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WPVC News
February, 2012
Washington Park Veterinary Clinic has started on some exciting new changes. We are expanding to the building next door and have plans for several new additions to our clinic. We will soon be offering cat boarding, dog and cat grooming, and an expanded retail area. We will keep you updated as we progress, but feel free to ask us any questions.
January, 2012
Look at your pet's medication: Carefully examine the Clomicalm tablets in your pet's prescription bottle.
Examine the tablets: If you are not sure how Clomicalm should look, please refer to the visual guide available at www.petwellness.com/clomicalm. The tablets should match the color, shape, size and imprint. Please note: It is normal for speckling and brown coloration to vary from tablet to tablet. Do not give your pet any tablets that are questionable in color, shape, size or imprint. If all the tablets in the bottle match the description in the visual guide, you should continue to give your pet its medication as directed by your clinic.
Call your clinic: If you discover that any tablet differs from the visual guide, please contact us immediately for advice.
Send affected product to Novartis: Call Novartis Animal Health's department of Technical Product Services at (800) 637-0281 (available Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time) for instructions, or if you have any additional questions or concerns.
December, 2011
If you are planning to fly with your pet, check with your airline regarding health certificates for flight as well as what is required by your destination locale. If traveling within a state, only the airline requirements need to be met. If you are traveling to another state or internationally, check with the USDA for pet travel requirements by state or country at www.aphis.usda.gov. Most airlines require an examination by a veterinarian within 10 days of travel. A health certificate stating that your pet is in good health and able to travel within given temperature boundaries and is up to date on vaccinations will be issued by a veterinarian accredited with the USDA. If your pet is flying with you in the airline cabin, you may want to consider a sedative if your flight is long or your pet is very vocal. If your pet is flying as cargo, be aware that that environmental temperatures need to be taken into account. If the weather is expected to be extreme at either end of your journey, your pet may not be allowed to fly if the airline cannot protect them adequately from exposure to adverse weather. You must provide a secure crate and water if your pet is flying as cargo. If your pet is extremely anxious or adept at escape, you may want to consider leaving them at home.
If you are traveling by car, make sure your pet is confined to a crate or using a seat belt. Most cats and dogs travel well in the car. Some, however, do get motion-sickness or anxious. Putting your pet in the rear seat or floorboard, closest to the center of gravity and away from windows will reduce anxiety and motion–sickness. There are medications for motion-sickness that can be used for both cats and dogs. Contact your veterinarian for their recommendation.
If you are planning to have guests in your home, think seriously about the impact guests will have you your family and your pets. Some pets do very well with company and are genial and gracious companions. Other pets can be anxious and scared or overly boisterous with guests. Make sure your pets can be isolated away from guests as needed. You may want to consider boarding if your pet will be distressed by guests in your home. Advise guests not to feed your pets without your consent. Making guidelines for guests to follow regarding handling, feeding or exercising your pets will make for a safer less stressful visit.
Remember to start planning early to avoid having to make decisions regarding your pets that will make you uncomfortable and less able to enjoy your holiday season.
October, 2011
Halloween Tips for Your Pets
The Doctors and Staff at Washington Park Veterinary Clinic wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season! Halloween begins the festivities and New Year’s Day ends the season. We send out the following tips to help you keep your pets safe this season and throughout the year.
Explain to everyone in your home (including kids) how dangerous treats are to pets. Keep dogs out of the candy bowl. Chocolate in all forms, especially dark or baking chocolate can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Chocolate contains theobromine, which can cause nerve damage and even death in dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated it is, the less it takes to cause problems in your pet. If you notice these symptoms of chocolate poisoning, contact us immediately or call your emergency vet right away because your pet’s life may be in danger: Excessive drooling or urination, pupil dilation, rapid heartbeat, vomiting and diarrhea, hyperactivity, muscle tremors and seizures.
Candies or gum containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs and cats.
Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur. Please call us or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you have questions about possible toxicity. Remember that popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are swallowed. Corn cobs are common foreign objects retrieved surgically from intestines any time year.
Take young childrens candy supply and put it somewhere out of reach of pets. Caution children about leaving candy wrappers on the floor. Dispose of candy wrappers before your pets get to them, since the wrappers can cause choking or intestinal obstruction. Make sure the dogs can't get into the trash. When walking dogs during or after Halloween, watch carefully for what they might pick up and choke on. Bits of candy and wrappers abound on sidewalks and streets after holidays.
It should not constrict the animals movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au natural or donning a festive bandana. Take a close look at your pets costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet leading to injury. Halloween can be a frightening time for family pets. Walk your dog before trick-or-treaters start their visits. Keep a firm grip on the leash many dogs are frightened by people in costumes. Many dogs will run after trick-or-treaters. If your dog has nay aggressive tendencies, fear of loud noises or a habit of excessive barking, place him in a quiet room as far away from your front door as possible at least a half-hour before trick-or-treaters arrive. All but the most social dogs and cats be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.
Find a secure place in your home to keep your dogs.
When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesnt dart outside. Many pets get loose when the door opens, and the presence of little (and big) costumed people often scares animals, increasing the chance dogs will run away or get hit by cars. Place a dog gate in front of your front door to block access in case someone accidentally lets your pet out of the place where hes confined. If you want to have your dog near the door to greet visitors, keep him on leash. Keep all cats indoors. Make sure your pet is wearing an up-to-date I.D. tag. Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.
Pets can become very stressed by holiday activities and unwelcome interruptions in routine. Contact us if your pet is lost, sick, or if you have questions or concerns about coping with the holiday season.
September, 2011
WPVC will be discontinuing Pet Portals.
Washington Park Veterinary Clinic is very proud of our commitment to good customer service. Many of you have given great feedback on our services and have helped us improve our website. As a part of moving in the technology age, we joined Pet Portals by Vetstreet. Pet Portals allows individual access to your Washington Park Veterinary Clinic account. You can see when your pets have been in, when they might need to come back and allows you to download vaccine history as needed for boarding kennels or daycare. We have been happy with this service until recently.
Vetstreet has been purchased by a large veterinary corporation. We are concerned that private information may be sold to other corporations or used to mass market this corporation’s clinics and services. Washington Park Veterinary Clinic has been confident about the safety of your information and ours until now. For this reason, we have elected to discontinue Pet Portals. (effective September 30, 2011)
We are actively pursuing alternative services, so that we can continue to provide our clients with access to their pet’s records without concern for loss of privacy. For now, you may request email reminders and can communicate with us via email at washingtonpark@msn.com. We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause. Please do contact us as needed to update your pet’s records, to schedule appointments or to request email reminders.
June, 2011
Purina Recalls Limited Number of Dry Cat Food Bags Due to a Potential Health Risk!
* "Best By" Date and Production Code is found on the back or bottom of the bag.
Consumers who have purchased any of these dry cat food products with these "Best By" Dates and Production Codes should discard it.
For further information or to obtain a product refund, please call NPPC toll-free at 1-800-982-6559 weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time, or visit www.purina.com.
June, 2011
What about Cats?
Denver is often referred to as a “Dog Town”. Not necessarily including those little rodents digging holes in our open spaces! We Denverites, love our dogs. What about cats?
The good news is” We Love cats too! Many households have cats and dogs as family members, but some people just love cats. Cats make great pets for city dwellers. They are adaptable, easy keepers and good companions. No, cats are not small dogs. The people who say they don’t care for cats have usually not had one as a pet. Cats have been somewhat maligned for their aloof personalty or spiteful behavior. Again, cats are not small dogs. Each cat is an individual and their personalities are as varied as the people we know. So, don’t stereotype cats.
For those who know and live with cats, remember that cats need health care just like a dog. An annual veterinary examination, vaccinations, blood tests and fecal parasite check are important for every cat. Cats that live or go outside, are more at risk than cats who live exclusively indoors, but all cats are at risk for disease and parasites.
Just like dogs, some cats will eat things they should not eat. In particular, string, rubber bands or other linear objects are favorites of cats. Once the string is swallowed, it can lodge under the tongue or in the stomach or intestines and cause serious damage. So, choose toys wisely and if a string is attached us it only with supervision and put it away when you are not home.
If your cat is indoors only, make sure doors and windows are secure, so your friend stays at home. Remember to microchip your cat for identification as collars and tags are easily lost. If your cat is lost, check at any local shelters frequently, check with your neighbors and local veterinary clinics. Check garages and basements and sheds as well, not just yours… check at the neighbors too.
Cats make great pets! Check with your veterinarian and local shelters to find a cat friend to share your life with. You'll be glad your did!
May, 2011
Appointment Policy
To ensure the most efficient scheduling possible, WPVC books appointments Monday - Friday from 8am. - 2pm., and 3:00pm. - 6:20pm. Saturday from 8am. - 11:20am. It is highly recommended that clients call in advance to schedule routine visits such as annual exams, vaccinations, and health certification for travel. Regularly scheduled appointments allow our staff to maintain an on-time schedule, while handling the needs of hospitalized patients and client requests in an efficient and organized manner.
However, even though we prefer to see clients by appointment, we will see walk-in clients as long as they understand that they will need to be worked into our current schedule. Walk-In appointments will be charged an additional $17.50 to the price of a scheduled examination, and may need to wait as those clients with emergencies and scheduled appointments will have priority.
Walk in emergencies during normal business hours will be seen immediately! We ask that clients that have a scheduled appointment be understanding when emergencies disrupt our appointment schedule.
May, 2011
Pet Portal
What is a Pet Portal?
Pet Portals are secure, private pet health websites that give you direct access to manage your pet’s health 24/7. We are happy to provide Pet Portals free of charge to all clients who have an active email address.
What can I do with my Pet Portal?
View pet information, request appointments, receive important medical alerts and clinic news, post photos of your pets, order prescription refills, create and print instructions for pet sitters, access reliable information on a wide range of pet health topics, print proof of vaccination for boarding and much more. How can I get a Pet Portal?
It's simple! Just give us your email address by clicking on the Pet Portal button on the left side of your screen to create an account. We will email you a password within 24 hours. You can use the same Pet Portal button to access your account once you have a password.
What do you do with my email address?
We use your email address as your Pet Portal sign-in name. With your permission, we also will use it to send you reminders about upcoming pet services. We will never sell our email list!
May, 2011
Saving George
No one can resist the sweet longing eyes of a puppy, especially one that doesn’t feel well and needs a home.
When Megan Weber saw George at Denver Municipal Animal Shelter (DMAS) she was unable to resist his sweet face and knew she had to help him. George, a one- year- old, blonde and brown Pekingese mix, was initially lined up for adoption with the Colorado Animal Welfare League (CAWL), but was taken off the adoption list at DMAS because he was too ill to adopt out. This status did not discourage Megan, but only empowered her to “rally the troops” to raise the money needed to adopt George and get him veterinary care ASAP.
During George’s stay at WPVC, he touched the lives of everyone around him. Megan continued to raise awareness and support for George by offering a link for friends to “chip-in” on Facebook and creating a video depicting George’s story. By the time George was well enough to go “home,” Megan’s efforts had paid off and she was able to find him several candidates for a permanent home. The doctors, technicians and staff who played a pivotal role in George’s recovery were sad to see him leave the clinic, but were all pleased to send him off with a big grin and a wagging tail.
See George’s fundraising website!
May, 2011
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs.
Adult heartworms live in the heart and pulmonary arteries of infected dogs. The have been found in other areas of the body, but this is unusual. They live up to five years and, during this time, the female produces millions of offspring called microfilaria. These microfilaria live mainly in the small vessels of the bloodstream. The immature heartworms cannot complete their life cycle in the dog. The mosquito is required for some stages of the heartworm life cycle. The microfilaria are not infective (cannot grow to adulthood) in the dog – although they do cause problems.
