Now that Spring has sprung (we think!), it’s time to THINK SPRING! Even though winter didn’t snow us under and we’ve yet to get our share of spring showers , our Facebook photo contest nudged us into the season with all the great photos we received. Thank you to all our fans who submitted photos and voted—we just know it was hard for our fans to make a final choice on the winner. Look for our winner’s photo on our Facebook page, along with all the others submitted. It’s obvious that our fans are very creative and love their pets very much!

We’re at risk for serious tick-transmitted diseases. Let’s not fall victim, but rather, let’s take proactive steps to avoid this disease that may be lurking in our suburban and rural backyards! Here are tips from your local veterinarian and the Center for Disease Control:

1. Prevent family pets from bringing ticks into the home. Maintain your family pet under a veterinarian’s care.
2. Use a veterinarian approved year round flea and tick control on your pets. Many pet owners think that tick control is not necessary in the colder months. But ticks will find warm spots, like underneath your house, and if temperatures rise above freezing, ticks can still latch onto a host. Two of the ways to get rid of ticks on dogs and cats are putting on tick medicine or using a tick collar.
3. Check your body for ticks after being outdoors, even in your own yard. Conduct a body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body and remove any tick you find. Check these parts of your body and:
   • Under the arms
   • In and around the ears
   • Back of the knees
   • Under the arms
   • In and around the hair
   • Between the legs
   • Around the waist
4. Shower soon after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has shown to reduce your risk of being bitten by a tick.
5. Check your children for ticks, especially in the hair, when returning from potentially tick-infested areas. See the list above for the places on your child’s body to check for ticks. Remove any tick you find on your child’s body.
6. Check your clothing for ticks. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Placing clothes into a dryer on high heat for at least an hour effectively kills ticks.
7. Remove an attached tick as soon as you notice it. Watch for signs of illness such as rash or fever, and see a health care provider if these develop.

To learn more about ticks read Myths vs. Facts: The truth about ticks.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Hills^® Diets, have teamed together creating a formidable team to fight pet obesity. To learn more about the AVMA/Hills PetFit Program, visit www.petfit.com. The best weight for any pet is achieved bycombining a high quality food + adequate exercise + regular veterinary check ups.QUESTIONS? Call us at 978-373-4422 or email us at info@haveaheartanimal.com.

Formerly known as “National Disabled Pets Day,” the day was renamed to project a more positive message to this special pet holiday. Just as many humans with disabilities want the focus to be on their abilities—the skills and attributes they possess—vs. their disabilities—this holiday celebrates the spirit of these unique pets. As with humans, animal disabilities take many different forms. For this reason, this special day is intended to acknowledge these brave animals, educate the public about their care and encourage adoption of disabled animals that may be living in a shelter.

According to Colleen Paige, the holiday’s founder, “ pets that become challenged due to disease, birth flaws or injuries, tend to develop greater senses than your average pet.”  To see some one these extraordinary specially-abled heroes, go to our Facebook page, and to learn more about National Specially-abled Pets Day, Check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Disabled-Pets-Day.

MAY 6-12 BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK

Be part of a celebration started by the American Humane Association (www.americanhumane.org) in 1915 to acknowledge the importance of the animals in our lives. The occasion encourages all of us, especially children, to treat animals with compassion and highlights ways in which we can continue to treat animals humanely. By instilling these values in children at an early age, we create a life-long bond with animals that will promote their development into animal-loving adults. Many think this is just what the world needs! The AHA uses this pet holiday to make the treatment of animals a part of the public dialogue and recommends each of us get more involved on behalf of our world’s animals. Here are some of the ways that we can do that now: become more informed about animal-related legislation, report animal abuse, create a wildlife-friendly environment in your yard, adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue and, of course, take great care of your own pets. To read more goto www.americanhumane.org.

