Murphy's 10 Steps to a Purrfect 2016! Part One

Happy 2016!

                The new year is a time to set some new goals, make some changes in your life and such but, don’t forget about including your pets in these changes! Talk about a great way to bond with your fur babies! Create these goals so they include your pet and improve the both of you! Trust me, we like to be involved in EVERYTHING you humans do! I did some research during my down time at the office and stumbled upon a list of the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Pet (and you). I happen to love all of the ideas so I thought my readers would as well.

#10. Measure your Pets Food (and yours I suppose!) It is so easy to over feed your pets (and yourself) so measuring out all servings is a great way to control portions. You don’t want to be consuming too many calories. That’s how we get plump!

#9. Choose an Age Appropriate Diet. Make sure the diet you are feeding is formulated to give your pet all the nutrients necessary. Ya’know, they do have puppy, kitten and adult specific diets for a reason!  Read, read and read! Do your research about what diet is best for your pet and of course consult with Doc Ellis for his suggestions.

#8. Try Something New! How about a new activity or adventure for you and your pet?! Seek out new hiking trails, try a training class together, find fun interactive games to play at home, the possibilities are endless my friends! This keeps everyone active and healthy and even strengthens your bond with your fur babies.

#7. Incorporate More Playtimes. I know I know, everyone is crazy busy but you can do it! Even if adding an extra ten minutes here and there is better than nothing. Try some simple, quick games, a walk, play with a favorite toy, whatever you want! Just make more time to bond with your babies.

#6. Make a Date with Your Veterinarian. There is no better way to start off the year then with a visit to the doctor. This applies to humans and pets of course! Get some routine blood work done, update vaccines, discuss preventive care, discuss diet (#9 and #10 come into play here) and address any concerns you may have. Just make sure everyone is on the right path to a healthy new year!

If you ask me, those are Purrfect tips to starting the New Year right and we are only half way there! Tune in next week to hear the top 5 on the list!

 Murphy Cat

 

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays!

I thought it would be appropriate to share some safety tips with everyone to make sure all fur babies have a safe and happy holiday season.

Now, if your pet is anything like me… (Yikes!) Then you need to be extra careful with decorations and how much stress is in the air. For me, any type of ribbon, string, ball etc. I’m all over it and think it is a great new toy! Naughty! All these things are major hazards to cats and dogs. If ingested, they can block our pet’s intestines and cause big problems. Now that isn’t fun for anyone! To help avoid this from happening try:

• Keep all decorations out of reach (remember, we can still jump!)
• If you have a tree, keep it in a corner and block it off when your pet is not supervised
• This goes for gifts too! Keep those blocked off as well, our noses work well and can sniff out all goodies! (even if they aren’t meant for us)

Plants! Man, I love to chew on plants! Did you know Holly, Mistletoe and Poinsettias are poisonous to cats and dogs! Yikes! I don’t want to chew on those plants!

As for stress, everyone gets stressed and overwhelmed during the busy holiday season. Us fur babies do too don’t forget! Here are a few pointers to help ease some of that stress:

• Go for an extra walk or two with the pups (helpful for both human and animal!)
• Have a separate, cozy, quite room for fur babies to escape to for some alone time.
• Keep treats handy. Don’t feed human food, this can add extra stress on the belly!
• Always keep Sunderland Animal Hospital’s number handy, just in case!

Well, I hope these tips help everyone have a stress free, wonderful holiday season! Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page for some more helpful suggestions, and you can always call to speak with my girlfriends at the office! They are always here to help!

Tune in next week!

                 Murphy Cat

 

 

Murphy's Diet

Hello Again!

Another week gone, this year is just flying by!

Well, last week I had mentioned the whole, me being overweight issue, and wanted to give ya’ll some more information. I hope I can help out my other kitty friends who may be struggling with the same problem. Don’t worry guys; I’m here for moral support!
So, let me take you on my weight loss journey. It all started with my pal Dr. Ellis. I was due for my annual exam so we checked some blood work (not as scary as it sounds, promise!), took my vitals, weight (boo), and did an overall exam. Glad to report, all looked good, well except my weight of course. Now, no one ever wants to hear that dreaded word DIET but, that was exactly what came out of Dr. Ellis’ mouth! My kitty claws were ready to strike! Until… He started to explain why…

*        Depression
*        Stress on the heart
*        Respiratory Problems
*        Skin Conditions
*        Diabetes
*        Liver Disease
*        Arthritis
*        Shortened lifespan! Come on now, I need to live FOREVER!

