tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24430588224095226012024-03-05T04:07:52.393-05:00Homeward BoundIt is a mission of the caring staff at Leesburg Animal Hospital to help homeless animals find loving homes. We want to share our thoughts about the animals we meet everyday at our job and help the ones who do not have a home find a loving owner.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-62728362102685406172011-02-23T11:29:00.000-05:002011-02-23T11:29:15.416-05:00The little red wagon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">This was a funny email I got from my mom...thought everyone would enjoy!</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<img border="0" height="251" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://mail.aol.com/33222-111/aol-6/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=29789604&folder=OldMail&partId=3" width="196" /><br />
A firefighter was working on the engine outside the Station, when he noticed <br />
a little girl nearby in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off the sides and <br />
a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle. <br />
<br />
The girl was wearing a firefighter's helmet. <br />
<br />
The wagon was being pulled by her dog and her cat. <br />
<br />
The firefighter walked over to take a closer look. <br />
'That sure is a nice fire truck,' the firefighter said with admiration.<br />
<br />
'Thanks,' the girl replied. The firefighter looked a little closer. The girl had <br />
Tied the wagon to her dog's collar and to the cat's testicles. <br />
<br />
'Little partner,' the firefighter said, 'I don't want to tell you how to run your <br />
rig, but if you were to tie that rope around the cat's collar, I think you could go <br />
faster. '<br />
<br />
The little girl replied thoughtfully, 'You're probably right, but <br />
then I wouldn't have a siren.' </span></div>Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-28867578182772408782011-02-23T10:14:00.000-05:002011-02-23T10:14:38.581-05:00A Good Butt Chewin'!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t2CuzvyIqyIj8RxMj5qvaMfH0NOzJxqDFkeEooeW1i2RiZc_d64wh91ssKWb2em8ligCY7bV6YkEgGb9lCq2Bj7GQ0yo07i3OIJFXdPInUtWNEKk98-cQxF-tgl5b54u5pP5Ea6vF-U/s1600/chewing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t2CuzvyIqyIj8RxMj5qvaMfH0NOzJxqDFkeEooeW1i2RiZc_d64wh91ssKWb2em8ligCY7bV6YkEgGb9lCq2Bj7GQ0yo07i3OIJFXdPInUtWNEKk98-cQxF-tgl5b54u5pP5Ea6vF-U/s320/chewing2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
These are some pictures of a sweet old dog named Hobo. He got his name because he was a wanderer of the streets, living off of garbage can scraps. A good soul picked him up, after trying to catch him for several months, and has become his guardian. Hobo does not get along with all of his roommates and from time to time will pick some fights. It is not such a smart idea on Hobo's part because his legs are rather short and he does not always get away so quickly...as with this time. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zvm5sIzMUiIa6yjQBHvQVH6jOnble1IBiN0F7HANXv5PCrBqDiP247kYpuQncOCvYCGm-d9l6IuwwYaurc8q8NG-M-ImPNqvQGsPJofrWfB8qMyDvKz6ATOWly2Kx-Js_n3IhWLArwg/s1600/chewing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zvm5sIzMUiIa6yjQBHvQVH6jOnble1IBiN0F7HANXv5PCrBqDiP247kYpuQncOCvYCGm-d9l6IuwwYaurc8q8NG-M-ImPNqvQGsPJofrWfB8qMyDvKz6ATOWly2Kx-Js_n3IhWLArwg/s320/chewing3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You can see he has three holes on his back end. He was obviously trying to run away but didn't quite run fast enough. When an animal bites another animal, the bite itself introduces bacteria to the wound and an abscess will form beneath the tissues. In order to promote draining of the wound, we placed two penrose drains. The drains will stay in place for 3-5 days and will then be removed. Hobo will also be treated with antibiotics and pain medicine. </div><br />
Maybe next time he will pick a fight with a smaller dog!</div>Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-87152666287495970162011-02-17T16:00:00.001-05:002011-02-17T16:00:50.287-05:00Now that is a dirty mouth!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEsR8AEWoe2xUrYG6BEC9atUlQMke06WKVMDy5HF1BulkAFxT_61NWkfcin58D5UyfBkd9GJXd3mamZDY-0osbjD7oQ4lvFthqX9BPRm2A-Ny6qHKYXP6XNz6q_7XZU_6yspYLiYClws/s1600/teeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEsR8AEWoe2xUrYG6BEC9atUlQMke06WKVMDy5HF1BulkAFxT_61NWkfcin58D5UyfBkd9GJXd3mamZDY-0osbjD7oQ4lvFthqX9BPRm2A-Ny6qHKYXP6XNz6q_7XZU_6yspYLiYClws/s320/teeth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This is a picture of a dog who is only two years old and already has an exuberant amount of accumulation of tartar on his teeth. It can also be see that he has retained deciduous teeth, also referred to as "baby" teeth or "milk" teeth. From this picture notice that he has a tooth on the upper arcade and the lower arcade which should not be there. On the upper arcade of teeth the tooth which is curved backwards is the retained tooth. Just below those teeth ,on the lower arcade (next to the finger in the picture), is the other baby tooth. Notice how it has pushed the permanent tooth in towards the tongue. These deciduous teeth usually come out on their own much like a child loses his teeth. For whatever reason these teeth have remained intact causing crowding of other teeth and accumulation of food and debris. It is important to have these teeth removed. If the teeth are not lost naturally by 6 months of age, we recommend having them manually removed. This is a procedure which is done under general anesthesia and oftentimes is done at the same time of having a young dog spayed or neutered.<br />
<br />
So, if you want your dog to keep his teeth and to have "fresher" breath, make sure he only has the amount of teeth for which his mouth is designed and he has routine cleanings. Don't let it look like this mouth. <br />
<br />
Look for our ad in the Lee Ledger the whole month of February for a $10 off coupon. </div>Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-52784895270959922272011-02-14T20:41:00.000-05:002011-02-14T20:41:17.907-05:00February Is Dental Month<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">February is Dental Month and we are offering $10 off our dentals. Coupons are in this weeks Leesburg Ledger or mention this post!</div>Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-19355190166701561542011-02-10T15:15:00.000-05:002011-02-10T15:15:36.178-05:00This is one sick puppy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKrSHL_Ilre8LV4aoVhjc4FRuAQfwz-Dmucgg5uPWag4ppAVUeneSog9XnS2FqnoXdImpU9n8n417JHqT3_ab_dkOo8B797ReOO5bSDU6Y7JuZw7wPzjTqjri1FL-wd12M5wyl1t1TBI/s1600/parvo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKrSHL_Ilre8LV4aoVhjc4FRuAQfwz-Dmucgg5uPWag4ppAVUeneSog9XnS2FqnoXdImpU9n8n417JHqT3_ab_dkOo8B797ReOO5bSDU6Y7JuZw7wPzjTqjri1FL-wd12M5wyl1t1TBI/s320/parvo2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckmxQ0LQzMm3yV9eIK9N_7iRHd8JK91JWMpqfERTsi5uaTH0UggZWiE6dkuUHsxk08x_-OFbYbqEwgV07dmlqRYkB-N88I7AgjHKrV8zcH4QCnYqbvDS1kBwlsSMfNT8o7Fa-pCA7_Ig/s1600/parvo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckmxQ0LQzMm3yV9eIK9N_7iRHd8JK91JWMpqfERTsi5uaTH0UggZWiE6dkuUHsxk08x_-OFbYbqEwgV07dmlqRYkB-N88I7AgjHKrV8zcH4QCnYqbvDS1kBwlsSMfNT8o7Fa-pCA7_Ig/s320/parvo1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This little guy is Sebastian, and the second picture is the results of his Parvo test, which is positive and is making him feel very sick. Parvo is a very serious virus in puppies which is included in the vaccines of puppies. The virus is spread by the fecal-oral route, which means it is shed through the feces and picked up by other puppies by ingestion. The incubation period for the virus is 7-14 days, therefore it could take that long for the puppy to show clinical signs once the puppy has been exposed to the virus. Clinical signs are inappetance, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. Parvo is primarily a virus of puppies, but cases have been documented in adult animals. The average time to see Parvo in a puppy is between 6 weeks and 6 months. <br />
<br />
Vaccinating appropriately and maintaining clean living quarters is the mainstay of prevention. Puppies are not considered completely vaccinated until they have had a set of four vaccines one month apart beginning at the age of 5-7 weeks. The last vaccine should be given after 16 weeks of age which is when it is believed all maternal antibodies are gone, which may interfere with the vaccine.<br />
<br />
Sebastian will stay with us on IV fluids, anti-emetics, antibiotics, and analgesics until until hopefully he can regain his strength and go home. Parvo is a tough virus to have and Sebastian has a long fight ahead of him. </div>Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-40941093743970106692011-01-11T14:01:00.000-05:002011-01-11T14:01:34.229-05:00War Eagle? Quack Quack?So, I sat down with my husband last night to watch the National Championships between the Tigers and the Ducks. I got about 6 minutes into the game and my phone rang...colic call. Great! Just what I wanted to do when it is 32 degrees outside! But, it is my job, so when someone needs me, I must go. I took off my Snuggie, put on my thermal underwear, jeans and boots, left my husband snuggled up by the fire and headed out to the country.<br />
<br />
Kenny was the horses' name and he was definitely colicky. For clarity, colic simply means an acute onset of abdominal pain. Typical signs of colic in a horse are pawing at the ground, rolling, biting at the flank area, and sweating. Kenny's only symptom was wanting to lay down and roll. Many owners will feel the need to see if they can wait it out and hopefully the horse will "work it out." Let me give a little piece of advice... the earlier the call the cheaper the emergency fee. I would much rather be working on a colicking horse, or any other emergency for that matter, at seven or eight o'clock rather than midnight! And might I just add, if I have to get up out the bed and out of my pajama's, the emergency fee is much larger. Sorry, but that's just the way it goes.<br />
<br />
So, I get out to the barn and treat Kenny as I would any typical colic. He received intravenous pain medicine and a smooth muscle relaxer, some sedation and was tubed with some warm water and mineral oil and treated with Ulcerguard. After talking with the owner this morning, he seems to be doing fine. <br />
<br />
The lesson here is that Kenny's owner did the right thing. When she noticed he was feeling painful, she called the vet. We were able to treat Kenny's pain while it was manageable. Colics are medical conditions that can escalate very quickly and turn into a surgical condition in just a matter of an hour or so. My advice...don't play the "wait and see" game.<br />
<br />
Oh, and congratulations Tigers!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-62746622808133477222011-01-10T14:50:00.000-05:002011-01-10T14:50:37.950-05:00Hills Pet Fit Challenge!Hill's Pet Nutrition has started up the "Pet Fit Challenge." The Challenge is open now and you may enter at any time over the next three months (closes March 31, 2011) If you have helped your pet (dog or cat) lose weight using either Science Diet or Hill's Weight management foods, and have the pics to prove, you should enter. The winner is chosen based on the submission of an essay and photographs about their weight loss journey. Finalists will win an expense paid trip to an undisclosed location and will have chance to win up to $1,000,000. Minmum prizes are $10,000. Go to PetFit.com for full details and get entered to win some big bucks!!!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-69559375249536864022011-01-10T14:06:00.000-05:002011-01-10T14:06:31.163-05:00Exciting News!We are excited to tell that Scout, the kitty we posted about last week, has found a new home. He will be a resident of Dougherty County now. We know his new folks are going to give a great home with abundant love. Hopefully they will keep us posted on his well being and bring him back for a visit from time to time.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-47899165486504901162011-01-06T14:13:00.000-05:002011-01-06T14:13:46.569-05:00New Cat for Adoption<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga29A8b6hWsG90oVaMDyBbU9Ovrh5EeqpKG2zm9QcjXpII2K-CSs12k68s8_MDHFgHEuGuqdpVR5T9sACBSitulR5aJoYsPublIIfnUr1iOLzBp9xGTLO5IzsteVTHbfMK0LU1oXQoohc/s1600/scout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga29A8b6hWsG90oVaMDyBbU9Ovrh5EeqpKG2zm9QcjXpII2K-CSs12k68s8_MDHFgHEuGuqdpVR5T9sACBSitulR5aJoYsPublIIfnUr1iOLzBp9xGTLO5IzsteVTHbfMK0LU1oXQoohc/s320/scout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We have this new cat here at the clinic which came from my husband's office, Longleaf Dental, in Albany. It seems a feral cat colony resides in the undeveloped area between Longleaf and Flint Community Bank. They are thriving off the garbage from the Mexican Restaurant behind them. Well, this one kitty, who is not so feral, was trying to come in the front door with their clients. He is such a friendly cat, we decided to find him a home. He has been tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Infectious Virus and both were negative. He has been castrated, de-wormed and completely vaccinated. I feel he needs to be an outside cat as he has a lot of energy. He has demonstrated the potential to be a good "mouse.r" I say this because he has murdered several stuffed mice placed in his pen. Whoever takes home this special cat will have a good friend and a lot of entertainment! Come by and take a peak at him. As always if you take him home and he does not jive with the rest of the family, he is always welcomed back to our home. Currently we call him Scout, but I think he will answer to just about anything.