Thinking about .... new year

I was thinking about the past year, and how greatful I am for so many things.

I am greatful for all of you who put up with my bad grammar. Hopefully, you can still get the message. :-)

The other thing I am truly greatful for is something I heard last year at this time, when talking about our habits.

How do you want your life to be different next year than it was this year? How was your life different this year than it was last year? If it is not, who have you blamed? ;-) (Matthew Kelly)

Our lives change when our habits change, and the person challenged us to thoughtfully consider making New Year resolutions that will change our life toward something different you want next year.

Pick one of these 6 areas and during the next 3 weeks, figure out something new to do to create that habit that will give you the life you want.
Look at
Your faith
Your family
your finances
Physical Health
Social Contribution
Ongoing education and vocation

These 6 areas are from Dave Durand's book "How to win the world without loosing your soul"

Pick something concrete to do, that is doable in one, two or maybe each category. But just pick one. Do not overwhelm yourself.

write it down and put it on your mirror in the bathroom.

I did that, and I am happy to say I kept each of them
I did a regular additional weekly reading from the Bible
I made a conscience effort to do things _with_ the family instead of just being in the same house
I cut back on eating out to save on finances - car pooled with my daughter to ICC 4 days a week.
I also take a 1 mile walk 5 days a week.

Next year, I plan to up the ante.
And I am planning it now.

What are your plans to improve your life? Make those plans, put them on the mirror.

And a Santa list for your dog or cat!

For your pet - consider a trial of Dasuquin. This is the joint supplement for our dogs AND cats. Nutramax is offering a money back trial.

Try the entire bottle of (84 count) and if it does not help your dog or cat, we will credit your account for the full price!

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Why is the anticipation of a holiday so much fun?

Sure, I know it is work. Baking pies, getting a turkey 'ready' for the oven/ fryer/ grill all take planning, and it takes some work. Getting the bread for the stuffing or dressing, finding the sweet potatoes or yams, or the cranberry sauce are also fun/ different, but hard. By the way, do you prefer the homemade cranberry salad, or the ocean spray with the little ridges? - weigh in on our Facebook page by clicking here

But it is the anticipation of the event that is the excitement. We sometimes loose that though, don't we? We get a little overwhelmed with the different things we think we 'should' do.

Yet that is not the reason for Thanksgiving.

I remember this quote from President Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclamation in 1863: "he year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come" (the full proclamation is here)

I know too often I forget the fortunate situations which God has given to me. I have seen man walk on the moon, and communication and information be so available at our fingertips.

I am so greatful for the many blessings which we have been fortunate to receive.

Presenting at state meeting

Hello all,

I have been privileged to present two workshops at the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association this past weekend in Lombard, IL.

The state of Illinois Veterinary association only has 1 meeting a year, and they invited me to come and speak.

I thought of all of you as I was preparing my talk, and how much all of you have encouraged me (especially with our house selling journey) and been so helpful.

We also hope and pray that this has been a reciprocal relationship, and we have extended the life of your beloved dogs and cats.

WE learned some new things on liver disease in dogs, in particular some copper storage disease. Look for our paper newsletter which will detail which breeds we need to monitor to make sure we catch these problems early. Like all the diseases we find and treat, we find that the earlier we find out about these diseases, then easier and less expensive it is to treat.

Look for that information soon.

Halloween

If you are a subscriber to our newsletter, you will soon learn the details of what to watch for when thinking about giving dogs a snack from your trick or treat bag.

I think may folks are aware of the chocolate problems - interestingly, a 10 lb dog can get into toxicity problems with only 2 ounces of the dark sweet chocolate! That is not much!

The other danger we want to make dog owners aware of is the Xylitol containing candies and gums.

Xylitol is a sugar free sweetener. In the dog's body, the body things it has enough sugar, so the body sends out signals not to allow more glucose in the blood. The problem is the blood does not have enough glucose when this happens. These dogs can go into a coma and die if not immediately taken to a hospital, receive IV fluids with glucose supplement. This may last 2 - 4 days.

The most popular gum that contains Xylitol is Orbit gum.

So don't do so much with Orbit that your dog will get into trouble (unlike the commercials). :-)

technology and pets - what is common?

Technology - it's great when it works.

This week has been an interesting one at the clinic. Our color printer which prints the color pictures of your wonderful pets when you are here, was having 'issues'.

It thought it needed to move itself sidways - but only the color - and the yellow moved more than the red and blue.

Hmm...
So we check the support manual, and we have to recalibrate, so we do that 5 times - no luck.
Then download the new firmware version.
Do that.... recalibrate 3 times, still no change.

Then they suggest we do a 'hard reset' where you turn it off, and reset the factory settings,
then we had to set them back up to the way the network recognized the printer.

And voila (for those not speaking french that is: Woo hoo!! it works) The colors all reregistered and are now all aligned properly!

But it is amazing how much we get to rely on these wonderful gadgets.

It is sort of like our dogs and cats, isn't it?

If they are not feeling well, we try to do some things at home - like we would for ourselves - maybe no food if their tummy is upset. We allow them to have the remote, and have some chicken soup.

If that does not help things, we bring them in to the Doctor and he does an exam and diagnosis the problem and situation and see if that helps.

But it is always a reevaluation and reassessing of the situation. We are all constantly learning. 100 years ago, blood letting was a common treatment for a number of diseases. We now think that is unreasonable - and really counter indicated.
50 years ago, if a dog or cat was sick, we would 'wait a few days and see of he/ she got better' and if not, then if not we brought them in to the Doctor.

And 20 years ago, we knew a lot more about preventative vaccines, and when Parvovirus came on the dog scene in 1979, I remember it well. As a 'kennel boy' at Chatham Veterinary Clinic in Chatham IL (sough of Springfield), I remember coming in the morning to clean kennels and we had anywhere from 3-8 dogs - usually puppies - who were vomiting and had diarrhea, and IV fluids in their legs. We used special isolation techniques to make sure we did not infect other patients.

And the great medical marvel is that within 4-6 months, there was a vaccine produced by a company named Fort Dodge where we could vaccinate the dogs and protect them from this deadly disease. It was a truly remarkable and shining moment for Veterinary Medicine. We had a virus that was very contagious, and had a high death rate, and in very short order, we had a preventative vaccine.

Now, practically the only patients that we diagnose with Parvovirus, are dogs that are not vaccinated.

What a triumph.

And I also want to credit you, the pet owners, who are so responsible and keep your dog and cats preventative care up to date to keep them the healthiest they can be!

What is your favorite thing you do at home that helps you keep your pet's healthy? Share that on our Facebook page!

Birthday bash

Hello everyone,

My oldest daughter celebrated her 19th birthday this week.

In some ways, it seems like only yesterday that my wife, Kelly, and I brought Natalie home from the hospital.

It was exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. What were we supposed to do? How does this stuff work? How do we take care of a new baby?

Well, time gives us some answers and it has been a joyous ride. I say joyous, because sometimes our society tends to focus on the immediate sense of happiness or hard work and not on the long term benefit.

I know of many folks who, at the end of their life, wish their children were around more. I even heard one mom say that she wished she had more children when they were younger (her children at the time were 28-22).

It is amazing how our life is easier to see the priorities when looking in the rear view mirror, isn't it?

I think our pets help us with that thought process. They live for the moment - the excited toy for the dog, or the bouncing ball for the kitty. They just enjoy the moment, and let later worry about later.

Of course, they have a full food bowl most of the time to worry about, rather than having to earn a living but they do their best.

Ignore teeth - they will go away

I saw this little quip on a dentist's magnet when I lived in Milwaukee.

I thought it was clever and true at the time, and it is still true today.

And just as much with our pets.

"But we never used to get our pet's teeth cleaned". That is true, but our average pet age in 1986 was 9 years for dogs, and the same for cats.

Since then, due to the taurine deficiency found in cats, and improved nutrition and preventative care in dogs has increased the average life to 13 for dogs, and 15 for cats!

And unlike George Washington, we can make sure our pets live with all of their natural teeth the rest of their life.

How?

Tartar treats that are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council There are many treats that claim to reduce tartar, but on the VOHC site, there are only 22 products, most of which are foods.

Also regular cleaning - especially when your dog or cat has tartar grade of 1 or 2 can reduce the pockets along the teeth / gums.

No pockets, no tartar.
No tartar, no loose periodontal ligament.
No loose periodontal ligament, no loose tooth.

No loose tooth, no extraction!

and a full set of teeth.

Ask us about the lay away plan to save for your pet's teeth cleaning.

Honoring a hero

In the PJStar.com article on the Creve Coeur Marine, Lance Cpl. Robert Newton, the author is able to show how a sacrifice can be honored.

Which begs the question, what sacrifice, and how does that define a hero?
Webster defines it:
b : an illustrious warrior
c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities
d : one that shows great courage

In our society, we tend to equate celebrity with hero. While some celebrities may be heros, the terms are not synonyms. And I think you only have to look at motive to see a difference.

Both make sacrifices and train for their purpose. They both give things up. Yet the motive is different.

The celebrity's motive is to draw attention to him or her self. It is important to the celebrity to keep the constant focus on themself. That is the reason they make the sacrifices.

The hero's goal is not to draw attention to him or herself, but to help others to see the dignity in their own life. They step outside of themselves to help someone else either close to them that they love, or someone they may never meet.

