On a lovely low country day last week, I was able to relax with some good friends and spend some time at the horse farm near my home. Its funny that even on my days off, I still tend to spend time with animals in some manner or another. My dog “Lola” happily tagged along for the outing.

As we led the horses out of their stalls they seemed a bit irritated, swishing their tails, tossing their heads and biting at flies. I noticed my horse had several small welts and bites from large horse flies. I started grooming him and was then assaulted with biting gnats (which I am severely allergic to) and flies dive bombing me from all directions. As I flailed my arms and danced around like a fool, I noticed “Lola” lounging in the shade with not a care in the world.

I quickly doused my horse with fly spray and walked over to where my dog was laying. She had several gnats flying around her but none of them actually landed on her. I then remembered that I had applied her Vectra 3D® two weeks ago. We continued our day with a trail ride out in the fields swatting at flies. While the rest of us suffered, “Lola” was just fine.

It gives me peace of mind to know that this once monthly application will protect her against fleas in all stages, ticks, mosquitoes, sand flies, gnats and lice. As everyone knows these are all insects we run into often in the low country. They carry dangerous diseases that can be life threatening to pets. She can even take a swim or get a bath and I don’t have to worry about the Vectra 3D® washing off. It only takes one minute to apply and protects for 30 days. Her quality of life is important to me and I know this is a product that I can trust because her veterinarian, Dr. Case – McCorvey prescribed it.

If only they made it for people!

Sunday, May 6th from 12:00-4:00pm in Forsyth Park.

6:30pm at Case Veterinary Hospital

Puppy Social

Come out and bring your puppy (under six months old) to romp and play with the other puppies.  We will have a question and answer time with dog trainer, Kevin Ray as well as members of our healthcare team.  Refreshments will be available for all two and four legged attendees.  Fun and educational  for the whole family.

SUNDAY, MAY 6,2012

FORSYTH PARK 

Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 6th from 12noon – 4pm for our 13th Annual Doggie Carnival in Forsyth Park.  This fundraising event, if you haven’t participated before, is a fun-filled carnival with great food, games, contests, prizes and the best dog-watching of the year, all in one of our most beautiful parks!   This is a fundraising event for the Humane Society.  Look for our Case Veterinary Hospital Booth where we will be selling water (human) and giving your pet a dental exam.   For more info go to : http://www.humanesocietysav.org/doggiecarnival

Office Manager atCaseVeterinaryHospital

Several things occurred to me as I watched my 9 year old great dane amble slowly out into the yard this morning… all five of my “kids” are now considered either senior or geriatric.  Consequently, our morning and before bed routines have lengthened considerably.

 This year I find myself having to wake up at least 20 minutes earlier than my normal time before work so that I can dole out supplements, medications, special foods and also so that I can make sure everyone is eating and drinking as they should be.  As I come down the stairs, all four cats are in their normal “spots” waiting on their morning feeding and medications. Lola the dog is still curled up asleep in her bed sweetly oblivious to the fact that I have loudly shut the door and entered the room.  This is due to her recent (old age) auditory decline.  I gently pet her until she opens her eyes, yawns and stretches looking at me expectantly for the start of her own morning routine.  I slip on her orthopedic boot in preparation for her outing. My husband and I intentionally bought a house with no outdoor steps so that we might make her daily treks outside a little more tolerable seeing as how her joints are starting to deceive her. As I dutifully count out her pills and supplements and stuff them in to Pill Pockets®, her eyes grow wide and drool slowly starts to drip from her graying mouth and jowls.  She snaps them out of the air as I flip them to her and I hear her gulp them down with satisfaction knowing that these daily modifications and medications are helping her get through her day to day.  We are both slowly learning to adjust to her geriatric status with the small changes needed to ensure her daily comfort. 

A couple of months ago during one of our morning routines, I noticed our senior cat Sushi was having trouble getting his stout little body in and out of a high sided litter box.  It never occurred to me that his older knee injury and back injury could be causing problems with his normal daily “potty schedule”.  I went out that same day to purchase a low sided litter box which is now his favorite.  Per his doctor’s direction, we also started him on daily oral joint supplements and a weight loss plan which have seemed to make him more comfortable and a lot more mobile.  I was surprised to learn that feline osteoarthritis is a lot more common than anyone thought.  Now, for the first time ever, Sushi and Lola have something in common in their old age.

