2012 Staff Pumpkin Carving Contest!

Pumpkin Carving Contest 2012

Here are some entries from our staff pumpkin-carving contest for 2012.  Spooky!

From Dr. Baillie, in honor of Moe the clinic kitty!

From Kristen, a pumpkin remembering our dog friends.

From Dr. Plantz,  a wolf howling at the full moon!

From Kathleen

From Sue,  a witch holding out a tiny pumpkin.  

Halloween Hints for Pets

Our vets and staff have a few suggestions to make sure this wonderful holiday is as much fun for pets as it is for humans!

1. Keep the candy away from your pets, and your pets away from the candy. Many people know that chocolate can be poisonous to pets. Small dogs can be affected by small amounts, even a snack-sized bar or two. Some ingredients in hard candies and other human treats are bad for our pets. And of course, our excited pets sometimes eat wrappers, too; foil and plastics are not digestible and can cause serious health concerns.

2. We all know to be careful of candles. But if you're using dry ice to create a creepy mist, keep pets away; the fog is composed of carbon dioxide gas.

3. Strangely-dressed strangers coming repeatedly to the door! Bells ringing, ghosts wailing, sound effects! And we ourselves put on costumes, looking and sounding differently than usual. Minimize stress for your pets and if they are anxious, put them in a quiet room with the door shut. Don't take your pet trick-or-treating and remember that a scary mask can frighten a dog as much as it can a small child.

4. Many people enjoy putting costumes on their pets. Remember that some pets can become scared, irritated, or uncomfortable in costumes. A Halloween bandana might be enough!

5. Remember our curious cats, some of whom are attracted to the glow sticks which have become popular in recent years. Using a glow stick as a chew toy can cause mouth irritation and foaming.

We go to a Jungle Boogie...and Dr. Plantz wins an award!

On Sunday, October 7, Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo was well-represented at the annual Jungle Boogie, a fundraising party for the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone.  Dr. Baillie is the volunteer medical director for the Sanctuary, in charge of the health of  120 rescued wild cats from Bengals to bobcats, from servals to cougars, and tigers and lions as well.  He sits on the board of directors and our whole staff is involved in caring for the big cats (see wildcatsanctuary.org for some amazing stories about this wonderful organization.)  The clinic always takes a table at the fundraiser, and Dr. Baillie shows another side of his personality, serving as the live auctioneer.   

Our Dr. Noemi Plantz was honored at this year's event with the Lion Pride Award, for her volunteer work at the Sanctuary.  Director Tammy Thies named the award for a "pride" of lions, noting that it takes a group of individuals to keep the Sanctuary going.   Dr. Plantz started helping out  even before she went to veterinary school, and now works with Dr. Baillie in primary medical care for the Sanctuary residents.   (See an earlier story in this blog about our doctors' work when tiger Titan received four simultaneous root canals!)   "I enjoy working on the big cats", Dr. Plantz said, "many of whom arrive at the Sanctuary with significant medical problems."  

Dr. Baillie is a previous recipient of a Lion Pride Award.