Is it easy to do a noble achievement?

No.

Is it easy to discipline yourself to create noble qualities?

No.

It takes courage.

No, it takes GREAT courage to create in yourself noble qualities that cause one to sacrifice for something great.

Something that is beyond our understanding.

Unless we lose it.

Something like Freedom

And it takes heroes like Lance Cpl. Robert Newton to allow us to have such a freedom. We are forever grateful for the sacrifice he made for us.

That is a hero.

Vacation musings

One thing we do with our family is try to make memories of our vacations.

One way to do that is to remember a couple of things that happened, and tell the story to other people.

So one way we do that is for everyone to come up with 3 things they remember about the vacation.

This is the list we came up with:
Bugs, beach, St Max - Natalie - age 18
S'mores, beach, Grandpa (Kilian) - Elyse -age 8
Beach St. Max, Eating around campfire - Mary -age 13
beach, s'mores, Grandpa's - Therese -age 6
St Kolbe, Our Lady of LaSalette, Oooga booga Barbeque (with Grandpa in Lockport) Rachel -age 15
bugs, setting up camp, no internet - Dad
Finding shapes in the clouds, playing golf as a family , beach - mom

All of this is a fun exercise that shows the true meaning of vacation. That seems to be time to decompress, spend time with each other. In this time when many of us sit at computer screens and not talk with each other as often as we like, vacations are a great opportunity to get reconnected with those who mean the most to us.

How to find a Veterinary Doctor you are comfortable with?

In a recent newspaper column " Hints form Heloise" she gives the following advice, which I think is excellent:

This was very helpful for folks looking for a veterinarian when they first move to an area:
Schedule an appointment with the Doctor, without your pet, to conduct an interview. This will lean about doctor's approach to medicine, but you will b able to assess if his/ her personality is one with which you and your pet will be comfortable.

- We welcome this opportunity

Is the Dr available for occasional or ER visits, housecalls?

- We are very fortunate to have an after hours ER clinic that takes care of all of our patients. While the practice is not set up for regular house calls, we can make the occasional house call.

Can you be with your pet as emerges from anesthesia following surgery?

- You may be present. Many clients find our web camera - where you can watch 24/7 more convenient and helpful. Check it out at: (after hours we put a night light up when we have patients. If there are no patients, then we remain green by not using the lights.

( Does the )office have after hours contact numbers for ER

- I am very proud that we have an emergency clinic that is fully staffed by trained Certified technicians, assistants, and Doctors that can look after our patients when we are not available. Any critical cases are also able to be constantly monitored by this excellent staff.

The writer was happy to report that after several interviews, she was happy to report she found an excellent match.

- We invite everyone to consider interviewing our clinic to become a client.
---------------
And if you are looking for something else, we can help you because we have a relationship with our colleagues in the area.

Our goal is to find the right fit. When you find the right glove, you just know, it feels comfortable and good to wear those gloves, whether they are work gloves, winter gloves, baseball gloves, or exam gloves.

The right fit makes all the difference.

Vacation memories

What do you do on vacation? My family enjoys camping and the relaxed pace of a 'combination' of laying around a swimming beach, and having fun around the campfire.

What are your favorite vacation memories?

One of mine is the time we discovered that our daughter Elyse had a soy allergy - she threw up all over as she was 6 months old!

Not a lot of fun, but it was memorable.

A very fun one was when were were in Wisconsin about 1 hr north of Madison. It was a 2 week stay, and the beach was very close, and the weather was very pleasant. This was our definition: warm enough in the day to play in the water, yet cool enough at night that the campfire was not uncomfortable.

Imagine the campfire the past week!

We will be camping in a couple of weeks, but we have a great Dr, Dr Lorna Sifford, who will be filling in while I am away. She his from near St Louis, and has a lot of hunting dogs. So bring your hunting dog stories in for her. :-)

Share your favorite vacation times on our Facebook page here:By becoming a Fan of ours!

Helping keep pet's teeth clean - and in their mouth

We have been excitedly encouraging folks to brush their pet's teeth, and use the tartar control treats and chew sticks.

Why? you may ask?

Not too long ago, it was unusual for grandparents to have all of their natural teeth. My own maternal grandparents did not have their own teeth, and my children's maternal grandparents did not either (my wife's parents).

Yet today, it is very common for folks in their 60's and 70's to still have all of their natural teeth. My mom does, and when my dad died 11 years ago, he also had all his natural teeth.

So what changed, and how can we apply the same techniques to our dogs?

A couple of factors and we will address how we can help with our pets:
* flouride in the water
* brushing and flossing teeth
* professional teeth 'prophy' cleanings done regularly before a lot of tartar builds up.

