…skilled service…compassionate care

“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Henry Ford

New Hours At El Gato

Beginning August, 2019, we will no longer be open on Saturday mornings. We will continue to serve you during our normal hours, M-F 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns.

Prevention

August is National Immunization Awareness Month! We all want your pet to live life to its fullest, and that means doing everything we can to mitigate illness and injury through healthy living. Preventive care is one component to a healthy life. That care includes assuring that you pet’s vaccinations, both core and non-core vaccines, are up to date and heartworm medication is administered regularly. Core vaccines are recommended for pets, such as, Rabies, Distemper / Parvo for dogs, and FVRCP and Rabies for cats. Non-core vaccines are recommended based on your pet’s lifestyle and activities. Depending on their age and/or condition, a regular wellness care annual or bi-annual check-up helps maintain that spring in their step and prevention is much less costly than treatment.

Dog Paw Care

After walking around an amusement park all day with your children, your feet just ache and you may have blisters. While your dog didn’t go with you, the pads on his feet can become sore, damaged, or cracked from walking on hot pavement. These pads cushion and protect deep tissue inside the paw as well as the bones and joints from shock. They provide insulation from the ground surface during all types of weather and need lots of love and attention to keep your dog happy and healthy.

The ASPCA recommends special tips to keep your pet’s paws healthy and feeling good too.

  • Prevent Foot Injuries: Inspect your yard regularly for debris or material that may injure your pet’s feet. On walks, avoid broken glass or wood.
  • Start Slowly: When starting a new exercise program with your dog, start slowly, ease into it. Pay attention to the paws which may become sensitive, chafed or cracked.
  • Clean Paws Regularly: Check your dog’s paws often for foxtails, pebbles, small bits of broken glass, and other debris. Remove the matter and treat appropriately.
  • Weather related injuries: In the summer, avoid walking your dog on hot pavement or sand. If the surface is too hot for your feet, it is probably too hot for your pet. Inspect their feet for signs of blisters, loose laps of skin and red, ulcerated patches. Minor burns may be treated with antibacterial wash and covered with a dog bootie. Serious burns must be seen immediately. Cold weather is hard on our skin as well as our pet’s. Salt and chemicals can cause sores and blistering. Dogs can be poisoned if they lick their feet after walking on chemicals. After outdoor winter walks where chemicals such as salt or de-icer may have been used, wash the paws with warm water and dry them well. Before going out again, be sure your dog wears booties.
  • Foot First aid: If a paw is injured and the cut is minor, clean it well with antibacterial soap, apply a bandage and cover the area with a dog bootie to prevent further injury. Larger or deeper cuts should be seen and treated.
  • Pamper the Paw: Check nails regularly and keep them trimmed so they just touch the floor when she walks. Check with us to trim the nails or we can recommend the proper nail trimmer and teach you how to do it yourself. Then rub your dogs’ paws to promote circulation. Start with the pads on the bottom of the paw and rub between each toe.

Cat Hairballs

I hate listening to my cat hack up hairballs and I bet you do too. Not only are hairballs disgusting, they can cause intestinal blockages. Your cat’s tongue catches loose and dead hair which is swallowed. Normally they pass through the digestive tract but some may stay in the stomach, leading to a hairball.

To reduce the number and effect of hairballs, brush your cat regularly. It may take time for your cat to enjoy this process but it is worth it. If you suspect excessive grooming or skin disease, we recommend having the skin examined. Some cats may need additional hairball treatments; i.e. laxatone.

Kodi’s Kolumn! by Kodiak (Kodi) Bibb – Head K-9 in charge! (That’s me on the right!)

Humans can be too businesslike and frankly, boring so I decided to leap into this newsletter to make it more enjoyable, and who doesn’t enjoy news from the dog’s point of view? I’ll be giving my side of things around here and I started with the Staff Spotlight. You need to know more about the humans who work here so I’ll start with my mom, Dr. Bibb.

Staff Spotlight

My mom, known to you as Dr. Bibb but to me, she is “mighty mite”. She might be small but she is powerful. She and I have been together for nine years and what I love best about her is that she really loves her job; taking care of all of your pets. Did you know that one time she competed in and finished an Iron Man Triathlon? She’s not only smart, she’s tough! Now when she is not saving pets, she spends her time with me and with my buddy, Roo, training in Search and Rescue. I am a certified search and rescue dog which means if you get lost in the woods, mom and I can come search for you. She helped out at the Paradise Fire storm.

Roo is the newest kid in the family and she is in training to become Cadaver Certified. I don’t want to brag, but we both have great noses and love to put them to work. Of course, along with our feline family members – who wish to remain anonymous, we have Chihuahuas, Willow and Charlie. They serve as the security alarm system here and at home. Nothing like Chihuahuas to keep things exciting.

That’s all for now. I have to go sniff out a new story for the next edition. I hope you enjoyed this one. Feel free to send me an email with suggestions about new topics to search for. Email me at [email protected]. Of course, put my name in the subject line so I’ll be sure to see your comments.

Fun Facts

  • The Mayans and Aztecs symbolized every tenth day with the dog, and those born under this sign were believed to have outstanding leadership skills.
  • A single bat can eat more than 600 bugs in one hour, which is like a person eating 20 pizzas a night.
  • Jellyfish are invertebrates, which means they are animals without a skeleton. Approximately 95% of their body is water.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day – August 28

This day is set aside to remember the pets we have lost and helps us heal the ache of their loss. Take a moment to think about the wonderful times you had with your very special pets and thank them for being part of your life.