January/February 2016 Newsletter

• February is dental month @EAH!  Dog, cat, and rabbit dental procedures will receive a 10% discount for procedures performed in the month of February. Dental disease exists in over 80% of dogs and cats. This is a startling statistic and can lead to many diseases down the road. Appointments are booking up quickly so please give us a call at your earliest convenience to ensure your pet has a pearly white smile for 2016!
  
• Our January Winter Coat Drive has been a huge success thus far! We originally had a goal of 60 coats, but as of today have far exceeded that with 110 warm winter coats, and many blankets as well! They are being dispersed to needy members of the community through The Roc (www.renewoc.org), and we are so thankful for the wonderful response of our clients and members of the community. It’s amazing how many people have donated coats simply because they drove by, saw our sign, and opened their hearts and closets! Thank you to everyone!
  
• Laser Therapy is now included post-operatively for all spays/neuter and dental procedures! Laser therapy is now the fourth form of pain control your furry family member will receive while they have surgery at our hospital. As a reminder, laser therapy reduces swelling and inflammation at the site of the surgery, increases blood flow to the area and encourages healing, and may reduce the amount of pain medication you need to give your pet after the surgery.  This is in addition to opioid pain control, anti-inflammatory pain medication, and a local anesthetic.  Are you aware that many spay/neuter facilities that advertise low prices frequently give one form or NO forms of pain control?  Know that when your pet is with us for their spay or neuter surgery they will be as comfortable as possible throughout their procedure!Dental prophylactic procedures will also include therapeutic laser therapy after cleaning, regardless of whether or not extractions are performed.  Your dog or cat can develop mild sensitivity after their teeth are scaled, much like the sensation you can experience at the regular dentist. Therapeutic laser therapy reduces inflammation of the gums after cleaning and results in quick resolution of any sensitivity your pet may experience.
  
• To best protect your dogs during their stay at Camp Ebenezer, we have altered our requirements for our day and overnight campers. In addition to the Bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine, we will now also be requiring the Canine Influenza (H3N2 strain) vaccine effective February 1st, 2016. Given the increasing frequency of canine flu outbreaks in our area, we feel it is best to preemptively protect our Campers by requiring the flu vaccine. Please note that the influenza vaccine must be given a booster shot after 3 weeks.  Immunity will last for one year after this.  A doctor appointment is not necessary – you may stop by at any time to have this time prior to board, assuming your dog has been examined within a year’s time. Keep in mind that it is best to have your pet vaccinated AT LEAST one week PRIOR to doggy daycare to allow for maximum immunity.  Plan accordingly!
  
• We will be closing early on Thursday, February 25th, at 6pm instead of our usual 9pm. We are sorry for any inconvience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding!

Upper respiratory disease in dogs can range in severity from a soft, non productive cough to a full blown systemic disease that requires hospitalization and intravenous fluids.  Two of the most common diseases we see in dogs is Bordetella bronchiseptica and Canine Influenza.  

Bordetella is frequently referred to as “kennel cough.”  This is a highly contagious disease caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, a bacterial organism.  Infection occurs from aerosolization of saliva and material when dogs cough.  Are you aware that dogs can project their coughs up to 20 feet if forceful enough?!  Your dog will initially develop a coarse, non productive cough frequently referred to as a “goose honk.”  These coughs can present themselves as fits which can last for minutes at a time.  Your dog may suddenly lose his or her voice as another common sign.  Bordetella is typically not a fatal disease – your pet will not become gravely ill from this.   

Canine Influenza, specifically the H3N2 strain, spread rapidly across the midwest and southeast in 2015.  This virus originated in Asia and is a new disease that just emerged in the United States.  This should be differentiated from the H3N8 strain which has been documented in dog populations since 2004.  Canine Influenza, or CIV, is a highly contagious disease that spreads in a similar fashion to Bordetella.  The signs are quite similar to Bordetella as well:  coughing, lethargy, voice change, and nasal discharge.  Almost 90% of all dogs will develop CIV if they are exposed to an infectious dog.  Thankfully, only about 10% of those cases will become seriously ill and require hospitalization and advanced care.  

