This week has been a week of celebrations at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic. Cynthia Shaw, our part time assistant, is graduating from Bradley University on Saturday - her birthday!
And my daughter's birthday is today, Friday.
I was thinking of the fun of celebrations, and just taking a moment to enjoy those we have in our lives. I think our pets help us to do that tremendously.
Anyone who owns a dog knows that they just enjoy the moment. They enjoy that excitement, and don 't worry about where the next food will come from. They trust.
The cats just relax and enjoy the scene going by in the window, without worry about the next day.
Our daughter seems to have that enjoyment as well as she turns 8. I don't have that any more - I worry, like many of you.
I guess that's why God gave us children - to learn from them.
And why we enjoy our dogs and cats - they teach us things we need to remember.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Christmas reflection
I was looking for some outside decorations for the clinic on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, and went to the local hardware store, Lowes and Walmart.
I was amazed at how _few_ decorations were available. very few outdoor lights, few wrapping paper items.
I miss the anticipation, and the excitement of Christmas day. Growing up, we did not decorate except for the week leading up to Christmas, and the tree was not gotten until that week, and the decorations not hung until Christmas eve.
And we celebrated the 12 days of Christmas from Christmas Day until Jan 6, the traditional day that the three wise men came to give the gifts to the infant Jesus.
I say this as an explanation for why you will notice we are just now starting to put up our Christmas decorations, and why they will be up until January 6, 2010.
A nice present to consider for your pet is starting a Pet Savings Account. You can just use your regular bank, and open a special savings account, or Christmas club account specifically for your pet. Then put just $10 a week in the account, and you will have money for their regular care, for the teeth cleaning treatment, the emergency that comes up.
What a great present - peace of mind!
I was amazed at how _few_ decorations were available. very few outdoor lights, few wrapping paper items.
I miss the anticipation, and the excitement of Christmas day. Growing up, we did not decorate except for the week leading up to Christmas, and the tree was not gotten until that week, and the decorations not hung until Christmas eve.
And we celebrated the 12 days of Christmas from Christmas Day until Jan 6, the traditional day that the three wise men came to give the gifts to the infant Jesus.
I say this as an explanation for why you will notice we are just now starting to put up our Christmas decorations, and why they will be up until January 6, 2010.
A nice present to consider for your pet is starting a Pet Savings Account. You can just use your regular bank, and open a special savings account, or Christmas club account specifically for your pet. Then put just $10 a week in the account, and you will have money for their regular care, for the teeth cleaning treatment, the emergency that comes up.
What a great present - peace of mind!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thanksgiving - time to be thankful
At Thanksgiving I find it very easy to be thankful.
I am thankful to the staff who make it easy to practice, and not worry about how they are taking care of the pets and their owners.
I am thankful for the pet owners who have entrusted their pet's care to us. We take that seriously - and try to have fun with it also.
I am especially thankful for my wife and children. They are the reason I strive to improve myself every day.
I am not perfect, and I am thankful for that - because it gives me something to correct every day. Some days, more than others, but I strive to improve on all of it.
And I am thankful for the opportunity to share these thoughts with so many who find them interesting.
Amazing, isn't it that just 10 years ago, something like this Blog did not exist at all - in fact the word did not even exist....
Wow.
I am thankful to the staff who make it easy to practice, and not worry about how they are taking care of the pets and their owners.
I am thankful for the pet owners who have entrusted their pet's care to us. We take that seriously - and try to have fun with it also.
I am especially thankful for my wife and children. They are the reason I strive to improve myself every day.
I am not perfect, and I am thankful for that - because it gives me something to correct every day. Some days, more than others, but I strive to improve on all of it.
And I am thankful for the opportunity to share these thoughts with so many who find them interesting.
Amazing, isn't it that just 10 years ago, something like this Blog did not exist at all - in fact the word did not even exist....
Wow.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thanksgiving Thank you
What are the Top Ten Reasons to come to the Lakeview Veterinary Clinic’s “Pre-Thanksgiving” Thanksgiving Open House?
10) Prizes Galore! including 1 free year of heartworm preventative for one lucky dog.
9) Cat prizes too - 2 free senior blood and urine screening for two lucky contestants’
felines
8) And since cats can’t have all the fun -- free senior blood, urine and fecal check for
two lucky contestants’ canines
7) “Open” means that it will be open to everyone! You need not be a patient or client to
attend the fun.
6) Easy to find! We're right next to Vertucci's, home of all things Chicago --- Cubs,
White Sox, Bears.... (hmmm, maybe we should leave that one off?)
5) Cool demonstrations ongoing in all exam rooms!
4) Special “Behind the scenes” presentations showing how they do a teeth
cleaning without getting bit!
3) Laser demonstrations every 30 minutes with our CO2 laser equipment. (We know if
it's good enough for human tattoo removal and the latest facial surgery, it's good
enough for our pets. We've had the laser option at LVC since 1997!)
2) It only takes a few minutes to stop but can reap lots of fun and prizes!
1) And the most important reason to come is because we’re not sure when we will be
doing this again, so you don’t want to miss the opportunity while it is here! (Besides,
it will be so much fun!)
So, come and join us from 9 AM till 12 noon on Saturday, November 21st for good times, good treats, and good eats for all! Hope to see you there!
10) Prizes Galore! including 1 free year of heartworm preventative for one lucky dog.
9) Cat prizes too - 2 free senior blood and urine screening for two lucky contestants’
felines
8) And since cats can’t have all the fun -- free senior blood, urine and fecal check for
two lucky contestants’ canines
7) “Open” means that it will be open to everyone! You need not be a patient or client to
attend the fun.
6) Easy to find! We're right next to Vertucci's, home of all things Chicago --- Cubs,
White Sox, Bears.... (hmmm, maybe we should leave that one off?)
5) Cool demonstrations ongoing in all exam rooms!
4) Special “Behind the scenes” presentations showing how they do a teeth
cleaning without getting bit!
3) Laser demonstrations every 30 minutes with our CO2 laser equipment. (We know if
it's good enough for human tattoo removal and the latest facial surgery, it's good
enough for our pets. We've had the laser option at LVC since 1997!)
2) It only takes a few minutes to stop but can reap lots of fun and prizes!
1) And the most important reason to come is because we’re not sure when we will be
doing this again, so you don’t want to miss the opportunity while it is here! (Besides,
it will be so much fun!)
So, come and join us from 9 AM till 12 noon on Saturday, November 21st for good times, good treats, and good eats for all! Hope to see you there!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Open House Saturday Nov 21 9am - 12
We are very thankful of all the opportunities to serve our clients. We also look for opportunities to share the exciting 'behind the scenes' things we do at our clinic.
So we are having an open house as a Thanksgiving Thank you. If you have seen the front page of the web site, you have seen the ad, but if not, the open house is scheduled for Saturday, November 21, 2009 from9 am - 12 noon.
We will have demonstrations and different models set up. We will have a CO2 laser demonstration every 1/2 hour as well.
There are grand prizes of a free 1 year of heartworm preventative for your dog, and 4 additional prizes - 2 for cats, 2 for dogs. These prizes are each one free comprehensive blood screening. For dogs it includes a CBC, chemistry (major organ system- liver, kidney, pancreas, electrolytes,) thyroid, urine analysis, fecal test and heartworm test.
For cats it includes a CBC, chemistry (major organ system- liver, kidney, pancreas, electrolytes,) thyroid, urine analysis, fecal test and heartworm test, and Felv, FIV and FIP testing as well.
This is a great screening which is recommended annually for cat and dogs over '50'. In cat terms that is over 9, and for dogs it is 5-9 years depending on the size. The larger the dog, the 'earlier' the time to do the tests.
It's like human medicine, the earlier we find different diseases, the less expensive and easier to treat.
All people who come and put the name in the drawing also can choose a very reduced price CB C blood test or urine analysis or 1 free obedience class.
We will also be taking sign ups for our nail trim classes and our pet CPR classes, which will be later this winter.
Please come and invite your friends to come and see.
So we are having an open house as a Thanksgiving Thank you. If you have seen the front page of the web site, you have seen the ad, but if not, the open house is scheduled for Saturday, November 21, 2009 from9 am - 12 noon.
We will have demonstrations and different models set up. We will have a CO2 laser demonstration every 1/2 hour as well.
There are grand prizes of a free 1 year of heartworm preventative for your dog, and 4 additional prizes - 2 for cats, 2 for dogs. These prizes are each one free comprehensive blood screening. For dogs it includes a CBC, chemistry (major organ system- liver, kidney, pancreas, electrolytes,) thyroid, urine analysis, fecal test and heartworm test.
For cats it includes a CBC, chemistry (major organ system- liver, kidney, pancreas, electrolytes,) thyroid, urine analysis, fecal test and heartworm test, and Felv, FIV and FIP testing as well.
This is a great screening which is recommended annually for cat and dogs over '50'. In cat terms that is over 9, and for dogs it is 5-9 years depending on the size. The larger the dog, the 'earlier' the time to do the tests.
It's like human medicine, the earlier we find different diseases, the less expensive and easier to treat.
All people who come and put the name in the drawing also can choose a very reduced price CB C blood test or urine analysis or 1 free obedience class.
We will also be taking sign ups for our nail trim classes and our pet CPR classes, which will be later this winter.
Please come and invite your friends to come and see.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Why did skeleton cross road?
When Mallory asked me that this morning, I thought it was to get to the other side.
To get to the body shop!
Halloween is here and we have a lot of fun dressing our pets in costumes - sometimes even the dogs like it. :-)
One thing to be aware of, the sugar free treats should be kept away from your dogs. Specifically, the gum and candy containing Xylitol. It is most commonly found in "Orbit" gum, but in other gums and hard candies that are sugar free.
What happens is the dog's body does not realize it is not sugar, and their body mistakenly drops the blood sugar to dangerous levels, and many dogs have to be on IV sugar solutions for 24 - 48 hours .
On another interesting note, Nonprofit research group called Healthystuff.org found that 50% of tennis balls contain detectable lead levels. Balls intended for pets were much more likely to contain lead, while sport tennis balls contained none!
Check the web site for a more complete list.
And Joe had this additional observation about the skeleton:
Why did the skeleton not ask his girlfriend to marry him?
He didn't have the guts!
