Link to All the Details About the Animal Hospital Champions NW Pet Fair March 31!

petfairpacket   Please click on the “petfairpacket” link to the left for all the fun details about Animal Hospital Champions Northwest’s pet fair on March 31. We hope you and your pet(s) can join us for all the fun.

Our Pet Fair’s Gonna Rock!

Don't miss all the fun at the Animal Hospital Champions Northwest Pet Fair on March 31!

Trim the Nails or Suffer the Consequences

In this battle of the nail trim, the feline pushed the owner to retreat. But in the end, the cat lost, because this ingrown nail was excrutiatingly painful and required surgical intervention to repair. We get it – few pets are docile during a nail trim, but owners can always make an appointment with our technicians or groomers to handle this task. They usually team up with two staff members and make the job look like a simple peace negotiation.

Zipper Spreads His Love

Recently our Animal Hospital Champions Northwest clinic cat, Zipper, did something so extraordinary it merited an entire blog post devoted to his special deeds. On November 16, 2011, Tara Harris brought her 11 year-old Jack Russell terrier to our hospital and saw Dr. Urrea for a first time appointment. “Allie’s” presenting complaints were panting and lethargy. Dr. Urrea’s physical exam revealed, through , a mass in the abdomen and he recommended an exploratory surgery as the best course of action to gather information about the worrisome growth.  Numbed by this devastating new about her health, Allie’s family returned the next day for the surgery. Their worry was evident as they quietly waited in the lobby during Allie’s surgery.

Our clients care about pets for many reasons, but most everyone agrees their mere presence can make a bad day better.  Unbeknownst to our staff, Zipper had a special sense about how the Harrises felt that day of Allie’s surgery. He found his way right into Tara’s lap and comforted her while they waited for news about Allie. Zipper’s simple act of feline kindness, Tara said afterward, sustained and kept her calm during the surgery.

Dr. Melissa Blessinger successfully removed a 10 centimeter mass from Allie’s small intestine. There were no complications while Allie was under anesthesia throughout the procedure, which was the best news of the day. A few hours after Allie woke up from her surgery the Harrises returned for a visit. Our staff moved Allie to the consultation room for some family private time. But, they were not alone for long. Again, Zipper found his way to the Harrises. This time, however, he snuggled right up next to a recovering Allie. Strangely, the Harrises said Allie never liked cats, but on that day she tolerated Zipper. We like to think, Allie found comfort in Zipper’s presence, too, that day in the hospital.

As we speak with pride among ourselves about Zipper’s phenomenal acts of caring toward the Harrises, our staff theorizes that on some level, Zipper finds consoling clients and patients to be part of his role as a clinic cat. (Clinic cats also give blood, entertain clients, help our staff during stressful days, and can even serve as models to mock demonstrate a procedure or illustrate a point for a client.)

We love a good clinic story, and Zipper has one as well. Just a few weeks before Allie’s surgery, a man walked into our sister hospital, Animal Hospital Jones Road, with a four-month old orange tabby kitten. For personal reasons, he could no longer keep the cat and thought euthanasia was the only option for this young male cat. Our front desk saw he was a darling kitten and helped the man locate a rescue organization that would come to Animal Hospital Jones Road and get him that evening, so the man left the kitten in our care. It was obvious he was such a special, affectionate cat; we quickly decided he would be a perfect clinic cat, and knew just the place for this little orange tabby – Animal Hospital Champions Northwest. Now a fixture at the front desk, Zipper adapted to his new home quickly. This is our tale of the endearing Zipper and his “job” bringing comfort to the Harrises, and hopefully, many other clients.

(For the record, Buttons is our other clinic cat at Animal Hospital Champions Northwest, and we have Simon and Fern at Animal Hospital Jones Road. They are all special.)

Keep Your Pets Safe this Halloween

 This is an excerpt from the American Animal Hospital Association website, www.healthypet.com. Animal Hospital Champions Northwest and Animal Hospital Jones Road are proud of their American Animal Hospital Association accreditation.

Halloween can be a frightening time for pet owners across the country. It can be scary for our furry friends too. The American Animal Hospital Association encourages pet owners to protect their four-legged family members this October by being mindful of their F.E.A.R. – food, environment, attire, and recovery.

Food

Halloween means candy and tasty treats are plentiful and easily accessible to young children and pets. Candy, especially chocolate, is toxic to animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances, and even death. Although grapes and raisins are a healthy alternative snack for humans, they can be potentially deadly for dogs. These fruits contain an unknown toxin that can damage dogs’ kidneys and cause kidney failure.

Candy wrappers can also cause health problems. Animals may eat the wrapper, causing obstruction or irritation to the pet’s digestive system. Candy and wrappers should be kept out of pets’ reach and young children should be taught not to share Halloween goodies with their pet. Seasonal foods such as pumpkins and corn may cause minor stomach irritation; however, they are relatively safe for Fluffy and Fido. Pumpkin seeds may cause digestive system obstruction if consumed by smaller animals.

Environment

Due to the increased foot traffic and commotion in your neighborhood, outdoor pets should be kept indoors during the days surrounding Halloween. Unsupervised outdoor animals are susceptible to stress, inhumane practical jokes or theft. Providing a safe, stress free environment reduces the probability of your beloved friend injuring himself or others. Loud and excessive noise created by trick-or-treaters can frighten your cat or dog. Animals should be kept away from the door and out of hearing range of a constantly ringing doorbell and excited children. Fluffy or Fido should be put in a room where they will not be disturbed by noise and activity. A frightened or upset pet may run out the door at the first opportunity and could harm the children in its way.

