We're growing again!

We would like to introduce Dr. Paul Manesis (pronounced man-eh-sis).

 

Dr. P Manesis

Growing up New Jersey, Dr. Manesis knew that all he ever wanted to do was to help animals. He started his journey going to La Salle University in Philadelphia where he majored in Integrated Science, Business & Technology, and minored in Biology. His studies then took him overseas to the Emerald Isle of Ireland where he graduated from the University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Manesis then followed his passion for surgery and emergency medicine by completing an Internal Medicine and Surgery Internship at the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group in Brooklyn, NY.

Aside from veterinary medicine Dr. Manesis enjoys boxing, as well as other sports, cooking, and spending time with his furry family, a 3-legged cat “Jackie” and Shih-Tzu mix “Ray”. Having always been a devout Yankees fan, he is still (reluctantly) getting used to switching his alliances to the Toronto Blue Jays! Dr. Manesis is looking forward to meeting your furry companions.

The cold winter will be fast approaching, are you ready, let alone is your pet ready? We now will carry "snout soother". A balm that actually works on dry cracked skin. Simply apply to affected area, and over a short time heals that unwanted ugly cracked skin. Nose tips are especially prone to dryness.   

Dr. Lechten spent some time with the CNIB Simcoe/Muskoka  as a guest  speaker to a full house of CNIB VIP (visually impaired people). She was explaining how pets can still be cared for even for people who are blind, or partially sighted. She explained knowledge about good pet care, even with vision loss.

ahh Summer is here...

Well summer is finally here! Please remember it doesn't take much to have a car overheat in the sun, no pets left in a car. Certain breeds are also prone to heat exhaustion and overheating like our brachycephalic breeds ( pushed in faces) for example pugs, bulldogs etc.

So what are the signs of an overheated pet?

Symptoms of overheating include:

Heavy panting or rapid breathing	Elevated body temperature
Excessive thirst	Weakness, collapse
Glazed eyes	Increased pulse and heartbeat
vomiting , bloody diarrhea	seizures
Bright or dark red tongue, gums	Excessive drooling
Staggering, stumbling	Unconsciousness

In addition to hot vehicles, other contributors to pet overheating include humid conditions, lack of drinking water, obesity, and overexertion.
Some pets are at higher risk for heat-related illness than others like, older pets, puppies and kittens, animals that are ill or have a chronic health condition, pets not used to warm weather, and any pet left outside in hot weather.

On another note we have some exciting new products to share with you. We now have "toe grips" available where they are measured and applied to the actual nail. It helps the older dog, or dog that is afraid of slippery floors or even that dog that needs help walking around due to injury, surgery or disease.

Its a genius idea. Each color represents a different size. Our rehab department would have to pre-measure the nail, and fit the appropriate grip to the size your pet would need. We have quite a few patients now that have been using these grips for various reasons. Call us for more information if you are interested.


We also have another new line of product to help with dogs that have crusty nose tips. Its a lathering balm that help moisturize even the driest nose.

We have it stocked, so if your pet suffers from this, help 'em out today! Supplies are in demand so to ensure availability call our office. We wish you and your pet a terrific beginning to the summer months! Stay tuned for our next post for even more products we will be carrying.

Have an itchy dog? There is hope...

Does this look like your itchy dog? 

There is relief in site! There has been a new drug come out into the veterinary market called Apoquel. It is for the itchy dog that nothing seems to work? Or if it does it has negative side effects associated with it?  

 A rash can be a sign of one of many skin diseases. Rashes may be caused by an allergic response to something your dog came in contact with, a food it ate or a medication. Or a rash can be a sign of skin parasites (fleas or mites), a fungal infection, bacterial or yeast infections, immune-mediated disease or seborrhea.
If your pet has a rash, see your veterinarian to help determine the cause and recommend a treatment program.

 APOQUEL is prescribed by veterinarians for dogs over 1 year of age to help lessen itch and inflammation due to allergic skin disease. It  is not a steroid, antihistamine or cyclosporine (a type of drug that reduces immune system activity). It is a new class of drug that blocks allergic itch at the source, with fewer of the side effects you may have seen with
other therapies.you can use APOQUEL in the short term. It begins relieving the itch within 4 hours, with effective control within 24 hours. This drug  may be given to your dog with or without food. Here is the the link from the company Zoetis ( the maker of Apoquel). Contact us today if your pet suffers from itchy allergies, to discuss if this treatment option is right for your pet.

https://www.zoetisus.com/apoquel-pet-owner/index.aspx?utm_source=owner&utm_medium=click&utm_campaign=Apoquelztssite

And that's a wrap!

Well the team did it! We are so proud of them, they are on their way home. They stopped for a day of rest and relaxation after working so very hard! Here is Natalie with a quick tour of Antigua, and a final tally of numbers for you!

Just another day in Todos Santos

We have some positives to report from Todos Santos. Dr. Lechten and Natalie sponsor some children from the region to attend school. School is not readily available for the older children. Schooling must be paid and you also need to buy books, supplies and internet time for homework. There is also clothing to buy. Many families cannot afford to lose income as the children usually go to work, Here is an update of how the children are doing in school, and a photo of their report cards.

The children and their proud mothers showing off their report cards.

Below it appears that someone has brought in a dog that has recently has puppy's that is not in the best of health. Dr. Elena Garde of the GAAP appears to be treating her.

In the eyes of Kris...

Looks like things are starting to roll. Here is the latest video sent to us by Kris Hughston- one of our volunteers helping with our campaign.

Looks like the hospital in the "Salon" known as the municipal building is all set to go and start helping the patients of Todos Santos, Guatemala!

Setting up the make shift hospital

So here it is, the day before the opening. A quick view of the local community hall being transformed into the temporary clinic. As Natalie explains the different sections of the hall...

Locals will walk from near and far to be lined up in the morning well before the doors open. There will be interpreters available for most of the people who only speak Spanish or Mam the local language.