Why having a pet at your business is a great idea.

Having pets at work is a privilege that we as veterinary professionals often take for granted.  Many of us have hospital cats (in our case, often many more than one) that live at our place of work and are always there to happily greet us in the morning.  The Veterinary hospital is an ideal place for a resident pet, and many of us may bring our pets to work when and if needed.  However, the real question is, should your work place have a pet? 

I think that the answer is absolutely yes. 

Pets often promote social interaction between people.  If someone walks into a business with a resident pet it usually brings a positive response and seems to get people talking.  It allows for an automatic point of relation between the team member and the customer.   Introverts will find that small talk becomes easier with the common point of interest in the pet.  We no longer have to search for something to talk about because it is right there in front of our faces.  Automatic icebreaker! 

Pets are proven stress relievers and studies have shown that individuals that either brought their pets to work or interacted with a work pet, had lower stress hormones released throughout the day than people that had no pet interaction.  How can you be stressed when you see a soft furry face looking up at you?

Pet friendly workplaces tend to increase employee satisfaction and have higher moral than pet free businesses.   Company pets also help with employee retention; people may want to leave their job, but leaving the company pet may be emotionally more difficult.  They become more attached to their job when it includes the pet. We often have a litter of orphan kittens at our hospital to entertain us with their play during lunch breaks.

Pets can improved your image by softening the corporate boardroom experience.  If someone feels intimidated by your place of business, seeing the friendly face of a pet will often soften that experience.  Meetings will be less combative if the participants are petting the company cat.  Companies often use aquariums full of beautiful fish as an “ice breaker” in their lobby or boardroom and a furry pet can accomplish the same thing.

Pets at work could save the employee money and the company as well.  Employees that are able to bring their pet to work will often work more and longer hours and spend less money in day care and dog walking costs.   The fact that they do not have to rush home to walk or feed a pet allows them to stay longer at work and get more things accomplished.

Is there a downside to company pets?  Yes there can be.  Not all businesses are suitable for pet ownership.  Businesses that serve and prepare food and certain health care facilities may not be appropriate for pets.  Also, customers that fear pets or have pet allergies may not be particularly thrilled to see a pet at your place of business.  It must also be considered that pets can cause damage to carpet or furniture and may also endanger your employees or customers if they are not properly trained or become afraid and act out.

In most cases a well trained and socialized pet will bring rewards that surpass the effort, time and money that it takes to make them a part of your work place.  Try to build some logical company rules around pets in the workplace, talk to your insurance company about liability issues, then get a pet and see how it goes.  It will surely make your workplace more interesting and fun.

Dr. Julie Cappel

Birds Gotta Fly? (why wing trimming is so important)

What is more beautiful than watching a bird fly across the sky on a clear summer day?  We all enjoy the graceful flight and admire the creatures that can fly so freely.  That is one of the main reasons that so many of us love to keep birds as pets.  We want to be close to these beautiful and intelligent creatures and make them a part of our families.  I have always loved birds and frequently see them as my patients here at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital.

Those of us who have a pet bird love to see them fly inside as well, but there are many dangers in our homes for the flying pet bird. They include, head trauma from flying into windows, ceiling fan collisions, cooking accidents causing burns, and accidental escape out an open window or door.  I have known several birds that flew away when their owner accidentally walked outside forgetting that the bird was on their shoulder.  I even had one parrot patient that was taken down by a hawk while he was enjoying a day out on the deck with his owner.  Fortunately for him, his human was right there and was able to wrestle her bird away from the hawk.  He survived, but sustained a significant chest wound. 

Recently, I was told a story of a parrot experiencing brain trauma as a result of a severe weather alert siren. The couple was enjoying breakfast with their parrot sitting on the breakfast table, eating eggs off of their plates.  Suddenly the weather siren that they keep in their kitchen started blaring a severe weather alert.  The siren was so loud that the parrot startled and flew off the table straight into the kitchen glass door.  He hit the door hard enough that he was almost knocked out, splitting his tiny forehead open and was unable to stand.  The couple hurriedly scooped him up and rushed him to our recommended emergency clinic, where he fully recovered without any lasting effects.

When we adopt a pet bird we expose them to the built in hazards of human living so we must consider their safety.  Be sure to get a proper wing trimming and never take your bird outside without cage restraint.  Even with a wing trim they can catch a gust of wind and be lifted out of your reach or even into the next neighborhood.  

Our experienced veterinary team will help you by trimming your pet’s wings properly to keep him or her safe from flying accidents.  Trimmed wings can save your bird’s life.  

Call us at 586-751-3350 for questions or assistance.

Do you have a story that relates to this topic?  Please share it with us here on our blog in the comments section.  

