South Mesa Veterinary Hospital Interview with Dr. Jana Dean

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Here at Wet Noses Pet Sitting, we’re always looking for pet resources to share with the Fort Collins Community. We had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jana Dean at South Mesa Veterinary Hospital!

Read on to learn all about South Mesa Veterinary Hospital and how they can be of service to you and your animal companions!

Location:
3801 S. Mason Street
Fort Collins, CO 80525

Phone:  (970) 226-5717
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://southmesa.com/

How long have you been in business?
South Mesa Veterinary Hospital has been in business since 1972 and in this location since 1992.

How many vets are there on staff?
We have 9 doctors on staff.

What are the hours of operation?
We are open 7:30-7:00 Mon-Thurs, and 7:30-5:30 Friday.  7:30-3:00 Saturdays.

What is the availability for last minute visits?
We always welcome work-in appointments, emergencies, same-day appointments, etc. and we set aside specific slots for these every day.

What types of animals do you treat?
We primarily treat dogs and cats, but also have two doctors who will see rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs.

What is the cost of an exam/check- up fee?
Our exam fees vary depending on the type of visit.  Annual Wellness visits and sick patient exams are $49, while puppy/kitten recheck exams start at $31.  Other recheck or brief exams range from $18-$35.00.

What training does the staff have?
Almost all of our staff has several years’ experience working in the veterinary field, and all of our surgery/anesthesia technicians are CVT’s (Certified Veterinary Technicians).  We also employ pre-vet and current veterinary students, and we work with the Front Range Community College Veterinary Technician program hosting interns at our hospital.  We also have a Certified Pet Dog Trainer on staff who trains all employees on Gentle Handling techniques for our patients.

What is your focus as a clinic/hospital?
Our mission is to provide the highest quality of care to our patients and to ensure that our clients receive outstanding customer service here.  Our doctors and staff are dedicated to providing the highest level of care and compassion, and we have a very loyal client following.

What makes your hospital unique?
We are unique in that we have several doctors on staff, including a Board Certified Theriogenologist and a Board Qualified Veterinary Dentist.  Our doctors each have their own niche and special interest in medicine and surgery, which allows us to practice only the highest quality of medicine here.  We also offer many ancillary services, including boarding, grooming, daycare, and training.

Do you have a favorite veterinary hospital in the Fort Collins area? Comment below and tell us what you like best about it! We’d love to hear from you!

Treating Dog Asthma

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Did you know that dogs can get asthma?  Yes, it is true. Just like humans, dogs can get asthma.  Asthma is a serious and potentially fatal disease.  If you know what to look for, you can help your dog treat and manage asthma.  Educating yourself could save your fur baby’s life. Our team of pet sitters here in Fort Collins, Colorado did some research to help educate our clients. Read on to learn about asthma in dogs including symptoms, diagnosis and treating dog asthma.

Symptoms
Some symptoms of asthma are: shortness of breath, wheezing, rapid and/or shallow breathing, chronic coughing, and loss of appetite, lethargy, blue-ish gums, open mouth breathing and exercise intolerance.  If you notice your dog having any combination of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian and schedule an appointment for a complete physical exam.

Diagnosis
There are many factors involved in the diagnosis of asthma.  Your vet will want to assess your dog’s symptoms as well as discuss complete medical history.  The pooch will undergo a complete medical examination which will include a chest x-ray, and blood work.  This thorough examination will also help rule out other ailments such as cardiac disease, respiratory infections and heart worm. Some diseases mirror the same symptoms so it’s important to leave no stone unturned.  If the veterinarians’ exam comes up inconclusive, he or she may want you to keep a journal so you can log when your dog has these symptoms, the severity of the symptoms and under what conditions they are present.

Treatment
Upon diagnosis, your vet will work closely with you to implement a proper treatment plan. It will be important to first determine the cause of your dog’s asthma before a plan is set into place.  Many causes of asthma are identical to the triggers experienced by humans.  Some or all of the following may cause your dog’s breathing passageways to spasm: smoke, exercise, dry air, allergens, and dust. When this occurs an attack is set into place. The passageways fill up with mucus due to narrowing and difficulty in breathing occurs.

Treating dog asthma may vary due to the causes, severity and symptoms of the attacks. Some treatment plans include the use of antihistamines, oxygen therapy, steroids, and bronchodilators. It may take some trial and error to find the most beneficial plan for your dog but once you have found a plan that works, future management of the disease is quite simple.

