News & Announcements

Ear Crop Repair Surgery

Ark Veterinary Hospital is proud to announce a new technique that has been personally developed for the repair of ears that will not stand following an ear crop surgery.

There are multiple reasons why an ear(s) will not stand following ear crop surgery. Some include:

1. Poor integrity of the ear cartilage
2. Folds or breaks in the ear cartilage
3. A hereditary factor
4. Lack of taping and training of ear(s) post-op etc…

Below are the before and after pictures. The procedure is very affordable and requires a day stay in the hospital. Call our office for details today!

	"Ghost" is a 9 months old male Doberman that was presented for consultation about repairing a previous ear crop performed at another clinic. The picture to the left is a pre-operative photo.
"Ghost", now 11 months old, 2 months post-operative picture to the right.

Monthly Flea and Tick Product Options

TRIFEXIS (oral):

• Kills Fleas
• Prevents Heartworms
• Treats Hookworms, Roundworms and Whipworms

NexGard

Chewable beef flavored chew for dogs that kills FLEAS and TICKS for 1 month! NexGard kills fleas on your dog before fleas can lay eggs. The adult fleas you see on your dog are usually only 5% of the flea infestation in your environment.

Comfortis (oral)

Advantage (topical)

Advantix (topical)

About Trifexis™ (spinosad + milbemycin oxime) for Dogs

Trifexis is a monthly, chewable tablet for dogs that kills fleas, prevents heartworm disease, and treats and controls adult hookworm, roundworm and whipworm infections. Trifexis combines two trusted active ingredients to provide protection for your dog against these three kinds of dangerous parasites.

And Trifexis is a flavored, chewable tablet that can be offered as a treat.

Convenience. Proven effectiveness. All in one chewable tablet.

Benefits of Trifexis:

• Kills fleas and prevents infestations
• Prevents heartworm disease
• Treats and controls intestinal parasite infections (hookworm, roundworm, whipworm)
• One easy-to-administer chewable tablet

With Trifexis, you can play with your dog immediately after treatment. There is no need to isolate your pet. Just treat and play!

Trifexis is an ideal choice for:

• Families with children or other pets, since there is no transfer of product through contact
• Anyone worried about staining carpeting, clothing or furniture
• Dogs that swim or are bathed frequently
• Dogs with dermatological (skin) conditions requiring topical therapy

Ordering pet medications over the Internet

If you have ever considered purchasing pet medications over the Internet, here is some information that you may find helpful.

According to the government news section in the most recent DVM Newsmagazine, the EPA is cracking down on widespread sales of counterfeit flea and tick products. The EPA explains that counterfeit pesticides such as Bayer's Advantage and Merial's Frontline appear to have been unlawfully imported and packaged in retail cartons, which are designed to look similar to legitimately registered products. Bayer has taken aggressive actions to stop unauthorized purchases and sales of their products by companies where no doctor-client-patient relationship exists.

Purchase through your veterinarian is the best way to be confident about the source of these medications.

The EPA says that legitimate products, when purchased in a box of multiple applications, will likely meet all of several criteria. For more information, visit www.epa.gov.

With most of the companies, who manufacture flea/tick products as well as heartworm prevention, protecting the well being of animals is a first priority. They will not guarantee or stand behind a product over the Internet. The manufacturers are often pursuing legal action in cases where it is proven that purchase of foreign products is being sold by this method.

While we understand that everyone likes to save money, we do not want to see the health of an animal placed in jeopardy due to unsafe products of poor quality.

