Phew-eeee!!!  Oh no!  It’s that time of year again!  Pepe Lepue is on the loose and ready to release his horrific anal gland secretions onto your pet!  Don’t worry, aside from the toxic odor, there is only a very slight chance that there will be major harm to your pet.  Most commonly seen signs after a blast from Pepe include ocular edema, conjunctivitis, drooling and squinting and are often resolved in 48 hours.

Why the smell you ask?  Well, skunk spray is made up of seven major volatile components.  These components react at different times to create the immediate and long lasting odors.  Two components which make up 65% of the spray are responsible for the instant repellent odor.  Several other components are not initially odiferous but are made potent with the addition of water.  This is why dogs may have a slight skunk oder for months to come if they become damp or wet.

What should you do if your dog gets skunked you ask?  The first thing you should do is bathe your dog.  But, DO NOT use regular dog shampoo.  You will have much better results if you use a shampoo specifically designed for skunk odor removal before anything else.  There are several commercially available products.  At AACS we carry “Skunk Off”.  In a pinch, you can use the home made “Krebaum skunk odor removal formula”.

1 quart fresh 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1/4 cup baking soda

1-2 tsp liquid dishwashing detergent

For large dogs, add one quart of tepid water.  Mix all ingredients together and use immediately.  Do not store the mixture.  Bathe the dog outdoors.  Apply the “shampoo” deeply into the fur and let sit for five minutes.  Rinse excessively.  Repeat if needed.  The pets fur and any towels may be bleached.

*Source: Veterinary Medicine.  April 2013

Happy New Year!  At AACS, 2013 will bring many new and exciting things.  We have multiple clinic improvement plans to start working on, such as a fresh coat of paint for our walls and maybe a brand new ultrasound machine!

As individuals, we make resolutions too.  These resolutions can be anything from being better organized, stop procrastinating, start couponing or get to the gym more often.  We believe it is important to be healthy on the inside and out.  Therefore goals like organization and sometimes even scheduling some “down time” are important for minimizing stress.

It’s a good time to make resolutions for our pets too!  Many of our pets today are overweight or even obese.  This can be, and often is, a life threatening problem.  Overweight pets are prone to diabetes, degenerative joint disease, and even cancer.

Our pets depend solely on us for their nutrition.  And, too often, we let them down.  It can be difficult to tell them “no” when they are looking at you with those puppy dog eyes.  But, it is important to remember you are doing them more harm than good by giving them those table scraps every night after dinner.  Treats can also be a big factor in obesity.  Many treats have an entire day’s worth of calories in just one or two treats!  And, it is very difficult to find nutritional information on pet food and treats.  This makes it very hard to determine how many calories your pet is actually getting.

So, what can pet owners do to prevent this?  Talk to your veterinarian about an adequate amount of calories for your dog.  This is based on breed, size, age and activity level.  Your vet can also recommend a good food and amount for your dog based on these things.  It is important to measure your dog’s food daily to be sure they aren’t getting to much.  Treats factor into the daily calorie consumption as well.  Remember, dogs don’t care what you are feeding them, they are just excited to have a treat at a special time.  A good solution to this is to withold a few pieces of their dog food everyday and feed those for treats.

Exercise is a great way to help keep your pets in shape mentally and physically.  Twice daily 10-minute walks off the property will do wonders for your pet!  Even if you have a fenced in yard, it is still important to walk them daily.  Remember, most large breed dogs were not genetically designed to be inside for 22 hours a day.  They were raised to hunt and run.  For these breeds, it is especially important that they get daily exercise and mental stimulation.

Don’t forget your four-legged family members when it’s time to make your New Year’s resolutions!  They will be better off for it!  They may try to tell you otherwise when they want that pizza crust!  But remember, it’s in their best interest not to have it.  They will live longer if they are a healthy weight!

There are many things to take into consideration while traveling with your pets.  Remember that most veterinary clinics will be closed for Christmas Eve, Christmas day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day.  If you need to stock up on your pet’s prescription medications or diets be sure to do so ahead of time so you do not run out while on the road!

When taking your pets to someone’s house, make sure your pets are welcome there.  Not every house or hotel is pet friendly.  Take your pet’s normal food and treats with you.  Ask everyone there not to feed your pets anything other than their normal diet.  This will help prevent unwanted digestive problems that may result in a visit to the local emergency vet clinic.

When arriving at your destination, take a look around for pet hazards.  Is there something on the Christmas tree that may be harmful to your pet?  Is the yard fenced in?  Are the dogs at the house friendly to other pets?

If your pet is an anxious traveler, talk to your vet about a proper sedative for your dog.  For most pets, these can be given for car or plane trips and may be very beneficial to your pets well being while on vacation!

