DON’T FORGET TO GIVE YOUR DOG ITSMONTHLY HEARTWORM PREVENTIVE

IT IS TIME TO START YOUR DOG ON FRONTLINE PLUS FOR TICKS AND FLEAS

CATS CAN START MONTHLY DOSES OF HEARTWORM AND FLEA PREVENTIVE THIS MONTH

GOLFERS GET YOUR FOURSOME TOGETHER and sign up for the Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter golf outing fundraiser. Saturday, May 15th, Whiteford Valley Golf Course will host the third annual event to raise money for our area’s only no-kill cat-only shelter. Individuals as well as foursomes are encouraged to sign up for a day of golf, food and fun. The cost is $70 per person or $260 for a foursome. You may contact Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter to sign-up by calling 419-536-1914 or on the web at pawsandwhiskers@aol.com. To emphasize the importance of this fund raiser Sylvania Vet is a hole sponsor to help defray the cost of holding the event. Dave Plunkett, PAWS shelter manager, has recently indicated that adoptions and income at the shelter are down. This has required them to decrease the number of cats they save to a number they can afford. The support of all animal lovers of PAWS is a worthwhile expenditure. We encourage you to sign-up for golf, join the organization, volunteer at the shelter or to be a foster family and make a donation. For every three dollars donated to PAWS that is used to pay medical expenses or reduce their account balance, Sylvania Vet matches by donating a dollar. This is in addition to the major discounts we provide for all services we render to PAWS cats.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW HOSPITAL that makes us a pet care destination. We have developed several unique innovations.

· Our automatic dog walker will give each boarding guest exercise daily while their kennel space is being cleaned. We do not think any hospital or kennel in the U.S. has ever used a similar device to give value added service to a dog guest’s stay. Other kennels charge extra for their short exercise sessions.

· We have worked with a chemical engineer and floor care company to design a better and healthier system for cleaning all the kennels, cages, counters, and floors in the hospital. We will be using a foaming human-animal safe disinfecting product. This will be followed with a product that will use billions of safe bacterial to destroy any protein residue that could contribute to odors. This system contributes to the clean fresh smell one encounters when touring our dog boarding facility.

· We have previously mentioned our advanced kennel ventilation system. The air in the dog kennel is actually changed 15 times an hour. This is made possible by incorporating a heat/cooling recovery system that retains 75% of the heat or air conditioning. Before air returns to the facility it passes through a hepa and charcoal filter for disease and odor control.

FELINE LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE remains a significant problem in male and female cats less than 10 years old. Most of the affected cats do not have a urinary infection and antibiotics are of no value. Less than 2% of cats that have signs of lower urinary disease (bloody urine, increased frequency of urinations, straining to urinate and out of litter urinations) have bacterial cystitis. Many commercial diets are marketed as a preventive to urinary disease. These diets are not the answer. Increasing water consumption, lessening stress in the house, giving the cat some close to natural activities such as climbing, hunting, running and jumping are the best methods of preventing and treating FLUTD. You should also include canned food in your cat’s daily diet.

REVOLUTION IS A NEW PRODUCT AVAILABLE FOR CATS. Revolution is a topical product that prevents heartworm disease and kills fleas, ear mites, roundworms, and hookworms. Recent studies have shown that Ohio and Michigan have an 11% positive rate for feline heartworm disease. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. Therefore, even cats that stay indoors are susceptible. Revolution is an easy to apply product that is placed on your cat once a month during the warm months. Ask the staff about using Revolution on your cat.

CANINE BLOOD DRIVE SCHEDULED FOR MAY 1st AT SYLVANIA VET. We will be working with the Midwest Animal Blood Bank to collect blood for their national whole blood and plasma bank. Any dog between 1-5 years old and over 50 pounds is eligible. Technicians from Midwest and Sylvania Vet will be staffing the collection day. Each dog’s blood will be fully typed and tested for any blood born disease. You will receive the results of your dog’s tests. If they have an appropriate blood type, the dog will be invited into our in hospital blood and plasma bank. If your dog has been excused from our bank for inappropriate blood type it may still be able to be a plasma donor for both the Midwest bank and ours. If you need details about the collection or have questions whether your previously tested dog might be able to donate call and talk with Dr. Tate or Laura. There is a national shortage of whole blood. Midwest is one of four national blood banks. Your participation in our blood drive will help dogs throughout the nation. Recently, plasma from our blood bank helped save the life of a German Shepherd that developed a serious complication, DIC, after emergency gastric torsion surgery.

