Sometimes Surgeries Aren’t Always What They Seem

Last week, we had an incredible shelter day!

Our Go Fix Georgia Program helped 60 shelter cats and dogs with spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and even a couple of special surgeries. 

We wanted to highlight a very sweet, special pup we saw, Strawberry! Strawberry arrived at Planned PEThood early Thursday morning from one of our partner shelters. She was on our schedule for a straightforward spay surgery. However, upon sedation, we found a huge stick, embedded in the roof of her mouth. Ouch! Can you imagine how much pain she must have been in prior to surgery?

Our veterinary team quickly managed to remove the large stick and move forward with Strawberry’s spay surgery. We have no doubt she felt so much relief upon waking up! Now, Strawberry has headed back to Hall County Animal Shelter pain-free, ready to find her forever home! This lovable pup is available for adoption through Hall County.

This is just one of many unique cases that our vet team encounters on shelter days. This team not only provides expert medical care but also a loving touch for the dogs and cats that come to our facility. Spay/neuter, medical care, and life-saving surgeries for shelter animals are at the heart of our Go Fix Georgia Program.

Just a friendly reminder, NEVER let your dog chew on bones (chicken, steak, etc.) or sticks as they can splinter, become lodged like this, or be swallowed and puncture through the digestive tract. Let’s keep our fur babies safe!

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Keep Your Pets Safe This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings friends and family together. Thanksgiving can carry some hazards for our pets, ranging from food to company, to travel. While it’s tempting to include our furry friends in this celebration, it’s best to leave them out of the festivities or include pet-specific activities and treats.

Here are a few tips to help make the holiday as pet-friendly as possible and keep your pets healthy and safe:

Food: Thanksgiving is all about food, but not all human food is safe for pets. Here are a few common Thanksgiving foods to keep an eye on. If you have Thanksgiving guests, ask that they don’t feed your pets. It could save your pet’s life!

  1. Turkey Bones. They can be a choking hazard and can damage your pet’s digestive tract. No matter how much they beg, say no!
  2. Fatty Foods. Items such as butter, cream, gravy, bacon, and turkey skin, are hard for pets to digest. They can cause a painful and serious condition known as pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas.
  3. Human Foods. Foods that are perfectly safe for humans, such as garlic, onions, raisins, and grapes are poisonous to pets. Bread dough and yeast dough can cause painful gas and even dangerous bloating. To be safe, avoid giving your pet any human foods and buy them a special pet-specific treat instead at your local pet store.
  4. Chocolate and Sugar. Most people know chocolate is bad for dogs and cats, but artificial sweeteners, such as xylitol, can be dangerous if consumed by your pets, so avoid these as well. These are even in many peanut butter brands these days.
  5. Cover the Trash. Put the trash away, where your pets can’t find it. Cover the trash in a tightly secured trash bag, and place it in a closed trashcan where your furry friend can’t access it. All your hard work keeping them safe can be undone by a quick trip in the trash.

Flowers and Plants: Lots of people buy decorative arrangements, plants, and flowers around Thanksgiving. Be careful with these as some flowers and plants can be toxic to pets. The ASPCA has lists of plants that are toxic to both dogs and cats. To be safe, keep your pets away from all plants and floral arrangements.

Guests: If you are hosting or having overnight guests for Thanksgiving, plan ahead to keep your pets safe. Unfamiliar visitors can be stressful for everyone.

  1. If you know your cat or dog is nervous when people visit your home, put him/her in another room or crate with their favorite toy. This will help reduce the emotional stress of your pet.
  2. Even if your pets are comfortable around guests, watch the exits, especially when people are entering or leaving. Your four-legged friend may make a break for it out the door when you are greeting guests.
  3. Make sure your pet has proper identification with your current contact information. This includes both microchips and tags. This way, if your pet does sneak out, they’re more likely to be returned to you.

Traveling with Your Pet: If you are traveling with your pets for Thanksgiving, be sure to take precautions.

  1. Never leave your pets alone in vehicles, even for a short time.
  2. Remember to pack for your pets – any medication, food, identification information, toys, etc.
  3. If you are driving a far distance, stop regularly so that your pet can stretch their legs, go potty, and have a drink of water.

