Check this page regularly for the latest news on our animal hospital and animal health care.

Summer is time for gardening, hot weather and travel. Here are some safety tips (compiled with the help of Dr. Gail Golab of the AVMA) for pet owners and their companions:

Housing and Travel

Soaring temperatures are no more comfortable for dogs and cats than they are for people. Heat prostration is a common cause of summer illness that can, and does, kill many beloved pets each year. If your pet spends a substantial part of its day outside, be sure that you provide a cool, shady spot for it to escape the hot summer sun and plenty of cool, clean water. A sheltered area must also be available so that the pet can escape summer storms. Be sure that areas in which pets are housed are secure and that pets cannot run into busy streets, fall into deep window wells, or become trapped within or under lawn equipment. Some of the worst summer tragedies involve pets that are left in vehicles in the sun with the windows partially or completely rolled up. Temperatures inside a car rapidly climb to more than 100 F and can cause death sometimes in as little as 10 minutes! If you need to leave your pet in a car for any period of time, please do the pet and yourself a favor and leave the pet at home. When traveling with your pet, call ahead to make sure the pet will be welcome at any hotels or homes where you intend to stay. Travel from state to state usually requires a health certificate for each pet, which has been signed by a veterinarian. Travel outside of the country often requires that the pet be quarantined for a specified period of time, so be sure to check restrictions in the country to which you will be traveling. Remember that sometimes the best solution for everyone is to make arrangements for someone to watch the pet in your home, or to bring the pet to a boarding facility designed to provide it with the special care it needs. We can help with referrals for boarding kennels in our area.

Pesticides and Lawn Care Products

Many of these products are potentially toxic to pets; be sure to store these items where pets have no access to them. After treating lawns and outside areas, restrict pets from these areas until exposure danger has passed. Remember that many types of summer foliage (among them hydrangea, wisteria, delphinium, foxglove, privet hedge, and monkshood) can be toxic to pets as well, so do your best to prevent your pets from "dining out."

Parasite control is important for both pets and people. Our doctors and staff adhere to best practices to safeguard the health of our clients, patients, and the community at large. The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) has established guidelines for the optimal control of internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people. Their website contains a wealth of information for pet owners. Check it out!

Traveling to the Southwest? Hunting in the Northeast? If your dog may be exposed to rattlesnakes, think about the new vaccine available from Red Rock Biologics. The first year your dog is vaccinated, she should receive two doses of vaccine spaced one month apart. Subsequent booster doses are recommended annually in the spring, or about a month before you take your dog into rattlesnake habitat.

Fall 2007 updates

After a beautiful summer we’re set for the fall season!

Highlights of the summer included:

• Our hospital earned accreditation from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) for another three years! Since1980, we have regularly undergone inspections by AAHA to ensure that we comply with the association’s high quality standards of care. These standards cover nearly every aspect of our hospital, including surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, exam facilities, pet health records, cleanliness, emergency services, dental and nursing care, diagnostic imaging, and anesthesiology. Only 15% of animal hospitals in North America are accredited by AAHA.

• Dr. Aspros attended the AVMA Convention in Washington, DC in July. While he spent quite a bit of his time working for the association as a member of the Executive Board, continuing education highlights included seminars on oncology and GI disease management. Nearly 5,000 veterinarians attended the meeting, including the veterinarians Dr. Aspros hosted from the British Veterinary Associated and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe.

• Dr. Hess attended the AAV Annual Meeting in Rhode Island. She was the recipient of a President’s Award for her work on behalf of avian medicine and our feathered friends.

• Our first dental initiative to raise dental awareness for canine and feline patients was kicked off by a mailing in June. To promote better care we lowered the cost on routine dental prophylaxis and made the new canine periodontal vaccine available to our patients. With up-to-date high speed drills, and piezo-electric scaler and digital dental x-rays we sent patients (and their owners) home with brighter smiles!

• Dr Hess once again starred in the Empire State Games, winning the overall gold medal in her age category in gymnastics. This year the venue was the Westchester County Center, allowing us to walk down the block to cheer her on.

• Dr. McKenzie continued to train for his first marathon on December 2nd (if he looks especially fit it’s because he is).

• Dr. Wagner is the proud owner of Calliope, a beautiful Java Dove. She sweetly “coos” as she sits on her perch, and has been laying (non-fertile) eggs.

• The first year of “Bond University, a staff training initiative, ended in June. We featured presentations by Dr. Aspros on wellness care, Dr. Arns on laboratory testing, Dr. McKenzie on dental care and Dr. Wagner on x-rays and imaging. The fall semester starts in October with Dr. Hess.

• Cindy completed her first two courses at the NYS accredited Cedar Valley College program in veterinary technology, and the fall semester is already underway.

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