robertwoodsdvm.com Blog

I just wanted to let you all know that I have added some behavioral tips to the website. I was lucky to be offered some very helpful information by www.PetsForLife.org, which is in connection with the humane society. I have catagorized it by Dog Behavior, Cat Behavior, and Owning A Pet. They are in a printable form, so they are easy to reference. Hopefully it will help answer some commonly asked questions. Of course, they are not a final answer to all problelms, so I will still be happy to answer any hard to tackle behavior problems.

Just wanted to keep you in the loop.

Have a good Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to say a big “Thank You!” to all my clients and their outpouring of support for the newest additions to my family, our 9 month old twins. They had a very rough beginning being born almost 9 weeks early and staying in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for ~21 days. Tomorrow they are officially 9 months old, and have passed their last developmental tests at CHOC, so all is good. They are happy and healthy and are constantly trying to keep up with their older brother and sister.
I had the opportunity to learn that a lot of my clients have been in the same situation with premature babies and/or twins, and found all your stories either soothing or humorous. We continue to appreciate all the gifts you manage to bring in for them, and we put them all to good use.
I have been trying to be better about keeping updated photos in my office so you all can be included in their growth.
So for now, I thought I would let you see recent picture from about a week ago playing.
ENJOY, and THANK YOU AGAIN!

You would think that once my cat chased down a honey bee and continued to shove it in her mouth to munch on, that the sudden inflammation and discomfort that followed would deter her from any more bee chasing. Well, that is not the case, in fact, I think she considers herself a “professional” hunter when it comes to ANY venomous insect. Luckily her allergic reactions are not life threatening, she can always breathe normally, but she always gets a swollen lip.
An easy remedy in mild allergic reactions is Apis or Apis Mellifica, which is made from the “bee’s glue” that holds their hives together. A few tiny sugar pills and it should prevent the reaction from getting worse, and allow some comfort.
APIS WILL NOT STOP AN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION! So, it is safest to use when your pets breathing is not compromised and their reaction is not life threatening.
Apis can also be used for swelling, itching, or redness from any type of insect. Maybe your pet has an allergic reaction to a flea bite, or unfortunately rolled in the dirt with red ants. Those instances are a great example of a non threatening allergic reaction, where there is inflammation or discomfort on a mild to medium level. You can use a potency of 6X or 30C and give 1-2 pills every hour until symptoms subside.
So now when my cat starts pawing at her face I know that is her first sign of a bug gone bad. Apis always comes to the rescue.

With Halloween just coming to an end, I am sure most houses are full of candy. Please take an extra moment to take precautions against your pets getting into the goodie bags. It only takes a moment for a curious dog to become engorged with sweets.

Chocolate is the biggest concern during the holidays. Chocolate contains a compound called Theobromine. That specific compound is what creates the level of toxicity in chocolate to dogs (and other animals). Each type of chocolate contains a different amount of Theobromine.
Unsweetened or “Baker’s” chocolate contains the highest amount of Theobromine being 390-450mg per ounce.
Semi Sweet chocolate is about half that amount.
While Milk chocolate is only 44-60mg of Theobromine per ounce.
So if you find that your dog has raided the bowl, make sure you have an idea of what type of chocolate they ate.

Most dogs experience vomiting or diarrhea, while others with cast iron stomachs don’t blink an eye. Theobromine increases the heart rate (along with the caffeine found in chocolate), can cause trembling, and in rare cases seizures.

The toxicity level of Theobromine is roughly 100-200mg per 2 pounds of your dog. So, obviously smaller dogs are at a higher risk, while larger dogs may be in the clear.

Call your veterinarian with the type of chocolate they ate, amount you think they had, how long it has been since they ingested, and the weight of your dog. Then they can better assess your individual scenario and let you know the next steps that are needed.