Holiday Safety Tips

‘Tis the season for friends, family and holiday feasts—but also for possible distress for our animal companions. Pets won’t be so thankful if they munch on undercooked turkey or a pet-unfriendly floral arrangement, or if they stumble upon an unattended alcoholic drink.

Check out the following tips from ASPCA experts for a fulfilling holiday feast that your pets can enjoy, too.

Talkin’ Turkey

If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.

Sage Advice

Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delish, but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.

No Bread Dough

Don't spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him raw bread dough. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.

Don't Let Them Eat Cake

If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.

Too Much of a Good Thing

A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don't allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.

A Feast Fit for a Kong

While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Offer them Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied for awhile, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.


Adapted from a post published by the ASPCA.

Keeping Your Cat from Getting Bored

There is ample evidence that cats who spend their lives entirely indoors live much longer than their outdoor-only counterparts. But keeping an indoor cat happy as well as healthy means providing more than just good nutrition and regular veterinary care - you must also enrich your kitty's environment. Eliciting a cat's natural behaviors with hunting and foraging games can do wonders for your companion's well-being.

With a little creativity, you can keep your cat stimulated and interested, even in a small apartment and on a limited budget. And the good news is that enrichment research has shown that toys that are removed and then returned after several weeks regain much of their novelty; extend your enrichment budget by rotating your cat's toys regularly. Get started with a few of these feline friendly activities, but begin slowly and be sure to get a thumbs up from kitty's veterinarian.

Foraging Fun
Separate each day's food rations into small batches. Place the clusters around the house and then toss a few small treats in random directions. Not only will this encourage active foraging, it'll also keep kitty from scarfing down her food too quickly.

Pleasurable Puzzles
Toss a few treats into a square Rubbermaid® bottle and leave it on the floor with the lid off for a great beginner puzzle.

Any plastic container with a secure lid can become a hanging puzzle. Just cut two or three slots around the bottom outer edge of the container and place a few treats in the center. String a cord through the lid and hang this puzzle over a doorknob. Once your cat gets the hang of it, you can encourage exercise by raising it higher.

Scent Searching

Use old socks as washable scent baits. Just mark the sock with a dab of perfume, lotion, vanilla extract or even peanut butter, or place a pinch of any aromatic spice inside, then rub it over a slice of lunchmeat to pick up the scent. Scatter the socks throughout the house and your cat will be on the prowl for hours, delighted by the variety of scents. If you're pressed for time, simply mark a scent trail with a bit of cheese and then hide the cheese at the end of the trail.

Bird Watching

Attach a suction-cup bird feeder outside your cat's favorite window. Hungry birds will provide hours of entertainment. Don't place feeders too close to the ground as it leaves birds vulnerable to enemy attacks, and be sure to keep the window closed - 'excited cats can push right through screens.

Mouse Trap
Leave a ping-pong ball in the bathtub and watch as your cat makes it sail around the curves during her hunt for the elusive orb.

Crafty Cardboard
Use cardboard boxes as beds, dens, tunnels and mazes.

Make a "busy box" by attaching small toys to short lengths of cord and suspending them from the ceiling of a large box. Cut window flaps in the den at various heights.

Add a "Tiger Tug," ' a miniature version of a game popular with both tigers and chimps. Feed both ends of a length of parachute cord into the box through small holes. Tie a toy or a large knot on each end. When the cat tugs at one end, the other end mysteriously comes to life. For multicat households, run the ends into separate boxes.

Article Originally Written by W.R. Shaw and published on PetFinder. 

Bees and Wasps in September

We tend to see a lot more bees and wasps buzzing around picnics during September than any other month of the year. Because they become bigger pests, it’s important to make sure that your pet is safe! If you suspect your pet has been stung by a bee or a wasp, monitor them for symptoms for the next 24 hours. You should see swelling near the sting site, and should notice that your pet is uncomfortable. Apply an icepack wrapped in a towel, if possible, to reduce swelling. If symptoms persist, please seek veterinary care with us immediately!