So how can we do these same things with our pets?

* Flouride in the water.
-- This is easy to continue unless your pet has problems with minerals in the urine. Make sure you use city water to get the trace amounts of floride.
* Brushing and flossing teeth
-- This is something that can be done for dogs and cats. It is not as easy to do if the pets have not been taught at an early age to sit while you brush their teeth. And even if you can not do this every day, every little bit does help reduce the plaque and tartar.

-- Tartar control treats. There are many treats down the isles that claim to reduce tartar on your pets teeth, but the question is, do they help? The veterinary association created a Veterinary Oral Health Council, which is like the American Dental society seal we see on tooth paste. This council investigates all products - water additives, foods and treats to see which ones actually do reduce plaque.
Their web site above has the list, and we keep the t/d food and CET chews here at our office.

*Professional cleaning
-- Getting your pet's teeth professionally cleaned at our clinic. We use an ultrasonic scaler to remove the tartar and plaque. Then the teeth are examined, probed, and the teeth are then polished with a polishing compound. After the polishing, the teeth are rinsed and reexamined. Then if all the teeth are cleaned, we apply a fluoride treatment directly to the teeth.

We take before and after pictures so you can see what an improvement the teeth have made.

And we can help your pet keep all of it's natural teeth, and in the process help your pet live one day longer to forever with you.

Make some money breeding

Hello everyone,
We may think about this a lot when we invest in a purebred dog. I know I did as a child, and even as a veterinarian, this logic of 'making some of my money back with breeding and selling the puppies' seemed to make sense.

Until I found this article on the myth of making money as a breeder.

Average Profit or Loss on Litter

The average number of pups:

born in each letter .....……..7

Dying before eight weeks.......2

Sold per litter.....………….....4

Given away or kept by owners......1

Then;

The percentage of breeders…

who had at least one pup returned to them ....31%

who had legal complications with buyers..…....8%

who’s bitch or pups encountered medical problems endangering animals lives......63%

whose bitch will not be bred again*..........49%

The average expenses incurred to breed the bitch and raise pups until they were sold:

Original cost of bitch	$462.29
Cost of male	$772.57
Veterinary Expenses	$430.09
Extra food for pregnant/nursing bitch	$73.44
Food for pups	$175.65
Equipment for deliver and housing pups	$282.13
Salaries lost because of absence from work	$247.20
Ads and other costs to sell pups	$173.31
Total average expenses:	$2,616.68
Average number of hours spent with bitch and pups until they are sold:	345
Multiplied by minimum wage (x$3.50)	$1,207.50

Average income from sale of litter: $2,345.71
Average amount LOST per litter sale: $2,488.47

Even if you don't count paying yourself, the loss is ONLY $1,280.97

The 35 breedings included a litter form each of the following: one Alaskan Malamute, one Border Terrier, one Borzoi, one Boston Terrier, one Doberman Pinscher, one English Springer Spaniel, one German Short Haired Pointer, one Great Dane, one Kuvasz, one Labrador Retriever , one Lhasa Apso, one Mastiff, one Samoyed, one Siberian Husky, one Vizsla, two Dachshunds, two Golden Retrievers, 2 Norwegian Elkhounds, 2 Rottweillers, two Shetland Sheep Dogs, three German Shepherd Dogs, three Newfoundland, and four Poodles (one Miniature, three Standards).

* It may be the result of increased danger to the bitch’s health, a strong possibility of reproducing a serious genetic abnormality in future pups, or extreme financial loss.

This data was compiled by Ms. Linda Johnson in 1987 (hence the low minimum hourly wage), but the data is still accurate.

Just some food for thought if you consider 'breeding to make some money back'.

Freedom and why we should be grateful

Freedom is something we all yearn for.

Those who were wise enough and courageous enough 234 years ago knew this. They also knew that anything worth having is worth sacrifice.

And their sacrifice may not even be realized in their lifetime. I remind my children of that every July 4, as I also try to remind them daily.

I think we all can see this in small ways - we don't eat out for lunch to save money for a special dinner. Or we skip some coffee in the morning to buy a special gift for a girlfriend or spouse.

A favorite author and speaker, Andy Andrews, has a great Blog on this, and how we need to forgive ourselves of the mistakes we an make.

That is what freedom is all about. How many people do you know that always 'hold a grudge'? It does not take these folks more than 5 minutes of conversation to get back around to who harmed them 10+ years ago, or whenever it was.

You don't move on, you are not free.... you forever classify yourself with this lense.

May God continue to bless our great nation as we continue to strive to remain free to follow our laws. Freedom to follow a leader we are excited about.

