Thankful the December 2015 Rowlett/Garland Tornado Missed Animal Hospital of Rowlett

We are so proud of the way our clients and community stepped up for those (two-legged and four-legged) in need.

The video below shows the path of the December 26th, 2015 tornado that left destruction, death and injury in its path. The Animal Hospital of Rowlett was just missed. We were fully booked with dogs and cats boarding for the holidays including our own clinic cats, Bob and Tony.

Much too close for comfort, but I can’t tell you how heartwarming it was to see the outpouring of offers to do our laundry, walk our patients, provide generators, and bring food and water to the clinic while we were without power.

We have a fantastic community of pet lovers in the Rowlett/Rockwall area and can’t think of a better place to take care of pets!

Dr. Downes

http://ahrdvm.com/

AAHA party!

Last night was our clinic party to celebrate our AAHA re-accreditation. We are so lucky to have such a dedicated team who work together daily to achieve and surpass the requirements to be an AAHA clinic - including the 900+ standards of care! We are proud to be one of the 15% of hospitals in the US and Canada that are accredited. 

Enrichment for Indoor Cats

Enrichment for Indoor Cats: We all know that the safest place for our feline friends is indoors. 

Cats that are allowed to roam could be exposed to deadly viruses, dangerous encounters with other animals and all types of trauma related accidents such as being hit by a car. However, there are safe ways that we can allow our cats fresh air from time to time.

For the luckiest of felines there are outdoor enclosures. Just do a google search or get on pinterest and search for cat enclosures and you will be amazed at what you will find.

Another option is a containment system in the backyard such as Cat Fence-In (www.catfencein.com). Kittens can be taught to walk with a leash and harness. This is best done with kittens before 14 weeks of age.

Just remember, cats are remarkable creatures and fantastic escape artists. Even with enclosures and containment systems, they should not be left unattended!

- Dr. Hurley 

Dorothy Schuld-Johnson, LVT Featured in AAHA Trends Magazine

Animal Hospital of Rowlett Licensed Veterinary Technician, Dorothy Schuld-Johnson (bottom) was recently featured in American Animal Hospital Association's (AAHA) Trends Magazine. Way to go, Dorothy!

Animal Hospital of Rowlett Veterinary Clinic

Oral health month

October is Oral Health Month and you can SAVE MONEY with a discounted professional dental cleaning!  Call today to schedule your pet's appointment, as appointments fill up quickly. Does your pet have bad breath? Unfortunately, most pets do and this is not normal. The foul odor you smell is caused by an infection in their mouth. The most common cause of infection in your pet’s mouth is periodontal disease, which affects over 75% of pets over 2 years of age. Periodontal disease is a progressive and irreversible loss of the structures surrounding the teeth caused by chronic infection and inflammation in the mouth. When your pet eats, residual food particles in the mouth promote growth of bacteria. The bacteria form a slime layer, known as plaque, which attaches to the teeth and hardens to form tartar and calculus.  The first step in treating periodontal disease requires cleaning the teeth and surrounding tissues. Because your pet will not lie down quietly for a dental cleaning, general anesthesia is required. To prepare anesthesia, your veterinarian will do a thorough examination of your pet, perform blood work and discuss the procedure with you. Your pet will be monitored closely throughout the entire procedure: your pet’s safety is our primary concern. After the teeth are cleaned, X-rays will be taken of the teeth to check for pathology hiding below the gum line.  Your veterinarian will discuss with you any other procedures that may need to be performed.   Your veterinarian will take radiographs, like this one, to look for specific dental issues hiding under the gum line.  For more information about dental cleanings and other services provided by Animal Hospital of Rowlett/Animal Hospital of Heath, please visit www.ahrdvm.com or for an estimate you can reply to this email.  Sincerely, The Doctors and Staff of AHR/AHH   Dental Health

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This email is being sent to you Christen Lynch because you are a client of Animal Hospital of Rowlett & Diagnostic Center. We send these e-mails to provide you with important

information regarding your pet - including health service information, warnings and recalls, and reminders. If you would like to be removed from this email list, click here

and you will no longer receive these emails. Should you have any suggestions or comments regarding our email program, please feel free to call us at 972-412-0101.

Cat Food Myths

We polled our Facebook fans to see whether #wetcatfood or #drycatfood would be the winner...the question was "which food is better for cats - wet or dry"

Our poll ended with about 3/4 saying #wetcatfood and about 1/4 saying #drycatfood...

The correct answer to what your cat should be eating is.....

