Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital

15th Annual Holiday Open House and Pictures with Santa

What is more fun than Christmas?  Christmas at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital with Santa and a bunch of happy people and pets.  

This Sunday, December 8th, we are hosting our 15th Annual Open House and Pictures with Santa to benefit Leader Dogs for the Blind.   The hospital is open from 12:00 noon until 3:00p.m. for photos and tours with food being provided by our friends at Patterson Veterinary Supply.  Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital provides gift bags for the pets.  Each family will have the opportunity to have a 5x7 picture taken with Santa for a $10.00 donation that goes entirely to Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester. You can have the picture with just the pets or include the entire family for that great Christmas card photo.  Pictures are printed while you wait and can be sent to you via email if you want to reproduce them.

The Warren Woods Veterinary Team works very hard each year volunteering their time cleaning, cooking and decorating the hospital in anticipation of this event, then spend their Sunday at work!  Come join our holiday celebration with the best veterinary team in Michigan!!!

Anal Glands can be a pain in the butt!

What are anal glands you ask?  Maybe you really don't want to know, but your dog or cat may need you to be aware of these pesky little things that may cause a pain in their rear.

These small pea sized glands are located on each side of the pet's anus in the four and eight o'clock position.   These glands are sometimes referred to as "scent glands", because they are used to identify the dog or cat's scent to other animals.  The glands empty normally when a pet defecates as the pressure exerted by the formed feces causes the glands to express onto the stool.  They can also empty spontaneously under times of stress and you will smell an unpleasant odor coming from your pet.   In some pets the glands do not empty properly due to thicker than normal anal gland secretions or if the pet's feces is not firm.  When the glands do not empty properly they can become impacted and cause discomfort to the pet or, if left untreated may abscess causing the dog intense pain.

The glands can be emptied when they are not working properly by exerting pressure (anal sac expression) to the gland to relieve the obstruction.  This procedure should only be done by someone that has been trained to properly and fully empty the glands. Your veterinarian, or their trained licensed veterinary technician, uses a gloved finger inserted into the anus to squeeze the material from the gland.  Some groomers are also properly trained to do this, however this should not be routinely done at the grooming salon because normal anal glands should empty on their own.  If the pet is experiencing problems then they should be addressed.  Dogs will exhibit symptoms such as dragging their posterior on the ground (scooting) or licking or biting at the anal area.   Dogs with abscesses will act painful if their tail is lifted or you may see swelling on either side of the anus. Cats may defecate outside the litter box or lick at the anal area obsessively.   In abscess situations the gland may even rupture through the skin on the side of the anus and blood and purulent material will drain from the opening.  Dogs with anal sac problems will be treated by a veterinarian with expression of the gland, sometimes it will have to be lanced and the pet will be placed on antibiotics until the gland is healed appropriately.

Anal gland fluid is normally tan in color and watery in consistency.  It has a foul odor that may occur when your dog is stressed.  Impacted anal gland material is usually brown or gray and very thick.  The presence of blood, swelling or pus indicates anal gland infection.

If you are suspicious that your pet has an anal gland problem, have them examined by your veterinarian or have the anal glands checked by one of our veterinary technicians.  The technicians can express the anal glands and let you know if they are normal or if they are impacted or infected.  If there is any sign of infection they will have the veterinarian prescribe an antibiotic and pain medication for your pet.  Call 586-751-3350 if you have any questions about this or any other subject.

Don't let your dog or cat suffer from a pain in the rear end....

Halloween Party for Pets

The second annual Pet Halloween Party at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital was a success.  We had a small yet powerful parade of pets dressed in their best costumes come into the hospital to show off their creativity and to have their picture taken for our Facebook page and Website.  The technicians decorated the room with spooky and cute Halloween decorations and built a platform for the photo background.  They also had goody bags for each pet and an array of Halloween treats for the pet parents.  All of the participants had wonderful pictures and we even got photos of our adoptable cats and kittens.  A great time was had by all.  Here are some of the photos that were taken at the event.  Join us next year...if you dare!

Want a Lizard, Turtle or Snake?

Want an unusual pet?  Cats, dogs and even birds are just a little too ordinary for you? Maybe a pet reptile is the right choice for you.  Before you visit a pet store to look at the wide variety of reptile pets, do your homework and know what your reptile pet’s requirements are before you commit to buy one.

Reptiles (snakes, lizards and turtles) and amphibians (frogs, newts, salamanders and chameleons) are categorized as “herptiles.” And because they are different, snakes, lizards and other herps have different care requirements than other household pets. These creatures are so special that there are different care guidelines for each species.

