Animal Care Clinic San Luis Obispo Veterinary Hospital

Have you started your New Year’s resolution to exercise and get fit yet? Some of you started and have already quit! During December I wrote about obesity in pets and looked at several feeding strategies to help curb this problem. If you watch the “Biggest Loser” you know that a good fitness program requires exercise. This is true for our pets. Indoor cats are generally far heavier than outdoor cats in the same household, simply due to decreased exercise. As Americans become less active, so do our pets. We owe it to ourselves and our animals to get up and move. Read the rest of this entry »

I hope you had a wonderful day yesterday and are looking forward to an exciting 2010. This year has been difficult for many people and I know many of you are discouraged. We have seen many pet owners struggling to be able to properly care for their beloved pets. I hope that you can reflect on the true meaning of this Christmas season and find hope in the celebration of the birth of Christ. One of my favorite Bible verses is found in the book of Job. Job had lost everything and was miserable, yet he said to his friends “Ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds of the air and they will show you….in His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Read the rest of this entry »

We have been looking at obesity in pets this month. Last week we talked about limiting food intake by feeding meals. Excess snacks can be a big problem for many of our pets, especially dogs. It is natural to want to give your pets treats when they do good things. I find myself wanting to give treats just for being so darn cute! Part of our bond with our pets involves feeding and giving goodies. I cannot ask you to stop giving snacks to your pets, but I do want to ask you to consider the calories in each snack. Dogs and cats know when they should get a treat – it is part of their routine. They also know how many cookies they get each time. If you give Fluffy 3 dog bones at the end of every walk, Fluffy will always expect 3 goodies at the end of her walks. But you can make each snack smaller and use lower calorie snacks. Break your dog bones into small pieces (1/4 piece or smaller), use raw veggies or give a calorie-controlled cookie like a Charlee Bear or Lean Treat. Read the rest of this entry »

You are probably eating more this month than usual. Do you find yourself grazing through Christmas goodies in the employee lunchroom or at parties? When food is easily available, we will eat even if we are not hungry. The same is true for our pets. There are a few animals who manage their calorie intake well when given food free-choice (a bull is always full.) Unfortunately, most American pets do not do well with free choice feeding. Most common pet foods taste real good. Most house pets have far less stimulating lives than those of animals who have to hunt for food. The combination of a little boredom and an enticing bowl of gourmet pet food usually leads to over-eating and thus an overweight pet. Read the rest of this entry »

December is a month of indulgence. It is hard to stay fit when there are cookies, candies and cups of eggnog at every gathering. This seems like a good time to address obesity in pets. Over 80% of dogs and cats seen in US veterinary hospitals are overweight! That makes obesity the most common ailment seen in our hospitals! Pets that are overweight have an increased incidence of heart disease, orthopedic problems, liver disease and diabetes. Obesity in people is known to increase the risk for cancer – the number one killer of dogs and cats in the US. A recent study showed that Labradors fed to an ideal body weight lived an average of 2 years longer than those that were allowed to get overweight. That equates to a 17% longer life! Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been thinking about exercise and diet a lot lately (see why in the next paragraph.) This Monday I saw 5 dogs in a row that were physically fit, and I found myself truly amazed. At least 70-80% of the pets we see each day are overweight. Those that are not carrying extra pounds are rarely getting enough exercise to be truly fit – in fact, our patients that are not overweight are often sick! This is thought to be a reflection of our society. American is the most overweight country in the world. We love our pets dearly, and part of spoiling them seems to include over-indulgence – to their detriment. Read the rest of this entry »

As we prepare for our big Open House and wine tasting Gala on April 6, 2008 I am reminded to warn you that grapes have been shown to be toxic to dogs. While this is a relatively recent discovery, we do know that some dogs will develop kidney failure in response to ingestion of any form of grapes. Dogs should not eat table grapes, raisins, grape skins or even a glass of wine! I have known many dogs who ate table grapes regularly without trouble, so apparently not all dogs are susceptible – but to be safe, if your dog consumes grapes (or indulges in a little vino,) you should seek veterinary attention as soon as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy Easter weekend and welcome to spring! I have taken on a crazy project and I think it is time to go truly public with it. Several friends from ACC and I, all of whom are not runners, have decided to train with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to run a full marathon in June! We have been working hard and will run 23 miles this week! We are doing this to improve our own health, but more importantly to raise money for this wonderful society. The money we raise will help fund cancer research which will benefit people, AND ANIMALS, with all kinds of cancer. It also goes to patient support programs. As a lymphoma survivor myself, I can tell you I would not be alive today without organizations such as this! Read the rest of this entry »

I was filling my cup at the coffee bar in Animal Care Clinic the other when I noticed one of the little Coffeemate creamer cups open on the floor. I laughed and took it to the reception desk to show them how silly our clients can be – offering “milk” to our hospital cat, Snookie! The guilty faces revealed to me that it was our office manager that was treating Snookie! She defended herself by saying that it was just a little bit and he rarely drank the whole thing – she was doing this everyday! Read the rest of this entry »

As I write this, I am watching my staff finish up a grooming job on a little dog. He is getting his toenails trimmed and receiving little kisses on his head at the same time. The interesting thing about this, is that this dog used to require sedation for a grooming. He would bite his owners and required a muzzle for us to handle him. Today he is not muzzled, not drugged and is happily allowing us to make him look beautiful! We were able to train this little guy to enjoy grooming. We can do the same with toenail trims, doctor exams and any other non-painful procedure an animal needs to endure. It takes a great deal of time and patience to teach an animal that the procedure can actually be enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »