Animal Crackers Newsletter Archive 1999

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Greenbrier Veterinary Hospital Archived Newsletter Articles 1999

• Protect Your Pet from Summer Scorchers !!! link opens in new window
• Take the Danger out of Your Pet's Halloween
• Covington Office Opens
• Launch of Website
• Spring is here! Can the critters be far behind?
• First Aid link opens in new window
• Featured Breed - The Beagle

Take the Danger out of Your Pet's Halloween

Every October, households around the country prepare for a rush of miniature witches, goblins and spooks begging for Halloween treats. This tradition is a favorite for youngsters. However, family pets may not find it as much fun. Halloween can be a frightening and potentially dangerous time for pets.

Pets may be less disturbed by this haunting holiday if their owners follow these suggestions.

Excitable pets should be kept away from the door and out of hearing of a constantly ringing doorbell. These pets should be put in a room where the noise and activity level is less disturbing. A frightened or upset pet may run out the door at the first opportunity and could bite children in its way.

Candy and treats should be kept out of the pet's reach. The sweet aroma from the candy dish is very enticing to animals. These sweets, especially chocolate, are not healthy for pets. Loaded with a substance called theobromine, chocolate can cause vomiting, restlessnes, heart disturbances or even death to the pet.

Candy wrappers can also cause health problems. In their haste to devour candy, many animals may eat the wrapper as well. Wrapped candy may not dissolve, and the wrapper could cause obstruction or irritation to the pet's digestive system.

Taffy apples and suckers may seem harmless, but a swallowed stick could perforate the stomach or bowels, or cause an obstruction. Keep these away from pets.

Dispose of rotten or poor quality treats in hard to reach places. The Americam Animal Hospital Association wants your pet to enjoy a safe and healthy Halloween. Avoid these hazards by keeping pets away from sweet treats and in a relaxed environment. If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate, or any other treat that is causing discomfort, consult your veterinarial immediately.

Grand Opening of our New Covington Location!

Covington Office hours for doctor's appointments are 9:30am to 4:30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, with grooming by Tracy Honaker on Tuesdays.

(Please call Covington for appointments 540-965-3400, or the Lewisburg office 304-645-1476).

Our official opening celebration was held on February 23, 1999 at our new permanent location at 316 North Monroe Avenue. We had a good crowd of well-wishers, including several members of the Covington Chamber of Commerce who conducted an official ribbon cutting ceremony. The big dog from Hot Country 103.9 was there to entertain the crowd and was a big hit. Drs. Wilson, Lightner, and Keefer were all interviewed on the live radio broadcast (they're stars now!).

Joan Jones, our office manager, did a wonderful job preparing for the party. We think she could have a second career starting up! Everyone really liked our cat-themed decorating scheme for the building.

Dr. Wilson did a great job planning the remodeling and taking care of all the millions of details needed to open a new business and Dr. Lightner had fun playing interior designer.

So far everything has been going smoothly and it is wonderful to have the space and the extra time to be able to devote to practicing quality medicine in a pleasant environment.

Special thanks to Aleata Gregory who has pushed for us to open a satellite for years and has been a constant source of referrals and great word of mouth.

Over the years, our Covington clientele has continued to grow, with some of our most loyal clients. We hope that by opening the permanent location 2 days a week we will be able to serve them better.

Our hours for doctor's appointments are 9:30am to 4:30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. So far, Fridays have not been as busy, so call for those appointments!

Tracy Honaker is grooming on Tuesdays and the demand for her services is growing rapidly, so call ahead! The number at Covington is 540-965-3400. You can also call the Lewisburg office for appointments (304-645-1476).

Check out our Website!!-www.greenbriervet.com

We're taking our first steps into the information age. Tenley Shewmake (a client of ours with a wonderful pet named Libby) has designed this website for Greenbrier Veterinary Hospital. It is relatively new and constantly changing, so we would appreciate some feedback on improvements, suggestions for interesting topics, etc.

The site also includes a Community Bulletin Board which is available for anyone to post Lost and Found pets, animals for adoption, sale, etc. Please encourage everyone you know to check out the site if they are looking for pets. We hope that the Greenbrier County Humane Society and Friends for Life (another non-profit animal care program) will also be including their animals for adoption.

There are also a lot of cool links to other animal related sites. We hope to keep putting interesting and informative articles in the site, as well as introducing viewers to our staff and doctors. Please check us out at www.greenbriervet.com and tell all your friends!

Spring is here! Can the critters be far behind?

Prepare your pooch for the dreaded flea and tick infestation ahead of time by starting your flea control program now. Frontline and Advantage are both products which are applied topically to the back of the neck and will kill adult fleas for 1 month. Frontline can sometimes last up to 3 months per application and has the additional bonus of killing ticks.

Program, the flea pill, is given once a month orally to sterilize fleas and prevent the build up of fleas in the house. Sentinel has been gaining in popularity, especially since the cute TV commercials have come out. Sentinel is a combination of Program with Interceptor (the heartworm preventive), and provides a broad spectrum of parasite control.

Speaking of heartworm prevention, we do see a few cases of heartworm disease yearly, so we do recommend keeping your dog on preventive through the summer months, especially if you travel.

For your kitty, Frontline and Advantage are both available. Program for cats comes in 2 forms; the once a month pill or liquid, and an injection which will last for 6 months. This is good for those finicky felines who won't eat the oral form.

Every pet has unique needs, so give us a call and we will design a parasite control program tailored for his individual situation.

Featured Breed - Beagle

The Beagle breed is so old that its ancestry is lost in time. Many Beagle enthusiasts hold different ideas about the history of the breed, but most agree that it is probably one of the oldest Hounds. Packs of these dogs may have existed across Britain before Roman times, when they worked as hunters and trackers. They are certainly one of the progenitors of Foxhounds and perhaps many other Hounds as well.

The breed name probably derived from the French word "begueule" meaning gape throat, and refers to the noises made by a pack on the hunt. The modern breed evolved in the United States to have a larger body and balanced appearance. Eligible in field and conformation trials, Beagles exist in two varieties, the under-13 inch type and the 13 to 15 inch variety. They still actively participate in hunting sports, both individually and as packs.

Beagles have long been reliable, loyal and trusted companions. Famous examples of the breed include President Lyndon Johnson's pair named "Him" and "Her" and Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoon (Dr. Keefer's beagle is also named Snoopy!)

Some medical problems that beagles may have are low thyroid hormone levels, vertebral disc disease, and dental disease. They are moderate shedders, and are prone to weight gain, so feed lightly! As pets, they require plenty of space, social contact and physical activity. Beagles are true hounds and vocalize a lot. They may not be a good choice for a city apartment, but are wonderful pets for kids with an active country lifestyle.