Scottsdale Cat Clinic's New Accreditation

AAHA stands for the American Animal Hospital Association, a professional association of veterinary hospitals founded in 1933. AAHA is the only organization that provides accreditation for veterinary practices throughout the United States and Canada. Accreditation is strictly voluntary and we are proud to be accredited.

Here at the clinic we are dedicated to providing excellence in small animal care. Our hospital will be evaluated regularly by AAHA to ensure that we meet or exceed the association's standards of excellence. These standards cover nearly every aspect of our hospital including anesthesia, surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, patient care, pain management, housekeeping and maintenance, client service, emergency services, diagnostic imaging, and medical records. AAHA standards are recognized around the world as the benchmark for quality care in veterinary medicine.

"Healthy Practices. Healthier Pets." is the ultimate goal of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

Approximately 15% of small animal practices in the United States are AAHA accredited and only 7% of Canadian small animal practices are accredited.

To become accredited, hospitals must comply with the AAHA Standards of Accreditation. As mentioned above we will be evaluated regularly to ensure that we meet or exceed these standards. There are over 900 standards including 46 which are mandatory.

How Does Being Accredited Benefit You?

The Scottsdale Cat Clinic has chosen to be accredited because of our commitment to excellence in small animal care. The AAHA standards were developed with high quality care in mind. By following these strict standards, the Scottsdale Cat Clinic is in a better position to provide patients with the very best in veterinary care.

We will have access to a diverse mix of high-quality educational programs and services to assist our practice in better serving you. We are also committed to being continually evaluated against most rigorous standards in veterinary medicine.

To learn more about AAHA click here to visit their website.

Battle of the Bulge

It's becoming a trend, but not for who you think we're talking about. We are referring to your furry feline friends who are tipping the scales!

Last year the Scottsdale Cat Clinic held an official weight loss challenge contest in effort to fight the battle of the bulge. With many motivated owners and participating contestants we had multiple successful weight loss stories and one excited winner!

The Best Friends Network followed our story and the weight loss challenge winner. View this article at Weight Loss Challenge Winner.

For more information on pet obesity visit our blog post Pet Obesity and The One Health Challenge III.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Pet Obesity, One Health Challenge III

It's happening more and more. Humans and their animals are getting less exercise and eating more. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reports that nearly half the nations pets are classified as overweight or obese by a veterinary health care provider, including 53% of cats and 43% of dogs.

Each year, The Student American Veterinary Medical Association adopts an individual health cause that allows the organization to build partnerships with colleagues in medical and public health schools. They focus on something that causes problems for both humans and animals. Just as with humans, animals have health risks associated with excess weight. Risks include heart problems, diabetes, joint and hip difficulties, cancer and also a greater chance of complications with anesthesia or surgery, skin disease, delayed healing and fatty liver in cats.

Healthy Diet
Animal obesity is a growing problem but also a controllable problem. A healthy diet is just one key component. We feed our pets, they aren't ordering fast food, so it's up to the owner to be aware and understand what a table scrap here and a table scrap there can do. According to AVMA, an ounce of cheese for a 10-pound cat is equivalent to three-and-a-half hamburgers for a human. A cup of milk for a 10-pound cat is the equivalent of four-and-a-half hamburgers for a human.

Lolcats

Routine Exercise
There are other factors to consider as well. For both humans and pets exercise along with a healthy diet is the best way to shed those pounds. You must be creative to get a cat to "exercise", especially one that's overweight. Choose a 10 to 15 minute time slot twice a day to play with your cat. Toys that might entice your cat to play include a laser pointer, catnip mice, poles with a line attached to feathers or mice, and balls inside mazes can trigger that predator instinct. Placing dry kibble treats or treats inside a treat ball can even tempt those lazy cats who just like to eat. So your cat doesn't become bored make sure to rotate the toys regularly. If your cat is comfortable on a harness or leash, taking her outside for regular walks can help as well.

For other ideas on how pet owners can help exercise their pets and themselves, personal trainer Gunnar Peterson created special exercise videos for the PetFit campaign that demonstrates a variety of ways owner can exercise themselves and their cats and/or dogs. The videos are available on the PetFit Web site at www.petfit.com.

To learn more about keeping your cat (and you) fit, see SAVMA's One Health Challenge III.

