robertwoodsdvm.com Blog

I have a comical Golden Retriever as a client named “Sydney”. Once she walks into the office, she becomes the most shy, meek dog. She immediately rolls on her back, shows me her belly, wags her tail, and smiles. As if her face is telling me, “You are not really going to make me go into an exam room are you, I am fine right here”. She is sometimes so bashful that she will try to huddle underneath her mom’s chair as to be “invisible”. There have been many a times where she is nicely scooted across the floor to come and see me. She has one of the thickest, curliest coats of all the goldens I see. She is a true Golden Retriever, as she has a heart of gold! She is always a pleasure to see, even when she is not so enthused to be at the office.
“Sydney” and her family moved away a couple of years ago, but now she is back in California, and back to coming and visiting me. Her mom, Liz, has started a business that manufactures Pet Bed Covers. What separates her business from all the others, as first hand pet owner, she knows the routines of owning a pet. No more headaches of trying to stuff a giant pet bed inside a zippered cover, imagine if you had to put a zippered cover on your mattress! Instead, her covers stay in place with an elastic band which makes it very easy to slip on and off. She makes all different sizes in a round or rectangular shape and gives you the option of picking out the patterns. They create “Custom duvets for one-of-a-kind pets”.
So, take a look at Sydney and Friends www.petbedcovers.com and read her story!

Does your dog love you too much?
Separation Anxiety plagues more dogs than you think. If not managed, it can resort to destructive behavior. So what could the harm be of having an anxious dog? I personally have known dogs to climb an 8 foot fence or lacerate themselves on scaled fencing. Or once escaping, getting hit by a car. In search of an escape route, run through glass windows and sliding doors. Within the first 30 minutes of your departure they can destroy anything and EVERYTHING!
This past weekend, a client of mine was being watched by a very diligent pet sitter, but in the quiet moments managed to tear and ingest 27 inches of a towel causing him to “block”. Luckily, his owners were very perceptive and a surgery was done to remove the foreign body and he will recover just fine.
However, separation anxiety can be a very serious problem. Reprimand or punishment is contra indicated and can actually increase anxiety.
Suprisingly, companionship dogs such as Labrador Retreivers are one of the most common breeds to exhibit separation anxiety tendencies. It usually occurs when there is a high degree of uncertainty of an outcome. Something as simple as a work schedule change can be a trigger.
There are plenty of natural remedies that can help ease your dogs anxiety while you are away.
Rescue Remedy is a combination of flower essences made by Bach. The mixture of Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose, and Star of Bethlehem has been proven to reduce anxiety. Many people use this remedy to calm themselves in stressful situations. It is manufactured in many different forms, but usually the easiest form to administer to your pet is the tincture form. You can just ad a few drops to their water bowl and then they are receiving a constant administration of the product.
ProQuiet, manufactured by Animal Health Options, is in a chewable tablet. It contains L-tryptophane, Chamomile, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and Ginger among other inactive ingredients. It basically focuses on the L-tryptophane in the product, which is the same ingredient in turkey that causes the whole family to want to take a nap after Thanksgiving dinner. The chamomile will also help calm your pet, and the ginger can help a nervous stomach. Most dogs will even gobble it up as a treat. One of my cats will jump at the chance to grab one out of my hand.
Shen Calmer is a chinese herbal remedy that is manufactured by Dr. Xie’s Jing-tang Herbal. “Shen” in chinese medicine, is considered to be the waking consciousness or waking thought. The “Shen” is believed to reside in the heart. This herbal remedy helps calm the “shen”. Once the mind is calmed, your dog can relax.
So before you feel “stuck” with an anxious dog, and before your last resort is medical intervention with prescription drugs, I suggest giving these natural remedies a try. They really can make a HUGE difference, and then you can get back to ENJOYING your dog.
I am curious though, there is a CD that was made called “Through a Dogs Ear” created by Joshua Leeds and Susan Wagner DVM, MS. It is a classical composition that is created to help calm your dog in stressful situations. I have read many reviews about it but have never actually tried it. I may purchase it just out of curiosity and try it out with the pets that board at my facility. So, if you have tried it please let me know your thoughts……

In my neighborhood, I would venture to guess that at least 1 in every 5 houses has a Sago Palm in the front yard. The Sago Palm is a very popular landscape item in Southern California, and warmer climate states. It has a very stocky trunk and spiky leaves. The Sago Palm is very slow growing and for that feature it even appeals to people to make it an indoor plant.
It is not a “palm” at all, but a cycad. Other common names for it are a King Sago or Palm Cycad. Its real name is Cycas Revoluta. The problem is that plant nurseries are not required to list any plant as toxic to animals. All parts of the Sago Palm are poisonous. The plant contains two carcinogens, Cycasin, and Macrozamin; and one neuro toxin, B-methylamino-L-alanine. Ingestion of this plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, bruising, and in severe cases liver failure. Over 50% of veterinary cases that involve ingestion, result in death. The American Society for Cruelty to Animals research says, ” There has been over a 200% increase in the past 5 years, or animal deaths” caused by the Sago Palm.
As it is starting to warm up, people are thinking of flowers and plants, and getting a head start on their landscape projects. My advice to you is first go to look at plants and take a notebook with you. Write down all the names of the plants you are interested in purchasing. Do not make any uninformed purchases! Then go home, and look up each plant and make sure it is not harmful to your pets. The way that plants are marketed, names are listed differently to appeal to certain areas. You may not know that a specific one is poisonous until it is too late.
Our neighbor was putting in tiny sago palms in her backyard, when we ran over to investigate. She has a lot of cats that sun themselves in the backyard. It could have been a disaster. Cats love to rub their faces on plants, eat leaves, and are generally just curious about anything new. Look at our cat “Ming” within 2 seconds of the plant being outside, she already has her faced buried in the Sago Palm. Bad kitty!

So, please, do your homework when it comes to introducing any new plants into your pets environment. Every plant we have is completely safe when ingested by human or pets.