Dr. Julie Cappel

5 Reasons Why Cats Make Amazing Pets

1. They are excellent companions.

Cats are often thought to be distant and aloof, but they are actually quite social and thrive in a family environment.  Cats love to sit on laps, cuddle, play and greet you at the door when you come home. They will wait patiently for you to want to spend time with them, and be very affectionate when you are available to them.   Cats seem to be able to sense when you are sad and need comfort and affection.  They don’t talk back or give you sass like some of your human companions.

  

2.  Cats contribute positively to your mental and physical health.

Cats have a calming effect and have been shown to lower the blood pressure of their owners.  Studies have shown that petting and interacting with a cat may have similar effects on the brain to meditation and yoga. They also serve as social support for their owners during difficult times.  Cats have been shown to help their humans get over a significant loss faster than those people without a pet cat. Cats also boost children’s immunity to allergens and reduce the incidence of asthma.  A National Institutes of Health study showed that Children that were exposed to high levels of pet allergens during infancy had a lower risk of developing asthma by 7 years of age.

3.  Cats are easy and efficient to keep

Cats are very low maintenance and flexible when it comes to their home environment.  They are just as happy to live in a mansion as to live in a small, one bedroom apartment. Most cats are easily litter-box trained, so you do not have to walk them in the rain and snow.  They prefer using a clean litter box, so you must work to keep their area clean and free of smelly waste buildup.  As long as they have human interaction, clean litter box access, healthy nutritious food, regular veterinary care and a soft place to sleep, they are happy and will often live well into their teens.

4.  Cats are economical and environmentally sound

Cats are inexpensive to keep. Other than food and cat litter on a weekly basis, the only other regular expenses will be, parasite treatments as recommended by your veterinarian, annual vaccinations against the diseases cats are susceptible to, and a veterinary health check every 6-12 months.  They also have a smaller carbon footprint than their canine counterparts; so if you want to save the earth, keep more cats.

5. Cats are entertaining

Cats are playful, funny, and curious and have a great deal of energy as proven by all those funny and interesting Internet cat videos that we can sit and watch all day. They are eager to get attention from their family members and can even be taught tricks and learn to fetch through clicker training and food rewards.    They are very acrobatic too and will run, leap, pounce and even fetch for a treat or favorite toy.  The entertainment value that comes from watching a cat play is beyond belief and cheaper than Netflix. 

So if you are in need of a pet and you have been debating which type to adopt, consider a cat.  There are millions of perfectly adoptable cats and kittens in need of homes each year and we always have a few to offer here at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital.  Our cats and kittens always make wonderful companions. 

Stress and Anxiety: How do you know when your Dog is Stressed?

We all know about daily stress and anxiety.  We feel it at work, in traffic, at home and even when we surf our social media accounts. What about our dogs?  Do they feel our stress and how do we know when they have their own stresses?   How do we know when they are feeling anxiety and what if anything can we do about it?

Much of what we notice as stress in a dog is expressed in their body language.  When they feel fearful of an unusual situation they express their stress to us and other dogs with their body.  Stressed dogs may take a stiff posture and a wide-eyed look.  They will nervously scan the surrounding area for an escape route or may just turn their head and avoid eye contact altogether.  They will often drop their head, blink excessively, yawn, press their ears back close to their head, and may pull their lips back into a tight lipped “smile”.  This can happen just before a growl or snap.  They will have a tendency to retreat behind their owner (or safe person) if they have that option, or may growl, wag the tail excessively, bark or charge if they feel very threatened or challenged.  

Like us, dogs can also experience physiological symptoms of stress such as panting, trembling and sweaty paws. (I know, we have sweaty hands not paws)  They can also experience loss of bowel control, diarrhea or uncontrolled urination.  If the stress or anxiety bleeds over to their home life, they can lose interest in food, become very clingy or even show destructive behaviors to themselves (licking and chewing their feet or legs) or to objects around the house (chewing or digging).

In order to recognize your dog’s stress or anxiety, you must observe them when they are relaxed and calm.  Get to know their relaxed eyes and ears and their normal behavior when they feel comfortable.  When early signs of stress or anxiety emerge try to remove the stressful stimulus if possible or distract the dog with his/her favorite treats.   Dogs can be trained to accept stressful things, but it has to be done in a gradual, kind fashion using only positive reinforcement.  Clicker training, exercise, consistent routines, healthy diet, and above all, early socialization with other pets, children, strange places and the veterinary hospital will provide a strong base for a dogs future stress levels.  If you missed the socialization window when your dog was a puppy, generally thought to be between 4 and 14 weeks of age, they can still learn to remain calm in stressful situations.  Work with professionals to get the proper training and exposure in a kind gradual manner and be sure that they are not pushed beyond their ability to keep cool. 

Be sure to ask for help from your veterinary team or a veterinarian board certified in behavior medicine before your dog’s anxiety becomes too severe.  There are many things that can be done, to help you and your pet live a low stress, life.