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| Martin Downs Animal Hospital |
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Martin Downs Animal Hospital
1625 Martin Highway
Palm City, Fl 34990
772-288-3456
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JULY 2010
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A NOTE FROM THE DOCTOR
Drs. Karol and Robin Poderski had the pleasure of attending the Grand Opening of Domino's House Boutique and Bargain Shoppe on Friday evening, June 11th. The Boutique is located at 925 SW Martin Downs Blvd. just west of the Palm City bridge. Martin Downs Animal Hospital helps treat many of the cats and kittens who reside at the Domino's Cat Rescue League. Domino's House is a No-kill No-declaw shelter for stray and abandoned cats and orphaned kittens. Domino's House opened its doors to homeless cats and kittens in 2001. This special place offers all who enter a safe, caring and healthy home. Some cats are adopted but some live there forever. Domino's House relies on their dedicated volunteers to assist them with day to day operations. They survive solely through donations made by compassionate and concerned animal lovers. You can go online to check out all the adoptable cats and kittens at Domino's House-www.dominoshouse.org. All donations are tax deductible.
Charles and Maris Sine (front row)
with Drs. Robin and Karol Poderski (back row)
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HOSPITAL UPDATES/ANNOUNCEMENTSMETS DIGITAL DOMAIN BARK IN THE PARK
Dr. Karol Poderski and several staff members from Martin Downs Animal Hospital attended the Yappy Hour at Bark in the Park on Friday evening, June 25 at the Mets Stadium in Port St. Lucie. It was held from 5-7 pm prior to the Mets vs Cardinals game. Yappy Hour is for the WHOLE family to come out to the ballpark-whole as in our 4 legged family members who usually aren't allowed! Fans can bring their dogs on designated Bark in the Park nights to attend the game. A good time was had by all and it was a great way to meet other people in our community! There will be another Yappy Hour at Bark in the Park this coming Fall. We will keep everyone updated as to the date and time. We look forward to seeing everyone at the ballpark!
 Martin Downs Animal Hospital Table at Yappy Hour
NEW VETERINARY ASSOCIATE SCHEDULED TO START JULY 5
Dr. Elizabeth Jolin, Martin Downs Animal Hospital's new associate, will be joining our practice on Monday, July 5. We have greatly anticipated her arrival. She will be a refreshing addition to our medical staff. Come by and meet Dr. Jolin when in our neighborhood.
VETERINARY COVERAGE IN AUGUST
Dr. Elizabeth Jolin, Martin Downs Animal Hospital's new associate, along with Dr. Billy Harper-former owner of Port Salerno Animal Hospital will be our practicing veterinarians for the first three weeks of August. Drs. Karol and Robin Poderski will be on vacation during that time. Our hospital will be open regular business hours.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Receptionist
Resort & Spa Technician
Veterinary Assistant
Apply in person or e-mail chris@vet4yourpet.net
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Elke is our Resort and Spa bather and also a new graduate from the Star Academy for Pet Stylists in Stuart.
As Elke grew up in Germany, there wasn't much opportunity to work with animals other than becoming a veterinarian. So when she was offered a chance to work at Martin Downs Animal Hospital, she was thrilled!
She has worked in our Spa area for 2 1/2 years and realized as she watched Cathy, our head groomer do such a beautiful job with the pets, she wanted to go a step farther than just bathing. Elke started training under Cathy, doing a few shave downs and at the same time enrolled in grooming school. Elk's goal is to become a full time groomer when she gains more experience. Congratulations on her graduation!
Elke enjoys seeing how happy our clients are when they come to pick up their pets after being bathed and groomed in our luxurious Spa.
Elke with one of her Spa regulars |
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BOARDER OF THE MONTH
Snickers and Skittles are Havanese brothers who have been coming to Martin Downs Animal Hospital since they were little puppies. They recently enjoyed their summer holiday at our Vacation Retreat and Spa during the month of June. They had a great time running and playing with some of the other campers in our large exercise area. Afternoon rest time brought some new treats and relaxing in the air conditioned small suites with plenty of room to stretch out.
 Snickers and Skittles at Afternoon Rest Time
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GROOMING CORNER
Martin Downs Animal Hospital's Day Spa is offering two new packages: a Deluxe Bath Package and a Deluxe Groom Package. Your pet will enjoy these personalized treatments in a relaxing, soothing atmosphere. Our Deluxe Bath Package includes the furminator package (furminator deshedding tool, furminator shampoo & deshedding solution), a nail dremel and teeth brushing (toothbrush & sample toothpaste to go home) in addition to our exhilarating hydrosurge bath. Our Deluxe Groom Package includes your choice of Virbac shampoo & leave on lotion, a nail dremel, teeth brushing (toothbrush & sample toothpaste to go home) and nail polish or soft paws application in addition to a AKC standard professional groom. We want to welcome your pets to come in and try our luxurious Day Spa.