See you online next week. :-)
To get to the body shop!
Halloween is here and we have a lot of fun dressing our pets in costumes - sometimes even the dogs like it. :-)
One thing to be aware of, the sugar free treats should be kept away from your dogs. Specifically, the gum and candy containing Xylitol. It is most commonly found in "Orbit" gum, but in other gums and hard candies that are sugar free.
What happens is the dog's body does not realize it is not sugar, and their body mistakenly drops the blood sugar to dangerous levels, and many dogs have to be on IV sugar solutions for 24 - 48 hours .
On another interesting note, Nonprofit research group called Healthystuff.org found that 50% of tennis balls contain detectable lead levels. Balls intended for pets were much more likely to contain lead, while sport tennis balls contained none!
Check the web site for a more complete list.
And Joe had this additional observation about the skeleton:
Why did the skeleton not ask his girlfriend to marry him?
He didn't have the guts!
See you online next week. :-)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thanksgiving Thank you
Hello everyone,
Halloween is a fun time to dress up, have the pets dressup or the children. It is a time to imagine being someone special. I remember dressing as a kid as a football player (back in the day), a ghost (cool to walk through doors), and one of my hero's The Lone Ranger.
We are always looking for something else at times, yet we also learn to appreciate what we have. And that is what Thanksgiving is all about.
And we are going to have a Thanksgiving Thank you to all our clients, and invite you to an open house at the clinic. We will host it at a special day and time: Saturday, November 21 from 9 am - noon.
We will have some set up items in the x-ray room, in surgery we will have a demonstration of the CO2 laser, in the treatment room we will have a teeth cleaning demonstration, in the boarding section, we will have some other fun things.
And we encourage you to invite a friend to come. We will have some prizes- still working on details, but they will be something that will benefit all of our clients, and something for everyone who attends.
Why?
Because we want to say Thank you to all of our clients who have made it possible for us to provide veterinary services for the entire community. We look forward to moving here (if our house will ever sell) and being part of the community. But this is a way to say 'Thank you' in advance.
Halloween is a fun time to dress up, have the pets dressup or the children. It is a time to imagine being someone special. I remember dressing as a kid as a football player (back in the day), a ghost (cool to walk through doors), and one of my hero's The Lone Ranger.
We are always looking for something else at times, yet we also learn to appreciate what we have. And that is what Thanksgiving is all about.
And we are going to have a Thanksgiving Thank you to all our clients, and invite you to an open house at the clinic. We will host it at a special day and time: Saturday, November 21 from 9 am - noon.
We will have some set up items in the x-ray room, in surgery we will have a demonstration of the CO2 laser, in the treatment room we will have a teeth cleaning demonstration, in the boarding section, we will have some other fun things.
And we encourage you to invite a friend to come. We will have some prizes- still working on details, but they will be something that will benefit all of our clients, and something for everyone who attends.
Why?
Because we want to say Thank you to all of our clients who have made it possible for us to provide veterinary services for the entire community. We look forward to moving here (if our house will ever sell
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Calling for animal pictures of Halloween
Hello everyone,
I have been talking to clients about their pets 'dressing up' for Halloween. We realized, we should have a place to post those pictures.
So send us your pictures of your pets in Halloween costume - to staff@LakeviewVeterinaryClinic.com and we will put them here in this Blog, and share them with everyone.
Our pets bring us so much joy, it is hard to imagine not having them around, isn't it?
I have been talking to clients about their pets 'dressing up' for Halloween. We realized, we should have a place to post those pictures.
So send us your pictures of your pets in Halloween costume - to staff@LakeviewVeterinaryClinic.com and we will put them here in this Blog, and share them with everyone.
Our pets bring us so much joy, it is hard to imagine not having them around, isn't it?
Friday, September 25, 2009
Rolling over - not what you think
We think of 'rolling over' in pet circles as teaching our pets how to 'roll over' as a trick. Maybe 'play dead' or another fun trick.
I knew one client's dog that loved playing dead. The taught the dog to, as they pointed their hand to the dog in the shape of a gun, they would say 'bang' and the dog would fall down, and play dead.
Then he would jump up to get his reward!
It was so cool.
But what I am talking about is that my car that I drive just rolled over 200,000 miles on Thursday!
I'm excited and proud of that. I like taking care of things as best as possible. The opportunity to share the moderate little excitement of life, but it is like our pets, who we nurse along to enjoy this familiarity of the little quirks that we all have.
We grow to love those little quirks.
Or at least I do.
I knew one client's dog that loved playing dead. The taught the dog to, as they pointed their hand to the dog in the shape of a gun, they would say 'bang' and the dog would fall down, and play dead.
Then he would jump up to get his reward!
It was so cool.
But what I am talking about is that my car that I drive just rolled over 200,000 miles on Thursday!
I'm excited and proud of that. I like taking care of things as best as possible. The opportunity to share the moderate little excitement of life, but it is like our pets, who we nurse along to enjoy this familiarity of the little quirks that we all have.
We grow to love those little quirks.
Or at least I do.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Puppy classes very popular - and over 200K ... miles
It is amazing to me how much we veterinarians and staff take for granted the logic of pet behavior and obedience.
Since we deal with dogs and cats every day, and we know our clients deal with their pets every day, we assume they have a lot of knowledge about how to train them.
And that is not always the case. Just because I drive my car daily, does not mean I know the best way, or a new way to take care of it properly. Maybe there is a new technique (car wax) that will last longer and work better to protect my car.
So we try to work on informing you as to the latest information to help your pet. We have many avenues we use for this purpose - sometimes the blog, the email newsletter is great for instant information on recalls which we find of utmost significance.
And of course, a good old fashioned phone call, or even better yet, a personal conversation is very helpful in helping to share the information we have.
Our goal is to try to 'translate' the medical jargon into more commonly understood language for all of us, and that will be different for different people. So if something does not make sense, ask us and we will try to use a different analogy to explain the information we are trying to share.
Also, on the way to work on Thursday, September 17, my car rolled pst 200,000 miles! Woohoo!
Much of those miles were put on the car in my previous practice life as a relief Dr. We were in Wisconsin, Chicago, Rockford, St Louis, Lawrenceville, Mt. Vernon, Peoria, Pekin, Bloomington, Normal, Springfield, Champaign, Urbana, Decatur, and many other towns throughout Illinois. I am truly glad for that opportunity, but more grateful for all of you who are now allowing me to be your regular doctor for your dogs and cats.
Now if any one knows of someone who would like to buy a 4,000 sq foot Victorian house south of Bloomington, let us know, so we can sell the house and move into this wonderful community.
Since we deal with dogs and cats every day, and we know our clients deal with their pets every day, we assume they have a lot of knowledge about how to train them.
And that is not always the case. Just because I drive my car daily, does not mean I know the best way, or a new way to take care of it properly. Maybe there is a new technique (car wax) that will last longer and work better to protect my car.
So we try to work on informing you as to the latest information to help your pet. We have many avenues we use for this purpose - sometimes the blog, the email newsletter is great for instant information on recalls which we find of utmost significance.
And of course, a good old fashioned phone call, or even better yet, a personal conversation is very helpful in helping to share the information we have.
Our goal is to try to 'translate' the medical jargon into more commonly understood language for all of us, and that will be different for different people. So if something does not make sense, ask us and we will try to use a different analogy to explain the information we are trying to share.
Also, on the way to work on Thursday, September 17, my car rolled pst 200,000 miles! Woohoo!
Much of those miles were put on the car in my previous practice life as a relief Dr. We were in Wisconsin, Chicago, Rockford, St Louis, Lawrenceville, Mt. Vernon, Peoria, Pekin, Bloomington, Normal, Springfield, Champaign, Urbana, Decatur, and many other towns throughout Illinois. I am truly glad for that opportunity, but more grateful for all of you who are now allowing me to be your regular doctor for your dogs and cats.
Now if any one knows of someone who would like to buy a 4,000 sq foot Victorian house south of Bloomington, let us know, so we can sell the house and move into this wonderful community.
Friday, September 11, 2009
School start and new routines
We are all used to - or we like routines.
We have our morning routine of hitting the snooze alarm so many times before we finally get up. Or maybe you're like me, and I am up a few minutes before the alarm even goes off, and you are ready to go.
But we like the routine.
Which is why we love our pets. Our dogs like the routine, the breakfast, the 'dance' before breakfast, the outside, the place to lay when we leave the house....
They 'know the routine'.
Our cats like the routine - waking us up by playing with our face when we sleep in on the weekend.
You can almost hear them say " Hey.... who said _you_ could sleep in when you are in charge of feeding me?"
But we love those personality quirks our pets have.
So celebrate those enjoyable moments we get to live in the 'little things' of life. They truly help us out, and lead us along a great path.
We have our morning routine of hitting the snooze alarm so many times before we finally get up. Or maybe you're like me, and I am up a few minutes before the alarm even goes off, and you are ready to go.
But we like the routine.
Which is why we love our pets. Our dogs like the routine, the breakfast, the 'dance' before breakfast, the outside, the place to lay when we leave the house....
They 'know the routine'.
Our cats like the routine - waking us up by playing with our face when we sleep in on the weekend.
You can almost hear them say " Hey.... who said _you_ could sleep in when you are in charge of feeding me?"
But we love those personality quirks our pets have.
So celebrate those enjoyable moments we get to live in the 'little things' of life. They truly help us out, and lead us along a great path.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
New receptionist hired.
Welcome to our new receptionists!
Brittany O'Brien and Joe Sholl have joined our team as receptionist. They will be sharing the position, and you will be seeing them as we begin their training process. The entire process is going very well.
We'll have more information on the web site soon.
also, we often talk about having a good plan for your pet's health, and a good contingency plan. That is a 'what if' scenario. That goes in every day life as well.
When the computer server went haywire last Saturday, we found out that our backup system was indeed very good - once we figured out the problem, and realized we needed to get the backups, it took us a few minutes to figure out which backup was best, then we copied that onto the back up server we have, and set up the workstations.
We are limited with the backup server with the number of workstations, but we have all the information, and all the previous records and files.
Good planning is important.
Brittany O'Brien and Joe Sholl have joined our team as receptionist. They will be sharing the position, and you will be seeing them as we begin their training process. The entire process is going very well.
