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It's Time for Tricks & Treats!

It's one of my favorite times of the year.  The weather is turning cooler outside, and one of the best holidays is around the corner: HALLOWEEN!  I have a few tricks up my paw and always look forward to extra treats.  In fact, we are having our second annual costume contest!




So far, we have gotten a few entries, and you can find all the details on our Facebook page as well as vote for your favorite photos.  While I won't be dressing up for Halloween, I hope you do! 


Visit our Facebook Page now to check out all the fun, and stay tuned for more blog posts!

Spring Cleaning

The birds are chirping, and everything seems to be blooming. The sun is finally out from behind those snowy clouds, and I've unplugged the heating pad under my bed. With the warmer weather calling both people and pets outside, the paw traffic has definitely increased here at SHAH. I believe there is a direct correlation between the temperature outside and the amount of muddy or stinky dogs I get sniffed by each day.

I am fortunate enough to inhabit one clean building, allowing me to do my own grooming. I do not pity those who insist on rolling, playing, or swimming in the smelliest of substances that must be scrubbed and washed away. Not to mention the ones that terrorize skunks, serves 'em right.

"Dixie"

It is rather enjoyable to watch the shamed come in bright early to be dropped off for their "spa day." The owner quickly hands over the leash to one of the staff while audibly scorning their companion for whatever mess they made or were apart of. They try the last ditch effort of coming up with some sort of puppy eye/please-don't-leave-me-here-I'll-never-do-it-again-I-promise-look that never, ever works. You'd think they would have caught on by now. But all is forgiven after those "horrible, unbearable hours" of wiping, trimming, washing, scrubbing, rinsing, drying, and brushing when their person comes back. "You look so pretty!" "There's my handsome boy!" "You smell so much better than this morning!" echo throughout our lobby each day. I'm sure the once-smelly are rewarded for their day of suffering with hugs and food. We live tough lives.

I, myself, take grooming seriously. Maintaining this physique with diet and exercise is not enough these days to catch someone's eye (and I don't have many to spare). I take pride in my glossy coat, sharpened claws, and clean whiskers. It takes a lot of dedication and elbow grease aka my own spit to keep me looking white as snow and fluffy as cotton. 


 Each day I get to see little miracle makeovers happen. Dogs coming in with flea allergies so bad they're practically bald and on fire leave parasite-free with soothed skin. Cats with flakes and enough scales to be part fish go home shining like the little diamonds we are. And those with a stench that could easily clear out a room are welcomed back into a close embrace with their owners. There are so many options and products available for the different types of skin and haircoats, just like with people.

"Odie"

 Keeping your furry friends clean and bug-free this season will definitely go a long way. Having parasites and possible infestations under control can prevent skin-related illnesses as well as hair loss. Dermatitis, hot spots, and other such afflictions can be somewhat avoided with proper grooming techniques.

"Rue"

Skin and hair are not the only things that should be maintained in order to prevent illness and discomfort. By making sure your pets ears are cleaned and dried will help avoid bacterial infections and a build up of wax or debris. Routinely having your pet's nails trimmed not only keeps their quicks nice and short for your nice floor or your legs' protection, but prevents abscess or puncture wounds from a nail growing into a pad from happening.

So for those who just skip to the bottom for a witty comment or two, just remember - a clean pet, can be a healthy pet! Plus, I don't know about you all, but I would not want some stinky dog in my car or home, but that's just me.

"Chuck's Spin Cycle"

And for those who felt inspired by this, or just smelled your dog, we are having a little contest with the reward being a complimentary bath. For more information:              

        

Hijacked!

I'm sure most of you have been on pins and needles (is it time for my vaccines again?) waiting for Cornelius' second part to his "Grand Adventure," well I'm sorry to report that his little vacation was nothing more than him running outside into some bushes and then finding his way into the retirement home's laundry room across the way where he slept comfortably near a warm dryer until found the next morning. I don't know about you all, but that doesn't sound all the exciting to me. Who am I? Oh, so rude of me to jump right in without introducing myself, I'm the real One Eyed Wonder, Rue.

I've been a patient and frequent visitor of Southern Hills for the past year, especially for "Bring Your Pet to Work Day" which seems to happen every time I go outside and find something nice to roll in or eat.

While I do share Cornelius' view on most things, I mean it's hard not to when we have a set of eyes between the two of us, I thought I would take this opportunity (aka Corn leaving his blog open while going off to groom himself or nap) to provide you lovely folks with advice from the Canine Persuasion.

