1. pets

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*