#WETcatfood

Here are some reasons why:

1)  There is more moisture:  helps to flush kidneys, cats are natural desert animals so they don't drink very much, you can even put chicken broth on food for added moisture as a treat! Bob loves this.

2)  There is more protein:  cats use protein for their quick energy, not glucose. Cats can't digest glucose and they use up all their insulin when they get too many carbs (dry food) and they become diabetic.  Yes, dry food makes cats diabetic.  Some cats have their diabetes cured just by switching from dry food to wet food.  Its that good.

3) The public embraces dry food because it makes poop firm, it doesn't smell, its convenient to leave out for the cat all day, etc. Since 1960, dry food has become more popular and the instance of diabetes in cats has skyrocketed.  They have even changed the "normal" values for what is considered diabetic because of the increase in instances of diabetes.  

4)  To make dry food, companies have to put in a certain number of carbs - it is what makes the "kibble".  Carbs for cats= bad!    

5)  Cats don't chew their food, they shovel, so dry food does nothing to keep their teeth clean.  In fact, cats have a tongue that acts as a natural toothbrush, so they are actually brushing their teeth all the time.  

Dr. Hurley wanted to add that "Cats are awesome" and Bob agrees.    

Don't forget the dog while kids are back in school...

While many of us are sending the kiddos back to class, we forget about the time they spent playing and chasing the dog around all summer. Now, doggie is bored at home alone and could use some enrichment so they don't start chewing up the furniture.

You can check out our AHRDVM Pinterest board for dog and cat enrichment ideas...many of them are free!

Puzzles, go-nuts and stuffed Kong toys can be great ways to keep your pet busy during their time at home.

Studies show a puzzle or treat game can tire out a pet mentally with the same level of stimulation they'd get from running around the dog park! So if you don't have time to go on the same long walks you took over summer, try out some of the fun ideas to keep them entertained and enriched!

They enrich our lives so much...let's take the time to give back!





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Pleas Use Caution at Human Pharmacies! Your Pet's Health Could Depend on it

Most pharmacy schools do not have any courses on veterinary pharmacy so most of the graduating pharmacists know very little if anything about the differences in drug metabolism and dosing in non-human patients. A survey conducted by five state VMA’s (Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Iowa, and Southern California) regarding pet prescription errors [revealed] in 2014.

• ~1/3 of respondents knew of occasions when pharmacies changed drug or dosage without consulting the veterinarian
• Showed “an alarming trend in recurring problems by pharmacists unfamiliar with veterinary pharmacology & physiology”
• 24-38% of veterinarians had at least one incident involving a drug or dosage change without knowledge or authorization
• ~9% reported an adverse health reaction related to a drug or dosage change by a retail or online pharmacy
• Overall, comments indicated that veterinarians are happy to talk to pharmacists if they are unfamiliar with dosages in non-human species
• Several comments regarding pharmacists telling pet parents that the prescribed dose is too high and will hurt their pet
• Many reports of pharmacies changing flea/tick medications or dosages without calling

We have had one local pharmacist "recommend" a drug for a patient that was contraindicated for the pet's medical condition and other medications. (Aug 2015) Fortunately, the client knew better, and the patient was unharmed.

We have had another pharmacist tell a client the dose of the medication was too high. (July 2014). And fortunately in this case client did not change dose and the patient was unharmed.

Please, please if you have any concerns about recommendations from us or suggestions by a pharmacist - please consult with us first.

Animal Hospital of Rowlett Veterinary Clinic

Skipper Vaughn - Pet Partner to Ms. Vaughn

One of our lovely clients sent us this sweet story for Skipper Vaughn, her beloved dog and pet partner.  

Full of love for life, I am a beautiful Poodle Boy age 10 Bonded to Master – Nanny Vaughn

Favorite vet 5 Star Sheppard - Dr. Wendi Carter

I enjoy Dr. Wendi giving me acupuncture therapy

Favorite Treat – Salmon Jerky

I play tug of war with my buddy Peanut and I love to lie In Nanny’s lap for massages.

Greatest Accomplishment – I cheated death in June with care from my Sheppard Dr. Wendi and my Master Nanny.

Check Your Chip

We will be hosting a check your chip event on Saturday, August 15 from 10-12 in our Rowlett lobby. This event is open to the public. We will be scanning pets for microchips and giving you the chip number so you can ensure your contact information registered to the chip is up to date.

Visit our Facebook page for more information. We will be raffling off a free microchip!!!

Pet Acoustics - Why The Music We Play for Pets is Different Than That for Our Clients

Have you ever wondered why the music playing in our lobby is different than the music in the exam rooms?