Feeding Is Believing

Take the "3 Bag Challenge" and Enter the Sweepstakes for a Chance to Win!

Make a healthy difference for your pet! Feed just three bags of Hill's Science Diet pet food to start making a noticeable difference in your pet's overall health.

Hill's Prescription Diet is offering a new challenge, the "3 Bag Challenge".

Get started today and visit www.feedingisbelieving.com

Also enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to Win!

Grand Prize: Lifetime supply of Science Diet Pet food and $5,000 donation to your favorite Hill's Shelter

Other Prizes: Free Science Diet pet food for a year

One Hundred Dollar gift cards

Transform your pet's life for pennies a day. The right nutrition can have life-changing effects on your pet. And for less than the cost of a snack, you can feed your pet an entire day's worth of the precise, balanced nutrition of Hill's Science Diet pet food.

Be inspired and read the amazing transformation stories from many pet owners, veterinarians and shelter workers reporting remarkable results from Hill's prescription diets.

Register today!

Companionship For Our Troops In Iraq

While on tour, many of our troops overseas have nothing that reminds them of home. There is a void they feel but sometimes they can be pleasantly surprised when a lost kitten or abandoned pup comes along and helps fill that void. The bond that is formed between a soldier and an animal they've rescued can be a strong one. Operation Baghdad Pups, an SPCA International initiative, helps Americans serving in Iraq bring home the animals they've befriended on duty. Since April 2008, the SPCA International in Washington D.C. has been busy setting up travel arrangements for 8 cats and nearly 70 dogs.

The first cat to make the 7,000 mile, 13 hour trip to her new home in the states was, "Hope", a small calico kitten. "Hope" was injured jumping out of a truck's engine compartment where she had been hiding scared and fragile. Bruce, an American contractor working in Northern Iraq, took her in and with the help of a medic nursed her back to health. The day came when Bruce was coming home to the states and he couldn't bear the thought of leaving "Hope" behind. After multiple frustrating steps including finding vaccines, completing travel paperwork with local authorities, working out flight arrangements and much more, Operation Baghdad Pups and the SPCA were able to reunite "Hope" with her new family in Northern Virginia. Terri Crisp, program manager of Operation Baghdad Pups says, "the value that is placed on these animals by the soldier and his/her family is remarkable and beyond description."

Read more about Bruce's story and many others in this article of Cat Watch.

How You Can Help Make A Difference

Baghdad Pups is run entirely on Private Donations. You can make a donation to Baghdad Pups or find a "wish list" of items on their website at www.baghdadpups.com. Items such as litter boxes, plastic food and water bowls, airline approved crates, as well as medicines for fleas and heartworm are much needed ammenities.

Future Changes and Growth For Our Furry Friends

Looking to make positive changes in attitudes toward the welfare and treatment of dogs and cats in Iraq and Afghanistan, The SPCA International is working to put in place mobile spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations. Currently there are no programs and animals are viewed as dirty animals carrying rabies and other diseases. With these programs in place, inroads will be made possible when kittens and puppies are safe to handle and touch.

It's Dental Health Month

~ Brush Those Pearly Whites ~

Did you know that 70% of cats over the age of 3 suffer from dental problems. Yikes! Did you also know it's the most common disease in cats, and studies confirm a strong relationship between the presence of dental disease and poor health.

Statistics such as these should alert us to the importance of good oral hygiene with our kitties. Believe it or not skipping your cats dental check ups could lead to.....heart, liver and kidney disease. It's difficult to imagine, but bad teeth can cause serious problems throughout a cat's body.

The physical signs can be as simple as bad breath. It's more than just a nuisance to you as Fluffy kisses you good morning, but a sign that something may be wrong. Along with inflamed and reddened or bleeding gums, a condition called gingivitis could be forming. At early sage sit is still reversible, but only if treated.

Just like us, if left untreated, gingivitis could lead to periodontitis or a breakdown of the teeth's supporting structures. Loss of teeth and pain are immediate problems, but the oral infection is likely allowing bacteria to enter and travel through the bloodstream to vital organs, such as the heart, liver and kidneys.

Dangerous and expensive in the long run, deferring a dental cleaning will only lead to a more expensive dental cleaning, extractions and other diseases later.