We'll have more information on the web site soon.
also, we often talk about having a good plan for your pet's health, and a good contingency plan. That is a 'what if' scenario. That goes in every day life as well.
When the computer server went haywire last Saturday, we found out that our backup system was indeed very good - once we figured out the problem, and realized we needed to get the backups, it took us a few minutes to figure out which backup was best, then we copied that onto the back up server we have, and set up the workstations.
We are limited with the backup server with the number of workstations, but we have all the information, and all the previous records and files.
Good planning is important.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
More pics of the kittens
Marco the Adventurer
Therese and Polo
Columbus
Marco the Adventurer on Kelly
Christopher
Friday, August 21, 2009
Bark for life - Police dog demo, kitten gentling and new Receptionist
Hello everyone,
Saturday, August 22 at 9 am, the American Cancer Society is sponsoring a fundraiser caleld Bark for Life.
I will be there as the Veterinarian on call. A wonderful client of our, Dave Haskins, current president of the Central Illinois Working Dog Association, is going to give a police dog demonstration. If you have never observed such a demonstration, I highly recommend you come.
Kittens are fun.
A client came in with a very nice mom cat, and 4 kittens that someone was able to foster, and more excitedly, we are able to do the gentling technique that we have been doing with the puppies. I thought I had the pictures here, but I do not, so I hope to upload them in the next day or so. When I last checked, the owner is looking for a home for the four kittens. The mom already has a home.
And if you have driven by the clinic, you noticed we are expanding the staff. On Thursday, Brittany and Joe accepted our offer to join our team. We will have more information posted in the staff section of the web site.
Saturday, August 22 at 9 am, the American Cancer Society is sponsoring a fundraiser caleld Bark for Life.
I will be there as the Veterinarian on call. A wonderful client of our, Dave Haskins, current president of the Central Illinois Working Dog Association, is going to give a police dog demonstration. If you have never observed such a demonstration, I highly recommend you come.
Kittens are fun.
A client came in with a very nice mom cat, and 4 kittens that someone was able to foster, and more excitedly, we are able to do the gentling technique that we have been doing with the puppies. I thought I had the pictures here, but I do not, so I hope to upload them in the next day or so. When I last checked, the owner is looking for a home for the four kittens. The mom already has a home.
And if you have driven by the clinic, you noticed we are expanding the staff. On Thursday, Brittany and Joe accepted our offer to join our team. We will have more information posted in the staff section of the web site.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Helping at the ER
Many times we try not to think about what would happen in the event of an emergency to our pet. But we also know that it happens.
That is why the Tri County Animal Emergency center in Peoria is the area's only fully staffed animal ER in the area. There is a trained staff, and veterinarians whose job it is to work the ER. The nighttime ER is their full time job.
And sometimes the veterinarians need to go on vacation. So we colleagues who work with the ER clinic will 'pull a shift' and help them.
That is where I am tonight. Pulling Friday night ER duty.
So far... several bee stings, and one Hit by Car.
Use leashes when at all possible.
Thanks for 'tuning in'.
That is why the Tri County Animal Emergency center in Peoria is the area's only fully staffed animal ER in the area. There is a trained staff, and veterinarians whose job it is to work the ER. The nighttime ER is their full time job.
And sometimes the veterinarians need to go on vacation. So we colleagues who work with the ER clinic will 'pull a shift' and help them.
That is where I am tonight. Pulling Friday night ER duty.
So far... several bee stings, and one Hit by Car.
Use leashes when at all possible.
Thanks for 'tuning in'.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Fleas more common and ways to fight it.
As many of us petowners know, dealing with fleas can be a challenge.
The expense of Frontline can seem more than what we want to pay since we don't have a problem. After all, why spend money that is tight for something that will kill (the fleas) when we don't even have them? Besides, I can get something like that at the store, right?
Well, sort of, but not really.
Let me explain.
First, you are correct, if you ask why you need to prevent fleas if they are not on your pet. You do not have to prevent them. You can wait until / if you get fleas then deal with them.
If you have seen the new video we have playing in the office about fleas, you will quickly find out why you may prefer to prevent them rather than treat them. The adult flea you see will lay up to 20 - 40 eggs every day. Those eggs hatch into little worm like maggots (larvae is the medical name, but it sounds so sanitary - maggots sound so much more exciting, doesn't it? ;-)). Then the little maggots (only a mother loves this face) feed on the flea .. well, there is no polite way to say this, flea poop! Their I said it. The flea 'dirt' we like to refer to as really the flea excrement (another fancy sanitary name).
So the worms are feeding on the flea poop, then they develop a 'pupae'. What is that? It is like the 'cocoon' that a caterpillar spins before becoming a butterfly.
This cocoon stage is the hard part to deal with when treating fleas. This 'stage' of the life cycle is like a bunker for the flea, and short of burning it, there is no insecticide/ spray/ garlic/ UV light that will kill it.
And we usually don't recommend burning down your house to treat the flea problem in your house. :-)
So to break that flea life cycle, we have to keep the pet on flea preventative, and treat the 'environment' (your house, and yard where the pet stays) for about 6 months.
So those are your options. We do have a copy of the nice DVD that is available. We have approval from the company to make copies for clients that are interested in watching the dvd.
The expense of Frontline can seem more than what we want to pay since we don't have a problem. After all, why spend money that is tight for something that will kill (the fleas) when we don't even have them? Besides, I can get something like that at the store, right?
Well, sort of, but not really.
Let me explain.
First, you are correct, if you ask why you need to prevent fleas if they are not on your pet. You do not have to prevent them. You can wait until / if you get fleas then deal with them.
If you have seen the new video we have playing in the office about fleas, you will quickly find out why you may prefer to prevent them rather than treat them. The adult flea you see will lay up to 20 - 40 eggs every day. Those eggs hatch into little worm like maggots (larvae is the medical name, but it sounds so sanitary - maggots sound so much more exciting, doesn't it? ;-)). Then the little maggots (only a mother loves this face) feed on the flea .. well, there is no polite way to say this, flea poop! Their I said it. The flea 'dirt' we like to refer to as really the flea excrement (another fancy sanitary name).
So the worms are feeding on the flea poop, then they develop a 'pupae'. What is that? It is like the 'cocoon' that a caterpillar spins before becoming a butterfly.
This cocoon stage is the hard part to deal with when treating fleas. This 'stage' of the life cycle is like a bunker for the flea, and short of burning it, there is no insecticide/ spray/ garlic/ UV light that will kill it.
And we usually don't recommend burning down your house to treat the flea problem in your house. :-)
So to break that flea life cycle, we have to keep the pet on flea preventative, and treat the 'environment' (your house, and yard where the pet stays) for about 6 months.
So those are your options. We do have a copy of the nice DVD that is available. We have approval from the company to make copies for clients that are interested in watching the dvd.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Dasuquin questions for arthritis
We have had a lot of clients ask good questions about the use of Glucosamine and Chondroitin products for their dog and cat's joint health.
I regularly reference this study performed by John Hopkins in Baltimore. They found that the cheap glucosamine pills in the store are rarely the 1,000 mg they claim. And a complicating problem is that the more money you paid did not get more reliable chance at getting the right dose of Glucosamine.
That is why we carry Nutramax' brand product. They are reliable, and reasonably priced. If you are interested, we can get the human product.
Just a note that fleas have been making a return this late summer. It seems all the cool weather really helps them out.
We can sell the Frontline Plus individually or by the 3 or 6 pack for your convenience.
I regularly reference this study performed by John Hopkins in Baltimore. They found that the cheap glucosamine pills in the store are rarely the 1,000 mg they claim. And a complicating problem is that the more money you paid did not get more reliable chance at getting the right dose of Glucosamine.
That is why we carry Nutramax' brand product. They are reliable, and reasonably priced. If you are interested, we can get the human product.
Just a note that fleas have been making a return this late summer. It seems all the cool weather really helps them out.
We can sell the Frontline Plus individually or by the 3 or 6 pack for your convenience.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Parvo on the rise
At the clinic the past 3 weeks, we have seen several puppies with Parvovirus.
As you may know, Parvovirus is a virus that attacks the intestinal system. It causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. Then what happens is these dogs will get severely dehydrated, and secondary infections and it can be fatal (meaning they may die).
Fortunately, cats are not susceptible to this parvovirus. (they have a different one, but that's another story - it is one of the viruses we vaccinate for - Panleukopenia)
If you have put off getting the 'Distemper' vaccine, which is actually a 4- way vaccine: Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, then please schedule that preventative vaccine right away.
We would rather help you prevent this terrible and potentially deadly disease rather than try to treat it.
As you may know, Parvovirus is a virus that attacks the intestinal system. It causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. Then what happens is these dogs will get severely dehydrated, and secondary infections and it can be fatal (meaning they may die).
Fortunately, cats are not susceptible to this parvovirus. (they have a different one, but that's another story - it is one of the viruses we vaccinate for - Panleukopenia)
If you have put off getting the 'Distemper' vaccine, which is actually a 4- way vaccine: Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, then please schedule that preventative vaccine right away.
We would rather help you prevent this terrible and potentially deadly disease rather than try to treat it.
Friday, July 10, 2009
July 4 and ticks
Hello everyone,
Sorry I forgot to Blog last week. My daughter Rachel's birthday is July 3, and our youngest, Therese, her birthday is July 4, same as my wife, Kelly, so we were birthday central last week.
It is fun to take some time to be with family and enjoy their enthusiasm and zest for life.
We can sometimes forget that... but isn't that partly why we have pets? Because we enjoy them and their enthusiasm for the little things - that essential 5 minute nap, or if you're a cat, the 12 hr nap. :-)
One of our representatives brought the web site dogsandticks.com to my attention.
It is very helpful. If you have questions about how to deal with ticks and whether your dog (cats don't usually let ticks get a bite- they groom them off too quickly) is at risk for any tick related disease, this is a good place to start.
Also, if your dog has not had his or her heartworm test this year, our new test also checks for Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever - two of the most common tick diseases we see here. And there is no additional charge for this extra detection. We will let you know at the end of the year what the 'disease rate' is that you have.
Have a great weekend.
Sorry I forgot to Blog last week. My daughter Rachel's birthday is July 3, and our youngest, Therese, her birthday is July 4, same as my wife, Kelly, so we were birthday central last week.
