The Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)

Each Monday we will showcase a different breed of dogs so everyone can get more familiar with different breeds. Today, we will focus on yorkies. Yorkies are a small/toy breed dogs who normally weigh anywhere from 3-15 pounds. They were originally developed in Yorkshire, England to catch mice in clothing mills.They have an outgoing personality and provide endless hours of entertainment!! Yorkies are considered hypoallergenic because they do not shed and are great for people with allergies. Yorkies have a black and tan coat color as puppies and it can slowly develop into a blue/grey color as they get older. The average lifespan of a yorkie is 12-15 years. Just like other small breed dogs, yorkies tend to have heavy tartar build up on their teeth and need to have regular dental check-ups and cleanings. Other health problems that yorkies can have include collapsing trachea, luxating patella (knee cap), cataracts, and skin problems. Yorkies do require grooming to maintain their beautiful hair coat on a regular basis. This is a wonderful companion breed that enjoys both sitting in their owner's lap and playing/going for walks. I happen to have two yorkies and I am a little biased, but they are the best dogs ever!! Mine love to play with tennis balls and will actually throw them at you. There's never a dull moment around my house!!

It's Easter Bunny Time!!!

It seems that the Easter Bunny loves to bring lots of candy and chocolate to kids of all ages. So, I thought this would be a great time to talk about chocolate toxicity. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is to your dog. Milk chocolate is not as dangerous as semi-sweet or baker's chocolate. White chocolate isn't really chocolate and will mostly just cause diarrhea and possible vomiting from the large amount of sugar in it. Chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine which is in the same family as caffeine. The amount of chocolate the dog eats and the size of the dog all play a role in how toxic the chocolate can be. Theobromine can affect the nervous system and the cardiovascular system. If your dog eats chocolate, you may see restlessness, increased heart rate, diarrhea, vomiting, and hyper-excitability. If your dog eats chocolate, it is best to call your veterinarian to discuss a plan of action. In most cases, it is a good idea for your veterinarian to make them vomit to ensure that there won't be any problems. If the dog eats baker's chocolate, he/she will most likely need hospitalization and treatment with IV fluids and supportive care after he/she is made to vomit. So, as Easter nears, don't forget to keep a close eye on your dog and try to keep the candy out of reach. HAPPY EASTER!!!

Just Another Day At The Spa

Cumulus Broadcasting has started a Picture Perfect Pet Page on several of their radio station websites. Pet owners can send in a picture of their pet (any type including but not limited to: dogs, cats, fish, birds reptiles, amphibians, etc) and one winner will be chosen each month as the cutest. The winner will receive a spa day here at Bush Animal Clinic where he/she will get a bath, ear cleaning, nail trim, and receive a special spa gift bag. Pictured above is the March winner. This is Azula, a pit bull, which happens to be a patient at Bush Animal Clinic. She seemed to love her spa day and was truly pampered (all the way down to having her nails painted hot pink!!!). She is pictured here with her owner, Mr. Daniels. So, be sure to enter your pet's perfect picture today and he/she may be next month's winner!!!

How Exactly Do I Give Him That Pill?????

Patients come in every day with a medical condition that requires them to be on oral medication. Most of the medications for dogs and cats come in pill form, so clients are always asking the secret to getting them to take the pills. Some dogs and cats do well with just putting the pill on the back of their tongue, closing their mouth, and blowing in their nose (this makes them swallow). However, some patients are very difficult to pill and it becomes very frustrating for everyone involved. Well, if your dog/cat loves treats, there is an easier way to give them medicine. Pill Pockets are a meat flavored treats that are about the consistency of play dough. There is an opening in the center of the treat where you can place the pill and then seal it up in the treat. They come in beef and chicken flavors for dogs and salmon flavor for cats. So, if you're having trouble pilling your pet, try this and see if it will make medicine time a little more enjoyable.

Stormy Weather

It looks like all of Southwest Georgia had a rough night with storms last night judging by all of the debris in yards. I hope all of our clients and friends have escaped unharmed. The local news has been warning of the severity of this storm system for a few days and they were right. It's amazing to me how animals can sense that a storm is coming long before it gets here. Growing up, my chocolate lab would start running laps around our yard about 2 hours before a storm came through and right before the thunder started, he would get in his dog house. He was like our own personal radar system. Storms definitely affect animals differently. My black lab and one of my yorkies is terrified of storms. They both cower down, tremble, and pant a little while before it starts thundering and then are miserable during the storm. On the other hand, my boxer mix loves the rain and runs around outside like a fool during the storm. It's so funny how different dogs can be!! I say all of this to make people aware that some dogs do need some help getting through these SW GA thunderstorms. Behavior modification sometimes will help. A cd of thunderstorm noises can be played softly for a week, then gradually, start increasing the volume in hopes that the dog will adjust and not be afraid of the noise anymore. I do think this works on some dogs that have mild storm anxiety. It probably won't work on dogs that have terrible storm anxiety. They can sense the pressure change in the air and get anxious just thinking about the rain and thunder. For these dogs, anxiety medication is often needed to help ease their nerves and allow them to relax. If your dog is suffering from storm anxiety, talk to your vet and get him/her some help before the next storm hits.

April Fools

On Friday, Kaley, one of our receptionists, brought in some homemade double chocholate cookies for us to enjoy. (We have some amazing bakers on staff here and Kaley is definitley one of them. She made some chocolate cupcakes that were to die for a few weeks ago.) Snacks and goodies that are put on the back counter are fair game for everyone to share. About mid-morning, everyone was getting hungry and Deborah (the chocoholic) was the first to dig into them. She took one bite and tried to think of words to describe what she had tasted. Kaley asked if she liked them and Deborah (not wanting to hurt her feelings) lied and said they were ok. A little while later, Becca took one of the cookies, took a bite, and made a horrible face. Kaley asked what was wrong and Becca said they were a bit salty. Magen was the next to try one, took a bite, then spit it out and said they were horrible. Let's just say they had the consistency of play dough. Kaley (not being able to take it any longer) broke down and said, "April Fools!!!" Turns out, these cookies were made out of some cocoa powder, eggs, cheese, a lot of salt, and some olive juice. That was pretty good, Kaley. You definitely got us all on this one!!!

Becca "enjoying" one of Kaley's cookies

FREE TO A LOVING HOME!!!!

• Gypsie is a 5 year old, spayed female black and grey Persian
• Shiloh is a 5 year old, male neutered black and grey Persian
• Zoro is a 2 year old, male neutered black and grey Persian
• Allie is a 2 year old, spayed female white Domestic Shorthair (She currently has a mohawk!!!)

All four cats are up to date on vaccines and are indoors only. They belong to a wonderful owner who takes great care of them but unfortunately has to travel a lot and feels it would be best to find them a new home with someone who can spend more time with them. These cats are the sweetest cats!!!

• Emma is a  2 year old female black and tan coondog. She needs lots of room to run and a family to give her the love she deserves!!! Emma is not spayed, but the current owner will pay for her surgery if she finds the right home.

Please call our office at 439-7073 if you can give any of these special animals a loving home!!!