the AMC = Spoonful

(a little)=20 News You Can Use from

Animal = Medical Center

April, 2005 =

Volume 1, Number=20 1

In This=20 Issue: Blood=20 Testing

=B7 =20 When Your Pet is Sick=20

=B7 =20 When Your Pet is=20 Well

=B7 =20 Before=20 Anesthesia

Also. .=20 .

=B7 =20 Welcome

=B7 =20 Bob=92s=20 Story

=B7 =20 Our New=20 Website

Visit our=20 Website

www.morgantownamc.com=20

Learn more about our = practice=20 philosophy, services & staff. Search our pet health library, = schedule=20 an appointment or request a prescription refill. =20

Adoption=20 information

www.morgantownamc.com=20

Have=20 room for someone to love? Find your soul mate at=20 AMC.

Follow Bob=92s=20 Story

www.morgantownamc.com=20

Check=20 up on Bob, the 10 week old puppy recently rescued through our = Needy Pet=20 Fund.

Unsubscribe=20

www.morgantownamc.com=20

If you=20 do not wish to receive future e-newsletters, please let us know! = It is our=20 intention to only send wanted e-mails.

Our Mission

We=20 follow the Golden Rule=20 of=20 treating others as we=92d want to be treated. We practice=20 Excellent=20 Medicine=20 and=20 provide Excellent=20 Service.

Talk to=20 Us

We=20 always welcome your feedback on our newsletters and on our other = services.=20 Let us know how we can serve you better and we will work to = satisfy your=20 needs.

E-mail=20 Us

www.morgantownamc.com=20

Schedule=20 an appointment, ask a question, share a comment or order a=20 refill.

Call or Write=20 Us

Animal=20 Medical Center

460 = Hartman=20 Run Road

Morgantown, = WV 26505

(304)=20 292-0126

www.morgantownamc.com

Your=20 Pet=92s Second Best Friend

Our First = Spoonful!

Welcome to the first issue = of our new=20 monthly e-newsletter! Just like our seasonal hard-copy AMC = Scoop, this=20 e-newsletter is completely written and produced by our AMC staff = and the=20 content is guided and approved by Dr. Zucker so if you read it = here, you=20 know it is coming from your=20 pet=92s doctor.

Every year, major advances in = medical=20 knowledge and technology provide veterinarians and pet owners with = improved options to provide better care for our pets and to help = them live=20 healthier, longer lives. An important part of our job as your=20 veterinarians is educating you=20 on current medical issues so that you are able to make informed = decisions=20 for your pet.

Whenever you visit the hospital, = our staff=20 members personally = educate you=20 on important topics. However, we realize that it can be hard to = catch up=20 on a year=92s worth of medical knowledge in one annual Wellness = Visit and it=20 is even harder to digest important information when you are = worried about=20 your pet in the case of illness or injury.

We are committed to developing = new ways of=20 providing you with the information you need in addition to the = education=20 we provide during your in-hospital visits. We have a newly = modernized and=20 expanded website, = printed=20 seasonal AMC Scoop = newsletters=20 and now we are publishing a monthly e-newsletter. = Our mission=20 is to provide your pets with excellent medicine and you with = excellent=20 service. We welcome your feedback on our newsletters and other=20 services.

What Blood Testing Tells=20 Us

Blood testing is one of our most = commonly=20 used and powerful diagnostic tools for ill patients and for well = patients.=20 Blood testing can help diagnose illness in a noticeably ill = patient and it=20 can also help identify ailments before you have even noticed = symptoms in=20 your pet. Blood testing can measure organ function, identify = infections=20 and identify many serious diseases.

Blood testing is often = advised when=20 your pet is sick, at=20 annual Wellness = Visits and=20 before anesthesia.

When your=20 pet is sick

Blood testing is often on of the = first=20 diagnostic tools used when the physical exam alone does not reveal = the=20 cause of your pet=92s symptoms. Blood testing can measure organ = function and=20 help diagnose many diseases. Depending on your pet=92s age, health = and=20 symptoms, your veterinarian will order blood tests that will = provide=20 important information on organ function, overall health and = disease=20 progression. These blood tests can reveal diabetes, diseases of = the=20 kidney, liver, intestines and other vital organs as well as = infection,=20 anemia, leukemia, Addison=92s disease, and many other ailments.=20

