June News

The busy summer has arrived. Hard to remember all those piles of snow that surrounded us this winter. Living in New England is like being a vet…always exciting and never really knowing what the day is going to be like until it arrives!

There are a few new things going on at the clinic that we would like to keep you updated about! We have just installed a new phone system to help expedite all your calls. Please be sure to talk to the receptionists with any concerns about your pet. They are able to handle triage over the phone, set up appointments and answer so many of your questions. Dr Ricketts and I also have call-in time from 1:30-2 to help answer other questions and discuss patient updates.

The Tufts Northeast Veterinary Conference will be taking place the first weekend in August. Our technicians will be traveling down to Providence for some great continuing education opportunities.

Cattie, our massage therapist will be out of the office July 5th to September 6th.

There are a few new updates for the website. Please check out

• new addresses of some local food suppliers under the nutrition section
and
• updates under poison control

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and we have already had our share of thunderstorms. Here is some info on how to help your pet get through it all!

Tips for Dogs Afraid of Thunderstorms, Fireworks and other Loud Noises

Many dogs are afraid of noise and become anxious when they occur. Thunderstorms are not something that we always know the timing of but with the Fourth of July approaching, we can offer you tips to try to help your dog through these stressful situations.

Try not to comfort your dog in a sympathetic voice when the dog acts afraid. This can make your dog think that they should be afraid. Instead of a sympathetic voice, use a happy, jolly, playful voice--a hearty voice. This may help give your dog confidence. If you can get your dog to play with you during a storm, that is ideal.

Be sure to provide your dog with a safe place to be during storms, and not outside. Many dogs have been lost when they ran from their fenced yards in terror during storms. Your dog may want to rest in a dog crate in a quiet room. It is also ok to set up a special bed under a table or even in the bathroom if the dog feels more comfortable in that situation.

Some people also report their dogs do better with some background noise from television or radio. People also sometimes help these dogs by making an audiotape of thunder noises, and playing it softly, then gradually louder and louder, until the dog gets used to it. Some dogs react more so to the barometric pressure changes that can occur with storms and often occur minutes to hours before the actual thunder and lightning.

Consider trying flower essence therapy such as Mimulus and or Rescue Remedy/Calming essence. During the summer months, it can be given routinely as well as "spur of the moment". Refer to the article in the library on flower essence therapy.

Some dogs will need prescription medication to cope with this. There are combinations of behavior modifying drugs that can sometimes help when used in conjunction with conditioning exercises (above recommendations) If you have concerns regarding your pet’s noise phobia, please call the office to set up a consult.