Rea Road Animal Hospital

The month of February has been designated by the American Veterinary Medical Society as National Pet Dental Health Month.  The goal is to educate pet owners about the importance of dental health.  Many pet owners dismiss bad breath as “dog breath”, but odor could be an indication of an underlying issue.  Routine dental cleanings can not only prevent periodontal disease, but can also uncover issues that would go unseen otherwise.  Advanced dental disease can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and possibly infection of the heart and kidneys.  Overall, maintaining your pet’s dental health can result in a longer, healthier life.

 During the month of February we will be offering savings on our recommended dental cleaning package.  Space is limited, so be sure to schedule your pet’s dental now!  For more information, please call our office at (704) 544-6313.

Photos courtesy of OraVet

Many pet owners don’t realize that table scraps from a holiday meal can be dangerous for their furry friends.  If your pets are likely to beg at the table for scraps or even raid the garbage can for leftovers, secure them in another room until dinner has been cleaned up and the trash taken out.  Some hazardous holiday items include (but are not limited to):

In short, keep all holiday goodies out of reach and only treat your pets with healthy, animal approved snacks.  Also be sure to keep an eye on your pet with any new toys, and remove any and all labels, tags, or other small parts before play time.

If your believe your pet has ingested a potentially toxic holiday food or item, contact a veterinarian immediately. For after hour emergencies, click here.

We are happy to introduce “Paws for Cause”

This program was created to help raise money for our “Goon Samaritan Fund”.  Money from this fund is used to pay for emergency medical procedures on unclaimed animals, or for lifesaving procedures on patients whose owners do not have means to provide said procedures.  We ask you, our clients, for help in raising money for animals in need.  Every little bit helps, so there is no such thing as a donation too small.  For every donation of at least $1.00, we will display a personalized paw print reflecting the name of the donor or their pet.  While supplies last, those who donate $10.00 or more will receive a PetMate Fresh Flow Water Fountain to show our appreciation.

 If you would like to give a donation to an animal in need, please visit our front desk.  Thank you for your support!

** Funds will be allocated after approval on a case-by-case basis, and only if funds are available.

Our office hours for the upcoming winter holidays are as follows:

Thanksgiving 2011

• Thursday, November 24th: CLOSED
• Friday, November 25th: Resume normal business hours at 7:00am

Christmas 2011

• Saturday, December 24th: 8:00am – 12:00pm
• Sunday, December 25th: CLOSED
• Monday, December 26th: CLOSED
• Tuesday, December 27th: Resume normal buliness hours at 7:00am

New Years 2012

We will be operating on normal business hours through the New Years Holiday.

• Sunday, January 1st: CLOSED
• Monday, January 2nd: Resume normal business hours at 7:00am

If you find yourself in need of veterinary care during these times, please refer to our Emergencies page for information on 24 hour facilities.

In October, Dr. Blair Smith attended the SCAV Lowcountry Veterinary Conference in historic Charleston, South Carolina.  Over 100 hours of continuing education were available during this 4 day event.  Some noteworthy topics included Neurology, Dermatology, Arthritis Pain Management, and Kidney Disease.

Thanks to everyone who came to our Annual Client Appreciation Day and made it such a success!  Please visit the Events page to see all of our lucky contest winners, as well as some great photographs from the day!

Four male kittens were recently found and brought into our clinic.  They were approximately 6 weeks old at the time of the above photograph, and they are still full of spunk!  All four of them have since found homes.  Thanks to everyone who spread the word about them, and a very special thank you to the wonderful clients who will provide these kittens with the loving homes that they deserve.

If your veterinarian recommends a dental cleaning for your pet during your appointment, make sure to schedule it at check-out!

In an effort to save you some money and promote dental health awareness, we are offering a discount on a standard dental cleaning package if the procedure is done within 30 days of the recommendation.

Purina is offering a $50 mail-in-rebate with the purchase of a bag of DH (Dental Health diet) in conjunction with a dental procedure.  This promotion is only available on our standard dental package and will be ending on December 31st, 2011.

Dr. Jennifer Bryant attended the Southeast Veterinary Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina from June 16-20 and took courses on endocrinology, emergency medicine and internal medicine.

Dr. Blair Smith and Dr. Allan Dozier attended a conference presented by the International Association of Fly Fishing Veterinarians in Islamorada, Florida from September 26 to October 2. The weeklong conference was intensively focused on dentistry.

Ever wonder why we do annual fecal checks on your pet? A 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows about 14 percent of the US human population is infected with roundworms. Fortunately, relatively few people develop the disease but when they do it’s potentially devastating.

If the roundworm infestation is only a mild one then there will be few easily identifiable symptoms. There is the possibility of intermittent abdominal pain and “flu like” symptoms. Coughing and wheezing could occur when the roundworm larvae migrates to the lung. Severe infestations can result in vomiting, restlessness, sleep disturbances and blockage of the intestine resulting in extreme abdominal pain. The large size of roundworms (up to 40 cm long) means that they can literally block up the gastrointestinal tract with their bodies.

The top six internal parasite infections from 2008: tapeworms, roundworms, coccidia, hookworms, giardia and whipworms.