So far this March I've spent more days inside than out because of all this darn snow. I'm not much of a complainer though, it's been nice to take extra naps and to remove every squeaker out of not just my toys. Another nice thing about this colder weather is that I have been critter free since probably around that time when random people you only see every so often come to your house, and there's lots of food for me to look pitiful for. With this face, people can only hear "In the Arms of the Angel" in their head and drop me pieces of turkey here and there. But, seriously, I haven't had anything constantly gnawing at my tail or belly for quite some time. And it's all thanks to those "beef" (yeah right, that's not beef) tabs and that oily crud that my mother is rubbing in my hair all the time.

Last summer was an absolute nightmare for my humble abode. Not only was I itching and scratching so bad I couldn't sleep and was pulling out my own hair, but my pals and mother were in the same boat. Finally after numerous baths, stinky sprays in the house, and plenty of topical treatments did the itching stop. All the fleas were finally dead. Now I line up with the others the 12th of every month for my pill and oil for my back. I think I can handle three minutes of agitation compared to those three months of absolute torture. Plus I can't really pull off the bald look anyways.

So my point is even though it has been colder outside, it's never too early to prepare for those evil bugs that are just waiting to jump onto us and bite away. Giving us those monthly meds do go a long way, and you can even treat our outside areas too - we don't mind one bit.

And it's not just the fleas that stuff helps with, it's those little grey and brown vampires that latch on me in the summer, too. I can't even do my meandering through the woods and fields without some uninvited guests to come home with me. At least I know this stuff is worth it when I don't see them on me or crawling around for long. It's like they get zapped as soon as they climb on for a meal. Not too shabby.

Any-who, I think Cornelius is about to pounce on me, so please talk to your doctor people about what you can give us to keep away those pesky parasites this summer and all the other seasons. I mean what do I know, I'm just a dog!

The Great Outdoors Part 1

It was late, but all the lights were still aglow. I could hear the soft hum of my caged companions’ breathing against their metal containers, but there were squeaks and grunts echoing from the brightly lit lobby. The bell hung on the front door chimed sporadically like a broken coo-coo clock. My usual resting place was overrun by the mobile jungle of plants that all of the sudden took root in my lounge. Something was definitely not right. 

In need of a solid night’s sleep, I ventured out of the lounge to expose my nocturnal disturber. As I made my way to the front of the lobby, I felt a surprisingly pleasant rush of cold air on my whiskers. There was no one around, and the front door was being held open by the only bench that is still in the building - its mates lining the sidewalk. I let out my roar of a meow incase burglars or cat-nabbers alike have found a way in; this hospital is in my charge after all at night. Nothing greets me. 

The chilled air continued to creep through the open door like icy hands beckoning me forward. With my head out the door I could see the cold asphalt glittering with grains of salt, almost a perfect reflection of the starry night above me. I could only hear the tires and engines of passing cars on the highway nearby, the rest of the unknown was silent. My feet had not yet crossed the threshold that was my home, my shelter. I had never left this place since my arrival all those years ago and never thought I would have the opportunity. I looked back towards the lounge where my bed and food were but then I thought of all the times I was forced off the warm printer, scolded for sampling someone’s lunch for quality, and disturbed during nap times. 

Without a second look back,  I ran out into the uncharted world with the wind in my face and dirt on my paws. 

I had spent so many hours dreaming of a life on my own back at the hospital, but they were just dreams. I never thought I would have the actual opportunity to venture out of the building without being in a holey box with a handle. The world outside was that of a different nature. As I made my way through the shrubbery that divided my residence from the local retirement home, I could see several pairs of glowing eyes amongst the foliage. I hadn’t had much practice in stalking creatures other than insects and various inanimate objects, so I was hoping to avoid any scraps my first five minutes outside. They began to slowly approach my location as I lowered my self to the earth and puffed out my tail, prepared for anything that may emerge from the shadows. It was either my regal demeanor or the shock of just one glowing orb staring back at them that made my assassins retreat.

I spent the remaining hours of darkness exploring the colony of apartments in the area. Most of the lights were extinguished, but every few I would see people in their homes watching TV or making dinner. For those on the bottom and first floors I could easily get a front row seat to their sliding doors on balconies or patios to see how the other species lives. I pitied the poor kitties and dogs that laid at the feet and laps of their owners perfectly bored and content in their warm homes with full bellies, clearly they have never experienced a night of freedom such as this. It wasn’t until one of those sleeping dogs began to bark at my intrusion causing the owner to chase me off the porch that I began to realize that I did not recognize where I was. 

All my explorations of the apartments began to blend due to their similarities in architecture. I was almost positive that I had come from the ones down the hill, but the trail did not look familiar to me. My stomach began to rumble and the dirt I cleaned from my paws did not suffice as a solid midnight snack. It couldn't be that hard to find my way back, right?

