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November 2019 is Adopt a Senior Pet & Cancer Awareness Month
5 Reasons You Should
Adopt a Senior Pet
  1. They're quick learners.  Older pets have a longer attention span and tend to be calmer, meaning they can take in more of what you are teaching them. They also have had lots of experience interacting with humans and getting to know what their behaviors mean.
  2. They are independent.
    Senior pets love to be by their owners’ sides, but they have also mastered the art of amusing themselves. You can trust older pets to play safely on their own when you are occupied. 
  3. They never stop expressing their gratitude. When you gaze into the wise and worldly eyes of a rescued senior pet, you will see an animal who knows they have been saved. They don’t care where you live, what you look like or what you do for a living; they will dedicate the remainder of their lives to thanking you.
  4. Older pets usually come trained and understand at least basic commands. Most older pets know are potty-trained and have mastered the basic commands such as “sit,” “stay,” “come,” and “down.” Adopting an already-trained dog will save you a lot of time and energy that you’d normally have to dedicate towards training a young dog.
  5. Adopting an older pet may save its life. Many people are quick to adopt puppies and younger dogs, often overlooking dogs over the age of five. Shelters are overcrowded and unfortunately, older dogs are among the first to be euthanized if they aren’t adopted in a timely manner. By adopting a senior dog, you are not only providing it with a better life but are also saving it from being put down.
 Pet Cancer Awareness
Cancer is a disease that tends to have a better prognosis the earlier it is diagnosed. So, it is important for pet owners to know what signs to watch for. The most common sign to watch for is growing lumps or sores that fail to heal. Other warning signs for cancer include:
  • Loss of appetite
  • Difficulty chewing or swallowing
  • Vomiting and/or diarrhea
  • Weight loss
  • Bleeding or other discharge from any body opening
  • Severe lethargy
  • Unusually strong odors coming from a pet
If you notice one or more of the above signs in your pet, then you should bring your pet in to see Dr. Daniels as soon as possible. The earlier your pet can be diagnosed and treatment initiated, the better your pet’s chances at surviving cancer will be.
Dixie Gay
Our November 2018
Pet of the Month
My name is Dixie and I am a 6-year-old Doberman mix who was adopted by my mom. I'm as smart as I am cute. One time I shaped my leash into a question mark by the front door trying to get someone to walk me! My favorite thing to play with is lizards, they're always around tempting me to chase them. My most embarrassing moment was the time I chewed open the Christmas presents. I didn't know it wasn't time to open them! Don't tell but my favorite treat is peanut butter, yum. Of course I am so spoiled that I sleep in bed with mom, but really where else would I sleep?
6 Things You Should Never Do to Your Dog
  1. Skip Veterinary VisitsThis may sound like a “no brainer” but there are some people who believe they can self-diagnose their dog’s health problems online and not seek veterinary care. There is a time and a place for online research or to look up additional medical information for a beloved pet. But if a dog acts out of the ordinary or there are any symptoms of poor health, seeking veterinary care is of utmost importance. Never take medical matters into your own hands.
  2. Use a Crate for the Wrong Reasons: Time-outs don’t work for dogs. If a dog is misbehaving, putting him in a dog kennel is the wrong response. When you use the dog crate as a form of punishment, you are teaching your dog that the kennel is a bad place instead of a safe haven. You want being crated to be a positive experience for your dog, so never use it to scold or punish him.
  3. Assume Your Dog Doesn't Have Feelings: Dogs feel, they have emotions and they understand emotions. Studies have shown that dogs experience love like humans and can read human emotions based on facial expressions. Dogs have the capacity to love, feel, become depressed, and get excited. Berating a dog or purposely upsetting him harms the dog and your relationship with him.
  4. Hit a Dog: Putting your hands on a dog as a form of punishment is wrong. It will harm your relationship with your dog and prevent proper training. When you hit a dog, you teach him to fear you, break his trust, and you weaken his confidence. 
  5. Make a Dog Live on a Chain: All dogs should have access to the outdoors and if you don’t have access to a fenced yard it is sometimes perfectly fine to tether a dog outside for a period of time as long as the weather is good and the dog is supervised. Dogs need human interaction and stimulation, to be part of a family, and a measure of freedom. Being left out on a chain while the rest of your family is together indoors is simply cruel.
  6. Leave a Dog Alone in the Car: Even when the weather is relatively cool, a car can quickly become a greenhouse of sorts and cause your dog to become overheated and sick. If left alone for too long, a dog can even die.
Gobble, Gobble!
 Thanksgiving Foods That Are Actually Safe For Our Pets
  • Well cooked turkey
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Plain Pumpkin
  • Green Beans
  • Cranberry
  • Carrots
  • Apples
None of these foods should be seasoned or buttered if sharing with your pet!
Read More:
Hot Spots: what are they and how can you help your pet?
 
