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Save your Sanity and Save Money
Contents:
Events My House is Not a Litter Box
- pee outside the litter box? - poop outside the box? - pee or poop next to the box? - cry when getting in or out of the box?
Attend Dr. Foote's talk about helping cats use the litter box. You will learn how to prevent litter box problems. Learn how to help your cat who is peeing and/or pooping outside the box. She will be at Prairieland Feeds in Savoy on Sunday May 22nd from 2 - 3 pm.
This talk is open to all pet lovers. Please invite your friends!
Please RSVP by May 21st. You can email us at okawvetstaff@mchsi.com or call us at (217) 253-3221.
This talk is for humans only. Please leave your pets at home.
Thunderstorm Nightmares No More The other night, I awoke to a pant, pant, pant right in my face from Butterscotch our beloved lab mix. As usual, he was anxious from the lightening and thunder that was booming outside. I realized that his DAP collar was due for renewal but at 2 am I was not going to go running off to the clinic to get a new one. So, rather than going out in my pj's, I decided to use some of the calming techniques that work for Butter. These techniques can help your dog too and are worth trying.
Whenever you have a pet, it is a good idea to at least think about who will take this pet on in the event you are not able to care for it. When elderly people have pets, this is especially important. It is common for older people to have sudden changes in their health necessitating that someone take over the care of this pet. Adult pets are the most difficult for a shelter or rescue to find a new home for. People want to adopt a young puppy or kitten more often than an older pet. So, before there is a need, ask your family members or friends if they would be able to take this pet on. Sometimes we assume that a son or daughter will automatically adopt this pet, but that may not be possible. Assuming your veterinarian will be able to home this pet is also not very realistic. Veterinarians can help in the effort, but are not as well networked even as the shelter for finding a new home. Finding a new home takes time. It may take a month or two depending on the age of this pet, and any health problems this pet may have. Sometimes it does not take as long. Think of the family members or friends who already know and like this pet. If they cannot take this pet on, they can help broaden the search for a new home. If there is someone identified, be sure that all the family members involved in the senior's care know about it. Put that person's name and contact information somewhere that is easy to find. It is a good idea to make up a list of medications and dates of care so the new owner can keep up with the Pet's health care. If possible, update the Pet's care so the initial cost is not a burden on the new owner. To make the transition easier on the pet, have the same bed, food, food bowls, time of day of feeding, walking schedule and other routines the same. Dogs especially thrive on routine. Cats need to have the routine maintained also.
May 15-21st is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Here are some tips to help you, your kids, grandkids and pets stay safe. 1. Always ask before petting a dog. 2. Take your dog on walks around the neighborhood, trips to the pet store, trips to friends and other places to expose him or her to new places and people. 3. Take your dog to training classes, dog parks, dog daycare and other places to expose him or her to new dogs. 4. Never leave a child unattended with a dog. Even the friendliest, smallest dogs can bite. 5. Keep your dog vaccinated against Rabies. Rabies vaccines are due every year or three years, depending on which vaccine your pet receives. 6. If your dog seems scared, get him or her out of that situation. Dogs can bite when they are scared. 7. Never pet a stray dog. 8. Never run away from an unknown dog. Always walk away. Running may trigger a dog to chase and attack. 9. Never corner a dog so it does not have a way to escape. He or she may bite or attack to escape.
Fast Facts 4.7 MILLION people are bit by dogs EVERY year in this country. Children ages 5 - 9 are most at risk for being bitten, especially boys this age. The second group most at risk are senior citizens. Most of the bites seen in children were to the head and neck. Most of the bites seen in adults were to the arms and legs.
