AAHA

AAHA ACCREDITED

As of Monday, June 18, 2012, Smith Veterinary Hospital is proud to announce that we have passed the most stringent guidlines set forth by the American Animal Hospital Association. We are the only hospital in Lancaster, CA to have met these guidelines which cover over 900 points in all areas of the hospital from medical records, surgeries, patient care, pharmaceuticals, hospital set-up and all procedures. We have worked very hard to achieve this status, which is met by only 15% of the Veterinary Hospitals in America.

Is My Pet's Food Safe?

 Pet foods are making the news again as more pets, as well as people, are becoming sick from contaminated foods. Most of the contaminated foods are voluntarily recalled and removed from store shelves, however, it is important to check your home supply to make sure it is safe.

Certain brands of dry dog and cat foods have been tainted with Salmonella. Salmonella infections can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramping up to three days after infection. The illness can last up to a week, and if the infection is severe enough, hospitalization may be necessary. If your pet is showing any of these signs, please call Smith Veterinary Hospital immediately to bring in and get started on treatment.

  Consumers should discard any of the recalled product, and be sure to wash well after handling the foods or an ill pet. People can become sick after handling the contaminated food or by contact with a pet who has eaten contaminated food. The affected foods are found throughout the U.S. and Canada, but so far have not been sold in California. More contaminated foods are added to the list as they are discovered.

 Please check the U.S. FDA website regularly for updates.

Xylitol Poisoning

                 Xylitol Poisoning

There's lots of good things about sugar substitutes; weight loss, improved health, diabetic control, and even reduced tooth decay. Lots of good things for humans, that is ... however, the staff here at Smith Veterinary Hospital would like to warn you that they can be deadly for your dogs.  

Xylitol is one of the leading sugar substitutes. It is commonly found in gum, mints, candies, and even toothpaste and mouthwash.

There are two ways Xylitol can affect your dog:

Hypoglycemia:  

In the canine body, the pancreas confuses xylitol with sugar and releases insulin. This results in the blood sugar levels plummeting, causing weakness, disorientation, tremors, and potentially seizures; Vomiting and diarrhea can also occur. It doesn't take much Xylitol for these symptoms to occur. Symptoms can begin within 30 minutes of ingestion and can last for more than 12 hours.

Hepatic Necrosis:                                  

The other reaction associated with Xylitol in the canine body is actual destruction of liver tissue. Although some lucky dogs will only experience temporary illness, others can have complete and acute liver failure which can result in death. Internal hemorrhage and inability of blood to clot is commonly involved.

Treatment
Ideally, the patient should be seen immediately (within 30 minutes) and can be made to vomit the gum or candy. Often, a sugar IV drip is needed for 24 hours. Liver enzyme and blood clotting tests are monitored for 2 to 3 days. Blood levels of potassium are monitored as well.

For more information on animal poisonings visit  http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/ . 

Did YOU get a RABBIT for Easter?

Congratulations from Smith Veterinary Hospital on your new rabbit! Rabbits are complicated animals and need proper care. They trust us and depend on us to survive. By understanding what your rabbit needs and

what it can and cannot have, your relationship with your rabbit will be a strong and beneficial one for many years to come. A few topics of general care are:

Feeding/treats Rabbits can be fed once a day in the evening (about dusk) during the time they are most active. Rabbits are fed alfalfa pellets that can be purchased at feed stores. When buying feed, check the ingredients and try to get the brand with the most fiber – fiber is very important in a rabbit’s diet. Treats such as fresh (not canned in syrup) apples, pineapple, grapes, banana, peaches, papaya (fresh or dried), oats, cheerios, carrots, and celery are all adequate treats but must be fed IN SMALL PORTIONS. Never feed a rabbit cabbage or lettuce as it can cause excess body fluids.

 

Housing  The size of a rabbit’s cage is crucial. If a cage is too large for the rabbit and it becomes scared and starts to run, it risks being injured. If a cage is too small, it is uncomfortable! Cage size is classified by the size of the individual rabbit (i.e. a 2 - 4½ lb. rabbit requires about an 18 x 24 inch cage) Avoid cages with paint coating on the wire because a rabbit is liable to ingest the paint substance and become sick. A cage with a lower catch pan that slides out is very important. Rabbits are clean animals and have to be separated from the bedding they defecate in so a catch pan tray is highly recommended. A good set up usually costs about $35 to $45. Rabbits should never be put together.

