Animal Medical Center

AMC's February 2012 Newsletter

2012-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Quick Links to AMC’s February Articles

1. Announcements (see below)

2. “Staff Spotlight” - Dawn Kelly DVM, Relief Veterinarian

3. A Blast from the Past

4. "Ask the Vet"- Dr. Susan Barrows - The Benefits of Bringing in a Fecal Sample

5. Feature Article - Spaying and Neutering Exotic Pets by Dr. K

6. Product Spotlight of the Month - Iverhart and Profender Dewormers

7. Closing Thoughts...

Announcements –

Effective immediately AMC can no longer offer credit to our valued clients; we will require payment at the time of services and/or pet supply purchases. AMC takes Visa, Master Card, Discover and Care Credit cards as well as checks and cash for your convenience. Please respect this decision and allow us to operate our practice optimally.

§ Staff Celebrating Anniversaries inFebruary Diane, AMC’sPractice Manager, is celebrating her 5^th year anniversary thismonth; how time flies when you’re having fun, and we certainly are!! And Michelle,a Vet Assistant at AMC, is celebrating her 4^thanniversary. (Michelle works part timewhile finishing up her pre-vet studies at MSU. Congratulations Michelle!!) Andnot to miss out…Laura, Vet Tech,celebrated her 8^th anniversary in December and Julie, Sr Certified Vet Tech, celebrated 9 years in November andalso became a new “mommy” in December!! Congratulations to all!

§ Our very own Noah Lindgren, Vet Tech here at AMC, will have his photographs on display at the SolaCafé for the months of February and March. This event will benefit the Bozeman Nature Conservancy. An artist’s reception will be held on Friday,February 3^rd from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. The subjects of Lindgren’s art mirror his diversity in interests andevokes a feeling of wonder and adventure unique to the wild areas of these United States.

Peet's Hill

Staff Spotlight - Dr. Dawn Kelly - Relief Veterinarian

2012-01-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Dr. Kelly graduated from theUniversity of Minnesota with her Doctor of VeterinaryMedicine degree. Prior to going to vet school she spent a year at the University of Glasgowin

Scotland

where she studied Veterinary Science after graduating from MSU with a Bachelorof Science degree in Biology. Dr. Kellyhas a large extended family here in Montanaand enjoys spending time with family, reading and going to movies.

The following will giveyou a little more insight into Dr. Kelly’s personality:

What is the most excitingchange you’ve seen in veterinary medicine? Better pain control methods with fewer side effects.

Who was your most memorablepatient? Cole, a golden retriever…HBC withfemur and pelvic fracture…sweetest dog ever!

What makes a good veterinarian? Common sense, empathy and patience.

What was the bestprofessional advice you ever received? Documentcommunication with owner.

What would you advise a newgraduate? Stay calm but efficient in anemergency.

Are you a cat, dog or exoticperson? Dog and cat.

Do you have a bad habit? Impatience.

What do you consider thegreatest threat to the profession? Risingschool debt.

Which animal health needsare currently unmet? Inexpensive,comprehensive diagnosis.

What changes in veterinarymedicine do you hope will occur in the next 100 years? Veterinary hospitals set up more like humanhospitals. Central lab, radiology withsurrounding individual doctor offices.

What part of your workdo you enjoy most? Interpreting diagnosis andproblem solving.

What would you haveliked to do if you hadn’t become a veterinarian? Human Doctor.

Key to balancing your rolesin personal, family, career and health matters: Say no every once in a while.

Dream job: Travel guide around the world.

To relax: Go to movies in almost empty theater,massage, reading.

Are roller coasters deadlyor exciting: Exciting.

Thunderstorms cool or scary: Cool.

Favorite quote: “Breathe, life is not an emergency”.

If you could meet one personin the world, who would it be: AnnRice.

As a child, desired career: Doctor.

Greatest experience ever: Traveling around Europeby myself.

Most humiliating moment: Falling in front of gym full of people.

Favorite thing to do on aweekend: Read and go to a movie.

Are you a morning person: No.

Are you a righty, lefty, orambidextrous: Right.

If you could live anywherein the world, where would you live: Victoria, BC.

I don’t want to go anywherewithout my: Book.

Nickname: Dawny.

Pets: 2 cats – Ink and Mobe.

Hobbies: Reading,Skiing, Movies.

Book you’re currentlyreading: The Hunger Games Series, AbrahamLincoln – Vampire Hunter.