MAY 20-26, 2012 DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) brings dog bite prevention into focus each year for one week in May. May 20-May 26, 2012, is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Dogs should not be feared, but rather we, as humans, need to know and understand why bites occur in order to help prevent them. Dog trainers, including those that are now popular television personalities, like Victoria Stillwell and Caesar Milan, agree that issues with dogs are usually rooted with the humans that interact with them. Statistics show that 4.7 million people are bitten by a dog every year, so it’s important for you to become educated on what you can do to avoid becoming one of them!

Here’s what you can do:

#1 Carefully select a dog you adopt or purchase as a family pet. Instead of making decisions based on impulse, carefully consider your personal lifestyle, the pet’s personality and behavior to be sure he/she is a perfect fit for your home by evaluating how the pet behaves around you and all family members—including your other pets!

#2 Train your new dog to behave as you wish him/her to behave as a member of your family! Seek professional advice from your veterinarian or a professional dog trainer if needed. Some dog trainers will provide a free consultation to assess your dog’s needs and create a training plan for you and your pet. The training plan should include all members of your family so that everyone handles your new dog in the same way. This gives your dog consistency which is key to a well behaved dog.

#3 Train your family to treat your dog and ALL DOGS with respect without intimidation, threats, teasing or highly excitable games that can become confusing to the dog. Rough play can escalate into biting without any advance notice.

#4 Handle strange dogs (any dog you have not been introduced to before) with CAUTION! Never leave a baby or young child alone with a dog; teach children of ALL ages to respect and to be careful around all pets.; They should not approach, stroke, reach through fences/windows/doors at pets. They should ask the pet owner’s permission before petting any animal.

#5 Leash your dog . Most communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have leash laws which require this. Dogs can behave very differently in unfamiliar surroundings, especially in public where there is a tremendous amount of new and different stimulation from sounds, smells and sites that the dogs are not normally exposed to. This can lead to problematic behaviors which can be difficult for a dog owner to control. Leashing helps to keep all dogs and people safe.

#6 Keep your pet healthy. To avoid a potentially problematic situation, pets should remain current on all annual vaccinations and physical exams. Too, we recommend you consider further care your veterinarian may recommend. A current rabies vaccination is required by Massachusetts and New Hampshire state laws. You may not realize that other dogs are not properly vaccinated for rabies which places you, your dog and your other family members at risk of rabies exposure should any of you come in contact with an unvaccinated dog.

#7 Remember: your dog is an animal! He/she is not a four-legged person with the same abilities to think, problem solve and make decisions like you. While we all love and adore our dogs—and make them a true member of our families in every way possible—we want to make sure that we always understand that a dog is a dog when it comes to situations that are out of control.

#8 Spay or Neuter your dog: According to the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA/avma.org), an unspayed female dog in “heat” may be more likely to fight with other female dogs, including female dogs in the household, and can be anxious and short-tempered as well. In addition, there are health risks for unspayed female dogs including uterine infections and breast cancer. Unneutered male dogs can become aggressive and be more likely to get into fights with other animals, causing injury to themselves, the other animals or people. Unneutered and unspayed dogs are more likely to roam and be hit by a motor vehicle, resulting in injury and/or death to the dog, as well as to the driver.

#9 Avoid bringing your dog into highly excitable or uncontrolled situations such as a dog park without fencing or an area where you see or hear dogs barking, fighting or playing without supervision. In addition, use caution if bringing your dog to a friend’s house where there are dogs unfamiliar to you or your pet or you are out in public with your pet unleashed. Highly excitable situations can trigger a reaction from fear in your dog that you did not expect. Once you enter into any of these situations with your dog, he/she may feel trapped, threatened, intimidated, afraid or angry, thereby leaving your pet unable to escape or incapable of avoiding an unpleasant outcome.

#10 Pay special attention to children and elderly family members. Make certain that neither is left alone with a dog. Both can be innocently knocked down and injured, and both are common victims of dog bites!

