Ostrander Staff Active in Continuing Education

Here at the Ostrander Veterinary Clinic, we believe it is our responsibility to remain current and progressive in veterinary medicine.  Much of this is done through continuing education through online articles and subscriptions, monthly "hot topic" staff meetings as well as various conferences and courses offered throughout the year.  Some of the upcoming continuing education events include:

American Association of Equine Practitioners - San Diego, December 2008

Dr. Jenny Kungl attended this large conference targeted solely at the equine practitioner.  Topics of interest included reproduction in mares, foal care as well as managing the geriatric patient.

 Ontario Veterinary Medical Association - Toronto, Januray 2009

Dr. Karla Josephson attended various lectures at this conference with a wide range of topics including oncology, chemotherapy and ophthalmology.

Dairy Herd Improvement, Dairy Comp - January 2009

Dr. Bill Stephenson attended a session on this computerized module used as a monitoring tool for the management of reproduction and production in the dairy herd.

Western Veterinary Conference - Las Vegas, February 2009

Dr Julia Hodgins attended this large conference with interests in both large and small animal topics including infectious diseases, ophthalmology, surgical techniques, as well as the small ruminant and camelids panel.

Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians - Toronto, February 2010

All of our Veterinary Technicians attended this annual conference with varied interests in a multitude of topics including hematology, anethesia, behaviour and internal medicine.

• 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide
  
• ¼ cup baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap (we’ve heard lemon works well)
  

**There are also several commercial shampoos available here at the clinic

Importance of Physical Examinations at Vaccination Time

Pets age faster than we do, therefore, a year in the life a companion animal can be anywhere from 5 to 7 years in a human, and most people would not go for that long without having a physical examination. In pets, many small yet detrimental changes can occur from one year to the next. These changes often go unnoticed until the condition gets worse or becomes life threatening.

Veterinarians are trained to look for these changes in pets during routine exams. For example, an owner might not have noticed a 1lb weight loss in his or her cat. The vet is also trained to ask owners certain questions regarding their pet’s health. For example,  they may have noticed the cat’s water consumption has increased but might not have mentioned this unless specifically asked about it. Theses signs are often silent in the early stages and are easier and less costly to treat and the result is a better outcome than those in the more advanced stages.

When performing a physical exam the vet examines the pet from head to toe. Each area of the body is assessed for abnormalities.  The body is examined not only for sign of discharge, sores, and masses, but also for the overall body condition. The heart and lungs are evaluated for murmurs or abnormal sounds, breath and heart rate.  The abdomen is palpated for masses, pain and other abnormalities.

Some questions a veterinarian will ask the client are:

Is your pet losing patches of hair or have itchy skin?

These can occur in any of our pets large or small, long hair or short hair, male or female.

Seasonal allergies tend to have a breed predisposition, and most pets begin to show signs at 6 months to 3 years of age. Allergens can be inhaled, ingested, or sometimes absorbed through the skin, resulting in itchy skin and loss of hair.

If you see your pet licking excessively, rubbing, chewing, and/or scratching lots give us a call.