Veterinary Hospital With a Heart

Chester: Kim's sweet kitty

Making the decision to leave a sick animal at the veterinary hospital is frequently one of the most difficult ones that pet owners have to make. Since both dogs and cats don't fare well being away from home in the first place, having to part, even for a few days from their human companion can cause additional stress on top of their illness.

While most veterinary hospitals invite human companions  to visit their pets daily to booster their spirits and renew their  bonds, when  "visiting hours" are over, it can be quite painful and upsetting for both human and pet to have to bid adieu. It can be heart-wrenching for both.

Ziggy Stardust: Kim's delightful canine 

While I was browsing one of my favorite pet related websites, Petside.com, I discovered a featured article about a  Veterinary Clinic whose mission is very unique. Located in Westbury, New York, The Center for Specialized Veterinary Care is the "Cat's meow". They sure aren't "putting on the dog" with what they have to offer.

This clinic truly believes that keeping pet owners and their "fur" babies together in a time of major stress is good medicine. They  subscribe to the philosophy that there is a necessity to not only focus on providing superior veterinary care for the ailing pet,  but to also to meet the emotional needs of both pet and its family. They use a holistic approach to treatment to the nth degree.

Their Compassionate Care Center is geared to meet these needs. This is the first time I have ever seen a veterinary clinic of this type, and one to which I give a huge "paws up" for providing this important level of care.

I fervently hope that other veterinary facilities will follow their lead and begin to  provide similar accomodations for their clients.

Would you want to be able to keep your pet company while he or she is hospitalized? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Keeping Kitty Comfy! Meet Butthead.

It has been what seems to be ages since I last posted anything about cats. Based on last week's entries, I might as well have changed the title of my blog to Frequently Equine. Barbaro's birthday week was so important, since he made such a deep impression on me, leaving a huge hole in my heart. But now I am back to business as usual, and feel compelled to return to our wonderful felines, for the moment at least.

My friend Andy is owned by a beautiful white cat (with a touch of gray on the top of his head), who is affectionately referred to as Butthead. Andy described his fur as a "million per square inch and very thick". At the height of the shedding season, she finds it impossible to leave her house without "wearing at least half of him". So in order to help both Butthead (by keeping him cooler), and also to save her from leaving the house wearing an extra layer of fur, she takes out her trusty clipper to give him a shave and a haircut with the help of a friend.

The process takes about 30 minutes. Butthead, a "great cat", often whines and complains while being subjected to his new coif, but never bites or claws. He probably knows by now that he will be a lot more comfy in the long run.

Andy does have to vacuum both herself and her friend when they are finished. I am sure that Butthead is not thrilled with the noisy vacuum monster. But he has heart and is very brave.

 
Butthead was clipped recently. Andy lives in New England where the early spring nights can get quite chilly,temperatures often reaching into the 30s. Since Andy does not want Butthead to catch a cold, she lavishes him with a little sweater to keep him warm.

Andy wrote a little more detail concerning Butthead's beautification, "These photos were taken about 2 months after his last hair cut last year. You can see we didn't do as good of a job. Now we really get closer and do more leaving a Mohawk We concentrate on his feet and a poof on the tip of his tail along with just his face so we don't clip any whiskers. Bailey Butthead Polar Bear is his nickname...Bailey was what he was given, but I call him Butthead, and everyone who meets him calls him Polar Bear due to his size. Butthead is around 8 years old now and is strictly an indoor cat."

 
I just love the way cat "servants"  go out of their way to take care of their kitties. It is a testament to the strong love and bond that develops and grows as our relationship with them deepens.

Do you do any special things with your cats to keep them comfortable? Leave a comment and let us know.

Finding The Right Veterinarian

Dr Erin Holder, DVM and our cat Hush Puppy

When my husband and I moved from New York state to Florida, one of the biggest challenges with which we were faced was finding a good local veterinarian. With the huge abundance of hanging shingles in our neighborhood coupled with advertisements galore in our local newspapers, how were we going to make the right choice in getting the best practioner for our cats?

We checked with friends to get referrals, but after after a few visits to a few of these local veterinarians, it became obvious that the scope of their practices were quite limited. Having cats with chronic conditions necessitated our finding someone who could handle them without having to send us to specialists on a regular basis.

So what exactly were we looking for? We were looking for someone who could perform not only yearly checkups and administer vaccinations. We wanted someone who could provide veterinary care for their life stages and any medical issues which our cats might encounter.

In addition to a practitioner who can provide excellent care, here are some additional things to consider when looking for the "right" veterinarian for you.

• Is the clinic clean and organized?
• Are the waiting rooms inviting?
• Does the clinic provide separate waiting rooms for cats and dogs? Is the staff friendly and helpful?
• Do the technicians answer your questions and get demonstrate interest and concern for your pet?
  
• Is the administrative staff friendly? The best veterinarian in the world counts on the supportive staff to be able to provide the most appropriate care for your pet.

Since most cats don't enjoy traveling if you are owned by felines is there a house call veterinarian available in your area? While the house call cost will generally exceed one which is clinic based, often this is well worth the added expense. When we were searching for a veterinarian, we wanted to find one who was mobile as well as having clinic hours.

Our cats are much happier not having to travel for routine visits so this convenient service is very valuable to us . . .   less stress for the cats, and an opportunity for the veterinarian to observe their behavior and interactions in our home.

 

I am happy to say that after a considerable search  we found a skilled, caring and committed veterinarian, Dr. Erin Holder,DVM of Florida Wild Veterinary Clinic, in DeLand, Florida, whose practice exceeds all the above requirements. In fact, when I come back as a cat in my next lifetime, I dearly hope that she is still in practice.

Taking the time to research thoroughly, visiting clinics and talking with the staff, will give you an idea of the kind of services that are offered.  Since your veterinarian will be the second most important person in your pets' lives, making the right choice is critical.

Visit finding the right veterinarian for more information and resources.

What kinds of experiences have you had in locating an exceptional veterinarian? Please share them with us by leaving a comment.