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foxborovh

Jan 09
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Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year Foxboro Vet Family!!

We are very excited about entering the new year refreshed from our holidays. We hope you all were able to enjoy time off with your friends, family and furry loved ones.

We are very passionate at Foxboro Veterinary Hospital about preventative medicine.  We appreciate that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To that end we spent a good part of 2023 developing, and soft launching, our Wellness Plan Programs for our patients.  Our aim was to develop an all-

encompassing program that would help our clients plan and budget for their pets’ yearly needs.

These wellness programs have been divided as follows: 
Kitten, Feline and Feline +
Puppy, Canine and Canine +

For our feline patients the program takes into account the needs of the average cat pet. These programs include unlimited examinations, fear free medications, microchip, individualized vaccines as well as yearly lab diagnostic testing (bloodwork, fecal testing, urinalysis). The Feline + program includes a complete oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) plan under general anesthetic. A COHAT includes full mouth radiographs, thorough examination of the mouth and throat, charting of the teeth, full scaling and polishing.

For our canine patients the program takes into account the needs of the average dog. These programs include unlimited examinations, fear free medications, microchip, individualized vaccines, parasite prevention as well as yearly lab diagnostic testing (bloodwork, Snap 4Dx testing, fecal testing, urinalysis). The Canine + program includes a complete oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) plan under general anesthetic. A COHAT includes full mouth radiographs, thorough examination of the mouth and throat, charting of the teeth, full scaling and polishing.

These packages can be purchased and paid over the course of 12 months, which allows your pet to get the best care on a budgeted plan.  We understand that pet parents and the veterinary team need to work in tandem in order to ensure that our patients are in tip top shape. That being said: we appreciate the investment our wellness program members are making for the sake of their pets’ wellness and so we offer our support when they fall ill by offering a 10% discount for all other services that are rendered while your pets are being cared for at our hospital.

Please do not hesitate to call the hospital at 613.969.7299 for the details about our new wellness program! Let’s make 2024 the year of Gold Standard Wellness care for our furry family members!

Dr. Hurford and the whole Foxboro Veterinary Hospital Team

 

Sep 13
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Puppy Socialization

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Puppy Socialization

Socializing your puppy is key to ensuring that you have a happy, confident, and well-adjusted dog and should be at the top of your to-do list when welcoming a new puppy into your home. Lots of pet parents think that ‘puppy socialization’ means introducing your puppy to other dogs, but there is a lot more to it than that.

What is socialization?

Socialization is the process of introducing your puppy to everything and anything, from different types of people and places to objects and

situations they’ve never seen before.  It teaches them to build relationships, and how to act and behave when faced with new experiences. The goal is to expose your puppy to just about everything and have them look to you for guidance, while being confident in themselves.

Some things that this process should include are:

  • People of different ages
  • People of different genders
  • People of different races
  • People with and without disabilities
  • Other dogs and different animal species
  • New places
  • New sounds, smells and sensations

Although this may seem like a lot for a young puppy to handle, your dog’s brain is actually most capable of processing and accepting these new experiences between 5-16 weeks of age. This timeframe is commonly called the puppy socialization period, and puppy parents should aim to expose their puppy to as many positive experiences as they can during this time. Puppies’ minds are especially impressionable during the socialization period, and bad experiences can make just as much of an impact as good ones. Aim for only positive experiences with your puppy, and never hesitate to remove them from a situation where you feel they are in danger or extremely nervous.

The good news is that young puppies are typically happy go lucky and tend to approach new things with curiosity more than fear, we just need to make sure we are using this to our advantage!

Remember: When introducing puppies to new things, we want them to look to us for guidance and approach new situations with confidence. It is our job to set them up for success!

Although all puppies should be socialized, not each one will grow to be a dog who is sociable, no matter how much training you have put in. Their personality will also play a role in any future anxieties or interactions. Some dogs are born more fearful or timid. But the more socializing you do at a young age, the less likely a dog will be to react with fear or anxiety in new places or situations. That’s the goal with puppy socialization, we want to help our dog to understand that no matter what they come across, they can be comfortable, confident, and look to their handler for guidance.

If you find that you are not as confident as you had hoped at socializing your new family member, or you’re having trouble, there is not harm or shame in reaching out to a professional to point you in the right direction and help you both become more confident together!