Cleaning

Wood shavings are commonly used as bedding for rabbits. Shavings can be obtained from feed stores or other facilities that produce wood shavings. A caution pertaining to shavings is to NEVER USE CEDAR. Cedar shavings or chew toys are unhealthy for your rabbit despite the nice smell. Cedar can be fatal to rabbits if eaten. Once it enters the intestine, cedar tends to splinter inside the body and cause gastrointestinal problems or even failure. Pine, fir, or fruit woods are acceptable woods for bedding. Pine is the most common, easiest to obtain and best smelling wood for bedding. With the proper set up (using a catch pan system) when the tray needs to be cleaned (about every other day with smaller rabbits) simply remove the tray from the underside of the cage and transfer the dirty shavings or bedding to a trash can or plastic bag. Some gardeners like to use some of the used rabbit shavings and feces in their gardens because they are a good source of organic material.

 TOYS A few toys for rabbits include pine chew toys (avoid color treated blocks), empty soda cans, and pine cones. NO PLASTIC TOYS! Try to stay within the toys listed – anything else may not be suitable for your rabbit.

 

* Web sites

Rabbit information: www.arba.net

Supplies for sale: www.kwcages.com & www.klubertanz.com

*These are listed for your convenience. No endorsement or promotion of these

Pet of the Month

Smith Veterinary Hospital

is pleased to announce

Charlie Weston

as April's Patient of the Month

“Charlie” Weston-Challman is a 12 week old chinchilla whom was brought in by his concerned owners last month. After returning from dinner, they found their rambunctious chinchilla dragging both hind legs behind him. Unsure about what to do, they brought him in to Smith Veterinary Hospital. Upon physical examination, it was found that “Charlie” still had feeling in his hind legs, but it was less than normal and he was unable to place any weight on them. Radiographs were taken which showed no fractures or dislocations. It was decided that he had suffered from nerve damage (possibly after jumping around his cage which he did a lot of!) He was started on an oral steroid and rested. Within weeks, “Charlie” had regained most of the function in his hind legs. Today he is using his hind legs almost completely normally and is enjoying being a young chinchilla again! Good job “Charlie” and the entire Weston-Challman family for your patience and hard work.

Congratulations to Charlie and his family from the staff at

Smith Veterinary Hospital

Happy Easter !

National Pet ID Week

Smith Veterinary Hospital

National Pet ID Week 

 April 18-24

Check out this APP on itunes :

 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/petrescuers-by-homeagain/id385782939?mt=8

Pet of the month "March"

Patient of the Month

March 2012

Marty Bowen

Marty is a very brave and loveable little Miniature Pinscher, recently adopted by the Bowen family.  She was hit by a car and roaming homeless around their neighborhood.  It took about ten days before she would allow anyone to catch her.  When they were able to finally catch her, we found that she had fractured her right ulna and radius.  We attempted to place a splint, but it did not appear to be healing after a few weeks.  Ultimately, we decided to amputate her right front leg on February 15^th.  Surgery was a success and she was up and walking her first day home!

Throughout the entire process, Marty has been nothing but cooperative.  Not once did she complain or become difficult.  It is impossible not to fall in love with her.  Congratulations Marty on becoming our March Patient of the Month!!

Congratulations!

From The Entire Smith Veterinary Hospital Team!

Leptospirosis- Understanding The risk to your Dog and You !

What is in my Dog's vaccine?
Let's break down the Letters.
Da2ppL 
The L 
Leptospriosis ?

Leptospriosis is an infection disease that causes serious illness in dogs, other animals, and people.
The disease is caused by spiral-shaped bacteria called leptospires that live in water or warm wet soil.
Letptospriosis causes a variety of Flu-like symptoms,but it can develop into a more severe,life-threatening illness.

Leptospirosis infects dogs by coming into contact of infected animals urine. Usually in water or wet ground.
It enters the body through the eyes,noses, mouth or through breaks in the skin.

