Hello again Rangers!

Does your doggie need to go on a diet?  I bet some of you hear mom or dad
talking about going on a diet, or needing to lose weight.  Well guess what?
Sometimes dogs need to go on a diet too!  How can you tell?  I’m going to
talk with you about that today.

Dogs can gain weight and get too heavy like people do if they eat too much
or don’t get enough exercise.  Did your pooch put on some pounds?  You can
tell by feeling their body.  It should be easy to feel your dog’s ribs, even
with a lot of hair.  It also should be easy to feel the backbone, or spine.
When you look at your pup, it should be obvious where the chest or rib cage
stops, and the belly starts.  The belly should be smaller than the rib cage.

If your dog seems a little too round, those ribs and spine are hard to find,
and the belly looks big, then he might be overweight.  Extra weight can
cause all sorts of problems, like joint pain, or breathing troubles.  It
also can lead to medical problems like diabetes.

The best thing you can do is tell mom and dad you think your dog might be
overweight.  Then they need to take him to the vet for a check up.  The vet
can tell you how many pounds he might need to lose, and the best way to feed
your dog.

After the vet check up, exercise and diet changes are in order.  Play with
your dog!  Run around the yard, throw a ball, or take him for a walk.  Try
to get him moving every day.  When feeding him, you need to measure out how
much he gets and only feed the amount your vet recommends.  Be careful with
those treats!  Too many treats can add a lot of calories, so only give one a
day, and make it a small treat.  Also, don’t feed any food off the table.
Some of the food we eat isn’t good for dogs, and can also have a lot of fat
and calories.

Taking a few simple steps can help with weight problems in dogs, and keep
them healthy and happy.  So go pet your dog right now and see if you can
feel those ribs and backbone.  If you can, tell mom and dad they are doing a
good job!

And let’s not forget kitties! They have the same problems. You can look at the pictures below to see what “too fat” and “just right” look like for dogs and cats!

Thanks for all your good work Rangers!

Until next time,

Roc’s Doc

Hi Rangers!

Did you know that there are thousands of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens without homes?  Many of these animals are in animal shelters and rescue buildings across our country. The picture in my letter is a litter of pups right in a Phoenix shelter!! It is sad that there are so many that haven’t found their forever homes.  This is one reason I want to talk to you about spaying and neutering.

Spaying and neutering are types of surgery.  Veterinarians perform this surgery on dogs and cats, and puppies and kittens, to remove the parts that are responsible for making new puppies and kittens.  It is very important if you have a pet that they are spayed or neutered.  If not, a girl pet might get pregnant and have a litter of puppies or kittens.  If your pet is a boy and not neutered he might get away and find a girl to get pregnant with puppies or kittens.  Either way, if there is a pregnancy then there are new puppies or kittens that will need to find new homes.

There are other reasons to have your pet spayed or neutered.  Sometimes a girl dog that isn’t spayed might get a very bad infection in the uterus (one of the parts that is removed during the surgery).  If she gets an infection it will make her very sick, or she might even die.  There is an infection boy dogs might get too, in something called the prostate, that won’t happen if he’s neutered.  Sometimes if a dog or cat isn’t spayed or neutered they are at risk for getting cancer.  Cancer can be prevented with spaying or neutering.

Dogs are better behaved when they are spayed or neutered.  The parts that are removed during the surgery have chemicals called hormones in them.  Hormones can effect emotions, like feeling scared, mad or sad.  If a dog has these hormones they are more likely to behave badly.  Sometimes the hormones can make dogs cranky.  A spayed or neutered dog doesn’t have these hormones and will learn to take direction better and will be more fun to be around.

So Rangers, talk to your parents about spaying and neutering your pet.  They might already be done, or “fixed” as we sometimes call it.  Many times if a pet has been adopted from a shelter they had the surgery done there.  If your pet didn’t come from a shelter the surgery maybe hasn’t been done.  Please talk to your mom and dad about going to the vet and talking about this important surgery.

Until next time!

