February is Pet Dental Health Month!

Time to shine those pearly whites!!! This month is dental month at Barrington Oaks Veterinary Hospitals!! From now until March 31st, we are offering $40 off dental cleaning's for your pet's. Did you know that many pet's 3 years of age and older already have some form of dental disease? Call us at 763-441-4000 to set up your free dental exam


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New Pet? Pet-Proof Your Home

A new pet is more than an adorable bundle of fur; it's also a big responsibility. That pesky puppy or curious kitten can find lots of ways to get into trouble, and — contrary to popular opinion — pets don't always intuitively know what can be potentially harmful to eat or drink. A pet's safety always comes first, but you'll also want to take steps to safeguard your furniture, carpeting, and other belongings (including that favorite pair of shoes). Read on for tips that will help you pet-proof your home.

Pet Safety: Gates and Latches
"The most common injury in new pets that I see in my practice is puppies falling off beds, sofas, and other high furniture," says Ernest Ward, Jr., D.V.M., the founder and chief of staff at Seaside Animal Care in Calabash, North Carolina, and a regular guest on The Rachael Ray Show. To prevent such falls, keep your pet off high furniture — a rule that holds for kittens too, says Ward.
It's also important to restrict a new pet's access to your home by shutting off rooms with a closed door or child gates. "This not only prevents accidental injury but also can help curtail house-soiling problems," says Ward. Establishing boundaries for your puppy or kitten early on leads to a well-trained adult animal.

Household Cleaners, Chemicals, and Plants
While your pet is still getting accustomed to its new home, install childproof latches on cabinet doors and keep household chemicals and cleaners — such as bleach, ammonia, and antifreeze — well sealed and out of your pet's reach.

For dogs, the most dangerous common toxin is antifreeze, says Dr. Louise Murray, D.V.M., director of medicine at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City and author of Vet Confidential: An Insider's Guide to Protecting Your Pet's Health. "A dog may lick it off the floor while its owner is working on a car," she says.

For cats, the most dangerous toxin is the lily, which can cause fatal kidney failure if even a leaf is nibbled. Other common houseplants are also toxic to dogs and cats; ask your veterinarian for a list.

"People Food" and Other Common Pet Dangers
Ward recommends that animals of all ages be kept away from "people food" — onions, garlic, chocolate, and raisins, in particular, are harmful to pets.

Pet medicine is designed to taste good to dogs, which can tempt them to chew through the bottles, leading to overdose. Some owners give their pets medications meant for people, such as ibuprofen, a hazardous practice that can cause damage to pets' intestines and kidneys. Murray recommends keeping human and pet medications separate, and keeping both safely stored away.

For further information on poisonous household items, visit the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control FAQ.

Electrical cords are another potential hazard, says Ward, because teething puppies enjoy chewing on squishy wires. Unplug unnecessary cords and purchase protective covers for outlets and power strips.

The Great Outdoors
Many pet owners believe that their new pets' instincts will keep them away from harm, a common assumption that can seriously endanger pets left free to roam outdoors. "Their instincts were designed for a world we don't live in today," says Murray.

Letting dogs and cats run loose outside can lead to fights with other animals, as well as injuries from cars and people. Murray recommends keeping dogs on a leash at all times outside. Cats should be kept indoors for the most part, although they can be allowed to venture into a backyard if they're kept on a leash under their owner's supervision.


Originally published on Everyday Health.

January is Adopt-a-Rescued Bird Month

January is Adopt-a-Rescued Bird Month, because there are a lot more pets in need of homes than just dogs and cats! We recommend that you do your research before committing to an animal that you've never owned before, but it’s important to consider helping an animal in need. Have you ever owned a bird?

Christmas Tree Safety

Christmas trees are beautiful this time of year, but they can also be dangerous. Please remember that Christmas tree water can be harmful to pets if they drink it, and that pine needles can injure your pet’s paws, or insides if swallowed. Be mindful of your pet’s safety at all times this holiday season.

Holiday Food

The holidays are almost here, and it’s important to remember to keep your pet safe from dangerous foods. Many of the foods we eat during the holidays, including chocolate, sugary desserts, rich meats, and more are dangerous for our pets to consume. Be sure to advise your holiday guests to not feed scraps to your pets.

Antifreeze Dangers and Your Pet

Fall is a time for cold weather and shorter days, and your pet may be spending more time looking for a place to keep warm outside. If your pet goes into your garage or shed, it’s important to make sure that you have removed all dangerous chemicals from their reach. Antifreeze is especially dangerous because it appeals to pets with its sweet taste and smell, and it is toxic if consumed. Please help keep your pets safe this fall!

Autumn Safety Tips

Ah, fall—there's nothing like crisp, cool air, the first months of school and luscious foliage to get you excited for the changing seasons. Your pet, too, is probably welcoming the break from hot, sticky weather. But pet parents, beware—fall is also a time of lurking dangers for our furry friends. From household poisons to cold weather hazards, the season is a minefield! Here are some tips to keep your pet snug and healthy during the autumn months.

• The use of rodenticides increases in the fall as rodents seek shelter from the cooler temperatures by attempting to move indoors. Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets—if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, do so with extreme caution and put them in places inaccessible to your pets. 
• It's back-to-school time, and those of you with young children know that means stocking up on fun items like glue sticks, pencils and magic markers. These items are considered “low toxicity” to pets, which means they're unlikely to cause serious problems unless large amounts are ingested. However, since gastrointestinal upset and blockages certainly are possible, be sure your children keep their school supplies out of paw's reach. 
• Training tip: If you and your pooch haven't been active outdoors in a while because of the summer heat, do some remedial recall training. Dogs, like people, get rusty on their skills if they aren't using them. 
• Fall and spring and are mushroom seasons. While 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, the 1% that are highly toxic (PDF) can cause life-threatening problems in pets. Unfortunately, most of the highly toxic mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from the nontoxic ones, so the best way to keep pets from ingesting poisonous mushrooms is to keep them away from areas where any mushrooms are growing. Contact your veterinarian or theASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately if you witness your pet eating a wild mushroom. 
• In order to generate body heat, pets who exercise heavily outdoors, or who live outdoors, should be given more food during colder seasons. Make sure horses and other outdoor animals have access to clean, fresh water that is not frozen. 
• Autumn is the season when snakes who are preparing for hibernation may be particularly “grumpy,” increasing the possibility of severe bites to those unlucky pups who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pet owners should know what kinds of venomous snakes may be in their environment—and where these snakes are most likely to be found—so they can keep pets out of those areas. 
• Many people choose fall as the time to change their car's engine coolant. Ethylene glycol-based coolants are highly toxic, so spills should be cleaned up immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycol-based coolants—though they aren't completely nontoxic, they are much less toxic than other engine coolants.