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How is it that the holiday season is already here?! Time has sure flown by at the clinic! We are excited to celebrate the holidays with our team. Tomorrow, Thursday, December 17th, we will be closing at 4:00pm to do just that! In addition, our hours will be slightly different in the coming weeks so that our team can celebrate with their families and friends. Our hours will be as follows:

Thursday, December 17th: 8:00am – 4:00pm
Thursday, December 24th: 8:00am – 2:00pm
Friday, December 25th: CLOSED
Thursday, December 31st: 8:00am – 4:00pm
Friday, January 1st: CLOSED

We will have our regular hours otherwise! As always, we are happy to see emergencies while we are open. Should an emergency arise while we are not in the office, our friends at The Life Center will be happy to assist you and your pet. We’d love to see some pictures of your pets in their most festive holiday attire! You can post your pictures to our Facebook page. We look forward to seeing all the smiling faces! Here’s a picture of River, one of our technicians’ dogs, channeling his inner reindeer!

We hope you and your pets have a fantastic holiday season!

It’s a question we hear all the time here at Market Street Animal Clinic: “When should I give my pet flea and tick prevention?” The easiest and most simple answer is year round. Now, we understand some like to give their pets (and wallets!) a break from the preventatives. However, it is always easier (and less expensive) to prevent fleas and ticks then treat them or any diseases they may bring. We all know fleas can make dogs and cats itchy, but did you know they can also give your pets tapeworms and cause anemia? Treating these issues can be extremely expensive and cause your pet unwanted stress and discomfort.

Fleas thrive in warm clients, but that doesn’t mean your pet can’t get fleas in the winter! Female fleas lay up to 50 eggs per day and those eggs can take up to a year to become adult fleas, which will start the whole process over again. With topical flea prevention, the medication is distributed through your pets oil glands. Once an adult flea lands on your pet, the flea dies. Most flea preventatives have an insect growth regulator that kills flea eggs and larvae, which prevents the entire flea life cycle.

Here in Loudoun County, we see a lot of ticks on both pets and humans. Ticks can carry Lyme disease and other deadly diseases as well. This summer, we treated three dogs with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever! Did you know that a tick’s favorite time of year is the fall? That’s when they are most active! And don’t think they die off during the winter either! Deer ticks, in particular, remain active during the winter months and actually begin feeding after the first frost. Concerned about applying chemicals to your pets? The ingredient pyrethrins is common in tick repellents and is actually a natural chemical extracted from chrysanthemum flowers.

It can be expensive to keep your pet on year round prevention for fleas and ticks, but it is certainly less expensive than potential vet bills from tick borne disease or ridding your house of fleas! If you have a hard time remembering to apply your flea and tick preventatives to your pet, try setting an alert on your phone, applying it the same day you pay your rent/mortgage, or the first day of the month. To figure out which preventative is just right for your pet, stop in and speak with one of our veterinarian technicians or veterinarians!

Are you gearing up for a big Thanksgiving celebration with your family and friends? Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to your pets and Thanksgiving:

1. It’s fine to let your dog join in on the Thanksgiving festivities with a small piece or two of turkey, but be sure that it is boneless, skinless white meat that is thoroughly cooked! Poultry bones can easily become lodged in your pets gastrointestinal track and fatty pieces of meat or skin can cause GI irritation.

2. Keep the raw dough out of Fido’s reach! The body heat of your pet can activate the yeast and make it rise in their stomach, which can very quickly lead to a medical emergency requiring surgery.

3. Stash the trash! We all know dogs and cats love to paw through the trash to see what goodies they can find. Be sure to safely dispose of food wrappers and containers.

4. With guests entering your home all day, it’s a great time to ensure that your pet is microchipped and the information is up to date! If Whiskers dashes out the door as Aunt Peggy comes inside, you want to be able to find her as quickly as possible.

We hope these tips help you and your pets have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Clients,
We would like to let you know about an exciting new program that will debut this August.

In our ongoing effort to provide the highest level of care for your furry family members we have initiated a new program for our senior pets.

