Meet Jackie F our Team member of the Month for March

Jackie has been at Winrose since 2017. After many years working in advertising and marketing, Jackie is living her dream of working with animals. She shares her home with her teenaged son, 3 rambunctious dogs, a guinea pig and several fish. Jackie has a special interest in the surgical procedures we do here at Winrose and she can often be found cuddling with many of the various pets we see in the clinic. Please take a moment to tell us why you think Jackie is great employee!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Team Member of the Month February 2018

Meet Tanyss R.

Tanyss has been with Winrose since 2017. She has a special interest in the exotics animal we see in the practice.

She enjoys spending time with her family, watching football, water skiing and has a special interest in Bats. Take a moment to tell us why Tanyss makes your visit so special!

Winter Tips for Exotic Pets

 The long and brutal cold winters here in Winnipeg can take their toll not just on us, but on our pets as well. This blog will address how to help our small and exotic pets get through the winter happy and healthy. 

Temperature: Keep them warm! We tend to see a lot more sickness in our exotics pets in the winter months. Part of this is likely due to the fact that they are exposed to colder temperatures, drafts and dry air. Keep your cage or enclosure away from windows and exterior walls that may be prone to drafts. For birds you can cover the back of the cage with a blanket to help keep heat in and consider adding a heat lamp to provide a warmer area, especially for older or more tropical birds.  For reptiles this is a great time to do an over all evaluation of your enclosure. Make sure you have two working thermometers in the enclosure, one on the hot side and one on the cooler side. Also make sure you have changed your UV light within the last 6 months and have a hygrometer to measure humidity in your enclosure.  When it comes to small mammals you can add a bit of extra bedding to their enclosure so they have the option to snuggle up if they feel the need.

Humidity: In addition to the cold we tend to see humidity drop in the winter. This can have varying effects depending on what kind of exotic pet you have. In general the dry, colder air can make pets more susceptible to respiratory infections. Consider adding a humidifier to the room your pet is kept in if your humidity is reading low. If you aren't sure what the ideal humidity is for your pet give the clinic a call and we can advise you. Many species of birds enjoy being misted with a spray bottle and this can be done daily to help with dry skin.  Reptiles like geckos benefit from the addition of a moist hide box. This is a small container, think small margarine or sour cream  container size, with a hole cut in for a door and sphagnum moss inside. The moss creates a very moist environment inside and the gecko can decide when to go in depending on their needs. 
Nutrition: Our birds and small mammals burn more calories in colder temperatures as they try to maintain their body heat. It is essential to  have them on a balanced diet with the correct amount of calcium and vitamins, especially vitamin A.  Vitamin A is especially important in fighting off and preventing respiratory infections.  Keep in mind that an all seed diet will not have enough Vitamin A for a bird. If you are having trouble getting your bird to eat a well balanced pellet contact us for tips on how to transition from seeds to a pelleted food or for a list of human foods that are high in Vitamin A.  Reptiles and amphibians also need Vitamin A and calcium in their diets. If you aren't sure if you are feeding the ideal food contact us! Reptiles can also enter a state known as brumation during the winter if the temperatures drop too low. This is an adaptation they have developed for life in the wild but when they are living in a house with the ability to control the environment they should not be entering this state. Brumation can make them more prone to illness and if you are seeing a loss of appetite and activity levels you should bring them in for an exam.

http://www.wideopenpets.com/easy-diy-reptile-hides/

Transport to the Clinic:  If your pet is showing signs of sickness in the winter you need to take extra precautions when transporting them to the clinic for their exam. First make sure you warm up your car well before you put your pet inside. Reptiles can be placed into an insultaed container, birds and mammals should have a towel or blanket covering their carriers to limit cold air getting in.  You can use a hot water bottle placed underneath the cage or carrier to provide additional warmth during transport. It is essential that you do not allow your pet to get too cold in transport as this can push an already sick animal into a crisis. 

Thanks for reading the blog today and remember to contact us if you have any concerns
Dr Ingrid

Nutrition and Your Pet

With this blog series I hope to bring a little bit of clarity to the confusing world of pet food and nutrition.  Nutrition is a relatively complicated topic and there is a lot of misinformation floating around. Combine that with expert marketing departments and it is no wonder many pet owners are confused about what food they should feed their pet.

