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PET SPOTLIGHT ARCHIVES
STAFF ADVENTURES
Several staff members and friends braved the paw-parazzi
to attend the social event of the season recently. Marley Meador
turned 3 this month, and threw a bash that was definitely the place to
sniff and be sniffed. The birthday boy entertained his guests at
Squirrel Ridge Park, and gourmet refreshments were served for canine and
human partygoers alike.
Guests included: (L to R) Sammie,
Jessica, Hulk, Jake, David, Tango, Amanda, Alex, Marley, Shelly, Dustin,
Mason, Chenoa,
Rally, Debbie, Tuna, Samantha, Solo, Colleen, Abby, Boss, Christy,
Jonathan, Savannah, and Finn.
KEEP IT COOL
Summer is over, but it's still hot here in Florida! When making outdoor plans with your pets, remember to
provide plenty of water, shade, and sunscreen! If weather conditions
where you plan to vacation aren't favorable for your furry friend, call us
and make reservations for an air conditioned room of his own!!
 WE ARE ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR
HURRICANE RELIEF
We are now accepting donations to help the pets loved
by the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Supplies such as dog and cat
food, sheets and blankets, cat litter,
crates, collars, harnesses, and leashes may be donated at our office, or
you may give a monetary donation. Checks can be made out to
"Webster Veterinary Supply" and will go toward the medical supplies
rescuers need most. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who is doing
what they can in the wake of this disaster.
(At left: "Lagniappe," one of the lucky pets
rescued
from New Orleans and his rescuers.)
Is your dog one of those who
goes "ballistic" whenever a peal of thunder roars through the area
or when you go out to run an errand or go to work? Broken
furniture, household "accidents", chewed up doorways, cringing and shaking
or shivering, or howling and barking are some of the ways these "poor
souls" act out when their fear takes over.
Now there is safe and effective
medical help for many of these pups. Call for an appointment to discuss
this situation with our medical staff. In many cases, these problems can
be controlled or eliminated entirely with medical treatment and training.
The widely prescribed and safe-to-use medication, CLOMICALM,
can be very effective in improving the quality of life of a number of our
more "sensitive" canine patients.
GAINESVILLE PET RESCUE NEEDS OUR HELP
TO "RAISE THE WOOF"
A house located on Archer Road, near Dogwood Park, has
been generously donated to Gainesville Pet Rescue. The house will
give GPR more space, which will allow for more animal adoptions.
However, renovations need to be made before GPR will be able to
move. To raise money for this project, GPR is kicking off their
"Raise the Woof" fundraising campaign.
Our clinic will be taking donations of $1, $2, and $5
on behalf of Gainesville Pet Rescue. For each donation, we will put
a paw up in our reception area for you and your pet. All proceeds
from paws purchased will go to Gainesville Pet Rescue. Stop by our
office today and help this worthy cause! Along with Gainesville Pet
Rescue, we extend our heartfelt thanks for all contributions!
NEW DIET TARGETS OSTEOARTHRITIS
A new prescription diet seeks to maintain joint health in dogs with
arthritis, which affects up to 1 in 5 adult dogs. While it is most
common in older dogs, it can affect dogs of any size, breed, or
age. j/d, made by Hill's, has been shown in clinical
trials to slow the progression of this debilitating disease.
Using breakthrough technology the diet uses Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),
to turn off the genes that cause cartilage damage. High levels of
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce mediators that cause inflammation, and
Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate provide building blocks for cartilage
repair.
This groundbreaking diet provides the foundation for a total canine
arthritis management plan. Combined with exercise, pain relief, and
weight management, j/d is the first step in helping your dog live a
healthier, happier, more active life. If you
think your dog could benefit from j/d, call and schedule an appointment
with one of our doctors.
MORE CHOICES FOR CANINE FLEA/TICK CONTROL
We are proud to now offer K9 Advantix™! This topical parasite
control, made by Bayer, not only kills 98-100% of fleas within 12 hours,
but also repels and kills ticks and mosquitoes for an entire month!
It is safe for use on dogs and puppies 7 weeks of age or older, but should
NEVER be applied to cats, and should be used with caution when there are
cats in the household.
Sentinel® is back! By popular demand, we have brought Sentinel®
back into our inventory. Made by Novartis, this oral tablet combines
an effective heartworm preventive with lufenuron, a chemical that breaks
the flea life cycle at the egg stage. Sentinel® is also safe for
dogs and puppies, but is not available for cats.
Of course, we still offer other safe, reliable flea and tick control
products including Frontline® and Advantage®, both of which are recommended
for use with cats, as well as Preventic® collars. Ask us which product would be best for your pet!