Reflections on compliance

We all love to make sure things don't negatively happen to use, don't we? We fill up our gas tank before we run out on the road, we change the oil (or have it changed:-)), we grocery shop before we run out.... especially for dog and cat food.

We know our pets will not let us rest if we don't have their food when they need it.

But what about other medical conditions? Do we really put the 'appropriate' concern for the disease thready that is posed. On the human side, I think about West Nile Virus. Did you know that in all of 2009 fewer people died from West Nile than children drowning in a bucket with water in it?

But we don't hear about the dangers of mop buckets, and partially filled bath tubs, do we?

My point is with dogs and cats checking for intestinal parasites - yes poop patrol! This is not a very glamorous topic, but important. Why?

Lets go back to the West Nile cases. In 2009, there were fewer West Nile cases reported to the CDC in Atlanta than the number of cases of Visceral Larval Migrans causing blindness in the eye of a human. In fact about 700 people in the United States each year will be diagnosed with this permanently blinding disease. The CDC

You may ask - so? What has one incident to do with the other?
Visceral Larval Migrans is caused by Roundworms which people accidentally ingest.

I know what you are thinking - there is no way I could ever eat a roundworm egg - that is from poop!!!!
Gross.

But here is how it happens.

• Your dog or cat unknowingly has roundworms. You can not see the worms. in 1 in 10 cases, the roundworms are visible in the 'poop' but 9/10 the worms stay in the dog or cat's body.
• After the dog or cat uses the potty, they clean themselves. We have all seen it. It is gross, but they do it.
• You come home from work or shopping for their food, and your pets greet you and the door... you bend down to pet them, and love on them. They greet you the way cats and dog do, by 'kissing' you.
• You lick your lips as you go to get a glass of water, or other ice cool beverage from the refrigerator. :-)
• And you have unknowingly just received some of those roundworm eggs.

So how to I prevent this from being a problem in my house?

Easiest thing to do is to have your pet's stool (poop, BM, #2, sh#*) checked by your veterinarian at least once a year. Your Doctor may recommend more frequent checks, or 'strategic deworming' if

• you or someone in your house is taking medicine for anti rejection for organ transplant.
• someone in your house is taking chemo follow up - or has taken such medicine and is in remission for their cancer
• you or someone in your house routinely puts things in their mouth that your pet is licking or chewing on. (like my children who put everything in their mouths when they were less than 4)
• Any other condition for which your human doctor says you should avoid stress.

In these cases, the pet's stool should be checked 3 times a year, and at least one strategic deworming per year that is staggered with the 3 stool samples. All of these are summaries of the full CDC and CAPC(Companion Animal Parasite Control council formed by the CDC) and are available here for you to see.

Of course, if you have additional questions, you can call our office at 699-6443.

Memorial day and our pets

Our dogs and cats are true companions, aren't they? I believe part of what we love about them so much is the loyalty and love they express for us.

And that is what Memorial day is all about.... the love and sacrifice our men and women in the armed forces give to all of us is a memory that can not every be replaces.

A wonderful man shared this reflection on Psalm 23 with us when we realized that we had done everything we could to keep is beloved dog from suffering.

I also think an armed service division could be code named "Goodness" and "Mercy".

A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.

Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage. You set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

The Lord is my Shepherd… only Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

What if Goodness and Mercy are the names of two dogs? When you watch a shepherd leading his flock, the shepherd takes the lead because he knows where he is going, leading along the correct path, trying to avoid the hazards for his flock.

The two dogs, Goodness and Mercy, are the shepherd's dogs who 'guard our rear'. They help keep us from attack from the rear if we don't keep up with our leader as well as we should.

Our dogs do that, don't they? They show us what unconditional love is, when we do not want to show that love to others. They show us loyalty when we don't always want to show it ourselves.

They show us the gifts of the Holy Spirit as delineated in Isaiah 11:2,3 :

Wisdom,

- they gain their insights from watching other dogs do their 'thing'. Dogs show us this by repeating the good habits they are taught by the shepherd. They remember the lessons, and apply them to the herd at different times.

Understanding

- they know what they can do, and what they can not. You rarely see a chihuahua acting like a retriever, although they sometimes act like a ferocious attack dog.

Counsel

- how is best to act - almost by intuition. Dogs will look for other dogs to 'run with' and will take on those characteristics - good or bad. The Good Shepherd helps the counsel of the group of dogs to understand their mission.

Fortitude

- If a dog is doing something that is his/ her mission, you are not going to stop them. Try keeping a labrador from chasing a stick. They are known to go into heat exhaustion and almost die because they love to chase that stick and bring it back.

Knowledge

- allows us to see our circumstances as God sees them. Certain breeds just 'know' instinctively, and those skills are improved by the good shepherd who patiently teaches the dog how to use those skills well.

