Make a sweetsale - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

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Animal
HOUSE
A new feature focusing on the latest south Charlotte pet care trends and accessories
Here’s to your (pet’s) health!
by Wilson Wright
news@thecharlotteweekly.com
Your pets may be like family members. They
may eat the same food and sleep in the same
bed, but to keep them in good health they
have to see their own doctor.
After working in a large Chicago veterinarian
clinic, veterinarian William Cooper, a
south Charlotte native, returned to his roots,
opening St. Francis Hospital for Animals,
3928 Park Road, in 1996.
“It’s pretty much just a solo practice,” Cooper
said. And he prefers it that way. “I get to
focus on the relationship between me and the
client and the pet.”
Cooper said his practice doesn’t often see
exotic animals. “It’s 95 percent dog and cat.
We see the occasional hamster or guinea pig,
or bird sometimes here and there,” he said,
noting that he’s treated snakes, turtles, iguanas
and other animals over the years.
But no matter what kind of pet clients have,
Cooper offers the same advice: “The most
important thing is that they have a regular
checkup by a veterinarian.”
And regular doesn’t necessarily mean
annual. In fact, some animals might need
more frequent care. “Often animals age 5 to
7 years for every year we do,” he said. So for
older animals and animals with pre-existing
conditions, more is better.
Another health risk for pets is uninformed
owners. “Someone will get a big dog that needs
a lot of exercise and has a lot of energy, and
they’re just not ready for that,” Cooper said,
suggesting that people decide the type of pet
they get based on their lifestyles. “Sometimes
people don’t know exactly what it is they’re
getting into.”
The necessity of other vaccines depends on
the animal’s lifestyle, but there are some that
every animal should have.
“As far as vaccines go, I think rabies is critical,”
Cooper said. “If you see a raccoon in
Charlotte, it’s probably got rabies.”
Cooper stresses parasite prevention in
general, because he sees parasite cases yearround.
A pet needs different vaccines based
on whether they live outdoors and have contact
with other animals. Cooper also emphasizes
heartworm prevention for dogs. “We’re in
a heartworm area,” he explains.
Age also can play a factor. “As an animal
gets older there are certain blood tests you
want to run,” he said.
And with the weather getting colder every
day, there are also a few seasonal precautions
an animal owner should take. “If the weather
gets extremely cold, most animals need
Dr. William Cooper of St. Francis Hospital for Animals on Park Road says he likes being part of a small
veterinarian clinic so he can spend more time with pets and their owners.
Photos courtesy of St. Francis Hospital for Animals
shelter,” Cooper said, cautioning that outdoor
pet owners should ensure outdoor water supplies
don’t freeze. In addition, all animals may
need more food during the winter in order to
maintain body heat.
Cooper also explains that animal lumps,
injuries and problems are most commonly
found in the warmer months when owners
are paying more attention to them. “In the
wintertime,” Cooper said, “people just need to
make sure they’re paying attention to the pets,
especially the outdoor ones. Make sure that
animal’s OK. Make sure to continue to handle
and pet the animal – spend time with them, so
you can see if there’s anything going on.”
But if there’s an emergency, Cooper has a
couple of important suggestions.
“What constitutes an emergency is any issue
where an animal is having trouble breathing,
While Halloween can be a frighteningly
good time for children and adults alike, it
can also be petrifying for your pooch or terrifying
for your tabby. The Humane Society
of the United States is reminding pet owners
that this haunting holiday may be too scary
for pets. Companion animals aren’t used to
the doorbell-ringing, costumed creatures
and general hustle-and-bustle that come
into our homes at this time of year.
“For your pet’s comfort and safety, the
best thing that you can do is to make sure
that they have a stress-free holiday,” according
to Adam Goldfarb, director of the Pets
at Risk program for The Humane Society of
the United States. “The noises, smells and
people can be overwhelming for many pets
on Halloween, so create a safe haven in one
room of your home where he or she can quietly
relax.”
Follow these tips to keep Fido
and Frisky safe and calm:
• Keep pets safely indoors, away from trickor-treaters
and other Halloween activities.
• Make sure that all pets are wearing tags
with current identification. Opening the
door repeatedly for trick-or-treaters creates
where they’re bleeding, where they collapse,
or have obvious trauma,” he said, noting if
any of those symptoms are observed pet owners
should call a vet and tell them they’re on
the way. If it’s nighttime, he added, it’s much
faster to go to one of the emergency clinics in
Charlotte.
Overall, apply the same advice your own
doctor gives you to your pet.
“The checkups I can’t stress enough,” said
Cooper, who sees more successful early detection
than when he started practicing, and
that’s contributed to the extended lifespan of
a lot of animals. “I’d much rather screen for
diseases and catch them early than wait until
it’s too late,” he says.
“Animal health and human health – it’s pretty
amazing how there are a lot of similarities.” q
Visit www.stfrancispetdoc.com or call 704-
527-2030 for more information about St.
Francis Hospital for Animals.
Save pets from a hair-raising Halloween
Humane Society tips for a safe, healthy holiday
plenty of escape opportunities.
• Keep candy out of pets’ reach. Chocolate
and other ingredients can be toxic to them.
• Most pets are happiest wearing nothing
but their birthday suits. Costumes and
masks can make pets uncomfortable or even
cause injury.
• Decorations can be dangerous, so be
sure to keep them safely away from pets.
Candle flames can set fire to a pet’s fur.
Hanging or dangling decorations can be an
entanglement or choking hazard to some
animals.
• Use fake cobwebs sparingly, if at all. Pets
can choke on fake cobwebs set up indoors.
Outdoors, fake webs may be a hazard to
birds and wildlife.
• When trick-or-treating, leave your dog
at home. Dogs can be easily excited by the
Halloween commotion and a dog bite or lost
dog will quickly end the evening’s fun.
Don’t forget about wildlife on Halloween,
either. Nocturnal animals, such as raccoons,
opossums and foxes will be out looking for
food. If you come across a wild animal while
trick-or-treating, keep your distance (and keep
your pets away from wild animals, too). q
Our service is not just providing pet cremation.
Our family is dedicated to helping all families
find closure in a very difficult time.
• Individual pet cremationsonly
your pet in the cremation unit
(never multiple pets with dividers)
• Specially designed containers
(no plastic bags)
3325 Carolina Avenue
Suite H
Charlotte, NC 28208
Phone: (704) 399-0400
Page 22 • Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2009 • South Charlotte Weekly www.thecharlotteweekly.com www.thecharlotteweekly.com
South Charlotte Weekly • Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2009 • Page 23
Serving
Charlotte and
Surrounding
Area
• Same day transportation and
cremation
(no freezer storage)
• Cremains returned to your home or
clinic within 24 hours
(never a one or two week process)
www.faithfulcompanion.com