Asphalt – Asphalt heats up quickly, can burn paws and cause pets to overheat. Minimize your pet’s time on asphalt.   

 Beaches, Boats & Pools –Not all dogs can swim, so be sure to use a floatation device designed specifically for your pet whenever you are at the beach, pool or on a boat. Also, make certain your pet has a shaded spot and plenty of fresh, clean drinking water.

 Bug Spray and Sun Screen – Human products are not appropriate for pets. Do not use bug spray or sun screen products on pets unless the product is specifically designed for use on animals.

 Cars – Cars heat up quickly and can be deadly for pets. Never leave your pet unattended in your car—even for short periods.

 Cookouts – Don’t let your pet enjoy your cookouts too much. Eating hot dogs, bratwurst, etc. can lead to pancreatitis, a serious illness for pets. It’s best to keep your pet on their regular diet. And, don’t forget, alcohol is poisonous to pets.

 Exercise – Let your dog warm-up to the summer running season. Start with short, easy runs and slowly work up to longer runs. Without proper conditioning, dogs can suffer from injuries just like people do.

 Fireworks – Fourth of July and other holiday celebrations bring loud noises that can be terrifying to pets. Keep your pet inside and secure in a comfortable place away from windows and doors during summer celebrations. Mask outside sounds with music or television. 

 Gardens – Many garden plants can be poisonous to pets. Make certain your pets aren’t eating plants in your garden or in your home. Also, herbicides and pesticides can be toxic. So follow the directions closely and don’t allow your pet into a treated area until the directions say it is safe to do so.

 Travel – When traveling in a car, keep your pet secure in a crate or with a specially designed seatbelt harness. Don’t let dogs hang their head out the window. A slightly opened window lets them enjoy all the smells without danger. Be sure your pet is micro-chipped so that it can quickly be reunited with you should it become lost.

 Windows, balconies & decks – Each summer we hear about dozens of pets that have fallen or jumped from windows, balconies and decks. The injuries can be extensive, and sometimes the pet cannot be saved. Be sure to keep pets away from open windows and safely secured with a harness leash held by a responsible adult when on balconies and decks.

 Elizabeth Benson, DVM
Medical Director
Best Friends Veterinary Center

Heartworm is one of the serious diseases our pets can acquire from pests. A dog or cat that is bitten by just one mosquito infected with heartworm disease is 100% certain to acquire this deadly disease. Dogs are especially susceptible to illness from heartworm disease, which can damage their lungs, kidneys, liver and heart. Treatment can be costly for pet owners and painful for the pet.

 Fortunately, monthly heartworm prevention is available. Your pet must be tested to make certain that they do not have heartworm disease before preventative medications can be given. Once tested, if you administer the treatments monthly, your pet does not need to be tested again until next year.

 Fleas and ticks can also spread germs and carry disease. Even more critically, they can move from your pet to you, endangering your comfort and health.  Fleas can cause pets to suffer allergic reactions and skin problems, anemia, tapeworm, rickettsiosis and cat scratch disease. Ticks can carry diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Some of these diseases can be transmitted to people from fleas and ticks, and some can be transmitted from pets to people.

 There are a variety of treatment options available to help protect your pet from these diseases.

Most require monthly administration by pet owners. Different products provide protection against different diseases. It’s best to work with your veterinarian to determine which product is best for your pet and its lifestyle. I recommend that treatments begin in March this year and continue through November. Your pet will require an examination to make certain it is healthy prior to being given a nine-month prescription for these preventative treatments.

 Remember, preventative treatment can not only protect your pet from a potentially harmful or even deadly disease, it can also help protect you and your family. If you have any questions about these preventative treatments, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.

 To encourage pet owners to act promptly to protect their pets from pests this Spring, Best Friends Veterinary Center is offering 10% off the cost of flea and tick products when prescribed at part of your pet’s examination.

 We look forward to seeing you and your pet out and about as the weather warms.

Elizabeth Benson, DVM
Medical Director
Best Friends Veterinary Center

How does your pet’s breath smell? Are its teeth white and bright? The American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 70% of adult cats and 80% of adult dogs show signs of dental disease — a serious problem that can negatively impact your pet’s overall health.

Without proper dental care, plaque and tartar can build up on the teeth and around the gums. This causes tooth decay; swollen, tender and receding gums; and even infection. An infection in the mouth easily spreads to other parts of the pet’s body and can harm vital organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver.

