 WHAT’S NEW
|
Companion Laser Therapy
Circle of Life Animal Wellness Center is thrilled to offer new Laser Therapy! This revolutionary new treatment offers pain relief, speeds healing, improves mobility and decreases the amount of other medications your pet may require. Read the following excerpt from the Companion Therapy Laser website:
Laser Therapy and Your Pet
What will the application of laser therapy do for my pet?
Laser therapy applied with the Companion therapy laser system provides a sterile, pain-free, surgery- free, drug-free treatment which is used to treat a variety of injuries, wounds, fractures, neurological conditions, numerous dermatological problems, and pain. Whether your pet is rehabilitating from trauma or injury, healing from wounds, or simply aging, your companion will benefit from this revolutionary new approach to Veterinary medicine.
Laser therapy is the only course of treatment that actually stimulates the body to heal from within. Non-thermal photons of light are administered to the body and absorbed by the injured cells. The cells are then stimulated and respond with a higher rate of metabolism. This results in increased circulation from the body, an anti-inflammatory reaction, relief from pain and an acceleration of the healing process.
What to expect during a Companion Laser Therapy treatment session for your companion?
Simply put, it provides relief.
As the laser is administered, your pet will relax and enjoy, much like you, experiencing a good massage. The almost immediate relief of pain will allow your pet to be comfortable and any anxiety that your pet initially experienced will dissipate. Angry feline companions will start to purr and most of our canine companions will actually fall asleep during their therapy session.
Frequently, after therapy, the quote is heard: "Our young animal is back" or "she acts like a puppy again." - Pain relief is provided in just a few minutes of therapy and that alone improves the quality of life for your best friend.
Sage, Dr. Best’s 13 year-old dog, has been receiving Laser Therapy for her arthritic elbows. Sage enjoys her treatments; she actually falls asleep during them! The treatments seem to be helping, as Sage has a new spring to her step, even for an "older" lady!
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call our office at 406-245-4772.
What’s New with Our Staff
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Heidi Stricker to our staff. Dr. Sticker joined us in August. She is quickly developing a strong client base and has blended in very well with the rest of the staff! Some of her special interests include laboratory medicine and ferret medicine. As a previous ferret owner, she understands the unique needs of ferrets and is very familiar with their medical conditions. To read more about Dr. Sticker, please visit our "About Us" page on our website.
We also welcome Shannon Sheridan as the newest member of our kennel staff. Shannon is training to become a veterinary technician.
Dr. Best recently received training in the Tightrope method of Canine Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair and will soon be offering it to clients. Please see the handout for the Tightrope procedure and Cranial Cruciate disease in general in our Services section of the website.
Michelle welcomed a new dog to her family. Trucker is a longhaired miniature Dachshund, who is fitting in nicely with Buddy and the rest of the family!
Tahina has added a few new members to her family as well. Two new dogs, Haus and Nettle, now take to canine total to six! Rickit, a new kitten, has also blended into their family. Rickit occasionally spends the day at work, admiring Frank, despite the fact that Frank is a bad influence!
In Loving Memory:
Cynthia said good-bye to Jake this summer and sent him on to the Rainbow Bridge. Jake was featured in our Spring newsletter. His daily struggle with arthritis became too much for him. He was the sweetest Chow Chow one would ever meet and he will be missed!
Fall/Winter Wellness Tips |
Holiday Hazards
By: Elizabeth Sikveland
Holidays bring together family and friends to celebrate a joyous occasion. As we begin unpacking decorations and finding grandma’s famous turkey stuffing recipe there are a few tips we need to remember to keep our furry four-legged family members safe. 
Halloween can be a scary time for your pet. Make sure to take the necessary precautions before trick-or-treaters begin to arrive. Keep your pets crated or in a secure room. Make sure your pet has on an up-to-date I.D. tag just in case there is an escape. Your pet may get loose and with costumed people on the streets they may get confused and may run from you. If you and your pet like to greet guests please keep them on a leash. This will help you control your pet if they become irritated with costumes and try to lunge or bite. Always keep your pets inside during Halloween hours to avoid barking and unnecessary agitation. Also keep in mind not all people are nice to pets and may taunt, poison or may even try to steal your furry friend.
Keep all candy out of reach of sniffing noses. Chocolate is the most common candy seen at Halloween. It contains theobromine, which in excessive amount can cause nerve damage and even death. Symptoms of chocolate toxicity may include excessive drooling or urination, pupil dilation, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Candy wrappers also poise a threat by causing intestinal obstruction or choking.
If you are using candles in your Halloween pumpkins remember to keep them on higher surfaces or where your pets cannot go. It’s very easy for a dog to wag its tail right through a lit candle. If you and your pet enjoy dressing up for the holiday make sure it’s not too tight especially around the neck area. Make sure all parts to the costume are secure to avoid choking or ingestion. As far as our kitty friends go please keep them inside during this frightful night, especially black cats. Some people have superstitions with black cats which if they run across the wrong person they could be injured or even killed.
