 Acre View & AAHA set
the standard in excellence!
Acre View Pet Hospital & Laser Center of Edmond, Inc. is
now a fully accredited hospital member of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
Only about 19% of small animal veterinary facilities in the United
States are accredited hospital members of the association. In order to maintain
accredited status, Acre View Pet Hospital must continue to be evaluated regularly by the
association's trained consultants.
The purpose of AAHA is to assist veterinarians in providing high
quality medical care and meeting AAHA standards and to promote responsible pet ownership.
Established in 1933, the Association is well known among veterinarians for its high
standards of hospitals and pet health care. It is an International organization of
more than 16,000 veterinarian care providers who treat companion animals.
In order to achieve this distinction, Acre View voluntarily
participated in a comprehensive evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association.
The evaluation included a quality assessment review of our facilities, medical
equipment, practice methods, record keeping and pet health care management. AAHA
hospital members meet more than 400 individual standards in the following areas:
- Medical Records
- Examination Facilities
- Pharmacy
- Laboratory
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Anesthesiology
- Surgery Dentistry
- Nursing Care
- Housekeeping & maintenance
- Continuing Education
- Emergency Services
- Emergency Hospitals
- Specialty Practices
Your pet is important so we set our standards high. We offer
the best health care available for your pet because excellence is the cornerstone of our
practice's philosophy!
Thus our motto:
"Because We Care"
You can visit AAHA online at: www.healthypet.com
Meet
Our New Groomer
Dawn King with Tori -
Dawn has 25 years experience in grooming and is an artist with the
scissors...Come in and meet her Tuesdays or Thursdays.
Cat Nip
Corner
Cat door retrofitted with garage door opener.
Confused guests constantly mistaking cat for bean bag
chair.
Fewer calls to the Fire Department, but a sudden
upsurge in broken branches.
Fifteen month gestation period, and still no kittens.
No longer cleans itself unless coated with Cheese
Whiz.
No longer safe to lift without a spotter.
Waits for the third bowl of food to get finicky.
Only catches mice that get caught in his
gravitational pull.
Enormous gut keeps you hardwood floors freshly
buffed.
Has more chins than lives.
Allergies
& Pets
If your pet is itchy or grumpy...allergy testing may help.
Many things can cause allergies. They occur when your pet's
immune system over reacts to something to which it is exposed. The most common
problem is itchy kin in certain areas or all over the body. Sneezing, wheezing,
coughing and nasal or eye discharge are other signs of allergy problems.
Inhalant and food allergies are at the top of the list for causes.
Three out of five dogs suffer from some kind of food allergy. Some food
allergies may also cause vomiting and diarrhea in addition to itching. We also see
recurrent ear and eye infections and occasionally seizures from allergies.
Allergies tend to be additive and multifaceted, i.e. allergies may
be present to oak, bermuda, ragweed, beef, food dyes, pork, cigarette smoke and dust mites
all in the same animal. Food related allergies can cause itchiness of the face,
feet, armpits and rump. You may see red stained hair in these areas from excessive
licking, chewing or biting.
The big offenders we see in the clinic are foods and treats with a
lot of food dyes, especially the red dyes and poor quality foods such as generic brand
foods. These foods simply do not supply sufficient nutrients to the skin.
We change the pet to a hypoallergenic diet for at least 6-8 weeks.
During this time, absolutely nothing but this special diet can be fed. One
bite of beef, if the animal is allergic to it, can take 2 weeks to clear from it's system.
We also try to put the pet on a fatty acid supplement that will help it develop
healthier skin. Antihistamines can be given to help with the itching.
Steroids should never be used as sole source for treating allergies.
These are what some people call an "allergy shot". The first time
they are given they may last 6-8 weeks and act like a miracle drug. The next time
they may only last 4-6 weeks. Each time they are given they are effective for a
shorter period of time until they have no effect at all. The down side is that they
are extremely hard on other organs in the body. They cause excessive weight gain,
water consumption and can even lead to damage to the adrenal glands, liver, kidneys, and
to muscle wasting. We prefer to use oral steroids in a short tapering dose to simply
break the itchy cycle, then stop them altogether. Frequent bathing, especially in a
medicated shampoo and a medicated leave-on rinse, can help tremendously for preventing the
itchiness.
The best way to diagnose any allergy is to draw blood and do
specific allergy testing. This is sent off for testing and takes about 2 weeks.
The test checks for food, plant, carpet materials and staph allergies. The
result are viewed with you and antigen sets are ordered for you to give injections to you
pet. The injections will desensitize the pet to specific things it is allergic to.
The results also give you a list of specific products and plants the pet needs to
avoid.
Ask us for an appointment for an allergy consultation if you are the
owner of an "itchy pet".
Holiday
Hazards - BEWARE!
With the holidays nearly upon us we need to think about
our furry friends and precautions to take to keep them safe. The following is a list
of items which may be very harmful or even cause death to your pet:
- Tree Lights
- Tree Ornaments
- Poinsettias
- Aloe Vera
- Calla Lily
- Easter Lily
- Elephant Ears
- English Ivy
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- Eucalyptus
- Mistletoe
- Christmas Cactus
- Ham Bones
- Turkey Bones
- Aluminum Foil
- Turkey Cooking Bags
- Table Scraps
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A Dog Owner's Prayer
O Lord, don't let me once forget
How I love my trusty pet -
Help me learn to disregard
canine craters in my yard,
Show me how to be a buddy
even when my sofa's muddy,
Don't allow my pooch to munch
postal carriers for lunch.
Shield my neighbor's cat from view,
guide my steps around the doo.
Train me not to curse and scowl
when it's puppy's night to howl.
Grant I shan't awake in fear
with a cold nose in my ear.
Give me patience without end-
Help me be "A Dog's Best Friend."
Copyright © 1998-2002, Acre View Pet
Hospital & Laser Center of Edmond, Inc.
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