CANINE EPILEPTIC SEIZURES are a frightening experience for the owner of the affected dog. They frequently occur at night when the dog is resting and its mental activity is at the lowest. Outside stresses can also lead to seizures in a susceptible dog. Dogs with epilepsy usually have their first seizures between one and five years of age. A complete physical exam, lab test and EKG are the basic tests preformed when seizures first develop in a dog. Once a dog is diagnosed with epilepsy it is possible to control the seizures with daily medication. The most commonly used medication to control seizures is Phenobarbital. A supplemental medication, Potassium Bromide, is used to help control difficult cases. A recent study funded by the Morris Animal Foundation has found that Potassium Bromide may be as effective as Phenobarbital as the primary seizure control medication. We frequently prescribe Potassium Bromide in difficult cases but will be using it more in the future.

THREE- YEAR TRACK RECORD of the heartworm injection Proheart 6 has been less than stellar. First marketed in June of 2001 the six- month duration heartworm preventive was widely accepted by many veterinarians. Our medical staff, after reviewing the manufacture’s literature, elected to not use Proheart. First marketed in 1996 as a monthly tablet and then as a long duration injection, Proheart has had over 430 deaths reported to the FDA. There have been many more reports of less serious reactions and unknown numbers of unreported reactions. We were always concerned about the safety of a product that stays in the dog for six months, cannot be removed and has no known antidote. The reports of deaths which are 43 times higher than fatal reactions to all the monthly preventives combined verifies our caution when it came to recommending Proheart. Locally, an area veterinarian has had two dogs die before leaving the practice’s parking lot. This practice is warning clients about the risks but is still giving the injection. We will not give the injection, period.

LASER SURGERY IS BETTER IN MANY CASES THAN TRADITIONAL BLADE AND SCISSOR DISSECTION. Many skin growths are best removed using a bloodless technique. Suspected cancerous growths or mast cell tumors should be removed without bleeding. Laser dissection enables us to perform blood free surgery. Feline declaws are better performed using the laser. Cats that are declawed using the laser do not have to have the circulation to their toes stopped by using a tourniquet. Maintaining circulation to the toes prevents micro damage to the foot’s tissues from the temporary loss of circulation. Laser declawed cats feel less post surgical pain, and walk normally more quickly. We strongly encourage you to accept the laser option when you schedule your cat for a declaw. Speaking of declawing, we are happy to discuss the pros and cons of declawing with any client.

TWO $500 SCHOLARSHIPS for high school seniors considering a career in veterinary medicine are available through our MEMORIES LIVE ON ANIMAL FOUNDATION. The deadline for applications is April 15, 2004. Though every area high school guidance department has been notified about the scholarships we have received no applications. Considering the cost of an undergraduate college education and the large number of high school students that express interest in the veterinary profession the lack of student interest is a surprise to us. If you know any college bound high school senior that is planning a pre-veterinary education we would appreciate your telling them about our scholarships. They may call the office, 419-885-4421 or e-mail Dr Bob, drbob@sylvaniavet.com, for details about the scholarship.

RECENT PRICE COMPARISONS between Sylvania Vet and Pet Med Express again proved that our prices are better on most frequently used and advertised products. Our prices for Frontline Plus, Heartgard Plus and Revolution are all better than the on-line pharmacy. Do not believe their advertising that their prices are better than ours. If you listen closely they now say they will meet all prices. We have repeatedly proven to clients that mistakenly ordered products from PME that our prices were better. In addition to better prices Sylvania Vet is an authorized seller of all the above products, the on-line pharmacy is not. The product’s manufacturer will not honor any rebates, extra product or guarantees when their product is purchased on-line. If convenience is an issue we will happily mail you your pet’s order at no additional cost. We have a list of recent price comparisons for all the above products and sizes if you are curious. We encourage you to buy from your vet not from the net.

CONSUMERLAB.COM HAS tested many joint supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin and determined that only Cosequin by Nutramax passed their testing. Several years ago we switched to Cosequin from other products for this very reason. Additionally, Cosequin is the only brand with published absorption, effectiveness and safety trials in pet animals. You can buy joint products with glucosamine and chondroitin many places but you cannot be sure you are getting what you want or are paying for. We recommend you use Cosequin if your dog or cat needs a joint supplement.

ASK DR BOB ON STAR 105 is a big hit. Hosts Franceman, Lynn, and Chris interact with Dr Bob and callers as he answers pet related questions. We encourage you to call Star 105 with questions of interest to all pet owners. Dr Bob is on the air every other Friday from 6:40 to 7:10 AM. Be sure to listen and call. Let 105 know if you enjoy the spot with Dr. Bob.

HAPPY APRIL SHOWERS, THOSE MAY FLOWERS CANNOT BE FAR BEHIND
THE CARING STAFF OF SYLVANIA VETERINARY HOSPITAL
"A PET CARE DESTINATION"