Why Shouldn't You Scare Your Cats with Cucumbers?

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP
www.BregmanVetGroup.com

You may have noticed a new trend on social media - scaring cats with cucumbers.  While the videos can be entertaining, we wanted to remind pet owners that it's not a good idea to scare your feline friends.

Why is scaring your cat with a cucumber a bad idea?

It turns out, your cat probably isn't afraid of the cucumber itself, according to National Geographic.

Cats are startled by the cucumbers appearing when they aren't looking.  The sudden appearance of a cucumber (or any object) can be very stressful for cats.  When cats are in places that they associate with comfort and safety, like their food dish, they take their guard down.  When a cucumber unexpectedly appears while they have their head down, it can be startling.  As a result, cats leap into the air, and run away from the cucumber when it seemingly appears out of nowhere.

You want your cat to always feel comfortable in your home.  Instead of sneaking up behind them, you should always gradually introduce new toys and objects to your cat.  This will help them get comfortable with the new object - rather than startling them in a way that could cause distress.

If you have any questions about your cat's odd behaviors, contact our office!  Feel free to contact any of our Brooklyn or Long Island offices for more information.

The Cat Hospital

877-228-4131

5th Avenue Cat Clinic

718-398-1187

Paws and Claws Veterinary Hospital

718-782-8387

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November Is Adopt A Senior Pet Month

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP
www.BregmanVetGroup.com

Did you know that November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month?  With the holidays quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to consider giving a home to an older cat or dog.  If you are looking to add a new pet to your home, here are a few of the reasons you should consider adopting a senior pet.  

Benefits of Adopting Senior Pets:

• They're Trained - Most senior pets are likely to have already been house-trained.  If they haven't, they are likely physically and mentally ready to pick up the training in minimal time.
• They Are Calm - Unlike puppies and kittens, senior pets are more laid back.  You won't need to puppy- or kitten-proof your home.  Instead, your pet will likely enjoy lounging around.
• You'll Provide Them With Peace - Rest easy knowing that you're giving a senior pet a home full of love during their final years.

If you have recently  and feel free to contact any of our Brooklyn or Long Island offices for more information on what your pet can and cannot eat.

The Cat Hospital

877-228-4131

5th Avenue Cat Clinic

718-398-1187

Paws and Claws Veterinary Hospital

718-782-8387

Don’t forget to connect with us on social media!

Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Pinterest

Keep Your Pets Warm and Safe this Holiday Season

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

The cold and snow this season can harm your pets. It is essential to keep your pet warm and safe from the frigidness of winter. ABC Action News has great tips to help your pet from falling ill.

Keep your pet indoors this winter, if you have a neighbor who keeps their pet outdoors persuade them to bring the pet in. Pets are easily susceptible to frostbite mostly on the paws, ears, and tail.

If you do keep your pet outside make sure they have proper warm shelter to keep them from getting sick. The weather can lead to hypothermia. Straw can keep a doghouse warm as well as elevating the house off the ground.

Always provide water for your outdoor pets and make sure it does not freeze. Snow is not good enough to hydrate pets. Providing extra food this season will help build body fat to keep your pet warm. Ice melting salt can harm and irritate your pet’s paws.

Some symptoms of hypothermia in dogs include excessive shaking, shallow and slow breathing, slow heart rate, tiredness and muscle stiffness. In some cases a dogs eyes can dilate and their gums can turn pale. In a serious case of hypothermia your dog could potentially fall into a coma. Immediate care is needed to save your pet from hypothermia. If the temperature is too low to restore, hypothermia will become fatal. (ABC Action News)

If you are too cold to be outside then your pet is too. If you see a pet in need and not properly taken care of this winter, be the voice for that pet. Notify the pet’s owner about the damages of the winter.

For more information on this article, please CLICK HERE.

If your pet needs any care this winter season, please give us a call. For more information on Bregman Vet Group, visit us online. 

New Animal Care Facility for JFK!

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

We have some good news for pet lovers who would like to travel out of New York with pets, but are apprehensive about their pet’s safety and well-being!

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved plans to build a new $32 million animal care facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport. This facility will provide veterinary, kenneling, grooming, and other services for domestic and wild animals. So now when you are travelling and need your pet to be taken care of before a long flight or during one, can avail of the services offered at this new facility.

Not just for dogs and cats, the new animal care facility will have an aviary, quarantine for horses, a veterinary hospital plus a rehab animal center. But here is the kicker – not only does this project work for animals, it will also create 190 jobs.

This is a winner all round!

JetBlue Deal for Pets!

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

JetBlue is currently offering a deal that allows pets to travel on an unlimited number of flights for up to 3 months for $299.  It is called “All Your Pet Can Jet” deal! It was unveiled the same time as the “Go Pack,” a similar deal that allows humans to fly on up to 10 flights in three months! 