Wonder no more...

We have put a lot of thought into the experience that both you and your pet have at our clinic. Our lobby has fun music by decade to allow our clients to dance and sing at the check in counter (we love this by the way!). However, once you cross through the exam room threshold, we change our tune.

The exams rooms are softly playing special dog and cat music, called Pet Acoustics. This music is specially created based on tones, rhythms and pitches that are pleasing (scientifically) to dogs and cats.

You can find out more here: https://www.petacoustics.com

Animal Hospital of Rowlett Veterinary Clinic

Location:Pet Acoustics

Holiday Safety Tip #2 - Learn to Recognize the Dog Comfort Signs

If your dog isn’t accustomed to children or strangers, ask everyone to be cautious and to please stay out of your dog’s face. Fluffy or Fido may be meek and mild mannered with you, but may not be with a stranger — especially a child who may be face-level height with him. My dog Bonnie is not comfortable around strangers and really is not fond of children so we make sure the parents of young children stay away from her and we just tell them that “she is nervous and scared of kids” and everyone understands and gives her her space.


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Holiday Safety Tip #1 - Dog Greetings

Whether your guests bring a pet to the party is your call, but you need to make sure the introductions are done under close adult supervision and if they don’t appear that they will get along, you may need to separate them for everyone’s safety.



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Fishing Hook Danger

Fishing hook danger.

Summer time is here and fishing season is upon us. Dogs are great fishing companions but sometimes they can get into a little mischief that can cause an emergency trip to the vet.

Dogs are attracted to the smelly fish bait and shiny lures.  They can mistake these as toys or a treat. Dogs can get the hooks stuck in their mouth, paws, and sometimes even worse they will get stuck in esophagus or stomach.

Do not try to pull these lures out once stuck in tissue. Due to the multiple barbs on the hooks it can cause much more damage to the tissues and embed them further if you pull on them.  Pets need to be sedated and have a minor surgical procedure for these barbed hooks to be properly removed.

If the hook has been swallowed they may need a major surgery or endoscope to remove it.  If you see a fishing line coming from your pets mouth do not pull on it!  This could cause a tear in their esophagus or lining of the stomach which could be fatal. 

If your pet has a hook stuck in a paw or body, try and cover the hook so the pet can not chew on it and cause more damage and then head to your vet.  If it's stuck in their mouth or has been swallowed try and keep the pet calm and head straight to your vet.

So, if your four legged friend likes to go fishing with you always be careful by following a few simple rules.  Never leave the tackle box open. Only bait one hook at a time.  And make sure to remove hooks and lures from the fishing line prior to storing equipment.

www.ahrdvm.com

Kill The Mouse, Kill The Rat....Kill The Dog, Kill The Cat - The Dangers of Rodenticide Poisoning

Extremely Toxic to Pets... Even in Small Doses

Rodenticide, rat bait, mouse killer, or D-Con are a few names for many poisonous products that are meant to kill rodents. All are very toxic to pets, even in small amounts. Pets are usually exposed to rodenticides at home. They are attracted to the smell of the bait and will seek it out. In general, dogs are more likely to eat baits than cats, but bait should be placed whether neither species can access it. Pets can also be poisoned by eating an intoxicated rodent. Most rodenticides take time to kill. While the rodents are dying they are slower and incoherent. This makes them walk around out in the open where dogs and cats can easily catch them.

Not All Rodenticides Are the Same

All rodenticides are not the same. The toxic ingredients are different for different brands. It is important to know which toxin the pet might have been exposed to. In general, there are the anticoagulant rodenticides and other types. The anticoagulant type is by far the most common. Fortunately, it has an antidote. Anticoagulant rodenticides work by interfering with clotting. Affected rodents basically bleed to death. Vitamin K is the antidote to anticoagulant rodenticide. It must be Vitamin K1. This is a prescription. Vitamin K3 is available over the counter and is much less expensive but won't cure the poison. They need to be on it at least 4 weeks, sometimes longer. If you catch your pet's exposure to rodenticide and know that no previous exposures were possible, don't panic. It generally takes at least 3 days for dangerous bleeding to start, sometimes a long as 7 days. Clotting tests are usually normal on the day of exposure. At the hospital, we would start Vitamin K1 and retest clotting in about a week to be sure it's still normal. Unfortunately, a lot of pets come to the hospital because they are already bleeding. It's not unusual for pet owners to have no knowledge of exposure to rodenticide. In one case, the neighbors put out bait and the dog got poisoned because the mice traveled to his yard before dying. In another case, the previous owners of the house put out bait, unbeknownst to the current owners. They'd lived in the house for over a decade. The dog found the bait because they moved things around in the garage, and the nose knows. One owner recalled that their dog had escaped the yard for a few hours a week prior to presentation.

