Gamble Pet Clinic

At Gamble Pet Clinic, the health and safety of our patients, our clients, our team members and our community are our top priorities.  Based on the recent recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), effective immediately, we have decided to limit patient care to ill or injured animals, patients that require necessary vaccinations, and emergencies.

In order to continue offering our services and to keep within the recommendations and guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the transmission of COVID-19, we are making the following changes to our client protocol today, March 23rd, 2020. These new protocols will last for as long as the recommendations are in place.

Please note, that pet owner’s that refuse to follow these new protocols will be asked to reschedule for a time when the guidelines are no longer in place.

Our new client protocol is as follows:

1.      In order to protect the safety of our team, our doctors and other clients, we must insist that all clients showing signs of illness that can be associated with COVID-19 (cough, fever, etc) remain at home. Please have a healthy family member or friend bring your pet to Gamble Pet Clinic.

2.      We are requesting that pet owners do not enter the building, in order to maintain the recommended 6 foot separation/contact distances recommended by the CDC.

3.      When you arrive for your appointment, you need to contact our office (970-221-9995) to alert our team that you have arrived and what vehicle you are in.  We will gather history from you about your pet over the phone. We ask that you remain in your vehicle and a team member will come to you to bring your pet inside for his/her appointment. Please make sure you have your phone with you and notify our team member of the correct number to call you at.

4.      We ask that you remain on-site in your vehicle during your pet’s appointment so that you are immediately available should we have any questions and in order to return your pet to you as quickly as possible to reduce your pet’s stress.

Whether you are looking at a new house, just moved, or are planning for the future, taking your pet into consideration during this time is important. Knowing how to prepare and guide them through this big life change will be beneficial for you and your pet, making the transition smooth and stress-free!

Preparing Your Pet Before the Move

You can best prepare your pet by slowly acclimating them to the types of situations, environments, and equipment they will see during a move, before you even begin the move. You can bring out packing materials, like boxes and tape, to have them explore and get used to having around, before you even fill them. Making this exposure a positive and fun experience will help them to adjust from the moving out period to the moving in period. You can even make it a game by having your cats play on and around empty boxes or hide treats under empty boxes for your dog to find. If they are at all scared or reactive to noises, practicing with a tape dispenser or other noises associated with the move while still in their familiar environment will help.

Make sure to stick to their daily routines as much as possible during the move. If you reduce their walks and exercise or throw off their feeding schedule as you get closer to the move it can be stressful and can make the actual move even harder for them. We understand this can be hard the busier you get with the move, but it will be easier in the long run with your pets’ anxiety and stress being well managed throughout the entire process. Keeping them active in general can help reduce some of their stress as they get anxious with the changes in general, even if they don’t do much normally.

Leading up to the moving day, cats and dogs should be handled differently.

Dogs should be involved with the packing and moving of boxes and be able to explore freely as these changes occur. Having them isolated or crated as these changes happen, especially if they are not crate trained, will frustrate them which can lead to behaviors like hyperactivity, barking, or jumping.

If at all possible, take them on a few walks in the new neighborhood to get them familiar with all the new scents and smells, so it is not so strange once you move. You can even allow them to hang out in the new house, if you are able to go inside early.

Cats can be kept in an empty room with the door shut, while things are gradually being moved in and out to separate them from the chaos and reduce their overall anxiety. This will also reduce the risk of them running out of the open door as you move. Just make sure to include a sign on the door, so no one accidentally lets them out during all the activity!

If you have access to your new home in advance, it is important to deep clean it so that old scents from previous pets are no longer present. This can add to the stress for your pets as they move in and cats are especially sensitive to this. Make sure to check your back yard for hazards like metal, wiring, exposed lawn edging, or other foreign objects that could cause injury to your pet could or toxins they could potential ingest.

Moving Day

If at all possible, try to find someone to watch your pet on the actual moving day. This should be someone that your pet is familiar with, but that will not be involved with helping you for the physical moving aspect at all. This will help your pet to relax away from the chaos with someone they trust, while giving you peace of mind that they are being taken care of. It also reduces the risk of losing your pet as you juggle the move to your new home.

When you are actually physically ready to move them, be aware if they are usually nauseous for air or car travel. Plan accordingly by feeding several small meals that day to reduce the chance of vomiting. You can also ask your Veterinarian if additional medications may be necessary, especially for longer distances of travel.

After the Move

Slowly introduce them to the new house. This is also done differently between dogs and cats.

For cats, leave them in one room of the new house when first introducing them. Make sure their litterbox is out with access to food and water. As they settle in, slowly allow them further access to the rest of the house.

For dogs, walk them through the house on a leash with you for the initial tour. This will give them a sense of security to be near you and not over stimulate them all at once by having run of the entire house right away. Once they have seen the house with you nearby you can allow them to walk around on their own.

Another tip for both cats and dogs that is good for any move or new environment is having their safe space established. Have a corner or spot in the house that is designated for them with their bed and favorite blanket or toy. This should be a place that they feel they can retreat to, so it should not be a high traffic area. Once established in your old house, it can then be transferred to your new house and your pet will settle in much faster to their same items. Pheromones such as Adaptil or Feliway can be used in this area as well to help promote and encourage a sense of calm while reducing stress. Thundershirts are an additional aid to prevent anxiety throughout the move.

Don’t forget to schedule out an initial exam with a new vet in your area if the move has been long distance. This will help create a good baseline for the Veterinarian to see your pet at a healthy state so that if anything changes, they already know your individual pets “normal” and can better treat any issue that arise later on.