Resources for more information:

1-The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD (AVMA)

2-Bilingual Dog Bite Prevention activity/coloring book (AVMA)

3-What you should know about dog bite prevention brochure (AVMA)

4-Victoria Stillwell Shares Tips to Stop Dogs from Biting (AVMA)

5-Handling an Injured Pet (AVMA)

6-Dog Bite Prevention: Sensible Advice (AVMA)

May 23rd WORLD TURTLE DAY 2012

Sometimes confused with National Turtle Day (March 6^th), World Turtle Day was first acknowledged in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue located in Malibu, California. The date was chosen because May is the month that turtles emerge from winter hibernation and begin the process of finding and choosing a mate. The organization was founded in 1990 to champion turtle conservation issues and the holiday was created to bring attention to this species by focusing on ways all of us can help to protect turtles of all kinds.

To read more about organizations working to protect turtles, visit the following links:

• www.humanesociety.org/aniamls/turtles
• www.barbadosseaturtles.org
• www.gumbolimbo.org/Sea-Turtle-Day

MAY 30 NATIONAL HUG YOUR CAT DAY 2012

National Hug Your Cat Day, also known as “Hug Your Cat Day,” appears on different calendars on different dates: May 30^th and June 4^th! While the origin and creator of this pet holiday are unknown, what we do know is that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recognizes May 30, 2012 as the special day for all cats and cat-lovers. In ancient times, Egyptian history tells us that cats were worshipped and held in great esteem. Perhaps this is what inspired Hug Your Cat Day in order to bring our full attention to our furry feline friends who bring us so much love, even if it is sometimes (or all the time) on their own terms! We know that pets make us feel better, increasing our happiness while actually lowering our stress levels, So take the time on May 30^th to give you kitty some extra T.L.C.. Read more about cats at www.wignall.com.

In 2012, Earth Day Network has set a goal of A Billion Acts of Green® which is a campaign to achieve 40 million environmental service actions. Celebrate Earth this Earth Day by taking good care of your little piece of it and all those that inhabit it, including your pets, of course! For more information on Earth Day, visit www.earthday.org.

Your pet may qualify to participate in the study

In 1948, a cardiovascular research study laid the ground work for our understanding of the risk factors for human cardiovascular disease. By following three generations of participants, we now know that smoking, high blood pressure and inactivity are the primary scientific reasons behind heart disease. This historic study was the catalyst for many other clinical studies that led to the development of most of the cardiac procedures used today to save lives. Using the Framingham study as a model of excellence to emulate, the Morris Foundation has begun a ground breaking study that they hope will lead to life saving treatments for dogs.

The first study,under the Canine Lifetime Health Project umbrella will focus on identifying the genetic, nutritional and environmental risk factors for cancer and other diseases in Golden Retrievers. Enrollees will be age two and younger. Projected to last 10 to 14 years and enroll up to 3,000 dogs, the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study will be the largest and longest observational study ever undertaken to improve the health of dogs.

Golden Retrievers were chosen because more than half of them die of cancer. Although this study involves only Golden Retrievers, the information collected will improve the health of all dog breeds.

What Is Expected of You?

• Agree to participate for the life of your dog
• Select a veterinarian who agrees to participate with you
• Complete online questionnaires regarding your dog’s food type and feeding habits, environmental exposures, behavior/temperament, disease events, etc.
• Visit your dog’s veterinarian for annual exams and sample collection (blood, urine, feces, hair, and toenail clippings)
• When applicable, allow collection of tumor samples for evaluation
• Be willing to consider a necropsy (post mortem examination) when your dog’s life ends

Note: You are responsible for all costs associated with the annual exam, sample collection and laboratory test results. Morris Animal Foundation will reimburse you for up to $75 of these costs per year after verification that the exam and sample collection has been completed. For more information, go to: https://www.caninelifetimehealth.org/#About/GoldenRetrieverLifetimeStudy

April 8th – Draw a picture of a bird day

Also known as “DABDay” (Draw A Bird Day), the movement to acknowledge this day originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1940’s. Early rules were that the drawings could only be in pencil, but later evolved to include crayon and most recently electronics such as computer software.  Currently the only restriction is that the picture must be drawn and it must contain a bird.  The pictures are not submitted to win a contest—as this is not one—but purely and simply to spread joy! Believe it or not, there is actually an official website for Draw A Bird Day. For more information go to www.dabday.com and start drawing!