It is fun to take some time to be with family and enjoy their enthusiasm and zest for life.
We can sometimes forget that... but isn't that partly why we have pets? Because we enjoy them and their enthusiasm for the little things - that essential 5 minute nap, or if you're a cat, the 12 hr nap. :-)
One of our representatives brought the web site dogsandticks.com to my attention.
It is very helpful. If you have questions about how to deal with ticks and whether your dog (cats don't usually let ticks get a bite- they groom them off too quickly) is at risk for any tick related disease, this is a good place to start.
Also, if your dog has not had his or her heartworm test this year, our new test also checks for Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever - two of the most common tick diseases we see here. And there is no additional charge for this extra detection. We will let you know at the end of the year what the 'disease rate' is that you have.
Have a great weekend.
Monday, July 6, 2009
July 4 celebrations
Our nations birthday is a very cool event.
My family and I put out our flag (even in the rain) and read the Declaration of Independence, and then the Pledge.
We also read an article similar to this:
http://www.isil.org/resources/usdocs/what-happened-to-signatories.html
about what happened to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
We owe so much to these men, and our current men and women in the military who continue to allow us these incredible freedoms.
Thank God that we are allowed to live in this country at this time in history.
I hope your pet's did not have too much shaking with the fireworks. As we mentioned in our newsletter, we have a new, non prescription medication that can be very helpful for fireworks and other loud noise phobias (storms).
Call us to let us know if you need this medicine at 699-6443
My family and I put out our flag (even in the rain) and read the Declaration of Independence, and then the Pledge.
We also read an article similar to this:
http://www.isil.org/resources/usdocs/what-happened-to-signatories.html
about what happened to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
We owe so much to these men, and our current men and women in the military who continue to allow us these incredible freedoms.
Thank God that we are allowed to live in this country at this time in history.
I hope your pet's did not have too much shaking with the fireworks. As we mentioned in our newsletter, we have a new, non prescription medication that can be very helpful for fireworks and other loud noise phobias (storms).
Call us to let us know if you need this medicine at 699-6443
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Puppy obedience classes
We are starting a new round of puppy obedience classes here at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic.
The public is welcome to come, you do not need to be a client to attend. You must however be :
- up to date on the appropriate vaccines recommended by the veterinarian (Distemper, Parvo, Rabies if age appropriate)
- Have a negative stool exam for intestinal parasites.
- Must be in current good health
- Must be in your home for minimum of 10 days
If you would like to be in the class, call our office to reserve your place 699-6443. You can purchase the 6 week class for the price of 5 at $100, or you can pay as you go for $20/class.
This is just one part in our continuing effort to ensure that people are enjoying their pets.
The public is welcome to come, you do not need to be a client to attend. You must however be :
- up to date on the appropriate vaccines recommended by the veterinarian (Distemper, Parvo, Rabies if age appropriate)
- Have a negative stool exam for intestinal parasites.
- Must be in current good health
- Must be in your home for minimum of 10 days
If you would like to be in the class, call our office to reserve your place 699-6443. You can purchase the 6 week class for the price of 5 at $100, or you can pay as you go for $20/class.
This is just one part in our continuing effort to ensure that people are enjoying their pets.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Preventing what we don't see
When the H1N1 flu was big news, everyone was a little concerned. Now since it has gone from our 'front of mind' conscience, we don't think about it as much. But the human MD's still think about it, and they look for the symptoms with their patients.
Those same concerns affect us Veterinarians as we talk to our patients also. Our problem is the dog and cat don't always understand us. ;-)
So we talk to their owners. We vaccinate against Rabies, Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus, not because we see those diseases, but precisely because we do NOT want to see those diseases. Anyone whose own dog, or friends dog has had parvovirus knows it is not a fun virus to have. The dog gets very sick, with vomiting and diarrhea. Some don't even live.
If the dogs are vaccinated, then we can prevent the disease. Or if the dog gets the disease, the form of disease is much less severe (like flu in humans).
In our cats, we worry about the upper respiratory diseases causing sneezing and eye discharges. Their 'distemper' protects against Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis, and Calicivirus vaccines. Some strains of the Calici virus can be deadly to our cats.
Those are common 'infectious' diseases that are in either dogs or cats.
The other area we want to inform and protect against are the "zoonotic" diseases. These are diseases that dogs and cats can give to people.
One of the categories we have tried to emphasize, are the intestinal parasites that dogs and cats get. Did you know that humans can get them also? Just by petting their fur?
Of course, most folks currently reading this Blog know to wash their hands, and do so religiously after every time they pet their dog and cat ;-), but what about the little children?
That is why we recommend to perform a stool check on every pet at least once a year. The stool check makes sure there are not any of those intestinal parasites in your dog or cats system.
And if you have someone who has had chemotherapy, an organ transplant, or a young child (who puts everything in their mouth) the Center for Disease Control recommends to also give a strategic deworming for the most common parasite: Ascarids (roundworms).
Ask us how to prevent these parasites in your dog or cat today.
Those same concerns affect us Veterinarians as we talk to our patients also. Our problem is the dog and cat don't always understand us. ;-)
So we talk to their owners. We vaccinate against Rabies, Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus, not because we see those diseases, but precisely because we do NOT want to see those diseases. Anyone whose own dog, or friends dog has had parvovirus knows it is not a fun virus to have. The dog gets very sick, with vomiting and diarrhea. Some don't even live.
If the dogs are vaccinated, then we can prevent the disease. Or if the dog gets the disease, the form of disease is much less severe (like flu in humans).
In our cats, we worry about the upper respiratory diseases causing sneezing and eye discharges. Their 'distemper' protects against Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis, and Calicivirus vaccines. Some strains of the Calici virus can be deadly to our cats.
Those are common 'infectious' diseases that are in either dogs or cats.
The other area we want to inform and protect against are the "zoonotic" diseases. These are diseases that dogs and cats can give to people.
One of the categories we have tried to emphasize, are the intestinal parasites that dogs and cats get. Did you know that humans can get them also? Just by petting their fur?
Of course, most folks currently reading this Blog know to wash their hands, and do so religiously after every time they pet their dog and cat ;-), but what about the little children?
That is why we recommend to perform a stool check on every pet at least once a year. The stool check makes sure there are not any of those intestinal parasites in your dog or cats system.
And if you have someone who has had chemotherapy, an organ transplant, or a young child (who puts everything in their mouth) the Center for Disease Control recommends to also give a strategic deworming for the most common parasite: Ascarids (roundworms).
Ask us how to prevent these parasites in your dog or cat today.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Very interesting local dog show - police work
If you have ever been fascinated by working dogs, you no doubt have been interested in police dogs.
One of our clients has given numerous demonstrations about police dog work with his dogs and did so at our open house last year.
The Central Illinois Police and Working Dog group dog club is having thier show this weekend - Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21 at their club location which is at Deer Trace Ct in Dunlap, IL.
The show starts at 10 am. If you want to talk to folks about their dogs, you will want to get their earlier to visit with them.
If you have any questions, give us a call and we can help you get out to the show.
Have a great day.
One of our clients has given numerous demonstrations about police dog work with his dogs and did so at our open house last year.
The Central Illinois Police and Working Dog group dog club is having thier show this weekend - Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21 at their club location which is at Deer Trace Ct in Dunlap, IL.
The show starts at 10 am. If you want to talk to folks about their dogs, you will want to get their earlier to visit with them.
If you have any questions, give us a call and we can help you get out to the show.
Have a great day.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Back to basics
It is no secret that money is tight as many of you reading this may have lost your job, or are seeing fewer hours. At times like this we do cut out the 'fluff' stuff.
When it comes to our pets, many of you have told me you still want to make sure your pets are taken care of, but it is challenging.
We want to help. We have been offering for the past 4-6 months, the chance to split up the typical annual visit for your dog or cat. For example, for a kitty, they would get the thorough physical exam and Rabies vaccine on the first day. Then in 1 month, the kitty can get the feline Distemper and feline Leukemia, if needed. We only recommend the Feline Leukemia vaccine if a cat goes outdoors and is in contact with other cats, otherwise the 'basics' that we recommend for the cat is the annual physical exam, and the Rabies and Distemper (upper respiratory) vaccine.
In dogs, it is similar. Our 'basics' protection includes: Thorough physical exam, Rabies, Distemper (4 way - hepatitis, parainfluenza and Parvovirus), and Heartworm test. Lyme vaccine was recommended when I lived in Wisconsin, but fortunately that disease has not been a major probelm this far south yet. Bordatella vaccine is another that is only recommended for boarding and grooming, or attending dog parks/ shows.
Please call the office even if you can not do all the 'basics'. We can discuss with you which items are best to get back started right away, and which we can catch up in a month or two.
When it comes to our pets, many of you have told me you still want to make sure your pets are taken care of, but it is challenging.
We want to help. We have been offering for the past 4-6 months, the chance to split up the typical annual visit for your dog or cat. For example, for a kitty, they would get the thorough physical exam and Rabies vaccine on the first day. Then in 1 month, the kitty can get the feline Distemper and feline Leukemia, if needed. We only recommend the Feline Leukemia vaccine if a cat goes outdoors and is in contact with other cats, otherwise the 'basics' that we recommend for the cat is the annual physical exam, and the Rabies and Distemper (upper respiratory) vaccine.
In dogs, it is similar. Our 'basics' protection includes: Thorough physical exam, Rabies, Distemper (4 way - hepatitis, parainfluenza and Parvovirus), and Heartworm test. Lyme vaccine was recommended when I lived in Wisconsin, but fortunately that disease has not been a major probelm this far south yet. Bordatella vaccine is another that is only recommended for boarding and grooming, or attending dog parks/ shows.
Please call the office even if you can not do all the 'basics'. We can discuss with you which items are best to get back started right away, and which we can catch up in a month or two.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
To think about
If you have ever been frustrated with your circumstances, and what is going to happen to you next month or in the next year, you are not alone. I think about that many times.
But then in my email inbox came the Komando email newsletter came this video of the day:
">
This is an abreviated version that Randy Pausch did on Oprah.
Here is the full - better version - and maybe you will be viewer number 11,000,000
just click here to go to the You tube site to view it. Trust me, you will not be disapointed.
It is pretty easy after this to appreciate the the gifts I have given. I am grateful for you who read this Blog, and come to our practice to allow us to serve you.
