February, 2000 | December, 1999 | August, 1999 | April, 1999

Riverside Pet Hospital

 159 River Street
Rutland, VT 05701
+1(802) 773-4771
Volume No. 4, Issue 6, 2/00

In honor of National Pet Dental Health Month, we offer a 10% discount on routine dental cleanings. Light anesthesia is used so that your pets are relaxed. The procedure involves ultrasonic scaling and polishing. Some animals may need an antibiotic if the gums are infected. We can also recommend care at home that will keep their teeth healthy.

• changes in appetite or water consumption

• new lumps or bumps

• weight loss

• coughing or exercise intolerance

• changes in behavior

• difficulty getting up or walking up stairs

If you notice these or any other unusual symptoms, a check up is recommended.

Prevention is the key to maintaining your pet’s quality of life as they age. We recommend a yearly geriatric health evaluation for all our patients 8 years and older. Throughout February and until March 20th, we are offering a full geriatric evaluation for only $65.00. This work-up takes about 30 minutes and involves an extensive blood screening, urinalysis, a complete physical exam and a consultation with Dr. Gifford.

So, think prevention, and give us a call if you would like to schedule a geriatric evaluation for your dog or cat.

We recommend Proplan and CNM products and use them here at the clinic. 

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The bird fit easily into the palm of your hand he had bright pink skin and was totally featherless. He had a long pointy yellow beak and yellow feet. We had no idea what kind of bird he was. Larry, one of our technicians, agreed to try the arduous task of nursing a baby bird.  He fed him a mixture of cat food and kitten milk replacer every few hours for the next several weeks. The bird, named Ace, grew quickly and began to get feathers. Eventually it was evident that Ace was a pigeon.

Ace thought that Larry was his mother as does any bird raised from a young age by a human. This was not always a good thing since Ace followed Larry all over the house. As Larry also has 3 dogs and 2 cats this caused a lot of confusion. Eventually Ace was old enough to be released. Larry banded his leg so he would recognize him and let him go in the backyard. For weeks Ace waited faithfully on the roof for Larry to return each day and insisted on sleeping inside in his cage. But one day Ace took off with a flock of other pigeons and hasn’t been seen since. Hopefully he(or she we couldn’t tell) is leading a good life near bye.

We have many wonderful clients that have amazing stories to tell about their pets. This year we thought we would share the tale of the Anoes and their TEN cats. Elaine and David are wonderful clients who we know well since they come in 11 out of 12 months each year just for routine vaccines. They know the habits and quirks of each one and keep meticulous care of them. Here are their stories as told by Elaine:

Squeeky: Our oldest cat at 16 years and one of our miracles. She originally came from the Rutland County Humane Society and after 14 healthy years came down with a number of intestinal problems. Dr. Carol did some tests and found a huge gall stone blocking the gall bladder. After surgery this 14 year old made an amazing recovery-she acts like a kitten again.

Snoopy: We had just lost our "Lovey" and went in to the Burlington Animal Shelter on a whim. This 3 month old kitten was love at first sight. She sat on my lap the whole way home and seemed to know she was going home.

Amber: She was one of the last kittens sold at the Fair. David fell in love with her but I took all day before OK-ing her to go home.

Rusty: Given to us by a lady moving away he was only used to women. David had to work hard to gain his trust.

Skooter: She was wandering through the mini park near our house and wanted someone to love her. We planned to bring her to the shelter but she came in the house, made friends and stayed.

Patches: She was another miracle. David found her under his car at work so starved she could hardly move. She was pregnant but only weighed 2 pounds! The kittens were dead so she had to have emergency surgery to remove them. Somehow she made it through the surgery and is healthty and happy today. She is our little arbitrator - settles all kitty arguments by standing between the two antagonists.

Mama Kitty: She is my glory. She showed up as a stray-pregnant and wild. After a month of coaxing she allowed me to pet her. Her kittens were hidden outside. One day she walked right in the house like she had lived there all her life. When the kittens eyes opened she brought them in too. She had 5 kittens and we kept two. Add Tubby and Sweety to the clan. The other 3 found good homes. As for Mama-she only trusts us. She runs from strangers but not Dr. Carol

B.J.: He is a big gray male we believe has to be reincarnated. We had a much beloved big gray cat named Bear who gave us 15 wonderful years. Our neighbor also loved him and we both cried when he died. One day a Bear look alike showed up at our back door. I fed him and told him to go home. Soon my neighbor was at my door and said, "Look what I found!". He ended up staying and we named him B.J. for Bear Junior. B.J. is just like Bear in personality, temperament and looks. We believe the first time was too short so he came back.

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Riverside Pet Hospital
159 River Street
Rutland, VT 05701
+1(802) 773-4771
Volume No. 4, Issue 3, 8/99
 
 

Rabies Update

In the last few months we have seen a number of cases of Rabies in the Rutland area. Most recently (August 11th) a rabid skunk was found attacking some chickens. It then turned on the owner of the chickens and attacked some dogs nearby. Please avoid wildlife, remind your children to stay away from wild animals, and be sure your pets are up to date on their Rabies vaccines.  You can find more information about rabies by clicking here.

Surgery is just one of the professional services that we provide. Spays and neuters are the most common procedures. We also perform a variety of other surgical procedures, including lump removals, laceration repairs, declaws, and other soft tissue procedures.