Favorite meal: Alaskan King Crab & Steak.

Favorite snack: Rice Krispie Treats.

Favorite beverage: Iced Tea.

Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla.

How do you eat an oreo: Take apart and eat the middle first.

Dream car: Atudi TT.

What is your favorite book? Anything by Sara Douglas.

What is your favoritesong(s)? Nights in White Satin – MoodyBlues.

Favorite tv shows: Bones.

Favorite movies: Singing in the Rain.

Favorite type of music: Anything except Rap.

Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving.

"A Blast From the Past"

2012-01-30T09:30:00.000-08:00

“Blast From the Past”- As AMC celebrates it’s 20^th Anniversary in business this year we’d like to share a little of our history with you each month.

In 2003, Whittier School’s 4^th grade teacher, Ellen Anderson, asked each student to draw an ad for a Bozeman business. Julia Petroff drew one for AMC and it appeared in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle on March 5^th, 2003. She chose AMC because of her love for animals. That same year she helped raise money for the Heart of the Valley animal shelter. Julia is currently attending MSU and still has a house full of pets, including cats, dogs, a turtle and chinchilla. We’d like to thank Julia for sharing her 9 year old advertisement with our clients.

"Ask the Vet" - Dr. Susan Barrows

2012-01-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Benefits ofBringing In A Fecal Sample

During the month of February AMC is offering fecal sample testing for $28 versus $40. That’s a 30% discount.

Parasite screening is a veryimportant part of a thorough health care program for our precious pets and forus and family members that live with them. Internal parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms infect our dogs,cats, rabbits, birds and other animals, which then shed parasite eggs in theenvironment through the feces. (Photo atright from wellsphere.com)

Humans can become infectedby parasites by ingestion of infective eggs and by penetration through skin bylarvae living in the soil. Children, elderly people, and people who areimunocompromised are at greatest risk of infection by parasites carried bypets.

Most cases of infection inhumans can be prevented by washing hands after handling pets and their feces,keeping children out of uncovered sandboxes, and picking up pet feces onlawns. In addition, regular deworming of outdoor dogsand cats is advised.

Fresh fecal examinationshelp us determine if a pet harbors parasites. Many animals appear normal yet are often infected by roundworms,tapeworms, coccidia, or giardia. Infections usually result in parasite eggsbeing passed in the feces. One femaleroundworm can produce 100,000 eggs per day which may remain infective in theenvironment for years to come. Weperform a specialized test on fecal samples that help us determine if parasitesare present, what type they are, and the severity of the problem.

When we request a fecalsample from your pet please make sure it is as fresh as possible and put ateaspoon or more in a closed container to keep it moist. If you cannot bringthe sample in right away refrigeration is best. Drying or freezing of a sample can destroy any eggs and invalidate thetest. Bird feces can be collected onsaran wrap placed on the bottom of the cage and placed in a zip lock bag fortransport. If your bird is being seen byour veterinarian we can usually collect a fresh sample at the time of thevisit. If your pet has intermittentdiarrhea, a sample of the loose stool is best for testing. A fecal screening test for parasites may bedone at your request without a doctor’s visit. Samples should not be submitted on Saturdays.

Intestinal parasites cancause vomiting, diarrhea, poor hair coat, itching, weight loss and lethargy inpets. Infections in humans may lead toserious health problems including gastrointestinal, visual and neurologicaldisease. Fecal testing and regulardewormings are recommended to prevent health problems in our animals andtransmission of disease from pets to humans.

And remember this testchecks for certain parasites (ie. coccidia), parasite eggs and giardia, aswell, that the regular dewormers don’t eliminate.

Spaying and Neutering Exotic Pets

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Catching Up With Dr. Klaphake “Dr.K”

As most of you know Dr. K left AMC at the end ofNovember 2011 to pursue one of his life long passions. He is currently working as an associateveterinarian at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From time-top-time we’d like to share some ofhis archived articles with you.

Exotic Animal Spays and Neuters byEric Klaphake, DVM, DABVP (Avian), DACZM

As with dogs and cats, manyexotic pets can be neutered or spayed. Oftenthis can be for the same purposes of dogs and cats for behavior modification,reproduction avoidance, and specific disease prevention. Likewise, spays andneuters are MAJOR surgeries, so anesthetic and surgical complications can occur(though rare), including death. These procedures and post-operative managementrecommendations need to be taken seriously. We recommend a new pet examinationfor all exotics, and particularly with rabbits and rodents, this can be helpfulto have a professional definitively determine the sex of your pet byexamination or more advanced techniques to avoid (or promote) successful reproductiveactivity.

