Paw Prints Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 4 QUAIL HOLLOW ANIMAL HOSPITAL April 1st, 2015 Paw Prints Newsletter Topics Discussed: April is Heartworm Awareness Month! Pet of the Month ~ Legolas & Seraphine Boykin Did You Know? ~ To Chip or Not to Chip By: Daniel Testa Star Employee ~ Rachel Landers AAHA Highlights March Dental Wet Lab New Lodging Requirements Ask the Doc ~ Dr. deGale Specials / Coupons Special Days This Month April 5th-Easter Sunday (No Boarding Pick-Ups) April 15th-21st—National Pet ID Week April 22nd– Earth Day April is Heartworm Awareness Month! Spring has sprung! This time of year marks the melting of snow, plant growth and new life. I would like to point out though, that we don’t have snow in Florida and our plants really didn’t loose all of their leaves. That also means that bugs didn’t have a chance to take a “time-out” in extreme cold temperatures. We deal with bugs year ‘round here. Which brings me to my point. Heartworms! Mosquitos bring Heartworms. Heartworm infection is a very serious disease that can potentially be life threatening if left untreated. So should you still buy Vectra 3D for flea and tick prevention? A mosquito passes the larvae into the host’s blood stream where they hitch a ride to the pet’s heart. Now our clients can make a choice on how they protect their dog. Our Lodging requirements have always been in place to keep your pet safe from any contagious diseases or parasites. Now you have the opportunity to choose which preventions are best for your pup. Did you know that heartworms can live for as long as 7 years in an infected pet? They may not cause visible symptoms until the disease is very mature. Scary when you think about it. This is why we recommend an annual heartworm test and monthly heartworm prevention for your pet. There are different kinds of prevention out there, how do you know which to choose from? QHAH is happy to announce new preventions to choose from. We still stand by Trifexis for heartworms, intestinal parasites and fleas. We have been recommending Vectra 3D for fleas, ticks, and biting insects. But we are glad that you, the client now has choices available. Interceptor is now back on the market and is a more cost effective choice than Trifexis. It protects against heartworms and intestinal parasites but not fleas (like Trifexis does). Interceptor has the same heartworm medication that is used in Sentinel. The difference between Sentinel and Interceptor is that Sentinel has a flea “birth control” in it, Interceptor does not. You can! But if your pet has had a reaction to Vectra 3D in the past, don’t worry. We now carry Bravecto and NexGard. Both are chewable tablets that protect your canine friend from fleas and ticks. NexGard is a prevention that protects for 30 days, but, Bravecto will kill these bugs for up to 12 weeks! The savings on Bravecto (compared to Vectra 3D) is an awesome deal too. Before, we only could offer Vectra 3D or Preventic Collars as prevention against ticks. Frontline and Advantage haven’t been working effectively for a while now. We have seen a resistance to these products nation wide. Now, having an edible tablet, we know your pet is getting the entire dose and that it can’t be washed off during their bath! This is GREAT news! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call or ask the next time you are in the office. We hope that our excitement about these new products makes you and your wallet happy too! Keep an eye out on Facebook for a comparative chart with all of the products we provide. Did You Know? Our Techs Speak To Chip or Not to Chip Car insurance, health insurance, and road side assistance. These are common expenses that we often don’t think about or even appreciate until the unexpected happens and we needs to utilize those services. Legolas & Seraphine Boykin Now most pet owners (myself Included) tend to think “oh well that would never happen to me” when it comes to our furry four legged family members getting lost or even worse, stolen. However statistics indicate otherwise. The American Humane Association estimates that over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the United States alone every year. Since microchips are designed to last the life of our pet, that means a one time implantation fee and our loved ones have a permanent identification number. The microchip is a passive RFID which stands for radio frequency identification. This means there is no battery or internal power source. *5740 Wesley Brook Drive Wesley Chapel, FL 33545* *www.quailhollowanimalhospital.com* *(813)973-3010* Page 2 Paw Prints Newsletter Did You Know… Continued from page 1 So the chip sits completely inert in our pet waiting to be activated ie. read. The microchip itself is composed of three main components. A silicon microchip that holds the information (letters and numbers), a tuning capacitor and an antenna coil. The components are encapsulated in a bio compatible glass. Meaning that is it non toxic and won’t cause an allergic reaction. And it’s only about the size of a grain of rice. When set to the correct frequency a scanner