dogs. All dogs should be microchipped and should have a collar with an external ID tag. We all know that accidents happen: somebody leaves a door or a gate open, and the dog just might run out for whatever reason. We can expedite getting them home if they have a proper ID tag on their collar. But in the event that comes off, the microchip will help get their pet safely home.

Know the facts and of course YAH is here to help! We offer guidance and therapies for animals that exhibit anxiety, and of course we offer and recommend microchipping your pets for identification purposes.

The Wake Weekly “Best of the Best” voting is up for this year and we’re asking your help – vote for YAH for the area’s best veterinarian! It’s simple – click on this link: https://wakeweekly.com/bestofthebest/#/gallery?group=350153 Simply scroll down to Best Veterinarian and click on Youngsville Animal Hospital.

You can also scan the QR code and be taken to the same website, it’s that simple!

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Vote once a day as many times as you’d like up to July 31st. Don’t forget your other favorite area businesses while you’re there! As always we thank you for your support!

We’re back this week for our annual 4th of July blog highlighting some safety tips for your animals around fireworks.  Let’s also not forget how hot it’s been the past few days, so later this week we’ll talk a bit more about pet safety in these steamy summer months.  We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday week this week, Happy 244th Birthday America!

SAFETY DURING JULY 4TH CELEBRATIONS:

• Leave your pets at home when you go to parties, fireworks displays, parades and other gatherings. Loud fireworks, unfamiliar places and crowds can all be very frightening to pets, and there’s great risk of pets becoming spooked and running away.
• Consider putting your pets in a safe, escape-proof room or crate during parties and fireworks.
• Keep horses and livestock in safely fenced areas and as far from the excitement and noise as possible.
• If you’re hosting guests, ask them to help keep an eye on your pets to make sure they don’t escape. Placing notes on exit doors and gates can help both you and your guests remain vigilant.
• Keep your pets inside if you or your neighbors are setting off fireworks.
• Keep sparklers, glow sticks, fireworks, charcoal and kabob skewersaway from curious pets.
• Don’t let pets get near your barbecue grill while it is in use or still hot.
• Avoid the urge to feed your pets table scraps or other foods intended for people. Be especially careful to keep them away from these common foods that are actually toxic.
• Remember that too much sun and heat (and humidity!) can be dangerous to pets. Keep them inside when it’s extremely hot/humid; make sure they have access to shady spots and plenty of water when outdoors; don’t leave them outside for extended periods in hot weather; and know the signs that a pet may be overheating.
• Never leave your pet in your car when it’s warm outside. Vehicle interiors heat up much faster than the air around them, and even a short time in a locked car can be dangerous to pets.
• If you’re travelling out of town for the holiday, consider leaving your pets at home with a pet sitter or boarding them in a kennel. If you need to bring them with you, be sure you know how to keep them safe.
• Follow safe food handling and hygiene practices to protect your family and guests.

(Taken from: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/keep-pets-safe-heat)

The summer months can be uncomfortable—even dangerous—for pets and people. It’s difficult enough simply to cope with rising temperatures, let alone thick humidity, but things really get tough in areas that are hit with the double blow of intense heat and storm-caused power outages, sometimes with tragic results.

We can help you keep your pets safe and cool this summer. Follow our tips for helping everyone in your family stay healthy and comfortable when the heat is on (and even if the power isn’t).

PRACTICE BASIC SUMMER SAFETY

Never leave your pets in a parked car

Not even for a minute. Not even with the car running and air conditioner on. On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die. Learn how to help a pet left inside a hot car by taking action or calling for help. Local law enforcement can follow this handy guide (PDF) on how to proceed.

Print our hot car flyer and spread the life-saving word. Download the PDF

WATCH THE HUMIDITY

“It’s important to remember that it’s not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity that can affect your pet,” says Dr. Barry Kellogg, VMD, of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. “Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly.”

Taking a dog’s temperature will quickly tell you if there is a serious problem. Dogs’ temperatures should not be allowed to get over 104 degrees. If your dog’s temperature does, follow the instructions below for treating heat stroke.

Pet Cooling Items on Amazon.com

LIMIT EXERCISE ON HOT DAYS

Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours, and be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, who are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets, who typically have difficulty breathing. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible. Always carry water with you to keep your dog from dehydrating.

DON’T RELY ON A FAN

Pets respond differently to heat than humans do. (Dogs, for instance, sweat primarily through their feet.) And fans don’t cool off pets as effectively as they do people.

PROVIDE AMPLE SHADE AND WATER

Any time your pet is outside, make sure they have protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. In heat waves, add ice to water when possible. Tree shade and tarps are ideal because they don’t obstruct air flow. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat—in fact, it makes it worse.

COOL YOUR PET INSIDE AND OUT

Whip up a batch of quick and easy DIY peanut butter popsicles for dogs. (You can use peanut butter or another favorite food.) And always provide water, whether your pets are inside or out with you.

Keep your pet from overheating indoors or out with a cooling body wrap, vest or mat (such as the Keep Cool Mat). Soak these products in cool water, and they’ll stay cool (but usually dry) for up to three days. If your dog doesn’t find baths stressful, see if they enjoy a cooling soak.

WATCH FOR SIGNS OF HEATSTROKE

Extreme temperatures can cause heatstroke. Some signs of heatstroke are heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure and unconsciousness.

Animals are at particular risk for heat stroke if they are very old, very young, overweight, not conditioned to prolonged exercise, or have heart or respiratory disease. Some breeds of dogs—like boxers, pugs, shih tzus and other dogs and cats with short muzzles—will have a much harder time breathing in extreme heat.

HOW TO TREAT A PET SUFFERING FROM HEATSTROKE

Move your pet into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to their head, neck and chest or run cool (not cold) water over them. Let them drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Take them directly to a veterinarian.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES

Before a summer storm takes out the power in your home, create a disaster plan to keep your pets safe from heat stroke and other temperature-related trouble.

To our members of the military, active and veterans, we say THANK YOU for your service and wish everyone a blessed Memorial Day.   As we enjoy friends and family today, we ask you to take a moment to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  God Bless this great nation we call home.

Our final installment of our National Pet Week blog series wraps it all up – You’ve invested in your pets for the love of a lifetime, we know you want to do the same for them. Thanks to better care, pets are living longer now than they ever have before—and as pets get older, they need extra care and attention. Regular veterinary examinations can detect problems in older pets before they become advanced or life-threatening. They also can improve your pet’s chances for a longer and healthier life. Learn what’s “normal” and what may signal a reason for concern about an aging pet.

As pets age, senior care becomes all that more important for them, just like us humans. YAH offers a range of senior care programs that can be best suited to your pet individually. Call us any time to discuss! Also check out this link from the AVMA about senior pet care: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/senior-pets

We hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s blog series, as true celebration of what makes our pets so special to us!