Adult heartworms: Adult heartworms cause disease by clogging the heart and major blood vessels leading from the heart. They interfere with the valve action in the heart by clogging the main blood vessels. The blood supply to other organs of the body is reduced, particularly blood flow the the lungs, liver and kidneys, leading to malfunction of these organs.
The most obvious signs are a soft, dry cough, shortness of breath, weakness, nervousness, listlessness, and loss of stamina. All of these signs are most noticeable following exercise, when some dogs may even faint. Listening to the chest with a stethoscope will often reveal abnormal lung and heart sounds. In advanced cases, congestive heart failure may be apparent and the abdomen and legs will swell from fluid accumulation. There may also be evidence of weight loss, poor condition, and anemia. Severely infected dogs may die suddenly during exercise or excitement.
Destruction of lung tissue leads to coughing. Cirrhosis of the liver causes jaundice, anemia, and general weakness because this organ is essential in maintaining a healthy animal. There is some risk involved in treating dogs with heartworms, although fatalities are rare. In the past, the drug used to treat heartworms contained arsenic, so toxic effects and reactions occurred more frequently. A newer drug is now available that does not have the toxic side-effects, and allowing successful treatment of more than 95% of dogs with heartworms.
With warmer weather upon us, heartworm season is here. Wherever mosquitoes are found, dogs and cats are at risk of picking up heartworms and should be on a heartworm control program. As with most diseases, heartworms are much easier to prevent than to treat.
At WPVC, we carry Heartgard Plus. It is safe and effective at preventing heartworms, and will also eliminate pre-existing populations of roundworms and hookworms as well as reduce the incidence of re-infection by these parasites. We recommend Heartgard Plus be used year round to prevent
If your dog is a collie or other herding breed, please check with your veterinarian before starting any heartworm preventative.
We carry Revolution for cats. Cats can be hosts for heartworms as well. Any outside cat should be protected from heartworms, fleas, and other parasites with Revolution.
Before giving any preventive medication, a quick and simple blood test will be done to determine if your pet is already infected. Pets that have consistently been on a preventative program should be rechecked every year.
Now is the time to begin heartworm prevention. Please call to set up a pre-screen Heartworm test.
Purchasing Pet Drugs Online: Buyer Beware
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Washington Park Veterinary Clinic
Washington Park Veterinary Clinic
393 S. Pearl St.
Denver, CO 80209
(303) 871-8050
Ingesting tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.
Make sure costumes arent annoying or unsafe for your pet.
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company (NPPC) is voluntarily recalling approximately 870 bags of dry cat food shipped to Colorado, Idaho and Oregon. This is being done as a precautionary measure, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Only the following products with both the "Best By" date and production codes shown are included in this voluntary recall:
The bags of dry cat food in this recall were distributed in error in February, 2011 to a small number of customers in Colorado, Idaho and Oregon, which may have further distributed the product to other Western states. There have been no consumer complaints and no reports of illness. No additional Purina cat or dog products are involved. Only products which match the "Best By" date and production codes above are involved.
On April 19th George was released to Megan and she took him directly to Washington Park Veterinary Clinic to begin the aggressive treatment he desperately needed. Dr. Karen Jones-Diller, DVM, owner of WPVC, began treating George for severe vomiting and diarrhea. George proved to be a fighter and after a week of continuous treatment and diagnostics, which even included a plasma transfusion, he was finally well enough for release on April 25th.
Microfilariae (young heartworms): Microfilariae circulate throughout the body but remain primarily in the small blood vessels. Because they are as wide as the small vessels, they may block blood flow in these vessels. The body cells being supplied by these vessels are deprived of the nutrients and oxygen normally supplied by the blood. The lungs and liver are primarily affected. 