· Ferrets—98% of all ferrets in the pet trade are alreadyspayed or neutered and de-scented too. The ones from Marshall Farms have twoblue dots tattooed in one ear to indicate this. Other ferrets should beassessed by your exotic animal veterinarian to determine the likelihood ofhaving had the procedure done. Vulvar (reproductive area) swelling in females,less than one year of age, suggests lack of or incomplete spaying and is animmediate health hazard if she is not bred or brought out of cycle. Olderfemales with vulvar swelling suggest adrenal gland disease and need aveterinary visit soon, though it is not an emergency.

· Rabbits—we recommend all females be spayed due to the highincidence of uterine cancer. Neutering and spaying can also help reduce oravoid behavioral problems. Some testicular cancers have been seen in olderrabbits by Dr. Klaphake, but generally are rare.

· Rats—we recommend neutering to reduce or avoid behavioralproblems between males and to avoid unwanted babies. Spaying females at a veryearly age has been shown to greatly reduce their risk of breast cancer.

· Guinea Pigs, Chinchillas,Sugar Gliders and other small rodents—werecommend neutering to reduce, or avoid, behavioral problems between males andto avoid unwanted babies. We do not recommend routine spaying, as these are notgenerally good anesthetic candidates for this longer procedure, since placementof a tracheal tube is usually not possible.

· Reptiles—the only species we routinely recommend prophylacticspaying in, is Green Iguanas to prevent egg-binding. Neutering male iguanas hashelped curb aggression in some individuals but may take time to reach full effectin mature adults; sometimes 1-2 years after surgery. Female turtles are oftenreported to have egg binding issues in other parts of the country, and worldwide, but it does not seem to be an issue in Montana.

Product ☼ Spotlight of the Month

2012-01-30T08:55:00.000-08:00

Profender and Iverhart Dewormer for Cats and Dogs

Profender Dewormer for cats is afast-acting, topical dewormer used to treat and control intestinal parasites incats, such as hookworms, tapeworms and roundworms. Not only is Profender easyto use, safe and effective, it also works in a single-dose capacity so there isno need for that pesky second dose! Once Profender encounters your cat's skin,it rapidly enters the bloodstream and travels to the intestines, controlling and eliminating unwanted parasites.

Iverhart Dewormer for Dogs - For years, dog owners have protected their petsfrom heartworms, and roundworms with IVERHART PLUS^® FlavoredChewables. Now, IVERHART MAX^® takes this powerful, proven treatmentto the next level to give your pet the most complete protection available againstheartworms and roundworms and now, tapeworms. Easy to give. Once a monthwill keep your dog safe and healthy...for life. Before starting your dogs on IVERHART they must have a heartworm bloodtest (HWT) to ensure they aren’t already infected with heartworms. It’s usually cheaper, even with the extra costof the HWT, to have your dogs on IVERHART, year-round, than using a dewormergiven every six months.

Closing Thoughts...

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

AAHA’s Newsletter “PetsMatter” – You can click on the following link to view the monthly newsletter “Pets Matter”. http://www.healthypet.com/petcare/PetsMatter/Default.aspx?type=AA

Facebook Specials – Become a Friend and check out AMC’s Monthly Specials on our Facebook Page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Medical-CenterBozeman/443974645440

AMC Becomes AAHA Accredited Once Again – Only 15 percent of all small animal veterinary practices in the U.S. have achieved accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association. “Animal Medical Center belongs to a select group of practices that are committed to meeting the standard of veterinary excellence,” says Gregg Takashima, DVM, AAHA president. “AAHA hospitals pass a stringent evaluation of over 900 standards covering patient care, client service and medical protocols. In order to maintain accredited status, Animal Medical Center must continue to be evaluated regularly by the association’s consultants. By attaining accreditation, Animal Medical Center is demonstrating its dedication to offering the best care to it’s patients and clients.”

CareCredit’s Payment Plans Are Now Even Better – No-Interest Plans are available for either six months (under $300.00) or twelve months (over $300.00) as long as the required minimum monthly payments are made, on time. Ask our Front Office Assistants for additional information. Or you can go directly to http://www.carecredit.com/ and apply online.