Hamilton Animal Care

Information may not be reliable

According to a pet insurance company's statistics the top 10 ingested items by pets are: 1. socks, 2. underwear, 3. pantyhose, 4. rocks, 5. balls, 6. chew toys, 7. corn cobs, 8. bones, 9. hair ties/ribbons, 10. sticks.

Mice are more acceptable to humans than rats, possibly because of what is known as the 'Disney influence.'

The average cat sleeps between 12 - 14 hours a day - a tough job but someone has to do it!

Cats are the only animal that can walk with their tail held up vertically.

On the average, neutering a cat will extend its life by 2 - 3 years.

Cats have over 100 vocal sounds while dogs only have about ten.

The longer a dog's nose, the more effective its internal cooling system.

80% of dog owners buy their dog a present for holidays and birthdays, 70% of them sign cards from themselves and their pets.

An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 1/3 of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on an answering machine while away.

At the end of WWI the German government trained the first guide dogs to assist blind war veterans.

The Wizard of Oz's Toto was played by a Cairn Terrier named Terry.

Normals for dogs: Sm/Med Breeds Heart Rate = 100 - 140/min Respiration = 15 - 30/min Temperature = 100 - 102.5

Large Breeds Heart Rate = 80 - 120/min Respiration = 15 - 30/min Temperature = 100 - 102.5

Normals for cats: Heart Rate = 100 - 140/min Respiration = 20 - 30/min Temperature = 100.5 - 103

As with humans, gingivitis is the most common disease we see. It leads to periodontal disease which then affects the heart, liver and kidneys.

Weight control in our pets is of primary importance to a long healthy life. It can help prevent early onset of osteoarthritis, diabetes and cardiac disease.

There are prescription diets available to help with many diseases we see in our pets. These include diabetes, kidney failure, weight loss and management, liver failure, and arthritis to name a few.

The print on dog and cat noses is like that of a human fingerprint - each is unique.

Cats and humans see about the same in the daylight, but cats see six times better in the dark.

According to a Mayo Clinic study, the #1 reason for sleep deprivation is having pets in the bed.

Here at Hamilton Animal Care, we think that is a great reason to lose sleep!

Spaying and neutering your pets at an early age have many health benefits. These include helping to prevent several types of cancer.

'Cold blooded' is not the best way to describe reptiles. They are 'ectothermic' meaning that they get their body heat from external sources. They cannot regulate their body temperature internally the way humans do.

Increased drinking and increased urination are two of the clinical signs of the three most common diseases of older cats: Hyperthyroidism, Kidney failure and Diabetes. Simple blood and urine tests can be performed to diagnose these diseases.

Brushing your pets' teeth is the best for dental care, but you can also use oral rinses and dental treats such as CET chews to help keep the teeth clean and healthy.

The scales of all snakes and many lizards are made of keratin, which is the same substance that makes up our hair and finger nails.

One flea can produce 50 eggs a day and 2000 eggs in its lifetime. For every adult flea found on a pet, about 100 fleas are developing in the pet's environment. The topical treatments we have available can kill these multiple stages in the flea life cycle.

Rats are extremely clean pets and are among the most intelligent.

Lizards have a crude third eye on top of their head that senses whether it is day or night, and the length of the day.

Spaying your dog before its first heat cycle can almost eliminate the possibility of mammary cancer.

Ferrets can catch the seasonal Flu from humans and pass it back to them. They can also get sick from the H1N1 virus.

There is a poison control hotline for pets. Some household plants can be very toxic to our pets, such as Sago Palm, Lilies, Tulips, Daffodils, Azaleas and Rhododendrons to name a few.

Ticks are very active during the cooler months of the year and prefer cooler places such as woods and under mulch. You can create a barrier for your yard by using a bed of rocks rather than the cool mulch ticks will not want to cross through the warm rocks.

95% of flea stages are present in the environment rather than on the pet. Because these stages can survive up to 1 year, it is very important to keep the pets environment as clean as possible.

Guinea pigs are unable to manufacture vitamin C within their bodies and therefore need it supplemented in their diet. Buying smaller quantities of good quality feed is a good way to meet their requirements.

Rabbits require daily exercise outside their cage. This will help prevent obesity which is very common in pet rabbits.

Cat urine glows in the dark under a black light. This is a good way to detect if your cat is urinating inappropriately, which is commonly seen when they have a urinary tract infection.

Brushing your pets teeth is the best for dental care, but you can also use oral rinses and dental treats such as CET chews to help keep the teeth clean and healthy.

Chinchillas need their dust baths in order to keep their fur soft.

A female deer tick normally lays 2,000 - 3,000 eggs in its lifetime.

Ticks can carry diseases other than Lyme disease, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and Babesiosis.

Snakes are the worlds most effective natural control on the rodent population.

Heartworm preventatives help control intestinal parasites, such as roundworms, hookworms and whipworms, as well as heartworm disease. Many of these intestinal parasites can be zoonotic, meaning that they can also infect humans, with children and the elderly being the most susceptible.

There is only one great pet in the world, and every family has it.

Snakes cannot hear most sounds carried by the air. They 'hear' by sensing vibrations from the ground.

Dogs now have their own version of the flu, Canine Influenza H3N8. The Lehigh Valley is one of two endemic areas in the Northeast. There is a vaccine available for this disease which can have a 5% mortality rate.

There are many new and good options for treating arthritis in dogs and cats. These come in the form of oral and injectable medications and vitamins.