A Little Bit of Good News

The other types of rodenticides kill in different ways. One causes brain damage and one causes kidney failure. Neither of these have a cure. Both can easily kill pets even with treatment. There is a little good news. Most pets will not be poisoned by eating a rodent that is dying of intoxication. They have to eat the bait itself. You can tell which type you have from reading the package. There will be no mention of using Vitamin K under the emergency/first aid section if the active ingredient is one of the other types. Pets will usually start to get sick within 24hr of exposure to these types of baits.

Use Traps Instead

Dr. Clary can't kill anything, so she uses mouse sized live traps she gets at Tractor Supply. She baits the traps with peanut butter. These traps catch mice or rats in a chamber that they can't get out of. She checks the traps daily. If something's caught, she drives the mice several miles from her house and dumps them in a field.

• The veterinarian must know the active ingredient to know what treatment is needed. Keep the package!
• It may take up to a week for dogs and cats who eat anticoagulant rodenticide, or a poisoned
• rodent, to start bleeding.
• The anticoagulant type of rodenticide has a cure. All others do not.
• Dogs and cats are far less likely to become ill eating a rodent intoxicated with rodenticides other than the anticoagulant type.
• Dogs and cats that eat bait that is not the anticoagulant type are much more likely to die of intoxication.

- Kim Clary, DVM, ABVP
kclary@ahrdvm.com
www.ahrdvm.com

Stone was a Bad Boy...

He ate the Customer Service Relations teams' employee appreciation gifts. A good reminder to all that chocolate and raisins are toxic to pets. He will be okay, but has 48 hours of fluids ahead of him. Poor Stone!


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Loving Kitty finds Loving Home...

Caring for Pet's Foundation does it again!

This cute boy shows up in a carrier on our doorstep....

We immediately love him and snuggle him to pieces.

Caring for Pets donates money to pay for him to be neutered (Thanks Dr. Carter!) and vaccinated.  We combo test him and he is negative for FIV and Feline Leukemia.  He learns to use the litter box with a little potting soil....

After his week stay at Animal Hospital of Rowlett, loving kitty gets adopted and goes to his new home where he is loved forever and ever!

Thanks Memory for finding this lovebug a home!

Read more about Caring for Pets Foundation including ways you can contribute funds for emergency, urgent, and non-elective veterinary care.

Kibble Chaos: What to do when the fear mongers come out

I am sure most of you have already read about the lawsuit filed in California last week against Nestle Purina by a concerned and grieving pet owner. This lawsuit claims that all three of the owner’s unrelated dogs became ill after consuming Beneful dog food, with one of them, an eight-year-old English Bulldog, dying from this mystery illness.

The lawsuit further alleges that an ingredient used in the food (propylene glycol) is toxic to dogs and that the grains were contaminated with mycotoxins. The lawsuit seeks to prove that both factors caused the dogs’ illness, or at the very least they seem to be trying to hammer Nestle Purina with enough bad PR through emotionally charge, but poorly detailed media reports that they will settle out of court.

Read more at the link below:

https://weethnutrition.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/kibble-chaos-what-to-do-when-the-fear-mongers-come-out/

Reeses Torn to Pieces! **Graphic Images**

Reeses Torn to Pieces - Dr Hurley and his Mom put him back together again. A story of time, TLC and healing.

Meet sweet Reeses....



He came to us on January 23 after he had been attacked by some other dogs...he snuck out of the fence and went to try to mate with a nice lady dog down the street.  Unfortunately, when he arrived, so had 2 other much larger male dogs.  The female and both males attacked sweet Reeses who came running home with very severe injuries.

Dr. Hurley placed him under sedation and gave lots of pain medications.  She placed drain tubes to keep the infection out and keep the pus/blood draining and started him on hydrotherapy, where we run warm water over the wounds and then bandage with honey to promote skin growth.  The following pictures are after the surgery and after he had been cleaned up from his wounds.

Reeses came back to the clinic for rechecks after his mommy did hydrotherapy at home.  His wounds had already started closing up and he looked great.  He is such a happy little guy...tail wagging all the time, even when he was hurt.  He licked up during hydrotherapy.  He is a doll.  We removed the drain tubes and let the wounds continue to heal.  They were actually looking great.