So next time you decide to get that new house, just consider the entire process for your pet to make the best move for all of you!

See links below for videos with additional information when traveling and moving with your pet!

Cats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-XnKG67whE

Dogs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-0m7GNVNjc

Resources:

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/moving-your-pet

By: Julie R. Gamble, DVM, ABVP (Canine and Feline practice)

There has been a lot of talk recently about grain-free diets and the risk of heart disease in dogs We want to help you to understand what is currently known about the risks of feeding these diets.

 Some things to consider:

Grain-free diets may be associated with dilated cardiomyopathy which is    a serious heart condition that can lead to a poor quality of life and death.

These diets may not be necessary as grains can provide valuable sources  of many nutrients.

Many grain-free diets have not been AAFCO feed tested for nutritional adequacy.

Grain-free diets are often high in fat and calories, making weight control difficult.

There is no medical or nutritional indication for “grain-free” although some veterinary therapeutic diets recommended to diagnose and treat allergies are grain-free. They are chosen because the ingredients are novel for the specific patient, not because they lack grains per se.

Grain-free is simply a marketing category and there is no specific health benefit.

 What should you do if your dog is on a grain-free diet? If a grain-free diet is not medically necessary, transition them to a quality diet with grains. If they do need to be on a grain-free diet (examples are dogs with food allergies, gastrointestinal disease such as inflammatory bowel disease or lymphangiectasia) make sure that they are on a diet from a reputable company that has performed long term feeding trials with the diet to ensure appropriate balance of necessary nutrients and no evidence of heart disease from the diet. At this point, no therapeutic diets, manufactured by the major pet food manufacturers (Hills, Purina, Royal Canin), have been associated with current cases of diet-associated cardiomyopathy. Talk with your veterinarian to ensure that your pet is on the best diet for them.

 Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital recently published a case study about a dog that was diagnosed with heart disease caused by feeding a grain-free diet. If you are interested in reading about this case here is a link to that article: https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/respiratory-distress-inappetence-border-collie

 Additional resources discussing grain-free diets and the link to heart disease are listed below.

https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/doc/?id=8989590&pid=19239

http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/petfoodology

By: Julie R. Gamble, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice)

Spring and summer mean more time spent outside and more exposure to insect-borne diseases.

Mosquitos: They carry heartworm larva which can infect your dog and your cat causing disease of the heart and lungs. In an early 2019 report by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), Fort Collins ranked seventh among U.S. cities with the highest percentage increase in heartworm-positive pets. Heartworm is treatable in affected pets, but the treatment is lengthy, pricey, and is potentially risky. It the disease is left untreated, it can be fatal. We recommend administration of year-round heartworm preventive medications. This is far more effective, safe, and affordable than treatment of the disease.  

  **The tick shown above was recently found on one of our patients and safely         removed.

Ticks: There are many species of ticks out there and many of them can transmit disease humans, cats, and dogs. The most common tick in our area is the Rocky Mountain wood tick. This tick has been known to transmit Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or tularemia to humans. This tick as well as others in our area may transmit Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia and to your dog or cat. Tick paralysis can also occur when this tick bites your dog or cat.  And just when you didn’t think things could get any worse, ticks are spreading across the country and the world, invading areas where they had not been seen before including the Asian Longhorned Tick which is an invasive tick from East Asia that has become established in several areas of the United States. We recommend use of a tick preventative year-round as some species of ticks like to live indoors and some have been found alive outside in the middle of winter. If you travel with your pet or use doggie daycares or boarding facilities, we also recommend year-round use of a tick preventative.

Fleas: In addition to flea bites causing irritating red bumps and itching on you and your pet, they can also transmit serious diseases to you and your pet including plague (Yersinia pestis), tapeworms (intestinal parasite), Bartonella, Mycoplasma, and others. We recommend use of a flea preventative year-round as fleas love to live inside your home once they are brought in by your pet. If you travel with your pet or use doggie daycares or boarding facilities, we also recommend year-round use of a flea preventative.

Theo is a two year old Tibetan Spaniel that was adopted by his family from a rescue in New Mexico. Theo has adjusted to his new family very well.  His family provided him with good medical care, including his vaccinations and was started on heartworm prevention.  During Theo’s annual exam a heartworm test was performed and was positive for heartworm antigen. This was double checked at a reference laboratory and confirmed to be a true positive for adult heartworms. Theo most likely became infected with heartworms prior to his adoption and being started on heartworm prevention. Theo’s family allowed us to take chest Xrays to evaluate his lungs and heart; both of which appeared normal.  We also did bloodwork and found that his liver and kidney values were normal.

Theo ‘s owners decided that they would have him treated for heartworm disease. He was started on an antibiotic for a bacteria called Wolbachia, that is commonly found living on the heartworms. This treatment helps decrease inflammation in the vascular system and lungs. Theo was also started on a steroid called prednisolone due to him having a cough, this is not uncommon in heartworm patients. The steroid can help decrease lung inflammation. Theo continued to take his heartworm prevention to keep him from becoming infected with the immature heartworms called microfilaria. He then was treated with heartworm adulticide injections called Melarsomine to kill the adult heartworms. Theo handled the adulticide injections well. He will have a heartworm test in 9 months to confirm that the adult heartworms were completely eliminated from his body.  He will continue on heartworm prevention year round for the rest of his life and will have periodic heartworm testing throughout his lifetime to make sure the heartworm prevention is working well.