Hudson Veterinary Hospital - Low Cost Spay and Neuter Programs in Ossining, NY

Learn What Foods And Activities Are Best For Your Pets!

Everyone wants to keep their pets safe, comfortable, and healthy. By giving your furry friend the right foods and exercise, you can help ensure its health and happiness for the rest of its life. Follow these links to learn more:

• If you decide to substitute playtime for treats, use a toy that your cat will never get tired of playing with. Check out this page from Holisticat.com for ideas.

• Cats are often less willing to exercise than dogs. Follow these 10 cat exercise tips from Everyday Health to help keep them active.

• Chocolate is probably one of the best-known poisons for dogs. Visit PetMD.com for a look at this toxin and what to do if your dog eats it.

• Onions may be a lesser-known dog poison than chocolate, but they are still every bit as deadly. DogingtonPost.com has an article on what to do if your furry friend accidentally eats onion.

• While nothing is more nutritious for a dog than specially-formulated pet food, there are a few people foods that are healthy for dogs in moderation. See the list at ModernDogMagazine.com.

For more information on ways to keep your pet healthy and active, call Hudson Veterinary Hospital at (914) 502-2523.

How to Help Your Indoor Cat Get Enough Exercise

The majority of cats in the United States are indoor cats, and unfortunately, indoor cats seldom feel the need to exercise. If your indoor cat does not exercise enough, it could gain weight and suffer many health problems, from diabetes to arthritis. Follow these three tips to help your cat stay active, healthy, and happy:

Make Your Cat Work for Its Food

• When you feed your car, place the food in one room and the water bowl in another. This way, your cat will have to run back and forth to get both. For an even better workout, place one bowl on the floor and the other in a high place, such as a counter.  Your cat will have to jump to reach the food or water, burning calories and building muscle in the process.

Use Playtime as a Treat

• Keeping your cat healthy often means limiting the amount of treats you give it. But you can still keep your cat happy by incorporating special toys at playtime. Make sure the toys you choose can be recognized as special, such as a fluffy wand that your cat will love to bat around or a laser pointer for hours of fun trying to catch that elusive red dot.

Play Hide-And-Seek with Treats

• So your cat REALLY loves food treats? You can switch to a healthier treat, but even then, you’ll still have to balance the treats with portion control and exercise. You can do this by taking small treats or pieces of a larger one and hiding them in various places around the room. Maximize the exercise factor by placing some in high places like shelves, counters, or windowsills, and space them out so that your cat will have to run around to get them. Then, just sit back and watch the fun begin.

If you suspect your cat is gaining weight, bring it to Hudson Veterinary Hospital. Our experts are trained to notice the onset of all weight-related health problems in animals, and can recommend a number of prescription pet foods to combat them. Call us today at (914) 502-2523 to set up an appointment.

What Not To Feed Your Cat

Most cats can’t resist the smell and taste of human food. But the next time you catch them looking up at you with pleading eyes, hoping for just a tiny morsel off your plate, don’t give in. Many foods are harmful or potentially deadly for cats.

In this video, a veterinarian answers a viewer’s question about foods that cats can’t eat. Cats’ digestive systems can’t handle many human foods, especially alcohol, grapes, and milk. Check out the video to learn more.

Contact Hudson Veterinary Hospital with any questions you may have about your pet’s diet. We offer a variety of prescription dog and cat foods to make sure that your furry friend gets all the nutrients it needs. We can be reached at (914) 502-2523.

What to Do When Your Dog Eats Forbidden Foods

No matter what their age, dogs are like babies—cute, curious, and willing to put just about anything in their mouth without a second thought. But if your dog happens to get its teeth on something dangerous, like onions or chocolate, the consequences could be severe. Read on for a look at what to do if your dog eats something poisonous.

Stay Calm

• When people are bitten by poisonous snakes, their first objective is to stay calm and move slowly. This is because stress and panic increase your heart rate, in turn spreading the poison through your system faster. Use this same principle when your dog eats something poisonous. If your dog sees you panic and frantically talking on the phone with your local animal hospital, it will start to stress and panic as well. Its heart rate will then increase and the poison could take effect faster. Keep your voice down and your movements efficient, but collected, and your dog won’t suspect a thing.

Induce Vomiting

• Poisonous foods like chocolate become potentially lethal when they are dissolved in your dog’s stomach and absorbed into its bloodstream. This is a process that starts immediately, so—if possible—you should induce vomiting right away to get the bulk of it out of its system. If you don’t have a prescription medication for this, the safest way to induce vomiting is by giving your dog three percent hydrogen peroxide at a dose of about one teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight. This is in no way a cure, but it can certainly blunt the damage.

Administer Activated Charcoal Tablets

• Activated charcoal is not the same as the charcoal you use to light your grill. It is actually a form of carbon that has been compressed into tablets and filled with tiny pores. The pores—as well as the absorbent nature of carbon—work to soak up the toxins and poisons in your dog’s stomach, keeping them from spreading.

None of these tips can substitute for a consultation with your local veterinarian. At Hudson Veterinary Hospital of Ossining, we are dedicated to keeping your furry friend healthy and safe, no matter what. Our state-of-the-art clinic and trained professionals are well-equipped to deal with any pet emergency. Call us at (914) 502-2523.

Find Pet Care Facts By Reading Through These Articles

You can never have enough knowledge when it comes to taking care of your pets. Read these articles for research, tips, and facts that will help you provide the best pet care to keep your animals happy and healthy.

• Know what to expect from your pet’s veterinary examination before you get to the animal hospital.

• The Humane Society of the United States provides research and facts about harmful flea and tick products. This webpage includes information on contaminants and poisoning symptoms.

• Did you know that grapes can be poisonous to your pets? CNN explores 10 household plants that are harmful to dogs.

• WebMD’s advice for making the most of your veterinary visits extends beyond preparing for physicals.

• The ASPCA outlines the rapid response procedure you should follow if your pet ever gets poisoned.

Hudson Veterinary Hospital is your pet’s one-stop hub for both primary and acute care. Call (914) 502-2523 to take advantage of our many medical and dental services, including diagnostic procedures, surgery, compounded medicine, dietary counseling, low-cost spaying and neutering, and grooming.