Andy Roark DVM MS

It might seem easiest to run to the pet store when you need something for your furry friend, but that convenience can come with consequences. In this episode of Cone of Shame, Dr. Andy Roark discusses 5 potentially deadly dangers at the pet store.

1. Aspirin

via GIPHYAspirin isn’t ideal for long-term use, plus it can be unsafe for pets that have liver or kidney issues. Additionally, it can interact with other medications. Never give it without consulting your veterinarian first.

2. Inappropriately-sized toys or bones

via GIPHYCheck the recommended size/age on the package of any new toys to make the most informed decision possible.

3. Flea & tick medications

via GIPHYPyrethrins and pyrethroids are common ingredients in over-the-counter flea and tick medications. They are generally tolerated by dogs, but cats can be very sensitive to them. Both cats and dogs can get very sick if dosed incorrectly. Always check with your vet before using a new flea and tick prevention.

4. Bandage materials

via GIPHY Have your veterinarian evaluate any wounds on your pet to ensure a bandage is the best solution.

5. Plastic bags

via GIPHYPets – especially cats and small dogs – and plastic bags are a scary combination. Keep them out of their reach!

Want to learn more?

Watch this episode of Cone of Shame in full below!

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Danielle is a former veterinary practice manager and the founder of SnoutSchool.com, a website dedicated to teaching veterinary hospitals to use social media effectively. You can get her 5 favorite social media tools here, or follow her on social media to see excessive photos of her Brussels Griffon. She’s @DanielleSnout on Snapchat, Instagram & Twitter.

It’s ok that not everyone is a veterinary professional, but sometimes that causes some seriously silly misunderstandings. Here are six pet owner statements you shared on the @DrAndyRoark Instagram that aren’t exactly medically sound.

1. “My dog needs a sanity shave.”

Thinking that pup needs sanitary shave, although he does live with you.

via GIPHY(Inspired by @k80dahlia)

2. “My dog is leaking urine. She’s incompetent.”

Incontinent might be a more polite way of putting it.

(Inspired by @mightykittycat)

3. “I NEED MY LATEX.”

Mam, I think you are looking for Lasix.

(Inspired by @pjpancake)

4. “Here for an anal gland exploration.”

“Expression” is probably a better word, but you do need to be adventurous to perform one.

 

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 (Inspired by @punkcollie)

5. “Can I have that confetti pill for fleas?”

Hmm.. how about some Comfortis? I’m unsure of the efficacy of confetti vs. fleas.

(Inspired by @vetgirlgetsfit)

6. “There’s a lot of puss coming from my dog’s foot. It’s very pu…”

I’m going to stop you there and advise you to Google “purulent.”

via GIPHY(Inspired by @heather_elaine_ray and MANY more! 😛)

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Danielle is a veterinary practice manager and the founder of SnoutSchool.com, a website dedicated to teaching veterinary hospitals to use social media effectively. You can get her 5 favorite social media tools here, or follow her on social media to see excessive photos of her Brussels Griffon. She’s @DanielleSnout on Snapchat, Instagram & Twitter.

Do you need to pill your dog, but he isn’t feeling it? Put your game face on: you’re going to need a Super Bowl winning strategy to overcome the 5 absurd things your dog is about to do when you try to get that tiny capsule into his furry body.

1. Serious side eye

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Yup. Prepare yourself as your best friend goes from loyal companion to paranoid pooch. He sees the cheese and peanut butter you’ve got out on the counter, but he also heard that pill bottle shake. You are about to get some serious side eye.

2. The slow creep

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As you’re putting layer upon layer of peanut butter on that pill, your pup is making an incredibly… stealthy… escape… from… the… kitchen. You’ll be too busy wondering if it’s weird to wrap a slice of turkey around that peanut butter-covered pill to notice.

3. Rejection: Part one

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In a shocking turn of events, your dog doesn’t like the PB turkey combo you concocted. Weird.

4. Rejection: Part two

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Let’s be honest: If your dog is difficult to pill, this is going to happen a few times. Get the paper towels out, and prepare to touch a drool-covered, half mushy capsule.

5. Full on ghost-mode

via GIPHY 

No matter whether or not you got your pooch to take that pill, expect to not see him for a while. Ghost-mode has been engaged.

 

This post made possible by Pettura.

 

 

 

Get your FREE Trial Kit of Pettura easy-to-dose liquid supplement for dogs, and your antidote to fussy pill takers, here — Vets only please!

 

While DrAndyRoark.com has received compensation for this post from Pettura, all opinions expressed are those of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team. Opinions contained in this post may not represent those of Pettura. GIF images from GIPHY are not owned by DrAndyRoark.com or Pettura.