or reader “interrogates” the microchip by invigorations the capacitor with electromagnetic power. When energized, the microchip sends the information (letters and numbers) thru the antenna. Back to the scanner or reader which then interprets the radio waves and displays that information onto the LCD screen. Rachel has been a Client Relations Representative since March of 2013. She greets every client with a smile and that means the world to any client who comes in to our office. Rachel also manages our Hospital’s Prescription Diet inventory. She’s the woman you need when requesting food from our hospital. Not only can she multi task but she handles the everyday stresses of her job very well. Please help us in congratulating Rachel on being Star Employee . Thank you Rachel! When we prepare a patient to have a microchip implanted we first scan the entire pet to ensure they do not already have a microchip. If they have a microchip we contact the chip company to identify the pet. Often rescue organizations and breeders will have pets microchipped for the new owners. Most chip companies will allow you to simply register an existing chip even if it’s not one of their chips. If no chip is found we then shave a small dime sized area between the shoulder blades. (This is the universal area in which microchips are placed) We clean and prep the injection site with an antimicrobial solution. Then we insert the needle and deposit the microchip under the skin. Some microchips are now designed with an anti-migration cap. One end of the capsule is coated with a polymer. The polymer works by encouraging connective tissue and other kinds of cells to form around the capsule to hold it in place. We then place a small drop of tissue glue to the injection site to ensure the chip does not back out before the site is fully healed. Now your loved one has a permanent identification. Different companies provide different services for a yearly membership fee. We currently utilize the HomeAgain microchips. If you have any further questions please call us and we will be happy to assist you. -Daniel Testa, Technician Manager AAHA Highlights: Pet First Aid Tips for Owners Originally Posted April 24, 2014 April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month. Take a minute to review first aid tips so you can care for your pet should an emergency occur. Pets are an important part of many families, and April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month is the perfect time to ensure you have the skills to take care of your furry family member. Pet First Aid Tips Do you know what to do during a pet emergency? Here are some common emergency tips: •To determine if your cat or dog is dehydrated, pull up on the skin between the shoulder blades. It should spring right back; if it stays tented this is a sign of dehydration. •Signs of pet poisoning include bleeding externally or internally, dilated pupils, drooling or foaming at the mouth, seizures or other abnormal mental state or behavior. •If your pet has a seizure, make sure it is in a safe place, but do not restrain the animal. Keep your hands away from its mouth as your pet may not know who you are during a seizure and could bite you. •Signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion include collapse; body temperature of 104 degrees F or above; bloody diarrhea or vomiting; wobbliness; excessive panting or difficulty breathing; increase heart rate; mucous membranes very red; and increased salivation. •Pets bitten by other animals need vet attention to prevent the wound (even if minor) from becoming Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 4 infected and to check for internal wounds. Never break up a dogfight yourself because you could be bitten. •If your pet is bleeding, apply direct pressure using gauze over the bleeding site. If blood soaks through, apply more gauze (do not removed soaked gauze) until you can reach a veterinary hospital. Pet First Aid App More lifesaving information is available on the Red Cross Pet First Aid App that helps dog and cat owners to provide emergency care until veterinary assistance is available. Owners have access to step-by-step instructions, videos and images for more than 25 common first aid emergencies. Check out the Top 5 Features of the Red Cross Pet First Aid App. The Pet First Aid App can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps. Pet owners may also take a Red Cross Pet First Aid course so they can practice the skills and receive feedback. People can go to redcross.org/takeaclass for information and to register. ALL month long! March Dental Wet Lab: $10.00 OFF Animal medicine is an ever changing field. Quail Hollow Animal Hospital takes advantage of every opportunity presented to send its employees for continuing education to improve the quality of care that we provide for the pets that come to us. I recently had the pleasure of being part of a group of staff sent to a wet lab geared toward dentistry. During the wet lab Veterinary Technicians were paired with other techs who have special certification in Dentistry and Veterinarians paired with