Online Forms
 |
Auburns Getting a Dog Park
How to play safe!
Town & Country Vet Clinic is excited to hear that the city of Auburn will be establishing a new dog park! Dogs that live within city limits aren’t always presented with many opportunities to run off-leash and enjoy themselves safely. Before you take advantage of this new facility, we wanted to highlight some important considerations for dog owners to keep you and your dog safe and able to fully enjoy the experience.
Dog parks are areas where a high volume of dogs can interact closely for a significant period of time. This can be a very enjoyable experience for you and your dog. There are several important steps dog owners should take before going to the dog park to make sure your dog is able to use the park in a safe manner.
Step 1: Scoop your poop! Intestinal parasites are a common problem in spaces that are inhabited by many dogs. Having a yearly fecal exam performed by your veterinarian can detect any intestinal parasites your dog may be harboring. Keeping your dog on a monthly de-worming product such as Heartgard will help protect them from common parasites such as roundworms and hookworms. The easiest way to keep this problem under control is to make sure you are picking up after your dog while in the park. This will help avoid contamination of the environment with unwanted parasites.
Step 2: Keep current on your dog’s vaccinations. Kennel Cough and Distemper are two common respiratory diseases that can easily transfer from one dog to another. Bordetella (Kennel Cough) and Distemper vaccinations are important tools in controlling the severity of these diseases. They may not always provide 100% protection against getting the disease, but will help greatly lessen the severity of symptoms. Dogs are also susceptible to other viruses such as Parvo. Parvo can be shed in the stool prior to a dog becoming sick and may live in the environment for up to 5 years! Parvo vaccine is given in combination with the Distemper vaccine. Canine influenza is another contagious viral disease that has popped up in several areas of the United States over the last few years. There is a vaccine available to help protect your dog against canine influenza. Lastly, many dogs like to swim or may drink water from a natural water source while they are at a dog park. Water can harbor a bacteria known as Leptospira, which is infectious to both dogs and humans. There is a yearly Leptospirosis vaccination available from your veterinarian to help prevent infection with this harmful bacteria. It’s best to have vaccinations completed at least 2 weeks prior to visiting the dog park for protection, if you have a puppy make sure all puppy shots have been performed at least 2 weeks prior to visiting the dog park for the first time.
Step 3: Use a year round Flea and Tick preventative. There is a high load of fleas in the environment around Auburn. Fleas can move from one dog to another easily in a dog park situation. Keeping your dog on a monthly preventative product such as Frontline or Nexgard can help reduce the risk of your dog carrying these pests home, and you having to deal with an infestation. It can take up to three months to completely eliminate fleas from your home!
Step 4: Have fun! Dog parks are great areas for social interaction, both for you and your dog. Many dogs enjoy playing with others, and dog parks can bring community members together to socialize as well. Dog parks are wonderful tools to satisfy your dog’s exercise and socialization needs. If your dog does not get along well with others, or becomes scared in unfamiliar situations, this can turn into a very stressful environment for him/her. Dogs that are stressed or scared may react in ways that you cannot predict leading to an unsafe situation for you, your dog, and others. You know your dog best, evaluate whether this environment will be beneficial or detrimental to your dog’s mental health.
Again, we are thrilled the city of Auburn has decided to create this facility, we want to encourage everyone to utilize and enjoy the dog park to the fullest extent. Following the simple steps outlined above will help make the dog park a safe, fun environment for every dog and every person using it.
Dog parks are areas where a high volume of dogs can interact closely for a significant period of time. This can be a very enjoyable experience for you and your dog. There are several important steps dog owners should take before going to the dog park to make sure your dog is able to use the park in a safe manner.
Step 1: Scoop your poop! Intestinal parasites are a common problem in spaces that are inhabited by many dogs. Having a yearly fecal exam performed by your veterinarian can detect any intestinal parasites your dog may be harboring. Keeping your dog on a monthly de-worming product such as Heartgard will help protect them from common parasites such as roundworms and hookworms. The easiest way to keep this problem under control is to make sure you are picking up after your dog while in the park. This will help avoid contamination of the environment with unwanted parasites.