Allergies and Pets

Allergies make us miserable…headaches, runny noses, sneezing. But with our pets, it’s different. They experience itchy skin, uncomfortable rashes, and even earaches. During the fall, your pet may develop seasonal allergies, and for some they might be more severe than in the spring or summer season. If your pet has seasonal allergies, be sure to get them medical attention right away, so their uncomfortable symptoms can be relieved. 

The Dangers of Treated Wood for Pets

Pressure treated wood was used for over 68 years in both residential and commercial applications. While it is no longer supposed to be used in residential applications, it’s been used to build decks, walkways, fences, picnic tables, raised garden beds, dog houses, and other structures where a wood that’s resistant to the elements is needed. However, pressure treated wood poses many dangers to our pets (as well as our families) that you may not be aware of.

The process for pressure-treating lumber was invented by Dr. Karl Wolman, and he was issued a U.S. patent for it on September, 29, 1942. The wood product created won’t decay or rot for over 20 years. The wood used was most prevalently preserved with chromate copper arsenate (CCA) and its use began to cease in 2004 due to safety concerns. However, it is still in use in several industrial applications and in some countries around the world. Arsenate is a salt or ester of arsenic acid, in short arsenic which is an exceedingly toxic chemical, as well as a known carcinogen. CCA toxicity can be caused by inhalation of gas created by burning CCA treated wood in a fire. It can also be caused by a dog eating the wood or ashes from a CCA wood fire. One tablespoon of ash from CCA wood contains a fatal dose of arsenic.

Splinters under the skin can cause an infection, and skin coming in contact with the treated wood or lumber can cause dermal irritation or a rash. One Wisconsin man reported his 85 pound Labrador began to show signs of lethargy, no energy and stiffness. It was thought that the dog was poisoned through inhalation of vapors inside his cage (made from CCA treated wood) or through skin contact or even ingesting the wood of the cage. A Pennsylvania man reported that he had been sawing CCA treated wood for about three months, and a few months into the project his dog died of unknown causes. Under certain conditions the chemicals used to preserve the wood can leach out. Arsenic is water soluble and can mix with rainwater puddling on a deck.


How do you protect your pet if there is CCA treated wood on your property? Make sure there are no puddles on your deck after a rainstorm; watering the grass with a sprinkler or power washing windows might also cause the deck to get wet. Never feed, water or give treats to your pet on the deck, and keep their toys off the deck. Limit their access to the deck; if limiting access is not possible, consider a rug for them to lie on. When laundering any rug from the deck wash it by itself to keep from cross contaminating any other items you launder.

Check the deck to see if it needs to be resanded to prevent paw splinters. Wash your pet’s paws and fur after their contact with the deck. Don’t let your pet play in wood chips or soil under or around CCA treated wood unless they test negative for arsenic.

If you’re building or buying a dog house, make sure it is not made with pressure-treated wood. To protect the wood, use paint, stain or oil that is non-toxic. If you have an outdoor project, consider vinyl alternatives or naturally resistant woods like cedar or redwood. Use reclaimed cedar or redwood. Use regular wood and treat with linseed oil or non-toxic stain or paint, and replace it more often.

As the use of CCA as a wood preservative is being discontinued, other preservatives that use the same process are taking its place: Amine Copper Quat (ACQ-D), Copper Azole (CA), Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) or Quat for short, and Amoniacal Copper Zinc Arsenate (ACZA). There are pros and cons on both sides of the issue, and if you’re a pet owner I would suggest caution when using any pressure-treated wood.

If you believe that your dog or cat may have been exposed to CCA, you can contact the following poison hotlines for information on symptoms and treatment, as well as prevention of a future incident.


Originally written by Ruthie Bently, published in 2010.