 So let’s dive right in and answer some of those frequently asked questions.

 

 What is the difference between the foods we sell at the clinic and the foods you buy at the pet store?

 

The diets we sell in the clinic are veterinary prescription diets and are only available through a veterinary clinic. They are formulated specifically to treat and prevent medical conditions. Think of them like a prescription for a medication without any associated side effects! These foods have undergone extensive research to ensure they have a significant positive impact on the medical condition they target. Studies of the foods last for months or even years to assess their effects. Grocery store foods on the other hand only need to undergo a 6 week feeding trial and often do not have any research done beyond that point.

Let’s look at a side by side comparison: Pet store dental diets have a larger kibble size to try to help mechanically break tartar off the teeth. The veterinary prescription diet has this feature but also includes ingredients to bind calcium and prevent plaque from becoming tartar. We have studies looking at exactly how effective they are at tartar prevention. In addition there is a small dog option that is formulated to prevent bladder stones, a common problem in smaller breeds. Your pet store dental diet may help with tartar build up, however the company does not have research to show how effective their diet is. Your veterinary diet has the research to back it up along with several other added benefits.

Research shows that our veterinary diets are highly digestible ie: most of the ingredients are absorbed and used by the animal rather than being passed out as waste.  Pet store brands may add ingredients that sound very beneficial but no study has been done to assess whether the pet is actually able to absorb these extra ingredients. 

 

So you can see why there is a price difference between that veterinary diet and your pet store food. That being said our aim is to prevent or treat medical problems so you don’t have to spend more money on costly treatments.

 

Stay tuned to more answers to FAQs on pet foods.

Thanks for reading!

Dr Ingrid

Making the Vet Visit Fear Free:
Part Two


Welcome to part two in the series about making the vet visit fear free. If you didn't catch part one I  recommend you check it out as there are tips you can use at home to help make getting to the clinic easier. This edition we will cover thundershirts, the use of sedation and tricks we use in the hospital to make our day and overnight patients more comfortable.


Thundershirts!
 You may be wondering what the heck is a Thundershirt?! The Thundershirt is a vest made to fit your cat or dog that is pulled snug with velcro attachments.  The snuggness applies an even pressure around your pet's mid-section and this has been shown to reduce anxiety in animals. The concept originated from the use of weighted vests and blankets in people and is also similar to the idea of swaddling a baby. In the animal world a similar concept is employed when using a squeeze shoot for cattle. It is called a thundershirt because one of its main uses is in helping dogs cope with thunderstorm anxiety.  It is effective at reducing fear in about 66% to 75% of animals, which I think is a pretty great result for something that is non-invasive and not pharmaceutical.  We can use a Thundershirt in a variety of ways to help pet's cope with their visit to the doctor. If your pet is anxious about their vet visits and needs to come in often, then purchasing a thundershirt to put on your pet before you arrive at the vet is a good investment. It can also be helpful for those pets that stuggle with fear at the groomer or during nail trims. We also have some feline Thundershirts in clinic that we use during exams to help make grumpy cats more amenable to our poking and prodding.

A cat wearing the Thundershirt

In Clinic
When patients need to stay with us in the hospital, whether for a day procedure or overnight due to an illness, we want to help make them as comfortable as we can. If you know your pet will be staying in the hospital for a planned procedure consider bringing a small bag of their regular food with.  Similarily a favorite blanket or toy can be reassuring for your pet.  Cats feel very safe when they are able to stay hidden which is why I will often build a small fort with towels for inside the kennel of our hospitalized cats.  This is another instance where we use our feliway and adaptil calming pheromones.  We spray the towels and blankets we place in the kennels with the species appropriate pheromones prior to introducing your pet into the kennel.  These seemingly small steps can all add up to a more pleasant day in the clinic for our pets.

Sedatives
The use of mild sedatives for patients who are extremely anxious in the clinic can be very beneficial.  When choosing sedation for our patients our first choices are drugs that are very safe and can be given by mouth at home. These drugs tend to be very well tolerated and we rarely see side effects. They do not completely knock your pet out but tend to "take the edge off" of their fear. They are also very cost effective. Some pet owners feel badly giving sedatives to their pets but it really does make the visit much less stressful. I don't think there is any reason to feel guilty about helping your pet manage their fear.  In addition, your veterinarian will be able to do a much more thorough examination and potentially perform needed treatments in a safe manner. If you feel your pet might be a good candidate for using a mild, oral sedative before their next visit please mention this when you call to book your appointment. A lot of owners are surprised at how well things go with the use of a very mild sedation or anti-anxiety medication.

