Although cats tend to be picky eaters, they’re highly curious and playful. So, they might not see your newest houseplant as a meal, but they will likely view it as a perfect play-thing to be pounced, swatted, and chewed. Some plants that are poisonous for cats have to be ingested to have any adverse effects, but brief exposure to other toxic plants (lilies for example) can be fatal. 

Cats are agile, natural explorers, and it’s almost impossible to put a plant in a location that a cat can’t reach. So, it’s best for cat owners to completely avoid introducing toxic plants into their homes. 

• Scratching or itchiness
• Irritation around the mouth
• Watery, red eyes
• Swelling
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Irregular heartbeat
• Drooling
• Trouble swallowing
• Difficulty breathing

If you notice any unusual symptoms, behaviors, or bite marks on a toxic plant’s leaves, take action immediately.

When the average person thinks about the job of a veterinarian, they probably focus on the more positive aspects, like helping to keep pets healthy, petting animals, and saving fuzzy lives. But being a veterinarian is a difficult and, at times, anxiety-provoking job. Veterinarians have to make tough decisions every day. They share the saddest moments with pet owners, and – true animal lovers at heart – they bear the emotional weight of it all.

Due to these and other factors, suicide rates among veterinarians are disproportionately high. Compared to the general population, female veterinarians were 3.5 times and male veterinarians were 2.1 times more likely to die as a result of suicide, according to a study from the CDC that included more than thirty years of data.

The job itself has its own stressful responsibilities. It entails long work hours and heavy workloads. As veterinarians often oscillate between happy and sad appointments throughout the workday, the nature of the profession puts high demands on emotional energy.

In addition, financial burdens are a common denominator among veterinarians. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) found that on average, in 2019 veterinarians graduated with $150,000 in student loan debt, and more than 10% of graduates faced over $300,000 in debt. Coupling this with comparatively low entry-level wages, entering the profession can be burdensome for many veterinarians.

With constantly improving treatments and advancing medicine, there are often viable treatments available for pets that some owners simply cannot afford. Although most veterinarians view entering the profession as an enthusiastic expression of their love and compassion for animals, they must acknowledge the financial limitations of pet owners when practicing medicine. It is difficult to wrestle with the emotional fallout of offering high-quality care options and then being unable to provide that care. Besides the personal struggle this entails, these situations have also catalyzed a surprising amount of aggressive cyberbullying directed toward veterinarians.

The high rate of suicide among veterinarians has not gone unnoticed. Groups such as Not One More Vet, Vets4Vets and many others have developed as a response. These groups have been created to help support veterinarians and other members of the veterinary community who are struggling with the challenges of the profession. They offer resources in addition to a private place where veterinarians and staff can access support, lean on one another, and share their experiences. The AVMA has also taken steps to improve mental and emotional health outcomes for veterinarians. They provide free crisis management resources, suicide prevention training, and a cyberbullying hotline to members.

Acknowledging the mental health aspects of any profession is a vital part of leading a balanced life. A veterinarian or not, if you or someone you know is struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out, ask a professional healthcare provider for help, or call the national suicide prevention hotline.

For our patients’ safety and comfort, pet dental cleanings and exams are performed with pets under general anesthesia. This also allows for proper cleaning of the teeth under the gumline where bacteria and inflammation like to hide.

We’ll always schedule an exam and laboratory tests prior to your pet’s appointment to rule out any potentially dangerous underlying conditions and to ensure your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia. During this exam, we’ll also weigh your pet to determine the proper anesthesia dose that will be administered during his or her upcoming dental appointment.

In addition, our veterinarian will provide you with a few instructions for the night and morning before your pet’s appointment. These might include food and water restrictions or potentially the administration of oral medications to ensure your pet’s safety.

We will then perform a visual oral examination and take dental radiographs (X-rays) which enable us to detect and address potential problems occurring inside a patient’s teeth or below the gum line. After documenting any disease, we will begin cleaning, scaling, and polishing your pet’s teeth to remove plaque and tartar buildup above and below the gum line. A member of our experienced staff will be dedicated to monitoring your pet’s vital signs and progress throughout the entire anesthesia, using state-of-the-art medical equipment, for the duration of the procedure.

If there is significant disease like loose teeth, broken teeth, tooth root infections, bone loss or other painful processes, we may recommend extraction of the tooth to relieve the pain and to prevent the disease from spreading to other teeth in the future. One of our veterinarians will explain if your pet might need extractions.

Following your pet’s appointment, we’ll provide you with verbal and written recovery instructions that will vary based on the extent of your pet’s dental treatment. We will provide you with medications and administration instructions, if necessary, and we might recommend feeding your pet a diet of soft food for a short period of time.

To learn more about the importance of pet dentistry or to schedule your pet’s next cleaning, we welcome you to contact Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital today.

To choose safe pet toys, be aware of the potential hazards. The following pet toy features can be dangerous for pets.

These features might look cute, but pets easily remove and swallow them. They’re a choking hazard and can also cause intestinal blockages or perforations.

Despite the photographic evidence, these are not safe for pets. They all carry a risk of strangulation and of intestinal blockage if swallowed. In addition, these objects can get wrapped around teeth and cause gum and tooth problems.

Avoid toys that contain stuffing (polystyrene beads, cotton batting, foam, or nutshells). Ingesting these can lead to intestinal blockages. You’ll find plenty of stuffing-free pet toys available.

Pets frequently tear open toys and swallow squeaker capsules. If you purchase a toy with a squeaker, make sure it’s very tough and watch your pet carefully to make sure they do not tear it open.

Never give a pet a battery-operated toy. Ingestion of batteries can be life-threatening

Avoid toys made of hard plastic or wood, as these materials can splinter easily. These splinters can get caught in between teeth, under the tongue and even penetrate through the gums. If swallowed, these splinters can result in a perforated intestine

Toys with a strong chemical smell or aromatherapy might pose a chemical risk to your pet. These toys could irritate or harm a pet’s eyes, nose and gastrointestinal tract.

Although these have been popular choices for chew toys, rawhides can actually be quite dangerous. They put your pet at risk of choking and suffering from dangerous intestinal blockages if swallowed.

These hard objects lead to many broken teeth which can be quite painful, and could also lead to tooth root infections which often requires surgical removal of the tooth.

If you’re not sure what toys are safest for your dog or cat, we always welcome you to talk with a veterinarian at Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital. We can help you select the most appropriate toys for your pet based on species, size, and age.