One of the biggest hazards during Thanksgiving would of course be the turkey and all the fixings. Every dog needs a bone right? WRONG! Avoid giving all types of turkey bones to your pet. Even the smallest bones could potentially lodge in your pet’s throat or intestines. When making those thanksgiving buns, remember bread dough is extremely dangerous for any pet. Since bread dough raises it can cause extreme abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting and disorientation. If a large amount is consumed your pet may require surgery to retrieve the dough and may need treatment for alcohol toxicosis due to fermentation of the dough.
Do not give your pets any food high in fat or salt such as ham or bacon. These types of foods can lead to stomach issues and/or pancreatitis. Onions and onions powder can damage red blood cells, which can cause anemia. Raisins and grapes can lead to kidney failure, so if your not sure of ingredients in your stuffing, potatoes or yams avoid giving it to your pets. The best thing is to keep your pets on their scheduled diet to keep them safe. Never leave food unattended on table or counter at any time. Doing this will avoid a disastrous ending to a wonderful holiday meal.
Christmas is a holiday we all enjoy but it also brings with it many hazards for our fuzzy friends. As we count down the days please remember these safety tips. If you are one to enjoy a live tree always keep the tree stand covered. The pinesap in the water can make your pet sick.
Stagnant tree water can have an alarmingly high bacterial content, which can cause vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Always avoid edible ornaments on your tree. This is just a temptation that any animal even humans can’t avoid. Some other toxic plants to be aware of during this holiday, is the poinsettia. These can cause oral and stomach irritation with mild vomiting or nausea. Mistletoe can cause toxicity to your pet’s heart, but more commonly causes gastrointestinal upset. Holly, if ingested, can also cause gastrointestinal upset along with lethargy. Tree ornaments and decorations are very beautiful during the Christmas season but can cause some pets misery if ingested. If there is a mishap in your household with ornaments here is a method to aid your pet. Keep on hand before any holiday season, a box of cotton balls and a quart of half-and-half, which you can freeze for later use. If your pet should happen to enjoy a twinkling treat, thaw the cream and put in bowl dip cotton balls in cream and feed to your pet. Dogs under 10# should eat 2 balls torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-30# should eat 3-5 balls and larger dogs can eat 5-7 balls. As the cotton work its way through the digestive tract it will find all the glass pieces and wrap itself around them. This will protect your pet’s intestines from damage. Your dogs stool will be quite strange as the cotton passes. Some problems to watch for are fresh blood in stools or around rectum and a tarry appearance to the stool. If this should happen please seek veterinary assistance.
Along with dogs cats also enjoy the holiday season. Cats love pretty and shiny things. Try to keep cats out of tinsel this is probably easier said then done! Tinsel can turn into a nasty foreign body in the gut. It can entangle itself in your cat’s intestines, which almost always requires surgery to retrieve.
Remember to cover or hid electrical wires, your pet could chew them and it could electrocute them.
We would also like to remind you of a couple other winter hazards. Antifreeze has a pleasant sweet taste, which pets never hesitate to try a lick. As small as a teaspoon of antifreeze can be deadly. Always clean up any antifreeze spills and store extra in a tightly sealed container. If you think your pet has ingested antifreeze seek veterinary help immediately.
Rock salt used to melt ice can be irritating to your dog’s feet. When walking in the winter months check your pet’s feet often, wash and dry when you arrive home to avoid any injury.
Here are some other food items that should be avoided during any season. Alcoholic beverages can cause intoxication, coma and even death. Baby food can contain onion powder, which we learned during the Thanksgiving holiday can cause harm. Coffee, tea, or other caffeine can affect heart and nervous system. Citrus oil extracts can cause vomiting. Human vitamin supplements containing iron can damage the lining of the digestive tract and can be toxic to liver and kidneys. Liver in large amounts can cause vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones. Macadamia nuts can affect digestive and nervous systems and can cause seizures.
We at Circle of Life hope you and your pets have a wonderful and safe holiday season!
FEATURED CASES |
Reggie
Reggie is a feisty terrier who had a run-in with a porcupine. Reggie had to be sedated a few times to remove the quills from his face, neck and mouth. While his parents were traveling to Florida, they noted that his right eye was not doing well. After visits with two different veterinarians, it was determined that he had porcupine quills in his eye socket that had caused glaucoma and a detached retina. Unfortunately the eye was blind and painful and it was decided to remove it, a surgery known as enucleation. We had the pleasure to meet Reggie and his family once they returned to Montana. Dr. Best performed the surgery and found two quills lodged in the eye socket. Reggie recovered well and went home two days later. Time will tell whether he learned his lesson about porcupines, but his parents are not optimistic!!
Reggie’s case is an important reminder to all of us that porcupine quills need to be taken very seriously. If they are not removed in a timely manner, or if they are broken off, they readily migrate to other tissues. We have known of dogs that have had quills migrate to their heart, through their muscles, into tendons, and in Reggie’s case, into his eye socket. |