Thanksgiving and pets go hand in hand – after all, we’re forever thankful for our furry family members. That’s why it’s a good idea to follow these tips and make your Thanksgiving as pet-friendly as possible.

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association Thanksgiving Pet Safety

Originally Published: November 16, 2022

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Feral Cat Day

In honor of Feral Cat Day, a local cat advocate made a generous contribution that enabled us to offer FREE services for feral cats! During our two-day event, 77 community cats were spayed, neutered, and rabies vaccinated.��

One unfixed female cat can produce up to 5 litters a year, starting at just 4 months of age, making spaying and neutering a critical need. Trap, Neuter, and Return (T.N.R.) is the only humane solution to reduce the suffering caused by the overpopulation of cats. Once cats are fixed, they return to where they were trapped to continue living their life!��

People who are involved in T.N.R. usually spend their own time, money, and resources to help cats in their communities- so this event was SO appreciated. Our anonymous donor expressed that witnessing this event was “one of the best days of her life.” It was heartwarming all around.

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PEThood Thrift News

It’s with deep sadness that we have some news to share. After 3 years, our PEThood Thrift Store is coming to an end. 

We are so grateful and thankful for all of the donors, shoppers, and volunteers who worked so hard to make this store a success. It has been a fun ride, and it’s not quite over yet! The store will be closing in late December. 

As of Nov. 1, we will ONLY be accepting donations of pet items and supplies. Please direct your donations to Wellspring Living in Duluth, Second Life Atlanta, or Furkids to help your community. 

The entire store will be 25% off beginning Saturday, Oct. 28 and each week the sales will increase. Make sure to stop in and grab what you can to support animals. Let’s make our final two months our biggest and best! 

Our eBay account, @ppog2860, will still be active and selling items throughout the year, and come January we plan to open a new and used pet supplies shop. Keep following our PEThood thrift page for updates. 

Thank you all! 

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Gwinnett County Residents and Their Pets Get the Help They Need!

This October, Gwinnett County pet owners and their pets received much-needed assistance. Planned PEThood’s outreach team, Go Fix Georgia, teamed up with Subaru of Gwinnett and Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement to provide free veterinary care and pet supplies to pet owners in need. 

Our team saw a whopping 322 adorable, deserving pets in just over four hours! That’s a whole lot of good in such a short time! In total, we were able to help 207 dogs and 115 cats. We’re thrilled that we were able to help so many dogs and cats receive free vaccines, microchips, flea medication, pet supplies, and more. Even more impressive is that 61% of pets were unaltered and 32% had never been to a vet before. Now, they have basic medical care and will be sterilized within the next few months. 

The need for outreach events like this was abundantly clear. Tons of people lined up early in the morning, some getting there hours before the event started. Owning a pet right now is hard as vet care and supply prices continue to grow. Vet care might be the last thing you can afford. These events help ensure the wellness of pets in the community and reduce overpopulation through free spay/neuter. We plan to continue working with Gwinnett County and other counties to host outreach events like this in the future. 

There were so many amazing organizations and volunteers who came together to help make this event successful. Without their support, this would never have been possible. Our Go Fix Georgia team could not have done it without our event sponsor, Subaru of Gwinnett and the ASPCA & Subaru Loves Pets Grant. Not only does Subaru of Gwinnett put their company’s name and resources behind animal welfare efforts, but they are also personally committed to the cause. It’s incredible of them to celebrate their ‘Subaru Loves Pets’ month by helping the underdogs right in our community. 

Other Assistance: Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement, Atlanta Humane SocietyPetco Love

Make sure to check our emails and social media for upcoming outreach event dates. We are always looking for partner companies or individuals to sponsor outreach events. Please email tweaver@PEThoodGA.org if you or your company might be interested in giving back.

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After Searching and Searching, Biggie Finally Found His Forever Home

After over a year in our foster program and waiting and waiting, Biggie Smalls finally found his perfect forever home!

Poor Biggie was originally dumped at a high-kill shelter. It didn’t take long for him to be adopted, but he was abandoned soon after that. A fellow rescuer reached out to Planned PEThood for help after finding Biggie alone, living on a porch, left to fend for himself. He had been ditched by his owners. Can you imagine how scared he must have been? Luckily, Biggie was a good boy and jumped right into his rescuer’s car, not making a peep the entire two-hour car ride. 