An ear examination for a sore ear can go much more smoothly with the use of a mild sedative.
Photo courtesy of petwave.com

It is always our goal to help make your visit and your pets visit more enjoyable while also giving the best medical care we can. Hopefully some of these "fear free" techniques can be tested out at your next visit!


thanks for reading
Dr Ingrid

Making the Vet Visit Fear Free

A lot of pet owners dread bringing their four footed companions for their annual veterinary check ups. Who can blame them? The clinic can be a strange and intimidating place for our pets. Add to that the fact that many pets, especially cats, are not accustomed to riding in their carriers or in the car and you can see why stress levels hit the roof, often before the vet has even entered the exam room.

 Fear and stress are common reasons owners give for not bringing in their pets for the regular vet care they know they need. It can also make things a lot harder on the clinic staff. We love your pet and don't want to put them through an ordeal anymore than you do. At Winrose we are working towards a fear free experience for your pet! This article will outline some of the things you can do to help make your pets more comfortable during their vet visits. I will also explain methods we use to decrease stress once you and your pet arrive at our clinic.

1) Treats, Treats and more Treats

Lets start with a simple one. Many pets have a favorite special treat. You can help us by bringing that favorite snack from home with you. In addition you can give a smaller meal than usual before your appointment so your pet is extra motivated (hungry) to get the treats. At the clinic we will break the treats into small pieces so that we can constantly reward your pet throughout their exam. If you happed to forget their favorite at home we often have Dr. Eichkorn's famous homemade liver treats on hand to make your pet feel welcome. When you are in the waiting room or waiting in the exam room dont hesitate to reward your pet with a treat. We want them to build positive associations with being at the clinic. Essentially we want your pet to remember "this is the happy place where I get lots of my favorite food".

http://pets.thenest.com/

2) Transportation

This one is aimed more towards cats but can also apply to any dogs that are nervous in the car or carrier. A big reason cats hate the car and their carrier is because they are not used to it. Help your cat get used to the carrier by leaving it out for 1 to 2 weeks or more before your visit. Some owners leave the carrier out at all times as an extra piece of cat furniture. This is a great idea. Leave the door open and put soft blankets inside. If you see your cat go into the carrier on their own, reward them with a treat. Some cats will even make the carrier into a regular sleeping spot. Similarly, if you can, take your dog or cat for some short drives around the neighborhood to help them get used to the car. If your pet experiences car sickness let us know. We have medications you can give prior to the car ride to prevent car sickness.

 Whenever you take your pet out in the carrier remember to carry it from the bottom rather than the handle. Holding it by the handle causes it to swing back and forth...not very pleasant for your buddy inside! Once you arrive at the clinic try to place your carrier some where that will keep your cat or dog from being face to face with other pets. If we have a room available we will take you right in so that your pet will have a private and quiet place to wait until your appointment. 

3) Pheromones

Have you heard about the use of pheromones before? Pheromones are special "scents" produced by animals and they can have a calming effect. The feline facial pheremone is a scent cats produce, which they use to mark things as their own, when they rub their face on an object. Only cats can detect this scent as they have a special gland to pick up on it. Studies have shown that the pheromone has a calming effect on many cats. We think this is because it signals to the cat that they are somewhere familiar. Dogs also have a pheremone we can use to help calm them. It is called the dog appeasing pheromone and is the scent that the mother dog produces as her puppies are nursing. Again only dogs can actually detect the scent. At the clinic we have these pheremones in our exam rooms and in the boarding rooms. They are dispersed through the air through plug in diffusers to help pets feel a sense of general well being. We also spray the pheromones on towels and blankets used by pets and even spray our lab coats with them!

 I also use a diffuser at home for my cat who is a particularly high stress fellow (I find it helps his inappropriate elimination but that is a story for another day). These pheromones can be used at home for pets with specific anxiety related issues. They come in spray bottles and the dog version also comes as a collar. Spraying your pets towel or carrier with their calming scent half an hour before departure can help make the car ride more pleasant. The dog collars can help dogs who deal with chronic anxiety. We carry both the canine and feline pheromones at the clinic. Ask one of our team for more information!

