From the Editor
As you are preparing for the holidays (you know, buying presents for your pets),
I figure now is the best time to spread the word…canned cat food doesn’t have to
be for special occasions anymore! I’ve been trying to tell everyone for
years how much we cats love it but now it’s finally been proven -- all cats NEED
canned cat food on a daily basis! Oh joy! It’s gonna be like Christmas every
day! New research shows that the benefits of canned cat food (any good quality
brand) are widespread. It keeps our weight down by eliminating all those carbs
we don’t need and it helps prevent many, many diseases like diabetes, liver
disease, bladder problems, kidney disease and arthritis. If you have had an
appointment lately chances are one of the doctors or the technicians have
discussed this with you but, just in case you haven’t heard: RUN, do not walk,
to the nearest pet food store to stock up on canned cat food! Remember, we cats
also do better when we are fed meals, NOT the food left out all day. We know it
may be harder on your schedules but isn’t it all about us anyway? By the
way and sorry to say, the canned food rules do NOT apply for the pooches -- only
cats are carnivores and benefit from canned food. For dogs it’s still not
recommended. Sorry about that, but as for us kitties…bon appetite!
Regards,
Lefty 
AKVH Staff News
We have lots of news and
big changes are occurring around here! As of October we have expanded the
hospital to include two more exam rooms and a groomer! Jodi Yosza comes to us
with 12 years of pet grooming experience. You may know her from St. Mary’s
veterinary hospital or from PetCo, but she is part of our family now. She
grooms every day by appointment, except for Wednesdays and Sundays. Remember
that dogs being groomed here at AKVH must be current on distemper (DHPP), rabies
and Bordatella (kennel cough) and cats must be current on distemper (FVRCP) and
rabies. Vaccines must be given at least 5 days before the appointment to allow
them to become effective and protect your pet.
We’d also
like to welcome two more members to the AKVH family. We have a new face at the
reception desk that belongs to Melissa Guy. Melissa is native to Southern MD
and when not working here she is taking classes at CSM and lives with her dog
and two cats. Candy Grau is our newest technician and we’re certainly glad to
have another experienced hand on deck. Candy has been in the veterinary field
for 15 years and moved down here from Anne Arundel county with her husband,
daughter and son. Her family also includes a horse and a Boston Terrier.
Dr. Adam and
Dr. Autumn will be out of town from February 10 through the 17, 2008. They will
be attending a continuing education conference and throwing in a few days of
vacation while they’re at it. Just as before, the hospital will be open for
limited hours and we will have a relief veterinarian, Dr. Cheryl Smith, covering
appointments.
Don’t forget,
you can still 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
administer the vaccine here please make sure you bring a copy of the rabies
certificate with you.
Some of you
have asked detailed questions regarding pet care – “How do you trim nails? What
do I feed my new kitten? Could you show me how to brush my dog’s teeth?” Well,
we’ve been thinking and have decided to offer a “Pet Care 101” class on January
12 from 4 - 6pm. Whether you have never had a pet, it’s been a long time since
you owned a pet, or you just have some general questions regarding your current
pet, this may be the class for you. It is open to adults and children over the
age of 12 who are accompanied by an adult. This is a “people only” class, so no
pets please! There will be a cost of $10 per person. Space is limited so if
you are interested in attending, please call the hospital to sign up.
Christmas is
right around the corner and so is our “Christmas in Callaway.” After the
success last year, the businesses of Callaway Village decided to once again have
the “Christmas in Callaway” open house celebration. It will be held December 8th,
from 6pm until ?? There will be pictures with Santa (for the pets, too!),
raffles, food, carolers and a variety of other holiday related events. It’s a
good time to be had by all, so bring the kids, the pets and yourselves and head
down to Callaway Village to kick off the holiday season!
And
lastly…please remember to periodically check out our website at
www.allkindsvet.com. It’s full of information on new vaccines, products and
any upcoming events. Also, check out the survey located there. We strive to be
the best we can for you and your pets and we count on you to tell us how we’re
doing.
SMAWL Events
SMAWL will be holding adoption events at PETCO on the first and third Saturday
of every month from 10a.m. to 2p.m. Come on out and see if a new furry friend
would make your life complete. If you are unable to make it there, you can
always check out their website for pets available for adoption or how to make a
donation at
www.SMAWL.org SMAWL wants to remind everyone not to give pets as Christmas
gifts. Pets have unique personalities just like people do and it’s important to
see if a person will bond with an animal before adoption or purchase.