During the neglect he endured, Biggie’s skin was a mess from head to toe. He was infested with fleas and developed a terrible skin infection. This poor baby only wanted to be loved. With a little TLC and the help of his foster mom, Jess, our Adoption Manager, we were able to get his skin back to normal. 

Biggie waited so patiently for a home of his own. He even thought he found his forever home in time for Christmas last year, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out. His foster mom stayed by his side this entire time, helping Biggie stay positive. We knew Biggie would eventually find the perfect home because he is the sweetest, goofiest, easiest pup who simply wants a nice couch to chill on. After over a year of searching, he finally found it!

This sweet family had been on the search for the right pup and eventually came across Biggie’s profile. They knew they had to meet Biggie and just like they thought, it was love at first sight! Biggie will have three human siblings and the biggest, comfiest couch he’s been dreaming of. 

We couldn’t be more excited for Biggie and his new family! Wishing you the happiest life Biggie!

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Injured Dog Loses Eye, But Gains Loving Home

Katie and Bella Donna

A few months ago, this sweetheart 4-month-old pup, Bella Donna, arrived from Habersham County Animal Shelter through our Go Fix Georgia program. Sadly, she had been surrendered to the shelter with the most horrendous eye injury. Trust us, you really don’t want to see the image. However, Habersham knew our Go Fix Georgia program at Planned PEThood would be able to help!

Bella Donna headed to Planned PEThood on our Thursday shelter day to get her eye removed and her spay surgery, ready to start a healthier, happier life! With as much pain as she had to be in, she was begging for cuddles and belly rubs from staff both before and after surgery. 

One of our amazing vet techs, Katie, couldn’t stand the thought of her recovering alone in a kennel, so she took her home for the evening for one-on-one care. Just for a few days, of course. The plan was to return her to Habersham the next morning so Bella Donna could find her forever home. But love wins and sweet Bella Donna won the lottery!

Congrats to Katie and her new puppy! We love watching happily ever after happen to our Planned PEThood family and shelter pets!

Go Fix Georgia is a program dedicated to improving spay/neuter access to rural animal shelters and their communities throughout Georgia. Starting with Newton County Animal Control in 2019, this program ensures that more animals leave these shelters sterilized, and vaccinated. There is one rule we require when working with a shelter- every animal that enters the Go Fix Georgia program is guaranteed safety! That means these animals will either be adopted or placed with a rescue group. In the four years since beginning our program, we have expanded to five county shelters and helped to provide spay and neuter surgeries for over 5,000 lucky dogs and cats in Georgia.

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Calling All Cat Lovers! How To Celebrate Happy Cat Month

Calling all cat lovers! Happy Cat Month is celebrated every September. It’s a whole month dedicated to our feline friends and their well-being. CATalyst Council created this annual event to educate and inform cat owners on what they can do to ensure their pet is happy and healthy. 

Here are a few suggestions for pet parents to keep their feline fur babies happily purring:

Spend time with your cat

Cats LOVE attention and spending time with their owners. Snuggling, petting, and playing can be a fantastic way to spend time with your cat. Training your cat is another great way to spend time with your cat and help strengthen the bond between you and your fur baby. Cats are smart and food-oriented. Training them to do fun tricks or simple commands is a great physical and mental stimulation for felines. 

Keep your cat entertained

There are so many ways to do this! One of the easiest ways to make a cat happy and keep them entertained is with a new toy. Remember, not all toys have to be store-bought. Cats absolutely love a good, empty box. An empty box can entertain cats for hours. Cat scratching is not only mentally stimulating, but it is also good for their health. There are various cat scratchers you can find to set up around your home. Some cats enjoy watching TV. While it may seem silly, there are numerous videos on YouTube created to keep cats entertained. 

Keep your cat healthy

Schedule regular visits to the veterinarian to make sure your cat is healthy and free of any diseases or other health problems. Remember, a healthy cat is a happy cat. Yearly wellness visits can help catch medical issues early and ensure your cat is up-to-date on vaccinations. 

Give your cat a buddy

Most felines love the company of another kitty. Cats are social animals and enjoy having a playmate. Pet parents can visit a local animal shelter or rescue organization to find a feline friend for their fur baby. Having another cat can improve their quality of life.