Hiking Safety Tips

When hiking with your dog this summer, consider investing in a doggie backpack. These backpacks have been designed with your dog in mind! They are made to balance the load, and give your dog the ability to carry his own food and drinking water. Dog backpacks have been designed by backpackers who understand that cool, comfortable fit of a backpack, as well as the importance of bringing food and supplies on the trail. Just don’t forget, no dog should carry more than 10% of their body weight. And make sure to practice with your dog carrying the backpack empty before you take a long trip!

Laser Therapy For Cats

FIRST Regional Animal Hospital is excited to offer our clients Companion Laser Therapy. Laser therapy provides a non-invasive, pain-free, surgery-free, drug-free treatment which is used to treat a variety of conditions and can be performed in conjunction with existing treatment protocols.  Relief and/or improvement is often noticed within hours depending on the condition and your pet’s response. Whether your pet is rehabilitating from trauma or injury, healing from wounds, or simply aging, your companion can benefit from this innovative approach to treating pain.

Applications for laser therapy include:

•        Treatment of arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or hip dysplasia

•        General pain management (sprains, strains, and stiffness)

•        Post-surgery pain (spays, neuters, declaws, and other surgeries)

•        Skin problems (hot spots, lick granulomas, infections)

•        Dental procedures

•        Fractures and wounds (bites, abrasions, and lesions)

•        Ear infections

How does it work?

Laser therapy stimulates the body to heal from within. Non-thermal photons of light are administered to the body for about 3 to 8 minutes and absorbed by the injured cells. The cells are then stimulated and respond with a higher rate of metabolism. This results in relief from pain, increased circulation, reduced inflammation, and an acceleration of the healing process.

What can my pet expect during a laser therapy treatment session?

Simply put, it provides relief. As the laser is administered, your pet will relax and enjoy the treatment. The almost immediate relief of pain will allow your pet to be comfortable and any anxiety that your pet initially experiences will dissipate. Occasionally, angry cats will start to purr and canine companions will actually fall asleep during their therapy session. Frequently, after therapy, we hear: “He’s acting like a puppy again” or “She can actually jump onto the chair again.” Pain relief is provided in just a few minutes of therapy and that alone improves the quality of life for your companion.

What are the signs that my pet can benefit from Companion Laser Therapy?

Many of our laser therapy patients are older animals with musculoskeletal ailments. Some signs that your senior companion is experiencing pain or discomfort are:

•        Abnormal sitting or lying posture

•        Circling multiple times before lying down

•        Restlessness

•        Whining, groaning or other vocalizations

•        Limping, unable to get up or lie down

•        Difficulty getting into car or down stairs

•        Lack of grooming

•        Won’t wag tail

•        Licking or biting area

•        Lack of appetite

•        Trembling

Contact our practice today to schedule an appointment or obtain additional information.

Laser Therapy Reduces Pain and Speeds Healing

FIRST Regional Animal Hospital is excited to offer our clients Companion Laser Therapy. Laser therapy provides a non-invasive, pain-free, surgery-free, drug-free treatment which is used to treat a variety of conditions and can be performed in conjunction with existing treatment protocols.  Relief and/or improvement is often noticed within hours depending on the condition and your pet’s response. Whether your pet is rehabilitating from trauma or injury, healing from wounds, or simply aging, your companion can benefit from this innovative approach to treating pain.

Applications for laser therapy include:

•        Treatment of arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or hip dysplasia

•        General pain management (sprains, strains, and stiffness)

•        Post-surgery pain (spays, neuters, declaws, and other surgeries)

•        Skin problems (hot spots, lick granulomas, infections)

•        Dental procedures

•        Fractures and wounds (bites, abrasions, and lesions)

•        Ear infections

How does it work?

Laser therapy stimulates the body to heal from within. Non-thermal photons of light are administered to the body for about 3 to 8 minutes and absorbed by the injured cells. The cells are then stimulated and respond with a higher rate of metabolism. This results in relief from pain, increased circulation, reduced inflammation, and an acceleration of the healing process.

What can my pet expect during a laser therapy treatment session?