Why do I happily get up earlier every morning (this coming from an avid lover of sleep)?  Because I enjoy seeing them thrive with my attention, and because I owe it to them.  Having a pet is a bit like honoring a marriage.  The phrases “Till death do us part” and “In sickness and in health” come to mind when thinking about why we happily part with our hard earned money for veterinary care, medications and special food for our senior pets. It is more important than ever to be aware of subtle changes in a senior pet’s health and to alert their doctor to those changes. They age at a much faster rate than we do, so the importance of bi annual exams and blood work screening become imperative to lengthening their life. They give us so much and ask for nothing in return.  It is up to us to make sure we are adjusting to their “Senior” schedules and needs just as we would with our two-legged family members.

Hospital Administrator at Case Veterinary Hospital

This week we added a collection bin in our lobby.  We are always collecting newspapers and towels for our kennels and we have the occasional special collections for the Humane Society, for Army Dog Care Packages etc, but this collection seems extra special.  We have partnered with Senior Citizens and Meals on Wheels to help provide dog and cat food for seniors who need help maintaining their pet in their homes.

I admit that I have a soft spot for those who do not have the ability to speak out for themselves.  Children, animals, and senior citizens fall under this umbrella.  Being a pet advocate has been a passion of mine since an early age and it is exciting to now be able to broaden that scope and help another often overlooked group.  I am privileged to be able to work for an organization that takes its Mission Statement seriously.  “We are committed to enhancing the lives of families, one pet at a time” certainly becomes a living statement when we reach out to help senior citizens who are struggling to maintain the privilege of having a pet in their lives.  (A near future blog will be our new partnership with Hospice of Savannah to help with those who are ill maintain their human-pet-bond as well!)

Our local Meals on Wheels program deliver 1800 hot meals to a five county area surrounding Savannah on a daily basis.  In the initial start up of this new program, 150 people have been identified as needing assistance with feeding their pet.  This one meal a day is often the only meal the senior may get.  Story after story has been shared by volunteers that they know a lot of that meal gets shared with the pet as there are no provisions of pet food available.    There are many reasons this occurs.  Some are certainly financial but some are just plain logistics.  If the senior no longer drives, it is difficult to stock up on pet food, especially for a larger pet.  One gentleman I have worked with has a Husky mix and he is too weak to lift the 40 lb dog food that he purchases when he is provided transportation to the grocery store once a month.  Even switching to two 20lb bags is a struggle for him.  Imagine his delight when he found out that the Meals on Wheels volunteer could deliver the bags for him and help him when they deliver his meal each day!

Pets give these seniors such love and comfort.  They add to the quality of life for so many who are homebound and do not have the daily interaction with others that they use to have.  Many would say that the pet is often the reason for getting up in the morning.  Statistics show that pets at any age raise the happiness bar several levels! 

We want to get the word out about this program.  If you have a coupon for a buy one get one free, consider donating the second purchase.  We hope our bin fills up fast and regularly.    We applaud the volunteers who give so freely of their time to deliver Meals on Wheels and we feel privileged to be asked to do our part in helping this great venture.  Please drop by in the next few weeks with some food.  We are giving a dog or cat toy to any who donate 5 cans or more or a five pound bag of food.

For more information or to volunteer for Meals on Wheels, please call Senior Citizens at 912-236-0363.

Submitted by Lisa A. Yackel, CVPM, PHR

Hospital Administrator at Case Veterinary Hospital

Many of us are beginning to get Spring Fever and are starting to make plans for a getaway for Spring Break or the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend.   The next six months are prime vacation months as you schedule your work time off requests around your children’s time out of school or around the warmer months ahead.  In years past, most of our clients called on us to take care of their cats and dogs while they were on a trip.  Many still do but there are more and more clients who want to have their pet with them on vacation. 

Making the decision to take your pet along really is a personal preference and depends on what type of vacation you are planning.  I have blogged before on the pitfalls that can happen when you take Fido with you to visit another family member in their home.  There are also times where it is just not fair to the pet to drag them along.  If you are going to be at an adventure park twelve hours of the day, then a motel room is not the place you want to leave your pet.  Not only will they get bored, but they may get nervous when housekeeping comes in to clean the room, etc.  Being in an unfamiliar place without your presence can be frightening to some pets.  That being said, hotel chains are becoming more and more accommodating to travelers who wish to have the “whole” family with them.

Years ago, people who travelled with their pets took their chances that they would find a hotel that would allow them to keep their pet when they decided to stop for the evening after a day on the road.  Some just waited until the evening and snuck them in with the hopes they would not get caught and the dog would not bark.  Although I love animals, I have to admit that it was frustrating in the “old days” because those who did sneak in their pet often did not keep them flea free or give them a recent bath.  We often would ask to see the room before we checked in to make sure it was smoke free and did not smell of dog.  Some members of my family were allergic to cats so we also had to be careful that a cat had not been in the room as well.