Thank you.
But then in my email inbox came the Komando email newsletter came this video of the day:
">
This is an abreviated version that Randy Pausch did on Oprah.
Here is the full - better version - and maybe you will be viewer number 11,000,000
just click here to go to the You tube site to view it. Trust me, you will not be disapointed.
It is pretty easy after this to appreciate the the gifts I have given. I am grateful for you who read this Blog, and come to our practice to allow us to serve you.
Thank you.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Mayor prayer breakfast and Nutro recall
I had the opportunity to attend the Mayor's prayer breakfast this morning at the Embassy Suites conference center here in East Peoria. It was a wonderful event, and gave the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the East Peoria High school a chance to share a passage from the bible with all of us.
We started with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
I am so glad to be a part of such a community.
Please pray for my family and I as we come to the community that we continue to build upon the foundation that is here for us.
Early this week we learned of a voluntary recall of some of the Nutro cat foods. I primarily involves the "NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with "Best If Used By Dates" between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier."
More details are available here: At the web site of the voluntary recall
We started with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
I am so glad to be a part of such a community.
Please pray for my family and I as we come to the community that we continue to build upon the foundation that is here for us.
Early this week we learned of a voluntary recall of some of the Nutro cat foods. I primarily involves the "NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with "Best If Used By Dates" between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier."
More details are available here: At the web site of the voluntary recall
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Big dog show in Bloomington this weekend
Hello everyone,
If you have been interested in looking for a new dog, but not sure of the breed you want to look for, or you are not even sure what they may be like up close, here is your chance.
In Bloomington this Memorial Day weekend, there is a big dog show that is covering agility, confirmation, and many other aspects.
As you will see at the web site, there is going to be a lot of different dog breeds at the show and you can ask a lot of questions.
I hope you all have a nice weekend. If you have relatives who have given their lives so that we can enjoy these freedoms we have, please accept our sincere thank you.
If you have been interested in looking for a new dog, but not sure of the breed you want to look for, or you are not even sure what they may be like up close, here is your chance.
In Bloomington this Memorial Day weekend, there is a big dog show that is covering agility, confirmation, and many other aspects.
As you will see at the web site, there is going to be a lot of different dog breeds at the show and you can ask a lot of questions.
I hope you all have a nice weekend. If you have relatives who have given their lives so that we can enjoy these freedoms we have, please accept our sincere thank you.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cute puppy in window
We all love cute puppies, don't we? This cool site: dailypuppy.com has a new puppy picture available every day, and has many archives of other pictures.
It is worth a look for that 'ahhh' picture.
Also don't forget our puppy picking program tonight at the Park District building at 7 pm.
If you miss the program, call the office, and we will be happy to set up an appointment to go over the material with you.
It is worth a look for that 'ahhh' picture.
Also don't forget our puppy picking program tonight at the Park District building at 7 pm.
If you miss the program, call the office, and we will be happy to set up an appointment to go over the material with you.
Friday, May 15, 2009
pet web cam & puppy presentation
I have to confess I am a bit of a computer geek. I do enjoy the technology and the different ways to integrate the technology to the clinic and pet's lives
Many of you know of our web cam which allows you to view your pets when they are hospitalized for elective procedure or if they are sick.
There is an interesting little gadget that I saw in my inbox recently that I thought others might be interested in. This is a pet collar camera. You put this camera on the pet's collar.
The link for the pet collar camera is here and they have the details of the how the camera works. It's not terribly expensive - about $50.
We also gave the puppy picking presentation at the Fondulac park administration building last night. It went over very well. If you know of someone looking at getting a puppy in the next several months, we have another presentation at the Park building on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 pm. All are invited, and we have handouts, and free snacks.
Invite those you know to come.
Many of you know of our web cam which allows you to view your pets when they are hospitalized for elective procedure or if they are sick.
There is an interesting little gadget that I saw in my inbox recently that I thought others might be interested in. This is a pet collar camera. You put this camera on the pet's collar.
The link for the pet collar camera is here and they have the details of the how the camera works. It's not terribly expensive - about $50.
We also gave the puppy picking presentation at the Fondulac park administration building last night. It went over very well. If you know of someone looking at getting a puppy in the next several months, we have another presentation at the Park building on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 pm. All are invited, and we have handouts, and free snacks.
Invite those you know to come.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Picking puppies is fun, but hard
We have been having fun lately with the question:
If Peter Piper,
instead of picking pickled peppers,
had to pick a puppy for Peppermint Patty,
what breed of puppy would Peter Piper pick?
Would he pick the same puppy for his parents?
We will be presenting a workshop with handouts at the Fundulac Park administration building (201 Veterans Drive, East Peoria, IL) on Thursday, May 14 at 7 pm. If you can not make that day, we will be presenting the workshop again on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 pm.
Handouts to cover the material and light refreshments (from Vertucci's) will be available.
Our goal is to help families make sure they pick the best 'fit' for their family. We will go through some questions for the individuals to ask themselves, and what fit of dog is best for them.
The biggest challenge is that so many folks fall in love with a well behaved dog they see on Television. It may be during a dog show, or on Animal Planet, but they think the dog is very cute or pretty. That is nice, but dogs were bred for a purpose for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and if you are not familiar with that purpose, you may be asking for a Cub and Cardinal fan to have both their teams in the World series.
It can never happen, because it just does not fit.
Sometimes that is the case with a specific breed and a family.
We will explore that in depth at the workshop.
There is no registration fee, and the class is open to the public. Anyone and everyone can come.
If Peter Piper,
instead of picking pickled peppers,
had to pick a puppy for Peppermint Patty,
what breed of puppy would Peter Piper pick?
Would he pick the same puppy for his parents?
We will be presenting a workshop with handouts at the Fundulac Park administration building (201 Veterans Drive, East Peoria, IL) on Thursday, May 14 at 7 pm. If you can not make that day, we will be presenting the workshop again on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 pm.
Handouts to cover the material and light refreshments (from Vertucci's) will be available.
Our goal is to help families make sure they pick the best 'fit' for their family. We will go through some questions for the individuals to ask themselves, and what fit of dog is best for them.
The biggest challenge is that so many folks fall in love with a well behaved dog they see on Television. It may be during a dog show, or on Animal Planet, but they think the dog is very cute or pretty. That is nice, but dogs were bred for a purpose for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and if you are not familiar with that purpose, you may be asking for a Cub and Cardinal fan to have both their teams in the World series.
It can never happen, because it just does not fit.
Sometimes that is the case with a specific breed and a family.
We will explore that in depth at the workshop.
There is no registration fee, and the class is open to the public. Anyone and everyone can come.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Being prepared - good in Scouts and ... Puppy picking presentation
Hello all,
I was reminded this week of why we have drills during our staff meetings.
During our biweekly staff meetings on Wednesdays, we get all the staff together to discuss what is going on with medication protocols, how our internal routines we are modifying to try to reduce costs and improve efficiency, etc.
That preparedness came to the fore this week when a dog came in with a big cut on his chest. Usually most cuts are in the skin, but this one ended up with a very unusual cut because the cut also exposed his lungs - and was causing a pneumothorax. Anyone who has seen ER or Animal ER or other medical shows knows that this is an emergency that must be dealt with right away.
I was very proud of our team - Mallory our CVT was here, and Janet, our new receptionist was here as well.
They both did a marvelous job of getting things ready to go, and in order so things operated smoothly. In fact from the time the patient arrived until the time were were 'done' with surgery was less than 1 hour total!
And the patient is doing amazingly well - He was observed at the Peoria are ER overnight, but fortunately had no problems there, and is recovering well at home.
This is the reason you may notice on Wednesdays around lunchtime, our phones are on a message.
Being prepared is the key and it is all about practice.
Thank you for being patient with us as we continue to perfect our emergency drills during our staff meetings.
Also the Park district has asked us to give a presentation on how to pick the right breed of dog for your family.
So on May 14 & 19 at 7 pm in the Fondulac park administration building we are putting on a presentation: If Peter Piper, instead of picking pickled peppers, had to pick a puppy for Peppermint Patty, what breed of puppy would Peter Piper pick? Would he pick the same puppy for his parents?
Come and see. The presentation is free and open to the public. No reservations required. Invite your friends or relatives to come and see.
I was reminded this week of why we have drills during our staff meetings.
During our biweekly staff meetings on Wednesdays, we get all the staff together to discuss what is going on with medication protocols, how our internal routines we are modifying to try to reduce costs and improve efficiency, etc.
That preparedness came to the fore this week when a dog came in with a big cut on his chest. Usually most cuts are in the skin, but this one ended up with a very unusual cut because the cut also exposed his lungs - and was causing a pneumothorax. Anyone who has seen ER or Animal ER or other medical shows knows that this is an emergency that must be dealt with right away.
I was very proud of our team - Mallory our CVT was here, and Janet, our new receptionist was here as well.
They both did a marvelous job of getting things ready to go, and in order so things operated smoothly. In fact from the time the patient arrived until the time were were 'done' with surgery was less than 1 hour total!
And the patient is doing amazingly well - He was observed at the Peoria are ER overnight, but fortunately had no problems there, and is recovering well at home.
This is the reason you may notice on Wednesdays around lunchtime, our phones are on a message.
Being prepared is the key and it is all about practice.
Thank you for being patient with us as we continue to perfect our emergency drills during our staff meetings.
Also the Park district has asked us to give a presentation on how to pick the right breed of dog for your family.
So on May 14 & 19 at 7 pm in the Fondulac park administration building we are putting on a presentation: If Peter Piper, instead of picking pickled peppers, had to pick a puppy for Peppermint Patty, what breed of puppy would Peter Piper pick? Would he pick the same puppy for his parents?
Come and see. The presentation is free and open to the public. No reservations required. Invite your friends or relatives to come and see.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Ask yourself - What is my dream? and is it too late?
Hello everyone,
I received this link from one of my favorite people - Andy Andrews.
But before you click on this link - try to close your eyes for 30 seconds and clear your mind...
Think about these questions:
1) What is the "right" age for accomplishing my greatest dream?
2) Do I hear the laughter and believe the doubters when I am mocked for expecting life's very best?
3) What great possibility have I forced myself to stop considering?
4) Who will be inspired or benefit directly when I succeed?
