Pulaski Animal Hospital

Today is the National Day of Service and Remembrance to honor those who left us on 09/11/2001. Honor, remember, reflect and serve....

🍂Fall Pet Safety - Mushrooms 🍂

As fall approaches, mushrooms begin to pop up in yards, parks, and wooded areas. While many are harmless, some varieties can be highly toxic to our pets. Dogs and cats are naturally curious, and even a small nibble can lead to serious health concerns.

⚠️ Signs of mushroom poisoning include:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Seizures
Liver failure
If your pet has ingested a wild mushroom, treat it as an emergency. Contact your veterinarian or an emergency clinic immediately.

🍄 Keep your pet safe by:

Removing any mushrooms from your yard
Supervising them closely on walks
Teaching commands like "leave it"

When in doubt, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Let's enjoy the fall while keeping our pets protected. 🐾

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

Introducing Mia! This cute little fluff ball is surely part Bullmastiff now as she is the recipient of Pablo’s blood. Mia presented to the clinic for not eating and acting painful. She was in poor condition. Radiographs revealed a round metallic object while her lab results indicated a severe anemia amongst other abnormalities. These results suggested that Mia was suffering from Zinc Toxicity from probably swallowing a US penny. Since 1982 the US Mint started making pennies primarily of Zinc with a Copper coating. In small animals, even the ingestion of 1 penny can cause this serious consequence. The Zinc in the penny causes red blood cell abnormalities and can impair kidney function. A blood transfusion followed by surgery to remove the penny proved to be curative for Mia. We are happy to report that she has made a full recovery.

Pablo- part 2
As you can see, besides being a good blood donor, Pablo is a great patient. He is absolutely content and laid back after his recent surgery!

Meet Pablo, our hero dog of last week. We had a patient in desperate need of a blood transfusion and this sweet boy was happy to help out. Pablo is under the care of one of our rescue partners, Bullmastiff Rescuers Inc. and hopefully will get a great forever home. He is not posted yet, but check in with the rescue website or page if interested. 🐾❤️

We are happy to report that the patient recovered well and we will introduce her to you soon. 😊❤️🐾

Even large dogs have problems with corn cobs causing bowel obstructions. We performed surgery on a 95 # Doberman Pincher today to remove a corn cob from the small intestine. Apparently, he got into the garbage can and thought the corn cobs were delicious.

While corn on its own is okay in small amounts, the cob can't be digested, and it often doesn't pass naturally through the digestive system and in many cases, requires urgent surgery 🌽

😸😸

This is just 8 weeks growth! 😲

Trimming your dog's claws regularly has several benefits:

Prevents Overgrowth: Regular trimming prevents the claws from becoming too long. Overgrown claws can curl back into the paw pads, causing pain and potential infection.

Maintains Mobility: Properly trimmed claws help your dog walk and run comfortably. Overgrown claws can affect their gait and make walking painful.

Reduces Damage: Shorter claws are less likely to scratch surfaces like floors and furniture, minimizing damage.

Improves Health: Long nails can affect the alignment of your dog's toes and lead to joint issues over time. Keeping them trimmed promotes better foot health.

Enhances Hygiene: Shorter claws are easier to keep clean and reduce the buildup of dirt and debris under the nails.

Overall, regular claw trimming is an important aspect of your dog's grooming routine to ensure their comfort, mobility, and their over all well-being 🐶

With Independence Day celebrations fast approaching, it’s important to take precautions to keep your pets safe both during and after Fourth of July festivities. Here are 7️⃣ pet safety tips to keep in mind. You can find more important information here: https://bit.ly/2Yru6lC

We are starting to see some cases of Parvovirus. As the holiday approaches, be extra cautious with young dogs who have not completed all of their vaccines and under vaccinated adult dogs.

Sincerely hope that you don't need this, but in case you do:

Next up for let's prepare for something stinky...