The program incorporates a series of services which are intended to screen our older pets for common illnesses associated with aging. The hope is that our older pets will have not only enjoy a longer life but will spend their golden years in increased comfort. Our Senior Care Program begins with a comprehensive nose to tail physical exam. Areas of concentration include the eyes, skin, ears, neurologic and orthopedic exam to evaluate if your pet is showing signs of arthritis and to what degree and other age-related changes.

The program then goes one step further to evaluate how your pet is doing on the inside. How can we evaluate this? We use a combination of blood work, urinalysis and radiographs (x-rays). We will also evaluate your pet’s blood pressure, which, if allowed to get too high can cause sudden blindness.

Our doctors will sit down with you to review the results of the exam and diagnostics and then work with you to establish a custom plan based on your pets needs.

Interested in enrolling your pet in the program? Please contact us at (703) 777-6661.

If you ever have a question regarding the health of your pet, call us at 703 777 6661. If your question is general in nature feel free to contact us at staff@marketstreetanimalclinic.com and determine if an appointment is appropriate for the situation. We are located in historic downtown Leesburg at 210 East Market Street.

Pets and poison is a growing concern among pet owners. Household poisons are not the only thing that can harm your pets. Many common household foods and drugs can also be toxic to your pets. The following are foods that can be toxic or poisonous to your pets.

Avocados
Avocados contain a toxin known as persin. Persin is found in various parts of the avocado and avocado trees (eg, leaves, rind, etc). This toxin is known mostly to cause vomiting and diarrhea. Birds and small pets seem most affected by the negative side effects of consuming avocado.

Beer
Not just beer…all alcohol. Depending on how much alcohol your animal ingests, it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, depression, difficulty breathing, coma, and possible death.

Chocolate
Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine that is toxic to pets. If enough is ingested, your animal can suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and possible death. Cocoa mulch contains theobromine; the ASPCA advises dog owners to avoid using this fertilizer around unsupervised dogs, and dogs with indiscriminate eating habits since it can be toxic if ingested.

Candy
Chocolate is the most common candy that is toxic to pets, especially to dogs, cats and ferrets. Any candy containing the sweetener xylitol can also be toxic to pets.

Caffeine
Caffeine is generally highly toxic to pets, having negative effects on both the cardiac and nervous systems. Side effects can include vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and possible death.

Grapes and raisins
An unknown toxin in grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure and ultimately lead to death. Symptoms of this poisoning can include hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, and irregular heartbeat.

Nuts
An unknown toxin in nuts can have negative effects on the nervous, digestive, and muscular systems of your pet. Symptoms can include muscle tremors, weakness, an upset stomach, vomiting, depression, inactivity, and stiffness. Particularly avoid Macadamia nuts.

Onions
Onions, along with garlic and chives, are all part of the same species of plant—the Allium species. Allium species plants contain sulfur compounds that can cause stomach irritation and possibly result in damage to red blood cells causing anemia. This is referred to as Allium poisoning.

Some human medicines
While some human medications are prescribed for pets by veterinarians, others can be highly toxic and fatal. Acetaminophen, which is contained in Tylenol and other similar products, for example, can be fatal to cats. Always consult with your veterinarian before giving human medication to a pet.

Xylitol (artificial sugar)
Xylitol is a sweetener used in many products including mouthwash, chewing gum, toothpaste, and various foods. Because it is toxic to pets, products containing xylitol should not be given to your dog or cat.

Lilly Plants
All portions of the lilly plant are poisonous to cats when ingested. Just a nibble of the leaf, petal or stem can cause irreversible kidney failure despite extensive medical treatment.

Other foods that can be toxic to your pet:
Apple Seeds
Chives (see “onions,” above)
Fruit pits, especially those of apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, and cherries
Garlic (see “onions” above)
Moldy foods
Mustard seeds
Potato leaves and stems
Rhubarb leaves
Salt
Tea
Tomato leaves and stems

Toxic Household Items:
Antifreeze
Liquid potpourri
PolyUrethane glue
Pennies
Pine-oil cleaners

The top pet poisoning claims in 2008, according to pet health insurance company VPI:

Raisins/Grapes
Mushrooms
Marijuana
Lily flowers
Walnuts
Onion
Sago Palm
Macadamia nuts
Azalea flowers
Hydrangea flowers

For poison-related emergencies, call the Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.