Step 2: Keep current on your dog’s vaccinations. Kennel Cough and Distemper are two common respiratory diseases that can easily transfer from one dog to another. Bordetella (Kennel Cough) and Distemper vaccinations are important tools in controlling the severity of these diseases. They may not always provide 100% protection against getting the disease, but will help greatly lessen the severity of symptoms. Dogs are also susceptible to other viruses such as Parvo. Parvo can be shed in the stool prior to a dog becoming sick and may live in the environment for up to 5 years! Parvo vaccine is given in combination with the Distemper vaccine. Canine influenza is another contagious viral disease that has popped up in several areas of the United States over the last few years. There is a vaccine available to help protect your dog against canine influenza. Lastly, many dogs like to swim or may drink water from a natural water source while they are at a dog park. Water can harbor a bacteria known as Leptospira, which is infectious to both dogs and humans. There is a yearly Leptospirosis vaccination available from your veterinarian to help prevent infection with this harmful bacteria. It’s best to have vaccinations completed at least 2 weeks prior to visiting the dog park for protection, if you have a puppy make sure all puppy shots have been performed at least 2 weeks prior to visiting the dog park for the first time.
Step 3: Use a year round Flea and Tick preventative. There is a high load of fleas in the environment around Auburn. Fleas can move from one dog to another easily in a dog park situation. Keeping your dog on a monthly preventative product such as Frontline or Nexgard can help reduce the risk of your dog carrying these pests home, and you having to deal with an infestation. It can take up to three months to completely eliminate fleas from your home!
Step 4: Have fun! Dog parks are great areas for social interaction, both for you and your dog. Many dogs enjoy playing with others, and dog parks can bring community members together to socialize as well. Dog parks are wonderful tools to satisfy your dog’s exercise and socialization needs. If your dog does not get along well with others, or becomes scared in unfamiliar situations, this can turn into a very stressful environment for him/her. Dogs that are stressed or scared may react in ways that you cannot predict leading to an unsafe situation for you, your dog, and others. You know your dog best, evaluate whether this environment will be beneficial or detrimental to your dog’s mental health.
Again, we are thrilled the city of Auburn has decided to create this facility, we want to encourage everyone to utilize and enjoy the dog park to the fullest extent. Following the simple steps outlined above will help make the dog park a safe, fun environment for every dog and every person using it.
FREE Smart Phone/Ipad Apps
FREE Smart Phone/IPad Apps:
Town & Country Veterinary Clinic
Heartgard Dose reminder app
Frontline Dose reminder app
Cardalis: for heart failure patients
Revalor
Cattle Market
Cattle Fax
Beef Market
Purina Pet Health
Herd Health
Feedyard Manager
Livestock Calendar
Find a helpful link to the livestock calendar to keep your herd ahead of schedule.http://beef.unl.edu/beefprodcal.shtml#january
All Surgeries are NOT the same!
Town & Country Veterinary Clinic Surgical Procedures
Are all Surgeries the same?
There are many ways of performing a spay or neuter as there are veterinarians on the planet. All spays involve an abdominal incision with the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Most neuters are a simpler procedure involving the removal of the testicles, but a few require entry into the abdomen. Some surgeons use injectable anesthesia with no supplemental oxygen while others use the same inhaled anesthesia you would find in a human surgery suite. Some use expired sutured material given to them by the local hospital or suture from bulk reels while others only use individually packaged suture material purchased new. Some surgeons wear a smock over the top of their coveralls while others only use wear surgical gowns. Some, well, you probably get the idea by now.
At Town and County Veterinary Clinic, we take pride in adhering to the recommendations placed forth by the American Animal Hospital Association. These closely mirror what most veterinarians were taught in school.
Each patient at Town and County Veterinary Clinic receives the upmost care and consideration before a surgical procedure is performed.
Are all Surgeries the same?
