Educational Information

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Dirty ears and ear infections

Some dogs are more prone to developing ear infections than others. Dogs that are more at risk typically include dogs with allergies, floppy ears, or often go swimming/get their ears wet.

If your dog goes swimming, it can be more prone to developing ear infections, especially if it has floppy ears. To help reduce the risk of developing ear infections, flush your dog's ears out with ear flush after swimming/baths and gently wipe them out. This will help dry the ear canal so there is not a warm, damp environment for bacteria and yeast to grow.

Dogs with allergies often need to have their ears cleaned on a maintenance basis to help prevent ear infections from occurring. The frequency of cleaning depends on the dog, please consult us if you have any questions.

Do not use water, soap, hydrogen peroxide, or alcohol to flush your dogs ears as these options will cause more harm than good. Instead use a veterinary approved ear cleaner.

How much should you feed your pet?

This is a common question dog and cat owners ask. Since there are a variety of pet foods available there is no certain quantity based on the size of your pet. Instead start with what the pet food label recommends feeding your pet based on their weight. Then pay attention to your pet, if they seem to be gaining weight decrease the quantity by a small amount or if they are losing weight increase the quantity by a small amount. There is no perfect answer to this question, you should start with what the label recommends and then adjust to meet your pets needs.

If your pet is overweight you should gradually decrease the amount of food down to the recommended amount for their goal weight. It is important not to suddenly decrease the food by a large amount, this should be a gradual reduction.

If you are feeding your pet both wet and dry food, more commonly done with cats, make sure that you reduce the quantity proportionately so they do not end up with twice the caloric intake.

Trimming your pet's nails

Here are some drawings to demonstrate how short to cut your dogs nails.

The quick is often visible through light colored nails. Trim the nail at the location of the blue dotted line.

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1. For dark colored nails, it is best to trim small amounts back at a time.

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2. As you trim, the quick will become visible in the center, for dark nails it will appear black and for light colored nails it will be pink. When you get to this point stop trimming the nails.

Do you have a new puppy or kitten or a pet that hates nail trims? To help your pet become more accustom to nail trims touch their feet and handle their toes often so it isn't a big deal to them when you handle their feet for a nail trim. Practice only takes ten seconds a day. Make this activity enjoyable by including praise and treats. When it comes to trimming their nails, if they are resistant, start with trimming one or two nails and then giving them a break. Over time work up to trimming more nails in a single session as they become more accustom to it.

If you cut your pets nails too short and they start to bleed, don't panic, it will be ok. Consider having styptic powder or corn starch on hand. Either can be applied to the end of the bleeding nail to help stop the bleeding.

How often should you trim your pet's nails? Your pet's nails should be trimmed as often as they need it, generally every 4-8 weeks.

Fleas and Ticks

We strongly recommend using flea and tick preventatives. Preventatives play a crucial role to reduce disease transmission to your pets. Fleas not only cause intense itching and irritation to your pets skin, but they can cause bacterial infections and are a common intermediate host for tapeworms. Some pets also have allergic reactions to flea bites causing them to develop flea bite dermatitis, inflammation of the skin which often includes hair loss and severe itching. Ticks can spread many diseases, the three most commonly seen in this area include Lyme, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis.

There are many options, please inquire if you have questions about a flea and tick preventative and we will work with you to find the best option for you and your pet.

Westby, WI

Field's Edge Veterinary Services

Mobile Services

608-634-2922

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Educational Information

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