The "All Your Pet Can Jet" deal runs through December 31,2012 ,and allows the pet to travel in the cabin only accompanied by a human with a separate ticket.  There are restrictions to this deal, JetBlue will only transport cats and dogs less than 20 pounds.  Your pets can fly anywhere that JetBlue does except for the Caribbean, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Barbados.  

This deal can really help during holiday season or for business people who don’t want to leave their pets at home or even if you just like to travel.  Now you never have to leave your pet with a friend take them with you wherever you go and don’t break the bank doing it.  

What do you think of this deal? Let us know on our Facebook page, linked HERE! 

Is a Raw Food Diet Better For Your Pet?

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

Ever heard of the raw food diet, for your pet? Some veterinarians and pet owners seem to believe that the raw meat diet is best for their pets. Sharon Misik, a owner of two Siberian huskies, argues that the raw food diet has changed, and in a way, saved, her dogs lives. 

Misik’s dogs seemed to be suffering from a mysterious illness, causing them trouble with eating and suffering from severe diarrhea. After multiple veterinarian visits and several specialized diets, the raw meat diet was the only thing that worked. “They were like new dogs, happy and healthy,” says Ms Misik.

While this diet worked for Sharon Misik’s Siberian huskies, it doesn’t mean this diet will work on every pet. Many veterinarians happen to discourage this diet. These veterinarians believe that exposing pets to raw food might expose them to harmful bacteria’s, such as salmonella. On the contrary, there are vets who encourage the raw food diet. These vets believe these raw pet foods allow cats and dogs to eat a more natural diet.

This debates between which diet, raw food or processed food, is better for your pet is an ongoing one. Depending on the food and the dog, there’s no saying which diet your animal will live longer on, until further research is done.

Click HERE to read this full article to hear both sides of the debate over the raw food diet for pets. 

Make A Plan When Traveling With Animals

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

With the summer coming, there will be vacation time, And people love to bring their families, including their pets. There are a number of things that people can do with their pets to make sure that when they travel, they are comfortable and more importantly, safe.

If you do not have your pet in the car when driving, take a test drive with them. Some pets may get motion sickness and bad anxiety when riding in a car. Dogs like to stick their heads out the window to feel that breeze, but cats are better off being securely placed in a pet carrier. If your pet isn't comfortable, contact one of the Bregman Vet doctors and they can help you with making sure your pet is calm.

Also, try not to feed your pet a big meal before a long trip. Doing that with people sometimes works as it makes them full and sleepy. But with pets, it doesn't always work that way. Let them eat a little before you leave and save the food for the end of the trip. They will be looking forward to eating, especially after being couped up in a car for hours.

Like children, pets need to go to the bathroom. Make sure that when you stop to go to the bathroom, that you take your pet out as well. You don't need accidents to happen in your car because it could be unpleasant for the rest of the passengers.

Some families don't like the long drives, so they decide to fly to their destination. When it comes to air travel, check with the airlines about their requirements when it comes to pets. Airlines typically require a certificate from the veterinarian that the pet is healthy and is up to date on vaccinations (http://goo.gl/auCPD). 

Finally, if your pet needs medications, bring enough to last a few days just in case you get caught in an extended stay situation. If you think you may run out before you are due to return home, get your pets medication refilled before you leave.

Have questions about traveling with pets? Call us at one of the Bregman Vet Hospitals as we are here to help!

New Spray Helps Animals With Allergies

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

Allergies have been really bad this year, especially in humans. But it also has been very bad for pets as well.

Fifteen to twenty percent of all dogs suffer from an allergy to pollens, mold spores, and dust mites, resulting in an itchy skin condition called atopic dermatitis. A number of treatment options are available to treat these pets, but only one targets the source and can change the underlying disease process: allergy immunotherapy (http://goo.gl/vh8Jd).

SkinVet (TM) has come out with prescription solutions that make allergy immunotherapy more available to allergic pets. A spray called RESPIT (TM) Oromucosal Spray brings together the concepts of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and SkinVet's patent-pending process of geographic region-specific immunotherapy formulation (http://goo.gl/vh8Jd).

Pets would receive two to three squirts a day inside their cheeks while the allergens are absorbed and processed to induce tolerance to common offending allergens.

If you have any questions regarding this oral medicine, please give us a call at one of the Bregman Vet Group hospitals and we can help you understand it better.

Heartworm: Are you worried about it?

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

All dog owners worry about the health of their canine friend. Heartworms can be a dangerous disease they can catch. Heartworm can be transmitted from mosquitoes to dogs when the infected mosquito bites your dog and the heartworm larvae enters their body. Over time, the larvae mature and travel to the heart and lungs, where it can potentially lead to death.

With ProHeart 6, pet owners should have nothing to worry about.

