{"id":63,"date":"2014-11-11T05:00:35","date_gmt":"2014-11-11T09:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/?p=63"},"modified":"2022-07-08T14:35:21","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T18:35:21","slug":"pet-lost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/pet-lost\/","title":{"rendered":"What should you do if your pet gets lost?"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most traumatic events a pet owner can go through is having a pet on the run.<\/p>\n

\"Lucky<\/p>\n

Think it could never happen to your pet? Many smart and loving pet owners did before…<\/p>\n

Yet many un-sterilized pets run away, (mis)guided by hormones. And as many as 20% of pets, end up MIA after being scared by loud noises such as\u00a0thunderstorms or\u00a0fireworks.<\/p>\n

Here are 10 tips to help you\u00a0find\u00a0your\u00a0pet ASAP:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. File a “lost pet” report with every rescue organization, every shelter and\u00a0every animal control office within a 60-mile radius\u00a0of your home. Also make a point of\u00a0visiting all\u00a0nearby shelters every day.<\/li>\n
  2. Alert\u00a0all veterinary clinics, both day practices and emergency clinics,\u00a0in your\u00a0area. Prepare a flier to be posted at the front desk. It’s not uncommon that\u00a0people bring\u00a0a stray dog or cat to their family vet, no matter how far from where the animal was found.<\/li>\n
  3. Several times per\u00a0day,\u00a0walk around and\/or drive around\u00a0your neighborhood. Ask\u00a0friends and family members\u00a0to help out.<\/li>\n
  4. Alert\u00a0everybody you meet. Pet owners especially will be sensitive to your situation.<\/li>\n
  5. Give anybody who is willing to help\u00a0a recent picture\u00a0of\u00a0your pet and your contact information.<\/li>\n
  6. Post\u00a0flyers everywhere: all over\u00a0the neighborhood (telephone poles etc), as well as in private and public locations (businesses, stores, post office…).<\/li>\n
  7. Slick trick: to avoid scams, leave out one characteristic when you\u00a0describe\u00a0your\u00a0pet. If someone calls and claims to have seen your pet,\u00a0ask them\u00a0to describe the missing item.<\/li>\n
  8. Use the Internet. There are several\u00a0pet recovery websites\u00a0such as FidoFinder.com, TheCenterForLostPets.com and Craigslist.org.<\/li>\n
  9. If you don’t have the time to do all of the above, or can’t take off work easily, consider using a lost pet recovery service. They\u00a0will contact\u00a0neighbors, vets, shelters and other\u00a0organizations – for a fee.<\/li>\n
  10. Just in case your\u00a0pet comes back\u00a0home when (s)he is\u00a0hungry or thirsty, you could place food and water around\u00a0your home. You could even\u00a0place\u00a0the bowls\u00a0in a (humane) pet trap to catch\u00a0them.<\/li>\n
  11. Bonus tip: use social media. Facebook, Twitter and texting can be good ways to spread the word\u00a0quickly.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Bottom line:\u00a0The first few hours are critical. You need to put in place all of these strategies. But you just can’t do it all by yourself, so enroll help. Get the word out quickly.\u00a0Never\u00a0give up. It’s a cruel world out there… and your mission is to save your pet.<\/p>\n

    The information above is loosely borrowed (with permission) from our colleagues at\u00a0DVM360, a professional magazine.<\/p>\n

    I would like to add a few important points: what should you do to prevent your pet from getting lost?<\/h3>\n

    \u2022 Take pet identification seriously. A name tag on a collar is a minimum. It should have your pet’s info, your vet’s info, and yours. Of course this doesn’t do any good if the collar is not around your pet’s neck.<\/p>\n

    A tattoo can be done by your vet (under anesthesia). The best solution is a microchip. This is a tiny electronic device, about the size of a grain of rice, that is implanted under the skin. It can be done awake – anytime.<\/p>\n

    When a lost\u00a0pet is found at a shelter or a vet clinic, the first thing people do is “scan” the pet to see if there is a microchip. As long as the\u00a0microchip is linked to a CURRENT address and phone number (hint, hint), you should get a call with the good news. PLEASE microchip your pets.<\/p>\n

    \u2022 If you\u00a0allow your\u00a0pet to be\u00a0unsupervised in the yard, make sure the fence is 100% secure.<\/p>\n

    \u2022 Don’t trust electric fences 100%. An excited dog can run right through them. However, once on the other side, they may not want to be “shocked” again, so they may remain outside the perimeter. Oh, which reminds me: several\u00a0of my clients dearly regretted not having the special collar around their dog’s neck the day\u00a0they were hit by a car. If you go through the expense of installing an\u00a0electric fence, then please always put the collar on your dog’s neck every time (s)he goes outside. One exception is all it takes…<\/p>\n

