Happy New Year: Holiday Hours & Pet Safety Tips

We here at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care would like to wish all of our wonderful clients and their families a safe and happy New Year! We truly believe we have the most loyal, caring clients in the Bay Area. Thank you for always inspiring us to do the best we can do! We hope that 2012 brings health, love, and happiness to you and your pets.

As a reminder Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care will be open on Saturday December 31st from 8am to 8pm. However, we will be closed this Sunday, January 1st for the holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Monday January 2nd at 7am. If your pet is in need of emergency care on New Year's Day, please call Contra Costa Veterinary Emergency Center at 925-798-2900. If you need to check on a pet that is staying with us, we will be checking our voice mail so please feel free to call anytime at 925-866-8387!

Also, if your pet is on medication and you are running low, call and order your refill today or before 4pm tomorrow! We will not be filling medications on New Year's Day, and all requests made after 4pm on Saturday December 31st will not be ready until after 12 noon on Monday January 2nd.

Last, but certainly not least, here is a list of New Year's Eve pet safety tips:

1. Make sure all of your pets are wearing collars with proper ID tags. Make sure the information is current. You can also have them microchipped, it is a quick technician appointment that usually takes less than half an hour. But even with a microchip, ID tags are essential.
2. Give your pets plenty of exercise before the festivities begin. Make sure they are fed and have had a potty break too. This may help them sleep through a party instead of being stressed.
3. Prepare a safe room in your house for your pet. Provide a blanket and bed for them to burrow in, along with food, water, and a litter box if appropriate. You may want to leave a TV on or some music to help block out stress inducing noises. KEEP THIS DOOR CLOSED AT ALL TIMES. Put a sign on the door so that guests know not to open it.
4. Check that all fences and gates in the back yard are closed and securely locked.
5. Keep garbage cans securely closed to prevent your pet from eating anything it shouldn't.
6. Try to avoid coddling or comforting your pet when its agitated since this can reinforce the behavior. It is best to give them a safe room full of comforting items where they can hide from the activities.

Once again, happy New Year and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for choosing us to treat your beloved pets!

Monday Pet Tip: Anal Glands

Have you noticed your dog dragging their bottom along the floor? Or perhaps a strong, foul odor is lurking around their hind end? Are they licking or chewing their bottoms excessively? This can be due to your pet’s anal glands not expelling fluid properly. The fluid is used for marking territory- hence the powerful odor. Normally, the fluid from the anal glands is expelled during defecation. If this does not occur, the fluid builds up in the glands causing irritation, itchiness, pain and infection. It is also possible for the anal glands to rupture. On top of that, licking and chewing can cause topical infections. 

If your dog is exhibiting any of these behaviors they may need to have their glands manually expressed. This is a simple procedure performed by a technician.  Sometimes, an examination with a veterinarian is necessary in order to determine if there is a more serious problem such as infection or an anal gland impaction. An impaction is when a bile duct to the gland becomes blocked. In the most extreme cases, surgery is required to remove the anal glands. This is called an anal sacculectomy. Fortunately, most dogs just need an appointment with a technician to help them out!

Monday Pet Tip: Bath Time

The best time to give your pet a bath is when they are tired. They should be more docile and cooperative after a hard day's play. Make sure they get some cool down time after their exercise and before the bath- but don't let them take a nap! Please share any successful bath time tips in the comments, we would love to hear what works for you!

Phones

It appears that we are having technical difficulties with our phone system. We are working hard to get the issue resolved as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience- we understand how frustrating it is! 

If you need to contact us, send an email to info@webvets.com or you can use the chat function on our website. If you have an animal emergency, please just head on down! 

 

Update: The phone company is experiencing an outage so until they are able to fix it, we are at their mercy! We have been told that the issue should be resolved within an hour.

Update: The phones are working now! Thank you for your patience and understanding!