There are many ways of performing a spay or neuter as there are veterinarians on the planet. All spays involve an abdominal incision with the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Most neuters are a simpler procedure involving the removal of the testicles, but a few require entry into the abdomen. Some surgeons use injectable anesthesia with no supplemental oxygen while others use the same inhaled anesthesia you would find in a human surgery suite. Some use expired sutured material given to them by the local hospital or suture from bulk reels while others only use individually packaged suture material purchased new. Some surgeons wear a smock over the top of their coveralls while others only use wear surgical gowns. Some, well, you probably get the idea by now.
At Town and County Veterinary Clinic, we take pride in adhering to the recommendations placed forth by the American Animal Hospital Association. These closely mirror what most veterinarians were taught in school.
Each patient at Town and County Veterinary Clinic receives the upmost care and consideration before a surgical procedure is performed.
- PHYSICAL EXAM
- Each patient undergoes a thorough physical exam to identify any underlying disease that may complicate the surgical procedure and place the patient at risk during anesthesia.
- BLOODWORK
- Each patient receives appropriate blood work to ensure that those organ functions we can?t exam from the outside are considered as well.
- INDIVIDUALIZED ANESTHETIC PROTOCOL
- Each patient receives an anesthetic protocol specific to their individual needs. Developed for the patient based on history, physical exam findings, age, breed, temperament, type of procedure and comorbidities.
- INTRAVENOUS CATHETER
- This allows us to provide intra-op fluid therapy. This also provides a direct vascular route in case of emergency
- PREOPERATIVE MEDICATION
- Preoperative medications are provided to help ease the patient into the general anesthesia this helps to reduce stress and the amount of medication needed during the procedure. Sometimes pain medication is administered at this time so it will be working during and after the surgery.
- GENERAL ANESTHESIA
- After the preoperative medications are working patients are induced with an intravenous agent then intubated and placed on gas with oxygen support. The patient is then prepared for surgery by shaving and sterile preparation of the incision site. After the patient is prepared for surgery they are transferred to the OR.
- Only the surgeon and monitoring technician are allowed, in the OR suite during the procedure. This ensures the cleanest environment possible and decreases the amount of air flow through the room which could hold dirt or pathogen.
- SURGICAL RECOVERY
- Following the surgery, the monitoring technician stays with the patient until they are extubated and returned to a recovery kennel. There is constant monitoring through the recovery process so that the best comfort level can be achieved for the patient. If the patient did not receive their pain medication prior to surgery pain mediation will be administered at this time.
- RETURNING HOME
- Most patients are discharged the same day with written discharge instructions and appropriate medications as needed.
- PHYSICAL EXAM
Preventative Care Exams
|
|
Because, Town and Country Veterinary Clinic, wants to keep your pet as healthy as possible for as long as possible we recommend biannual preventative care exams. The following several reasons, why we feel so strongly about this recommendation.
- Regular preventative care exams are one of the most important things you can do to keep your pet healthy.
- The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the AVMA recommends annual preventative care exams at a minimum and as your pet ages, they suggest an increase in frequency of visits.
- It allows us your regular veterinarian to evaluate your pet?s general health and become aware of any health problems early, which in some cases can significantly change the outcome.
- We may also wish to perform diagnostic tests, including blood tests and/or x-rays, to evaluate your pet?s health, when needed.
- It allows us to Avoid Giving Several Vaccinations at one Time, which can increase the risk for vaccination side effects.
- A thorough history, which can help us identify past, current, or future needs of your pet, identify and help with behavior modification if needed, and give you advise on a quality, balanced diet.
- Comprehensive physical examination: dental assessment, pain assessment, body condition scoring, and muscle condition scoring.
- An assessment of your pets overall health.
- Annual heartworm testing in accordance with AAHA, AVMA, and AHS (American Heartworm Society)
- Cats should receive annual Retrovirus testing (FELV/FIV)
- Annual internal parasite testing
- Monthly Flea and Tick preventative
- Immunization with core vaccinations
- Appropriate identification
- Reproductive and Genetic recommendations
- Education about zoonotic diseases ?diseases humans can get from their pets?
- Dental cleanings as needed
- Pets over the age of 6 should have annual blood work.