Benefits and Risks of Owning Pets for Older Adults

Benefits:

1. Companionship- reducing loneliness
2. Exercise- increased levels of physical activity meeting daily needs of the pet such as feeding them, letting them outside, going on walks, cleaning litter boxes etc…
3. Social Interaction- animals are natural people magnets
4. Stress Reduction- the unconditional love from a pet can lower stress.
5. Better Mental Health- Depression is decreased with a daily routine. Also touching and interacting with a pet raises levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can increase feelings of well-being. Alzheimer patients suffer less stress and fewer outbursts. Also, Aquariums have been shown to help patients and increase better eating habits.
6. Lower Blood Pressure- One study showed a 21% reduction in doctor’s visits per year.
7. Lower Cholesterol Levels
8. Resilience – studies show the pet owners of any age have both higher levels of immunity to disease and recover from major illness or surgery faster than non-pet owners.
9. Mental Stimulation- by playing and talking to the pet may ward off or lessen the effects of many mental disorders.
10. Better Sense of Well- Being - The responsibility and companionship of pet ownership seems to make people feel more hopeful about their lives and future.

Risks:

1. Dangerous fall injuries- Elderly are more susceptible to falling with a pet in the household. The size and strength of the pet would need to be considered.
2. Crashes while driving with a pet- Twice as likely to crash while driving with a pet over the age of 70.
   
   Other things to consider: Make sure there is help with cleaning of the litter boxes, veterinary visits, bathing the animal if needed etc…

May need to declaw a cat if causing skin injuries.

It is very important to have a back-up plan in the event of a sudden illness, hospitalization, or death. (Family member or medical caregiver, Adoption /rescue organizations).

HOLIDAY HAZARDS

The holiday season brings any number of potential hazards to your furry friend. In this article I will review the most common problems seen this time of year.

The first that comes to mind are the Poinsettia and Mistletoe plants. These plants are considered gastro-intestinal irritants. If an animal were to ingest these plants, some problems one might see with gastro-intestinal upset are vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. In addition, feeding the holiday leftovers (especially ham & pork products) can lead to some of these same results. If the berry of the mistletoe is ingested in great quantities, neurological symptoms, including seizures could occur.

Cooking increases in some households (not mine of course) so the risk of your pet ingesting dark baking chocolate increases. Dark chocolate contains an increased concentration of the stimulant theobromine. There is a lot of “hype” about the ingestion of chocolate in pets. I have had people call my office and report that their dog ate the entire bowl of Hershey’s kisses, foil and all.

We inform them to watch for signs of vomiting, diarrhea and hyper-excitability, but it is rare that one ever needs emergency treatment. I came to the conclusion about the rather mild affects of chocolate while attending veterinary school. My brother had called and reported that while at work, his cat “Wayne” (named from the classic Saturday Night Live skit Wayne’s World) had jumped up on the counter and licked ALL of the chocolate icing off of his birthday cake! Well I expected major problems due to the small size of a cat and the quantity of baker’s chocolate he had consumed.

Nothing happened. It was so anti-climatic. (I was rather disappointed in an eager vet student sort of way.)
Another potential hazard is tinsel or long thin ribbon on gifts or decorations. Cats love to play with this stuff and occasionally will ingest it. It will usually pass but on rare occasion it could lead to a linear foreign body in the intestines. It is so cute to see a silver sliver coming out the back end of these kitties. If this should happen to yours, apply a gentle tug, if met with resistance, stop. Over time the tinsel or ribbon will inch its way out. Trimming it with scissors until it is gone usually decreases the tickle factor. If at any time vomiting should occur call you veterinarian immediately. (Who knew how much fun this time of year could be!)

Antifreeze is more abundant with the cold weather, so proper storage and clean-up are essential for a safe environment. It only takes a very small amount to yield fatal results via renal failure. Some earlier signs include weakness, trembling and seizures. Increased thirst may result as well. Aside from the obvious lapping/drinking of antifreeze, a cat or dog can get toxic levels in their system by licking it off their fur it they were to have laid in it.

Last but not the least of hazards is electric shock resulting from chewing on cords that are lying about this time of year. Signs for this include burns inside the mouth which are usually exhibited days after the event by excessive drool or an odor coming from the mouth. If you happen to see your animal get shocked, the primary sign to watch for is breathing difficulty. This is caused from pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) that may result depending on the severity of the shock. Seek care from your veterinarian immediately should this occur.

I hope to have enlightened you on some of the potential hazards this time of year.

May you and your pets have a safe and blessed Christmas!

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