Grooming NOW available

We are happy to announce that we now have a groomer on our team.

Please call to make your appointment to have your pet bathed and groomed.

Beat the heat, keep your pet cool!

Here’s some tips to help you beat the heat and keep your pet cool during the hot summer weather.

Most pet owners understand that leaving a pet in a car in the summer can kill them.  Unfortunately, not many realize just how quickly the effects of heatstroke can set in for a dog or cat.

Heatstroke is a condition that develops gradually at first but accelerates over time.  It is very easy for the early signs of heatstroke to not be noticed, and for the pet to be in an emergency situation fairly quickly.

On a summer day, a vehicle acts like an oven.  It holds the heat inside, and that heat becomes very intense even on days that don’t seem too warm. On an summer day, for example, even with the windows open, the temperature inside a car can climb to 120 degrees in just minutes and with humidity, it may go even higher. Because a pet’s normal body temperature is 101-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, he/she can only tolerate a body temperature of 107-108 degrees for only a very short time before suffering irreparable brain damage…or death.

If you are going to do errands where you’ll have to get out of your vehicle this summer, do what is best for your pet by leaving them home with proper shelter and water, or inside to enjoy the comforts of air conditioning. 

Dogs should be walked in the early morning and early to later evening to keep them comfortable during the summer weather.  Pets should be provided with plenty of fresh, clean, cool water.  They should also be provided with shade.  They should be check upon frequently to make sure they are not too hot, especially if they are left outside.

The typical signs of heatstroke are:
-Panting
-High body temperature
-Dehydration
-Red mouth/eye membranes
-Rapid, irregular heart rate
-Diarrhea
-Weakness, looking dazed
-Coma

A heatstroke is an emergency situation where your pet needs immediate medical attention.

Does my pet have a flea bite allergy?

FLEA ALLERGY

 

Signs of flea-bite allergy result from hypersensitivity (allergy) to flea saliva.  In an allergic dog, the bite of a single flea may cause a serious problem.  Extensive skin damage may result from biting and scratching, causing areas of hair loss and sores, frequently seen at the base of the tail.  Although flea-bite allergy can be controlled with medication, the best treatment is to protect your pet from flea bites with products one of today’s prescription products available, such as Advantix.

 

Flea allergies are most common in late summer and fall in areas with cold winters and warm summers.  In warm climates or in heated flea-infested houses, flea allergy may occur throughout the year.   Treatment of the environment as well as the pet is important, because fleas spend most of their time in the environment, and not on the dog or cat.  

 

Flea allergies usually worsen as animals age.  Signs may begin earlier in the flea season and last longer.  Also skin reactions generally become more severe.  Treatment includes flea control on the pet and in the environment and suppression of the allergic reaction.  Corticosteroids, food supplements, and antihistamines may be used in acute flare-ups, the veterinarian will recommend the best course of treatment for your dog or cat.

 

“How do I know …WHEN?”

A call came in recently from a client with an ill pet. The client asked “How will I know WHEN it’s time?, “How do I know when she’s suffering?” and “How do I know when to let her go?”.

My heart goes out to this client who is struggling with making this decision and with this illness with her pet.

There’s no easy answer or easy way to make the decision. The client lives with the pet every day and is the one who knows the pet’s quality of life better than anybody. Each situation is different and the answer is often different for each one of us.

Anyone who has ever loved a pet dreads this decision. It is very difficult and painful. We all beg for our animals to pass peacefully in their sleep.  This is the hardest decision we make when it comes to our pets. It never gets any easier. We can offer your advice and support but no one can make the decision for you.

Everyone makes the decision a little differently.  Some pet lovers do not wait until their pet’s discomfort becomes chronic and they choose euthanasia much sooner than others. Some owners wait until their pet has stopped eating or has lost interest in normal things that they typically love to do. Some wait until there’s no doubt the time is at hand while others select euthanasia upon diagnosis of an illness.

There’s no absolute rule, and every method for deciding is right for some pets and some owners. As you live life with an terminally ill pet or geriatric pet, you enjoy each and every day and you do the best you can.

The advances in veterinary medicine have made the decisions even more difficult for many people. We can keep a seriously ill pet comfortable and even offer treatments such as chemotherapy. If you can have a realistic expectation that a course of treatment will improve your pet’s life — rather than simply prolong it — then those options should be considered. But you must also ask yourself: Am I doing right by my pet, or am I just holding on because I can’t bear to say goodbye?

Choosing to end a pet’s suffering is often the final act of love we can give to our beloved pet.