Piety

- reverence and willingness to serve The Shepherd

Fear of the Lord

- gives us the desire not to offend God. All dogs show us this with how they adore us, and trust us to lead them along the right path.

What can our pets give us...

Our pets give us so much love, don't they?

That is why we love them so much.

One other 'thing' they can also give us, though, is related to health. And the poop.

Parasites are an 'invisible' problem that dogs and cats can have because the parasite eggs are microscopic in size. We may think of the roundworms and tapeworms which are visible in the stool sometimes. But unfortunately, those parasites are so sneaky, they don't always show their face.

In fact, they send out their tiny eggs to do their dirty work for them!

And if we pick one up accidently, there is a condition called 'visceral larval migrans' that can affect the eye, and you can go blind. I know a colleague in Ohio who has this condition and is blind in his right eye. Last year, 700 individuals came down with this rare disease.

So what do we do?
the CDC recommends checking pet's for intestinal works at minimum every 6 months. For individuals on chemotherapy, or have organ transplants, the pets in the house should also be strategically dewormed every 6 months alternating (so 3 month interval either test or deworm).

Call our office if you have more questions about this easily preventable problem at 699-6443

Weather nice and what do we do

Hello again,

Nice weather brings out the best in us, doesn't it? We want to do new things, try new opportunities, and enjoy life.

Well, we have an opportunity to do that. Mallory, our CVT found some kittens and is now looking for a home for them.
You can see a video of them here on our Facebook page. And while you are there, become a fan, or like us, or whatever Facebook is calling it this week. ;-)

Another note: how do we enjoy our pets. We all know that loving and difficult decision comes much too soon for us. Sometimes, like this week for a few of our owners, it comes much sooner than what we expect.

One of our favorites (and we only have about 400 favorites that come in ;-)) struggled against an illness the past 4 -6 weeks, and is now gone. Our memories do last a lifetime, don't they? If you are like me, you think of all the pets we have had that touch us in a special way when we hear of such a story.

Also, on a side note - we are taking the entire staff to a conference next Tuesday, May 11. The clinic will still be open, and the phones answered. My wife, Kelly, will be in to help 'hold down the fort'.

Does anyone even know what 'to hold down a fort' means?

Maybe that is a Facebook question.

Thanks on condolences

I love when we get to help someone. It feels good when you get to help someone. You show love, and reverence, and support.

It is sometimes awkward when we are on the receiving end. That is the way it feels with all the outpouring of support for my wife, Kelly and our family, as we grieve the loss of Peg Kilian, Kelly's mom.

It is very reassuring and comforting to feel the presence and prayers of everyone who was with us.

Thank you so much.

Cat for adoption for single household

Hello everyone,

With spring here, we like to think of fun things, and enjoyable times. Our pets really enhance, that don't they? It does for me. Our cat, Oliver, enjoys sitting in the window. The dog went crazy last saturday running around to enjoy the weather!

So we have Buddy, who is new to our clients home. He was going to live in the house, but his test for FIV (Feline Immunodefeciency Virus) turned up positive. This is similar to human HIV. The cat may live a normal life, but can infect other cats with a bite wound, so should not be outside, or with other cats.

But as you see here in this video He is a self petting cat!

Call our office at 699-6443 if you are interested in adopting him. We will ask you some questions about FIV to make sure you know about it. Here is a link from our library from our main page.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Pets help us reflect on the chapters of our life

Isn't it amazing about our pets.

My favorite picture is of my daughter Elyse with our dog Zin as she is holding him with her goofy glasses on. If you are a subscriber to our email newsletter, you see this picture often. If not, then do it right away, by clicking here - it's free!

But our pets, while being a part of our lives, also help to chronicle the chapters of our life. In our own case, Kelly and I had Tigger and Tiger since just before we were married. I have them to Kelly as a present one Christmas.

And they shared with us our first 14 years of married life. They saw us bring home our first 3 children. They moved with us from place to place to place from Schaumburg, to Milwaukee, to Clinton to Maroa. Then Oliver (now 5) came along and the kids were so excited because he was playing and chasing things 'Tiger never does this'. Kelly and I got all misty eyed " He used to do that." Kelly taught him to 'fetch' pearls, and he would chase them in circles until he would fall over.

Lazarus was our first dog, and through an accident - even DVM's make the mistake of not keeping the dog on a leash while on the morning jog, he was killed. I got him from a rescue at one of the clinics when I was a relief Dr. We had him almost 1 year, and he was so skinny, he could only walk 10 feet before having to stop and pant and catch his breath. He went from 28 lbs to 39 lbs when we got them to the correct weight.

Next week some more stories. and chapters in Raymond Ramirez's life

What about Heartworm disease?

What do you know about heartworm disease in our pets?

