The care and transformation of Harley Ely

 One early September morning, a good Samaritan brought in a little dog for humane euthanasia. He was skin and bones and was so emaciated and malnourished that he couldn't stand up. Upon examination, we found him to be just a puppy, and his eyes told us he was willing to get better if we were willing to help him. We told the finder, if we could find someone willing to help him, we would not put him to sleep and the finder was glad. But who? Who would be willing to financially and emotionally take on this little guy. Several of us had the same thought....our friend Lisa. But the timing was bad. It had not been that long since she lost her friend Jack. Would she be ready? All we could do was try. So I made the call. Her initial reaction was "no, I can't" but by the time we had finished talking, she had decided to come see him. So she made the trek from Illinois to meet the sweet, sick little boy. She sat down on the floor and he belly crawled and put his head in her lap. It was then, she knew that she had to help him. It had been exactly a month to the day that she lost Jack and she knew that he would want her to help him. 

   We quickly got to work to get him healthy enough to transfer into Lisa's care. And she prepared for a new baby in her house. One who was going to need extra care. First thing was to give him a name. After much consideration, she named him Harley Ely.  Because he was so malnourished, he would require small, frequent feedings. He would need extra nutrition, but in small amounts. When she was finally able to take him home, she added goats milk to his food for extra protein. Bringing up his weight needed to be a slow, steady process. She would also have to teach him the basics of house training, leash walking and basic puppy stuff. 

He was so skinny and his hair was so thin that she kept a sweater on him. As time passed, he got stronger and healthier. 

  

He continued to grow so much that we all began to wonder what kind of dog he was. All bets were on Irish Wolfhound however, DNA testing reveled that he is actually a standard poodle mixed with a staffordshire terrier and Labrador. Regardless of his crazy breed mix, he has grown into a big, spoiled baby. He loves his momma and especially loves his daddy. His favorite thing is to talk to his daddy on the phone when he isn't home. We are looking forward to watching this boy as he grows to his full potential. This boy started out a 15lbs and he is now a whopping 67 and still going. We are so happy that Lisa agreed to take on this challenge and we think she is glad too     

               What is Animal Health Center Up To Now?

If you have been to our clinic or driven by you might have noticed that we are doing some construction on our building. People keep asking "What are you guys doing now?" 

You may or may not know that we have a couple rescues in our area that save dumped, neglected animals. They have done a wonderful job of lowering the population of stray animals. We are trying to do our part by helping to treat them for their medical needs. We want to help these animals however, we want to keep our patients safe and well. Since the time the clinic opened in 1994 we have had a isolation area. This is a separate area away from the animals who are at our facility. It can only hold four animals at a time. The large volume of rescue dogs that we treat has made this a problem. In order to help more rescue dogs we are expanding  this isolation area. We will be able to keep sick animals separate from un-vetted stray animals. We are always looking for ways to help the animals in our community.  

You might notice that it has an upstairs. In 2010, Dr. Williams realized that he needed someone to do his book keeping so he could concentrate on helping animals. So he hired Melissa Ensor to fill this much needed position. The space that she has been working was inadequate when she started but now she reached maximum capacity. So to make good use of space we have created an office space just for her. She will be able to do an even better job than she already does.

Our goal for 2016 is to continue to provide the best, most up to date veterinary services and to take care of your pets as if they are our very own.   

The Trouble With Teeth

When it comes to dental health, some pets seem to have big problems. They tend to be prone to dental disease, and many begin loosing teeth before they hit midlife. By being proactive about your companion's oral hygiene, you can help protect them from tooth decay and the slew of the other conditions that come with it.

Tooth brushing removes the soft, mushy mess, but if it's not cleaned off, after a short 24 hours that plaque mineralizes to tarter between it and the gum below. Food material gets jammed in there, acting as a haven for bacteria-which is when the real trouble starts. Tarter looks solid but acts like a sponge. Bacteria breed inside it, creating odor. Bacteria then migrate into the gums, triggering inflammation. Bacteria can also spread into the bloodstream, producing havoc. It damages heart valves, causing congestive heart failure; form micro abscesses in the liver, and cause irreversible kidney damage.