How You Can Help Wild Baby Animals
In springtime wild critters emerge from their winter hideaways and before you know it, baby animal season is here. When you go out to enjoy the warmer weather, you may hear the peeps of baby birds high up in the trees, or the little chirps of baby rabbits hiding in their nests of grass. But, wait! You see no sign of the mother. You begin to worry about the helpless little ones. You sit on your porch, waiting for the mother to return. After several hours with no sign of the mother, you conclude that these animals must be orphaned. What can you do to save them? According to Anne Rivas, a veterinary student and co-manager of the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, approximately half of the "orphaned" animals brought to the wildlife clinic are perfectly healthy. Some of these animals have been removed from their nest to avoid such dangers as the family pet or tree removal. But unfortunately, well-meaning people often "kidnap" baby animals that are being cared for by their parents. Why don't you see the mother? It's because mothers in the wild instinctively try to protect their nests. That means not drawing attention to the area where the newborns lie. If the mother detects that her nest is being watched by a potential predator (even a human standing at a distance), she will stay away from the nest completely until the coast is clear. If you would like to ensure that the mother visits the nest to feed her babies, it is best to watch from afar (completely out of sight) for 4 to 6 hours. In fact, even without the prospect of danger, mother rabbits normally spend no more than 5 minutes at their nest per day. If you find a baby animal out of its nest, however, this is a time when you can take action to help the newborn! What to do depends on the age of the animal. Young birds with feathers are likely fledglings that may be ready to leave the nest even though they are not yet fully able to fly. If the bird is featherless, it needs to go back to its nest as soon as possible. For baby mammals, age is more difficult to estimate and depends on the species. The most commonly found baby mammal is the wild rabbit. If the rabbit is about the size of a tennis ball, looks just like a miniature form of its adult counterpart, and is able to hop around, then it is old enough to survive on its own. If the baby animal appears too young to survive on its own, it is very important to remember that any baby animal's best chance for survival is with its mother. "Even in the best possible scenarios, humans will be nowhere near as proficient in care for these delicate little animals as their mothers will. Survival rates for animals raised in captivity can be significantly lower than those raised in a natural setting," Rivas says. There is also a risk that the baby animal will "imprint" on humans, meaning that it will no longer have a fear of humans. In order for the animal to have a good chance of being successfully returned to the wild, it needs to maintain a healthy fear of humans to avoid harm to itself and to people. This is particularly true for raccoons, deer, and birds, who may pose a risk if they approach people once they are returned to the wild. Contrary to popular belief, it is not true that the mother won't feed a baby that has been touched by human hands. If a baby animal has fallen or been removed from its nest, you can certainly pick up the baby and return it to its nest if possible. If you are unable to find the nest or the nest is no longer intact, you can place the baby in a shallow box with grass and place it near where the baby was found (in a tree for birds, on the ground for baby mammals). Then, out of sight, you can once again monitor the make-shift nest for the mother to return. Unfortunately, you may also find a baby animal that is injured. According to Rivas, "If the animal appears to have broken a bone, is very cold, is bleeding, or has been attacked by a predator, the baby animal needs medical attention." There are many wildlife rehabilitators throughout the country who know how to care for an injured baby animal and ready it for release back into the wild once it has healed. To find a wildlife rehabilitator, you can call your state wildlife agency, a local veterinarian, humane societies, Audubon societies, animal control officers, or the US Fish and Wildlife Service. If you are unsure whether an animal is old enough to survive on its own or needs medical attention, then it is best to contact a wildlife rehabilitator before removing it from the area where you found it. "Remember," Rivas stresses, "any baby animal's best chance for survival is with its mother in the wild." If you have any questions about orphaned animals, contact your local veterinarian or visit the website of the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic at vetmed.illinois.edu/wmc/. Veterinary Extension/Office of Public Engagement |
Okaw Veterinary Clinic
140 W. Sale
Tuscola, IL 61953
(217) 253-3221
Fax: (217) 253-3810
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The collars are very helpful to reduce anxiety in dogs. DAP stands for Dog Appeasing Pheromone. This product is the copy cat chemical to the pheromone that the mother dog makes to calm the puppies so they will nurse better. Adult dogs still have active receptors in their brain for the DAP, so the collars work to help them be more calm. The collars last a month, so mark on your calendar when you need to renew them. It can be easy to forget when there is a long stretch without storms as we had. 
The leading reason is pain- when it hurts to urinate or defecate the cat associates that with the litter box since this is where the pain is occurring. So they avoid what they think is causing the pain, seeking out other places. Infections, arthritis, impacted anal glands, constipation are just some reasons for pain and can only be discovered by a veterinary exam. If your cat is not using the box, get your cat to the veterinarian for a complete check up including urine, stool and possible x-ray tests.
