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7 Crazy Myths about Pet Care

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According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 37% of American households have dogs as pets and 30% of homes have cats. Vet care is important when you’re thinking about the wellbeing of your animal, and the AVMA reports that the average dog owner in the United States makes about 2.6 visits to the vet each year. Being a pet owner brings up lots of questions, and you may find yourself asking things like, How do I choose the right vet? or What do I do when my pet has an emergency?

As a pet owner, it’s important to know the best ways to care for your pet, which includes knowing how to choose a veterinarian technician. For anyone who is interested in learning about the best ways to care for your pet, or who just wants to review the basics of how to be a good pet owner, keep reading to learn about some common myths pertaining to local veterinarians and pet care in general.

Myth #1: Anyone can be a vet, so it doesn’t matter what credentials they have. FALSE!
If you have been asking yourself How do I choose the right vet? then the first place to begin is by checking their certification. Most states require official licensing, so make sure your vet is up-to-date with their documentation.

Myth #2: My pet seems healthy, so he doesn’t need to go to the vet. FALSE!
Even if your pet seems to be healthy, they can’t tell you the details of what they are feeling. You should take them to the vet at least once a year and more often if they are acting strange or if you’re concerned about their wellbeing.

Myth #3: I can’t afford the services of a vet. FALSE!
If you think you can’t afford the vet, you should check out some options for cheaper vet care. Sometimes it is subsidized by government programs, so don’t avoid going because you think you don’t have enough money to pay.

Myth #4: I don’t need to brush my pet’s teeth because they only eat pet food. FALSE!
Pets mostly eat pet food but this doesn’t mean you don’t need to brush their teeth. Just like humans, plaque and bacteria can build up if you don’t properly care for them.

Myth #5: I should let my pet lick my plate after dinner. FALSE!
Humans and pets shouldn’t eat the same food because we have different nutritional requirements. When feeding your pet, stick to the best pet food them them.

Myth #6: If my cat falls, he will always land on his feet. FALSE!
This is usually true, but don’t count on it because sometimes cats can get hurt when falling from high heights.

Myth #7: If I get pregnant, I can’t clean the litter box because I will get sick. FALSE!
This was a longtime myth believed by many people, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) actually debunked it recently when they suggested that it was only a folklore. If you don’t feel well and aren’t up to doing chores however, you shouldn’t exert yourself while pregnant.

Do you have any tips for someone who is asking themselves How do I choose the right vet? We would love to hear from you, so please share your experience by leaving a comment below. More. See this link for more.

Watch Out for Diabetes in Household Pets

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Diabetes in domestic animals is on the rise, and has been for a number of years now. In part, this has to do with the quality of commercial pet foods. Another culprit is the sharing of misinformation about best feeding practices. Often, diabetes can creep into a pet’s system slowly, much like it does with adults. If your dog or cat leans on the heavier and lazier side, it’s definitely something to keep your eye on. Diabetes in domestic animals is manageable, but it can incur visits to an emergency animal hospital or 24 hour pet hospital. Additionally, the cost of insulin, needles, specialty foods, and more frequent checkups certainly does add up.
If you’re not familiar, the condition known as diabetes has a direct correlation to the amount of glucose sugar in the blood. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, and diabetes sets in when the body is either not producing enough insulin or is not utilizing the amount being made.
Just as it is in humans, there are two different kinds of diabetes mellitus that develop in our domestic animals.

  • Type 1: wherein the body is no longer making insulin, thus requiring ongoing insulin therapy for the duration of the animal’s life. This is the type that dogs are most prone to develop.
  • Type2: wherein the body is still producing some amount of insulin, but it isn’t enough or perhaps something is getting in the way of the animal’s ability to properly absorb it. This is the type that cats are most prone to develop.
    Generally speaking, cats that are most prone to developing diabetes are between the ages of 8 and 13 and/or have either hyperthyroidism, pancreatitis, are obese and inactive.
    Dog breeds more prone to diabetes include (but are not limited to) Labradors, Schnauzers, Poodles, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. Diabetes tends to strike when dogs are between the ages of 7 and 9.
    If your pet seems unusually listless or extremely lethargic, take them to an emergency animal hospital immediately.
    Here’s a list of signs and symptoms to be aware of:

  • frequent urination
  • increased water consumption
  • increased appetite/no change in weight or losing weight
  • lethargy
  • deteriorating vision
  • dandruff, dull coat
  • cataracts (presents as whiteness in the eyes)
    Especially in cats, diabetes is preventable and often somewhat reversible if caught early and significant lifestyle changes are made. Local veterinarians should be able to help you get your pet onto low-carb foods with a daily calorie restriction that will help regulate an animal’s blood-glucose levels; you might want to avoid choosing a low cost vet for this since clinics often don’t have the capacity for blood work. If necessary, search online to find a vet that specializes in handling diabetes. Taking steps now will save you visits to the emergency animal hospital later.
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  • Three Tips for Your Veterinary Social Media Presence

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    We all know that these days, every business needs to have an online presence as one of their marketing strategies. Once your vet clinic has a professional website, you should start branching out and implementing different veterinary marketing ideas that are out there. One of the most effective (and most fun) ways to connect to your customer base and encourage its growth is to use social media. Here are three tips for doing it.

    Use the right ones
    There are a number of social media sites out there, and while you can be a member of more than one, you should limit your membership to only the ones that you can handle. Check out a few of the most popular ones — like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest — and see what their features are and how you’ll be connecting with your clients. Choose the ones you understand how to use and that offer the type of social media platform you can effectively work with.

    Engage your audience
    When you’ve chosen a few different social media sites to join, you need to make sure that you’re using them well and engaging with your clients. Post interesting content and things that your clients are going to want to click on and share (a wealth of cute animal videos comes to mind). If it isn’t interesting, people won’t care. Post different types of media like articles, videos, and pictures to mix things up.

    Be careful
    This is probably the most important tip on this list, and it bears repeating. Be careful. One typo or grammar mistake could spell disaster and quickly alienate or offend a lot of people at once, and very quickly. A common faux pas these days is not finding out what a trending hashtag is about before using it — like the Digiorno and the hashtag that referred to domestic violence debacle.

    Do you have any other veterinary marketing tips or tricks for social media? Let us know in the comments. Find out more at this site.