October 2008 Newsletter

Lone Mountain Animal Hospital
October 2008 Newsletter

Halloween Pet Tattooing
Get into the Halloween spirit and bring your pet in for a complimentary pet "tattoo" from October 30-31st. Our staff is on hand to get your pet ready for the holiday season with our pet friendly, spray-on Halloween "tattoos". Enjoy a fun and safe Halloween!

Pre-K Classroom Visit
This month the Pre-Kindergarten class at Seton Academy welcomed Dr. White for a classroom visit. Dr. White talked about what a veterinarian does. The students enjoyed a special visit by Dr. White's Labrador, Jade, who came in Halloween costume. The children played with models of ears, teeth, and practiced brushing dog's teeth. Thank you for being such a good audience!

If you would like to schedule a classroom visit or career day visit from one of our veterinarians, please speak with our office manager, Ellen at 645-3116.

Quit Smoking For Your Cat?
Smokers get ready for more bad health news, but this time regarding your pets. It's known that animals exposed to the effects of tobacco smoke may have a greater chance of developing asthma, chronic lung disease, respiratory cancers, and other cancers.

Research from Tufts University found that cats exposed to smoking had a higher risk of the malignant cancer Lymphoma. The risk of developing Lymphoma was 2x higher in cats from smoking homes, when compared to non-smoking homes. And when two people within the home smoked, cats were 4x as likely to develop the cancer.

While smoking cannot be blamed as the sole cause of cancer in pets, it is being looked at as a significant risk factor. Pets inhale the smoke and chemicals just as people do from nearby tobacco smoke. An additional route of acquiring the chemical agents is by direct contact. Smoke residues settle out on the pet's fur or can be transferred from the owner's hands during contact. Then with regular self-grooming behaviors the animal ingests these chemical residues from the fur. Since cats are especially fastidious creatures, they easily take in these environmental toxins by grooming behaviors.

Other research has examined the increased rates of oral, nasal and lung cancers in pets. Cats from a smoking household are 4x as likely to develop the disfiguring cancer called Squamous Cell Carcinoma. In a different study, long- nosed dog breeds from smoking homes are at a greater risk of developing nasal cancers. So, for pet lovers that are looking for a good reason to quit smoking- consider the health of your furry friend.

Pet of the Month
Our newly recognized pet of the month is "Chester" a fabulous feline that is a lover, not a fighter. See his photo on our website, www.lmah.net.

Thanksgiving Hours
Please make note of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday hours:
Wednesday, November 26th 7am-7pm
Thursday, November 27th CLOSED
Friday, November 28th 7am-7pm