Your Friend,

Roc’s Doc

“Spring time reminds me that there is an important disease that Rocket’s Rangers need to know about.  It is called heartworm disease.  With warm weather comes mosquitoes, and they can give your dog heartworm disease.

Heartworms are long thin worms, shaped like a spaghetti noodle, that grow in the blood vessels and live in the heart of your dog.  Once in the heart, the worms will block blood flow and cause the heart to have to work harder than normal.  Eventually this makes the heart weak and cases a condition called heart failure.  Once a dog gets heart failure, there is no cure, and they eventually die from it.

The good news is that heartworm disease is easily prevented!  Your veterinarian will run a fast and easy blood test to make sure your dog doesn’t already have heartworms.  Sometimes dogs can have heartworms, and not have any signs of sickness yet because the heart is still strong enough.  Once your veterinarian determines your dog doesn’t have heartworms, he or she will send your dog home with a monthly medicine to prevent heartworms from growing if your dog is bitten by a mosquito.  And the best part is that the pills are specially flavored treats!

So, Rangers, make sure your good friend gets to the vet today to have the test and get those pills.  It may save your dog’s life!”

Until next time,

Your friend,

Roc’s Doc

Hi Rangers!!

“February is National Pet Dental Health Month, which is a good time to talk to you all about taking good care of your pet’s teeth!

Most of you probably know you have to take a trip to the dentist often to have him or her check for cavities, give you a really good cleaning, and don’t forget that yummy tasting polish!  Well, your dog or cat also need to have regular dental cleanings and check-ups.  Your dog’s veterinarian is also his or her doggy dentist!

Puppies and kittens have baby teeth just like we do, that fall out and new adult teeth grow in.  But dogs have many more teeth than people do, with 42 adult teeth in their mouth compared to our 32.  That’s a lot of teeth to check and keep clean!  Dogs don’t usually get cavities like we do, but they do get an infection of the gum called gingivitis.  Sometimes this infection can get so bad that a tooth is at risk of falling out.  Sometime a tooth needs to be extracted, or pulled.

If a dog chews on things they shouldn’t it could break a tooth.  A broken tooth would hurt, but your pet usually won’t say anything or act like it hurts.  Dogs and cats can’t tell us if something is bothering them, so it’s important for a veterinary check up to look for any problems.  If a broken tooth is found, it can be treated so it isn’t painful, either by pulling it out, or sometimes a root canal treatment can be done which makes the tooth not hurt anymore.

You can help your dog or cat keep a pretty smile and healthy teeth by taking him or her to the veterinarian and getting a check up and teeth cleaning.  Dogs and cats don’t sit still like we do for a teeth cleaning, and won’t bite down on that x-ray film and hold still for x-rays.  So your pet’s veterinarian has to use medicine that will make your dog or cat sleep for the entire check up.  This is a safe way for your pet to get a good dental cleaning.

After the teeth are clean and healthy, you can help keep them that way by regularly brushing your dog’s teeth (REALLY!! ).  There is even doggy flavored tooth paste, like chicken or peanut butter flavors!  It’s important to brush the teeth every day, and it’s best to train your dog that it’s a treat so they enjoy it.  Your Vet can show you how to do this.

It’s up to you, Rocket Rangers, to help watch for signs that your dog or cat might need to see the pet dentist.  Things to look for might be yellow, brown or green material stuck to the teeth (this is called tartar and plaque), gums that bleed, and bad breath.  You can help out your furry friends by asking mom and dad to schedule a check up right away.”

More news next month!

Your Friend,

Roc’s Doc

www.animalmedicaland surgical.com

Hi Rangers,

I have asked my Doctor (Roc’s Doc) to talk to you about something that is extremely improtant, so please listen carefully to what he has to say:

“I want to talk to you about something that is very important for your puppy and kitten friends as well as your full grown dog and cat friends.  That is:  Vaccinations!!

If you can think back you will remember that you were vaccinated when you were younger.  Vaccines are shots that are given to prevent us from getting sick from certain germs.  Germs are viruses and bacteria that can get into our bodies and make us very sick.  Our pets can get similar germs just like we can and become very ill.  However, these illnesses can be prevented by vaccinations.

