Pet Dental Extravaganza 2012

Bad breath in your pet is not normal! It's actually a sign of disease. The most common illness encountered in veterinary medicine today is dental disease, which affects 9 out of 10 pets.  Unfortunately, it is often not detected.  Pets spend years with painful gingivitis or even severe tooth root abscess without noticeable clinical signs to the owner. 

Dental disease also puts tremendous demands on your pet’s organs. This threatens the liver, kidneys, and heart.  This additional stress can lessen your pet’s quality of life and shorten life expectancy by several years.

Come learn about the importance of pet dental health and see how easy it is to take care of your pet's teeth!

Our staff is getting ready for our 2012 Pet Dental Extravaganza 2012! This year's event will include :

  A live dentistry performed by Dr. Maria Arnsman

·       Dental care demonstrations

·       Dental presentation

·       Question & answer period

·       Door prizes

·       Give aways

·       Hors d’oeuvres

Tuesday

February 7th

6:30 - 8:30

Space is limited so please sign up early.

315-737-7387

Update on Kiwi!

For those of you who are following our blog or who follow us on Facebook, you will be happy to know that Kiwi is home! Her family picked her up on Tuesday. She is glad to be home and back to her old self, trying to escape the house every chance she gets!

Kiwi is an indoor cat. However, there have been a few instances when her parents have opened the door to let  their dogs out and she has escaped. Her parents do not want her to be an outdoor cat. They understand that there are many dangers lurking outside. And the diseases Kiwi could pick up are not safe for her or for her family. So her parents will continue to do what they can to keep her inside!

Kiwi still has another 2.5 weeks of antibiotic therapy before her treatments are done. Her family is administering her antibiotic each morning and anxiously waiting until she can be tested for feline bartonella again. Unfortunately that won't happen until 6 months after the last day of her antibiotics. But they remain hopeful that she will be disease free.

With her family's dedication to making sure Kiwi visits us regularly, we were able to diagnose and treat what could have been a very serious illness. Keeping Kiwi healthy will help keep Kiwi's family healthy too!

Hidden Disease In The Healthy Pet!

Last month, my grandaughter brought her 2 year old cat in for her annual comprehensive exam and vaccinations. Her cat, Kiwi, appeared healthy and my grandaughter said she had been doing well. I examined Kiwi from head to toe, saving her teeth for last. When I opened her mouth and looked inside, I saw red, irritated, swollen gums. I was concerned right away. Inflammatory gingivitis in a young cat who has her teeth brushed fairly regularly is not normal.

When we see this condition in a young animal, we suspect there is an underlying reason. I decided to test Kiwi for Feline Leukemia and Feline Bartonella, two diseases that can cause this condition in cats. While the Feline Leukemia test came back negative, the Feline Bartonella test came back positive. A strong positive.

Feline Bartonella is a disease that cats can get from fleas. Kiwi had never had a flea infestation that we knew of and is on monthly internal and external parasite prevention. She is also an indoor cat. However, my grandaughter adopted Kiwi from another family when she was 6 weeks old. My guess is that she was infected before that.

Feline Bartonella is curable in 88% of patients diagnosed with the disease. A 4-week course of antibiotics was ordered and we began treating Kiwi as soon as she was diagnosed. However, the bigger problem is that Feline Bartonella is a zoonotic disease which means it can be transmitted from pets to humans. If transmitted to humans, the disease is commonly diagnosed as "Cat Scratch Disease". It can be difficult to diagnose in some cases because symptoms in humans do not always result from a cat scratch or bite. And symptoms can include joint pain, lethargy, neurological, eye, or even heart problems which lead physicians to believe the symptoms are from more common diseases such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, or heart disease. Also, symptoms in humans can occur weeks or months after exposure further limiting the ability to diagnose accurately. When left undiagnosed, this disease can severly impact the health of the individual.

My grandaughter has been lucky. She has been scratched by Kiwi a number of times and fortunately has never contracted Bartonella. Apparently only 1 in 1000 scratches results in transmission to humans. However, 33% of healthy cats in the Northeast have Bartonella and their owners do not know it. Consider sharing this information with your veterinarian or have your cat tested.

If you are bitten or scratched by your cat, wash your wound thoroughly. And be sure to let your doctor know if you develop any illness shortly after. Most importantly, have your cat visit your veterinarian for comprehensive examinations at least annually. There are many problems that can be diagnosed and treated with just an examination. Do it for your pet and for your family. You just might avoid serious health problems down the road!

For more information, visit: http://www.natvetlab.com/bartonella.php

Ring In Your Best New Year!

The New Year brings a fresh start, one that we can use to reflect upon our lives and accomplishments. It also give us an opportunity for a fresh start, a new beginning that allows us to focus on the future and re-direct our lives in a way that will bring us re-newed or continued happiness. 