Be sure decorations are safe from the paws and teeth of curious pets. Crepe paper streamers, fake cobwebs, glow sticks, plastic spiders and cardboard wall hangings can easily be chewed and swallowed, damaging your pet’s digestive tract. Animals can also tip over the candle in a jack-o-lantern and burn themselves or start a fire. Keep decorations out of animals’ reach, and maintain supervision if they play nearby.

Attire

Transforming your pet into a superhero, witch, ghost, or goblin can be a stressful and unpleasant experience. Some animals love to dress up, but others dread it. If your furry friend doesn’t mind dressing up, make sure that you select a costume that doesn’t restrict his normal movements, breathing or vision. Costumes that interfere with these things can cause ligament or joint injuries, and animals are more likely to bite if their vision is impaired. Pets are better off left at home during trick-or-treating excursions. However, if they do tag along, it is best to keep them on a very short leash and harness to keep them from fighting with other animals, eating the treats, becoming victims of practical jokes – as black cats often do – or biting strangers they encounter.

Recovery

It is important to have a plan if your pet becomes sick, injured or lost this Halloween season. Since time is critical during any unfortunate incident, pet parents should always have contact information for their veterinarian and local animal shelters easily accessible. Also, pet owners need to be aware that not all veterinarians are available 24 hours. However, all AAHA-accredited hospitals have access or referral to 24 hour emergency care. It is also important to update your pet’s identification tags and micro chip information each time you move or change phone numbers so that current contact information is always available on your pet. The American Animal Hospital Association wishes all two and four-legged critters a happy and safe Halloween.

Established in 1933, the American Animal Hospital Association is the only organization that accredits veterinary practices throughout the U.S. and Canada for dedication to high standards of veterinary care. More than 3,000 AAHA-accredited practices pass regular reviews of AAHA’s stringent accreditation standards that cover patient care, client service and medical protocols.

 For up to date info on veterinary medicine, our animal hospitals and events and specials, please socialize with us and keep in touch online via www.animalhosp.net, Animal Hospital Champions Northwest on Facebook, Animal Hospital Jones Road on Facebook,  and the hospitals’ YouTube channel, HouVetCare4Pets.

 

FLUTD: Misspelled Word or Common Feline Ailment?

One of the most common problems with indoor cats is urinating outside the litter box. Should this happen, it is important for the cat owner to recognize the pet is not behaving badly, but may be trying to communicate a problem.  The causes of urinating outside the litter box are numerous, including bladder stones, infection, or even diabetes.  Very often it is a disease known as FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) or FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis).  This is a stress related syndrome that produces pain, and in many cases blood or crystals in the urine, without bacterial involvement. FLUTD or FIC also tend to appear more frequently in the winter months, when cold weather reduces the stimulus to drink water. Remember, if the feline pet is showing signs of the disease, a visit to the veterinarian is necessary. There are some protective measures cat owners can take to prevent outbreaks.

1. Litter boxes: Cats should have one litter box each, plus one. Scoop daily and clean with soap and water once a week.  Also, make sure not to place them near noisy areas (like near the washer and dryer). Nothing is more stressful to a cat than a buzzer going off during this private moment.
2. Water intake: Cats routinely don’t drink enough water; so help coax them by getting a cat water fountain, or switching part or all of their meals to canned food. Some cats ingest more water with the help of a bigger bowl, so their whiskers do not touch the sides.
3. Playtime: Boredom can actually be stressful to a cat, so a 15-minute daily play session can help liven the day. Experiment with different types of toys to see which the pet likes best!
4. Safe Zones: Cats that live around dogs or children may need a room they can go to without fear of being chased. Often a simple baby gate will keep out unwanted playmates.
5. Pheromones: The “happy cat” pheromones are achieving positive results. The Feliway diffuser  is one such product may help the cat  mellow out.

Clearly, FLUTD and FIC are unpleasant, debilitating diseases, but with some astute observations by owners and usage of preventative measure, many patients can be healthy. As always, we welcome cat owners to ask us questions in person or via phone.

Top 10 Reasons to Attend Our October 1 Pet Fair

The excitement around our Animal Hospital Jones Road location is pawsitively electrifying.  Everyone is working so hard getting it all ready for this Saturday’s Pet Fair that Fern and Simon can’t wait for the fun to start. In fact, they had some extra time on their hands and thought it might be fun to make a list of our top 10 reasons to grab your pets, friends and family and come to the Pet Fair at 9570 Jones Road from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on October 1.

1. The staff will be microchipping for free! (Home Again will charge $16.99 to enroll the pet and chip in the registry.)

2. They will also be engraving and giving away shiny new pet ID tags. So, you can get rid of that old scratched up one.

3. The vets will stitch up and fix broken stuffed animals at the M*A*S*H unit. No charge, what a deal!

4. The Harris County Sheriff Department Reserve will be doing child fingerprinting. This is something every parent should consider for their kids.

5. You can tour the entire veterinary hospital and see all the cool stuff that the staff  uses to keep pets as healthy as possible. We apologize, but Fern refused to pose for the ultrasound station. Who do these guys think they are – the TSA?

6. The kids can do a messy craft and you don’t have to clean up afterwards.

7. You can watch some canine stars perform agility and frisbee. The adventurous can try their paws on some of the agility obstacles – and receive some expert instruction.

8. The “wag bag” is chock full of all kinds of goodies for pets and their people, and there will be bandanas with which to accessorize.

9. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop will stop in with some delicious snacks for the humans.

10. Everyone can register to win some pawsome prizes, including heartworm prevention and flea prevention products, an annual visit to the vet, a boom box with CD player and more.

10.1 Some local rescue groups and their “rescues” will be there to “meet and greet.”

10.2 A few of the veterinary staff members will be giving talks on topics near and dear to their hearts – your dog and cat’s care.

Sorry, there is so much  going on at the Pet Fair, we just couldn’t limit the list to 10. See you Saturday!