Meow! That list is just too long, time to listen to the doctor and get my life back on track! First, diet change, I was pleased with this because they FINALLY figured out that I’m a carnivore! My current diet did not support this, Young Again Zero Carb Cat food however, does!  Yup, everyone needs to try this, delish! Even better, my food bowl is never, I mean, never empty. I don’t binge eat because I know my food is not going to disappear and my body is able to regulate better when I graze (typical carnivore behavior that Young Again understands). Ya’know, us domestic cats are spitting images of lions and tigers! Our natural diet would consist of meat and fat. The Young Again diet reflects this. It is high in protein, has less than 1% starch and avoids plant proteins that we don’t need. That’s not the only good thing…

*        Tastes AMAZING!
*        Contains Enzymes and Probiotics (my tummy feels great!)
*        I have more energy
*        I’m Friendlier (a lot of you agree with this)
*        My fur is silky smooth
*        It helps me build muscle

Now tell me, who wouldn’t want to eat this!? Call the office and speak to one of my girls or Dr. Ellis if you want more information on the diet.

Now that my diet has been changed, the next step is to wait… Weight loss is a long process and one must be patient. I also have become more active, the girls play with me all the time and I love chasing my cat nip pillow down the hallway! Being active is a very important piece to this puzzle as well. 

Now to recap, what does one need to do to take charge of their weight loss…

1.       Schedule an exam with your veterinarian
2.       Run some blood work to make sure your body is functioning properly
3.       Get together a game plan with your doctor
               a.       Diet change
               b.      Exercise schedule
               c.       Any additional changes that may be needed…
4.       Wait… and wait… for results!

There ya have it! On the road for success! Take it from me; it is well worth the work. I’m here if you need me, along with the lovely girls at the Sunderland Animal Hospital and Dr. Ellis.

 

Murphy Cat 

Typical Monday

Hello all, Murphy here!

Most of you have met me already and even shared a few head-butts here and there at the office! But, if you haven’t met me, I’m the handsome, trim, loveable kitty that runs the office at SAH. I’m the one that gives you a warm greeting as you enter the clinic. Meow! Any who, I thought it would be fun to share some of my daily experiences with you. Ya’ know, SAH through cats’ eyes… Pretty interesting let me tell you!

Well, I started my day like I typically do with some exercise. Took a few laps around the clinic, quick as lightning! Sprinting back and forth between exam rooms, over, under, around the waiting room chairs, up and over the front desk. Felt like I was soaring through space! All that soaring sure did make me hungry, breakfast time (my favorite)! Speaking of food, did you know that I used to be very unhealthy and overweight? You don’t believe it do ya? Yup, it’s the truth! I weighed in at a whopping 18lbs! I felt so tired and cranky, all I ever did was eat and sleep, sleep and eat. I bet some of you remember me being not so nice. Did you know, according to AAHA, up to 59% of cats and dogs are overweight?! Crazy right, Meow! Luckily, Dr. Ellis put me on the right track to a heathy weight and a healthy life! ... I’ll come back to this later...

After my breakfast, it was time to supervise! Today is Monday (ugh, no one likes Mondays!) and Dr. Ellis and the staff (my girlfriends) are in and out of appointments all day long. Today, I got to meet a few dogs; one was even wearing a great Santa coat! We also had an adorable, tiny, fluffy puppy come in for his first visit! When I say tiny, I mean tiny, I could squish him if I sat on him! I only got to see ONE cat today, only ONE! Come on cat lovers, you can do better than that! We had a few here for vaccines, a follow up on dry skin issues and TWO new clients. Yahoo! Welcome to the SAH family (they will love it here I’m sure of it). Everyone left with a smile on their face and a clean bill of health.  

The office began to quiet down, phone ringing less, no more clients to get wonderful pats from. My supervising job complete for today. Phew! I’m ready for a nap! I ended my day with a quick bath and of course a few more snacks. It was another good day here at the Sunderland Animal Hospital.

Until next time!

     Murphy Cat