Volume 12 Issue 4 Page 1

A Publication of Blue Ravine Animal Hospital

Your Pet ’s Health Is Our Concern

Blue Ravine News

November 2014 Volume 12 Issue 4

Staff Jennifer Sweet, DVM

Jackie Thomas, DVM

Jennifer Yee, DVM

Christina Riffle-Yokoi, DVM

Lori Siemens, DVM Independent Cardiologist

Katherine Schwartz, RVT Practice Manager

Patti Rungo Office Manager/Receptionist

Tricia Hudick, Receptionist

Michelle Ippoliti, Receptionist

Tania McCandless, Receptionist

Ann Nicewander, Receptionist

Brianne Boon, RVT

Andrea Gavin, RVT

Jolene Benevento, RVT

Alison Goodwin, RVT

Jacqui Hodges, Vet Ass’t.

Alyssa Bressem, Vet Ass’t.

Jessi Jones, Vet Ass’t.

Kayla Nelson, Vet Ass't

Jackie Attebery, Vet Ass't

Tami Russell, Vet Ass't

April Benzow, Vet Ass’t.

Sierra O’Leary, Kennel Ass’t.

Kat Ashley, Kennel Ass’t.

Erin Hall, Kennel Ass’t.

Misty Tracy, Groomer

Adoptable Pets 3

Coupon — Free Cat or

Dog Toy and Santa Photo

at Open House

4

Fun Cat Trivia 3

How to Pet Proof Your

Home for the Holidays 2

Invitation to Blue Ravine’s Open House

In This Issue:

You are invited to attend our annu-

al Christmas Open House on Satur-

day, December 6th from 2:00 to

6:00 p.m.

Tour the facilities, meet the staff,

partake of the wonderful and deli-

cious refreshments, receive a good-

ie bag, have a complimentary

Christmas photo taken with Santa

Claus, and take home a toy for your

special cat or dog.

And did we mention you could win

a prize for free dental work or a gift

basket?

This is our opportunity to share

and engage socially with our cli-

ents. No reservation is necessary,

just come and enjoy the fun. WE

WANT TO SEE YOU! — the Staff at Blue Ravine Animal Hospital

Enter to win

a $25 gift

certificate for

services at the

hospital when

you review

our clinic.

Sharing your thoughts online is quick and easy, and your feedback helps us create the best customer expe-rience possible for all of our valued clients.

Write a review about our services at www.blueravineanimalhospital.com/reviews.

Email us a link or bring in a copy of your review and you’ll be entered into our quarterly drawing to win a $25 gift certificate for services at the hospital.

Provide us with your email address and we’ll make the review process even easier by sending you direct links to leave a review.

Thanks for your support!

Page 2 Blue Ravine News

How to Pet Proof Your Home for the Holidays

The bright colors and intoxicating scents of the holiday season are enough to transform any moping mutt or cranky cat from melancholy to downright jolly. Unfortu-nately, many of the delights and decorations of the holi-days pose significant risks to companion animals.

Christmas Trees. Pine needles can lodge in an animal's esophagus, making it difficult or impossible for your pet to swallow. Even drinking water from the Christmas tree base is enough to cause diarrhea, mouth sores, vomiting and loss of appetite. Cover your tree stand tightly with skirting and distract your companion animal from tempta-tions with holiday toys and treats.

Deck the Halls. A bunch of fresh mistle-toe may be a symbol of love, but to your curious cat or canine, tempting red ber-ries look more like a sweet treat. Eating the leaves and berries could cause a drop in blood pressure. Ivy can cause diarrhea, convulsions and in some cases even death when eaten in large quantities. Holly, poinsettias and other plants are best kept away from inquisitive compan-ion animals.

Tinsel and Lights. A flickering flame and shiny decorations intrigue companion animals. When lighting and once lit, the Menorah, Advent wreath or decorative candles, keep pets in another room where paws and claws can't reach them. With electrical lights, remember to tape exposed electrical cords to walls or the floor to ensure no chewing or tripping. Also use bitter training aids that impart a bitter taste to an object to discourage your pet from chewing on dangerous cords. Tinsel and gift-wrap may look like fun toys but they can cause choking, upset stomach or even more serious prob-lems.

Visions of Sugar Plums. Dogs may love to sniff your holi-day goodies but theobromine, an ingredient found in chocolate, is toxic. Don't ever offer dogs chocolate as a treat. If your dog develops a sweet tooth and discovers an improperly stored stash, it could lead to tragedy. Keep dogs' jaws busy with holiday biscuits and oversized bones. If he or she shows signs of illness such as vomiting, loss of appetite, or excessive water intake, contact your veteri-narian immediately. Proper nutrition and plenty of fresh water are essential to your companion animal's winter health.

