April is Heartworm Awareness Month across the nation. This disease is prevalent in all parts of our country since dogs travel often with their owners. When I started practicing over 35 years ago, pet owners had to give dogs a daily tablet to protect against heartworm disease. We only did prevention 3 seasons since mosquitoes are not a concern in the winter months. Every dog had a heartworm test in the spring. As you can imagine the spring schedule was intense because if they came in for the heartworm test, they wanted to do everything at the same time. During my senior year of veterinary school my last rotation was a preceptorship for the 6 weeks before graduation. That was a huge plus looking for jobs because I was able to start in April and help during that busy season. My first job was in St. Cloud, Minnesota at Granite City Pet Hospital. It was a newer practice with a seasoned veterinarian who was growing his business and needed assistance. My husband and I both visited the area and after our interviews we both were given a thumbs up that we would have jobs waiting for us if we accepted. Dan would move from Farm Credit Services in Perry, Iowa to continue his role with them in St. Cloud, MN. I would begin working as a veterinarian under the supervision of the current owner until passing my National and State boards. As it worked out, we spent the next 12 years in the St. Cloud area.

Today Heartworm prevention looks very different. For instance, cats are a secondary host for heartworms and causes lung disease if exposed. We never had options for cat prevention until recently. Now there is a product called Revolution Plus that protects cats against heartworms as well. We now have an annual injection called Proheart 12 for all dogs over 12 months of age to prevent heartworm disease. This new product has allowed owners to focus only on flea and tick prevention at home. We do heartworm prevention year-round because these products do not stop infection on day 1 when given. They are slowly released over the course of the year and knock down the larva as they mature. Also, so many are traveling with pets that many exposures are happening as people seek warmer climates. The winter even here in Iowa has changed enough that we have ticks year-round now. Prevention is key when it comes to protecting our pets against these diseases.   

April 1-7^th is International Pooper Scooper Week. Who would have known there would be a week for this. The week is designed to encourage people to pick up poop after their pet(s). There is a concern about pet waste contaminating the water supply and surrounding environments. Poop broken down by the sun can still spread intestinal parasites to other dogs that sniff in the location of the decaying stool. Some dogs tend to eat poop so by being a good canine pet owner and removing their waste we can prevent other diseases from occurring. Many cities have ordinances that fine people for not picking up after their pet(s). I have seen fines anywhere from $100 – 1000 for failure to comply.  The city of Winterset has an ordinance stating in section 3.1304 and 3.1305 about clean up and penalties associated with dog poop. The fines start small but increase over time for multiple offenses. If you need some light reading material before bed, check out Chapter 13, pages 131-132 in the following link:

• View the Winterset Municipal Code

April 2^nd is Ferret Day. A lot of people do not think of ferrets as pets. Any owners I have known over the years, if they have one, they have multiples. They are inquisitive and can be very entertaining as you watch them explore the world around them. Care is often centered around spay and neuter. There are no vaccinations specifically for ferrets, but we use the canine distemper vaccination and rabies for dogs and cats if needed. Some people want to descent a ferret to reduce odor. It is important to know they will still have a musky odor since the skin has glands that secrete oils as well.

April 11^th is National Pet Day. Is there ever a day that our pets are not front and center?  2006 was the first year this holiday was recognized. The founder, Colleen Paige, wanted to celebrate the joy that pets bring to our lives but also raise awareness for all the pets waiting in shelters to be adopted. She also was the founder of National Dog Day and National Cat Day.  Think about posting a photo of you with your pet(s) on Thursday April 11^th to recognize the joy and health benefits you receive from your pet(s).

April 14-21, 2024 is National Dog Bite Prevention week. For years I would spend a day each spring at one of the 3 different schools in our county discussing Dog Bites and how to prevent them. It was part of the Health and Safety Fair funded by Madison County Cares and Madison County Health Care System. It ran for 12 straight years but then Covid hit. As with many programs, it was never scheduled again. I have kept my poster hoping that one day there will be a place to share this valuable information again. The misunderstanding is that only certain breeds are dangerous. Over 30 different breeds of dogs have killed people. Most of the injured are children and most bites happen with a dog that is familiar to the victim. Please teach your children to ASK to pet a person’s dog. HOLD OUT THEIR HAND to let the dog sniff them before approaching any closer. If the dog growls or raises a lip or snaps they will be farther away to react and avoid serious injury. Those two simple things can reduce the incidence of dog bites.

April 27, 2024 is World Veterinary Day. This celebration takes place every year the last Saturday of April. It was established in the year 2000 to celebrate those in the veterinary profession. They wanted to acknowledge not only the veterinarians but also the staff that help keep our pets healthy and disease free. Did you know that the first veterinary college was opened in 1761 in France? If interested in learning more about the World Veterinary Association or how you can celebrate World Veterinary Day follow this link:

World Veterinary Day (April 27th, 2024) | Days Of The Year

April 30^th is National Therapy Animal Day. There seems to be a lot of confusion about service dogs, therapy dogs, or emotional support dogs.  In April 2017 I wrote a blog about these terminologies hoping to help people understand the difference.

