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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.

Pet Food Politics

Marion Nestle has written what sounds like a fascinating book about last year's pet food contamination. The book, Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine, reveals how the crisis that caused so much illness in pets should be a warning siren for the global food supply. The complex interconnections of our food supply means that we are in no way isolated, and the problems that seemed like just a cat and dog issue could easily effect us. In fact, Nestle mentions that some of the tainted pet food from last year did make its way into the human food supply, being fed to farm animals destined for human consumption.

This could be the 21st Century's version of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Even now we read stories about baby formula contaminated with the same substance, melamine, tainting that product. Here at the clinic, one of our suppliers has discontinued a diet based on rabbit because the only consistent supplier with enough quantities is China, and they cannot verify the quality of the meat. We'll be reading it here at the clinic, just to find out more about how globalization changes everything, even your cat.

You can hear Marion Nestle interviewed on the radio program Here and Now at this link:
http://www.here-now.org/shows/2008/09/20080922.asp

Pet Food Recall

Mars Petcare has issued a recall for its brands listed below.

Pedigree
Paws & Claws
Natural Cat Food
Members Mark
Red Flannel
Country Acres
Special Kitty
Buju & Ziggie
Bruiser
Pet Pride
PMI Nutrition
Doggy Bag

The food is being voluntarily recalled for possible contamination with salmonella. Not all products are being recalled. If you have any food, please go to the Mars Petcare website:
http://www.petcare.mars.com/
There you will find information about lot numbers and specific products that are covered.

From the looks of things, it appears to be a precautionary measure, with the company saying that as of now, there has been no direct link to any illness. Everyone's just trying to be on the safe side.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact us or another veterinarian.

Help Wanted, August '08

Veterinary Technician
The Scottsdale Cat Clinic is looking for a full-time experienced veterinary technician to join our practice. Our technicians work closely with clients, developing and nurturing relationships with both people and pets. We expect our technicians to have the same connections with our clients as our doctor does. Our practice has a strong focus on client education, including nutrition, dental health, and behavioral well-being.

Our practice is committed to developing technicians to their maximum potential. Our goal is to have our technicians perform all technical and animal care duties to free our doctor to concentrate on the medical and surgical needs of the cat. We are looking for someone who is knowledgeable, skilled, efficient, and willing to supervise and train other technicians and staff. Experience with blood drawing, catheter placement, taking radiographs, performing lab tests, surgery preparation, monitoring anesthesia, and dental procedures is required. You must possess a good rapport with cats and the ability to calmly handle and restrain our more excitable patients.

As an exclusively feline practice, you gain the opportunity to specialize in one species, to become an expert in cat care. We are dedicated to furthering the education of our employees and will encourage and aid you in developing your skills.

Our clinic is still very young. This is your chance to help shape our practice and our culture. You can grow with us.

We offer paid vacation and sick days, health insurance, continuing education, and discounts on pet care.

We are an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourage bilingual candidates to apply.

Requirements for the job include:
• An enthusiastic, warm, and compassionate personality
• Comfort in a fast-paced environment
• Good computer skills
• Ability to do some heavy lifting

What we need from you:
A cover letter and a resume sent to:
Scottsdale Cat Clinic
Attn Human Resources
4002 N. Miller Rd, suite 100
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Update:
Thanks to all of you that applied. We had a lot of fabulous applicants, and we believe we hired a great person.