    \u2022 ALWAYS walk your dog on a leash. If you are a long-time reader, you surely have read countless stories of pets who have been hit (or worse) by a car. This is a DAILY occurrence in my practice.<\/p>\n

    \u2022 In my opinion as a surgeon who has seen countless horrifying injuries, I would never, ever let a cat outside. My cats are banned from the outside world, and they are perfectly happy indoors.<\/p>\n

    \u2022\u00a0Freedom is a wonderful concept… until somebody gets hurt, or until the teary owner realizes that they just can’t afford a 2-3-4-5 thousand dollar bill at the vet.<\/p>\n

    \u2022 Be especially careful and secure the house (doors, gates, windows) when there are fireworks (July 4th, New Year’s Eve etc), around Halloween (especially if you have a black cat) and when you hear thunder.<\/p>\n

    As in many endeavors, prevention is easier than the “treatment.” You now have a script to prevent your pet from running away. And if you are if this unfortunate situation, or know somebody who is, you have some tips to get your pet back home.<\/p>\n

    Good luck.<\/p>\n

    Until next time,<\/p>\n

    Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    One of the most traumatic events a pet owner can go through is having a pet on the run. Think it could never happen to your pet? Many smart and loving pet owners did before… Yet many un-sterilized pets run away, (mis)guided by hormones. And as many as 20% of pets, end up MIA after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat should you do if your pet gets lost? | Dr Phil Zeltzman\u2019s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of the most traumatic events a pet owner can go through is having a pet on the run. Think it could never happen to your pet? 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He is a board-certified surgeon and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, a coveted professional achievement Dr. Zeltzman is also a certified surgeon for the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), having performed thousands of these procedures in dogs from less than 30 pounds to more than 250 pounds! The results of his work have been very impressive. Dr. Zeltzman\u2019s interests include all aspects of soft tissue, orthopedic, cancer, reconstructive, and neuro surgery, as well as physical therapy and emergency cases. He also has a strong interest in the prevention and treatment of obesity. His newest endeavor is stem cell therapy for arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). 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He performs specialized orthopedic, neurologic, cancer, and soft tissue surgeries on dogs, cats, and small exotics at your family vet\u2019s hospital. After graduating in 1993 from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Liege in Belgium, Dr. Zeltzman simultaneously worked as a general practitioner, emergency vet, and journalist for three years in his native city of Paris, France. He completed a one-year internship at the University of Georgia, followed by a three-year surgery residency at Surgical Referral Service in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. He then worked as a surgeon for four years at a surgical practice in Cincinnati, Ohio, and an additional four years at a surgical practice in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. He is a board-certified surgeon and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, a coveted professional achievement Dr. Zeltzman is also a certified surgeon for the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), having performed thousands of these procedures in dogs from less than 30 pounds to more than 250 pounds! The results of his work have been very impressive. Dr. Zeltzman\u2019s interests include all aspects of soft tissue, orthopedic, cancer, reconstructive, and neuro surgery, as well as physical therapy and emergency cases. He also has a strong interest in the prevention and treatment of obesity. His newest endeavor is stem cell therapy for arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). Dr. Zeltzman knew he wanted to be a veterinarian since the age of 5 when his favorite TV shows were Flipper, Daktari, and Lassie. \u201cBecoming a veterinary surgeon has been a dream come true, and I am as passionate about my profession as I was when I first started,\u201d he says. In practice, Dr. Zeltzman\u2019s goal is to offer the best surgical care, the safest anesthesia, and the utmost pain management to all of his patients. Actively involved in teaching, lecturing, and publishing, both locally and internationally, Dr. Zeltzman has published two books: Cocker Spaniels: A Practical Guide for People Owned by a Cocker and Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound, a book on weight loss for both dogs and people, co-written with Rebecca Johnson. He also writes a monthly award-winning newsletter for true dog and cat lovers. It is read in all 50 States, as well as more than 40 foreign countries. This newsletter has evolved into his blog. As a Certified Veterinary Journalist (CVJ), blogger, columnist, and award-winning author, his goal is to write meaningful articles, newsletters, and books that will make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners. He has published numerous articles in national and international veterinary journals, and is currently working on several book projects. He is also a prolific speaker. Dr. Zeltzman is a member of the Cat Writers\u2019 Association, the Dog Writers\u2019 Association and the Authors\u2019 Guild. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Lehigh Valley Veterinary Medical Association (LVVMA), and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). He is a monthly contributor to veterinarypracticenews.com and a regular contributor to Dog Fancy, PetsAdviser.com, and PetHealthNetwork.com.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DrZeltzman"],"url":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/author\/phil\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2017,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63\/revisions\/2017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}