martindaleanimalclinic

Black Cat

Martindale Animal Clinic — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:24:39 +0000

Our clients continue to amaze us in their willingness to go above and beyond in helping care for animals. Sometimes caring for animals that are not their own.

One of our families has taken a sweet young male cat into their home. He has been hanging around outside and just in need of love and care. Now he is inside learning how to be a man of leisure – using his litter pan and getting love and attention for people.

Black Cat is about 1 year old and is incredibly social and relaxed. He has come to see us for a neuter procedure, vaccines and FIV/Feline Leukemia testing. While with us, he would simply sit on the treatment table and watch the action around him. Even when a dog was barking, he seemed quite at home.

If you know of someone who has room in their heart and home for this handsome boy, please contact us.

Food Recall Notice

Martindale Animal Clinic — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:55:11 +0000

The staff at Martindale Animal Clinic wanted to help keep our clients informed about a recent and rather important pet food recall. None of the foods recalled are what we carry here at Martindale Animal Clinic.

Diamond Pet Foods has voluntarily recalled some brands of dry dog and cat food that it manufactured in its Gaston, South Carolina facility between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 due to potential Salmonella contamination. The recall includes dry and wet dog and cat food. There is also a risk to humans handling foods that are suspect.

Pets have been reported illness from the suspected contaminated foods. Please review the list of products under concern and contact us if you have any health concerns with your pet.

Those foods on the lists are:

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul

Apex

Country Value

Kirkland Signature/Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain

Diamond

Diamond Naturals

Canidae

Premium Edge

Professional

4Health

Taste of the Wild

Natural Balance

Solid Gold

Wellness

Moon Fishery

For further information on what product codes to look for, please visit www.diamondpetrecall.com

Salmonella in food can be very concerning for the health of us and our pets. Pets exposed to salmonella can have fevers, decrease appetite, lethargy and abdominal pains. Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, vomiting and fevers can also be present. Even if symptoms are not present, pets can carry and transmit salmonella.

Harley and Rocky

Martindale Animal Clinic — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:38:17 +0000

It isn’t often that a pet needs to have a leg amputated. This past week, two of our staff members needed this procedure with one of their pets.

Harley, the cat, had a cancerous tumour just above his elbow that had been growing rapidly and not responding to other treatments. It was causing him discomfort and running the risk of spreading throughout his body.

Rocky, the dog, was hit by a car very early in his life. His leg had never healed properly and he developed extensive, debilitating arthritis in his knee.

Both of these pets underwent the amputation surgery so they could go on to live healthier pain free lives.

Now both Harley and Rocky are learning to manoeuver around. They have certainly found unique ways to get the attention of those around them and get some extra love and attention.

UPDATE – Annie has been adopted

Martindale Animal Clinic — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:31:11 +0000

We are so excited that Annie has a new home. Her family is so excited to be able to share thier life with this little bundle of joy. Thank you to everyone who has helped us share her story and help.

Parker

Martindale Animal Clinic — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:18:12 +0000

At one time or another all pets get curious about our things. Whether it is smells that can’t be resisted or just the temptation to try, one thing is certain – the crazier to item the more our dogs want it.

Parker fell to this folly and ate a few pipe cleaners. Something so small and simple can cause havoc on the internal systems of a dog. Parker’s parents sought veterinary attention and we were able to verify that yes, Parker did eat the pipe cleaners. The xray we have posted helps you see how nicely they show up on an xray and also assisted our veterinarians in knowing the location of them in Parker’s system.

The concern was that we would have to surgically remove the foreign objects, in this case pipe cleaners, before any internal damage was done.

Fortunately for Parker, he was able to pass the foreign items. With supportive care, protective medications, bulk feeding and a few extra trips outside to have bowel movements, the pipe cleaners found their way safely out of Parker’s system.