Most of our surgery patients come in the morning of the procedure. It is important that they don’t eat for 12 hours prior to the procedure to avoid complications due to vomiting under anesthetic. We evaluate each patient prior to administering anesthesia. If the owners have given permission for it, we perform a preoperative blood screen. If the exam and blood screen are satisfactory we then proceed with induction of anesthesia. While under anesthesia all patients are closely monitored. After surgery the patients are kept in the main treatment area and monitored until they are fully awake. Many pets go home the same day but those who have longer procedures usually stay overnight.

We welcome any questions about our surgery service and would be glad to give you a tour of our surgical area.

Our clinic has been treating an increasing number of ear infections this summer. Swimming is often a factor in these ear infections. This year the water in our lakes and rivers is not as clean as it usually is because of the lack of rain. This is contributing to the increase in ear infections.

We recommend cleaning your dogs ears regularly and always after swimming. As the diagram below show, dogs have a very long ear canal. You can safely clean deeply with a cue tip and not damage the ear drum. If you find it difficult to clean them we are here to help.

In the last few weeks we have received several calls from people concerned that their cats are either losing large amounts of hair or suddenly matting up. Most of these cases are due to normal biannual shedding and don’t require more than a good combing and brushing. We do think that the hot weather has caused more shedding than usual. This is also a time when many cats spit up hairballs. These are caused by the cat swallowing the shedding hair that he or she swallows while grooming The cat cannot properly digest these large amounts of hair. Frequent brushing will help with this problem. Many cats also benefit from a laxative such as laxatone that helps them pass the hair.
 
 

This past summer we have been very pleased to have Susan Beebe, an intern from Vermont Technical College. Susan has completed her 400 hour internship (plus more!) with us and is returning to school for her senior year. We would like to thank Susan for her helping hand and wish her the best of luck.

Recently we said good bye to one of our full time technicians. Debbie Tucker has recently left for bigger opportunities in Virginia. She will be attending Veterinary school there and we wish her great success.

Every few weeks children come to Riverside for a tour. We show them the X-ray room where we turn off all the lights except the red light. We show the exam rooms and the treatment and surgery areas. In the treatment area everyone brings a stuffed animal and Dr. Gifford bandages the stuffed animals. Scout Troops, Classes and Day Care groups are all welcome. We have lots of fun doing tours, and any one who wants a tour can contact us.

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Spring is here again and along with beautiful weather comes the annual flea and heartworm problems for your pets. Each year, there seem to be more choices for dealing with these  pests.  Our goal is to present you with a simple explanation of your options.
 

Heartworm Disease and Control

• Although you may hear that cats can get heartworm disease, it is very unlikely.  At this point, we only recommend heartworm prevention for dogs.
• Dogs get heartworm disease from mosquitoes so they must be protected during mosquito season; April through November.
• Dogs should be tested before starting prevention because dogs with heartworm disease can get sick from the prevention.
• We use Interceptor as our monthly preventative, because it is safe, effective, and chewable.
• Interceptor can be combined with Program, and is then called Sentinel.  It prevents fleas and heartworms.

Flea Control

• Both dogs and cats can get fleas.  Once fleas have established themselves on your pets, they are infesting your house.
• Collars are still available.  We find collars work well for cats if they keep them on.  They are inexpensive and effective, but not all collars are safe  We recommend the Ovitrol egg control collars, available at our clinic.  Be wary of bargain collars.  We have seen some very severe reactions.
• Shampoos and sprays are relatively inexpensive.  However, they are only effective for a short time and are more toxic then other preventitives.
• Program is a flea prevention that works by killing the flea eggs.  It is the least toxic way of preventing fleas, and comes in a monthly pill for dogs.  Cats can get a monthly liquid or an injection that lasts six months.  Program will not kill adult fleas, so once fleas are present, it will not solve the problem.
• Advantage is a liquid placed on the skin in one to several spots.  It will kill fleas and their eggs.  Used monthly, it will clear up and prevent reinfestation of fleas.  Although stronger than Program, is it safe and very effective.

Veterinary medicine is a rapidly changing field and we have decided to make this column a regular feature of our newsletter.
 

• There is a new medication out to treat signs of “old age” in dogs. These symptoms include: disorientation, sleep changes and loss of house training.
• This medication, called Anipryl has been shown to improve the brain function of many older animals.  Not every older dog is a candidate for
• This treatment, so please call if you think your dog may be experiencing these problems.
• Lyme vaccine has just recently become available for humans.  We have had canine Lyme vaccines for several years, but with several documented cases of Lyme disease in Vermont, we are using it more frequently.  If you have a large number of deer near your home, Lyme vaccine may be a good idea for you and your pet.
• A Pet Loss Grief Support Group meets weekly at the Addison County Humane Society.  This is a confidential small group to help you celebrate your pet, learn about the grieving process and help you work through your own loss.  If interested, call Kate McGowan at
• 802-388-1100.
• We are moving.  Well, actually our web site is moving.  The new URL is http://www.sover.net/~petdoc.

You may have noticed some new faces around Riverside.

Elaine Hayes is an experienced technician who will be helping both in the exam room and assisting in surgery.

Larry Loomis joins us to help with kennel care and Saturday morning appointments.  He is also the groomer for Wundrland Pet Lodge.

Wedding bells are in the air at Riverside.  Liz, Debbie and Elaine are all engaged to be married!  We extend our congratulations and best wishes to each of them.
 

For the rest of spring, and summer, we will have appointments every other Saturday to allow our staff to enjoy the season.  As always, we are available for emergencies at any time.

We apologize for the pot holes in our parking lot.  They are scheduled to be repaired as soon as weather permits.

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