Simply put, it provides relief. As the laser is administered, your pet will relax and enjoy the treatment. The almost immediate relief of pain will allow your pet to be comfortable and any anxiety that your pet initially experiences will dissipate. Occasionally, angry cats will start to purr and canine companions will actually fall asleep during their therapy session. Frequently, after therapy, we hear: “He’s acting like a puppy again” or “She can actually jump onto the chair again.” Pain relief is provided in just a few minutes of therapy and that alone improves the quality of life for your companion.

What are the signs that my pet can benefit from Companion Laser Therapy?

Many of our laser therapy patients are older animals with musculoskeletal ailments. Some signs that your senior companion is experiencing pain or discomfort are:

•        Abnormal sitting or lying posture

•        Circling multiple times before lying down

•        Restlessness

•        Whining, groaning or other vocalizations

•        Limping, unable to get up or lie down

•        Difficulty getting into car or down stairs

•        Lack of grooming

•        Won’t wag tail

•        Licking or biting area

•        Lack of appetite

•        Trembling

Contact our practice today to schedule an appointment or obtain additional information.

Laser Therapy

FIRST Regional Animal Hospital is excited to offer our clients Companion Laser Therapy. Laser therapy provides a non-invasive, pain-free, surgery-free, drug-free treatment which is used to treat a variety of conditions and can be performed in conjunction with existing treatment protocols.  Relief and/or improvement is often noticed within hours depending on the condition and your pet’s response. Whether your pet is rehabilitating from trauma or injury, healing from wounds, or simply aging, your companion can benefit from this innovative approach to treating pain.

How does it work?
Laser therapy stimulates the body to heal from within. Non-thermal photons of light are administered to the body for about 3 to 8 minutes and absorbed by the injured cells. The cells are then stimulated and respond with a higher rate of metabolism. This results in relief from pain, increased circulation, reduced inflammation, and an acceleration of the healing process.

Applications for laser therapy include

• Treatment of arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or hip dysplasia
• General pain management (sprains, strains and stiffness)
• Post-surgery pain (spays, neuters, declaws and other surgeries)
• Skin problems (hotspots, lick granulomas, infection)
• Dental procedures
• Fractures and wounds (bites, abrasions and lesions)
• Ear infections

What can my pet expect during laser therapy session?
Simply put, it provides relief. As the laser is administered, your pet will relax and enjoy the treatment. The almost immediate relief of pain will allow your pet to be comfortable and any anxiety that your pet initially experiences will dissipate. Occasionally, angry cats will start to purr and canine companions will actually fall asleep during their therapy session. Frequently, after therapy, we hear: “He’s acting like a puppy again” or “She can actually jump onto the chair again.” Pain relief is provided in just a few minutes of therapy and that alone improves the quality of life for your companion.

What are the signs that may pet can benefit from Companion Laser Therapy?
Many of our laser therapy patients are older animals with musculoskeletal ailments. Some signs that your senior companion is experiencing pain or discomfort are:

• Abnormal sitting or lying posture
• Circulating multiple times before lying down
• Restlessness
• Whining, groaning or other vocalizations
• Limping, having trouble getting up or lying down
• Difficulty getting into car or down stairs
• Lack of grooming
• Won't wag tail
• Lisking or biting area
• Lack of appetite
• Trembling

Please contact FIRST Regional Animal Hospital to schedule an appointment or for more information. Call 480-732-0018, or use the link below to set up an appointment.

Online Appointments
Please use our convenient Online Appointment Form to make an appointment for your pet(s). Making an appointment has never been so easy! Appointments may be made Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 1pm–8pm and Wednesday and Thursday 9am–11am and 1pm–4pm.

Online Prescription Refills
Please use our Online Prescription Refill Form to request a prescription refill for your pet(s). We will notify you when you can pick up your pet’s needed medication(s) at FIRST Regional Animal Hospital.

Does an MRI Hurt a Microchip?