Annie Needs A Home

Martindale Animal Clinic — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:44:39 +0000

Little Annie is a five month old terrier cross who suffered a broken leg which needed immediate repair. She now has a plate in her front leg and will have to wear a splint for the next few weeks as she continues to heal and grow.

We are so excited to see this little girl in a new home where her love and energy can be shared. She just loves to be fussed with and brushed. Who could resist that sweet face?

If you know of a home for Annie, please let us know. We would like her to settle in to her new surroundings soon so that her puppy energy can be enjoyed and the best of training can be continued.

Hermione

Martindale Animal Clinic — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:41:09 +0000

Hermione is about 7 years old and in pretty good health. Recently she started to urinate in inappropriate places and not be very social. Her owner brought her in for an exam.

Diagnostic testing, including a urinalysis, was completed. The culture of urine indicated infection. Hermione is continuing to eat her Royal Canin Dental Diet that helps care for her dental needs while maintaining healthy bladder function.

With the help of antibiotics, she is now back to using her litter pan and spending quality time with her family.

Urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria getting into the bladder. The bacteria can travel up the urethra into the bladder. This happens most commonly in female cats and dogs as they have shorter urethras. Sometimes urinary tract infections occur with bladder stones, secondary to other diseases such as kidney disease or diabetes, or because of anatomical abnormalities. Signs to watch for are frequent, small urinations, straining and accidents outside the box (cats) or in the house (dogs).

Antonio

Martindale Animal Clinic — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:09:59 +0000

Antonio was newly adopted into his family. He is patient and gentle and loves to go for walks. His family knew he had a sore on his tail from wagging it too much inside his kennel.

The wound got infected and was very sore and inflamed. Surgery was done to remove the tip of Antonio`s tail. Keeping this handsome boy away from the tip has been a challenge. With great home care and continual bandage changes, the tail is healing well.

Antonio and his family are so very fortunate to have found each other.

So often the patients we see need continued support and care at home. Together our team and the family are able to do all that is needed to help pets recover. We are so grateful to Antonio`s family for giving him an excellent home and doing their part to help him heal.

The Early Spring Weather is causing Early Parasite Concerns for our Pets

Martindale Animal Clinic — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:20:55 +0000

We, here at Martindale Animal Clinic, are already seeing ticks and fleas on our patients. Clients and staff are reporting seeing mosquitos.

For these reasons we are recommending an earlier start this year for heartworm, flea and tick prevention products.

Please call us to set up your annual exam and heartworm test for your dog.

We would love to schedule an appointment for your cat’s annual exam.

Parasite prevention can be purchased to help protect your pets.

Call us at anytime and our friendly staff will help with any questions you may have.

Jewel

Martindale Animal Clinic — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:20:46 +0000

Jewel is a four year old English Mastiff weighing in at about 175 lbs. This big beautiful girl was such a joy to have in the clinic. Her easy going manner and friendly attitude, made our day. We truly enjoyed having her cuddle with her toy and lean against us during the visit.

Jewel’s family originally had plans to breed her, but were unsuccessful after many attempts. Her family brought her to us with concerns of vaginal discharge and a possible pyometra. Diagnostic work up and surgery confirmed this and an emergency spay procedure was performed.

A pyometra is a common and life threatening infection of the uterus in unspayed females. It is a greatly enlarged uterus that is full of pus. This occurs due to hormonal stimulation during heat cycles and is most commonly seen a few weeks to months after a heat, though it can be seen at any time. Common signs are vaginal discharge, fever, lethargy, increased drinking, and decreased appetite. Dogs and cats can get very sick and require emergency surgery to remove the uterus and thus save their lives.

Spaying and neutering not only helps control the pet population, but also helps benefit your pet’s overall health. The spay procedure effectively prevents heats cycles and cancers of the uterus and ovaries. The decision to spay before a pets first heat cycle is the best prevention of mammary (breast) cancer in our cats and dogs. Neutering is the best form of prevention of prostate disease and prostate cancer. It also helps to minimize precocious, aggressive and roaming tendencies.