Halloween is coming!

Don't forget that Halloween is coming up this weekend! Here's some helpful hints for keeping your pets safe:
1. Keep pets away from candy- remember chocolate is poisonous and other candy may cause diarrhea and vomiting
2. Keep pets in enclosed areas where they can't accidently run out the door when it's answered.
3. Outdoor cats, especially black ones, keep close to home or in an indoor area where they will be safe.
4. Make sure any animal costumes allow your pet to open it's mouth fully and have a normal range of motion while it is moving. 
5. Make sure any decorations are put up in a place where your animals won't have a chance to chew on them.
While these are all very simple things to do, it can make a big difference in the enjoyment of the holiday for everyone.

Why an exam is important

Exams are important to veterinarians for a number of reasons.  Even before touching the animal, vets are already evaluating your pet.  How is it standing? Is it alert? Is it reacting to noise and movement normally? Is the breathing even?  While it may look like the vet is just petting your animal, they have usually already started the exam.  Petting is a good way to disguise checking for lumps and bumps and feeling for any enlarged lymph nodes or other abnormalities.  It is especially important in long haired animals, as that hair can hide many things.  Petting also helps calm down a nervous animal.
During the exam the veterinarian uses most of their senses to detect any abnormalities (we rarely taste anything now days).
Many diseases and disease processes are able to be picked up by the vet during exams, everything from the obvious obesity and fleas to internal problems such as liver and kidney disease- which then require further work up to verify the suspicion of disease.
This is why we recommend at least yearly exams, during that time a lot of changes can happen to your pet, they you may be completely unaware of.

New Blog

Today I'm starting a new blog, hopefully it will have something for everyone.  The plan will be at least weekly posts, but it may be more often if I find I have more to say.  This blog will cover everything from pregnancy and day old puppies and kittens to geriatric patients and their special needs.  The point isn't to diagnose anything over the Internet, but to help clarify what a diagnosis means or how a disease progresses.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at work, here at this blog or even though email at the clinic's website. 
I think this will be enough for this post, but I'll post again this week.  I think I'll start at the beginning- why exams are important and what a veterinarian will get out of just laying their hands on your pet.
Thanks for reading!
Dr. Burns