 

It’s no secret that Pokémon GO has completely taken over our lives, but have you ever considered how having a few Pokémon around your vet clinic might actually be helpful? These veterinary hospitals went to Facebook to show off their surprisingly handy Poké-friends.

1.) Promote neutering

2. Get their vitals checked

3. Amuse the clinic cat

4. Assist in the lab

5. Become the newest patient

6. Keep kenneled pets company

7. Promote the practice

Have Pokémon invaded your clinic?

We’d love to see what Pokémon are doing at YOUR veterinary hospital! Post your pics in the comments.

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Danielle is a veterinary practice manager and the founder of SnoutSchool.com, a website dedicated to teaching veterinary hospitals to use social media effectively. You can get her 5 favorite social media tools here, or follow her on social media to see excessive photos of her Brussels Griffon. She’s @DanielleSnout on Snapchat, Instagram & Twitter.

The phone calls veterinary hospitals receive can be interesting, and pet owners can never be expected to be pet health experts. @AHappyVet shared a story with us on Instagram that proves both of these points.

I had a client call hysterical asking how to do CPR on her cat.

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I walked her through it, heart pounding (pun intended).

via GIPHY 

Then there was a weird noise. “What was that?”

via GIPHY 

“He won’t hold still!! What do I do??”

via GIPHY 

“I’d stop CPR”.

via GIPHY

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Danielle is a veterinary practice manager and the founder of SnoutSchool.com, a website dedicated to teaching veterinary hospitals to use social media effectively. You can get her 5 favorite social media tools here, or follow her on social media to see excessive photos of her Brussels Griffon. She’s @DanielleSnout on Snapchat, Instagram & Twitter.

We know that not everyone spends as much time online as we do, but we also know you still want to be up to date on the latest veterinary and animal news. You just need to do it fast. Enter: Too Long Didn’t Read, which is a brief summary of some of the more interesting articles to cross our desks recently. In today’s bites, we get the scoop on some pretty cool scientific advances and research, find out what millennials want (what they really, really want), and give you three fascinating pieces of news so you can chat at the water cooler about something other than how many different substances you can identify on your scrubs.

The End of Terminal Surgery Training? This crowd-funded canine could seriously change vet med education. A Florida-based company has created seriously realistic model dogs — including the proper internal structure and the ability to mimic bodily fluids (awesome) and everything — which would allow veterinary students to get training in trauma, spays and more without any danger to a live animal. —Get more at Slate

Hello, Dolly. What’s new? It’s been 20 years since Dolly the sheep was successfully cloned from DNA taken from an adult sheep’s mammary gland, but we’re still nowhere near any sort of Orphan Black world. While cloning animals still isn’t common, that breakthrough has led to other significant scientific advances, most notably in stem cell research. —Get more at Scientific American

Millennials want furry friends … with benefits. In our field, we know how helpful pet insurance can be, but some employers outside the veterinary realm are catching on as well and using it as a perk to attract potential employees from the millennial crowd. —Get more at Employee Benefit Adviser

You don’t see that every day. A rare Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo was born at the Perth Zoo. Just how rare is this crazy adorable joey? It’s the first to be born at the zoo in 36 years, and he’s one of just 15 males in the global breeding program. —Get more at The Telegraph

But you might be seeing a lot of this. Backyard chickens. Their popularity is on the rise, but so, unfortunately, are outbreaks of Salmonella related to them. From January into June, there have been seven separate Salmonella outbreaks proven to originate in live chicks or ducklings kept at homes or in schools. Seven outbreaks might sound like a small number, but they’ve resulted in 324 people being sickened, hospitalized 66 people, and one person has died. The Centers for Disease Control is calling for more public education on the health risks of touching backyard flocks. —Get more at National Geographic

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Maybe ear worms really are a thing. Bird’s the word when it comes to how songbirds learn to sing. Researchers from Japan recorded the brain activity of 20 male juvenile zebra finches before and during song learning and found that brain activity ramped up following exposure to a “tutor” — typically the father — tweeting a song. No word yet on how they learn to keep their Tweets to under 140 characters. We all know that’s tough. —Get more at Cosmos

Dogs are people too? Or, at least, they’re not property, according to a landmark ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court. The court granted legal significance to the sentience of the dog in this case, Juno, whose owner was suspected of beating and starving the dog. The owner was charged with second-degree animal neglect after a blood draw showed no medical reason for the dog’s emaciated condition.

The defense wasn’t about to roll over and argued against allowing the blood draw to be admitted as evidence without a warrant, but the court determined that this case was along the lines of examining a child suspected of being abused, which led to the ruling. Keep an eye on this one, as it’s potentially going to have a lot of ramifications for the profession. —Get more at BarkPost