Planning ahead will help enhance you and your pet’s travel experience!  We hope wherever you are, you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With the holidays rapidly approaching, it’s time to take a few simple steps to protect Fluffy and Fido. There are many holiday pet hazards.  For the next few weeks, we will discuss several of them.

Did you know that tinsel can be deadly to cats if ingested?  Tinsel, angel hair and curling ribbon are all very dangerous if eaten by cats.  They can cause the intestines to rupture if they are not surgically removed promptly.

Lots of baking is done at holiday time.  Many people use the baker’s chocolate or dark chocolate for Christmas cookies and candy.  Chocolate can be very toxic to dogs.  The bromide in chocolate causes nausea and seizures and even death.  Most chocolate also contains caffeine which causes extreme hyperactivity and anxiety.  Be sure to keep all of your chocolate picked up.  If your pet does accidently ingest some, call your veterinarian right away.

There are also lots of tasty Christmas meals to be had during the holiday season.  Make sure your pet isn’t getting into table scraps, especially bones.  Remind your guests not to feed Fluffy and Fido from the table!

There are many safe and healthy treats available for your pets at Christmas time and all year long.  Keep some on hand for your dog or cat to open on Christmas morning so they don’t feel left out!

At Animal Aid Clinic South, we are happy to board your dog, cat or exotic animal any time.  We have large runs for big dogs all the way down to chihuahua size cages.  We also have a special boarding area for cats that is quiet, away from dogs and hustle and bustle of the clinic.  Occasionally we have a rabbit or guinea pig vacationing with us as well.

Our well trained staff will administer any medications or special treatments your pet may need during their stay.  All dogs are leash walked several times a day on AACS property.  We recommend that owners provide the pet’s normal food for their stay to minimize stress.  But, we are happy to provide food also.  All pets are monitored daily to make sure they are eating, drinking, urinating and defecating.  Sometimes a pet will become ill while boarding due to stress or other issues.  These pets are identified immediately and the owner is contacted to be updated on the situation and recommended treatment.  Large beds and blankets are provided for the comfort of every pet.  That is, unless your pet has a tendency to eat their blanket!

Many clients schedule routine procedures to be done while their pets are boarding.  For example, nail trims, yearly exams, vaccinations, heartworm tests and baths are some of the services offered during your pet’s stay.

At AACS, we treat every pet how we would want our own pet treated while we are out of town!  Call us today to reserve space for your beloved pets!

We are five weeks into our AACS Healthy Lifestyles Challenge.  And, so far, so good!  “Freddy” the flea has moved slowly up the chart to almost 5,000,000 miles!  There are 12-13 staff members participating and gaining more steps daily!  We even had a few staff members achieving over 100,000 steps in one week!  That is quite a feat!  It has been a very interesting and eye opening experiment.  I had no idea how many steps I take in a day, but now I do.  Wearing the pedometer is a constant reminder to keep moving!  It is also motivating when you are walking or running.  It encourages me to go that extra mile to increase my number of steps just a little more!  So, if you are looking for a little fun, get a pedometer and get moving!

En AACS somos afortunados de tener algunos miembros en nuestro equipo los cuales  tienen un español muy fluido.

Cuando usted llame para hacer su cita asegurese de preguntar por Liz o Cynthia, ellos estarán disponibles y prestos a ayudarle con su mascota y todo en ¡́́¡¡ Español !!!, sin embargo los miercoles ellos tienen su día libre y no se encuentran en la clínica. Entonces asegurese de llamar los lunes, martes, jueves, viernes o sábados. Ellos también estan para asistirlo a usted y su mascota en los consultorios y traducir todo lo que los doctores digan y asi mismo cualquiera de sus consultas o preguntas cuando usted lo requiera.

This year Animal Aid Clinic South was invited to participate in the “Kid’s Day” Activities at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair.  We will be taking part in the Kid Safe Treasure Hunt in the park, on the fairgrounds. It is Wednesday, July 25, from 9am – 3pm.  Bring your kids and join us to learn how to safely approach dogs and cats.  We will talk about animal behavior and have a fun game to play as well!  Practice up for the bean bag toss with our giant puppy and kitty bean bag game!  And, you may even be able to pick a prize out of Fuego’s litter box!  See you at the fair!

Saturday night, June 30th, the Animal Aid Clinic South gang headed out to the ballgame!  We had a night of fun at the South Bend Silverhawks baseball game at the Cove.  With a great view from the “Owner’s Suite” we were able to root on the Silverhawks!  As you can see from the pictures, everyone brought their families for a little fun at the splash pad as well!  The weather was beautiful and the kids were all worn out by the end of the night!  The only bummer was a Silverhawks loss.