Does your dog react when you fake faint?
 
When is my pet considered a senior?
 
Special Offers
@ Largo Veterinary Hospital
November 1:
National Cook for Your Pets Day
With the holiday season kicking into full gear this month, many of us are looking up new recipes and getting ready to share meals with those we love the most. Kick of the month with some safe homemade treats for your pets, then freeze a few to have on hand, so you're not tempted to share rich foods your pets shouldn't have.
Join us on 
 November 3:
Don't for get to "fall back" an hour.
 
November 7: 
National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day
What Is Lymphoma?
Canine lymphoma is similar to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in people. Lymphoma is a blanket term used by doctors to describe a group of cancers that stem from the lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system fight off infection. They are highly concentrated in organs that play a role in the immune system, like the lymph nodes, the spleen, and bone marrow. While lymphoma can affect any organ in the body, these organs tend to be where most lymphoma cancers are found.
November 3–9: 
National Animal Shelter & Rescue Appreciation Week
You can share your love for shelters by visiting their website and reviewing their "wish lists" for needed donations. You can also consider donating your time!
6 Things You Should Never Do to Your Cat
  1. Skip Flea Treatment: Fleas and ticks can easily enter your home and cause problems for cats. You may walk fleas into your home after visiting a friend with a dog, or bring in a tick on your clothing. Keeping your cat free of fleas and ticks has never been easier, with plenty of products available.
  2. Put Your Cat Outdoors Unsupervised: Think your cat longs to explore all of springtime’s splendors on her own? Hey, she knows where she lives and she’d never wander off, right? Wrong. Your indoor kitty’s reaction to the great outdoors might be curiosity, confusion or fright. She may dart away into traffic, or cower under a bush when a strange dog happens by. Keep cat safely harnessed and reassured by your presence when outdoors, for her peace of mind—and yours.
  3. Leave Windows OpenEven screened windows can pose a hazard to curious cats. Excitement over a robin’s fly-by may cause your mellow tabby to accidentally dislodge that screen and plummet to the ground. If you’re at work when the incident happens, hours could pass before you realize your cat is hurt or missing. Opt for sturdy double screens, and limit window openings to an inch or so when you’re not around to monitor Kitty’s whereabouts.
  4. Put Off Vet VisitsYour cat seems healthy. She eats well, looks good and hasn’t changed her activity level. But cats, like the rest of us, can experience subtle health shifts, from vision to kidneys. Felines are masters at concealing their ills and compensating for problems. 
  5. Hold Your Cat On Your Lap While Driving: Most cats dislike traveling, and resent being cooped up in their carriers, but a free-range cat in a moving vehicle can become a terrified, furry missile. An unconfined cat is distracting to the driver, and vulnerable to injury or escape. 
  6. Ignore Those Hairballs: Felines are self-grooming, and their constantly busy tongues capture loose fur and dead skin particles. When they hack up a hairball, you probably just sigh in annoyance—that’s how cats are, right?—and clean up the mess. But lending a hand in grooming can greatly reduce the amount of hair your cat ingests, which means there’s less to be processed or spewed up. Cats don’t enjoy hurling those hairballs anymore than we enjoy removing them from the living room carpet.
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Largo Veterinary Hospital  •  1120 Starkey Road  •  Largo  •  FL  •  33771

http://www.largovet.com

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