Freedom Guide Dogs Platinum Celebration

Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind in Cassville, NY is a non-profit organization based in Upstate New York, which breeds, raises, trains and places guide dogs with the blind and visually impaired through a distinctive program called Hometown TrainingTM. Freedom Guide Dog's services are available to people in the Eastern United States at no cost. Eric & Sharon Loori started this organization 20 years ago and have recently been honored with an award in career achievement! We are so proud of them!

This year, Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind will celebrate its 20th Anniversary. For 20 years the non-profit organization has bred and trained quality guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired through a distinctive program called Hometown Training TM. The program, different from traditional guide dog school training, allows a guide dog instructor to bring the trained guide dog to the blind person’s home where they live and work.

 

Freedom’s Hometown Training TM has had much growth and success over the years reaching out to blinded veterans and blind people with additional disabilities such as complications from diabetes, cerebral palsy, deafness, downs syndrome, etc. The organization was founded by husband and wife team, Eric & Sharon Loori who remember whelping puppies in the basement of their home. Since then Freedom has grown to employ a staff of ten while maintaining a state-of-the-art kennel facility and Puppy Enrichment Center. In 2010 Freedom was ecstatic to place 29 guide dogs with blind people, setting a new record! Even more exciting for the organization, was breaking its own record in 2011 placing 32 guide dogs with blind people all over the east coast!

 

To help in celebrating its 20^th Anniversary, New Hartford Animal Hospital is proud to sponsor this year's annual banquet fundraiser on April 12, 2012. The event is being held at Daniele's Banquet Facilities on Seneca Turnpike in New Hartford, NY from 6-9pm. You can Enjoy a delicious meal, a silent auction and an award ceremony honoring their valued friends and volunteers. Tickets are $30 each and are available on their website or here at New Hartford Animal Hospital. Please consider attending or sending them a donation.

We hope to see you all there!

 

Lyme Disease is in your back yard!

Recently, we visited a business in Deerfield. While speaking with some of the staff, we found that there is a heavy tick population in that area. One young woman who walks her dog regularly frequently finds ticks on her dog. You might think that ticks are not in your back yard but it is likely that they are. We have clients living right in the heart of the city of Utica who come in with pets carrying ticks. Unfortunately, they can be anywhere.

Ticks are easier to spot when they are engorged or in the adult stage of life. In order to be engorged, they have to have taken a blood meal. That means they have already fed off of you or your pet.

In the nymph stage or the second life stage (which is the small insect in the above picture), a tick is no bigger than a poppy seed. In fact, unless you get really close, you might think it is just a speck of dirt. In this stage and the adult stage, the tick can transmit disease to their host (you or your pet).

We obviously worry about ticks because they carry and spread Lyme Disease. But there are other serious diseases they carry as well and those are becoming more prevalent in our area. In the same way Lyme Disease carrying ticks have migrated to our area, these other disease carrying ticks, theAmerican Dog Tick which carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever for example, is moving rapidly into our area.

Ticks are active year round. Some people think that in the colder months, ticks are not a threat. However, as long as the temperature reaches 30 degrees, ticks become active. We routinely see winter days that are far above that temperature.

Pets transport ticks into your family living area, so inspect them frequently for ticks and do what you can to protect them. You can limit your pet's tick exposure by using monthly preventive treatments such as Frontline and Advantix. The new powerhouse of products for tick protection will soon be available from your veterinarian. Please, do not use over the counter products. Not only do they not work but they can be very toxic to your pet. Veterinary approved medications are safe and effective and many do not even enter the bloodstream of your pet.

For more information, visit our website or call our office. A really great article, although long, details more of the human risk of diseases from infected ticks. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41973641/ns/health-infectious_diseases/t/under-the-radar-tick-diseases-spreading-across-us/

Does my cat really need to be vaccinated for Rabies?

We hear it all the time. If my cat stays indoors, do they really need a Rabies shot?

There are several reasons why an indoor cat needs to be vaccinated against rabies, both of which revolve around the fact that rabies is a deadly viral infection and can be easily transmitted to people.  The Oneida County Health Department recommends testing or strict quarantine for any animal that bites a person – even an indoor cat.  Vaccination protects your pet from being tested. (Testing means that the pet has to be euthanized in order to test their brain.)