Call Wet Noses Pet Sitting if you have any comments or concerns or if would to discuss the benefits of our services. We are your neighborhood pet sitters!

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The Cone of Shame

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Guest writer Sidehill Sitter Becky
For the past two weeks, my husband has been sleeping on the couch. No, he’s not in the doghouse…on the contrary, the dog is sleeping next to me in bed with her head on his pillows with her leash attached to my wrist so I can monitor her as she recovers from her spay surgery.Everything has gone ok so far, but as it turns out, Kea has trouble following instructions from the vet. Don’t run or jump? Yeah, that went out the window on day 3 when, despite our best efforts, she hopped up onto the couch. She has those sad puppy dog eyes and she sure knows how to work it.

Don’t lick the incision? Sure, no problem. She’s actually been really good about leaving the incision alone. So good, in fact, that last week I decided to leave her alone for a few hours and see how it went. I came home to find that she had licked two large hot spots on either side of her belly, near the border of the shaved area. She left the incision alone, and the look on her face said it all…the vet didn’t say anything about licking the rest of the belly!

Unfortunately for Kea, there were a few things coming up over the next few weeks that would force me to leave her alone. Here’s what I had in my bag of tricks to keep her from further irritating the hot spots and to help them heal.

1. Time for some tough love.

            Alpha: Now, you must wear the cone of shame.
            Dug: [hangs head] I do not like the cone of shame.
~Disney’s Up

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Because I love my baby to pieces and couldn’t bear the thoughts of using the old school lampshade cone, we looked into a few newer alternatives. First was the blow-up doughnut-shaped cone. Josh picked one up at PetSmart according to the size of her neck, but when he got it home, it was actually too small. So he went back out and picked up a larger size. The benefits to this cone are that it isn’t as obstructive and Kea doesn’t seem to mind wearing it. Well…at least not too much.

It’s also got a removable cover that can be washed. However, she was still able to reach the hot spots and laying down in the doughnut looked uncomfortable for her fuzzy neck.

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2. When I mentioned the issues I was having with the doughnut cone to one of my clients, she recommended a different style of soft cone. I call this one the lizard cone because it reminds me of one of those lizards with the neck thing…

I digress. Kea was not a fan of this cone. But it does the trick of keeping her from reaching the hot spots. She doesn’t like to go down the stairs when she’s wearing it, but she moves around on the first floor ok. She can also wear it at night, which is good news for Josh because it means he gets to sleep in his bed again. The downside is that it makes Kea hot. She is ok wearing it for a few hours, then she’s panting like crazy to cool down. I have left her home alone in it, and she doesn’t try to remove it. Good girl.

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“Seriously? Seriously.”

Now that I’ve successfully prevented Kea from licking the hot spots, I need to get them to heal and dry up. Here’s what worked for us (disclaimer: if home-treatment doesn’t seem to be working after a day or two, it’s time to head to the vet. I’m not a vet…so if in doubt, call your vet!)

1.  Gold Bond. The original kind in the yellow container. It helps with the itching and it helps to promote drying of the hot spot. It’s really important to keep the dog from licking after you apply the gold bond or else it will turn into a gooey paste. Yes, I learned that the hard way.

2.  Benadryl. The dose is 1 mg per pound. I gave Kea 50 mg when I first came home and noticed the hot spots and 25 mg the next morning and evening. It helped with the itching, but it also made her veeeeerrrrrryyyyy sleepy. Sleepy dogs don’t lick hot spots J

3.  Emu oil. This stuff is incredible. It heals all sorts of ills. I used it on the hot spots after the scabs had fallen off to promote healing of the new skin.

4.  Raw bones. Kea is a raw-fed dog, so if you aren’t down with feeding raw bones, a kong stuffed with moistened, frozen kibble or peanut butter or something would also do the trick. The idea was to keep her occupied. There was one night we left her alone for a few hours wearing the doughnut cone in her crate with a raw bone to keep her busy. It worked like a charm! I wouldn’t recommend raw bones with the lizard cone because it would be messy and the cover doesn’t come off as easily for cleaning.

Now, Kea is on the road to recovery. I am lucky my schedule is flexible enough for me to be home with her most of the time. Anyone have any good post-op experiences to share? What were your strategies to help your pet heal quickly and avoid being his or her own worst enemy?