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-41544184047260294792010-12-19T14:28:00.000-05:002010-12-19T14:28:07.224-05:00Brrrrrr!As I sit here by my fire watching the NCHA futurities, thinking how hard it is going to be to get up in the morning at 6 AM to make it to the gym, I am thankful for my warm home. I have all my critters in the den with me. Normally they sleep outside, even on a cold night, but knowing it is going to get down to 18 degrees tonight, we decided to let them come in to enjoy the fire with us. I get asked all the time if animals should be brought inside during the cold weather, and that really is a question which can only be answered after taking into consideration many variables. The truth is, before we domesticated dogs, they lived their life and thrived outside in much more extreme winters than here in South Georgia. Now having said that, I do have to say the wild dog and the typical domesticated dog are two very different dogs. First off, dogs in the wild did not live to be ten or twelve years old, their hair coat was adapted to extreme temperatures, and they certainly did not weigh four pounds. So when I am asked the question of whether or not a dog or a cat should be brought inside the home, these are things I talk to owners about before making that call. Assuming animals have some type of hole or covering to escape the winds such as a dog house, a crate or a barrel and this area is bedded down with a bedding such as wood chips, straw or hay and the animal is a healthy, young to middle aged dog in good body condition, they will be able to sustain the winter temperatures. Many people like to put a heat lamp on the dog houses, which do increase the temperature substantially, but it can not be ignored the dangers in that. One major fact is that all dogs like to chew on inanimate objects and an electrical cord draped around their dog house makes it very enticing to do a little chewing and chewing on an electrical cord that has electricity flowing can result in electrocution. <br />
<br />
So, I say if in doubt as to whether or not your pets can handle the winter, just bring them inside. If they are not house broken, close them up in a bathroom or laundry room and allow them to spend the night in the warmth. Before turning them out in the mornings, feed them a good meal and make sure their water is not frozen. They will be so grateful.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-30793590056154109342010-12-12T09:49:00.000-05:002010-12-12T09:49:51.443-05:00Does someone feed the animals?Really? Is this is question worthy of an answer? If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone ask me or one of my employees this question, I could probably add on a new state of the art surgery wing to Leesburg Animal Hospital. <br />
<br />
When someone asks if we feed the animals on the weekends, what I really want to say is "Did you fall on your head today?" "Did you for get to put on your brain when you put on yours shoes this morning?" Or, I consider trying and reasoning with them and explain that it would not make good sense to board and animal at a place that didn't feed the animals...they would be better off just fending for themselves on the streets or locked up in the back yard. The truth is it somewhat angers me to have to answer this question, but I just smile and politely say "Oh yes, someone comes in twice a day." So, if anyone needs clarity on this question let me try and make sense of it...yes, we do come in twice a day on weekends and holidays to feed, water, walk, and clean the cages. Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-65358072072864702722010-12-07T15:37:00.000-05:002010-12-07T15:37:13.849-05:00Russell Report #2We are so happy to say....Russell went home today!!! Hopefully he has learned his lesson...probably not. Boys will be boys.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-33291887901808100612010-12-04T18:06:00.000-05:002010-12-04T18:06:41.666-05:00Spirit of Christmas Parade and Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQkpL1_c3Qie_sdZyB5ZLQHkOSCxIUsV2eOicHzNYb-tJBhryYfyAhDW8ANWLlmTF18cYLaXZLQdaJO4TMBlRslqxNlw1715730Nk_HcK-pM4XCjiwjfLBANcpEjlf2YKqbDEciWO__w/s1600/DSC00556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQkpL1_c3Qie_sdZyB5ZLQHkOSCxIUsV2eOicHzNYb-tJBhryYfyAhDW8ANWLlmTF18cYLaXZLQdaJO4TMBlRslqxNlw1715730Nk_HcK-pM4XCjiwjfLBANcpEjlf2YKqbDEciWO__w/s320/DSC00556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We all had such a good time today at the Spirit of Christmas Parade throwing out candy and telling everyone "Fleas Navidad." It is great to be a part of a wonderful, small town in South Georgia. We love Leesburg, Ga and are so happy to be this year's second place winner of the Christmas Parade. Our theme was a big hit, however some needed a little help in understanding, but that's OK. <br />