Reese's mommy sent us some new pictures of him after just 4 weeks from his original treatment.  His wounds are healing and the skin has grown over them so much already!  The huge open wounds from his leg are almost completely healed and the neck no longer has any open skin showing.  He is doing amazing and making a wonderful recovery.

Caring for Pets Foundation helped to cover the costs of rechecks, bandaging and a portion of the initial surgery so that Reeses could heal and be back to normal. We are happy his mommy brought him to us and that we were able to help him get back to a healthy pup!  He does not know it yet, but he is coming in for a neuter soon....so he doesn't try to roam and sneak off again to find a lady friend.  Yay Reeses!  We are so proud of you!

Sincerely,

Your AHR family

Here's more on the Caring for Pets Foundation and how you can help another pet receive critical care

Sheldon loves acupuncture

Look how much Shelly loves it! So relaxed.
















Here's more on the Veterinary Medical Acupuncture services offered by Animal Hospital of Rowlett

Continuing Education

Dr. D and I are at a continuing education meeting, learning about the human animal bond.  Always looking for ways to advocate for the bond...some ways AHR does this:

• Weekly visits to Christian Care Assisted Living Center where we bring Stone, Maggie, Sheldon, and other pets to visit the people who live there.  They love to hop up in the beds and kiss on the residents.
• Annual visits to elementary schools to promote pet care and the animal bond.  LOVE hearing the responses from the kiddos about their pets and how much they love them.  We want to be a part of teaching the up and coming "pet owners" to treat animals with respect and love.
• Clinic visitors - we are always open to hosting Girl Scout troops, Boy Scout troops, and classrooms to come see surgeries and tour our facility.

Love hearing from other industry leaders who share the same passions...Zoetis just told us about several programs they are launching to help police dogs/retired miliary dogs, children with cancer, etc.  So cool.

Caring For Pets Booster Campaign SUCCESS!

Caring for Pets recently ran a booster campaign selling t-shirts for our foundation.  With the support of our amazing clients, we were able to raise over $350 to help animals in need.  We have already used a portion of these proceeds to help Reese, a sweet little boy who was viciously attacked by 3 other dogs when he got out one evening.

He came to us with large, necrotic wounds on his neck and legs...those doggies definitely didn't like Reese and he is a lucky boy to be alive.  Thanks to your generous donations, we were able to perform surgery.  Dr. Hurley sedated and cleaned the wounds, placed drains to keep the wounds from filling with pus and infection, and applied bandages with honey and medication to help them heal over.  

Reese came to us for hydrotherapy a few days after his surgery and his wounds were already looking better.  Mommy has been following up with hydrotherapy and bandage changes at home, and we look forward to seeing him completely healed.  Emergency treatment would not have been possible without your generous donations.  

Thank you for always providing us with support for our foundation so that we can help as many pets as possible.  Animal Hospital of Rowlett really does have the BEST clients.  <3

Learn more about our Caring for Pets Foundation and how you can help sick pets in need:
http://ahrdvm.com/community-services/services/community-services/caring-for-pets-foundation

Sweet Blind Harley Spends the Day at Our Doggie Care

Harley was a new patient at our Rowlett hospital who came in for doggie daycare. He is newly blind from diabetes. He worked on an enrichment puzzle to keep his brain sharp.

For the video he wouldn't do the puzzle completely (camera shy) but throughout the day he slyly moved pieces of the puzzle to reward himself with treats.

Such a sweet, smart boy. We look forward to having you back, Harley!

Learn more about Animal Hospital of Rowlett's Doggie Day Care Service

Cat licks

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Our Thoughts on the Dangers of Anesthesia-free Dentistry

Anesthesia-free pet dentistry (AFD) has gained popularity over the last few years. The main factors driving this are the lower cost and the perceived risk of general anesthesia. This is true; AFD is cheaper and has no anesthetic risk. It is hard to fault the owner for seeking treatment that they think is equal to what a veterinary clinic offers but costs less and is safer.

Unfortunately, AFD brings with it other risks and leaves many (if not most) patients to suffer silently from unrecognized dental pathology.

Owners think they received a valuable service, when in fact they and their pets benefited very little. AFD services overstate the risks of anesthesia and prey on owner’s fear.
Read more at the link below:

http://wellpets.com/anesthesia-free-vet-dentistry/

Halo

Holly is blind, but she gets around very well (and safely) by wearing her halo.

Halo can be purchased from MuffinsHalo.com


















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Easy Nail Trims

This is why counter conditioning as a pup onto nail trims/dremel is a good thing. Wouldn't you like your dogs' nail trim to be this easy?

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