Here is a Heartworm 101:
Dogs get it by being bitten by a mosquito
The dog does not have to be in contact with other dogs.
Inside dogs can still be bitten by a mosquito.
An arsenic based medicine is used to kill the heartworm if the dog has it (obviously a potential problem for the dog also)

Preventative is less than $0.30 per day for even the biggest dogs.

The heartworm preventative we recommend - Interceptor- also takes care of _three_ of the most common intestinal parasites, Roundworm, Hookworm and Whipworms. No other monthly Heartworm preventative also does this.

Make sure your dog is tested, then put on preventative.

Also, just like West Nile, people and cats can get this also.
the cycle is the same, except since the cat is not the natural host, the worm behaves differently.

Dental month and behavior information

As we complete February dental health month, we still have a few items that are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.

To be honest, I did not know about this organization of dedicated veterinarians who scientifically test the different tartar control products.

Isn't it true that just about every other product you see on the dog and cat shelves claims to have 'tartar control' or 'tartar reduction'. But are the claims true?

According to the Veterinary Oral Health Council web site

They have a list of products that have been the approval of the VOHC. And interestingly, there are only 22 items. It sounds like a lot until you realize very few are in the 'treat' category, and only one is one of the water additives.

Check out the site to see what is a better food and treat for your dog and cat. And call us to pick up the T/D food for the $5.00 off that the manufacturer extended to us. As you look at the chart on the VOHC web site, you will notice that the T/D food was the first the receive the approval of the Veterinary Oral Health Council.

Mallory and Cherie attended the Mississippi Valley Veterinary Conference. Dr Rolan Tripp, a veterinary behaviorist, was the speaker, and they received a lot of great information. Look here and on our web site, and email newsletter and Facebook page for the expanding opportunities to teach your dog or cat new 'citizenship'.

You can check Dr Tripp's web site at animalBehavior.net.

Pet dental health month

As pet dental health month winds down, I have a couple of thouhgts.

First our pets still have teeth next month. :-) And they will build up tartar and plaque, so keep up with brushing.

We have a few of the t/d bags for cats and dogs for the $5.00 off the manufacturer gave us, as well as a few of the CET chews.

I learned, like the 'approved by the American Dental Association' for human toothpaste and other products, there is a Veterinary Oral Health Council that will put their seal on products that actually do benefit the pets to reduce tartar and plaque.

The oral rinse that is available and is the ONLY one with the VOHC approval is at the bottom of the list.

Notice the T/d food is the first approved, and the CET chews are also on the list. The 'flossing' toys have not received this approval.

Healthymouth anti-plaque water additive is the additve that is recommended. It is available by clicking here.

They also have a cat water additive available at the same address.

Happy smiles.

Day Dreaming or Dreaming of something better?

We had in interesting staff meeting on Wednesday. Kelly Ramirez (my wife) came in and presented an interesting concept - how to manage your dreams.

We started with - what are were your dreams in the past? Who helped you achieve your dreams?

And more important, what are your dreams now? For this year, for 5 years from now, for 10 years from now?

We did a 'dream storming' session with the staff - asking them to write down their dreams.

So what are your dreams? We will continue this on our Facebook page also. If your not a 'fan' check us out here.

What makes you smile

I have thought about what makes someone smile - is it a fun event, or a joke. Is it at the end of a nice day where you get to help people?

What makes you smile? In our clinic - a new puppy is a very nice smile. Getting a chance to see the joy on a person's face who brings in a new bundle of energy into their house is very exciting for everyone. And that excitement is contagious.

What makes you smile so much that your smile is contagious? I was reminded of that when I think back to the days my children were born. That makes me smile, and it was contagious when I went back to work.... and I think it lasted for exactly 13 years. ;-)

When I bought the practice here in East Peoria, I had a big smile, because that was a dream I had since I was a high school youth, was to be a veterinarian, and 'be my own boss'.

Sometimes the road to get our dream is longer than we think... but it is worth it. We learn something with each and every day that passes that helps us become a better version of ourself. What is that for you?

I know our pets have helped me to become a better version of myself. I learn so much from them every day. And I am very privileged to be able to take care of these wonderful creatures every day.

That makes me smile.

Take time for important

I was driving to work today, and an incident gave me pause to think about what is important.

As you know we are trying to sell our house north of Decatur. As I was driving around Bloomington this morning, I saw in front of me a black Saturn spinning and doing a 360 in front and slide down the side of the highway.

They probably would have been OK, except this occurred just south of the Normal Wildcats football stadium... where the culvert is for the drainage ditch.

The car unfortunately hit that just the wrong way, and flipped over and disappeared to those who saw the whole thing.