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The doggie fun zone went well. Fifty eight dogs entered in the obstacle course. Most had a great time chasing that "rabbit." While others were a little less enticed by it. It was fun watching how all the dogs responded differently to the rabbit and the athletic abilities of all of them. Animals never cease to amaze me. At a charge of ten dollars a piece, we raised a good bit of money for our Fifth Friday Foundation Animal Shelter. <br />
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The Pet Trick contest was won by one of our very own friends, Spotty. He did a whole routine of different tricks to wow the crowd and win a first place ribbon.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-1902433128185815952010-12-01T12:42:00.000-05:002010-12-01T12:42:31.072-05:00Russell ReportRussell is hanging in there. He seems to be about the same today. After an x-ray of his chest, we have found that he is retaining some fluid on his lungs, so we have put him on a diuretic. His appetite is not voracious, but he still nibbles,secretly. He ate some cheese with a little bit of vigor. His wounds continue to drain and he has a terrible odor, but it is getting better. Our hopes are still high for him, but he is not out of the woods just yet. All we ask for is a little improvement each day.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-5643989087517566442010-12-01T12:32:00.000-05:002010-12-01T12:32:42.057-05:00Russell the Jack Russell who got in a Tussle!!So I may not have had any emergencies for Thanksgiving Day, but Sunday was certainly a busy day for me. It seems I was back and forth to and from the clinic all day. One particular case I saw Sunday evening is worth mentioning. His name is Russell. Russell is a Jack Russell Terrier who was a stray and took up residence at his current home about a year ago. It seems he went outside on Thanksgiving night and did not return until Saturday night. When he returned home he had several puncture wounds on his back and was obviously beaten. On Sunday his spirits began to drop; he was not moving around much and did not want to eat and he had an obvious odor about him. His owners called the emergency number and I met them at the clinic. When he came in I found a dog obviously in pain with several open wounds in the skin on his dorsal back. He was shivering; had a subnormal body temperature and was in a serious amount of pain. He had an odor of infection about him and was obviously on the verge of becoming septicemic. By judging the character of his wounds it looked as though he had been attacked by another animal. <br />
<br />
I placed a catheter and started him on IV antibiotics, fluids and pain medicine and placed him on a heating pad in an attempt to get is body temperature up. Monday morning he was feeling about the same. His temperature was up one degree, so we sedated Russell, opened up his wounds and placed some drains. We flushed his wounds and trimmed out a considerable amount of necrotic flesh. It was a rough day the rest of Monday for Russell. He laid on his side all day; he did not eat or drink. He would not even stand; as soon as we would help him sit up right he would immediately collapse and fall over on his side. He just laid in his pen all day long with this pitiful look on his face. Things were not looking so good for Russell. <br />
<br />
This morning his temperature was up; he would stand for a little bit and drank a small amount of water. Later in the morning his family came to visit him. After seeing them his spirits seemed to brighten. His family brought him some of his favorite food...moist and meaty patties. We put part of a patty in his food bowl and he did not seem to be interested so we left it there. Later in the day I walked by his pen and noticed that half of it was gone, so I put a little more in there. He did not eat it immediately, but when I walked by his pen and checked him a little later, I noticed he had eaten some more. He did this two more times. I would put some of the moist and meaty packet in his food bowl; he would not eat it immediately, but when I walked by a little bit later I would notice it was gone. He was a sneaky little sneak that Russell! This evening we have seen the first glimmer of hope in his condition. Hopefully his improvement will continue. We are all rooting for him up here at he clinic. He is a special little guy with a special family who needs him at home and needs him home soon.