Is This a Service Animal, Therapy Animal, or Pet? Winterset Veterinary Center Blog

There is a place for therapy dogs trained and certified to help people during a crisis or illness. Please do not try to pass your personal pet off as a therapy or service dog or cat. When people do these things, it makes it more difficult for those who truly do need their service dog or therapy animal to go to public spaces with them.  The following link shares more information about National Therapy Animal Day if you are interested in celebrating this event with a special therapy dog or cat.

National Therapy Animal Day

Multiple other holidays are in the month of April that you can look up in the attached link. It is difficult to list them all. I just decided to touch on a few of them.

National Dog Day and 150+ Other Pet Holidays to … Happy Spring and Happy Easter to all my readers. Get out and enjoy the warm weather and sunshine. Only 6 months before the first frost shows up again. Got to take advantage of these longer days. Easter seems early this year. Looking at past history, Easter usually falls on a Sunday between March 22^nd and April 25^th. Good thing the flowers started early too.

February was an amazing month for weather. Feel that spring has come early but here come March. The old saying: “In like a lamb out like a lion,” should be considered. With the new month comes a whole new set of days to celebrate critters in the animal kingdom. Let’s see how many days you can celebrate in March 2024 with the wide variety of pet holidays.

March 1:	National Pig Day National Welsh Corgi Day National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day Employee Appreciation Day (first Friday in March)
March 2:	International Rescue Cat Day
March 3:	World Wildlife Day If Pets Had Thumbs Day Tripawed Awareness Day
March 8:	International Akita Day
March 13:	K-9 Veterans Day
March 14:	World Kidney Day UK Dog Theft Awareness Day
March 15:	National Catio Day
March 17:	Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Day (patron saint of cats)
March 20:	National Westie Day World Sparrow Day
March 23:	National Puppy Day
March 25:	National Newfoundland Dog Day
March 27:	National Terrier Day
March 28:	Respect Your Cat Day
March 30:	Take a Walk in the Park Day

Interesting list of celebrations for the month of March. In honor of National Pig Day on March 1^st, I have posted a photo of our clients with their miniature pigs Flower and Daisy. I have fond memories of my days raising hogs on our family farm in the 70’s. My brother and I showed hogs in FFA and had great success with our Hampshire/Duroc cross. We had a farrow to finish operation for most of my childhood years. I was the county and district Pork Queen and traveled promoting pork around the state of Iowa and even got a trip to Southern California to promote pork. Monday night is the Pork Producers Banquet celebrating the benefits of our porcine friends. Whether as companions or livestock we are better off with pigs in our lives.  See you at the banquet!

March 3^rd Is If Pets Had Thumbs Day. WHAT? Where did this celebration come from. Seems thought has gone into if pets had thumbs would they even need us? They could get their own food, open their own doors, fill their own water bowls, and do many other tasks. I thought it might be a day to celebrate polydactyles like Cheetoe. I would call these THUMBS!

Never knew March 3rd is a TriPAWED Awareness Day for pets that are amputees. Dr Jim does this surgery 3-4 times a year for various reasons. Trauma cases are the most common reason a pet’s limb is removed. We also have situations where the nerves have been damaged by a trauma event and getting the sensation back is unlikely, so the decision is made to amputate. Bone cancer is another reason a limb is removed to reduce likelihood of the cancer spreading to other limbs. It is amazing how well tripawed dogs and cats do with day-to-day activities. I adopted a cat that had been run over and her paw had lost innervation to the front leg. Dr Jim amputated it and she still loved to run and hunt like the rest of them. She never wanted sympathy or special treatment. She just wanted to be treated like everyone else. The picture of Rose with her special friend shows how fun life can be as a tripawed! Rose has been a tripawed most of her life and brings such joy to all around her. She never misses an opportunity to explore her world when given the chance. Let’s flood Facebook with photos of our tripaws on March 3^rd. Today it is possible to have a prosthetic limb made for animals that lose a limb. How far we have come in helping our animals live life to its fullest.

March 15^th is National Catio Day. I had to look this one up. It is thinking outside of the box to give your cat more stimulation about the outside world without ever exposing them to it. For instance, a glass box window that juts out from your house. When looking at it from the outside it appears your cat is suspended in the air. Enclosures that allow your cat to go out on the patio but never touch the ground. A sunroom that is set up for your cats to feel like they are in the outdoors. Look it up. You would be amazed at people’s creativity. Cats love to be able to climb up and look over their kingdom.

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles is considered the patron saint of cats. The history behind this is interesting. She lived during a time in Belgium (600 AD) when rats were a common pest. She brought cats into the monastery to control the rat population. In the 1980’s someone decided to make her a patron saint of cats. The day is March 17^th. If you are not Irish and have no interest in drinking green beverages maybe you can celebrate St. Gertrude of Nivelles Day with your favorite felines!  Follow this link for a beautiful prayer for your cat(s) from an article by CatGenie. 