5) When will right now become the best time to begin?
But what if everyone is making fun of you?
Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009
by moovieblog
">
I received this link from one of my favorite people - Andy Andrews.
But before you click on this link - try to close your eyes for 30 seconds and clear your mind...
Think about these questions:
1) What is the "right" age for accomplishing my greatest dream?
2) Do I hear the laughter and believe the doubters when I am mocked for expecting life's very best?
3) What great possibility have I forced myself to stop considering?
4) Who will be inspired or benefit directly when I succeed?
5) When will right now become the best time to begin?
But what if everyone is making fun of you?
Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009
by moovieblog
Screening tests at no additional cost
Hello everyone,
The testing and monitoring our pets is important to prevent disease. We also know there are limited finances to keep our pets health - as much as we love them.
One thing we have been able to do through blood test screening is with dogs and heartworm testing. In the past, our 'heartworm test' was a test that only checked for heartworm disease. Specifically the test checks for the 'antigen' (shells) of the worms.
Our new test also does a screening for 'B. burgfordeii, E. Canis, Anaplasomsis.
Those are the medical names for Lyme, Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever, and Babesiosis.
These diseases are not _as_ common here in the greater Peoria area, but it is still becoming more common, and as we have a more mobile pet population, we want to know what our pets are exposed to.
The best part of the test is that there is no extra fee for this test! All 4 tests for one price, and we get the results within 8 minutes of the test being started, so we get the results right away.
If you have a friend who would like to have this test, feel free to invite them to call and ask for the test. We can do this for any dog.
Enjoy the great weather this weekend!
The testing and monitoring our pets is important to prevent disease. We also know there are limited finances to keep our pets health - as much as we love them.
One thing we have been able to do through blood test screening is with dogs and heartworm testing. In the past, our 'heartworm test' was a test that only checked for heartworm disease. Specifically the test checks for the 'antigen' (shells) of the worms.
Our new test also does a screening for 'B. burgfordeii, E. Canis, Anaplasomsis.
Those are the medical names for Lyme, Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever, and Babesiosis.
These diseases are not _as_ common here in the greater Peoria area, but it is still becoming more common, and as we have a more mobile pet population, we want to know what our pets are exposed to.
The best part of the test is that there is no extra fee for this test! All 4 tests for one price, and we get the results within 8 minutes of the test being started, so we get the results right away.
If you have a friend who would like to have this test, feel free to invite them to call and ask for the test. We can do this for any dog.
Enjoy the great weather this weekend!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Birthday wishes and prevention
Hello everyone,
April 15 was this week, and while many folks were getting their tax return back last minute, I was celebrating. I was fortunate in that I was born to parents who taught me the value of working hard, and paying attention to client's needs.
What many of you told me is that you want to make sure your dog and cat are healthy. How do we do that? Regular checkups are important. Just this past week on physical exam, we found reflex abnormalities(nerve paralysis), heart murmurs, cataracts, corneal ulcer (scratch on eye), urine scald on 'back side', lumps on the body.
A physical exam is very important for our senior pets, and we are going to recommend for our pets 'over 50' in human years to have a twice a year exam. This would be the same thorough physical exam where we look at the retina (back of the eye), ear drum & canal, auscult (listen) to the heart and lungs, and evaluate all of the 14 different parameters that we evaluate on the annual exam. We explain each of those as we explain the findings of the physical exam as well. Many people ask questions, which is terrific. Those questions show us that you want the best for your pet.
Understand the only 'dumb' question is the one not asked. If you have that question about your pet, others have asked it as well. We will use some of those questions in our 'Mythbusters' section of the web site and email newsletter as well.
Our goal is to give you accurate information about your pet so you can make an informed decision on how to treat your dog or cat, so you are not gambling on your pet's health. :-)
Have a great weekend and next week.
Go Cardinals.
April 15 was this week, and while many folks were getting their tax return back last minute, I was celebrating. I was fortunate in that I was born to parents who taught me the value of working hard, and paying attention to client's needs.
What many of you told me is that you want to make sure your dog and cat are healthy. How do we do that? Regular checkups are important. Just this past week on physical exam, we found reflex abnormalities(nerve paralysis), heart murmurs, cataracts, corneal ulcer (scratch on eye), urine scald on 'back side', lumps on the body.
A physical exam is very important for our senior pets, and we are going to recommend for our pets 'over 50' in human years to have a twice a year exam. This would be the same thorough physical exam where we look at the retina (back of the eye), ear drum & canal, auscult (listen) to the heart and lungs, and evaluate all of the 14 different parameters that we evaluate on the annual exam. We explain each of those as we explain the findings of the physical exam as well. Many people ask questions, which is terrific. Those questions show us that you want the best for your pet.
Understand the only 'dumb' question is the one not asked. If you have that question about your pet, others have asked it as well. We will use some of those questions in our 'Mythbusters' section of the web site and email newsletter as well.
Our goal is to give you accurate information about your pet so you can make an informed decision on how to treat your dog or cat, so you are not gambling on your pet's health. :-)
Have a great weekend and next week.
Go Cardinals.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Letting others enjoy your pet.
We love our pets, don't we? We also love when others enjoy our pets as well, right? I know I like when someone compliments my dog or cat. It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that is part of the reason why we have our pets in the first place.
Want to share that feeling with those who have to be in the hospital?
You can.
OSF St Francis is starting a 'Paws 4 Healing' group of volunteer 'handlers' and their pets to come to the hospital to help their patients.
Go toOSF Saint Francis web site and download the volunteer application. After a phone screening you may be invited to their temperament testing.
There are some basic qualifying requirements to becoming a member of the "Paws 4 Healing" team. They are:
-handlers must be 18 yr of age
-dogs need to be at least one year of age and should:
--consistently sit, get down, and stay and recall on one command
--Walk loosely on a leash without pulling , even when excited or in a new environment
--Be able to perform commands, without treats
--Like people an get along well with other dogs
-- Not be overly vocal
--Have no food, possession or separation anxiety issues
-- be up to date on all vaccinations and free of all skin problems.
If you need some help with these items, we have a basic obedience class that we have kept very reasonable in price - 6 lessons for price of 5 at $100.
If you just have general questions, feel free to call us at the clinic - 699-6443
Want to share that feeling with those who have to be in the hospital?
You can.
OSF St Francis is starting a 'Paws 4 Healing' group of volunteer 'handlers' and their pets to come to the hospital to help their patients.
Go toOSF Saint Francis web site and download the volunteer application. After a phone screening you may be invited to their temperament testing.
There are some basic qualifying requirements to becoming a member of the "Paws 4 Healing" team. They are:
-handlers must be 18 yr of age
-dogs need to be at least one year of age and should:
--consistently sit, get down, and stay and recall on one command
--Walk loosely on a leash without pulling , even when excited or in a new environment
--Be able to perform commands, without treats
--Like people an get along well with other dogs
-- Not be overly vocal
--Have no food, possession or separation anxiety issues
-- be up to date on all vaccinations and free of all skin problems.
If you need some help with these items, we have a basic obedience class that we have kept very reasonable in price - 6 lessons for price of 5 at $100.
If you just have general questions, feel free to call us at the clinic - 699-6443
Friday, April 3, 2009
Lead poisonin dogs - how does it happen?
As you may know, a small amount of lead can be a problem in the wrong place in a human, especially a young child. The same is also true of dogs and cats, but the lead poisoning is not as common.... unless...
you swallow a bullet!
Yes, it's true.
And after we were able to take the bullet out of the dog's stomach, we had to put the dog on a medicine to help 'chelate' (medical name for pull out) the lead from the blood.
So don't feed your pet's any bullets!
But a more common problem is the lead around old houses, or in other soldering operations. Fortunately, it is not a common problem, but something you should be aware of.
The other common metal to be aware of to reduce is coins - pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. These coins usually contain zinc, which can be a serious problem.
Also, I was just interviewed by the newest reporter in the East Peoria Times Courier staff, Jennifer Freeman. She was highlighting the FREE puppy and kitten socialization and aggression prevention classes we offer.
Look for the article in the upcoming issue, and we will talk more about the discussions next week.
you swallow a bullet!
Yes, it's true.
And after we were able to take the bullet out of the dog's stomach, we had to put the dog on a medicine to help 'chelate' (medical name for pull out) the lead from the blood.
So don't feed your pet's any bullets!
But a more common problem is the lead around old houses, or in other soldering operations. Fortunately, it is not a common problem, but something you should be aware of.
The other common metal to be aware of to reduce is coins - pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. These coins usually contain zinc, which can be a serious problem.
Also, I was just interviewed by the newest reporter in the East Peoria Times Courier staff, Jennifer Freeman. She was highlighting the FREE puppy and kitten socialization and aggression prevention classes we offer.
Look for the article in the upcoming issue, and we will talk more about the discussions next week.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Interesting Links to good information
In an ongoing effort to share information, I have some links I have used the past week that I would like to share. Not all are pet related, but some are.
Data Pig Technologies has some very good video tutorials on Excel and Access. Many are very helpful even for little things you might do every day, and some then will show you better ways to do things you are already doing.
Our vetsource Home Delivery Internet pharmacy is also very helpful. We order several medications weekly from here and this gives us the chance to have a wide array of medications to dispense to our clients at a very reasonable price. If we order some of these medications, the minimum then has us keeping drugs on the shelf, and the medicine goes out of date, and we have to throw the medicine away, thus increasing costs. This way, your pet gets the medicine, at a lower price, we all win.
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Open House On Saturday, April 4, the college will hold it's annual Open house. If you have never been to the teaching hospital at the University of Illinois, but thought it would be interesting - please go. It is a very cool experience, with many hands on demonstrations, and cool things to see. It is definitely worth the trip.
And if you go to the Multiple Listing service in Decatur, IL, our house in Maroa is on the market so we can move closer to our community here in East Peoria. We have many fond memories in our home - 4 of our children were brought home there, and the stories we have will stay with us forever. After all, isn't that part of what owning a dog and cat is about? The wonderful memories that we create and share and treasure?
That's what life is about, I think.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Data Pig Technologies has some very good video tutorials on Excel and Access. Many are very helpful even for little things you might do every day, and some then will show you better ways to do things you are already doing.
