Whenever I meet a new client at our animal hospital, I like to give them a brief rundown of our hospital’s hours, policies and procedures. We do see emergencies whenever our hospital’s doors are open. However, it is important clients know that our hospital is closed overnight, and that we do not take overnight emergency call. Fortunately, there are several wonderful 24-hour emergency and speciality facilities nearby to help our clients and patients in the middle of the night, when we are not available. A question clients often ask is “What constitutes a pet emergency?” Below is a list of some of the signs and symptoms that your pet may be experiencing a medical emergency and needs urgent care. This entire post, of course, is intended to be a very basic guide for pet owners. If you are unsure whether your pet’s condition is an emergency, please have him evaluated! It is much better to be safe than sorry.
Veterinary Fact or Fiction?
After 7 years of practice in veterinary medicine, I have collected a number of “veterinary old wives’ tales”. There are many misconceptions common within the pet-owning community, and those of us who work in veterinary medicine tend to hear the same ones frequently. Some are of these old wives’ tales are cute and quirky, while others can be downright dangerous. It’s worthwhile to dispel a few of these myths, to keep Fluffy and Fido as safe and healthy as possible.
At the Dog Wash, Yeah!
Just this week, a client shared with me a wonderful tip! For a mere $10, Pet Valu, a pet store located near our veterinary hospital in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, offers a do-it-yourself dog washing station. For those of us with big dogs (I have an 80-pounder and a 40-pounder), washing dogs at home can be difficult and horrifically messy. In the summer, I can easily wash Kona and Maeby outside on the deck, with the garden hose. When the weather turns cold, however, I’ve had to resort to shampooing them in my home’s only tub, which leaves me soaking wet, the walls dripping, and pet hair everywhere- a suboptimal situation!
Last weekend, my husband, son and I took both dogs to Pet Valu for a bath and it was truly a wonderful experience. They have three tiled tubs, with stairs that dogs can easily climb. No more lifting 80 pounds of thrashing dog into the tub! Hand-held shower heads, oatmeal shampoo, plastic aprons to keep your clothes dry, plenty of fresh, clean towels and a mobile dryer station all made this a very pleasant experience. The facility was spotlessly clean, the staff friendly and helpful and the cost affordable. Plus, after 6 baths, Fido gets one free!
My bath tub and my back thank you, Pet Valu!