Donovan, L. (2022, July 7). Puppy socialization: How to socialize a puppy. American Kennel Club. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/puppy-socialization/
Rodgers, B. L., & Dog, N. (2022, May 9). How to socialize A puppy: A guide to puppy socialization. BeChewy. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://be.chewy.com/positively-trained-puppy-socialization-dos-and-donts/
Photos by Amanda Thibodeau
Aug 09
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Rabbit Care

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Rabbit Care

Rabbits are very easy to love, but not quite as easy to care for. Rabbits are very lovable, social companions but have many important needs that must be met to ensure they are able to live long, happy lives. When introducing a rabbit into your home, families must be prepared to tend to their very specific care requirements for the duration of their lifetime (The average lifespan of a rabbit is 10 years!).

Indoors or outdoors?

Domesticated rabbits should be kept indoors with protection from weather elements and predators. The sight or sound of a nearby wild animal can cause rabbits a large amount of stress when they are housed outdoors.

Caged or Free to Roam?

Whether you decide to house your rabbit in a cage or let them free roam your home, you must be sure that everything is rabbit proof! Caged rabbits should have the opportunity to leave their cage for at least a few hours a day. In small habitats, it is very difficult for rabbits to carry out their normal day to day behaviors. These include running, playing, and “binkying”.

 A few helpful tips to keep your rabbits safe in the home:

  • Keep any electrical cords tucked away and safe from chewing
  • Keep plants and flowers out of reach
  • Use baby gates at the top of stairs and playpens to keep your rabbits confined to certain areas in the home
  • Allow access to lots of chew toys in attempt to redirect them from chewing household items (This also helps to wear down their teeth as they continuously grow throughout their lifetime!)

Alone or With a Friend?

Rabbits are very social animals, and like us, can suffer from loneliness. Though there are some exceptions, most rabbits are much happier with a friend. Keeping rabbits in pairs allows them to keep each other busy and entertained while owners are busy. Once a pair of rabbits are bonded, they will partake in things like grooming, exercising, and playing.

 

What Does a Rabbit Eat?

Fresh, clean drinking water and a good quality hay and grass should make up the majority of a rabbit’s diet. Rabbits should be offered an unlimited amount of timothy hay as the main source of their diet due to its high source of fiber, which is critical to maintaining a healthy digestive tract in rabbits. Rabbits should also be offered a daily feeding of fresh vegetables in small amounts. Pellet food can be offered to rabbits in small amounts, but owners must be careful to limit the amount fed, as overfeeding pellets is a very common cause of obesity and diarrhea in rabbits.

Fun Fact: Carrots should be fed to rabbits in very small amounts, as they are high in carbohydrates and can upset the GI bacterial flora.

Keeping Rabbits Clean

Rabbits are very clean animals and are often compared to felines. Rabbits self-groom and will groom each other if they are kept in a bonded pair. They prefer a clean and tidy environment to live in, and can even be litterbox trained. Cages should be spot cleaned daily, along with litterboxes and litter should be changed completely as required. Any old food should also be removed at this time and replaced with fresh food. Bowls and water dished should be cleaned once a day to prevent any bacteria buildup. Keeping a rabbit’s cage clean will keep them much happier!

Providing Enrichment

Providing enrichment for pet rabbits is a very important step in being a great rabbit owner. Tunnels, hides, and houses should be placed in your rabbit’s cage or in the area they are kept in to allow them places to hide and feel comfortable. Toys and objects should be offered to rabbits to allow them to manipulate, investigate, chew, allow digging and scent marking, and encourage play.

Spaying and Neutering

Spaying female rabbits is especially important because it prevents a very common malignant cancer in rabbits called uterine adenocarcinoma. Unfortunately, this occurs in approximately 80% of unspayed females over the age of 2. Spaying is also crucial in a home with males and females living together to prevent pregnancy. In male rabbits, some potential issues include testicular abscesses from bites, hematomas, and testicular cancer. Male rabbits also have a tendency to have aggression issues around 8-18 months of age, and can also start spraying to mark territory. All of these issues can be prevented by getting your rabbit neutered.

 

About the Author Abi Cushman is a veteran house rabbit owner and a contributing editor of My House Rabbit. When she’s not writing about bunnies for My House Rabbit. (2019, August 25). How to care for a pet rabbit. My House Rabbit. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/care-pet-rabbit/

Vsadmin. (2022, April 6). Beginner’s Guide to Pet Rabbit Care. VetCare Pet Hospital. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.vetcarepethospital.ca/beginners-guide-to-pet-rabbit-care/

Photos from Meagan Leblanc