The only way to remove tartar and plaque is with a professional dental cleaning while the pet is under anesthesia. Once the cleaning is performed, proper home dental care can help avoid the need for future cleanings.

February is Pet Dental Health Month. To encourage proper dental care for pets, Best Friends Veterinary Center is providing 10% off all dental cleanings in the month of February. So schedule a dental exam for your pet today: (773) 267-0086

And don’t forget to brush your pet’s teeth each day with toothpaste designed specifically for pets!

“Freedom and I have been together 11 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken
wings. Her left wing doesn’t open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She’s my baby.

When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken. She was
emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vets office. From then on,

I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it
was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn’t stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn’t stand in a week. You know you don’t want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be putdown that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn’t want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn’t bear the thought of her being euthanized;
but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That
was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington . We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair – the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I
felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving. I went in for my last
checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was
told that all the cancer was gone

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn’t said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don’t know how long. That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever
since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that..

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as
Freedom.”

 Source:

O’Harran, Kristi. “Sarvey Wildlife Center Activists Last Days full of Life.” (The [Everett] Daily Herald. 14 March 2008.)

Dogs on the other hand always seem to be getting themselves into trouble, especially once the weather turns warm. They go to the park and get into tangles with other dogs, become injured by stepping on glass, and catch fleas, oral warts, and other communicable diseases. Also they require their immunizations in order to go the park, and need their annual heartworm testing. A well-cared for canine frequents their doctor. Unsuspected internal diseases may be detected by the veterinarian at one of these visits.

Not so with cats! Ideally, your cat should visit her doctor at least annually for a wellness check-up. However, if kitty is late for his or her visit, being familiar with the signs of illness may help your friend get medical care early, when it is treated more easily.

In a nutshell, there are several major signs that kitty may be under the weather. Changes in behavior, including changes in her interaction with you, and changes in activity level, grooming habits, sleeping habits, and vocalization can all indicate that things may not be right. Changes can be in either direction…for example, sleeping more or less.

Unexpected weight loss or gain, changes in eating habits, and changes in water intake can also signal a problem. Again, the change can be either an increase or a decrease.

Bad breath in cats may be due to dental disease, and can also be a sign of other problems, such as kidney disease, diabetes, or oral neoplasia.

And lastly, never ignore signs of stress in your feline. Cats dislike change more than anything. Family schedule changes, new people or pets, moving, and even rearranging the furniture may stress kitty out, and signs of anxiety such as behavorial changes (like missing the litter box) may be seen. Anxiety requires medical attention as do other conditions.

One suggestion is to create a “healthy profile” for your cat. That way both you and your cat’s doctor will know what is normal for her, and together will be able to detect and help your pet early if illness occurs.

If you have any concerns about your feline’s health, contact your veterinarian or one of our staff members at our website.

This has changed. With movement of dogs all across the country, ticks and their diseases are moving with them. For example, the “lone star tick” (Amblyomma americanum), originally seen in the southern states only, is now being seen as far north as southern Illinois and Iowa. This tick carries Ehrichiosis, and we can no longer rule out this disease based on geographical location. Some post-Katrina dogs have carried ticks all the way to Canada.

There are more than 850 tick speciaes, and about 80 of these are of medical significance. Ticks can transmit viruses, bacteria, and prot0zoa, and many produce paralytic endotoxins.

Now more than ever, it is very important to make sure that your canine friend is protected against the ticks themselves, with a broad spectrum tick preventative medication. Pet owners should consider vaccinating their dogs for certain diseases such as Lyme Disease as well, especially when the pet is at increased risk due to location and lifestyle.

The first step is to make a firm committment to never support these businesses! How to do this?

When you are in the market for a new pooch, don’t ever frequent a business that may sell puppies from puppy mills. There are so many unwanted pets at your local shelter, you are sure to find a loving pet just for you.

Do you really want a pure-bred? Try one of the many rescue groups. There is one for most every breed. Ever consider a greyhound? They are one of the most docile and loving dogs around, and they are often up for adoption after being rescued from a track or after their racing career is finished.

want a puppy? Be sure to go to a reputable breeder. Ask your veterinarian for help, or ask around. But beware! Many puppies from puppy mills come complete with papers and the name of their “breeder.” If you can’t meet the breeder or the parents, then you must be suspicious.

For more information, check out the Humane Society of the Unites States-Puppy Mills Campaign at http://on.fb.me/puppymillpage.

Together we can make a difference!