The feline facial pheromone is sold under the name Feliway. This is the room diffuser product

That is a great start on fear free veterinary visits. I have just scratched the surface so I will be sure to follow this post with part two soon. In part two we will cover thundershirts (a favorite of mine), keeping our in-hospital patients low-stress, as well as the use of mild sedatives to help pets with especially high anxiety in the clinic.

Thanks for reading and see you soon

Dr Ingrid

Feather Picking in Pet Birds

Feather picking in pet birds from Cockatiels, to larger birds such as African Grey Parrots and Cockatoos, is an unfortunately common problem that we see here in the clinic. Today's blog will look at possible causes of feather picking including medical conditions and physcological factors.

Photo Courtesy of BirdChannel.com

Whenever we see a patient that may have a behavioural or physcological problem it is important that we first rule out diseases or medical conditions that could be causing the symptoms. A lack of proper nutrition, especially low vitamin A levels can cause several health issues including feather picking. It is very important for birds to be on a well balanced diet. Seed based diets are not adequate for parrorts as they are very high in fat and calories but are low in protein and vitamin levels. We recommend weaning birds who are on an all seed diet on to a pelleted diet such as Harrison's. This can be very difficult for birds who are used to eating only seeds and sometimes we need to use table foods such as corn on the cob (cut into small wheels), carrots, whole green beans or whole peas in the pod to supplement the diet if the bird will not accept a pellets diet. Be imaginative and cut food into small pieces at first so your bird does not become frightened of the new foods.

Another important factor is the lighting the bird is exposed to. Most pet birds should be getting 12 hours of daylight and 10- 12 hours of darkness per day. If your bird is on a different schedule you should ask us about how you can very gradually change the photoperiod to reach the ideal length of time. The intensity of the lighting available is also important. In the wild most birds are exposed to high intensity UV light as they live in open areas or high in the canopy. Adding a UV light to your bird's housing set up is a good idea as it is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and increases your bird's vitamin D levels.

Many parrots are originally from a tropical, humid environment and as such a daily misting with water or at the very least daily access to a bath should be included in your parrot's routine. In addition to making sure the diet, lighting and humidity are ideal we may recommend running some bloodwork, examining a feather under the microscope, examining a fecal sample or even performing a skin biopsy. These tests are important to make sure we are not misdiagnosing a bird with a physcological problem when it may actually have something completely different.

Once we have addressed any underlying medical conditions and husbandry practices we can move forward with considering behavioural or physcological causes. Boredom is something to consider before starting with anti-anxiety medications. Most parrots are highly social and are adapted to living in pairs or groups. Scheduling regular interaction with your bird each day, teaching your bird new tricks and bahviours and making sure you have appropriate toys are all essential. When considering what type of toys a bird needs we should think about their natural instincts. In the wild shredding and picking at wood and leaves is a natural daily bahviour. Most birds will be unhappy with indestructible toys and would prefer something they can tear or pick at. Large toys may intimidate a bird and owners should be careful to introduce extrememly small objects at first and work gradually up to larger ones. Once your bird has accepted toys you should rotate them in and out of the cage to help your bird stay engaged.

Training using small food rewards.
Photo BirdChannel.com

If you have been working with your bird and we have addressed the many diverse husbandry needs of your pet and the feather picking continues then we may consider starting anti-anxiety medications. If a bird is causing severe self-trauma from the feather picking we may recommend using a soft or hard collar to prevent picking. This is meant only to be a short term solution to protect the skin. It is normally not successful in stopping long-term picking unless you are also using behaviour modification training. The collar can also be stressful on your bird so it is not a tool that we will use for all patients.

An example of a homemade soft collar

Feather picking is a complex problem with many possible causes which means that treatments must also be diverse and management is long-term and requires effort on the owners part. This is not something we can fix with a short course of medication and it is important for owners to understand that at the outset. If you notice feather picking in your avian friend contact your veterinarian as soon possible. The sooner we can intevene the better the chances of resolving the problem.

　

thanks for reading!!

Dr Ingrid