When your=20 pet is well

The=20 Annual Wellness Visit is the foundation of health care for your = pet. Since=20 pet=92s live shorter lives than people, they age the equivalent of = about 7=20 years in one year =96 so that =93annual=94 Wellness Visit is just = like you or I=20 going to the doctor once every seven = years!=20

Many serious illnesses can be = identified=20 through blood testing long before your pet shows noticeable = symptoms of=20 illness. For example, a pet can lose about 75% of their kidney = function=20 before exhibiting noticeable symptoms. By identifying organ = failure and=20 other ailments early, we can often help you manage your pet=92s = condition in=20 order to ensure a longer, healthier life for your pet. = Fortunately, many=20 diseases (including kidney disease) can often be successfully = managed=20 through diet, medications or even simple lifestyle changes when = caught in=20 an early stage. In some cases, changes as simple as changing your = pet=92s=20 diet can add months or years of healthy companionship to your = pet=92s life.=20

Before=20 Anesthesia

Blood testing can identify organ = dysfunction, infection or disease that could make anesthesia more=20 dangerous or complicated for your pet. Even though we use very = safe=20 anesthetics and carefully monitor your pet before, during and = after=20 anesthesia, there is always a small but serious risk of injury or = death=20 during anesthesia. To safeguard your pet=92s wellbeing, we follow = stringent=20 safety guidelines. Part of these safety guidelines is screening for undiagnosed = disease or=20 organ dysfunction before anesthesia through a pre-anesthetic = physical=20 exam, blood testing and other tests as needed. If a problem is = found, we=20 may adjust the = anesthetic plan=20 to safeguard your pet=92s health, we may delay the procedure = until the=20 concern is resolved or we may even cancel the procedure.=20

Proceeding with anesthesia on a = pet with=20 organ dysfunction without adjusting the protocols = by=20 providing extra organ support (through extra IV fluids, gentler=20 anesthetics or other measures) can cause =93sub-clinical=94 organ = damage which=20 although not immediately apparent, could further weaken your pet.=20

It=20 is best to draw blood for pre-anesthetic testing 2 to 7 days before the = procedure.=20 This allows us to send the blood to an outside lab for a more=20 comprehensive and less expensive analysis than we can perform in = the=20 hospital. (Because of the vast quantity of tests the outside labs = perform,=20 they are able to perform them less expensively than we can.) If = blood=20 testing has not been completed ahead of time, we will perform the = needed=20 testing here in our modern lab in=20 the hospital the morning of the procedure. The doctor will = always=20 review the results before proceeding with anesthesia. If any = significant=20 abnormalities are found, the doctor will always consult with you = before=20 going ahead with the procedure.

If Annual Wellness blood testing = has been=20 completed recently, it is often not necessary to repeat blood = testing=20 prior to anesthesia.

Bob=92s = Story

=93Bob=94, a sweet 10 week old = orphan puppy=20 was the victim of a cruel crime. On March 15, Bob was taken in by = AMC=20 through our Needy Pet Fund. Dr. Zucker performed emergency surgery = to=20 remove his terribly injured tail. With surgery, antibiotics and = pain=20 medication, along with lots of TLC and follow up care, Bob is now=20 recovering rapidly under our care. When Bob is stable and well on = the road=20 to recovery, we will find him a permanent home through our = Adoption=20 Program. Follow Bob=92s whole story (updated frequently) and see = photos of=20 this cutie pie on our website www.morgantownamc.com.

Put Our Website to=20 Work

Our=20 completely new and updated website has tons of current information = about=20 our services, staff, hospital news as well as a searchable library = of=20 hundreds of veterinarian reviewed articles on pet health and care. = We also=20 post photos of pets currently available for adoption and back = issues of=20 our newsletters. Online appointment scheduling & prescription = refills=20 are also available. If you haven=92t visited our new site yet, = please visit=20 us at www.morgantownamc.com.

Need to=20 Unsubscribe?

Since this newsletter is a new = service=20 that we hope is a welcome service to you, we have sent this first = issue to=20 every client whose e-mail address we have (unless you=92ve = specifically=20 requested not to receive such e-mails). However, we do not want to = send you=20 unwelcome messages! Please let us know if you=92d like to = unsubscribe by=20 going to the e-Newsletter Page=20 on our website www.morgantownamc.com, or you may just reply to this message with Unsubscribe = in the=20 subject line. We sincerely apologize for any=20 inconvenience.

Your=20 Pet=92s Second Best Friend