With MRIs becoming more available, the question about their impact on identification microchips in pets has come up.

This study was based on 53 client-owned patients implanted with a microchip and undergoing MRI of various areas of the body for a variety of medical conditions.

General anesthesia was induced and each patient's microchip was scanned with a universal microchip scanner; the chip number was recorded. Patients were moved out of the magnetic environment, and microchips were scanned again. Patient information and chip number were recorded. Chip numbers before and after MRi were compared.

For all 53 microchips scanned from 53 patients, the same number was read accurately following MRI of a variety of sites.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These date indicated that MRI did not interfere with the functionality of these microchips. This information is valuable for practitioners recommending MRI for their patients and for clients who have invested in implanting a microchip in pets.

Pets & Cookouts

The weather is getting warmer and many people are firing up their grills for burgers, hotdogs, steaks and ribs. Dogs love the smell of meat, and some dogs will do anything to get some for themselves. Knowing this, it's important to use extra caution around the grill during cooking. Remember, your dog won't use caution about which part of the meat he eats if he grabs a piece, and swallowed bones could mean injury, or even death. It's just not worth it! Keep Fido inside during the grilling festivities.

Pets & Easter Chocolate

Chocolate is delicious to most of us, but for your pet, it's a different story. Chocolate can contain high amounts of fat and methylxanthines (a caffeine-like ingredient), which can cause flu-like symptoms in your pet if eaten. Some of these symptoms could include vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, seizures and in severe cases it can be fatal. Avoid endangering the life of your pet...give them pet-safe treats instead!

Tomorrow is 'If Pets Had Thumbs Day'

Potentially 2 New Strains of Distemper Affecting Pets Throughout the Country

(PHOENIX) – As cases of the highly contagious, often fatal distemper disease surface throughout the Valley, the Arizona Humane Society is issuing a community wide health alert to pet owners within Arizona. While increased occurrences of distemper typically arise in the spring due to an increase in the number of litters of puppies, signs of the disease are appearing much earlier as cases have recently emerged as far away as Florida, Ohio and Georgia. 

        There is also evidence to suggest that two new strains of distemper indigenous to Europe have made their way to the U.S. and while the typical incubation period for distemper is one to two weeks the new strains may have even longer incubation periods. In addition, distemper was once thought of as a disease that primarily affected puppies who have not had all of their “puppy” shots; however, there is evidence of older pets with unconfirmed vaccination histories becoming infected with the distemper virus. 

        This extremely contagious whole body viral disease is shed in bodily secretions of infected animals and spread via inhalation. Once inhaled, the virus moves to the lymph nodes where it begins reproducing. The virus then spreads to the blood and the cell lining of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital and central nervous system of infected animals. Symptoms vary from dog to dog, but often include: discharge from eyes/nose, coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite, callusing of nose/foot pads, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.

        While AHS vaccinates all animals upon intake into its shelter, it is imperative that the community is diligent and does the same by updating their pet’s vaccinations as directed by their veterinarian. Distemper, just as the equally fatal parvovirus, is a community problem. Therefore, people must be very careful when taking their pets to communal areas such as dog parks or other public areas with unknown dogs. In addition, unvaccinated dogs are at high risk for contracting the disease. Currently, there is no specific treatment or cure for the distemper virus.

                For dogs suspected of having distemper, it is imperative that they be checked by a vet immediately and isolated from other dogs within the home. In the event your pet is diagnosed with the distemper virus a thorough cleaning of your home with disinfectant is necessary.

        AHS is taking every precautionary measure available to ensure the health of the animals in our care and in our community. In addition, AHS is working closely with our vaccination representatives as new information becomes available while also working in conjunction with Oklahoma State University regarding a research study so we can gain more information on the deadly virus.              

Raw Food Diet Controversy

National Pet Travel Safety Day

Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day! When traveling with pets it's very important to ensure the safety of all passengers on board...even our furry ones. What is the furthest distance you have traveled with your pet?