What do you do if your pup has a run-in with the neighborhood skunk? 🦨Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. This at-home skunk spray odor removal works wonders. Here’s what to do:

Steps:
1. Do NOT spray your dog or cat with water yet.
2. Mix the above ingredients together. A plastic soda bottle with a cap works great for this. The solution will fizz.
3. Keep the mix out of your pet’s eyes. Use a sponge or face wash towel to clean his or her head, and around their mouth and eyes.
4. Knead the solution into the fur, be sure to get every part of your pet with the mixture. Let it soak in for about 20 minutes
5. After about 20 minutes rinse thoroughly with water.
6. Shampoo with pet shampoo if you like. It will help with the smell.

Say goodbye to that stinky situation! 🌟

If we could, we would edit this post to state "Teach" your children instead of "parent". Otherwise, we agree 100% with the statement.

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

🔥☀️ This week's scorcher is a reminder to keep our pets cool. Check out our infographic to learn the signs of heatstroke and what to do if you suspect the heat is getting to your pet. Heatstroke is fatal, early action is key, seek veterinary care immediately! 🔥☀️

Good fathers do three things: they provide, they nurture, and they guide. Family isn't always blood so Happy Father's Day to all who have cared for a loved one whether they have 2 legs or 4, skin, feathers or fur.

Last Saturday, we held a final goodbye celebration for Ryszard’s much deserved retirement and return to Poland. Ryszard was surrounded by his family, friends and coworkers as we all congratulated and thanked him for a his many years of hard work. Besides Ryszard, his daughter, Dr. Diana Baranska, Dr. Szpindor, Dr. Kalata, Dr. Kisyova, Cheryl, Gaby and Monika were all part of the original team when Ryszard first started back at Pulaski Animal Hospital. Do widzenia, powodzenia! Sto lat!

Chicago Animal Care and Control is beyond capacity with both dogs and cats. If you've been thinking about adding a feline or canine companion to your family, now is the perfect time!

It is a bittersweet day today at Pulaski Animal Hospital. Ryszard Baranski, our long time technician is retiring after working at PAH for over 20 years. As much as we are happy that he can enjoy his retirement after working so hard for so many years, we are sad to see him leave.

Most of you may not have ever seen Ryszard as he rarely left his back domain. Trust us in saying though, that he has been a guiding force and has taught and trained so many technicians. His technical skills are exemplary and he holds everyone to that level. His legacy is passed on by his daughter, Dr. Diana Baranska-Hubicki, who was a long time technician and then a vet at Pulaski before she moved to the Northern suburbs. Their passion of caring for animals runs in the family.

Ryszard will be leaving the country soon to spend his retirement in his beloved home country of Poland. We wish him all the best as he begins this next chapter of life.
Sto lat Ryszard, Sto lat! It’s not your problem anymore!

It is that time of year where we see the acronym HBC (Hit By Car) on many emergency reports and this past holiday weekend was no exception. Unfortunately, 2 beloved family members are no longer with us. Prevention is the best medicine to prevent this tragedy.

WHAT TO DO TO PREVENT YOUR PET FROM GETTING HIT BY A CAR:

1. Always have your pet on a leash when outside! It only takes one rogue squirrel for disaster to strike.
2. Check your fence regularly for any damage. Make sure the gate latches well, there isn’t enough clearance for your dog to squeeze below it, and the whole family always shuts it securely.
3. Train your dog not to dart out the door. Your dog should always sit and wait for the command “OK” before she is allowed to go outside. Additionally, scan the yard before you release her to make sure there are no lurking dangers.
4. Coming when called should never be used to retrieve your dog for the purposes of punishing him. Stay calm and avoid sounding angry or upset, even if you’re scared. The “come” command should always be fun and rewarding for your dog!
5. Teach your dog to sit and stay from a distance. If your dog is on the other side of a busy road from you, “come” won’t be the safest option.
6. Have your dog neutered. Male dogs are much more likely to roam when sexually mature and seeking a female in heat. Once learned, roaming behavior may be difficult to break.
7. If your dog does manage to get loose:
 Avoid the temptation to chase, as it will run even faster. Instead, try luring it with treats or a ride, laying down (curiosity will bring them back), or running the OTHER way to get it to chase you.
 Use a leash as a lasso. Put the clip end through the handle. If the dog is close, but not close enough to grab his collar, or if he has slipped his collar, you can throw the loop over his head, then tighten it with a simple pull so he cannot escape again.

Written by Erin Bequette, DVM.