Is my dog at Risk ?
Previously thought of as a warm -weather disease that occurs in the rural south, canine leptospirosis has now been reported through out the US. No matter where dogs live they are at risk and some are at a higher risk.
Dogs at high risk for leptospirosis:

Rural- working, hunting,and herding dogs.












Suburban- dogs living near water or wildlife










                                                                               City- dogs in crowded shelters or exposure to rodents.

How can you protect your dog from leptospirosis?
You can lower your dogs risk of leptospirosis by limiting exposure to potential sources of contamination, but the best way is with maintaining current vaccinations against leptospirosis.

Please check with your family veterinarian for their personal recommendations for Your Pet.
The Information is provided by intervet - Schering Plough Animal Health.

Happy Valentines Day! 

No Chocolate for me! 

Dogs and Chocolate 

A deadly combination.

All forms of chocolate can be toxic to your canine Companion.

If you are unsure that your pet as ingested chocolate please call our office at 661-948-5065

Have a safe and happy day! 

Smith Veterinary Hospital

Common Household Hazards

It may surprise you how many substances found in and around your home can be 

dangerous to your pet. 

Each year millions of pets are exposed to household hazards, and not all of them have a good out come. 

Recently we had the opportunity to care for a sweet dog named Fred.  Fred came into the office after ingesting one of the most common household hazards Mouse Poison. Fred left to his own devices had gotten into the garage behind the tool box and unbeknownst to the owner found the mouse poison left over from last spring.  Fred is a good dog he is not a trash digger nor is he a table surfer, but the one thing he likes to get is mice. So apparently while in the garage with his owner he saw a mouse and headed out to catch that mouse. His owner noticing that Fred was after something but did not think much about it because Fred is a good dog,and  allowed Fred to continue looking for his mouse. A bit later the owner noticed Fred chewing on a box.. O NO a yellow and green box with the words DECON on the top.  Fred cant read he was not aware that this box with this tasty treat in it meant big danger for him. So off to the Veterinarian they went. Fred received medication and treatment and is doing fine. 

Fred's family would just like to remind everyone that Fred can't read and its our responsibility to protect our pets from all Household Hazards. 

Check out this great interactive web page @

http://www.apcc.aspca.org/

Have a Great and Safe Day !

and Fred stay out of Trouble!

 Smith Veterinary Hospital 

I Will Just Brush My Dogs Teeth!

Can’t I Just Start Brushing My Pet’s Teeth and 

Skip theDentistry?

You certainly can always start brushing your pet’s teeth, but the problem in this is if they already have dental disease. Brushing alone at that time will not remove the calculus already adhered to your pet’s teeth. So, professional cleaning is needed to remove this to have a clean starting point. If your pet does not have a large buildup of tarter, then tooth

brushing alone can help. Tooth brushing is the best way to keep your pet’s mouth healthy. There are all kinds of other items advertised to keep your pet’s teeth clean: hard chew toys, bones, kibbled diets, sprays, and treats. Be sure to discuss the pros and cons of each of these with your veterinarian before starting any of these as some can result in broken teeth, toxicity or gastrointestinal foreign bodies.

Tips for Tooth Brushing or How to Brush My Pet’s Teeth:

1)      First purchase a tooth brush or finger brush to use at your local pet store. Finger brushed defiantly work well on smaller pets (whom don’t bite).

2)      Second, ONLY use a pet tooth paste. Human products contain fluoride and pets do not know to spit this out.

3)      Start with using a piece of gauze or just your finger and massage your pet’s gums. Your pet may not be used to this, so doing just one or teeth at a time at first is great. Reward your pet after with play or a treat. Each time lengthen the amount of time you spend in your pet’s mouth.

4)      Once your pet is comfortable with your finger, you can introduce toothpaste onto your finger. They sell minty flavored varieties. Honestly this is for human enjoyment as most pets don’t like the mint taste. Poultry or Beef flavored tooth paste is more enjoyable to pets (make sure they don’t have an allergy to these flavorings).

5)      Next, start introducing the brush of your choice. Start again slowly.

6)      It is best to start as a puppy or kitten, but it is never too late to start.

7)      Brushing daily is best but if that cannot be done, then as frequently as possible is recommended. Brushing teeth every 3 days is adequate to maintain a healthy mouth and teeth. Brushing daily is needed to control already established gingivitis.

