Jake's Broken Tooth!

Hi Everybody!  My name is Jake.  I am an exceptionally adorable 11 week old german shepherd puppy.  My Daddy took me to the hospital because I was having diarrhea, and while I was being examined, Dr. Kim noticed that one of my baby canine teeth was broken in half! (Daddy told on me and led Dr. Kim know about how I love to chew - on everything!)  You can see in my pictures how far the dental probe goes in.  The pulp (where the blood and nerves of my teeth are) of my tooth is exposed.  Melissa told me that human kids with cavities in their baby teeth can get very grumpy because it hurts!  She said that broken teeth in puppies can not only be painful, but that they can be a source of infection that could affect my other baby teeth or even my adult teeth as they are developing.  

Thanks to Dr. Kim's discovery, I was able to have this broken tooth surgically extracted.  Dr. Kim said that extracting a baby tooth is very delicate and tedious work because it is important not to damage developing adult teeth that are still under the gumline.  I feel much better now that my sore tooth is gone and knowing that it won't cause me any future problems.  Thanks Dr. Kim!

Love, 

Jake.

Clover's Pen: Part II

Well, I have scrubbed for two days with a tooth brush, but all the ink is gone!  If any of you find that the pen you are chewing is of poor quality and leaks ink when you bite the end off, I can vouch for the Amodex spot remover.  It took a while, but it really did remove all the ink from Mommy's rug.  Just be sure not to try to wipe up the ink with water first.  Water sets the ink and makes it impossible to remove.  The bottle says that Amodex works for other stains too, like permanent ink, grass stains, red wine and make-up.  I'll let you know when I try it next time.

-Clover

Nemo's Recipe

Nemo looked like a little Labrador cross as a puppy.  A former service dog in training, his heritage didn't really matter - any breed (or mix) can make a good service dog.  As he grew, it was apparent that he was more than just a Lab-X.  Some people saw Great Dane, others saw some sort of Hound.  No one could tell for certain what mix of breeds contributed to his handsome good looks.  Until, that is, Kingsbrook Animal Hospital began offering the Wisdom Panel, a DNA heritage test.  Just one quick blood draw was all it took to reveal they mystery of Nemo's lineage.

Turns out he's a mix of mixes!  The breeds of his parents couldn't be determined - there were too many dogs in the mix.  It's likely that his parents themselves were mixed breeds.  The Wisdom Panel did, however give us come clues to Nemo's distant ancestors.  The panel identified Golden Retriever and Dalmation, as well as Newfoundland and Boxer in Nemo's distant past.  Nemo's got the friendly nature of the Golden, but doesn't look a thing like one!  I can't see the Boxer in him either, but he does like to use his paws during play time - just like the typical Boxer.  Perhaps he looks more like a Newfoundland, minus the shaggy, dense coat.  He's got lots of loose skin around his neck like a Newfie.  He's got very short hair, like a Dalmation (but no spots.)  Perhaps he's also got another breed in him - one of the few that the Wisdom Panel can't yet detect.

To find out more about the Wisdom Panel, click here.  Or better yet, join us on May 5th at 7:00pm at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital for our "What Your Pet Wants You To Know" series, where the topic will be "Mixed Breeds, Mutts and Heinz 57s: DNA Testing for Fun and Health." Anyone who attends will receive a gift certificate good for $20 off the Wisdom Panel Testing at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital. Details can be found by clicking here.

Chewy the Lumpy Dog!

Hi, My name is Chewy.  As I have gotten older, I've been getting Lumpy! Every time my Mommy finds a new lump, she brings me to the nice people who wear scrubs & white coats at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital.  They measure my new lump and even have a chart of my old lumps that they use to keep track of them all!  Then they poke my new lump with a tiny needle to get a small sample to put on a slide.  I don't even notice they're poking me, because they give me treats the whole time!  

Later that day, the doctor will look under the microscope to see what kind of cells are in my lump.  The reason they do this is because it's almost impossible to tell what a lump is just by feeling or looking at it.  I'm a great example of this.  I have had some lumps that the doctor had to remove because they might be cancerous, and others that we can leave alone because they aren't anything to worry about.  

I am glad my Mommy loves me sooo much and that she takes such good care of me!  Not to mention the treats I get from the people in scrubs and white coats are worth the trip!

-Chewy

Welcome Back Jenny!

Welcome back Jenny!

Jenny Lynch dropped by on Saturday on her way to the Equinox Dance show.  She only has 3 weeks left in her first year of veterinary school at Virginia Tech.  She will be working at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital for the summer, starting May 12. (Yeah!)  We are very excited to have her back!

Clover's Pen

"Look Mom, I found a pen that you let lying there.  But I don't know why you like this type - they leak when you chew on them!"

Oh well, at least this time Clover didn't chew Dr. Cook's laptop.  We called PaperMate and they suggested a product called Amodex to remove the ink from the rug.  We'll let you know if it helps.