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-33829741859803133032010-11-26T08:42:00.000-05:002010-11-26T08:56:17.797-05:00Black FridayI can not believe it!! I made it through the whole day with out having to take an emergency! Our Thanksgiving Day was fabulous here at home. We had a combined day with my family and Charles' family for a total of 13 adults and 4 children. After our huge lunch the men, of course, watched football and the women sat on the patio and watched the kids play in the back yard. They attempted to play baseball, but my black Lab, Ransom, kept retrieving the ball. Unless they hit the ball out of the Invisible Fence line, Ransom would pick the the ball up and run the bases for them. It was great fun to watch. He is such a ham. Skeebo just watched and barked her fool head off! That's about the only thing she is good at!<br /><br />Now it's time for some Black Friday deals on this dreary, rainy day!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-38795263020179429702010-11-24T11:17:00.000-05:002010-11-24T11:57:03.580-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!!Happy Thanksgiving to all our followers! Remember that your Thanksgiving meal is intended for you and your two legged family members only; it does not extend to the four legged members. My rule of thumb... only those who sit in a chair at the table get to eat from the table!! I don't want to be up at the office treating any dogs for vomiting or diarrhea on Thanksgiving Day!!<br /><br />Also, remember to watch dogs and cats scooting out the door as family and friends come in and out the doors. Animals can easily be left unattended in the yard and find their way to the road, which does not make for a Happy Thanksgiving.<br /><br />I hate to be pessimistic, but in my eight years of seeing emergencies during the Holidays these are the most common emergencies, so consider it friendly advice. And once again, Happy Thanksgiving!!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-50401475956922054512010-11-21T18:48:00.000-05:002010-11-22T13:59:11.260-05:00New blog ideasNow that our calendar is completed and has gone to print, I can get back to blogging. The calendar took up a lot of time, but hopefully it will be worth it. I hope it is a HUGE success and is something we do year after year. Assuming we do a 2012 calendar, it is my good intent to get started much earlier. Maybe I will start after the first of the year.<br /><br />As I read back over the blog last night, I realized that it was not exactly a "fun" blog; it really did not have a lot of laughing in it. Although I feel the stories on there are great and worthy of being told, they probably just make the reader say "Awe, how sweet," instead of "Man, that was funny!" Nor do I find the blog all that informative. So, today I am turning over a new leaf on the blog. I would like to keep readers more informed on what is going on at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Leesburg</span> Animal Hospital. Mostly it will be animal related, but it may also have just some news updates and such. Like this news... we have had three babies at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LAH</span>, human babies that is...the two legged kind. Over the past five months we have have not been at full staff, someone has been out either about to deliver, delivering, or on maternity leave. First Mindy had a little boy named Daniel back in June. Next Dr. Shannon had a little girl named <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kinley</span> in August and then a few days later Georgette had a little girl named Hayden. So since June we have been short one or two people, but finally our family is back together again.<br /><br />Other news... we are hard at work on our float for the parade. This will be our first year in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Leesburg</span> Christmas parade. Our theme is....are you ready? Get this......"Fleas <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Navidad</span>!" Get it?? Isn't that funny! We are so excited about it. Prentiss and Dr. Shannon have been hard at work putting it together, so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ya'll</span> come out and support <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Leesburg</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Leesburg</span> Animal Hospital Saturday, December 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span>. It is <span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">going </span>to be be a fun time. Oh, and also, after the parade there will be a festival and this year <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Leesburg</span> Animal Hospital is supporters of the first annual <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Doggie</span> Fun Zone. So, bring your dogs with you to the festival there will be lots of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">activities</span> for the them at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Doggie</span> Fun Zone. But please, please, please, keep your pooches on a leash! I don't want to be sewing any dogs up on Saturday.