Hospital News
A NEW BOARDING EXPERIENCE FOR
YOUR COMPANION
As a service to our clients and patients, Creve Coeur Animal Hospital provides exceptional quality boarding for your pet in an enclosed facility that is attached to the hospital. Whether your pet's stay is just for one night or for weeks at a time, the personal attention they will receive is unmatched in the St. Louis area.
Accommodations for dogs include: standard
“rooms” or two levels of run “suites.” The larger runs offer 50
square feet of living space and a bunk perched above floor
level. The smaller runs include 20 square feet of living space
and also have a raised area for sleeping or eating. The regular
kennels hold dogs of all sizes up to 85 lbs. We have two dog
rooms, a separate cat room, and a separate rabbit and exotic
room.
Dogs are individually walked three times a day in our
beautifully landscaped, enclosed exercise area for their safety.
Your pet’s feeding and medicating routine will be maintained
during their stay with us. Each kennel is cleaned at least twice
daily, and immediately as needed, to maintain a clean, dry,
and comfortable environment for your pet. All pets are
monitored closely to ensure the safest stay available in the
area.
As part of the boarding experience at Creve Coeur
Animal Hospital, dogs participate in either the TLC program
or Mid-Day Group Play (MDGP). Families can elect either
TLC or MDGP for their K9 companions at no additional
charge.
The TLC Program - The TLC program incorporates
mid-day individual playtime for dogs in a safe environment, a
daily treat, and a photo as a keepsake from their special
experience. This service is included with the cost of boarding.
Mid-Day Group Play - MDGP is an opportunity for
your dog to exercise and play with other dogs while boarding
at Creve Coeur Animal Hospital. Candidate dogs will be
tested for compatibility with the other dogs of the group and
will be allowed to participate based on the results of that test.
A veterinary nurse will also screen dogs for fleas and oral
papillomas (warts) before each playtime.
Accommodations for cats include modern,
beautiful, and comfortable multilevel condos. The resting
shelves allow cats to change their perspective throughout the
day, increasing their enjoyment and interest. Cat owners can
elect to have portals between the condos opened, connecting
up to three condos and allowing for true luxury living.
The TLC Program - Cats participating in TLC
watch a special video during the day, enjoy a daily treat,
interact one-on-one with staff, and take home a photo
keepsake of their stay. Additional: $3.00/day.
Guests are monitored daily by phase-trained team
members to ensure their comfort during their stay. Appetite,
attitude, and elimination of urine and stool are noted and the
doctors on staff address health issues. As always, routine
medications are given at no additional charge to you, a benefit
rarely offered by most boarding facilities. Pets with diabetes
or other chronic diseases are closely monitored and clients are
contacted at the earliest detection of any health concern.
Kennel Health and Safety - For the health and
safety of our guests, we require that each boarding pet is
current on his or her annual wellness examination and has
been examined by a CCAH veterinarian at least once. All cats
must be current on their FVRCP and Rabies vaccines and all
dogs must be current on their DHPP, Rabies, and Bordetella
vaccines. Additionally, all dogs must be receiving a monthly
heartworm preventative to prevent common intestinal worms
and have had a negative fecal (stool) exam. Similarly, all dogs
must be receiving some form of monthly flea prevention and
must pass a flea-comb exam at the time of drop-off. These
measures are in place to ensure that your pet is staying in a
safe and healthy environment.
Boarding for all animals is charged as a half or a full
day. The cut off time is 1pm.
Drop-off: A full day of boarding will be charged if
the animal enters the boarding facility between 7:30am and
1pm. A half-day will be charged if the animal is checked in
after 1pm.
Pick-up: Animals that are picked up before 1pm will
be charged a half day of boarding. Animals picked up after
1pm and animals picked up on Sunday will be charged a full
day of boarding.
Sunday pick up is between 6:30 PM and 7 PM.
When picking up at that time, call 314-469-5667 to alert staff
that you have arrived for pick up.
Rabbit and exotic pet boarding is also available –
Call for details. If you would like to tour our facilities or if
you have additional questions, please call or come in and we
will be glad to assist you further.
A NASTY BUG: METHICILLIN
RESISTANT STAPH
PSEUDINTERMEDIUS:MRSP
The majority of healthy dogs carry a type of bacteria
on their skin called Staph pseudintermedius. It is referred to
as an opportunistic pathogen in canines, meaning it only
infects tissues that are damaged or diseased. It is the most
common type of skin infection in dogs with allergies.
Occasionally the bacteria will develop resistances to multiple
antibiotics, and then is referred to as MRSP. This is not to be
confused with the human pathogen methicillin-resistant Staph
aureus (MRSA), which is rare in dogs. Similarly, MRSP does
not represent a risk to people unless they are
immunocompromised.
