April 2015 Newsletter

By April 10, 2015 The EAH Newsletter
What you need to know!
  • April brings The Month of the Cat to EAH! This means 10% off on all preventative care services for your kitties! This includes vaccines, bloodwork, healthy exams, spay/neuter, and more. If you’ve been putting off bringing your cat in to see us, April is a great month to do it!
    Another great thing about the month of the cat… come by ourhospital to get a free FeliWay wipe for your kitty’s carrier – rubbing this pheromone inside the carrier before your trip to the hospital will help ease your kitty’s mood and make the trip less stressful overall! *While supplies last.
  • Please welcome Lutz Paulick to the EAH team! Lutz is a veterinary student visiting from Germany and will be spending time at EAH until early May. He will be spending time with our doctors in exam rooms, assisting in surgery, and generally working with the doctors during daily activities. We are excited to have Lutz with us – so please help us welcome him to Rock Hill and the USA!
  • Proheart is an amazing choice for heartworm prevention, especially for dogs over 100 pounds! The big guys generally need two sizes of heartworm prevention dispensed, which is more expensive.  A single Proheart injection is calculated based on their body weight and lasts for 6 months.  Much easier for large and giant breeds of dogs.  Of course it is always available for smaller dogs too!
  • Is your cat difficult to handle or hates coming to the vet? Call us first!  As long as we have seen your cat in the last year to year and a half, we are generally comfortable dispensing a oral sedative to relax your cat and make the visit much easier on your cat AND you!  We also have Feliway wipes which have pheromones present.  These help calm cats down and relax them as well!
  • NEW!  Select Sunday hours!  We will be open a SELECT amount of Sunday hours in May and June!  Dr. Hreiz will be available during the following Sundays for regular appointments, sick exams, emergencies, and any other services requested. Unfortunately we cannot schedule routine surgeries during these times (much like Saturday) since he will be the only doctor available.  As always, boarding drop offs and pick ups are still available during these hours.   Call our hospital to make an appointment!
    • Sunday, May 3rd:  Open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Sunday, May 24th:  Open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Sunday, June 21st: Open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Urinary Issues in Cats – They are common. Here’s what you need to know!
They are the easily stressed, finicky, sensitive creatures we know and love. Now what do you do when your kitty is having urinary issues? Here’s what you need to know:

  • Male cats can easily develop obstruction of the urethra which is the tube draining urine from the bladder out of the penis.  This blockage can be a life threatening condition if not treated immediately. If you notice your male cat is straining to urinate, vocalizing, or otherwise not well, seek medical attention immediately. To make sure you are prepared when this emergency happens, read up on this condition onwww.VeterinaryPartner.com
  • If your kitty is urinating outside of the litterbox, there are a few things to consider:
    • Your feline friend may have a urinary tract infection.Having a urinary tract infection is uncomfortable and irritating to the bladder. Have our veterinarians evaluate your kitty to make sure there is not an infection brewing. These are typically easily treated and your friend will feel better in no time!
    • Do you have a multi-cat household? If so, these are likely things you are asking – How many litterboxes do I really need? Where is the best place to put litterboxes in my house? Is a covered box ok? How often to scoop? These are all great questions, and here are some quick answers:
      • You need the same number of litterboxes as you have cats- plus one! Have 3 cats? 4 boxes is best.
      • Litterboxes should be away from his food and water, in a place he can get to easily and feel safe in. Consider a location from a cat’s point of view: Choose a quiet spot where he can see what’s coming at him. A cat doesn’t want any surprises while he’s in the box. If you have multi-cats, the litterboxes should be in various areas of the house and not all grouped together.
      • Covered boxes may be appealing to you, but can be scary for cats. 1st, the smell is contained to a small area. How would you feel if your bathroom was always stinky and you couldn’t see out of it?
      • “Cleanliness is next to catliness”. Keep your kitty happy by scooping/cleaning the box twice a day. Once a week the box should be thoroughly scrubbed, cleaned with water, and air dried.
    • Only one cat in your house? Kitties can be sensitive creatures, and change can be hard. Did you get a new couch, curtains, or rug? That can be enough to stress a kitty. During potentially stressful times, make sure you keep the litterbox especially tidy. To minimize stress,Feliway Feline Pheromones can be a great addition to your home! They are available as plug-ins that only your kitty can smell, and ease their state of mind with synthetic feline pheromones. They are available at our hospital, and more information is available at http://www.feliway.com/us/ Feliway is also great for multi-cat homes!

Many cats can develop a condition known as iFLUTD- Idiopathic (meaning not knowing why it originated) Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Symptoms can include straining to urinate, blood in the urine, frequent urinations, and more. Having your kitty checked by our veterinarians can help to determine if your cat is suffering from iFLUTD. An exam and urinalysis is usually the first step. Learn more about this condition athttps://ebenezervets.com/pet-health-info/pet-health/articles/?rid=101

As always, call us if you have questions or are concerned about your kitty!
Upcoming EAH Community Projects and Events!
April 18th, 2015Waggin’ Trail Dog Walk and Event! During Come See Me!We had so much fun last year, we decided to sponsor this event again in 2015! Mark your calendars now to join us for the dog walk – only $5 to join and proceeds benefit 2nd Chance Rescue! There will be games, vendors, and a walk!

The event is from9am-12pm and is held at Tech Park in Rock Hill (across from York Tech). Check out event details here!

 April – May, 2015Help us raise much needed supplies for the Humane Society of York County!May 3rd – 9th is National “Be Kind to Animals” Week. To celebrate this, (something that should be done year round!) we are collecting donations for the York County Humane Society throughout the months of April & May.

A full list of supplies needed can be found here, and range from litter pans and blankets to toys and bowls. YCHS helped hundreds of animals find loving homes last year – the least we can do is help them in that purpose!

 

 June 2015TBD- Look for exciting things on the horizon! 
EAH Highlighted Staff Member – Sheila!
Many of you know our groomer, Sheila, but what do you really know about her other than she makes your pets beautiful?Sheila has been with EAH since 2004. She is a proud mom of two grown kids, and a grandma to five little ones! She loves spending time with (and spoiling!) her grandkids at any given opportunity. She is also a mom to five rescued dogs (Emma, Dottie, Biddie, Oz, and Zach), who take up much of her time and her house!Sheila is in the process of moving into a new house, and is looking forward to having a bit more space for her family than she currently does! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors- particularly kayaking and fishing. The mountains and the beach call her name whenever possible, but when she’s settled at home she enjoys refinishing antiques and furniture in general.

Next time you are in EAH, please say hi to Sheila. And whether your pet is in need of a simple bath or a full groom, Sheila is your lady!