Other oral conditions:

1)      Persistent baby (deciduous) teeth: These are baby teeth that are never lost. These cause problems by changing the position of the adult tooth coming in which can lead to wounds in the mouth or by trapping food particles between the baby tooth and other teeth in the mouth. This trapped food can lead to periodontal disease. It is recommended to have these teeth extracted (preferably if possible at the time or your pet’s spay or neuter). Small breed dogs (Poodles, Maltese, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, etc) are more likely to have persistent baby teeth.

2)      Feline oral resorption lesions (FORL): These are areas of the tooth which is being eaten away by the cat’s own immune system. Any tooth can be effected, but mostly molars and premolars are affected. Signs include red spots on the tooth usually near the gum line, painful chewing or vocalizing while eating, bleeding teeth, teeth appearing to be disappearing or being worn down, partial teeth, or tooth loss.

3)      Oral masses: All pets can get masses in their mouth. These can be signs of infection, foreign bodies, or cancer. Many oral masses can be found on the gum line or under the tongue. It is recommended that your pet be placed under anesthesia to have these masses assessed better, and then either biopsied or surgically removed.

4)      Foreign bodies: Foreign bodies found often in the mouth are bits and pieces of toys, sticks, rocks, and foxtails.

5)      Stomatitis: Cats can often get severe cases of stomatitis (infection of the mouth). Signs include severely inflamed gums, reddened gums, bleeding and painful gums, difficulty eating or reluctance to eat hard foods, not eating, weight loss. Causes of stomatitis include FELV/FIV infections, kidney disease, or in some cases autoimmune disease. For these cats, it is recommended to have an FELV/FIV test performed first, followed by bloodwork then a dental cleaning. Maintenance of this condition depends on the cause and may consist of dental extractions or injections of a steroid.

Dental Month is just around the courner

February is National Dental Month

 What Can I Do to Help Keep My Pet’s Mouth Healthy:

First and foremost, have your pet’s mouth evaluated with your veterinarian to determine what stage (how bad) your pet’s mouth is. Your pet’s mouth and teeth will be graded from 0-4. Zero is perfect while four is the most severe (dirtiest mouth). This is an important step, because it will help you determine how to best treat your pet.

Once your pet’s mouth is evaluated you know if a professional, veterinary supervised dental cleaning is needed or if only home care is needed.

If a dental cleaning is needed, it is recommended not only by us but by the California Veterinary Medical Association to have your pet placed under a general anesthesia and have his or her teeth cleaned and polished and sealed under VETERINARY supervision. We know that some groomers “clean your pets teeth” but most of the time this is just a tooth brushing. If it entails more (scraping the teeth, polishing the teeth, extracting the teeth) then it is illegal for them to do as this is considered practicing veterinary medicine and worse, they could damage your pet’s gums or teeth.

What about anesthesia free dentistry? Well quite frankly, this too is not sufficient. Most of you hopefully have gone to your dentist before. Imagine your dentist trying to clean your teeth while you move your head from side to side. A good teeth cleaning would not be obtained.

Here at Smith Veterinary Hospitalwe recommend a pre-anesthetic blood profile prior to all anesthesias and require it for pets over the age of five along with an examination to determine the best and safest anesthesia for your pet. This allows us to use an ultrasonic scaler to clean all the calculus (tartar) off the crown of the tooth and under the gums along the roots of the teeth. This is followed by polishing to remove all microscopic scratches along the tooth made by dental instruments scratching the tooth and this reduces the amount of bacteria that stick to the tooth. Then we highly recommend sealing the tooth to help reduce tartar buildup in the future. Extractions of teeth irreversibly damaged are performed only if that tooth if deemed unable to save. Root canals are available for pets, but most need to be performed by a board certified veterinary dentist. Fortunately, most pets do well with extractions even if a lot of teeth are extracted. Most animals requiring multiple extractions are older whom have never had any sort of dental care. Smaller dogs are more likely to have teeth extracted as they tend to have over crowded mouths. 

Does Your Pet have a Great Smile? Or Rather a Dirty Mouth

Dirty Mouth?