We recommend that if your dog exhibits any persistent coughing that does not resolve within a day or any of the other signs listed above, that he or she is seen by us at their earliest convenience.  Caught early, many dogs will respond quickly to a short course of antibiotics.  We can also use cough suppressants to lessen the coughing.  As with humans, prevention is the best medicine.  Because of this, we recommend that dogs that participate in the following activities be vaccinated against BOTH CIV and Bordetella:

-Dogs that attend doggy daycare, even as little as once a month
-Dogs that play at local dog parks on a semi regular basis
-Dogs that are involved in group obedience classes
-Any situations where dogs come in contact with other dogs on a frequent basis.

As early as twelve (12) weeks, your puppy can receive this vaccine to provide protection against these respiratory bugs.  The vaccine schedule is as follows:
-Bordetella:  Two vaccines, one intra-nasal (a squirt up the nose) and one injection, given 3 weeks apart.  Booster this vaccine annually (once a year)
-Canine Influenza H3N2:  Two injection vaccines, given three weeks apart.  Booster this vaccine annually (once a year)

Keep in mind that it is best to have your pet vaccinated AT LEAST one week PRIOR to doggy daycare to allow for maximum immunity.  Plan accordingly!

It’s important to note that it is possible for your dog to contract one or both diseases if they are fully vaccinated against these respiratory pathogens. Infected dogs, however, will have moderately less clinical signs and will recover much more quickly than unvaccinated dogs. The chance of severe disease (ie the 10% that become gravely ill) is profoundly reduced as well. One can think of the human flu shot as a good example. It is also important to remember about herd immunity – the more dogs in a population that are vaccinated, the stronger the collective groups immunity is to that disease and the less likely that a non-vaccinated dog will contract the disease.  

What next? If your dog falls into one of the lifestyle candidates above and is not vaccinated against Bordetella or Canine Influenza, give us a call to schedule their first set of boosters.  Your dog and your dogs companions will thank you!

February is pet dental health month, and to celebrate we are offering 10% off all dental cleanings and associated procedures! 

It’s SO important to keep your pet’s teeth clean, as bacteria that builds up in the mouth leeches into the bloodstream and can cause problems with internal organs. 

Not sure if your pet needs a dental cleaning? Give us a call! If so, do it now. Why not? – 10% off in February is the best time to have your pet’s dental care taken care of!

More details to come on Dental Month – so stay tuned!

Join us at Carolina Fresh Farms (4372 Old York Rd) on the 13th! They are hosting an adoption and education event between 11a and 2pm . EAH representatives, rescues groups including the Animal Adoption League, local trainers, and more will be on site for adoptions and great information! They will have plenty of fun and games for dogs and people alike, so drop by with your pup for a great time! Maybe you’ll take a new furry family member home! 🙂

We’ve had so much fun the last two years, we decided to sponsor this event again in 2016! Mark your calendars now to join us for the dog walk, pet parades, and other fun! All proceeds from this event will benefit the Humane Society of York County this year. A great event for an amazing cause!

More details to come. We hope to see you there!

Zach cares for many of your pets “behind the scenes” here at EAH, particularly in his role as a Camp Counselor at Camp Ebenezer. He’s been a member of the EAH team since 2014. 

In his time outside of work, Zach enjoys music above all else- whether that’s playing the guitar (he plays both acoustic and electric), going to concerts (classic rock and metal are his favorites), or downloading his favorite songs. 

Zach also enjoys reading horror and fantasy literature, with Stephen King being his favorite author. He loves spending time with friends and going to movies as well! And although he loves caring for our patients, he has aspirations of training to be a  human paramedic. Clearly he enjoys caring for patients of all kinds! 🙂

Next time you are in the hospital, please make sure to say hello to Zach!