Happy Halloween

Halloween Pet Tips


Here are some important things to keep in mind during the Halloween holiday:

Don't share Halloween candy with your pets. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats, and other candy could damage their teeth and overall health. Make sure when the kids come back from trick-or-treating, they put their stash out of paws' reach.


Keep your pets a safe distance from trick-or-treaters. Having a steady stream of strangers on their turf might make pets anxious and unpredictable.


As you open and close the door to dish out candy, keep an eye on your dog or cat - pets can easily slip away and end up lost.


If you put a costume on your pet, make sure that nothing about the costume could interfere with his breathing or ability to see. Also, make sure that no parts of the costume could tangle or choke him. And keep on eye on him the whole time - never leave an outfitted pet alone.


If you take your dog trick-or-treating with you, make sure that he is on a leash and has the proper ID tags on his collar. You don't want to have to go looking for him, but if he does get lost, tags with your name and phone number make it much more likely that you'll get him back.


If you have a black cat, or even a dark gray one, keep close tabs on him during the days and weeks leading up to Halloween. If possible, keep him indoors to prevent him from being the victim of any pranks.

Happy Halloween!!

WOW!!
Look at all these great cookies that Brandy made us!
Happy Halloween!!

New Mama at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital!

On Monday October 26th, Ann Strathern’s Golden Retreiver Coqui had a c-section at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital and delivered a 1lb sweet baby boy! Mom and baby are doing well. Congratulations Coqui and Ann!

Bo's Guardian Angel

Bo is an adult mixed breed dog that was found running loose near Keyser, West Virginia after being struck by a car. A good samaritan captured him and brought him into Kingsbrook Animal Hospital for a medical evaluation. After administering sedation and pain medication, Dr Cook did a thorough exam and ordered radiographs (x-rays) of Bo's hips and lower extremities.

In the first radiograph above, the arrow indicates the area of trauma. The femoral head (the ball of the hip joint) had been fractured and displaced. The second radiograph was taken after surgery to remove the damaged femoral head (femoral head osteotomy). The muscles will support the joint until a "false" socket of callous forms. With lots of love and physical therapy, Bo will be on his feet again in no time. Special thanks to the guardian angel that saved his life.

2nd Annual Candy Drive for our Troops!

Between October 31st and November 7th, drop off your left-over halloween candy at our office and we will have it sent to our troops who are stationed overseas.

Last year, you donated over 100 lbs of candy! Let's see if we can beat that this year!

Thank you for supporting our brave men and women who are serving in the Armed Services.

"Mommy, look, that cat has no hair!"

Sphynx, also known as Canadian Hairless, is a breed of cat characterized by having little to no hair on their bodies. Sphynx have a genetic mutation in the gene that causes hair growth, thus they have very little to no hair. Typically, a Sphynx has a light covering of down-like hair on their nose, the backs of their ears, and the tops of their feet. Because they are hairless on their bodies, the oil their skin produces accumulates and Sphynx need to be bathed with a mild cat shampoo weekly. Wax can also accumulate in their ears and they also need to be cleaned weekly with a cleaner from your vet.

Sphynx need to be kept warmer than other cats because they don't have a natural coat! They can wear small dog t-shirts and love to snuggle under a fleece blanket or in bed with their person.

Sphynx come in all the same colors housecats come in, like torti, calico, tabby, bicolor(spotted), tuxedo, and color points (seal point, blue point, etc).
They have the same life span as other domestic cats and require the same diets and veterinary care. They can get a genetic disease known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, or HCM, where the walls of their heart become thickened and the heart cannot pump effectively. Yearly check ups at your regular vet, as well as an ultrasound of the heart, known as an echocardiogram, should be done by the cardiologist. The onset of HCM is uaually 4-8 years of age.

2nd Annual SPAYgetti Dinner

The Promise Animal League will be holding it's 2nd Annual SPAYgetti dinner on Sunday, November 1 from 4-8pm. The cost of the tickets are $15.00 per adult and $7.00 for children 8 years and younger. Tickets can be purchased in bulk 5 for $60.00 or 10 for $100.00. The event includes and All You Can Eat Spaghetti Pasta Bar, Silent Auctions, Raffles, 50/50 Drawing, Door Prizes and Goody Bag for your pet. Proceeds benefit their low-cost spay/neuter clinic. The dinner will be held at Next Dimensions Restaurant, 132 Old National Pike, Hagerstown, MD. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 304-274-0534.