<br /><br />That's all for now. I will post pics of our float soon!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-15324432878142068522010-11-21T09:19:00.001-05:002010-11-22T14:11:26.002-05:00New Toys at Leesburg Animal HospitalWe are excited about new "toys", as I refer to the them, at Leesburg Animal Hospital. Recently we purchased a Surgical Laser and a Therapy Laser. Both are fancy smancy machines we are using to make our patients feel better. Our surgical laser is a machine that essentially replaces the scalpel blade. We will use it from now on in all of our surgeries. The benefit of using the surgical laser is that it create less pain. Anytime an incision is made into the skin, whether it be for a spay, castration, mass removal, etc, it causes a release of "things" into the bloodstream that cause pain. By using the surgical laser it will hopefully reduce those pain "things" and thereby reduce the patent's discomfort. Another great advantage of the surgical laser is for the surgeon. It provides great hemostasis (hemo-blood; stasis-staying/stopping). In other words there is much less blood in the incision site and the surgeon can see what she is doing.<br /><br />Our next new toy is a laser as well, but a different kind. It is a therapy laser. A therapy laser is exactly that...a therapeutic laser. We are using it to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis, wound healing, wound contamination and many other types of inflammatory problems. So far we are having great results with both or our machines.<br /><br />Soon I will post a picture of our fabulous new toys. Feel free to drop by and see them and ask questions.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-63038607430072294582010-11-20T09:09:00.000-05:002010-11-26T10:23:06.886-05:002011 A Mutt-A-Month CalendarAll of us up here at the office have been very busy working on an idea of ours. We are so thankful the Fifth Friday Foundation Lee County Animal Shelter has opened and know of the costs in keeping a facility like that up and running, so we wanted to help offset some of the costs. Soon we will have the "2011 A Mutt A Month" calendar available. The calendar will feature twelve animals who are not pure breeds (i.e. mutts)who have touched our lives this year. It is our hopes to have this calendar printed and ready to be sold shortly after Thanksgiving. The only qualification for being considered for the calendar was to not be a full blooded breed...in essence a mutt. We are selling the calendars for $10 and 100% of the proceeds will go to the shelter. Calendars will be available at Leesburg Animal Hospital and the Lee County Animal Shelter. So come pick up a calendar and support your shelter. Also, when you consider purchasing a pet as a Christmas gift this year, please visit your local shelters and see what loving, needing animals are available there. Who knows, they just might make the 2012 "A Mutt a Month" calendar!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-79307128790376769162010-06-16T11:04:00.000-04:002010-06-16T11:08:42.593-04:00Elvis is Alive!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KV3do2xsSJ78ap3jier-ka8zuGWQoIeqQJvNElGDL_Gi6aA7jkXeNdN8afJh-WRGQkm2al3H9A3SrURTi2DbFfvtTF-AnuiSAdlsNUKCJnsPOLae7EEYgkGxy_-03Sk8cZ04ZjBPJac/s1600/elvis.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KV3do2xsSJ78ap3jier-ka8zuGWQoIeqQJvNElGDL_Gi6aA7jkXeNdN8afJh-WRGQkm2al3H9A3SrURTi2DbFfvtTF-AnuiSAdlsNUKCJnsPOLae7EEYgkGxy_-03Sk8cZ04ZjBPJac/s320/elvis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483388425261976130" /></a><br />Remember Elvis? The emaciated dog that was found on the side of the road? Well, he came back to visit us the end of May and we did not even recognize him! He had put on two and a half pounds, his wound was healing and his hair was growing out. He was full of life when we saw him and happy to be living in his new home! What a happy story!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-76560054973169284482010-05-18T14:59:00.000-04:002010-05-18T15:02:50.464-04:00New puppy for adoption<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3-8diuxWS1S9d62PppXcJOXzCPGSZLcWFl1f6PNEPVDhPG-1vaIqDfw42mJEbxVscShOuvNdok2W_n5lE1I59T1qYNlYV_5J6ihLP1jx9B_vBcf81mmXZiAxB8xGq8N7rZQQEoAhExg/s1600/IMG_1969.