Reasons to Walk Your Dog Today!

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Getting outside everyday to walk your dog provides them with mental and physical stimulation, socialization and training opportunities, and positive attention.  Putting your dog outside in your fenced-in yard will not force your dog to exercise and more often we see dogs will resort to boredom barking, trying to escape the yard, or becoming your best (or worst) landscaper.  Simply having a large back yard is not going to satisfy your dog’s need for exercise or mental stimulation.  According to the Clinician’s Brief, “Generally, people walk their dog for 4 reasons: elimination, mental stimulation, exercise, and training. Dogs like to go for walks to get outdoors, sniff and engage with their environment, exercise, and perhaps socialize with people and dogs outside the home. There is no reason that a walk cannot encompass and meet all the needs of both humans and dogs.”  And, we at Wet Noses Pet Sitting completely agree, it’s time to get outside and walk your dog!

3 types of walks

There are three kinds of walks that we suggest as a varied routine.

  1. Exploratory walks allow your pet to sniff, smell, and generally meander through its surroundings.
  2. Purposeful walks are to relieve herself or retrieve an item.
  3. Long walks to tire your pup out give her an outlet for all that pent up energy.

Varied mental and physical stimulation will allow your dog to be at her most trainable and calm.

Socialization – a bonus!

During a walk is a good chance to work on leash manners and while you’re out walking, your pooch is most likely going to meet other dogs. This helps your dog learn normal behaviors and etiquette by taking social cues from other canines.  It also helps your dog build confidence so that when she meets new friends she isn’t afraid.  Giving your dog lots of opportunities to work on socialization and training will help your companion be on her best behavior in a variety of situations without anxiety or fear.

Tired dog = a good dog

Getting out regularly to walk your dog gives them a sense of well-being.  They love the positive attention and quality time. Plus, dogs who are taken for daily walks, are less likely to be destructive, obsessive, have separation anxiety and/or dominance issues, among many other behavior problems.  A tired dog is a happy dog.  And a happy dog makes for a happy owner.

Remember, your dog depends on you for her quality of life. By taking advantage of different types of walks to stimulate her mentally and physically, providing opportunities for socialization and training, and spending quality time with your canine companion, you will help your furry friend be balanced, healthy and happy for a lifetime. If you have questions about dog walks or need help waking your dog regularly contact us at Wet Noses Pet Sitting!

retired greyhound

Colorado Bans Greyhound Racing

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retired greyhound

This week I was proud to be a Coloradan when a bill was signed Monday to ban Greyhound racing statewide.  I grew up with Greyhounds and was even in a newspaper article to show folks that these sweet dogs were usually good with children.  They hold a very special place in my heart and I have kept in touch with rescues over the years.  My family even had Greyhounds until just a few years ago when the last one passed away.

Greyhound racing itself has not been active in the state for years, since the last racing track shut down, but it is good to know that the “sport” will not be allowed to make a resurgence anytime in the future.  There are 7 states that still have active dog racing tracks and I personally hope they are feeling the pressure to close in the near future.  Rescue groups across the country work tirelessly to transport Greyhounds from those 7 states to their own and facilitate adoption locally in order to save as many lives as possible.  Due to the closing of tracks over the recent years the pressure has lightened on other rescues but thousands of these dogs are regularly raced, bred and retired at a ridiculous rate.

Greyhounds are wonderful dogs that are well suited to small spaces such as apartments.  Depsite being fast runners, the dogs really are couch potatoes and are content to lay around most of the day.  Many people are daunted by their size but they do curl up into nice little balls!  Many of them are great with other dogs, kids and cats, although they are all screened before being placed in a home with any of these.  If you have ever had any interest in adopting one of these wonderful dogs, celebrate the ban on racing by getting in contact with a local Greyhound rescue!

What Does Your Pet Sitter Do If Your Pet Gets Sick?

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A couple weeks ago we had an unfortunate, but inevitable situation arise – a dog we are watching became very ill.  At Wet Noses Pet Sitting we have very clear policies in place for when your pet gets sick, in the case of any problem the sitter is to contact the manager on call or myself (the owner) and await directions.