April 22nd – Earth Day

Earth Day 2012 is April 22^nd this year and celebrates its 52^nd year!  Begun in spring 1970, Earth Day was created after founder, Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was disheartened by the effects of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA.   With sit-ins and marches so prevalent in the sixties and seventies, he took inspiration from them but went in a different direction with a “national teach-in on the environment”.   On that first Earth Day , April 22, 1970, reportedly 20 million Americans participated in Earth Day celebrations ranging from educational classes on the environment to protests against the environmental damage caused by raw sewage dumping, industrial air pollution and the like.  During that same decade, the Environmental Protection Agency evolved and eventually the U.S. Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts were enacted. (insert links to these acts and the EPA).  Over the following 3 decades, environmental concerns have continued to be in the forefront of government officials, politicians and citizens; and the battle between environmental advocates and political interests continues today.

In 2012, Earth Day Network has set a goal of A Billion Acts of Green® which is a campaign to achieve 40 million environmental service actions.  Celebrate Earth this Earth Day  by taking good care of your little piece of it and all those that inhabit it, including your pets, of course!  For more information on Earth Day, visit www.earthday.org.

April 27th – Hairball Awareness Day

National Hairball Awareness Day 2012 is April 27^th this year. Always on the last Friday in April, the origin of this “holiday” is unknown—even Wikipedia does not list it.   Although one might wonder if it was created by the manufacturer of a feline hairball miracle cure, research reveals that multiple commercial and rescue organizations joined forces to promote this day.  Some of those involved include: cat lovers, cat calendar creators, cat rescue organizations, local newspaper events calendars and even the National Museum of Health and Medicine’s National Hairball Awareness Day Exhibit of human and animal hairballs in 2009!  While we realize National Hairball Awareness Day is not on your personal list of reasons to celebrate this year, it is a great opportunity to draw attention to this important aspect of animal care and behavior.

Feline hair balls occur when a cat grooms herself by licking her fur to clean it.  Cats are known to be meticulous about personal cleanliness and hygiene therefore, as cat owners know, cats are often seen grooming themselves, as well as their housemate cats, and sometimes dogs!  A cat’s tongue has a rough, sandpiper-like surface which consists of many miniscule fibers that act like a bristled brush against the cat’s fur.  Just as a brush pulls loose hair out, the cat’s tongue does the same thing thus enabling the cat to remove loose hair he/she is shedding.  This is a great housekeeping tool for the cat’s owner, especially when compared to the cleanup required with a shedding dog; however some cats are unable to fully digest the removed hair and it accumulates in the digestive track.  Periodically, being very self-sufficient, the cat will automatically have the reflex to eject the accumulated hair, a.k.a. hairball, from his/her body by vomiting.   The vomiting is not a symptom of illness, unless occurring daily or the cat exhibits other common signs of illness such as loss of appetite, lethargy, growling/hissing, sleeplessness, cough, runny eyes/nose.  In otherwise healthy cats, there are special diets and supplements that can assist the cat to more easily digest the removed hair.  Should you have any concerns about your cat’s grooming, hairballs or overall health, consult your veterinarian at 978-454-8272 (Wignall Animal Hospital) or 978-454-0044 (Lowell Veterinary Clinic).

April 28th – World Veterinary Day

April 28, 2012, is World Veterinary Day.  The World Veterinary Association (WVA) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) started it in 2000.  WVA represents veterinary associations worldwide.  It works to set up common guidelines, standards, policies and programs for veterinary practitioners.  The mission of OIE is to encourage international solidarity in the control of animal diseases, collect and analyze and disseminate veterinary scientific information, safeguard countries by publishing health standards for international trade of animals and animal products and promote animal welfare through a scientific approach.   WVA works closely with OIE and other organizations to protect and improve animal welfare, animal and human health and the environment.  The WVA is committed to setting standards for education, ethics and excellence in performance of all aspects of the veterinary profession.  To read more visit www.worldvet.org.