Pet First Aid

VPI Pet Insurance has a brochure entitled: “First Aid for Your Pet”, as part of its Pet Well Care Education Series.

Their tips include:

1)    Stay calm when you realize that your pet is ill or injured.

2)    Focus on keeping your pet stable and calm while you prepare to move your pet to your veterinary clinic.

3)    Try to assess your pet’s body temperature.  (Tips available at http://petinsurance.com/healthzone)

4)    Survey, Secure, Stat! 

a.     Survey your pet for broken bones, burns, external bleeding or internal bleeding. 

b.    Secure your pet

c.    Get your pet to the emergency vet clinic immediately.

When in doubt – call your veterinarian to assess the severity of your pet’s health. 

These tips are care of Veterinary Pet Insurance Company.  Need a copy of this brochure?  Visit Shank Animal Hospital at 3225 Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, or visit VPI Pet Insurance for more tips at http://petinsurance.com/healthzone. 

Ear Infections Most Common Ailment for Dogs in 2010

VPI Pet insurance released the top 10 “most common causes of veterinary visits in 2009”.   Posted on Dogchannel.com, the article is entitled “Dog Ear Infections Top Cause of Vet Visits”.  Click here to read the article. 

VPI, Veterinary Pet Insurance, provides pet health insurance for dogs and cats.  The company claims that it receives over a million claims a year for treatment for cats and dogs. 

The Top 10 Most Common Conditions were:

1)    Ear Infection

2)    Skin Allergy

3)    Skin Infections/Hot Spots

4)    Gastritis/Vomiting

5)    Enteritis/Diarrhea

6)    Bladder Infection

7)    Arthritis

8)    Soft Tissue Trauma

9)    Non-Cancerous Tumor

10) Eye Infection

In terms of expenses, the most expensive condition for dogs was a non-cancerous tumor ($335 per visit), and for cats was periodontitis/dental disease ($360 per visit). Ear infections accounted for nearly 68,000 claims for dogs.  The average vet bill was $100.  Urinary tract infections accounted for the majority of claims for cats, which can account for a vet bill of around $260.

Regular physical exams are recommended, and there are other tips that can help you maintain your pet’s health on an ongoing basis.  Check out our Shank Animal Hospital website and blog to view videos and to obtain ideas to keep your pet healthy. 

Shank Animal Hospital is a full-service veterinary animal care clinic.  Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Shank Animal Hospital has served dogs and cats in South Florida since 1973.

Shank Animal Hospital Suggests Care Credit to South Florida Clients

http://carecredit.comShank Animal Hospital recognizes that many of our clients are struggling in the current recession.  For this reason, we have added Care Credit to our website.  We encourage all dog and cat owners to enroll in Care Credit in order to control the cost of caring for your pet!

Click here for more information.

Shank Animal Hospital is a full-service, Fort Lauderdale-based veterinary clinic that has been located in South Florida since 1973.  Call 954-564-1263 or email admin@shank-animal-hospital.com with any questions about your pet.

The Importance of Spaying and Neutering in 2010

 Spaying and Neutering pets is part of responsible pet ownership. Pets that have not been spayed or neutered can threaten the overall pet population and must be carefully controlled.  Individually, pet owners must make the decision to spay or neuter their pets -- spaying and neutering are very common surgeries that are economical methods of controlling your pet and the overall pet population. 

Each year, up to 8 million homeless pets and unwanted litters fill animal shelters.  Some are adopted, but many pets are euthanized.  Continuous reproduction creates a pet overpopulation problem. 

Spaying and neutering are surgical processes where reproductive organs are removed.  For female animals, spaying is called an “ovariohysterectomy”.  For males, neutering is an “orchiectomy”.  Spaying and neutering are 100% effective methods of birth control for dogs and cats and the two most common sterilization methods.  There is very low incidence of complication, and often, will improve the quality of a dog or cat’s life. 

Most animals can be spayed or neutered as early as four- to six-months of age.  However, each animal should be individually assessed by a veterinarian with regard to breed, age, and overall health condition.

General Benefits of Spaying and Neutering:

- Prevents unwanted litters, animals

- Eliminates behavioral problems associated with mating instinct

- Economical birth control method

Health benefits (females)

-       Reduces reproductive system cancers

-       Reduces uterine infections

-       Fewer hormonal changes

-       Prevention of mammary tumors

-       Prevention of uterine cancer

-       Prevention of ovarian cancer

-       Prevention of testicular cancer

-       Eliminates actions of being “in heat” – blood stains, behavioral problems

Health benefits (males)

-       Exhibit milder temperament

-       Exhibit better behavior (often less aggressive)

-       Prevention of testicular cancer

-       No longer “mark” territory in house

-       Less likelihood of escaping

-       Less chance of prostate disease

Sources:

The Humane Society of the United States

(AVMA) American Veterinary Medical Association
(FVMA) Florida Veterinary Medical Association

Shank Animal Hospital will be offering a $15 credit toward the next vet visit for all clients that wish to spay or neuter their pet in 2010.  If interested, click here to Contact Us.

Shank Animal Hospital proudly serves the Ft Lauderdale and Broward County areas.  Visit our website at http://shank-animal-hospital.com to learn more about our full-service animal hospital and veterinary services.