At each year-end, my staff and I re-cap the past year and plan for the coming year. This allows us an opportunity to celebrate what we did well, recognize hard work and commend individual successes, and to set goals for the upcoming year. It is often an exhilirating process, especially when we focus on the many lives we touch and heal every day. 

Beginning each new year with solid direction and desired outcomes in mind, sets us up for great success. It is important to set goals with detail and a clear picture of the end result. Many things can and will happen along the way but regardless of how we get there, we learn a great deal from the journey. The important thing is to set the goals. By doing so, we focus our energy and determination on those and can live our best life!

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Merry Christmas and A Blessed Holiday Season

Christmas and the holiday season bring us much joy and hope. It is the season when we think of others, buy presents, wish everyone the joy of Christmas and the holidays, spend time with family and friends and reflect on the many blessings in our lives. 

Personally, I am so blessed to have a loving family and great friends in my life. I am equally blessed to have a chosen profession that continues to give me much joy with an amazing staff that makes my professional life so rewarding. I am further blessed to have wonderful clients, who demonstrate each and every day, the love and commitment that they have for their “best friends”. Together, we make a difference in the lives of our pets. I want to warmly thank you for allowing us to serve the needs of you and your pets and for being a part of our family.

We wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas, a Blessed Holiday Season and a Happy Health Filled New Year.

Examinations Are Important

If you have a pet, chances are you have had him or her to a veterinarian. You may be a pet owner who takes their pet to the vet at least once a year, or you may only visit when your pet is sick. It's a personal choice, one that is measured against need, finances, and time constraints. Some pets need to see their veterinarian because they are sick. But what about seeing your vet in order to keep your pet well?

Veterinary medicine has changed over the years. Just like your own healthcare, pet care has improved a great deal. More people than ever before treat their pets just like children or family members. Our pets are worth that level of care and affection. However, sometimes pet owners do not realize just how important an annual or bi-annual comprehensive physical examination is to the overall health and well-being of their pets. Because your pet ages five to seven human years, it is important to visit your veterinarian each year.

The actual physical examination is one of the most comprehensive diagnostic tools that your veterinarian uses to detect health or disease in your pet. The exam begins with a thorough history of your pet which includes a discussion about changes in eating, sleeping, voiding, and behavior patterns. Daily lifestyle, living environment, and age are also considered.

The "hands on" part of the physical exam starts with checking weight, temperature, pulse, and respiration. Weight is an important consideration in your pet’s health because even an extra two pounds could mean the difference between your pet being fit and healthy or obese. Next, the eyes, ears and mouth are examined. Eye examinations can reveal health issues such as anemia, infections, glaucoma, cataracts, high blood pressure, jaundice, kidney problems and even allergies. Your pet’s gums, teeth, tongue and palate can reveal tartar buildup, dental abnormalities, fractures, loose teeth, tumors, and infection.

After checking their head and neck area, your pet's heart and lungs are listened to with a stethoscope. This can detect early signs of heart or respiratory disease. And finally, the external reproductive organs, skin, and abdomen are examined. Abnormalities, including enlarged organs, masses or painful areas can reveal problems with the stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver and other organs. Because the skin is the largest organ, it is a good indicator of your pet's overall health. The skin is checked for fleas, ticks, other external parasites, tumors and wounds, and signs of allergies or infection.

Vaccinations, internal and external parasite control, stool and blood analysis, and other diagnostic tests are all important. But good health begins with the examination. Because your pet cannot vocalize his or her feelings, you must rely on annual or bi-annual physical examinations by your veterinarian and your at-home observations to assess your pet’s health. Regular examinations will help your pet live a longer, happier and healthier life!

Make Pet Care A Breeze

The holidays are approaching and we should be happy and focused on the reason for the season. Instead, many of us are worrying about what to buy, who did I forget, and can I afford this. Despite the best plans, sometimes we are faced with unplanned costs. Not that any time is a good time but this is not the time of year you want your pet to get sick or need to see the vet!

My staff and I understand that this time of the year is difficult for many of us. To help with unplanned care or treatment plans that have been put off, we offer Care Credit. Care Credit allows you an opportunity to get your pet treated and pay for the costs over time. You can use this revolving credit line for illness or wellness visits. And as long as it is paid on time, there are no fees or interest!

Just to give you an example, we had a client just yesterday who had a pet that needed unexpected surgery. The estimate for the surgery was $748.00. She applied for Care Credit, was approved (which is easier than you think) and was set up for her six-month, no interest payment plan. What that means is that she will pay less than $125 per month over the next 6 months. And her first payment isn't due for another several weeks. Her pet will have surgery this week and she won't have to come up with $748 all at once. No fees, no interest.

If you would like more information, visit carecredit.com or call our office. Approval takes about 15 seconds and you can use the credit over and over - kind of like a revolving credit line. It's a win-win situation, especially at this time of year!