Our vetsource Home Delivery Internet pharmacy is also very helpful. We order several medications weekly from here and this gives us the chance to have a wide array of medications to dispense to our clients at a very reasonable price. If we order some of these medications, the minimum then has us keeping drugs on the shelf, and the medicine goes out of date, and we have to throw the medicine away, thus increasing costs. This way, your pet gets the medicine, at a lower price, we all win.
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Open House On Saturday, April 4, the college will hold it's annual Open house. If you have never been to the teaching hospital at the University of Illinois, but thought it would be interesting - please go. It is a very cool experience, with many hands on demonstrations, and cool things to see. It is definitely worth the trip.
And if you go to the Multiple Listing service in Decatur, IL, our house in Maroa is on the market so we can move closer to our community here in East Peoria. We have many fond memories in our home - 4 of our children were brought home there, and the stories we have will stay with us forever. After all, isn't that part of what owning a dog and cat is about? The wonderful memories that we create and share and treasure?
That's what life is about, I think.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Birthday fun
How much fun is a birthday?
My guess is depending on the age of the reader will depend on whether or not you enjoy celebrating your birthday. I spent part of the day on Wednesday with my daughter, Mary, celebrating her 12th birthday.
It was a nice fun day - just some family time together, reliving the day she was born (I think it's a girl thing ;-)) and celebrating with her favorite foods for breakfast, lunch and supper.
But one of the surprising fun things was I got to sit next to another daughter I usually do not sit next to - my youngest, Therese. It was a bunch of fun, and just an enjoyable day to try to relax and enjoy the day.
We did do some work on the house trying to get it ready for the market so we can move closer to East Peoria. It's all the little things we never got around to doing that will now get done so someone else will get to enjoy.
Why is it we don't allow ourselves to enjoy the present time - "We'll be happy when I'm done with...." It's like we program ourselves not to enjoy the present time - it's always in the future.
Part of the reason why I enjoy our dog (Adena) and cat (Oliver) is they enjoy the present time. They don't wait for something later, they have fun now. Adena (a retired seeing eye dog) loves her ball, and will get it whenever someone comes in. Oliver loves to cath a fly on the run!
So much fun, so little time. :-)
My guess is depending on the age of the reader will depend on whether or not you enjoy celebrating your birthday. I spent part of the day on Wednesday with my daughter, Mary, celebrating her 12th birthday.
It was a nice fun day - just some family time together, reliving the day she was born (I think it's a girl thing ;-)) and celebrating with her favorite foods for breakfast, lunch and supper.
But one of the surprising fun things was I got to sit next to another daughter I usually do not sit next to - my youngest, Therese. It was a bunch of fun, and just an enjoyable day to try to relax and enjoy the day.
We did do some work on the house trying to get it ready for the market so we can move closer to East Peoria. It's all the little things we never got around to doing that will now get done so someone else will get to enjoy.
Why is it we don't allow ourselves to enjoy the present time - "We'll be happy when I'm done with...." It's like we program ourselves not to enjoy the present time - it's always in the future.
Part of the reason why I enjoy our dog (Adena) and cat (Oliver) is they enjoy the present time. They don't wait for something later, they have fun now. Adena (a retired seeing eye dog) loves her ball, and will get it whenever someone comes in. Oliver loves to cath a fly on the run!
So much fun, so little time. :-)
Friday, March 13, 2009
New opportunities from education
As we all know, an ongoing commitment to education is important to improve in anything. And we here at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic are aware that is important especially in the field of medicine.
At the regional veterinary meeting that Mallory and I attended, we received a lot of good ideas as to how to improve the lives of our patients, - your pets. We are putting together how to integrate this into the practice, so be on the lookout in the upcoming weeks and months the opportunities to keep your pet healthy, and prevent easily preventable diseases.
If you have not signed up for the monthly email newsletter, go to the main page of the web site and sign up - quick link here: quick link here.
For example, we are offering basic obedience classes on Saturday morning using the technique's Dr Rolan Tripp recommends where you learn how to show your dog that you are the leader. This greatly minimizes the stress and confrontation in the house. Call 699-6443 for either the free 2 part puppy class, or the basic obedience class.
At the regional veterinary meeting that Mallory and I attended, we received a lot of good ideas as to how to improve the lives of our patients, - your pets. We are putting together how to integrate this into the practice, so be on the lookout in the upcoming weeks and months the opportunities to keep your pet healthy, and prevent easily preventable diseases.
If you have not signed up for the monthly email newsletter, go to the main page of the web site and sign up - quick link here: quick link here.
For example, we are offering basic obedience classes on Saturday morning using the technique's Dr Rolan Tripp recommends where you learn how to show your dog that you are the leader. This greatly minimizes the stress and confrontation in the house. Call 699-6443 for either the free 2 part puppy class, or the basic obedience class.
Friday, March 6, 2009
education is important
I was at the Mississippi Valley Veterinary Medical Association convention on Wednesday and Thursday, and I was reminded of why our staff and I need to attend 'ce'.
We don't want to use the same things if they do not work, and diagnostics have helped tremendously in our ability to prognosticate (look into the crystal ball and see if the pet will get better).
And we also need to talk to our colleagues in the area to learn of the diseases that they are seeing locally, so we can inform you of those diseases and suggest ways to prevent them.
When you allow us to attend these conferences, we improve our knowledge base, and improve the quality of life for you and your pets.
I learned new thought directions about anemic cats & dogs. And most important, what economical tests to run, and which tests _not_ to run because they are not useful, and a waste of clients funds.
I also was reminded of liver disease in cats and how it can be associated with Pancreatitis and Inflammatory bowel disease.
More on those later, and if you have a cat with those disease, call us and we can get some symptomatic care.
We don't want to use the same things if they do not work, and diagnostics have helped tremendously in our ability to prognosticate (look into the crystal ball and see if the pet will get better).
And we also need to talk to our colleagues in the area to learn of the diseases that they are seeing locally, so we can inform you of those diseases and suggest ways to prevent them.
When you allow us to attend these conferences, we improve our knowledge base, and improve the quality of life for you and your pets.
I learned new thought directions about anemic cats & dogs. And most important, what economical tests to run, and which tests _not_ to run because they are not useful, and a waste of clients funds.
I also was reminded of liver disease in cats and how it can be associated with Pancreatitis and Inflammatory bowel disease.
More on those later, and if you have a cat with those disease, call us and we can get some symptomatic care.
Friday, February 27, 2009
What we do after hours
Jotting down ideas in the Blog gives me a chance to share with you what we do in other parts of our life.
My wife and I recently were involved in teaching couples the ballroom dance, Tango. It was our Decatur community's idea to try to break the world record.
The entire article the newspaper did is here: on our world record Tango try.
It is a lot of fun, and as I mentioned to the reporter, ballroom dance is an activity / sport/ event that helps to cross generational lines. You get to meet wonderful people, and you learn a little about yourself, and how to have some fun.
If you look in their photo gallery section here, you will see many of the couples having a good time. Many were either dressed up, or in Argentinean style dance. I, being a Dr, and surgeon, opted for the Zorro look because of the sword!
What do you do for fun?
Z
My wife and I recently were involved in teaching couples the ballroom dance, Tango. It was our Decatur community's idea to try to break the world record.
The entire article the newspaper did is here: on our world record Tango try.
It is a lot of fun, and as I mentioned to the reporter, ballroom dance is an activity / sport/ event that helps to cross generational lines. You get to meet wonderful people, and you learn a little about yourself, and how to have some fun.
If you look in their photo gallery section here, you will see many of the couples having a good time. Many were either dressed up, or in Argentinean style dance. I, being a Dr, and surgeon, opted for the Zorro look because of the sword!
What do you do for fun?
Z
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Cool periodic table of elements
I have a confession.
Hi, I'm Dr Ray, and I must admit that I am a science geek.
There, its out.
I know there are more of you out there, so check outthis web site- Periodic video where this team from Nottingham University explain, and do live experiments with the different elements.
Very cool in a geeky sheek sort of way.
I feel better now.
Hi, I'm Dr Ray, and I must admit that I am a science geek.
There, its out.
I know there are more of you out there, so check outthis web site- Periodic video where this team from Nottingham University explain, and do live experiments with the different elements.
Very cool in a geeky sheek sort of way.
I feel better now.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Taking care of senior pets and pictures
I know many of you may want a picture of your wonderful cat or dog. Last night I met a photographer at the Chamber of Commerce event. She is right here in East Peoria, and had some nice pictures of pets.
If you want to contact her: her name is Kelli Drake at Drake Photo
As I have been taking care of patients the past week, senior disease seems to be the common theme. How do we monitor our older pets?
First is your observations at home. Those eyes can be vital to understand your pet's health. Please understand that you have more knowledge than you may realize when it comes to how your pet is behaving and acting.
Second is a thorough physical exam. Within the past 5 months, we have found tumors on dogs that were hidden to the regular eye.
Third is blood testing to evaluate red, white cells, liver, kidney, pancreas, electrolytes, and other hidden conditions.
Just some things to think about.
If you want to contact her: her name is Kelli Drake at Drake Photo
As I have been taking care of patients the past week, senior disease seems to be the common theme. How do we monitor our older pets?
First is your observations at home. Those eyes can be vital to understand your pet's health. Please understand that you have more knowledge than you may realize when it comes to how your pet is behaving and acting.
Second is a thorough physical exam. Within the past 5 months, we have found tumors on dogs that were hidden to the regular eye.
Third is blood testing to evaluate red, white cells, liver, kidney, pancreas, electrolytes, and other hidden conditions.
Just some things to think about.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Tricky Treat ball- great toy
Here is a link to the toy I mention to many folks for dogs.
Here it is called the Tricky treat ball
Happy Valentine's day!
Here it is called the Tricky treat ball
Happy Valentine's day!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Prevent Valentine defense. - learn from the dogs
We guys know a good offense makes a great defense in sports. The same happens in everyday life - especially with those special to us.
Valentine's day is like that, isn't it?
Those who have thought ahead of some things to do for their spouse, or girlfriend/boyfriend, find that the reward is terrific, and the more time they put into the idea ahead of time, the better off they are, and easier it is to pull off what you want to do.
Those of us that may have a tendency to take things for granted - like myself, may find we are playing defense, and catch up.
We need to take a lesson from the dogs.