 Nowadays, hotels have certain rooms that allow pets (often times on the ground floor only) and they make special cleaning arrangements between nights.  The Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, and the LaQuinta chains are favorites amongst dog/cat show people who are on the road a lot because they all accept pets and they do not charge an additional fee.

My internet research showed several websites who list hotels by town that allow pets.  Not all pet friendly accommodations are created equal.  Pet policies vary greatly.  Some hotels are only dog friendly; some pet friendly hotels only allow pets under 25 lbs., some have a 2 pet maximum, and almost all of them charge a pet fee – ranging from $10/night to a non-refundable pet deposit upwards of $100 .  The Sheraton actually gives dogs a welcome kit with treats and lets you know where to walk your pet at check-in.

The Marriot Residence Inn is often used by travelers who take longer trips and they have plenty of space for relaxing with your dog.  They have a one-time pet fee per stay (from $75-$100) which works out cheaper than a per night charge for extended visits.   

As always, plan ahead.  Make sure your pet is flea free, is up to date on vaccines, and smells good before starting out on your vacation.  Take extra medications that your pet might need and your vet’s phone number so you can get a hold of them if you have an emergency in another city.  The clients at Case Veterinary Hospital get a pet  ID card which looks like a “driver’s license” with all their necessary information when they receive their annual preventative maintenance visit.  This is a great resource to have if you need to quickly access your pet’s records in an emergency. 

   So have a wonderful vacation and a great time with your family (two legged and four legged).  Just remember that good planning ahead of time will prevent most of the unexpected pitfalls that can ruin a much needed get away.

Hospital Administrator at Case Veterinary Hospital

Every year around St Patrick’s Day, we have a blurb on our Face book page about naming the nine Celtic Breeds of Dogs.  One that almost everyone gets right is the Irish setter.  Of course, the name gives a great clue to the origin of the breed but the red coat and happy-go-lucky personality of the breed also helps define them as Celtic dogs. 

When I was in my late teens, I talked my parent’s into allowing me to choose my own dog.  At the barn where I kept my horse, there was a new litter of Irish setter puppies and I had been told by the owner that I could have my pick.   I was so excited to have my own dog and I was madly in love the minute I picked him out.  I named him Tristan after one of my favorite characters in the James Herriot books.  Tristan was a red headed veterinarian in the series with a funny sense of humor and was always getting into trouble.  The name fit the dog to a tee.  To this day, any mention of Tristan to my parents causes them to roll their eyes and groan.  He was a handful, a clown, high energy, and also always in trouble.  My younger sister was as in love with him as I was though and we had some great times with him.

We don’t see too many Irish Setters at Case Veterinary Hospital and I rarely see them in Savannah.  They are rated 70^th on the AKC registration list of popularity. Irish Setters are energetic, intelligent, affectionate, loving, high-spirited, and full of energy.  They get along well with other pets and are good with children.  Because they are high-strung, they can become destructive and hard to manage if they are not given physical exercise and mental stimulus.  With firm, consistent handling and plenty of exercise, the Irish setter can be a joy to have as a member of the family and are considered a good choice for active families.

The setter’s long, glossy red coat, although beautiful, must be groomed regularly to prevent snarls or mats.  They are an average shedder and, typically, weekly brushing will keep their coat manageable.  In Savannah’s moist, humid environment, care must be taken to keep the ears clean and monitored for ear infections.  You could not keep Tristan out of the water and, consequently, weekly ear cleaning was necessary to keep ear infections at bay.

Irish Setters are fairly long lived for a larger breed with life expectancy of 11-15 years.  Their weight range is between 55-75 lbs and they stand between 24-28 inches tall with females being on the smaller end of the scale.    Because of their very deep chests, they are prone to bloat and at Case, we always recommend doing a gastropexy at the time of the spay or neuter to prevent gastric torsion (bloat). (Remember Marley and Me?  Marley was a lab, another breed that has a deep chest and is at risk for bloat.)  Irish Setters are relatively healthy but are known to have a higher incidence of hip dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy which can lead to blindness.

So as you celebrate St Patrick’s Day this year, be on the lookout for this happy-go-lucky breed.  They are a delight to see and have such fun, happy personalities that you can’t help but want to emulate them on such a party day in Savannah.