NEW BOARDING PROTOCOL
For your security, if someone other than you may be picking up your pet
from our kennel, please be prepared at the time of drop-off to list their
name and phone number. If your furry or feathered friend boards frequently, you may leave a list of authorized parties on file with
us. Remember--payment is due at the time of discharge, so please pay
in advance if you will not be picking up your pet in person. Thanks!
 Congratulations
to our Graduates!!
Samantha, Colleen, and Christy graduated with Bachelor's
degrees from the University of Florida this Spring. Congratulations
to all, and best of luck in future endeavors!
Evan Accepted to Florida School of Massage
Evan will start his training in therapeutic massage May
4. But don't worry, he'll still be around to take excellent care of
our patients when he's not studying!
 It's
A Boy!!
Aidan Christian Griffin was born Tuesday, February 22 at 9:30
p.m. He weighed 7lb. 12oz. The whole family is doing well, and we wish them the
best!
 
It's
A Girl!!
Kayla Brianne LaRocca was born Thursday, February 24 at
7:17 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. Congratulations Chelsea,
Charles, and big brother Devon!
WEBSITE OFFERS
CONVENIENT ALTERNATIVES
It's 7:30 a.m. You have to drop the kids off at
school and the dog at our office--and you have to be at work by 8.
The last thing you want to do in that rush is stand at the counter and
fill out paperwork. That's why we now offer printable
versions of important forms on our website. When you make an
appointment, ask which forms will be required when you bring your pet in
for boarding, surgery, drop-off medical treatments, or a first-time
visit. Then, simply print the required form, fill it out at your
convenience, and bring it to your scheduled appointment! It's that
easy! If you have any questions, we are always happy to help during
business hours at 352-373-8055.
Other convenient services are also available. If your pet has been
prescribed routine medications by any of our doctors, you can request a
refill by email, and have it delivered to your door--often at no
additional charge! You can also request special food orders, give
the doctors updates on your pets' health, or ask questions about your
pet's care. If you have any questions about what our website has to
offer, or any suggestions that would make it a more useful tool, please
contact us.
WE'RE
CELEBRATING!
We've completed our latest evaluation by the American Animal Hospital
Association and have again been awarded accreditation! We
choose to be accredited by this organization because you and your pets
deserve the best. We have maintained our accreditation for over 25
years, which means we have a tradition of following the highest standards
in the industry!
PRACTICE MANAGER VALERIE
TAYLOR LENDS A HAND TO HELP THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Valerie Taylor, our practice manager, was the Mistress of Ceremonies at
the Kool Cats and Chilly Dogs event this January in Palatka. The
event, which benefited the Humane Society of Northeast Florida, included
contests for pets such as "Best Kisser" and "Wiggliest
Tail."
FEBRUARY IS PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH!
Is your best friend not quite kissable? Dental
disease can affect more than just your pet's breath! Ask our
veterinarians how an oral care plan can benefit your pet. Dental
care can be as easy as brushing your pet's teeth at home, or even offering
a treat such as Hill's t/d or Enzadent Oral Care Chews. If the
doctor recommends a routine dental cleaning, ask about our discount
cards. Make an appointment to see if your furry Valentine's smile
could be brighter!
Holiday Wishes
from all of us at Millhopper!!
We'd like to share these photos from our annual
holiday party as our way of wishing you all the best this holiday season
and in the new year!
NEWEST
EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR
PET'S NEEDS
We've now added a modern
laser surgical
unit to our equipment resources. This
allows us to perform nearly bloodless surgery in a variety of situations,
and to offer significantly reduced pain associated with surgery ... and
speedier recoveries! This surgical method is ideal for declaws, skin
tumors and nodules, mouth lesions and tumors, nasal surgery, anal surgery
and an ever-growing list of other techniques under development.
We now have the latest
anesthesia equipment for the delivery of the very safe and
controllable gas anesthetic, "Sevoflurane."
This new technique increases our safety margins in the care of pediatric,
geriatric, exotic, rabbit and complicated medical risk cases when
anesthesia is a necessity. Our entire staff attended an in-depth seminar
to familiarize them with the unique properties and management of this
newly available veterinary technique. Two of our three anesthesia machines
are equipped to deliver "sevo," and all of them deliver the
reliable Isofluorane gas as well.
Another addition to our safety
equipment lineup includes a new pulse oximeter to measure real-time
blood saturation with oxygen. This improves our ability to monitor patient
stability moment to moment. This is our second pulse oximeter and
enables us to have every anesthetized, traumatized or seriously
compromised patient optimally and constantly monitored.