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles: Patron Saint Of Cats

March 23^rd is National Puppy Day. If you ask me, every day is puppy day if you are lucky enough to have one. Wonderful to honor them with a celebration but from my point of view they bless us every day just by being in our lives. Whether your dog is young or old, big or little, bald or hairy, they all play a major role in bringing us joy, comfort, companionship, unconditional love, reasons to get outside and enjoy our unseasonably warm weather. That leads me to the next day to celebrate which is March 30^th – Walk in the Park Day. Our pets can keep us active by encouraging us to get outside and take a walk.  Let the sun fill you with warmth and your furry friend remind you of all the blessings in your life.  Happy Spring everyone!

LET’S MOVE ON FROM JANUARY. For me January is the longest month of the year. Not certain if it is the shorter daylight or the freezing cold, or like this year the blizzard conditions but I am very glad to put it in the review mirror. February being the shortest month of the year even though 2024 is a leap year is full of pet events. Our profession has done a great job of promoting February as Dental health Month for our furry friends. Let’s look at other fun events that this month holds.

• Dog Training Education Month
• National Cat Health Month
• National Prevent a Litter Month
• Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
• Responsible Pet Owners Month
• Feb 2^nd: Hedgehog Day (Groundhog Day)
• Feb 2^nd: Golden Retriever Day
• Feb 3^rd: Doggie Date Night
• Feb 7^th-14^th: Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week
• Feb 14^th:  Pet Theft Awareness Day
• Feb 18^th-24^th: National Justice for Animals Week
• Feb 20^th: National Love Your Pet Day
• Feb 22^nd: National Walking the Dog Day
• Feb 22^nd: National Wildlife Day (also celebrated in September)
• Feb 23^rd: International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
• Feb 27^th: International Polar Bear Day
• Feb 28^th: World Spay Day

The most known celebration would be Groundhog Day on February 2^nd each year. I discovered while looking at the history of this event that Punxsutawney Phil and Polk County Paula (yes we have our own celebrity in Iowa!) are only right 40% of the time. If you use their predictions on how many more weeks of winter, you might be disappointed. The Farmer’s Almanac may be more reliable but even that has had a rocky road when it comes to predictions. I believe only the Creator knows and He smiles down as we place our hope in these traditions.

One day I do want to acknowledge in the month of February is Golden Retriever Day. I am aware that multiple breeds have a special day but this one holds a special place in my heart. Our coach shown here was our first family dog. Our kids grew up with him and he left a permanent mark on their lives.

Our first-born child, Jaclyn, chose to follow the tradition and got Ciggy 7 months before our granddaughter was born. It has been a joy watching July grow up with Ciggy. It has brought back many fun memories of watching her mom grow up with Coach. We are only 2 ½ years into this new relationship but they are very bonded. I decided to do a photo drop of Ciggy and July through the last few years. You will see not only that I have one of the cutest granddaughters but also that Ciggy has been an exceptional companion for her. From the moment she came home he has showered her with snuggles and wet kisses. Get ready for some adorable photos and some “Nene pride and joy”.

February 3^rd is Doggie Date Night. This could be a fun event during the cold days of winter to plan a special event with your dog. Maybe you could have a dog get together with friends. Maybe you could plan a date at the local dog park. Maybe taking them on a weekend getaway would help break the boredom of long winter days and nights. Lots of hotels are allowing pets access to certain rooms in their buildings. Most have outdoor areas for elimination. They have realized if they want to attract pet loving customers they need to be more open to their fur babies.

I would also like to highlight the February 20^th National Love Your Pet Day. Take a great photo of you and your pet or pets between now and then. On the 20^th post those photos and let’s show the world how important our animal friends are in our lives. If you have lost a pet recently, share a photo in memory of them. Tell us why they are/were important in your life. With all the negativity in our world lets flood social media with positive messages.

I cannot forget to mention Feb 28^th World Spay Day. Since 1988 I have been in the veterinary profession. When I began practicing, we often did wait to spay/neuter cats and dogs. I am seeing a trend in the current pet owner population to wait. These decisions are for various reasons, and I will not go into those here today. I want to comment that the behavioral issues and health implications of waiting needs to be factored into the decision to wait. Dogs and cats that are left intact are going to be more “worldly” in their mannerisms. They are constantly distracted by the environment around them and less tuned into their humans. This is instinctive and they cannot prevent it. If you are questioning whether to spay/neuter early or delay, speak with your veterinarian. The resources are great online to educate yourself about this topic. Your veterinarian would be an even better resource. Most breeders have experiences that may impact their preferences. Friends and family as resources can be helpful but don’t rely only on what others say or think. Make these important decisions for yourself and your pet based on what situations are happening in your life. Our world has shelters that are overcrowded with adult dogs and cats that come from all walks of life. Be a responsible pet owner and avoid unwanted litters by spaying your dog or cat.