Treatment

Proper care begins with your veterinarian. Physical signs of dental disease can be hard to detect, even when advanced. That is why it is important to have their teeth checked every six months by your veterinarian.

Routine dental cleanings are also very important if your vet detects tartar, calculus, gingivitis or periodontal disease. Using an ultrasonic scaler to remove the tartar and calculus build up the doctor will them examine every tooth looking for erosive lesions and gingival pockets. Some problems may not be visible by the naked eye so x-rays will be taken allowing us to see problems below the gum line to the root of the tooth. Possible extractions could be recommended.

Follow up and Home Care

In addition to seeing your vet every six months to assess your cat's teeth and overall health, dental care does not end there. There are multiple methods to 'try' depending on your finicky feline's personality and tolerance, not to mention your ability to provide treatment. Methods of cleaning include:

1. Tooth Brushing ~ the single best method of cleaning your cat's teeth. For a helpful video on how to brush your cat's teeth click on the link. How to brush your cat's teeth
2. Dental Diets ~ prescription diets such as Hill's t/d and Purina DH are proven to improve dental health
3. Maxiguard OraZn Pet Oral Care and Maxiguard Oral Cleansing Gel ~ a gel that reduces the deposition of plaque, aid in the reduction of gum inflammation, and neutralizes mouth odors and a gel with Vitamin C added to help repair tissue
4. Oravet Sealant ~ wax sealant applied at then end of dental treatment to outer surfaces of teeth creating an invisible barrier to fight off plaque and tartar
5. Dental Chews ~ excercise you cat's teeth and my help reduce plaque
6. Dental Rinses ~ contain chlorhexidine or xylitol to fight bacteria and reduce plaque build up

Ask your veterinarian about preventing about preventing dental disease today. Remember, being proactive can help prevent or reverse the effects of dental disease....and help prevent more expensive dental treatment later. Your cat will thank you and will be much happier and healthier!

Continuing Education

Like doctors who work on the human species, veterinarians need to continually update their skills. For Dr. Karnia to renew her license, she must regularly attend seminars, conferences and workshops, demonstrating that she is keeping current with developments in technology, diagnostics and industry standards. That’s why we occasionally block out a day or two to allow the doctor to attend these functions.

On October 17th and 18th, Dr. Karnia attended a two-day conference at Scottsdale’s Valley Ho resort. “Feline Fine: A Marriage of Medicine and Well-Being” was organized by the North American Veterinary Conference and Dr. Margie Scherk, a board-certified* feline practitioner who lectures around the world. The complete life span of cats was addressed from neonates to end-of-life issues. In-depth coverage was given to a few medical topics, including diabetes, renal insufficiency, and lower urinary tract disease. Dr. Scherk also discussed various practice tips for handling cats and providing a less stressful visit to the clinic.

It’s just as important to us as it is to you that we are giving your cat the very best that the veterinarian community offers. And it’s not just Dr. Karnia that participates in continuing education. We make sure our staff are continually updating their skills. We regularly have meetings where we invite product representatives to let us know about new developments in their area. Representatives from Royal Canin, Purina and Hills recently visited the clinic to talk about the various diets we recommend. Merial, who provides us with most of our vaccines as well as Heartgard and Frontline products, talked to us about the extensive research they conduct for their vaccines.

For more intensive training, we send our technicians to seminars and workshops specifically focused on their role in the hospital. Even the front office gets into the act. We want to make sure we are running an efficient and enthusiastic business, so we study up on client relations, streamlining costs, and marketing (writing blog posts, for instance, to keep clients informed). This spring, nearly the entire clinic staff will attend the American Animal Hospital Association conference in downtown Phoenix. We’re fortunate to have the conference in central Arizona, and all of us will take advantage of the four days of lectures, exhibits and workshops.

We do this because we want you to be secure in the knowledge that your cat is receiving the best care possible at the Scottsdale Cat Clinic, and that you as our client are treated with the utmost respect.

*Board-certified means really smart and really knowledgeable. Basically, Dr. Scherk had to pass a horrifically difficult test and present a number of case studies in feline medicine to a bunch of strict, sober and decidedly unfrivolous ladies and gentlemen just looking to deny her accreditation. She now specializes in feline medicine—a top gun of the cat vet set.