We also have added a
state-of-the-art radiosurgery unit to our surgical equipment . This
advanced equipment allows us to perform certain soft tissue surgeries with
greater control over bleeding and with a minimum of tissue scarring or
tissue damage. The unit has the ability to cut through tissue, such as gum
tissue, with virtually no hemorrhage where there would normally be quite a
bit of bleeding. The patient, therefore, has less postoperative pain and a
shorter recovery time from surgery. We are proud to add this technology to
our practice of advanced and modern surgery techniques.
All of the excellent tools
described above, and many others, are included in our standard of care,
which we proudly offer as of the highest order available.
Our newest state-of-the-art
in-house laboratory equipment allows us to perform blood tests immediately
without the delay of waiting for outside reference lab information to
return. We've added a new serum analyzer (organ function tests),
new hematology analyzer (blood cell counter), and a new blood
gas and electrolyte analyzer (important for serious illnesses and
injury assessments). These further increase our ability to deliver
excellent care in a rapid, efficient manner to every patient.
IMPROVING SERVICES,
NEWEST TECHNIQUES
Dr. Richard Goldman,
our Hospital Director, has completed numerous continuing education courses
at the University of Florida and elsewhere. A recent one was on endoscopic
procedures and techniques. Our endoscopes and associated support
equipment allow us to perform non-invasive diagnostic studies for your
pets, such as looking into the trachea (windpipe), esophagus, stomach,
small intestines and large bowel to diagnose disorders, gather biopsies or
extract foreign bodies.
We also have a video-endoscope
for examination of the ear, nasal cavity, urinary tract and other small
areas. Ask for a demonstration of this equipment the next time you visit
us ... it's really fascinating!
In "Service" to the profession
Dr. Richard Goldman,
our Hospital Director, is a Past-President of the Alachua County
Veterinary Medical Association. He has served as President during 1983 and
1984, consecutively, and again in 2001. He was also re-appointed as the
Chairperson of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association's "Outreach"
Committee, and as the Student Area Representative for the American Animal
Hospital Association, acting as a liaison for the veterinary students at
the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. Dr.
Goldman has been involved in "service" to the profession since before his
graduation from Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine in
1976.
Cyber Docs
Dr. Goldman is also a
national member representative and charter member of the Veterinary
Information Network (VIN). This network was created to allow
for the exchange of information and current knowledge amongst colleagues
in a new cyber-community atmosphere. Dr. Goldman and our medical staff use
the VIN daily to research patient cases and gather information and
specialist's opinions regarding special patient's needs. This advanced
medical care and case workup methodology is just another part of the
culture of "excellence" at our hospital that, we hope, justifies your
trust in us when it comes to your pet's needs.
LEARNIN' R US
Our Medical Director, Dr.
Richard Goldman, attended the North American Veterinary Conference in
January, 2000. This is the largest annual veterinary conference in the
world and was held in Orlando. Avian medicine and surgery, cardiology,
endoscopy and practice management were the topics that he concentrated
on.
Dr. Goldman also
attended the 2001 Annual American Animal Hospital Association Conference
in San Antonio, Texas in March. He concentrated on Internal Medicine and
Management courses at that conference. His latest educational meeting was
the 2002 Florida Veterinary Medical Association meeting, at which he
studied ophthalmic (eye) repair techniques and the latest in pain
management alternatives.
VACCINATION NEEDS ARE
CHANGING
Current scientific information
has begun to define the need for very selective use and frequency of
immunizations for the protection of your pets. These do a great job of
helping ward off disease, but some of them can occasionally cause
complications of well-being. It is well known that some vaccinations may
play a role in the formation of tumors (called sarcomas) in cats.
Also, some dogs may acquire thyroid problems or acute allergic reactions
with some vaccinations.
At the Millhopper Veterinary
Medical Center it is our policy to review your pet's lifestyle,
life-stage and individual protection needs with you every
year and only provide the vaccinations that are the most pertinent and
beneficial. We also, as an additional safety measure for your pets, only
use non-adjuvant vaccines for our feline patients. These are free
of the elements that are most suspected in the tumor formation
complication that may occur with cats. Please feel free to ask any
questions you may have at your next visit.
CONTROL THOSE PESKY
PARASITES!
We all
want our furry friends to be free of FLEAS
&
TICKS!! Be sure that you are
protecting your pets with the safe and effective ADVANTAGE™,
K9 Advantix™,K9 Advantix™,
or Frontline Top Spot Plus™. These agents are extremely
effective, very safe, and are less expensive than bathing & dipping used
to be ... and they are effective when used only
ONCE-A-MONTH!!
Be sure to
purchase the ORIGINALS ... many look-alike
over-the-counter products are far less effective
and often have significant toxic
potential, especially for cats.
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