Before Deluxe Bath Package
Bella is an 11 year old female yellow Labrador Retriever who came in for our Deluxe Bath Package. She is a newcomer. She was visiting one of our regular clients who brings all three of their Schnauzers in for professional grooms. Below Bella is pictured in her before and after photos. As you can see, the Deluxe Bath Package really makes a difference! Bella is a new girl-sleek and beautiful after her treatment.
 After Deluxe Bath Package
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FASCINATING FELINE FACTS
FELINE BODY LANGUAGE OR "CAT SPEAK"In our last article, we looked at some of the ways our cats communicate with us. As you have noticed, many of these affectionate displays originate in kittenhood. LICKING is the way adult cats groom their kittens to keep them healthy and well cared for. Cats lick people for similar reasons. It may also be a way of "marking" you as one of their own, especially if you have been handling other cats.
Another interesting fact is that when cats meet strangers, they usually greet them with an UNBLINKING STARE. This signals that the cat is aware of the other's presence and that there is no desire to fight. Blinking slowly (more slowly than a human blink) communicates acceptance and great trust. When your cat softly blinks at you, try blinking back. Kitty will appreciate the gesture!
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PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE
HEARTWORMS AND HEARTWORM PREVENTION
The summer is here and the swarms of mosquitos are back! They're a nuisance to you, but to your pets they are a deadly enemy. In a single bite, mosquitos can transmit a dangerous parasite called heartworm to your dog or cat. Heartworms are blood parasites that make their home in your pet's heart and pulmonary arteries (in the lungs). Infection occurs when a mosquito picks up a microscopic heartworm by biting an infected animal and then biting your pet, depositing the worm in the process. The heartworm larvae then work their way through the blood stream. Heartworms can grow to be up to 14 inches in length, and they resemble strands of angel hair pasta. As the worms reach maturity and reproduce in your pet's arteries, they can cause serious illness including heart failure, difficulty breathing and even death. Heartworm can cause permanent damage in your pet long before symptoms begin to show (which can be as long as two years after infection). Year-round preventive medications are your pet's best defense.
Heartworms have been reported in all 50 states and in Canada, with the highest incidents in regions like our state with a warm and wet season that supports a high concentration of mosquitos.
Treating a heartworm infection can be risky and costly, and like any disease, taking preventive steps is a far better alternative. The currently available heartworm prevention medication is safe, effective and available in once-a-month doses. This preventive regimen can be started for your pet as early as 6 weeks of age. Older pets can go on prevention as soon as we determine that no adult heartworms have already infected your pet (this requires a simple blood test). To ensure the pet remains heartworm free through its life, annual testing is part of the wellness plan. In addition to heartworm, many prevention products protect against other parasites, such as fleas, ticks, roundworms and whipworms. Because heartworm prevention is so easy, we recommend that all pets (even indoor pets) be on heartworm prevention medicine. During your visit we can help you decide which approach will best keep your pet heartworm-free.
 Microfilaria |
CASE OF THE MONTH
HEARTWORM TREATMENT
"Lucy" is a 5 year old female spayed beagle. She tested positive for heartworms on a yearly routine occult test. A year ago she was adopted from the Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue. A test for heartworms was done prior to adoption and was negative. Lucy was placed on preventative and had been on it until the testing was done this past April. To be sure the positive test result was correct, it was repeated. This time, two tests were done: an occult and a test for microfilaria (baby heartworms). Only the occult test was positive. This told us that Lucy had an adult heartworm infection only.
There are two possibilities of how Lucy became infected with heartworms. The first would be the owner having missed a month of medication and Lucy acquired the infection in that month. The second and most likely scenario was Lucy had heartworms when she was adopted but since it was an early infection, it was not able to be discovered. An infection must be existing three months before it can be detected. We believe the second scenario to be the case because we know the owner well. They had a pet go through heartworm treatment before and are very aware of the importance of giving heartworm prevention.
Treatment of heartworms consists of a two day hospital stay. Bloodwork and chest x-rays are evaluated to ensure the pet does not have any additional complications. Lucy was in good condition for the treatment. She was diagnosed with Class 1 heartworm disease. Patients with this disease are grouped into classes to describe the severity of the disease and to determine the treatment protocol. If a pet has a more advanced case, the treatment protocol would differ from Lucy's. Lucy had two injections of a medication called Immiticide. One on each day. Immiticide slowly kills the worms in the heart. Following the treatment, Lucy remained on heartworm preventative. She had to be kept on restricted exercise for one month.
Lucy has been back for her follow up exam and is doing very well. She should not have any complications. To the best of our knowledge, prior to her adoption from the Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue, she was not on heartworm prevention. This is the timeframe where she likely became infected. Lucy is one example as to why annual testing is needed.
Prevention is the key. Remember your pet's heartworm medication!
 Lucy (middle) with her sister, Muffin
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