Barkoberfest!

Announcing Barkoberfest!

We will be having a pet costume party on Halloween, October 31st.  Our staff will be in costume and we will have fun with our costumed patients!
I (Dr. Hackworth) will be baking special treats for the pets (thank you Rachel Ray for the recipes) and each "costumed crusader" will receive a goody bag.

Hope to see you there!  Call the office for more information.  336-3759

Did you know?

Did You Know...

... THAT DOGS CAN SEE COLORS?

It is widely held, though no one is sure why, that dogs do not see in color. In fact, dogs have trouble distinguishing green, yellow, and red but blue and purple can be seen vividly. As predators, dogs need their vision most to distinguish motion and follow prey through the brush in a hot pursuit. Most of the dog's world is defined by scent, though, as their sense of smell is a good 1000 times stronger than ours.

Animal Cruelty Law in Missouri

The state's Attorney General is starting to better protect an unsuspecting public from "puppy mills."  He has launched a web site to better inform about these terrible conditions.

http://ago.mo.gov/CanineCruelty 
Protect yourself by first investigate.  Better yet,  adopt from a pound or shelter!

25 Years!

Sitting here thinking about how long I had been in St. Robert and I realized our hospital was established 25 years ago!  The clinic started in Hidden Valley Plaza in 1986 and I arrived in September 1987 after spending a few years as a veterinarian in the Army and one year in private practice in California.  We moved to our present location on New Year's Day, 1994.  Time sure has flown by!

Spay Your Pets!

We saw a beautiful dog a couple of weeks ago that was very ill and within days of possibly dying.  The physical examination revealed pyometra.
 
Pyometra is the medical term used to describe an infected uterus.
 

Pyometra can be a life threatening infection and may even require emergency surgery.  If left untreated, dogs may become very ill and many do not survive. With early treatment (usually emergency surgery, as our patient received), about 90 percent of affected dogs recover.

 

Since pyometra is an infection of the uterus, all unspayed dogs are susceptible. Usually, pyometra occurs within eight weeks of the dog's last heat cycle due to increased levels of the hormone progesterone.  Dogs and cats do not go through menopause, so their ovaries and uterus are always under some sort of hormonal control.

 

Please watch for:

Vaginal discharge

Lethargy

Lack of appetite

Depression

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating often

Please spay your pets!  The ovaries and uterus are removed so pyometra cannot occur.  The uterus below is about 5-6 times the normal size and full of pus.

Dogs and Fast Moving Cars Don't Mix!

Today we operated on a 4 month old puppy whose hip was shattered when she was hit by a car.  The surgery went well and she should recover nicely but will probably have a limp.  The best prevention is to keep your pets confined or on a leash and out of the road.  Dogs and cats don't realize that they are in danger when in or close to moving vehicles so it is our responsibility to protect them.  However, accidents do occur, but let's do our best to protect!

It's Still Hot Out There!

Remember your dogs and cats when it is so hot outdoors.  Many are not acclimated to the heat and humidity since they spend much of their time indoors in the air conditioning (as many of us).  Just a short play time outside is enough to cause a life-threatening heat stroke. 

We have seen several cases recently with some deaths and several dogs who will have life-long health issues after they recovered.  The brain, kidneys, and digestive tract do not like being overheated to 108!