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:
Ellie Smith*Luke Courts*Magic McAtee*Rocky Beaulieu*Oliver
Druckenmiller*Lucky Raley*Earl Mattedi*Boones Danaher*Post Danaher*Spot
King*Skippy Dean*Kai Farrell*Winston Sanders*Emma Outman*Taffy Kujawa*Missy
Waikart*Chila Campbell*Duvet Williams*CB Wagner*Buddy Anastasi*Sammie Badilla*Gizmo
Hancock*Bo Papadakis*Angel Guy*Jessi Canter*Sweet Pea Ford*Danielle Bygler*Sierra
Mathis*Nicki Superior*Shadow Podolinsky*Issac Ennels*Josie Rauch*Ziggy Manning*Bobo
Barnes*Cujo Crayton*Patches Hayden*Henderson Querry*Missy King*Smokey Burroughs*Lestat
Druckenmiller*Gallagher Foran*Mary Moran*Bob Hahn*Jewel Danaher*Sponge Bob
Parnell*Stewart Hanko*Belle Springer*Spot Smale*Carmel McCandless*Annie Lakin*Honey
Dillon*Stewart Gayleard*Prince SMAWL*Squeaker Long
Health Related Issues
With the cold weather
finally upon us, we just wanted to remind everyone about some of the winter
hazards that face our pets. Replacing the antifreeze in the family car can pose
life-threatening risks to pets so please use caution when draining that
radiator. Just a few licks of this sweet tasting poison can be disastrous.
Less of a threat, but still of concern are the holiday plants many of us take
for granted when decorating. Mistletoe, various lilies, holly and poinsettias
can cause severe irritation to the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. And need
we mention all of those high calorie, fattening goodies that we shouldn’t be
slipping our pets? Their tummies don’t know that it’s a special treat just for
the holidays and the results could entail anything from some vomiting and/or
diarrhea to a serious case of pancreatitis. Best to leave the people treats to
the people and the pet treats to the pets!
Some of you
may be hearing about some new flea, tick and heartworm preventions that will be
hitting the market anytime now. Three different companies are introducing
Advantage Multi, ProMeris and Vectra 3D. So far there is nothing about these new
products that is superior to Frontline Plus for dogs or Revolution or Frontline
Plus for cats. As always, we test products on our own pets before we feel
comfortable making recommendations to you the client. We will keep you posted
on any changes.
From the Doctor's Corner
Some of you may not be
aware but we have had a resurgence of Parvovirus in our area lately. Not just at
our hospital but the other vets in our area are also seeing cases. To remind
everyone, Parvo is a virus of dogs. It is very contagious and spread through
the stool or vomit of sick dogs. That means your dog doesn’t even need to see a
sick dog face to face, it can get the virus just from walking through where the
sick dog has been. It causes severe vomiting and bloody diarrhea, requiring up
to a week of hospitalization and fluids and it can be fatal if not caught early
enough. Back in the 80’s vets would see at least a case per week but with
better vaccines and more people understanding the importance of vaccinating
their pets, there was a sharp decline in incidence. As a matter of fact, we had
only seen 3 cases in 2.5 years here at AKVH. That was until we saw 6 in just
the last 2 months! While Parvo is included in your dog’s distemper vaccine,
vaccines only works if they are given--so please keep your pets current. Also,
the younger the dog, the more at risk they are so please don’t take your
puppies out into public places until fully vaccinated. That includes the
dog park and PetCo.
 And
just when you thought your cats were safe, unfortunately not. While they cannot
catch Parvo they have their own diseases causing problems. One of the viruses
in their distemper vaccine is Calicivirus. It too, has been around for years
and had dropped off a bit with the exception of an appearance at shelters and
catteries. Many cats are carriers of the virus and can have intermittent
outbreaks causing fever, loss of appetite, runny eyes and nose, and oral
ulceration. However, new research is showing that this virus can mutate rather
quickly and so the vaccines may not be fully protective. This newer, aggressive
form, called virulent strain calicivirus (VS CV), is very contagious and much
more fatal. As with all forms of Calici, it is spread from the oral and nasal
secretions of an infected cat and can even be passed through a person that has
handled an infected cat. It also affects older cats just as easily as young
cats and, unlike the older version of Calici, causes fluid retention in the face
and feet as the most common sign of infection. The good news is that so far,
there are no reported cases in our area and we are doing our best to keep it
that way. That is why we ask you to understand if we have to change clothes or
isolate your cat if it has any of the symptoms. While there is a new vaccine
available for VS CV the efficacy is questionable because of how quickly the
virus is changing. Therefore, at this time we are not carrying it but will keep
a close watch on all new research and keep you up to date.
Happy Holidays
from Solomon too!! |
