From the Editor

ACHOOO!  I don’t know if it’s the fall allergies starting or the dust around here.  In case you haven’t heard-thanks to all of you, your referrals and word of mouth, we’ve outgrown our current space and we’re expanding!  My fellow feline compatriot, Solomon, and I are just thrilled since this means more roaming space for us.  Dr. Autumn and Dr. Adam say they will have two more exam rooms, a larger waiting area (tributes to me can be left at MY personal shrine in the corner) and a bigger surgery suite.  Those of you with fluffy, hairy doggies (ok, and kitties too) may be happy to know the doctors listened to your suggestions and we’re also going to offer grooming services.  Construction has already begun.  But don’t you worry.  It shouldn’t interfere with our normal operations too badly and the addition should be finished by the end of October.  Still, we ask you to be patient with our “growing pains.”  We’ll keep you posted on the construction progress. 

I also wanted to remind you folks that we do have a website now.  The web address is www.allkindsvet.com.  The doctors wanted me to tell you that there is an anonymous survey at the site and they’d be really grateful if you could take the time to complete it.  They say they are always looking for ways to improve and the more feedback they get from you the better. There’s also a section for comments too in case you want to remind them how wonderful I am!   Ain’t technology amazing?  Til next time…

Lefty                             

AKVH Staff News

Congratulations go out to our receptionist, Ruth and her husband Jon on the birth of their daughter, Amelie.  Ruth delivered her on July 11 and both mom and baby are doing well.  Our AKVH family continues to grow!

            With Ruth on maternity leave, you may have noticed we have some new faces here.  Cheryl Kenny will be helping to man the front desk on Mondays.  She comes to us with lots of administrative skills and she completed the Veterinary Assistant Training course at CSM this past year.  Welcome Cheryl! 

            Jennifer Dennis is also a new face at the receptionist counter.  Jennifer hails from Savannah, GA and is a welcome addition.

            Sadly, we must say goodbye to our veterinary assistant, Vince, who will be returning to school this fall.  Vince has been a tremendous help over the summer and his presence will be sorely missed.  Thanks for all your help!

            We know how busy all you owners are so to help save some time you can now purchase your St. Mary’s county dog licenses through the hospital.  We will file the paperwork for you and give you the tag.  The cost is $2 if your dog is spayed or neutered or $7.50 if it is not.  Your dog must have a current rabies certificate in order to get a license so if we did not do the vaccine here please make sure you bring it with you.

SMAWL Events

As always, SMAWL will be holding adoptions on the first and third Saturdays of every month at the PetCo in California, MD.  Please visit the web site, www.smawl.org for further information.  And just to pass on a little tidbit of info, SMAWL has had an over abundance of kittens needing fur-ever homes.  It’s been a busy year for them and if you were ever considering a new kitten in your house, now would be a great time to come down and see the ones up for adoption at PetCo!

In Remembrance

This portion of Lefty’s Ledger is dedicated to all of the beloved pets that have passed on. Our thoughts are with your families as they try to adapt to life without you:

Mango LaFollette*Marley Adams*Lacey Walker*Yoda Meyer*Buddie, Gandolf, Leggeles, Margie, McKenzie and Quigley SMAWL*Jazz Potts*Stormie Vause*Millicent Smith*Sassy Taft*Bemis DiBenedetto*Buster Meidinski*Blossom’s Pup Reece* Cisco Priscella*Ebeneezer Madel*Pluto Powdrill*Lobo Zimmerman*Leo Dempsey*Sophie Jordan*Tiny Daegle*Meeko Holdsworth*Bingo Tingle*Bouncer Windsor*Tate Brensinger*Miss Kitty Converse*Calvin Healy*Molly Danaher*Simba Cahill-Clark*Tux Bekel*Allie Polko*Hoops Frock*Trixie Yeatman*Boss Doud* Twinkle Harris* Duce Kimmey* Caboose Schneider* Kitty Latham* Gypsy Dunphy* Samantha Sullivan* Treena Oswald* Aple Spalding* Zeba Harley*Blacky Jackson* DJ Eaches*Bambi Grube*Frodo Rau* Luke Griffith*Molly VanRyswick*Perky Metts* Roxy Puttick*Kona Van Abbema*Lovey Schneider*Chance Freelove* Thunder Raley* Pepsi Collins*Sugar Whitney*Patty Velasquez* Spike Beaven* Sweet Pea Direnzo*Peepers Gibson* Sox Pototsky* Moshi Espina* BlueBlue Fenwick* Annie Lakin* Suke Chanda*BeBe Todd*Max Mook*Casey Boswell*Chewy Vohaska*Nick Mantilla*DeDe Combs

Health Related Issues

Pet Insurance

As the quality of veterinary medicine continues to progress and improve, unfortunately, so does the cost.  One of the ways in which owners can ease the potential financial burden of pet ownership is through pet insurance. Many of you have come to us with questions on this topic so we thought we’d try to answer the most commonly raised questions. 