Visit us online next week for the 2nd part of my Great Adventure! - C

I Like Big Mutts and I Cannot Lie

Greetings, all! Once again the two-legged folks have driven me insane and to the point of going public with all of their griping. While a new topic of discussion was long over due after all their vaccine nonsense, this one got personal.


A sophisticated feline like myself enjoys having a pretty strict schedule. I start my mornings off by crunching on some pretty decent food these people put in a bowl for me followed by an hour of stalking, harassing, and running around for what seems like no apparent reason to the average observer (really there's a science to it, but we'll get to that later). Once the creatures and their pets begin arriving for whatever they're being dragged in here for I spend the majority of my time napping around the lobby, also planned so I'm available for any kind of scratch or rub from anyone that ventures in. I will warn you all though, pet me outside of those times and I will give you a piece of my mind while taking a piece of your finger. I told you, I'm sophisticated and like my schedule.


I do make sure to take time to interact with the staff here. We have an interesting relationship that has a delicate balance. I have to make sure I don't knock too many of their pens off the desks so I still get my treats throughout the day for my due diligence of guarding the hospital at night from burglars and insects. I've also figured out, however, that if I am needy enough a certain doctor will give me an extra treat or two.


Which brings me to our topic - Obesity in Animals. I for one love me a chubby puppy or kitten, they just roll around; it's very entertaining. I obviously consider myself to be a fit and trim fella with my 15lbs of twisted steel and cuddle appeal. That aimless running around I do, that's my workout routine - two laps down the pharmacy hall and 20 minutes of swatting at either balled up paper or dead bugs, whatever I can find. I guess I do owe some credit for my perfect physique to my feeders. Though I do miss being able to eat all day everyday, morning and evening meals aren't the worst - they actually fit nicely into my schedule.


Having the set up that I do, I'm able to easily see a lot that comes in and out of this place - big and small. The Danes obviously need to weigh more than the Chihuahuas, the difference is knowing how much is too much and how to adjust your pal's weight in a healthy way. Even though dropping 2-5 pounds doesn't sound like a lot or even that difficult, it can be. Be prepared for the biggest eyes you've ever seen when you only give us 1 cup of food compared to whatever that old scoop measured out to be. Oh and watch out during your dinner time, we will be looking for turned heads and dropped goodies as opportunities to cheat.


Being the smart cat that I am, I would definitely recommend speaking to one of our staff about developing a customized nutrition plan to follow at home for your pet. They actually have some pretty cool ideas, I guess. Plus, if you guys come in to talk to them about it, they'll finally leave me alone about it and give me more treats!


-C

No Need for Introductions

For those that don't know me, I'm Sir Cornelius, the Watchful Eye, the greeter to furry guests and their two legged friends of Southern Hills Animal Hospital in Roanoke, VA. Although I spend a lot of my time sleeping somewhere I shouldn't be, eating a plant, or chasing a bug, I do pick up on a lot that goes on in the world of animal care and medicine.

Around this time I do enjoy seeing all the tiny tots wagging their tails and purring in carriers on their first trip to the vet's office, before they know what's about to happen to them. Your clawed and pawed pal is about to experience the first of many visits where someone in a white coat with a weird necklace pokes and prods them all over and usually sticks them with something sharp. As much as it physically pains me to admit this, these annoying annual acts of torture actually keep me feeling great the other 364 days of the year, not to mention all the love and treats afterwards to make up for the emotional scarring.

All day long, or the cumulative 5 hours I'm not napping or knocking something off a desk, I hear the cranberry clad crew speak to the critter chauffeurs about "vaccines" and prevention," It's enough to drive anything with ears, even if they are mildly deformed, insane. But at the end of the day, I suppose they do have a point. You wouldn't know it by my appearance, but I have definitely seen my fair share of peers that did not take that scary man or woman in the white coat's advice when it comes to these infuriating chores of getting stuck at least once a year or applying some smelly oil that completely ruins the glossy look to my fur or making me take some nasty treat every month.

I digress.

The point is, and I've never been one for making points, what's one day of utter annoyance compared to days if not weeks of complete agony, not to mention the looks of shame from your person when they have that argument inside their head of whether or not you're worth all this trouble and money. After all the head shakes, sighs, and transactions, you're finally taken back to your own territory, an environment where your owner vows to never miss a vaccine, or not buy prevention. The reasons are in the names, vaccinate us against the nastiness that can be found anywhere, prevent me from housing creatures smaller and more annoying than myself on my worst day. So why not skip that extra step of having to either leave us at some strange place that smells just a little too clean or constantly tricking us into cars that we all know are going back to "that place" by being proactive?

Just some thoughts from your usually friendly, neighborhood, one-eyed, crinkled eared feline

-C

"Now going paperless!"