Did you know that February is Pet Dental Awareness month! Did you also know that 85% of both cats and dogs have tooth or gum related disease called periodontal disease by the age of three years. The reason for this is that pets cannot brush or floss their teeth like we do daily. The same bacteria that we brush away every day, which causes damage to our teeth and gums, cause similar problems in pets.

What happens in Periodontal Disease?

Bacteria begins to accumulate on the tooth crown (outside of tooth) and under the gum line of your pet’s tooth. The mixture of this bacteria and saliva mineralize to create tartar (calculus) on your pet’s tooth if not brushed away. This tartar prevents oxygen from getting to the tooth and allows more potent or dangerous bacteria to live on your pet’s tooth. This bacteria can start to eat away at your pet’s tooth or the bone attached to your pet’s tooth. This can lead to tooth pain, tooth loss, possible breaks in the jaw bone, or infections to organs in the body due to bacteria getting into the blood stream of your pet.  

Signs of periodontal disease include:

1)      Bad breath or odor from mouth (halitosis)

2)      Reddened gums or gingiva (gingivitis)

3)      Chip, cracked, worn, or broken teeth

4)      Pain while eating (dropping kibbles, chewing on one side of the mouth, not wanting to eat harder foods)

5)      Swelling of mouth or under the eye

6)      Discharge under the eye or from the mouth

7)      Pawing at the mouth

8)      Excessive drooling

9)      Yellowing or brown staining or accumulation on teeth (Tartar)

10)  Masses or growths in the mouth

11)  Missing, loose, or extra teeth

12)  Bleeding gums

http://mypetsmiles.com/

Top Owner concerns about Spay and neutering..

1. My pet should have a heat cycle first By spaying before the first heat, you will reduce the chance of mammary (breast) cancer in your pet by as much as 97% over their lifetime. The chance of other reproductive cancers (uterine, ovarian, mammary) and a life-threatening uterine infection appearing are eliminated in spayed animals. Even after the first heat, spaying will be beneficial, so whatever your pet's age, it is important to spay to prevent unplanned litters and health problems. 2. My pet should have a litter first - so the kids can see "the miracle of birth" This is a self-centered approach, as the "other side" to this story is the loss of millions of unwanted animals to euthanasia each year in the United states alone. Even when pet owners find homes for the puppies and kittens, one has to ask: are they lifetime homes with good care? would those homes have saved an animal doomed to euthanasia in a shelter somewhere? 3. I am worried that my pet will become fat and lazy While neutering a pet (this includes spaying and castration) will alter hormone levels, it does not mean that your pet is doomed to obesity. Calorie-rich foods and snacks, coupled with too little exercise are the principle factors of obesity in pets, just like humans. It is important to establish daily exercise routines (walking, playing fetch, etc.) in order to keep your pet at an optimal weight. Discuss the best food for your pet with your veterinarian. 4. My dog won't be as good of a protector of my home if neutered Most dogs are naturally protective and aware of their family and territory. While intact pets are usually more "territorial", this is usually in terms of urine marking and agression (to other pets and to humans). Neutering reduces the urge to roam and fight. Providing a loving environment for your pet, proper health care, and proper training will be the most influential benefit to maintaining a happy pet that fits into your family who will alert family members of danger. 5. Spaying are neutering are too expensive - I don't have any options First, speak with your veterinarian. Some practices offer spay/neuter packages as part of a new pet vaccination package, have a "spay day" (reduced price spays on a certain day), or a reduced spay fee for those who demonstrate need. Many shelters and humane organizations work with veterinarians to provide spay vouchers and other funding to those who are unable to afford spaying. The associated costs of pregnancy, illness, or injury related to not being neutered are much greater.

The Importance of Spay and Neutering

The Return !!

Dr Shelley Flynn Returning From Maternity.

Smith Veterinary Hospital is pleased to announce Dr Shelley Flynn will be returning to work 

mid January. She looks forward to seeing all her clients and patients and getting back to work. 

Although we know it will be hard to not be with Baby Emelia. The entire staff at

 Smith Veterinary Hospital is counting the days till she returns. 

We would like to Thank the clients and the relief doctors for helping us while Dr Shelley was taking some much needed time off to being her parenting journey.