Let it Snow. Pets, especially very young and older animals, can suffer stress, frostbite and hypothermia when their body temperature drops just a few degrees below normal. The tips of the ears, feet and tail are commonly affected areas. Watch for the formation of ice balls between your companion animal's toes and regularly trim the long hair between the footpads to avoid frostbitten feet. If you sus-pect frostbite, do not rub the area but simply apply warm moist cloth packs and contact your veterinarian.

Antifreeze Alert. Automotive antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which causes rapid and permanent kidney damage

to your companion animal if it ingests even a very small amount. It takes only 6 millili-ters or less than 1/4 ounce of antifreeze to kill an average-sized cat. A cat can walk through an antifreeze puddle and ingest it while cleaning its paws. For a dog, it takes only 60 milliliters or about 2 ounces of anti-freeze to kill a 30-pound pup. A dog could ingest this much with a few laps out of an open container or from a puddle on the garage floor.

Home for the Holidays. If your pet cannot be in the house with you, a proper shelter can be a lifesaver for a chilly dog or feline.

When selecting a doghouse or shelter for your cat, the space should be only as large as necessary for the animal to maneuver comfortably, since the animal's own body heat will serve as a heater. You will have one chilled Chi-huahua if he or she is hanging out of a Doberman-sized doghouse. Nitrogen plastic insulated pet houses work well to keep the heat inside the house with the animal. Some houses even have an offset door that provides additional protection of your companion animals from winter drafts.

Remember, the best present you can give your pets this holiday season is good health and some extra love and attention.

Volume 12 Issue 4 Page 3

Cats are amazing animals. They have become one of the most popular pets because of their playfulness, independ-ent nature, daily low-maintenance lifestyle, and affection-ate personalities. Enjoy these fun facts about your favorite feline.

A group of kittens is called a kindle, a group of cats is called a clowder. A female cat is called a queen, a male cat is a tom. The act of giving birth in a cat is called queening.

Just as a person has a dominant hand, a cat usually uses one front paw more than the other. This has been associat-ed with gender in both people and felines. Most female cats are right pawed, and most males are left pawed. The percentages are different for people, but the trend is the same. Only about 10% of humans are left-handed, but most of them are male.

A cat can detect the smallest movements, even in very low light. Cats can see images in as little as one-fifth the amount of light that people and most animals need for seeing.

A cat’s nose contains 200 million scent receptors, making it 40 times more powerful than a human’s.

The cat’s weakest sense is taste. People have about 10,000 taste buds on their tongue, but cats have less than 500.

Cats have very acute hear-ing, with the ability to hear ultrasonic sounds made by small rodents (60 to 65 kilo-hertz), and they are able to determine the direction of the sound by using the 20 mus-cles in each ear to pinpoint the location.

A cat's fur is sensitive to air movement, with the whiskers being the most perceptive to the cat’s environment. A blind cat will move its head side to side in order to see with the whiskers as a blind person uses a cane.

NOTE: Cats have different nutrition requirements than dogs. Cats require some amino acids that are found only in meat. Dogs can be vegetarians, but not cats. If cats are fed dog food they can become blind or develop a severe heart disease called cardiomyopathy.

Fun Cat Trivia (by Tammy Gagne, “Amazing Cat Facts and Trivia.” Chartwell Books 2011)

ADOPTABLE PETS WHO NEED FOREVER HOMES These two wonderful little dogs just need someone to love and care for them.

Call 916-984-0990 for an appointment to meet Ernest or Coco.

Perky little Chihuahua-mix Coco, a 6-year-old weighing 7 pounds, was abandoned for unknown reasons. He loves to play, is happy to be with people and gets along with everyone, including the other dogs he’s met.

Ernest (left) is an elder Jack Russell Terrier—probably between 12 and 14 years old—found as a stray. He had been neglected and now has had a tune-up and dental care.

He’s still a spunky 11-pound guy who likes dogs and cats and loves to cuddle.

He is VERY SWEET—look at those eyes!!

Page 4 Blue Ravine News

Blue Ravine Office Hours Office hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm; Saturday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; Sunday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

For emergencies outside regular office hours, please call Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center, 916 362-3111 or Vista Veterinary Specialist, 916 231-4445.

www.blueravineanimalhospital.com

BLUE RAVINE OPEN HOUSE Saturday, December 6, 2014

2:00 — 6:00 p.m.

Blue Ravine Animal Hospital

OPEN HOUSE

BLUE RAVINE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

1770 Prairie City Rd. in Folsom, CA

916-984-0990

One Free Cat or Dog Toy per Family,

Complimentary Pet Photo with Santa,

Drawings for Prizes, and More!

1770 Prairie City Road Folsom, CA 95630 Phone: 916 984-0990 Fax: 916 984-6510

November 2014

BLUE RAVINE OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2014