Thanks

Thanks to everyone who attended our recent Open House.  We appreciate all of the donations which were given to Capital Area Humane Society.

Thanks to all of the people who helped us in a variety of ways during the open house!

Surgery at Concord Chapel Animal Hospital

Dr Gale Kerr and Vet Tech Katherine – in Surgery

Surgeries are scheduled weekdays. Your pet is monitored closely before, during and after surgery.

Our staff is happy to discuss the benefits of having your pet spayed or neutered. There are many other surgeries performed including emergency surgeries which are performed for various health reasons.

We hope you’ll make plans to attend our upcoming Open House. You’ll be able to see our surgery suite, the heated surgery table, our monitoring equipment and meet our veterinarians and staff.

Open House Details …

The date and time has been set for the upcoming Open House at Concord Chapel Animal Hospital in Grove City OH.

Please make plans to visit this old historical church building formerly known as Concord United Methodist Church. The designing architect will be on-site to give tours of this amazing renovation into a state of the art veterinary hospital. Many of the stained glass windows were able to be saved. The high ceiling has been utilized and a loft area exists as office space and a lounge.

During the open house, we’ll share pet information and have something fun for nearly everyone. Stop by for a tour, meet the veterinarians and staff, participate in a fundraising event for Capital Area Humane Society, win prizes and more. Visit the OPEN HOUSE page for MORE information.

Veterinary Technician Shannon prepares to xray a dog…

Bathing our pets …

Is your dog muddy, dirty or smelly? Is your cat “un-huggable”? Pets need baths to help maintain their coat and health. It’s also a must when our pets live inside with us.

Some bathing tips and precautions:

Bathing our pets can be difficult. We need to be sure they are not slipping and falling when in the bathtub. It can also be difficult on our backs and it can create a large mess to clean up.

Pets need to be brushed prior to bathing. This is to help keep mats from forming and to get any mats out prior to bathing. Bathing a pet with mats will only make the mats worse.

Keep the water and soap out of their ears and eyes. When we bathe a pet, your pets ears are protected with cotton balls and your pets eyes are protected with a safe lubricant.

If pets are bathed too frequently or with the wrong type of shampoo for your pets coat condition, then the skin and coat loose its protective characters. Pet shampoos can be a tool the veterinarian chooses to use to help with different diseases, skin and coat conditions. One of the safe shampoos we use is: eZall Dog and Cat Shampoo
Please remember not to use human shampoo or soaps on your pet and always use caution when using a new product for the first time.

Have all of your products together that you’ll need for the bath such as the brush, a pitcher or a pet shower attachment, a large plastic cup, shampoo, conditioner, cotton balls and towels. Put on some relaxing music and make the bath an enjoyable experience. Allow time for the bath and for the necessary clean up afterwards. Give your pet praise and a treat when everything is finished!

If you don’t want the mess at home and you’d like for us to help you keep your pet clean, give us a call at 614.871.1111 to schedule your pets BATH appointment.

the SICK pet …

When your pet is sick, one of the first things you do is take him/her to the veterinarian.

At Concord Chapel Animal Hospital, your ill pet will see Dr Gale Kerr or Dr Elizabeth Lauron. The veterinarians have a moral, ethical and legal obligation to help you find out what is wrong with your pet.

Wouldn’t it be terrible if you took your pet to the vet … and they did not offer any diagnostic testing and only offered you an option of taking your pet home and keeping him/her comfortable.

What if your veterinarian decided not to mention diagnostic testing to you because she assumed you wouldn’t want to spend that kind of money on a pet, or that you couldn’t afford it? What if your veterinarian decided to guess at what was wrong instead of doing diagnostic testing and guessed wrong because those symptoms could have been for several different illnesses?

What if you chose all of the possible testing available which helped the veterinarian make a diagnosis and a treatment plan that might save your pet’s life or could help your pet life a healthy and normal life? What if this treatment plan was reasonable, affordable and easy to do to treat your pet? What if this treatment plan was really expensive?

A veterinarian is under a moral, ethical and legal obligation to offer to you every thing that she knows is available that may help your pet when he/she is sick. It would be irresponsible to not inform you of all of your options to help your pet.

Diagnostic testing is a tool to help veterinarians determine the problem with your pet who cannot talk and describe pain, discomfort, feelings or symptoms. The veterinarians and staff only know what the pet parents see, witness and can explain. Pets can get as many different illnesses as humans. Diagnostic testing is a great tool to help veterinarians provide quality care to your pets.

It is your decision to do what is best for your pet, your life, your situation and what you are capable of doing. You know what you can do and cannot do for your pet.