Education - Barnyard Veterinary Service & Supply

The Unlicensed Animal Care Expert

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Betsy Savage Posted in Education .

Don’t play around with your animal’s health care

Beware of the unlicensed non-professional posing as an animal care expert.

Hot Springs and the surrounding area has recently seen an increase in the number of lay persons giving medical advice, administering vaccines and wormer and performing certain other procedures. When these people charge for their services, they often charge more than veterinarians do.

While some of these people have animal experience, they are unlicensed and may be performing procedures illegally. Your local veterinarian has passed state and national board examinations. He or she has completed rigorous college classes and hands on experiences that encompass anatomy, physiology, surgery, immunology, disease control and prevention, zoonotic disease, pathology, nutrition, behavior, and veterinary law and ethics to name a few. Further, veterinarians have a myriad of resources to turn to when they need more information on a certain topic. For a broader scope of safer animal care, stick with a licensed professional veterinarian.

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Seasonal Pet Safety

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

Season’s Greetings!!

Can it be that the Holidays are once again upon us?

While this can be a time of excitement, fellowship, and indulgence for humans, pets can sometimes get stressed with all of the extra commotion. The following is a list of things you can do to keep your pet(s) safe.

Provide your pet(s) with a safe place out from underfoot. Kennels and kid/pet gates can be useful in designating boundaries.
Invest in covered trash cans and keep food out of reach of clever counter surfing pets. Chocolate, coffee, alcohol, xylitol, grapes, raisin, currents, macadamia nuts, bones and excessive fats like butter and shortening can all be toxic or harmful to pets.
Keep decorations safe and appropriate for the type of pet you have. Tinsel, candles, electrical cords, glass ornaments, and many of the seasonal holiday plants can be hazardous to pets.
Additionally, be conscientious about the outdoor weather conditions if your pets need to stay outside. Adequate shelter and access to unfrozen water are essential.

Happy Holidays!

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Dogs and Sound

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

Does your dog go nuts when outside or if it hears a noise? Maybe he just seems to have convenient hearing. Let’s go inside the minds of dogs and find out why.

Over the years attempts have been made to understand what goes on inside the minds of dogs. Scientists have observed dogs in their natural state and through experiments. However, a Hungarian scientist has recently put conscious dogs through MRI scans in order to gain a better understanding of how they process information.

MRI scanners have been used in larger veterinary hospitals as a diagnostic tool, but the dogs are usually put under anesthesia. This special group of dogs was trained to lie perfectly still while in the noisy scanner.

So far, the scientists have found that in the dog’s auditory area of the brain approximately 39% of it responds to other dogs’ vocalizations, 13% to human voices, and a whopping 48% to environmental sounds. In contrast, our brains respond to other human voices using 87% of the auditory cortex and only 3% is used to respond to our environment.

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Thankful for Pets

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

As Thanksgiving comes around, take time to be thankful for your pets. Sure they can be a lot of work, but the joys they bring us can be unmeasurable. They make us laugh and cry. They comfort us when we are sad and keep us company when we are alone. Sometimes they protect us and sometimes they get us in trouble with the neighbors or animal control.

Show your pet some extra love this year.

Popular requests from the dogs include going out for a walk or run, extra petting, and healthy treats.

Cats might appreciate a new cat tree/scratching post, some cat nip, a sunny window shelf or just a cardboard box.

Horses like apples and carrots or maybe just a saddle that fits.

Little critters are often happiest with a clean cage and a few delicious munchies.

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Why test pet urine?

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

Why does my veterinarian want to test my dog or cats urine? What’s he/she going to find?

Veterinarians analyze urine for acidity or alkalinity, specific gravity (how concentrated the urine is), red blood cells, white blood cells, cancer cells, and bacteria (urine should be sterile).

They also look for crystals, casts, glucose, ketones, protein, and other substances whose presence can indicate a disease process is active.

A urinalysis is best performed in conjunction with blood tests and a physical exam to gain a more complete picture of how the body is processing and filtering certain substances.

For example, glucose should stay in the blood and not spill over into the urine via the kidney. Diabetes is of course suspected with the presence of glucose in the urine.