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3-8diuxWS1S9d62PppXcJOXzCPGSZLcWFl1f6PNEPVDhPG-1vaIqDfw42mJEbxVscShOuvNdok2W_n5lE1I59T1qYNlYV_5J6ihLP1jx9B_vBcf81mmXZiAxB8xGq8N7rZQQEoAhExg/s320/IMG_1969.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472687154129936130" /></a><br />We have a puppy at our sister office in Albany for adoption. Her name is Penny. She is about 12 weeks old and made it through treatment for Parvo, but her owner never returned to pick her up. She desperately needs a new home!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-28100346033043751552010-05-18T14:47:00.000-04:002010-05-18T14:54:32.383-04:00Elvis ain't no hound dog!!Elvis after his haircut<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69on2sqb0j9OitKYX9fnor0rels2MuRW3i0YBC6YaDYEGSLFz11-gRrn4gsQxY0H9HiT_6we5JPJEHFTQMx7xBpnsWIocVmjlC4gp7MMCuWACjrQK-YhiPv-zDKinGBcDY0OVNf1dP-M/s1600/elvisafter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69on2sqb0j9OitKYX9fnor0rels2MuRW3i0YBC6YaDYEGSLFz11-gRrn4gsQxY0H9HiT_6we5JPJEHFTQMx7xBpnsWIocVmjlC4gp7MMCuWACjrQK-YhiPv-zDKinGBcDY0OVNf1dP-M/s320/elvisafter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472685036843852242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyYNJwIQ07XXyEUnRf7WpJmq35Pp3kNce_uT9vjh9RPZGCRHPr28ki_S-H6VAuMr0IyC4dy7iCS1Sxt1lhJIhK_lofvun2jYt0wpYIT-U5NS9FlZxbfM3vewenNISLc5isIU2Tw4ZXfk/s1600/elvisbefore.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyYNJwIQ07XXyEUnRf7WpJmq35Pp3kNce_uT9vjh9RPZGCRHPr28ki_S-H6VAuMr0IyC4dy7iCS1Sxt1lhJIhK_lofvun2jYt0wpYIT-U5NS9FlZxbfM3vewenNISLc5isIU2Tw4ZXfk/s320/elvisbefore.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472684198034404034" /></a><br />Elvis before his haircutHaley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-70351602944784514442010-04-27T19:39:00.000-04:002010-05-18T14:36:39.597-04:00Elvis is back in Graceland!We have such a wonderful story to tell; it happened a few weeks ago. A client of ours, Amanda, was driving down the road on Gordon Avenue in Albany. She saw what she thought was a white stuffed animal on the side of the road and decided to turn around and investigate. Turns out it was not stuffed; it was alive! A small white dog was stretched out on his side perfectly still in the tall grass. Amanda said the dog did not even move as she approached him. She reached down and picked him up and he never even seemed to be the least bit apprehensive; he never offered to bite or even shy at her hand or touch. It was as though help had finally arrived. She brought him to the clinic for us to look over and do a good physical examination. The poor guy was emaciated and just so low on energy. His hair was matted up into one large rug covering his whole body except around his neck where it looked as though he had been shaved. His total body weight was 3.6 pounds. <br /><br />We pulled blood for a heartworm test and, amazingly, it was negative. We shaved him and underneath all that matted up hair found a moderate sized hole on his back leg that looked to be an old abscess which had ruptured and was draining. During the time he was being shaved, we fed him treats from our treat jar which he ate with a ravenous appetite. He obviously had been several days without a meal. <br /><br />Amanda decided to name him Elvis and I am sure he is living in Graceland now. We can't wait for him to come back and see how far along he has come.Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443058822409522601.post-85191311587250165212010-03-18T12:53:00.000-04:002010-03-18T13:04:14.486-04:00Jenkins is Homeward Bound!We are quite happy to report our supermarkent dog, Jenkins, found a new home today. A Lee County resident visited the Animal Control this morning and stopped by our office on her way home to ask some questions about adopting from the the pound. We told her about our Jenkins and brought him out to meet her. She fell in love instantly. She was certain she wanted him castrated, so we went ahead with the surgery this morning and he will go to his new home tomorrow. We are just busting out with joy at his new home. He is going to live on the Kinchafoonee Creek and have plenty of room to romp around. He can even go for a swim if he so desires. His new owner is a retired school teacher, so they will have many days together filled with quality time and is sure to be a well behaved dog!Haley H. Clark, DVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17591290555715380622noreply@blogger.com0