Banning Veterinary Hospital

Rattlesnake avoidance training class will be held again soon. April 8th with classes available from 8:00am to 3:00pm. Please call for appointments (951)849-3864. $75 per dog or $65 per dog for more than one pet per client.

Rattlesnake avoidance training class will be held again soon. April 8th with classes available from 8:00am to 3:00pm. Please call for appointments (951)849-3864. $75 per dog or $65 per dog for more than one pet per client.

Sand Colic in Horses: Although we see sand colic in horses in our area all year, during and right after heavy rain is a particularly bad time. The ground becomes very soft and when horses on pasture pull up grass while browsing, they get the roots and all of the dirt in them at the same time. This sand builds up in the intestines leading to sand impactions and sand colic. Consider keeping horses off pasture when there is heavy rain for long enough to allow the ground to dry so that the roots hold to the ground when the grass is pulled on.

This year we are having a bumper crop of ground squirrels. And with them has come an unusual number of flea cases. The pass area is usually a low flea area. But we are seeing record numbers of dogs and cats itching like crazy and finding it to be related to fleas. Worse, many dogs and cats have so few fleas that the fleas are not being recognized as the problem until usual treatments for summertime allergies have failed. If you have a pet for whom usual allergy medications are not working, try flea treatment with Frontline Plus, Nexgard, Simparica, or Advantage and see if the "allergy" goes away.

Lately I've gotten lots of dogs in that have anxiety problems. Destroying the house or barking wildly when owners leave is the most common complaint but some dogs are just so worried they can't be trained or interacted with normally like this cute poodle. Others chew themselves persistently without actually itching. Although one treatment is not absolutely right for every dog, Prozac helps many of them. This poodle was untreatable for simple issues when we first met. One month into treatment for anxiety this poodle is becoming a normal patient who can be handled by doctors and owners. Dogs who chew themselves persistently usually stop. And dogs that destroy the house usually begin to relax and just wait for your return.

The green foxtail grass we discussed earlier on our page is causing us to find dogs with symptoms of gagging, "vomiting" that is usually actually just retching up phlegm, insomnia, and unwillingness to eat sometimes due to pain swallowing. The picture below is of foxtail fronds or "splinters" that stick into the flesh of the tonsils, tongue, gums, and walls of the throat. We end up picking them out under anesthesia. If left alone they eventually cause abscesses that can be severe problems. Don't allow pets to chew on foxtail grass.

FLOWERS AND ANNIVERSARIES: First, Jennifer Mendoza, our office manager, has been with us 25 years today! We don't run without her. She is my brain when I need to remember things, keeps the medicine ordered, and the staff trained. Thank you Jen. Second, Sun Lakes Florist (Mark Moosebrugger) never fails to make a great arrangement of flowers for me and bails me out when I find another birthday or anniversary that I only noticed the day of. His flowers are always great. I wish this was the first time he had pulled off a fabulous bouquet for me because I realize an anniversary or birthday or valentines is upon me while I am doing surgery, but there have been many years when his fabulous flowers made me look like I never forget. Thanks to both of you for making my clinic and personal life work.

Rattlesnake Avoidance Training is available March 19th. The first rattlesnake sighting of the year in Bogart Park by one of our clients was this weekend. Be careful out there!! Every year we lose a few dogs and treat and save a couple dozen. The trainer charges $75 for one dog and $65 each for two dogs or more. Watch for them to be extra grumpy in early spring when they are hungry and hunting at times you are out with your dog. Mid hot summer they tend to be out when we are in bed. In Fall they are back to patterns that get dogs in trouble. We do keep antivenom in stock all year if your dog gets bitten. It is not true that dogs develop immunity from previous bites. Living or dying is mostly determined by the volume of venom and when the volume is large, by whether they get antivenom.

Pyometra is a hormone induced infection of the uterus resulting is severe illness and eventual death unless treated. I have seen 3 of these this week (yes it is only Wednesday). While it costs about $200 to spay a dog the right way, it costs about $700-1200 dollars to save a dog in this condition (and that is assuming it goes reasonably well). I would love to see fewer dogs with this condition. The condition develops because the hormonal cycle gets "stuck" during the prod...uction of progesterone and doesn't stop producing this hormone when it should. This makes the uterus a wonderful place for bacteria to set up shop and create infection resulting in a uterus full of pus. If the uterus ruptures before being removed the dog or cat dies. If you have a dog that is intact and she seems to have a cycle that is shorter than usual (normal is every 6 months or more and pyometra frequently is 1-3 months in between) and your dog acts depressed and sick, this disease should be a consideration and you should not wait to get an appointment. It is an emergency. See more

MONEY & MEDICINE One of the saddest most frustrating things I see from time to time is a pet with a fixable but unexpected medical issue that has to be euthanized because the owner can't come up with funds for treatment and the animal can't live without the care (hit by car, severe dog fight, gunshot wound, snake bite). I thought I would take a moment to suggest a couple of things that can be done. 1) Care Credit: This is a credit service that pays for veterinary, dental,... and orthodontic care similar to a credit card (high interest) but gives a grace period to pay without interest. (Usually 6 months to 1 year). It is great as long as you can pay within the grace period. I wish more people applied for this before they needed it. 2) Pet Savings Accounts: My personal favorite suggestion is save $10 from every paycheck in an account for your pets. Don't use it for routine things, just hang onto it for big issues and surprises. If your pet never uses it in his/her lifetime, go on a vacation with the money 3) Emergency Credit Card: Credit cards can be dangerous so never charge more than you can pay but a low limit card (say $700-1500) will take care of most surprises (dog fights, lacerations, etc.) The last suggestion I have isn't a way to pay for things at all. It is a way to not have things to pay for. There is an old saying "good fences make good neighbors". Well, good fences make for less trips to the vet too. The dog I had to put to sleep today, unfortunately dug under a good fence. Hard to foresee something like that really. 90% of the time I get to make people happy and I love what I do, but I really hate making people sad.

Happy Holidays from Banning Vet! Wishing you every happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year.

Subtle Flea Infestations & Itchy Dogs: We have seen more itchy dogs this year with very small numbers of fleas than usual. It takes very few fleas to cause itching in dogs allergic to the bites. Sometimes we miss the fleas 2 or 3 times before we find just one. Oral Nexgard and topical Frontline Plus are the best solutions. In most mild infestations in our area just 2 months of treatment (must treat all animals in the house at once) will rid the house and yard of fleas.

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Marijuana: Since the state of California has all but legalized the drug with its non-enforcement on marijuana drug violations, pot has become very popular. With that popularity we have seen a drastic increase in the number of marijuana toxicities in dogs at our hospital in Banning. More and more the drug is both available to the dogs and is being placed into foods that smell good. And frankly, people under the influence don't put away their marijuana very carefully. Next... thing you know Fido has a belly full of the stuff and is acting strangely. Within 30-90 minutes of ingestion dogs begin to become sleepy and sedate. They begin to be uncoordinated and startle easily. The pupils of their eyes tend to be dilated. Since the level of drug in the dog's body tends to increase as more is digested it is important to get treatment as soon as possible and to tell your veterinarian that the dog may have gotten into marijuana. Treatment will involve getting your dog to vomit and/or flushing out the stomach, I.V. fluids over a few to several hours, and possibly activated charcoal in the stomach to absorb more of the toxins. The most frustrating thing is that most people try to hide the existence of marijuana in their house. The truth is your vet just wants to help the dog and the police don't care because the state won't prosecute. Tell your vet the truth please. Treatment is faster and more successful if the doctor knows what he/she is treating. See more