The final season of celebrations has arrived. For 12 months I have shared pet holidays that are celebrated each year. I was unaware of many celebrations myself so enjoyed learning right along with all my readers. December has a smaller list of celebrations probably because everyone is so focused on their own holiday gatherings with coworkers, friends, and family.
Nice to see cats recognized during the month of December as we celebrate National Cat Lovers’ Month. It seems that cats are often overlooked in many different areas from diets, to toys, to medications, to pet celebrations. Cats visit veterinarians less on average than dogs. Many dog households have cats that never see a veterinarian. If you love your cat and it has not had an exam in the last year. Try to set up a well check for them. So often we see cats that no longer are eating, and owners are shocked when they realize how much weight they have lost. Cats are great at hiding illness. It is an instinct that came from their wild ancestors. If a cat showed weakness or illness, they would become a target, so they hide or sleep to avoid being attacked. Our domestic cats hide and sleep because they do not feel well but in a busy household those small changes can be missed. Free feeding cats in a multiple cat household can make it hard to know who is eating and who is not. With new diets and therapies catching these illnesses early can offer treatment that will allow them to live longer lives. Isn’t that our goal to have our pets live longer so we can enjoy them for years to come. Set an appointment today for your cat. Start them on the road to a longer healthier life and show them how much you love them!
December 2nd is National Mutt Day. It is also known as National Mixed Breed Day since many do not like to consider their dogs as mutts. The website has some cute photos of mixed breed dogs and then draws attention to a few famous mutts as well. In the past many years, the number of mixed breed dogs has increased tremendously. People claim their dogs are hybrids or pure bred maltipoo or goldendoodles. I am sorry to say that this is not correct. They are mixed breed dogs. It amazes me that people ignore that fact. I am all for mixed breed dogs since they often are healthier. Traditionally less genetic abnormalities and health issues are seen in mixed breed dogs. Poodles are being crossed with many different breeds of dogs to reduce shedding. Many new pet owners do not realize the need to have these dogs groomed frequently. Since the hair does not fall out the dogs need to be groomed. As veterinarians we are seeing more skin issues related to poor grooming techniques. The density of many of these coats requires that undercoat to be removed on a regular basis to allow the skin to breathe. Without grooming, the risk of bacterial dermatitis or fungus increases beneath that heavy layer of hair. Often these dogs must be shaved down to the skin to remove the mats and debris that has accumulated in the hair coat. If you own one of these mixed breed poodle crosses please speak with your veterinarian or a groomer to learn the proper way to care for these hair coats. Start regular care as young puppies so they will know what is expected for their grooming needs as they grow. Since there are more mixed breed dogs in the world they have a celebration on July 31st as well. Two opportunities to celebrate our mixed breed furry friends each year.
Shelter pets are certainly important to recognize each year. Therefore, on December 5th we have Celebrate Shelter Pets Day. With December being the time of giving why not find a shelter to donate food, toys, cat litter, blankets, etc. These shelters do amazing work and often are not recognized for the time and energy they put forth to help find forever homes for these sweet critters. If you have a shelter pet, why not take a picture to post on social media and talk about their “Gotcha Day”. Let’s encourage others to adopt a shelter pet since most dogs these days are mixed breed anyway!
International Day of Veterinary Medicine is celebrated on Dec 9th each year. This is a worldwide event to honor all people in the profession. To recognize that the field of Veterinary Medicine expands into public health and human welfare also. Keeping our food supply healthy. Protecting our environment to prevent loss of important species of animals. Many people think of a veterinarian as a person that cares for animals. That is one important role but there are so many others. Across the globe veterinarians and their support staff work together to battle cases of rabies. They collaborate to protect the marine species populations from changing water temperatures and levels. When a chemical spill happens anywhere, veterinarians are called in to assist in the care of the impacted marine and animal life. When the pandemic hit, veterinary laboratories were running covid tests to assist the human laboratories with the influx of tests. The following link tells some history of when Veterinary Medicine began. The variety of roles veterinarians and their assistants play are a reason to celebrate December 9th.
International Day of Veterinary Medicine (December 9th)
These last two holidays are not really about pets. National Cat Herders Day is December 15th. This has nothing to do with cats. In theory, herding cats can be quite challenging due to their behaviors and natural instincts. Cats tend to be more solitary and territorial, making them less likely to follow a leader or move in unison. Therefore, this holiday was created to recognize people who can remain calm and organized in the face of all sorts of confusion and chaos. The saying, “It was like herding a bunch of cats“ has been used when someone is trying to organize something, and it requires a lot of patience. Also, the task is next to impossible just like it would be to herd a bunch of cats. The third Thursday in December is National Underdog Day and has nothing to do with dogs. It recognizes people who have done the unexpected and achieved something that no one thought they could do. In 1976 Peter Moeller founded this celebration and encourages you to root for an underdog in your life on this day.
As we close out 2024 and Winterset Veterinary Centers 40th year of business, we continue to be grateful to all our clients and their critters, big and small, that remain loyal to Dr Jim and myself. We love to hear that a new client was referred by friends or family since that is the best compliment you can give us. Recently I saw a client from Georgia that had first visited us in 2022. They travel all over the USA in their camper with their 3 kids and 3 dogs. She said they returned to Winterset because they love the city campground and the new all-inclusive playground but also the small-town friendly people of Winterset Veterinary Center. That made our day to hear that we had left a lasting impact on them, and they chose to return. Have a wonderful Christmas Season and we will see you in 2025!