A vaccination is a shot that is given when we are well.  It is a medicine that will cause our bodies to produce antibodies which are little microscopic “warriors” in our blood stream that attack and destroy the bad guys like viruses and bacteria that may get into our bodies.

An example would be a flu shot to protect you from the flu.  If you have a flu shot (vaccination), and someone who has the flu germ sneezes on you and the germ enters through your nose and into your lungs, you will be protected by the warriors that the flu shot produced and the warriors will destroy the flu germ and you will not get sick.

You can prevent disease in your pets in the same way.

The most important vaccinations (or shots) that your dogs should have are Parvo virus, Distemper virus, Hepatitis virus, Parinfluenza virus and Rabies virus and also the Bordetella bacteria.  Your cats should have vaccinations for the Leukemia virus, the Feline Distemper virus, the Rhinotracheitis virus, the Calici virus and the Rabies virus.

You should have your puppies and kittens given a series of these vaccinations about 3 weeks apart when they are 6, 9, 12, and 16 weeks old.  After that they should have boosters each year.  Each shot should be given every three years, so we rotate the vaccinations, so your pet does not get all the virus shots at the same time.  (Except for Bordetella bacteria, this should be given every 6 months).

As an example, once your puppy is one year old, and they have received boosters of all the above vaccines, then from that time on, they would get Parvo and Bordetella at 2 years of age, Distemper, Hepatitis and Parainfluenza and Bordetella at 3 years of age, and Rabies and Bordetella at 4 years of age; then you would start that same rotation over again throughout their life.

Cats are the same; at 2 years of age, they get Feline Distemper, Rhinotracheitis and Calici virus, at 3 years of age they get Leukemia, at 4 years of age they get rabies vaccination.  Then you begin that rotation over again throughout their life.

When your animals become old (12 years of age), you can stop vaccinating them for everything except Rabies.  At that time, they have enough warriors in their blood stream to protect them in their old age.

So, remember Rangers, this is very very important, be sure to tell you Mom and Dad that your pets need to have their vaccinations when they are puppies and kittens, as well as when they are adults. This will help keep them healthy.  Some of these diseases can even cause death let alone very severe illness and suffering.”

My Mom makes sure I am vaccinated every year by my doctor (Roc’s Doc), so I want you to make sure that you vaccinate your pets every year as well.

Hope this finds all of you and all of your pets well and happy,

Love,

Rocket and Roc’s Doc (Dr. Pullen).

A Dream Come True

Dear Rocket’s Rangers,

Forty-two years ago, when I first became a veterinarian, I had a dream. I wanted to one day build the best hospital in the United States, where families brought their dogs and cats and felt very special. So I worked very hard to make this happen.

Two years ago my dream came true!

Animal Medical & Surgery Center (AMSC) in North Scottsdale was built, and one year later we became the 2008 Hospital of the Year for the entire United States! The hospital is amazing. From the sliding glass front doors to the upstairs play park, everything is beautiful. The people who bring their pets to us feel at home and safe. Their best friends get lots of attention and love from everyone.

What makes all of us happy is taking care of dogs and cats. Sometimes we give vaccinations or clean teeth and ears. Sometimes we have to do surgery on a pet to help him feel better or even save his life. A nurse is here all day and night to take special care of our patients. If a patient is in our intensive care unit, he gets his very own stuffed animal to be next to, and his family can come and visit.

Upstairs we have a special boarding area which looks like little houses with a green park in the middle! We let the dogs run and play together with toys and then they rest and watch Animal Planet. In our feline boarding room, the cats have perches and windows to look outside. All of the dogs and cats are treated like special guests while they stay at our hospital!

Since you are Rocket’s friends, please come and visit me and our patients at AMSC! You will get to walk through our hospital, get a cookie and even a treat for your pet.

I will also be sharing tips for the care and health of your pets right here every week.You can send in your questions about animal health and I will answer them in my column.I won’t be able to treat your pets by email but I can answer many general questions and concerns.

Here’s to healthy pets finding good forever homes!!

Roc’s Doc

Dr. Pullen