A single injection by your veterinarian is all you need to protect your dog for six continuous months. This medication is proven safe in dos or varying sizes and breeds.

ProHeart 6 should be used, with caution, in dogs with pre-existing allergic disease, including previous vaccine reactions, food allergy, atopy, and flea allergy dermatitis. Dogs should be tested for heartworm disease prior to being treated with ProHeart 6. If your dog tests positive for adult heartworms, your veterinarian should treat the infection with the appropriate medication before administering ProHeart 6.

There are some possible side effects to using this medication. They range from lethargy, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, pale/bleeding gums, and in some cases, may cause death. There could also be severe allergic reactions that could occur, like facial swelling, itching, difficulty breathing and possibly your dog collapsing. Be sure to keep a close eye on them for 24 hours after they have received this medication because any of the above mentioned signs could show that your dog is having a severe allergic reaction.

If you have any questions regarding this medication and want to get your dog checked for heartworm disease, please give us a call at one of our Bregman Vet Hospitals so we can see your pet right away and give them a thorough check up.

Lazy Pets Are Putting on Weight

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

Some pets that you see lying around the house all day are very overweight and are eating too much food with no enough exercise. More than one in seven cats and dogs in the state of Ohio are obese or overweight, according to a new report.

 Pets that pack on the pounds are more likely to develop debilitating medical conditions that can reduce their quality of life and result in hefty veterinarian bills for owners (http://goo.gl/T0IhD).

According to experts on this issue, pet owners should learn to recognize the signs of animal obesity and help their pets get healthier through better eating habits and a lot more exercise.

Some owners gave their pets table scraps and without the proper exercise, the pounds can really add up. Pets that are obese have a greater chance of having arthritis, kidney disease and cancer, and these diseases can significantly shorten their life span.

Frequent trips to the vet, although checkups are always a mainstay, can become more costly if your pet is overweight as testing needs to be done, and that can really put a dent in your wallet. Pet prescriptions can also become very pricey, over a period of time.

Take your pet for a walk every day when you get home from work, or once you wake up in the morning. Not only will it benefit your pet, but it will also benefit you as well.

If you feel that your pet is too overweight or obese and need to see a doctor, call us at one of our Bregman Vet Hospitals and we can schedule an appointment to see your pet.

Pet ID Tags Get Great New Look

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

How many times have you had that feeling where you are calling your dog to come in from being outside and you get a little worried? You go outside to look for them and you notice that the backyard gate is slightly open and your pooch is strolling around the neighborhood. If that happens way too often, it’s time to invest in something that can help you find your pet quickly.

Issaquah-based company PetHub has produced link tags that include a QR code – the barcode-like symbol that can be scanned with a smartphone to load a website – and an address for an individualized web page, which the owner can update as needed. It’s like a Facebook profile for your pet, says PetHub founder Tom Arnold, a place to store and share information about an animal (http://goo.gl/f9dqj).

When PetHub won the Dog Fancy Magazine Editor’s Choice Award last December, it helped get their product out to the public. In the first three months of 2012, the company sold about 30,000 tags. The main purpose of these tags is to contact the owner if someone finds their pet, and to find out if the pet needs any specific medications. 

Starting today, these tags will have a hotline number to call where operators can help connect the person who found the stray dog to the owners. Although the tags that were sold before today’s date don’t have the number listed, the websites do.

If you have any questions about tracking devices for your pets, you can give us a call at one of our pet hospitals and we can assist you in any way possible.

Keep Your Pets Cool This Summer

With the summer months’ right around the corner, we all must keep a close eye on ourselves and our pets as the heat could get the best of us.

Every year, hundreds of pets die because they are left in parked cars, tethered outside without shade and water, or exercised in hot, humid weather. This is a serious threat in the state of Florida (http://goo.gl/Gna69).  Short-nosed breeds, such as Pugs, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs and Pekingese, are more apt to getting heat stroke because panting in these breeds is less-effective in decreasing body temperature compared to other dogs.

 

The normal temperature for a dog or cat is about 101.5 degrees, plus or minus 1-2 degrees. If your pet’s temperature reaches 105 degrees, call our offices immediately as elevated body temperatures can cause multi-organ failure leading to possible death.

The symptoms of heat stroke include restlessness, panting, drooling, bright red gums, behavior changes and difficulty breathing. If you believe that your pet is experiencing these types of symptoms, call us right away. 

One dangerous thing to do is to put your pet in an ice-cold bath. This could cause constriction of the blood vessels in the skin and could trap the heat inside your pets’ body. Do not leave your pet unattended if you believe it may have heat stroke for 24 hours as symptoms that are mentioned above may not occur until later in the day.

Don’t leave your pets in the car, even if you are running a quick errand. Leave them home in a nice temperature and environment. Do the safe thing!