Sammy's Visit

Hi, my name is Sammy (I'm the cream colored one) and this is my brother, Oscar.  I came in to the hospital because I was feeling a little under the weather.  The technician, Ranee, came in to talk to my mom about taking care of me properly.  It turns out that my Mom is doing everything right!  I have a large cage with recycled newspaper bedding, a wheel and a sleeping box.  My Mom gives me nutritious food that is good to keep my teeth worn down.  And of course, I have my brother to play & snuggle with.

After the doctor examined me, he prescribed some medicine that was specially flavored just for me.  They had so many flavors (apple, orange, molasses, banana bread, etc)  it was hard for me to choose.  I hope the medicine is as yummy as it smells!  

My Blood Test Says I'm Healthy!

Hi, my name is Emmie and I was adopted from the Frederick County Animal Shelter a couple of weeks ago.  I love my new forever home!  My parents love me very much and do everything they can to keep me happy and healthy.  

Just the other day, Mom and my sisters took me to the doctor's office to have a little blood drawn.  It didn't hurt at all, they gave me treats the whole time, and I didn't even notice the poke.  My Mom told me this blood test was to make sure I didn't have the Feline Leukemia Virus or FIV (the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.)  She said that these diseases are passed from one cat to another (like from my birth mom to me) and that they can affect my immune system.  The veterinary technician told that it's important to know if a cat has either disease, because they can get medicine to help keep them healthy longer.

Thirty minutes later, a nice man from the Doctor's office called my Mom to let her know the results of my test.  Mom said my results were negative for both Feline Leukemia and FIV.  My mom was very happy!  

I'm very glad I fond out the results of this very important test and the best part was that I got lots of treats & hugs for being such brave girl!  

Moe

Hello!  My name is Moe, I'm the little green one posing with some of my fans.  I am a 9 year-old peach-faced lovebird.  I am the official ambassador for Kingsbrook Animal Hospital and I love to welcome anyone who comes to visit. 

Many people wonder why I am alone.  Aren't lovebirds supposed to come in pairs?  Well, I outlived my partner and am now enjoying the swinging singles life.  That way I can flirt with anyone who comes by!

I really enjoy the times when children come to visit.  Sometimes, I'll even come out & sit on their shoulder if they like.  One of my favorite games is called "bite the dog on the nose."  I slide down to the bottom of the cage, because I fear no thing and no one, and tease them until they stick their noses into my cage. You can figure out the rest.   Boy, Are they suprised!  It's great fun!

If you are ever in the neighborhood, please stop in and say hello.  I love company!

-Moe

New Arrivals!

Here are our latest new arrivals.  A mix of Dog, Cat & Rats this time!

Top row (left to right):  Pepper, Mr. Ching Tu and Popeye.

Middle row: Oscar & Sammy, Molly and Lady

Bottom row: Sammy, Lottie and Moby

What my Dental X-Ray Revealed that the vet couldn't see just by looking in my mouth!

Hi!  My name is Molly.  I am a very sweet 5 year old Chihuahua.  I recently came to the hospital for my routine checkup and Dr. Cook said I should have my teeth cleaned because there was a notable amount of tartar on my teeth and my gums were red and inflamed.  Dr. Cook said that by getting my teeth cleaned and following up with home dental care, such as a special dental diet, brushing and chewable treats, I could ward off progressive dental disease that could eventually cause problems with my heart, kidneys and liver.  

Once I was under anesthesia at the hospital for my dental cleaning, my technician, Nora,  told Dr. Cook that I had a couple of loose molars.  He took some digital dental X-rays and found something very interesting.  In addition to the loose molars, there were two pre-molars that looked perfectly normal to the naked eye, but the X-rays showed that the roots below the gum line were completely cracked!  Ouch!   Dr. Cook extracted the fractured teeth (and the loose teeth, too).  I felt much better the very next day!  Thanks Dr. Cook!

-Molly

It has been documented that approximately 40% of cats and 24% of dogs have lesions under the gum line that can only be detected by the use of X-rays.  Please feel free to ask any of our technical staff if you have any questions about your pet's dental health!

-Nora

Woodstock

Hi!  My name is Woodstock, just like Snoopy's little bird friend.  I got my name because of how I looked when I first came to Kingsbrook Animal Hospital.   I was abandoned at a very young age, and was found by an animal control officer, who took me to Kingsbrook right away.  I was in pretty bad shape, I had eye & ear infections, my entire body was covered with mange mites, and I was so skinny, I only weighed 1 pound!  That same day my future Mom, Lynn,  saw me for the first time.  She told me that at first, she couldn't believe I was a dog!  She picked me up and held me for the rest of the day and told me that she would foster me until I was healthy enough to be adopted. 

Every day, I went to work with Lynn so I could continue my treatments and get fed, fed and fed some more.  On cold days, my mom put sweaters on me (I was so tiny, she made the sweaters herself out of colorful socks.)  They were very festive.  I got better every day and my Mom officialy adopted me after one week.  I am now very healthy and I tip the scales at 5 pounds!  I still go to work with my mom almost every day.  Please stop by and see me - I love to meet new people!

- Woodstock