Really. ;-)
Our dogs get up and greet us every time we come into the room. They _come_ and say _hello_ every time we come into a room.
They even do that if you just left 5 minutes ago and forgot something to take with you to the car. They don't make fun, or rib us. They're just happy to see us.
Stay tuned to the email newsletter to read a reflection by Andy Andrews about this very topic. It truly crystalized this for me.
You don't know about our newsletter? Just sign up by going to the main web page Lakeview Veterinary Clinic .com and add your email address in the newsletter.
You have my guarantee we will never sell /give your email address away to anyone ever.
period.
Valentine's day is like that, isn't it?
Those who have thought ahead of some things to do for their spouse, or girlfriend/boyfriend, find that the reward is terrific, and the more time they put into the idea ahead of time, the better off they are, and easier it is to pull off what you want to do.
Those of us that may have a tendency to take things for granted - like myself, may find we are playing defense, and catch up.
We need to take a lesson from the dogs.
Really. ;-)
Our dogs get up and greet us every time we come into the room. They _come_ and say _hello_ every time we come into a room.
They even do that if you just left 5 minutes ago and forgot something to take with you to the car. They don't make fun, or rib us. They're just happy to see us.
Stay tuned to the email newsletter to read a reflection by Andy Andrews about this very topic. It truly crystalized this for me.
You don't know about our newsletter? Just sign up by going to the main web page Lakeview Veterinary Clinic .com and add your email address in the newsletter.
You have my guarantee we will never sell /give your email address away to anyone ever.
period.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Translator and keeping costs down
We are all conscience of making sure the cost of many things now a day. We are also doing that as well at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic.
So I thought I would share some of the things we have done, and will continue to do to keep our costs down, therefor keeping the prices we have to charge as low as reasonable, yet still give the same good service.
One thing that is ongoing in Continuing Education. I know we all understand it is important to keep up on the latest information in any job environment, and certainly veterinary medicine is no exception. In the past, we have attended a big convention where there are numerous speakers every day for several days. But typically these are in big cities, and there is hotel and travel expenses.
So we are doing more online CE classes (I'm in the middle of one right now on diabetes) and attending more local (within 3 hr drive) conventions. We are very fortunate being in Peoria, that we can get to Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and even Milwaukee in that short time, so it is very easy to get to high quality conferences and still keep our costs under control.
We will share other avenues we use to show we are all working to keep our resources current and still keep our costs reduced.
The translator is something I thought about as I was talking to a client and was sharing how we call in medical speak : 'brachecephalic' which is the medical name for 'no nose', or polakyuria (straining to urinate), and many others.
It is true that to a great extent, I believe our job here it to take the information we hear, read and see at our different conferences and 'translate' it into language, and use analogies that will make sense to people.
A dog or cat with glomerularnephropathy, thus creating proteinuria. That probably does not make sense but to a very few.
But the analogy I use a lot is: The kidney is like the coffee filter, and when the filter gets damaged, some particles start falling through - the smallest first, and those are what we try to measure when we are seeing protein in the urine.
Let me know if there are other areas where we should 'translate' better. :-)
So I thought I would share some of the things we have done, and will continue to do to keep our costs down, therefor keeping the prices we have to charge as low as reasonable, yet still give the same good service.
One thing that is ongoing in Continuing Education. I know we all understand it is important to keep up on the latest information in any job environment, and certainly veterinary medicine is no exception. In the past, we have attended a big convention where there are numerous speakers every day for several days. But typically these are in big cities, and there is hotel and travel expenses.
So we are doing more online CE classes (I'm in the middle of one right now on diabetes) and attending more local (within 3 hr drive) conventions. We are very fortunate being in Peoria, that we can get to Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and even Milwaukee in that short time, so it is very easy to get to high quality conferences and still keep our costs under control.
We will share other avenues we use to show we are all working to keep our resources current and still keep our costs reduced.
The translator is something I thought about as I was talking to a client and was sharing how we call in medical speak : 'brachecephalic' which is the medical name for 'no nose', or polakyuria (straining to urinate), and many others.
It is true that to a great extent, I believe our job here it to take the information we hear, read and see at our different conferences and 'translate' it into language, and use analogies that will make sense to people.
A dog or cat with glomerularnephropathy, thus creating proteinuria. That probably does not make sense but to a very few.
But the analogy I use a lot is: The kidney is like the coffee filter, and when the filter gets damaged, some particles start falling through - the smallest first, and those are what we try to measure when we are seeing protein in the urine.
Let me know if there are other areas where we should 'translate' better. :-)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Super bowl fun
One thing we do at our house is have an appetizer party for the super bowl. The kids love this, and it helps allow me to watch the game. :-)
Pets love it too because they get some of their food treats. - No none of the chips and salsa.
This week we have seen a few patients that have been itching -and in the dead of winter. If you have this, call us. We have created a steroid sparing strategies worksheet for clients to work on that is very helpful at reducing itch, and therefor reducing the expense involved.
The oother thing causing itching this time of year is food allergies. We used to think this was mainly a problem if you changed food, but it is more common when the dog or cat has been on the same food.
So for food allergies, we do a food trial, and we have some homemade recipes for folks to use if you don't want to get the specialty food for the pet.
Have fun on SSuper bowl Sunday!
Pets love it too because they get some of their food treats. - No none of the chips and salsa.
This week we have seen a few patients that have been itching -and in the dead of winter. If you have this, call us. We have created a steroid sparing strategies worksheet for clients to work on that is very helpful at reducing itch, and therefor reducing the expense involved.
The oother thing causing itching this time of year is food allergies. We used to think this was mainly a problem if you changed food, but it is more common when the dog or cat has been on the same food.
So for food allergies, we do a food trial, and we have some homemade recipes for folks to use if you don't want to get the specialty food for the pet.
Have fun on SSuper bowl Sunday!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Peanut Butter recall expands to pet foods
If you are not on our email newsletter list, we sent out a note yesterday about the Petsmart dog biscuits that are involved in the latest recall.
This is caused by the peanut butter that is suspected of having caused some salmonella problems in people. The problem with Salmonella bacteria (greatly simplified) is that the bacteria can create many problems in people, and the pets can act as a reservoir.
Check out the link here:
Petsmart press release
for the Petsmart press release.
This is caused by the peanut butter that is suspected of having caused some salmonella problems in people. The problem with Salmonella bacteria (greatly simplified) is that the bacteria can create many problems in people, and the pets can act as a reservoir.
Check out the link here:
Petsmart press release
for the Petsmart press release.
Friday, January 16, 2009
What to do in the cold weather?
Hopefully soon this cold weather will change. I'm sure in July we will be wishing for a reprieve.
Two thoughts, as if you are looking on the Blog, you have access to this. A company who's new heart medicine we have been using with great success has been Vetmedin. They have put together a website that talks about the symptoms of heart disease. if you go to www.vetmedin-us.com they have some good accurate information.
This is also a time to be conducting a food trial if your dog has had allergic reactions or itching even during the cold time of year. During this time, there are no other pollens or grasses causing your dog to itch, so there are less 'sabotage elements' that are being involved in the test.
Let us know if you need help getting this plan.
Two thoughts, as if you are looking on the Blog, you have access to this. A company who's new heart medicine we have been using with great success has been Vetmedin. They have put together a website that talks about the symptoms of heart disease. if you go to www.vetmedin-us.com they have some good accurate information.
This is also a time to be conducting a food trial if your dog has had allergic reactions or itching even during the cold time of year. During this time, there are no other pollens or grasses causing your dog to itch, so there are less 'sabotage elements' that are being involved in the test.
Let us know if you need help getting this plan.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Happy new Year
A belated happy new year to all. As I begin the new year, I frequently think about how I want this year to be different than last year. Not that I make 'resolutions' but I try to reflect on what my life is like, and - can I say this in public - what is God's plan for me.
I recently recounted the story of how my wife and I came to purchase Dr Huwe's practice here in East Peoria.
Many of you who knew Dr Huwe, know his side. Now you get 'the rest of the story'.
I have been doing relief work since 1989. I started in Milwaukee, WI, 'temporarily' until I found a practice to buy. As I helped out my colleagues, I saw how difficult it was to get some time away for family, and I enjoyed that freedom.
Then we moved to central Illinois in 1993 to be closer to my family in Springfield, and I continued doing the relief work because at that time, there was only one emergency clinic (here in Peoria) and I liked the evenings for my family.
That freedom for my family would fluctuate, but was very good to me until Jan of 2007, when I noticed that to keep my relief book full I was in Chicago or St. Louis and only home on weekends. In March, we realized we had to do something different, and we looked at a practice in Macon county, but the seller never did want to sell, only talk about it- which took 4 months to figure that out. So when the Huwe family contacted me to help them when Dr suddenly died, we thought this might be an option.
Then it all worked out. Interestingly, 5 months after we bought this practice, another practice was for sale in my county, and was sold within 3 months.
Someone recently told me God has 3 answers for our prayers and what he wants us to do:
No
Not yet
I have something better
He has something better in store for us here, and I am very excited to be involved in our community.
I recently recounted the story of how my wife and I came to purchase Dr Huwe's practice here in East Peoria.
Many of you who knew Dr Huwe, know his side. Now you get 'the rest of the story'.
I have been doing relief work since 1989. I started in Milwaukee, WI, 'temporarily' until I found a practice to buy. As I helped out my colleagues, I saw how difficult it was to get some time away for family, and I enjoyed that freedom.
Then we moved to central Illinois in 1993 to be closer to my family in Springfield, and I continued doing the relief work because at that time, there was only one emergency clinic (here in Peoria) and I liked the evenings for my family.
That freedom for my family would fluctuate, but was very good to me until Jan of 2007, when I noticed that to keep my relief book full I was in Chicago or St. Louis and only home on weekends. In March, we realized we had to do something different, and we looked at a practice in Macon county, but the seller never did want to sell, only talk about it- which took 4 months to figure that out. So when the Huwe family contacted me to help them when Dr suddenly died, we thought this might be an option.
Then it all worked out. Interestingly, 5 months after we bought this practice, another practice was for sale in my county, and was sold within 3 months.
Someone recently told me God has 3 answers for our prayers and what he wants us to do:
No
Not yet
I have something better
He has something better in store for us here, and I am very excited to be involved in our community.
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