Microchip your cat

Microchipping provides permanent identification in case your cat becomes lost. When scanned at a local shelter or vet, a microchip can show all your contact information to help your cat be reunited with you. It’s better to be prepared in case your cat is separated from you. Even if your cat is an indoor cat and never leaves the house, it’s a good idea to have a microchip in case the unexpected happens. 

These are just a few things to do to help your cat be happy and healthy. Happy Cat Month to your furry feline friends from all of us at Planned PEThood! 

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Meet Scooter, The Enviro-Cool Office Cat

This sweet, spunky girl, Scooter, was adopted from Planned PEThood back in 2014. Her story starts off terribly sad, but now she is living her best life as the official Envrio-Cool office cat. She’s kind of a big deal at Enviro-Cool. She wears many hats as President and CEO of Enviro-Cool. 

Although Scooter now lives her best life, she unfortunately came from a rough beginning. Someone found her after being hit and dragged by a car. Luckily, she had no broken bones but Scooter ended up needing skin grafts. She had a very long road to recovery involving lots of bandage changes. With lots of TLC from her foster family and medical help, she made a wonderful recovery. 

Scooter’s adoption photo from 2014

After hearing her story and seeing her heartbreaking photos, Mike and Carl, from Enviro-Cool, decided to adopt from Planned PEThood. Scooter has lived full-time as an office cat for 9 years with her 17-year-old friend, Kiwi, at Enviro-Cool. They say she is so friendly to everyone who comes into the office. Carl and Mike try to convince everyone to save a life and share an office with a shelter cat. They say having an office cat is such an icebreaker and a conversation piece with clients and customers. Scooter will lay on the table during meetings and everyone loves it. Carl and Mike believe office cats are great for morale and we have to agree! They say “If you want to succeed in business, you need an office cat”.

We’re thrilled to hear that Scooter is living such a wonderful life in such a caring office! If your business is interested in adopting an office cat, check out our cats currently available for adoption.

See this story on TikTok and follow us there as well!

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DO YOU KNOW – Which Vaccines Your Pet Should Have?

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of vaccinations, not just for humans but also for pets. It’s the perfect time to double-check that your pet is up-to-date with their vaccinations!

Why Vaccinate Your Pets?

Regularly scheduled wellness exams and vaccines keep your pet healthy. Vaccinating pets is an ongoing process, starting when they’re young and continuing throughout their lives. Vaccinations help to prevent diseases.

Different Vaccines:

Pet vaccines are usually split into two categories:

Core Vaccines are vaccines that are considered essential and are recommended for all pets. They protect pets from severe life-threatening diseases caused by viruses that have a global distribution. 

  • Core vaccines for dogs: Parvo, Distemper, Hepatitis (adenovirus), Rabies
  • Core vaccines for cats: Feline panleukopenia (distemper), Feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus (rhinotracheitis), Rabies, Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) (considered core in kittens)
  • In fact, current rabies vaccinations are required in many states to protect people and pets.

Non-core Vaccines are considered optional and given based on your pet’s lifestyle (staying inside, meeting with other pets, etc.), where you live, and your pet’s medical history. Several non-core vaccines protect against highly contagious or potentially life-threatening diseases. 

  • Non-core vaccines for dogs: Bordetella, Borrelia, Leptospirosis, Influenza
  • Non-core vaccines for cats: Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) (considered noncore in adults), Bordetella, Feline chlamydiosis
A vet listening to a dog's heart with a stethascope

When Should Your Pet Get Vaccinated?

The vaccination schedule for cats and dogs can vary, but typically kittens and puppies get their first vaccines when they’re around 6-8 weeks old. After that, they receive additional vaccines every 3-4 weeks until they’re about 16 weeks old. Once this initial series is completed, boosters are generally given annually or every three years, depending on the vaccine and the pet’s risk factors. 

As a responsible pet parent, it is vital to actively participate in the vaccination process. Regular vet visits ensure your pet receives their vaccines and stay healthy. A happy pet starts with good health, so take a moment to check if your fur babies are up-to-date on their vaccinations so they can live a long and joyful life. 

If your pet needs vaccines, book an appointment at our Wellness Clinic. Our clinic offers weekday appointments for routine veterinary care and vaccinations. Book today.

Sources: 

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/vaccines-for-dogs

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/vaccines-for-cats

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