As pet sitters we have 3 situations that can arise:

1) The illness or injury is minor. We can either take care of it ourselves or the problem will resolve on its own.
2) The problem is more considerable but does not yet warrant medical care. In this case we keep a close on the pet and make a decision on care as the situation develops.
3) The animal requires immediate medical care.

So how does our process work?

If it is clear to the sitter that the animal needs medical care they contact us while loading up the pet.  The dog or cat is taken to either their regular vet or the emergency vet while a manager goes to meet the sitter and contacts the human family.  Our sitters often have other pets to care for, so a manager will take over at the veterinarian to make sure the pet is well cared for and the owner is kept informed.

What if the sitter is not sure if veterinary care is needed?

Occasionally the situation is a little less clear and a second opinion is needed.  The sitter will consult with a manager and often the manager goes out to see the pet and make a final decision.  In the case of a recent emergency, I went out to see the dog and brought my husband with me just in case. The dog in question weighed in at 160 pounds and we knew would require a few people to lift him.  It was good we had extra people as upon our arrival the dog was barely able to walk and had to be assisted into the car.  If the sitter ever has a concern about the health of an animal, a second person is called for help.

What about a minor scratch?

For something small we often take care of the problem ourselves.  All of our sitters have wonderful animal experience and if they need help another sitter or manager comes in to assist.  Some situations depend upon the pet, such as a case a few years ago.  We had a client who was a regular dog walk rip his toe nail off while out on a walk one day.  The sitter was actually a vet tech and I was in the area, so with both of us being more than capable of handling the problem, we tried to do so.  The dog was having none of it.  We made the decision to bring him to a vet since we were not able to get a hold of his owner.  When we did reach her we found out that he has to be sedated for any medical work to be done on him so we were glad we were already at the vet!  This was an unusual situation and in most cases we are able to handle small concerns ourselves.

Do you charge for this extra care?

Handling emergency situations is part of our job.  We do not charge extra if a manager goes out to help a sitter or if your pet gets sick and needs to be taken to the vet.  If the future services for the rest of the trip need to be changed in order to accommodate additional medical needs, then we will charge more for that time, but there is nothing extra for the initial time while we handle the emergency.

While our clients entrust their pets to us we take their care and health very seriously.  We want to know that we did all we could to provide the best care for your fur friends and our clients appreciate the peace of mind that we offer!

4 Reasons We DON’T Go to The Dog Park

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Can you take my dog to the park?

This is a question we get all the time. We are happy to walk your dog through any park near your home, on leash. We will not take your dog to the neighborhood park and let him off leash, or to the fenced dog park.

First off, we are not dog park haters. At Wet Noses Pet Sitting we believe the dog park is a great place in the right situation, for the right dog. Most of our sitters take our their dogs to dog parks and off-leash areas, but those are their own dogs. This is not the same as taking your dog to the park.

In order to make sure our clients are receiving the best and safest care, it is our policy to not to let your dog off leash at a park or go to the dog park.

1. We will never let dogs off leash in a regular, unfenced park, ever.

No matter how great your dog is about not running away from you, we are not you! We form great bonds with the dogs we watch and love them as much as our own pets but that does not make us have the same weight of importance with your dog when they see a cat run across the street. Besides, how often do you see a dog owner calling and chasing their dog, saying they never run off like that. We don’t want that to be us, and neither do you.

2. Dogs (and owners) are unpredictable.

So you live right next to the fenced dog park? Still no way. I cannot count the number of times I have collected my dog and left the dog park because another dog showed up that made me uncomfortable. We cannot predict how your pup is going to react in a variety of situations, nor can we predict how the other dogs are going to respond to your dog. We prefer not to take the risk.

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3. Dog parks can be a vector for diseases.

 

Yeah, so why do you take your dog to dog parks? I make an educated risk based on the conditions of the park before I take my dog. I do not allow my dog to go swimming in the park because Giardia is highly transmittable via water. Same with any park that has large puddles that are frequented by dogs. If we take your dog to the park and he gets sick, even if we went at your request, we are still liable and we have a sick dog on our hands!

4. There are lower risk ways to exercise your dog.

At Wet Noses Pet Sitting we chose to take the lower risk path and during the time your dog is in our care we play it safe. We go on lots of walks, play in the yard, play inside, make up fun games and more! We know we are providing the safest way for your dog to have fun.

What do you think about dog parks? Let us know your feelings and experiences in the comments below!