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    • Testimonials
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  • Client Care Center
    • Prescription Refills
    • Request Appointment
    • New Client Registration
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      • Senior Wellness Package
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Pet Health Blog

Top 3 Emergency Preparedness Tips for your Pets

6/8/2017

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Pet Tornado Recovery
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Are your pets disaster-ready?
June is National Pet Preparedness Month, and as advocates for your pets' health and safety, we're sharing important resources and helpful tips to make sure you and your furry family are ready for just about anything!

Link: Get a free pet rescue window decal from the ASPCA here to alert first responders about how many pets are in your home.

Tip #1: Identification, Identification, Identification!
Proper ID - for ALL pets - is the absolute most important thing you can do to increase the odds of reuniting with your animal in the wake of disaster. We all learned a valuable lesson after Hurricane Katrina, when only 15-20% of the tens of thousands of lost pets were able to join their families again.

There aren't hurricanes in Pittsburgh (thank goodness), but we do have our share of floods, tornadoes, fires and the possibility of attack in an unstable world.

We strongly recommend microchipping for dogs and cats (even indoor ones), because while a collar can fall off or be removed, the RFID chip will remain in place for the life of your pet. This simple procedure can be done at any appointment, with minimal pain - it's similar to a vaccine injection, just with a larger needle to accommodate the size of the chip. [Request an appointment online now]

Consider a microchip an extra layer of protection, not a replacement for ID tags.

BoomerangTags.com offers free shipping, no sales tax, and a lifetime guarantee for its CollarTags - they're excellent options for break-away cat collars, too!
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Collar tags should include:
  • Your pet's name
  • Your street address
  • At least one cell phone number (if he's lost, you're likely out looking for him!)
  • "Needs medication" if applicable

Remember to keep your pet's tags and microchip database up-to-date with current contact information!
FEMA Disaster Pet Preparedness
Tip #2: Prepare a "Go Bag"
(It's a good idea to have one of these for your family, too)
This is a grab-and-go pack of essentials for your pet in case you need to evacuate on short notice.

A well-stocked "Go Bag" includes:
  • 3-7 days of food for each pet (rotate every 2 months)
  • 7-day supply of bottled water (rotate every 2 months)
  • A small supply of daily medications (rotate every 2 months)
  • Extra leash + extra collar/harness
  • Food & water bowls
  • [cats] Foil roasting pan as a disposable litterbox
  • [cats] Gallon Ziploc bag of litter
  • [cats] One pillowcase per cat - these can be used as emergency cat carriers, if needed. (Don't worry - they can breathe and actually often feel comforted by the visual barrier from unfamiliar sights.)
  • Recent photos of your pet, in case you become separated
  • Photocopies of vaccine records for each pet
Tip #3: Have emergency contact information ready before you need it
If they're not already, program important veterinary phone numbers into your cell phone:
  • Allegheny North Veterinary Hospital: 412-364-5511
  • Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center (PVSEC): 412-366-3400
  • University Veterinary Specialists: 724-727-2273
  • ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 888-426-4435
  • Your local fire/police department non-emergency numbers

You might consider having an alternate caregiver on standby in case something would happen that prevents you from accessing your home. Talk to trusted neighbors and create a plan together to provide care for one another's pets in case of emergency.
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Helpful Resources
Downloads:
  • ASPCA Mobile App (iOS/Android)
On-the-go information about how to manage emergencies with your pet - no signal/WiFi required
  • ​American Red Cross Pet First Aid App
Advice for stabilizing your pet in an emergency, how to administer medication and respond to stress-related behavior.
  • Animal Poison Control App
Quick access to common toxins to aid in assessing severity of risk, identification, and one-click calling to the 24/7/365 pet poison control line.​
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Links:
  • Ready.gov: Pet & Animal Emergency Planning
Preparing emergency supplies, shelter, & more. Includes information for large animal preparedness.
  • American Red Cross: Pet Disaster Preparedness & Recovery
​Useful info, from preparing your emergency kit to helping your pets safely adjust after an incident.
  • BringFido.com
Although​ intended for traveling and entertainment with your dog, this website can serve as a helpful search tool if you must evacuate and find lodging with your pets.
  • Tornadoes: Keeping pets safe
Tips include having family members practice moving pets into a designated "safe zone" - evacuation drills are important for your pets, too!
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Why is chocolate bad for dogs?

4/6/2017

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With Easter just around the corner, we thought it'd be a good time to remind pet owners with kids to keep the Easter baskets and candy stash up and away from your pets!

Curious noses are attracted to these sweet treats, and most pet owners know that chocolate is bad for dogs, but do you know why?

Chocolate contains Theobromine, a compound that humans can easily metabolize. Dogs' bodies do not process Theobromine well, causing it to build up in their bodies and produce serious side effects.

Severe cases of chocolate toxicity can lead to muscle tremors, seizures, heart arrhythmia, or even death.

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The severity of chocolate toxicity depends on several factors:
  • Type of chocolate
  • Weight of your dog
  • Amount of chocolate ingested​
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As a general rule, the "darker" the chocolate, the higher the Theobromine content, so baking chocolate and dark chocolate can cause toxic side effects with a much smaller amount than milk chocolate.

Only 2 squares of baking chocolate or 6 ounces of semi-sweet chips can cause severe toxicity in a 20-pound dog.
If you suspect your dog has ingested chocolate, here's what we'll want to know:
  • An estimate of how much chocolate - and what type - your dog ate. (Check the packaging, if you have it.)
  • How long ago your dog ate the chocolate.
  • [If you're calling the ASPCA Pet Poison Helpline or an emergency hospital, they'll need to know your pet's weight. If your dog is a patient at Allegheny North, we will have his or her most recent weight in our records.]
Call us right away. Do not wait to look for side effects!
After hours, contact a 24-hour emergency veterinarian or call the ASPCA Pet Poison Helpline.

If a toxic dose of chocolate was ingested, early treatment is critical. At the hospital, we are able to safely induce vomiting and administer fluid therapy, if needed. The type of treatment needed will depend on your dog's specific situation.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS
  • Allegheny North Veterinary Hospital: 412-364-5511
​
  • P.V.S.E.C. (Camp Horne Rd): 412-366-3400
​
  • University Veterinary Specialists (McMurray): 724-717-2273
 
  • ASPCA Pet Poison Helpline ($59 Fee): 855-764-7661
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While one milk chocolate Hershey's Kiss might not cause harm to your Labrador, it's best not to share candy with your canine companions. Right now, your dog doesn't know what he's missing; avoid giving him any type of chocolate so that he doesn't develop a taste for it.

​We all know how hard chocolate is to resist once you know just how good it is...!
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