People with little or no knowledge of how they should be kept sometimes obtain reptiles. Unfortunately some pet stores give out faulty information when selling these animals. Therefore it is important that you do your research before bringing a reptile pet home. Find a reputable veterinarian or pet store that deals with reptiles and is familiar with their proper care.

Size matters when you’re considering a reptile for a pet. Contrary to popular belief, housing your reptile in a small tank does not mean that your reptile’s growth will be stunted. His health, however, will be poorly affected. A Burmese python, for example, is common in reptile stores; however, a young two-foot Burmese can grow to up to 30 feet and weigh up to 200 pounds.  Make sure to know how big the animal will be when it reaches maturity so you’ll be prepared to properly care for it throughout its lifetime.

Think carefully about what kind of cage or enclosure your reptile will need. Reptile homes need to provide enough space for mobility and must be escape-proof, both for your safety and your pets’.

There are commercially available diets for some reptiles; however, most need fresh food. For example, some species of reptile require food such as mealworms and mice while others may need fresh fruits and vegetables to make up the majority of their diet. Make sure you’re willing to research the diet and spend the money and effort, as you may need to purchase fresh food two to three times a week.

At Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital we have care information sheets available for your reptile friend.  You can get access to the information by visiting our website www.wwvhcares.com or emailing us at general@wwvhcares.com.   Also, you can go to www.reptilechannel.com/care-sheets to get reputable care information on various reptile species. 

4 The Best Detroit

Each summer the Detroit TV station WDIV holds their "4 The Best, Click on Detroit" contest to choose the best, or most popular businesses in the greater Detroit area.  Last year Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital worked hard to accumulate votes asking clients and friends to vote for us in the contest. Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital was happy to be awarded fifth place in the "Veterinarians" category which included over 100 veterinary hospitals in the metro Detroit area.

This year as the contest approached we were not able to put as much effort into publicizing the contest and collecting votes, so we listed it on our Facebook page a few times and listed the website in our lobby.  To our surprise we were awarded the second place in the 2013 contest!  Out of the hundreds of hospitals listed we came in second.  The first place award went to a veterinary charity hospital that is supported by private donations and Michigan tax dollars, therefore we did not feel slighted in the least by their win. In fact, Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital supports many charities and wishes all of them  success in their animal rescuing endeavors.

Thanks to all of our wonderful clients, friends and Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital team members for making Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital one of the best in Detroit.  Also, thank you to WDIV for recognizing business in the Detroit area with this contest.

Why do dogs eat grass?

Most dog owners have seen their canine friend chew on grass at one time or another. It seems that no one knows exactly why dogs do it.  A few theories exist to explain this seemingly odd behavior, though no answer has been proven.

Some veterinarians believe that there is something that dogs are not getting from their commercial diets.  They may be in need of some additional roughage or vitamins that come from the “salad” that they find in the yard. Adding some extra veggies as well as adding extra fiber may also be a possible solution.

Wolves and other wild canids are known to regularly eat plant matter; suggesting dogs' grass-eating behavior is innate and normal. Indeed, a 2009 dog study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior found that puppies were more likely to eat grass if their mothers did so while nursing.

One of the more common explanations for this behavior is that it helps dogs purge their systems. Dogs can suffer from gastrointestinal issues that make them feel ill. They graze on the grasses to make themselves vomit and ultimately feel better. If a dog is experiencing stomach problems, you may see it eating blades of grass.  The grass causes gastric irritation that leads to vomiting, which helps the dog feel better afterward.

The bottom line is that no one actually knows why dogs eat grass.  You might be able to gain some insight into nutritional deficits, or age-old wisdom on how awesome their instincts are. You will have to decide for yourself what the reason is behind your pet’s grazing.  However, here are some things to watch for.

Vomiting is not usually a normal situation. If your pet vomits on a rare occasion and seems to otherwise be himself, there is usually not cause for alarm.  If, however, your pet seems lethargic, is not eating, and is also vomiting, make an appointment to see your veterinarian right away.  Also, watch the grass your pet is grazing upon. Do not use fertilizers, de-icers, weed killers or other chemicals on your lawn, and make sure your grass is free of mushrooms as some types are toxic.  If your dog eats a large quantity of grass, he could potentially become ill from that.  If you are unsure if your dog’s grass eating behavior is normal, or if your dog seems ill from eating grass, please feel free to call us at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital for more information. 

586-751-3350