First and foremost, the best piece of advice we can offer about all pet insurance policies is to READ, READ, READ!  There are tons of different companies out there and all have different and varied policies and coverage.  You, the owner/consumer must do your homework and that means closely examining each policy (meaning read the fine print). 

Keep in mind, each company and each plan has its pros and cons. Some policies pay for all types of veterinary care, including annual checkups and immunizations.  Others only cover accidents and illness.  Still others will not cover “pre-existing” conditions.  This is where it can get tricky.  Congenital defects or diseases are pre-existing conditions by definition.  Congenital disorders are abnormalities that are present at birth that can cause illness or disease.  And then there’s the whole breed specific hereditary condition exclusions section.  Quite a mouthful but, yes, most companies will exclude certain breeds from coverage for certain conditions.  For example, German Shepherd dogs and hip dysplasia, Shar Peis and entropion (turned in eyelids) and Boxers with heart conditions. 

So who should purchase pet insurance anyway?    Well, are you the kind of owner that would go all the way in treating your pet?  Would you take your dog to the veterinary cardiologist if it was diagnosed with a heart murmur?  Would you follow up your cat’s cancerous tumor removal with chemotherapy?  Would you be willing to have surgery performed on your pet if they ingested an unpassable foreign object?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to consider looking into insurance for your pet.  It can certainly be a much welcomed financial benefit if any of these situations should arise.  Unfortunately, many pet owners consider euthanasia when the vet bills start to add up. 

Finally, keep in mind that should you decide to purchase pet insurance you, the owner, still have to pay the veterinary bill up front.  You then file a claim with the insurance company and are reimbursed if the company approves your claim.  So even with insurance, it is advisable to set aside some “pets only” funds.

The internet can be helpful at comparing insurance companies but please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions. 

Vaccine News

            Most of you are familiar with the basic vaccine protocol we offer for dogs and cats.  Some of you are even familiar with the newer vaccines that we feel are of benefit for certain critters.  We wanted to take this opportunity to reacquaint you with the leptosporosis vaccine, the porphyromonas vaccine and the feline chlamydia vaccine.

            Lepto is a bacteria found in the urine of wild animals.  It causes liver and kidney failure, is 90% fatal if left untreated and also carries a zoonotic threat, meaning you as an owner can get leptosporosis.  Dogs pick up lepto by drinking from contaminated water sources so if your dog swims, has access to ponds, creeks or puddles you may want to consider this vaccine for your pet. 

            The porphyromonas vaccine is fairly new to the veterinary profession and we are all quite excited about it.  Periodontal disease, which includes gingivitis and periodontitis, is inflammation and/or infection of the gums and bone around your dog’s teeth.  It is caused by bacteria that accumulate in the mouth, forming soft plaque that later hardens into tarter.  If left untreated, periodontal disease can eventually lead to tooth loss, abscesses and infections that can spread throughout the body.  The porphyromonas vaccine targets the most common bacteria responsible for this condition and, along with regular dental care, can protect the mouth from progressive dental disease.  The vaccine must be given prior to the beginning of any dental disease or just after having a dental cleaning.

            Contrary to what many people think, feline chlamydia is not a sexually transmitted disease but is a bacteria that can cause eye, nose and lower respiratory infections in cats.  These conditions can become chronic and recurrent.  The vaccine usually won’t prevent cats from getting chlamydia since most cats already have it by the time we see them, even tiny kittens.  What the vaccine will do is prevent outbreaks of the disease.  Since outbreaks can occur under episodes of stress, we here at AKVH recommend the chlamydia vaccine for all cats

From the Doctor's Corner

As we mentioned earlier, veterinary medicine is rivaling human medicine these days.  This means there are now veterinary cardiologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists and dentists, just to name a few.  As a pet owner when do you know if your pet needs to see a specialist?  The answer:  anytime you wish.  You may see a specialist or obtain a second opinion at any time.  You will, however, need a referral and copies of your pet’s medical records, any lab work and x-rays.  Never feel that you will be insulting us if you would like a referral.  If our own doctors gave us a serious diagnosis (or were having trouble finding out what was wrong with us) we would certainly not hesitate to ask for a second opinion.  The same is true with our pets.  Here at All Kinds we are general practitioners, meaning we had to learn the basics of every system and the diseases that affect it.  Specialists not only have to finish their 8 years of college to be vets but an additional 2-6 years of study in their special field.  One thing to remember is that since they are considered experts of their fields you will pay up to three times as much for their expertise. 

            In some cases we may not give you a choice about seeing a specialist if the problem your pet has is beyond our capabilities or requires equipment we do not have.  Other times it certainly may be a choice.  For example, there are many surgeries we are comfortable doing here but you always have the option of having a board certified surgeon perform your pets surgery.

            Always remember that your pet’s health is our priority. We will do whatever we can to make your pet healthy and if we can’t we will try to find someone who can.