  

Many of the common carriers of rabies, bats being the most common, are able to enter our homes easily and thereby able to infect our pets. What your cat may think is a chew-toy is potentially a route to rabies exposure. (I just heard from a client who found a bat under his pillow. I have been looking under my pillow religiously since then!)

Rabies vaccinations are also required by New York State law. This is to limit or minimize exposure not only to our pets but to the human population as well. Even though we don't see Rabies too often, it does exist and we have had several local cases reported in the past year. 

Have your cat examined and vaccinated every year. Protecting your pet protects your family too!

The Truth About Internet Pharmacies

 

  

With the emergence of Internet pharmacies, many pet owners are trying to find the best price for their pet’s medications.  We understand and appreciate the rising cost of health care and continue to look for ways to make health care and medications affordable.

When using Internet pharmacies, pet owners should be aware of the associated risks. Like you, we want to ensure the highest quality of care for your pet.

The following are some frequently asked questions about Internet pharmacies provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association:

Internet pharmacies sound like a good deal.  Why are some people against buying drugs from them?

A number of problems have been reported, such as sales of pet medications without valid prescriptions, counterfeit, expired, and recalled products. These drugs could pose a health threat to pets. 

I found an Internet pharmacy that says I don't need a prescription.  Do I?

It is illegal for a pharmacy to send prescription drugs for animals without a valid prescription obtained from your veterinarian.

Why can't I get a prescription from just any veterinarian?

For the same reason you can't walk into any doctor's office and ask for a prescription for yourself.  It's illegal for a veterinarian to authorize a prescription without a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship. 

Is it safe to purchase my medications online?

Any prescription medication purchased from our hospital has been inspected and approved by the FDA and manufactured and packaged according to U.S. government regulations. Online pharmacies sometimes fill prescriptions with foreign product. If approved by the FDA, it should say “Caution: Federal Law requires this drug to be used by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian”.  Do not use products that do not have this warning or if the label has been removed.

What is my guarantee?

Pharmaceutical manufacturers will only honor product guarantees when the medications are prescribed by and purchased from the pet’s veterinarian. This means that if your pet contracts fleas, a tick-born disease, heartworm disease, or even internal parasites, you will often qualify to be reimbursed for the Veterinary costs associated with treatment.

And remember, purchasing product from your local veterinarian supports the local economy too. Compared to chain stores, locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community!

Exotic Animal and Birds

NHAH is a companion animal veterinary hospital. That means if an animal is domesticated and normally lives in a home environment, we see see them as patients. Obviously dogs and cats are the most common pets we see. However, several of our veterinarians also care for ferrets, birds, reptiles, rabbits, and pocket pets like hamsters and guinea pigs. We have even seen fish!

Health care for those small creatures is much different from that used to treat cats and dogs. That is why not all veterinarians treat those types of pets. If you do have an exotic pet, a pocket pet, or a bird, chances are you don't see your veterinarian unless they get sick. However, there are things you should know before owning an exotic pet.

To live long and healthy lives, exotic pets require special care. Just like dogs and cats, exotic pets need veterinary care, balanced nutrition, human interaction, and appropriate management of their environment. Because they often live in cages or enclosed environments, even more attention must be paid to your exotic pets’ housing than to that of the cats and dogs who share your home.

Each species of exotic pet has its own specific needs for housing, diet, and care. Even different types of birds require different types of housing and diet, as do the diverse small mammal pets.  Each type of reptile may need specific bedding, humidity, and types of light. No matter the differences, all exotic mammals require both medical and surgical veterinary care. For example, your pet ferrets need vaccinations and non-breeding females must be spayed. The rabbit may require special skin care, and your guinea pig may need a special diet. Birds are often in need of nail trims, beak trims, and behavioral therapy. Reptiles may require special diets, supplements, and veterinary examinations to maintain their health.

Many people live in housing situations that do not allow dogs or even cats. However, they most likely will allow other small pets as long as they are contained in their own housing. If you cannot own a dog or cat or prefer the smaller variety of pets, consider an exotic, avian, or pocket pet. They will bring just as much love and comfort, no matter their size!