Supporting our Senior Pets

Most people know when they get a new puppy there's a lot of things that need to be done. There's chew toys, beds, bowls, obedience classes, and of course getting all their vaccines and seeing they get spayed or neutered.

But what happens as our pets age? Suddenly their needs become great again, they can't jump in and out of the car without you putting their paws up first. Maybe they become diabetic, or develop other health problems like kidney failure, or hyperthyroidism. These things can be expensive for the average pet owner, leaving them in a difficult position of only doing what they can afford and forgoing the rest.

One thing we are doing at VACC to help with this problem is to offer our new Senior Silver and Senior Gold packages. Our hope is that by running routine tests we can help find problems early, making it easier on the owner and the pet to treat and do supportive care.

The Senior Siver Packages include :

• Physical exam
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Chemistry Profile (liver and kidneys)
• Total T4 (thyroid)
• Urinalysis
• Fecal (canine) or Blood pressure (feline)

The Senior Gold Packages include :

• Physical Exam
• Complete Blood Count
• Chemistry Profile
• Total T4
• Free T4
• Urinalysis
• Digital Radiographs (2 view x-rays)
• Ocular pressure (canine) blood pressure (feline)
• Fecal

Each package gives the owner a savings of almost 40% (37% silver, 39% gold) and provides an excellent overall picture of your pets health. If you're do for a visit, or simply have questions about your senior pet, ask your doctor about the senior pet care packages or give us a call at 508-394-3566.

What if you were being spayed?

A laparoscopic ovarioectomy means our patients will have less pain, greater safety and a faster recovery

The Advantages of Laparoscopic Spays:

• The surgery is performed through two tiny incisions the size of a dime
• It is less painful than a traditional spay
• It provides the surgeon a much better view
• Potential complications are reduced
• The patient has a faster recovery
• Using our advanced Ligasure Vessel Sealing System, bleeding is minimal to nonexistent
• Gastropexy can be performed at the same time

FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine Alerts Veterinarians About Problems with Vetsulin® to Treat Diabetes in Dogs and Cats

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health are alerting veterinarians and pet owners that Vetsulin®, a porcine insulin zinc suspension used to treat diabetes in animals, may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin in the formulation. Because this Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health product is out of specification it could cause a delay in insulin action and an overall longer duration of insulin activity. Products having significant problems with stability can affect the management of chronic diseases. Unstable insulin products can result in unpredictable fluctuations in the glucose levels of diabetic patients. Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is unable to assure FDA that each batch of their product is stable.

FDA and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health request that veterinarians closely monitor their patients receiving Vetsulin® for any changes in onset or duration of activity, or for any signs of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. The classic signs of hyperglycemia include increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss and lethargy. The classic signs of hypoglycemia would include disorientation, unsteadiness, weakness, lethargy, and seizures.

MEET MORRIS!

Morris is a very sweet, gentle guy who loves attention. He was recently surrendered to us at VACC when he was diagnosed as diabetic and his owners could not afford the cost to provide the best care for him. Morris is on one unit of insulin twice a day, and although he may need a little extra care, he'll return the favor ten fold. If you're interested in adopting Morris, or know someone who is, please contact us at 508-394-3566.