MRSP may be transmitted between dogs or may
represent mutation of the Staph pseudintermedius normally carried by the dog. Skin infections caused by MRSP appear
similar to those caused by non-resistant organisms. Dogs are
usually itchy and have various patterns of skin rash, such as
red spots or circular flakey areas (epidermal collarettes). Tests
performed at the vet clinic should be able to determine if the
infection is bacterial. However, it may be necessary to culture
the dog’s skin to identify the species and which antibiotics it is
sensitive to.
The number of cases of MRSP in dogs has increased
tremendously over the last few years. The exact reasons are
still unknown, but inappropriate antibiotic therapy has been
implicated as contributing cause. It is therefore very
important to only give antibiotics if they have been prescribed
to your pet and explicitly follow label directions. It is equally
important to have your pet examined if you suspect a skin
infection as well as follow recommendations for progress
exams to ensure it is treated appropriately. Feel free to contact
us for additional information on this topic.
A NEW LOOK AT CREVE COEUR
ANIMAL HOSPITAL
During the recent American Animal Hospital reaccreditation
process, online surveys were made available for
our clients. These surveys covered all aspects of the
healthcare experience for you and your pet while at CCAH.
The valuable information that you provided has been
evaluated and has led to several changes in the procedures and
physical building at CCAH. The subject areas that elicited the
greatest numbers of responses included exam room comfort
and time in the exam room after appointment was completed.
We have listened to your input and have made changes to the
exam rooms and also the post-exam procedures.
Televisions with DirecTV, refreshing new wall
hangings, as well as an upgraded magazine selection have
improved the comfort of exam rooms. When you are taken to
an exam room, you will now be given the option to watch TV,
if you choose. Not only are local channels included, but also
sports and entertainment channels including ESPN, Fox Sports
Midwest, HGTV, and FoodTV among others. These TV
monitors may also be used to review your pet’s digital x-ray
images if images are taken. This allows the doctor or
veterinary nurse to manipulate and enlarge the images to
demonstrate findings in greater detail.
The surveys also suggested that improvements in
post-exam procedures were necessary. To address this issue,
we have changed the way that we are using our veterinary
software to speed the check-out process. Each patient will
receive either a discharge or examination summary with
physical findings and recommendations. These are valuable
tools that clients can use to track the health of their pet over
time. They may also be used as a written reference if a client
forgets the spoken discharge instructions.
We hope that you will notice a positive impact due to
these enhancements. In the future, continue to suggest
changes, so that we may give you and your pet the best service and care possible.
SPRING IS HERE
(AND SO ARE THE BUGS)
The mild winter and warmer than normal spring has
brought about the “perfect bug storm”. Meteorologists and
parasitologists alike have recently suggested that the weather
will have a great influence on the populations of all sorts of
insects. These insects may influence your pet’s health directly
and indirectly through their spread of diseases.
Fleas and ticks have a direct effect on your pet by
causing skin irritations and infections. Even a few fleas may
induce flea allergies in susceptible pets, and larger populations may cause severe skin infections secondary to itch. At the
least, pets may be uncomfortable from flea infestations.
Ticks are prevalent in wooded areas, and we should
see increased populations due to larger amounts of understory
plant growth. Ticks may spread several diseases to dogs, such
as Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Lyme
Disease. Humans may also be susceptible to some of the
same diseases.
Mosquitos, although not posing a direct threat to your
pet’s health, may carry the larval form of Heartworm Disease
that may be spread to both cats and dogs. This occurs when
mosquitoes take a blood meal from an infected dog and then
bites a non-infected animal. Dogs are a primary host for
Heartworm Disease and may be infectious to both cats and
dogs. Cats are an end-stage host and their signs of disease
may be more varied than those of dogs.
Throughout the years, many pharmaceutical
companies have searched for the one product that could
address all of these concerns. Although no single agent can
take care of all the parasites that may affect your pet, recent
advances may change our strategies in addressing these pests.
The newest product to enter the parasiticide market is
Trifexis by Elanco. Trifexis is an oral chewable flavor-tab
that incorporates heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention
along with flea killing properties. Roundworm and hookworm
protection prevents the potential spread of these parasites to
human family members. This product is administered once a
month with a meal and should be used year round for best
protection.
Since Trifexis does not have a spectrum of activity
ticks, an additional product is necessary for those dogs living
in favorable environments. To address this issue, we are now
stocking a product that contains Fipronil, a proven tick killing
agent. Parastar, by Novartis, affords the same tick protection
as the most popular product, but at a much lower cost.
TOTAL PARASITE PROTECTION FOR YOUR PET 3 MONTHS OF PARASTAR FREE WITH THE PURCHASE OF 12 MONTHS OF TRIFEXIS OR SENTINEL MAY BE COMBINED WITH ANY MANUFACTURER’S REBATES OR INCENTIVES OFFER EXPIRES 12-31-12 |