Along with many others, I stopped to go help those in the car. Turns out it was a dad and his older daughter.
The car was upside down in the water part of the ditch, with the trunk and rear seat in the water.
By the time I had arrived, both of the passengers somehow had survived, with only scratches, and were out of the car. Obviously both were shaken up, and were soaked. We all offered out coats, had them take off their wet clothes, while some others called the paramedics and state police.

In all - almost 10 people stopped and came to offer help for this person in distress. The dad thanked us all, and was very greatful because, as he pointed out, if we had not stopped, you could not see the car from the road, it flipped into the culvert and was 'hidden' from the road.

It is why I love to work in Central IL. People here care for each other and what is important. Several folks waited for the paramedics and police to show up... just to be there with the folks. It is all very scary time, but just having folks around is very helpful.

I took it a little slower on my drive in, and thought about many things - how our lives have changed for the better since having a chance to work in this practice, as we move to the community.

I want to thank you for being a part of a wonderful community, and welcoming me into your community family.

A wintery scene

When it gets cold outside, we like our comforts.

Our pets give us that, don't they? They curl up on our laps as we relax watching TV at home. We enjoy their warmth, their gentle demanor...

Unless you have a bouncy labrador or terrier. :-)

Then they are only still when they are asleep.

Interesting time but an enjoyable time to enjoy a slow down and enjoy life. We enjoy life one day at a time, don't we?

Or do we worry about the weather next week, or the meeting next week, and forget to enjoy the present right in front of us, the enjoyment right in front of us.

I know I do.

But our pets remind us to enjoy the current day and time, and 'just enjoy it'.

Transparency in everything

Unfortunately, We live in a skeptical age. Many times we can not trust those who try to lead us, and unfortunately we are frequently proven right.

In Illinois, we only have to look at our political leaders to see this very clearly.

I have strived to have this transparency in the clinic as well. To help support that, we are going to be having a series of video's that describe some of the many procedures we do here at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic.

This is in no small part thanks to our newest staff member, Joe Sholl. He used to be the floor director for WEEK news, and is working now to get an electrical engineering degree, and will be at John Hopkins in Baltimore in a few years to help those who need prosthetic devices.

Until that time, while he is picking up classes at ICC and Bradley, he is helping us at the reception desk, and was able to put together this video. This video is on You tube now, and we will also have it on our Facebook page as well. This video explains how we take care of your pet while they are here for an Ovariohysterectomy (spay) procedure. We hope you find it informative.

If you have not become a fan of our Facebook page, please do so. Many clients are accessing it and finding it very interesting as we share some of the daily musings of the staff.

I hope everyone is off to a good 2010. Have you written down a goal for 2010? Maybe read a new book author, or learn a new skill?

What you write, becomes what we do..

Teeth - why pay attention to them with your pet

Brushing our own teeth is a habit we like. You are probably like me in that, when I wake up in the morning, I don't like the 'fuzzy' teeth, so I brush right away.

And we get the benefits from the daily brushing with less tartar and plaque buildup on our own teeth.

Imagine how quickly that builds up when we stop brushing even for 1 week!

Now imagine that person kissing you.
<>blech<>

You probably know I am now talking about your dog and cat. And brushing is important, but when our pet has tartar and plaque building up it may be time to clean them professionally. And what better way to start the year off than with a clean fresh mouth?

We have been giving classes on nail trimming, and CPR, and puppy selection. We recently were asked about other class on brushing teeth.

If you are interested in such a class in and evening, or during the day, call the office today at 699-6443.

Let it snow, let it snow

I guess we can say we are in winter now! For those reading in areas other than central Illinois, we have had about 6-8 inches of snow. I'm not sure of the official total, but it is a bunch around the clinic.

And as we started the new year, we want to thank all of you for allowing us to serve you and your pet over the past year. We strive to improve our knowledge, and pass that on to you.

If you have not done so, join us as a fan on facebook! We are having some fun with it.

We also sponsored a pet CPR certification class.

Unfortunately, it was last night, and with all the snow, many who wanted to attend could not. We would like to reschedule the class. Our challenge is that "Jerry" - our CPR dog, is borrowed from Parkland Community College which has a Veterinary Technician degree program.

We will check with them and see if "Jerry" can come out and play again !

So what do you do to prepare for an emergency? Did you run out to buy your shovel earlier this week, or did you have one?
What about salt?
Did you check your snow blower (if you have one) before this week?

I did and all my kids were ready to go. ;-)
I even got them some extra scarves!

But they are happy as long as there is hot chocolate waiting for them when they get in the house! Ahh the simple things.

I do miss our Newfoundland, Zinn. He loved the snow and would be outside with me all the time when I was shoveling the snow. The colder it was the better he liked it.

Adena is not so happy with that. :-)