Allow your veterinarian to collect samples at the clinic or confirm with them their preferred process of collection. Fresh samples are best and need to be collected and handled in a manner that will reveal the most help information.

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Halloween is coming…

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education, Uncategorized .

Wearing costumes can also stress our furry friends

… Fright night for pets?

While Halloween can be a fun spooky night for people, our pets may not share our enthusiasm. Here’s a few things to be aware of:

Yard ornaments like the inflatable ghosts, motion activated skeletons, and people in costumes can scare pets and increase their anxiety levels.

Halloween candy can be hazardous to pets as well, especially chocolate and anything containing the sugar substitute xylitol.

Multiple visits by trick or treaters can drive your pet crazy, especially if the doorbell rings every time and your pet is protective of your property. These dogs may benefit from being confined to a quiet room or crate until the commotion is over.

Additionally Halloween decorations, power cords, make-up, and costumes can pose a threat to pets if they are chewed on or eaten.

Lastly black cats are often targeted by people with less than honorable intentions so keep them inside too.

Here are more tips from The Humane Society of the United States:
www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/halloween-safety.html

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Winterproof Your Pets

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

Fall is going to quit teasing us and as much as we hate to think about it, the cold is coming. It’s time to start preparing your pet’s environment for winter.

Are fences secure and sturdy enough to handle wind and snow?

If your pet has to stay outside for any length of time make sure that adequate shelter is available. Dog houses, wind breaks, garages, and sheds can all be appropriate.

Short haired pets, sick pets, very young animals, and older animals will benefit from heated spaces and soft warm bedding. Straw, shavings, orthopedic beds, cushions, and heated beds can provide appropriate insulation.

It’s important that pets continue to drink plenty of water during winter. Heated and/or insulated water bowls are available at many veterinary offices and farm stores. Also re-evaluate your pet’s feed intake. Adjustments may need to be made if you pet is burning more calories to stay warm.

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Should I bathe my dog?

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

Bathing dogs with healthy skin and hair coat can interfere with the dogs natural protective oils and disturb the delicate balance of beneficial microbes that live on the pet’s skin.

However, dogs are notorious for getting into stinky things that most owners find repulsive. In these cases, bathing your dog periodically (a few times a year) with a mild doggie approved shampoo is not harmful.

On the other hand, some dogs need to be bathed on a regular basis (weekly to monthly) to help them combat harmful bacteria, yeast, or parasites. Allergies, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, metabolic diseases, and cancer can all alter the skin making frequent bathing with medicated shampoos a necessity for the pet’s comfort.

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I think my dog had a seizure…

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

I think my dog had a seizure. What do I do?

Dogs can develop seizures at any time during their lives. Aberrant brain activity can range from imperceptible to a full blown Grand Mal seizure. Often owners will be awakened in the wee hours of the morning as the animal thrashes about next to the bed.

Seizures can have many etiologies (causes) so most veterinarians will want to run some blood and urine tests to help them determine the cause. Many seizures have a genetic component or are idiopathic, meaning we can’t find a cause. Taking a video of the pet having the seizure and timing the event can help the veterinarian as well.

Fortunately, most seizures can be controlled with medications.

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Old Cats, Kidney Disease and Diets

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Sandra Wahlert DVM Posted in Education .

My old cat has just been diagnosed with kidney disease. Should I feed her a special diet?

The stage of renal disease that the cat is in and the clinical symptoms the cat displays helps determine the dietary plan for the pet.

In general, many veterinarians will recommend a prescription renal (kidney) diet for cats with elevated kidneys values. Diets such as Hill’s Science Diet K/D, Purina ProPlan’s N/F, and Royal Canin’s renal line have high quality proteins in decreased amounts compared to those sold in most grocery and farm stores. Controlling the protein level decreases the amount of harmful phosphorus in the diet.

Additionally, these diets have reduced sodium and higher levels of potassium and omega-3 fatty acids. This combination of nutrients helps the cat maintain body condition and muscle mass. Research shows that feeding prescription diets will increase the length and quality of life for your cat.

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