News Bites

News Bites for October 2022

New Happenings

We are so pleased to introduce our new Veterinarian, Dr. Erin Krysinski, who joined our team in September. 

Dr. Erin was born and raised in Michigan to parents that are both also veterinarians. She received her doctorate in 2019 from Michigan State University and has been living and working in Utah since graduation. She loves surgery, especially orthopedics and soft tissue surgery, but her greatest joy in veterinary medicine is using her skills to strengthen the human-animal bond.

When not working at the clinic, Dr. Krysinski can be seen riding her thoroughbred, “Sur,” or hiking/biking with her husband, Seth, and her Field Bred English Cockers, Finny, and Shorts. Her family also consists of 2 cats, Bridger and Mackinac, and 11 chickens.

Holiday Foods to Avoid

As hard as it is to believe, summer is over, fall is here, and the holidays are right around the corner. With holiday celebrations, sharing large meals and treats are common in most households. Sharing food and drink with your beloved furry family member is not always a wise or healthy choice. Here is a small list (definitely not all-inclusive) of some of the items not to share with your pet.

  1. Alcohol. This has the same effect on a dog or cat’s liver and brain as it does on a human, but it doesn’t take as much to cause serious damage and can even lead to respiratory distress, tremors, coma, and death. 
  2. Caffeine. Deserts and other holiday dishes may call for coffee, tea or chocolate for an ingredient, but they all contain caffeine, which can actually be fatal.
  3. Candy. While the sugar in candy isn’t great for your pet, the sweetener xylitol, which is often used in sugar free candy, can lead to liver failure.
  4. Chocolate. In addition to caffeine, chocolate contains theobromine which can result in seizures and death if a large enough amount is consumed.
  5. Dairy products. Milk, cream, cheese, and butter are bad for both humans and pets. They can cause diarrhea and other digestive disturbances as well as allergic reactions, so leave the dairy laden foods off their plate this holiday season.
  6. Eggnog. Loaded with fat, sugar, milk, raw eggs, and alcohol, this beverage is definitely off of the holiday list for your pet.
  7. Garlic, onions, and chives. This group of ingredients can be found in just about anything from mashed potatoes to stuffing. If enough is ingested, it can lead to damaged blood cells and anemia.
  8. Ham and bacon. Dishes that contain pork can cause pancreatitis due to the amount of fat it contains. Pancreatitis can be a potentially life-threatening disease in  your pet.
  9. Nutmeg. In significant amounts, this spice can be toxic, causing hallucinations, stomach pain and even seizures. Other spices can be dangerous too, so please try not to feed your pet treats from your holiday dinner.
  10. Turkey bones. Please be exceptionally vigilant this holiday season and make sure your pet does not have access to any turkey bones. Cooked bones can be hard and sharp and can perforate the intestines or cause an obstruction and have to be surgically removed. (PETA)

Riverton Veterinary Clinic staff wishes you and your family a wonderful, safe, healthy holiday season. Thank you for your support and continued patience and we hope to see you and all of your wonderful furry family members soon.