other vets who also have special credentials in Dentistry. Although we already perform anesthetic dental cleanings at QHAH, we attended the lab to become more proficient when it comes to each pet's Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment, or COHAT. As a Technician at the lab I learned multiple techniques that will help me with each step of the COHAT from charting, to full mouth radiography, to the scaling and polishing of the teeth. Another benefit to this lab was being able to use the new dental x-ray machine we will soon have in house! I am so thankful for the chance I get at QHAH to learn and grow as a technician and even more grateful for those who make it possible by encouraging everyone to participate in CE when it's offered. Since the lab, I have already put some of the skills learned to good use and look forward to perfecting my COHATs. Heartworm test with ALL month long! -Terrie Nutting, CVT $10.00 OFF New Lodging Requirements: As you know, we highly recommend your pet be on a monthly heartworm prevention for their own health. But for those canines that cannot provide proof of a monthly prevention we now require them to have a fecal test done every 30 days to be sure that intestinal parasites are not introduced into our Lodging facility. We understand that in today’s economy clients sometimes price shop for their pet’s prescriptions. Even with our new online pharmacy being very price competitive, clients find other avenues for their purchases. It has become difficult for those clients to continue to use our lodging facility. As long as you save your receipts or medication boxes with prescription labels on them and bring them in, you’re safe. In order to keep our patients protected and healthy we have adjusted our requirements and added new heartworm, flea and tick preventions to give our clients more options. We believe this is a positive change! If you have any questions to our new requirements please be sure to call ahead of your scheduled Lodging Reservation. Thank you for your cooperation. Exam HomeAgain Microchip National Pet ID Week April 15th-21st Page 4 Paw Prints Newsletter Ask the Doc: Dear Dr. deGale, Mail In Rebate Buy 6 get $15 Buy 12 get $35 Why does my dog have eye staining from tears? Should I be concerned? -Poodle Lover Dear Poodle Lover, $30 Mail In Rebate (While supplies last) The first Flea AND Tick chewable tablet That lasts 12 weeks! 1st Dose FREE Interceptor is Back! Buy 6-Get $15 Buy 12-Get $35 There are two main causes for excess tearing – irritation to the eye and abnormal drainage. Irritation to the eye can occur from allergies, irritating hairs in the eye, dust or smog in the air, trauma, or infection. Abnormal drainage occurs when the tear duct is blocked either with debris, inflammation or an abnormal opening. Excessive tearing leads to the face being constantly wet, which can turn the fur and skin brown or even red over time. The first step should be to have your veterinarian examine your dog’s eyes. They will examine the eye to look for foreign material, abnormal hairs, and eyelashes. They will also check for conditions such as conjunctivitis, uveitis and glaucoma. Sometimes special equipment and testing is needed to determine the underlying cause, so your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist. Treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause of the excess tearing. Sometimes simply flushing out the eyes will do the trick if there is a foreign body present causing the irritation or blocking the tear duct. If your dog’s tear stains are developing because the eyes are always irritated, eliminating the source of irritation will help. This might include keeping hair near the eyes trimmed very short and treating infection or glaucoma, if present. There are surgical options for certain eyelid or eyelash problems that can restore normal tear drainage and eliminate overflow onto the face. To help with the staining, keep your dog’s fur around the eyes trimmed short and clean the face daily with a paper towel moistened with warm water. There are several over-the-counter remedies available, but you must be very careful when using eye wipes and other cleaners around the eyes, so that none of the product gets into the eyes. Some products contain low doses of antibiotics, but this is not recommended long-term as it can lead to antibiotic resistance. The best resource is to ask your veterinarian what they recommend. Sincerely, Dr. deGale **Ask us about our PAW Plans For Well Patients** Buy 3 get 1 FREE Buy 6 get 2 FREE Buy 9 get 3 FREE PAW Plans make providing high quality health care for your pet easy. PAW Plans are annual wellness plans that offer significant discounts on preventive care and allow you to spread the payments over time. Our PAW Plans include semi-annual comprehensive wellness exams, up to two additional office visits, vaccinations, screenings, blood tests and additional services depending on the selected plan level. *5740 Wesley Brook Drive Wesley Chapel, FL 33545* *www.quailhollowanimalhospital.com* *(813)973-3010*
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