Just like in humans, periodic cleanings play a crucial role in keeping your pet's teeth in tip-top shape. The month of February is recognized as National Dental Month and in observance we are offering $10 off. Call and schedule a dental cleaning with one of our doctors and together lets keep your pet's pearly whited as healthy as possible.

                                                              Dr. Becky Smith-Durham

Trifexis In The News

There has been some concern regarding Trifexis after a post that made on Facebook and was also picked up by the media. The post claimed that Trifexis was causing the death of some dogs and that is a serious accusation, so we had to investigate. We contacted Elanco, the maker of Trifexis and they were aware of these claims. They have researched these claims and have found that in each case, the autopsy's that were done by an outside source, found  that drug toxicity was not the cause of death. Elanco went above and beyond before releasing Trifexis. They tested the drug using 10 times the dose for 30 days and it did not cause a single death in any of the test subjects.  As with any medications there can always be side effects. The most common side effect is  possible vomiting and/or lethargy (sluggish, sleepy),  which subsides within 24 hours.  Trifexis is not recommended for dogs with seizure disorders.

We feel confident that Trifexis is safe and we will continue to recommend it. However, if you have any questions or concerns you can always call us at 573-471-4500.

Cat Ages From Cat Fancy Magazine

Q: Do cats age the same way as dogs? For example, our cat, Bob, is 2 years old. Does that mean that he is 14 years old in cat years? 

A: The notion that dogs and cats age seven years for every one year is a myth that's stuck around for years. If you think about it, some cats can live to be 18 or 19 years old. If they aged seven years for every one year, an 18-year-old cat would be equivalent to a 126-year-old person, clearly not very likely. In my practice, we have at least 10 cats who are over 20 years old, but there are certainly no 140-year-old people. The seven to one rule is just not true.

Cats age faster when they're younger, but this slows down as they get older. At 6 months of age, a female cat already can reproduce. At 1 year of age, cat bones fully stop growing. This occurs in people at approximately 24 years of age, give or take a few years. So, a 1-year-old cat is roughly equivalent to a 24-year-old person. From that point on, cats age approximately four years for every one year. While this is certainly not an exact science, the table below should offer a reasonable guideline as to how cats age compared to humans.

Cat Age     Human Age

6 months     15 years
1 year           24 years
2 years         28 years
3 years         32 years
4 years         36 years
5 years         40 years
6 years         44 years
7 years         48 years
8 years         52 years 
9 years         56 years
10 years       60 years
11 years       64 years
12 years       68 years
13 years       72 years
14 years       76 years
15 years       80 years
16 years       84 years
17 years       88 years
18 years       92 years
19 years       96 years
20 years       100 years

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Great News!!!!

This weekend we had three dogs that were lost but were later recovered by their owners. This scenario happens quite often this time of year in the spring with dogs getting loose.

Unfortunately, they did not have microchips. We scanned two of the three dogs and no microchip was found. Micro-chipping is a simple procedure that only takes a couple of minutes and will permanently identify your pet. It would have been faster to locate the owners if these two had been micro-chipped. Instead, the kind people who found them spent the day searching all over town. The company we use for our microchips provides lost dog insurance so if anything happens to your pet while it is lost a portion of the cost would be covered. The membership fee is relativity low per year for your peace of mind if your pet ever happens to get lost....

Last year a dog was found in Benton Missouri that had been lost for over a year. We scanned him for a chip and when one was found we were able to reunite him with his owner who lived in Western Kentucky. Stories like this make us believe in micro-chipping.

For more information contact our office at 573-471-4500.

Dr. Stephen A. Williams, DVM

  

April-Flea and Tick

IT'S SPRING and flea and tick season is fast approaching! We all know fleas and ticks are a huge nuisance to our pets but more importantly can cause serious disease. These diseases can affect both dogs and cats. Ticks are known to carry Lymes disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ercholosis in dogs and Cytauzoon in cats. Hemobartonella can be transmitted by fleas and make our kitty friends very sick. Fleas can cause tapeworms in both canines and felines. Our goal is to control the the nuisance problem but also prevent disease. I recommend Trifexis in most patients for heartworm, fleas and intestinal parasite control. I recommend Vectra for tick control. Both are given monthly. Call us today and let's get your furry friends protected for summer. Let's keep them parasite free!

Dr. Becky Smith-Durham D.V.M.