Animal Medical Clinics of Rockford Welcome Waggin' Tails
We would like to welcome the newest addition to the Animal Medical Clinics of Rockford, Waggin’ Tails. Drs. Cary Thompson and James Buhl are pleased to announce that Julie Jackson has joined the staff of Animal Medical Clinics of Rockford as the Behavior Wellness Director. She will be managing the clinics’ new venture-Waggin’ Tails Training and Day Care Center, located at 4109 Morsay Drive.
Waggin’ Tails doggie day care program specializes in small and medium-sized dogs with indoor and outdoor play areas. The facility’s priority is providing each day care dog with a fun and safe environment. Dogs will be evaluated, observed and grouped with appropriate play partners to ensure a good time for all. While there will be plenty of time for play, there also will be down time each day giving the players a chance to settle. Call Waggin’ Tails at 815-391-8101 for more details.
Waggin’ Tails also offers Puppy SmartStart classes for puppies 8-12 weeks of age. This class is designed to be both an informative and fun learning experience for puppies and their humans. Waggin’ Tails will also begin offering Puppy 101 classes for pups 13-16 weeks of age and Good Manners for older pups and adult dogs.
With Julie on staff, Animal Medical Clinics is able to offer private in-home or in-clinic training/behavior consultations for their clients.
Julie has 16 years of animal welfare experience, including 11 years of animal shelter work and 16 years of positive dog training. She is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, a graduate of Purdue University’s DOGS! Course, co-developer of the GoodPuppy™ Social Club curriculum (early learning for puppies), co-author of
Early Learning for Puppies – A Program Guide for Humane Societies and Veterinary Clinics and co-author of
Evaluation of association between retention in the home and attendance at puppy socialization classes published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. She has lectured and presented wet labs for veterinary students, veterinary technician students, animal shelter staff and volunteers, and veterinary clinic staff and developed and presented hands-on training seminars for professional organizations, national meetings and local groups. She keeps up-to-date on new training and behavior trends by attending seminars and conferences each year.Julie is a Rockford native and shares her home with 3 dogs – Lucy, a 15 year old “wild haired” Beagle; Maddie, a 5 year old black Goldendoodle; and Lady, an American Staffordshire Terrier, who is a failed foster dog, now a permanent member of the Jackson family. All three dogs were adopted from shelters.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF FECAL TESTING
Bringing in a stool sample every six months may sound
gross, but it is beneficial to you
AND your pet!
Spread by passing wildlife or other dogs or cats, intestinal parasites
can hide out in our beloved family pets causing nothing more than
diarrhea. However, should these little beasties transmit to a human,
they can result in severe GI upset...even blindness. Checking a stool
every six months will help find any parasites that may take up
residence in your loved dog or cat. They are easily treatable, and your
entire family will be safer.
Hip
Dysplasia and Large Breed Dogs
Owners of large breed puppies are justifiably worried over the risk
that their new puppy will eventually develop hip dysplasia. Large
breeds, whether from a kennel, private owner or a pet store are at risk
of this crippling disease. It can be very painful, and by the time it
is diagnosed and treated the dog has often suffered for weeks or even
months. Preventing this suffering has been everyone's goal for many
years.
Treating hip dysplasia is expensive.
In mild cases aspirin and other pain relieving drugs can be used, but
must be given for the life of the dog and are eventually irritating to
the gastrointestinal tract. Surgery, which is very expensive and a lot
more debilitating to the patient can treat more severe cases. The most
common surgical options are:
- TPO (triple pelvic
osteotomy) -- This $1,200-$2,000 per hip surgery cuts and then
re-attaches 3 bones in the pelvis to change the angle of the hip
socket. Only done early in life (6-10 months of age), there is a loss
of range of motion.
- FHO (femoral head ostectomy)
-- This $700-$1,000 per hip surgery removes the femoral head. This
surgery results in a loss of the normal hip anatomy, and the larger the
dog, the less successful the surgery is.
- THR
(total hip replacement) -- This hip $3,500-$5,000 per hip surgery
replaces the abnormal hip joint with a prosthesis. It is only done at
specialty and university clinics.
Different
surgeons recommend different procedures based on their skill level,
instrumentation, age of the pet, severity of the disease, and finances
available. The entire process can be very complex, costly and
emotionally draining. Most of all, this very painful disease is now
largely preventable!
Hip Screening
Testing is now available that can predict which puppies are at greater
risk of developing hip dysplasia. Furthermore, a surgical procedure is
now available that should allow the hip bones of a puppy to develop and
form a better hip joint.
Screening
of large breed puppies (over 50lb adult weight) MUST be done before
eighteen weeks of age (the earlier the better).
The
screening consists of general anesthesia and palpation of the hips. If
palpation is positive, this indicates a loose or lax joint. "PennHip"
x-ray may be done to provide further verification.
Those puppies that test positive benefit from a procedure (Juvenile
Pubic Symphysiodesis) that destroys the growth plate in the pubic bone.
This causes early fusing which changes the angle of the hip as the
puppy grows, ultimately providing the puppy a much better hip joint.
Benefits of the surgery, compared to those required for hip dysplasia,
are remarkable. There is very little discomfort after surgery. There is
no "bone" surgery and no loss of range of motion of the joint;
integrity of the hip joint is maintained. There is rapid healing with
few complications. Also, the cost is low when compared with dysplasia
surgeries.
This surgery reduces the
degeneration of the hip joint beginning at a very early age. The most
important factor in its success is the timing of the surgery -----IT
MUST BE DONE AS CLOSE TO FOURTEEN WEEKS OF AGE AS POSSIBLE! Early
detection is imperative.
Hip
screening total cost only $150.00: Office consultation,
pre-anesthesia blood tests, isoflurane gas anesthesia, and palpation.
**Dogs that receive JPS surgery should not be bred and
spaying
or neutering is MANDATORY at the time of the JPS surgery.
Remember:
This surgery SHOULD BE DONE AT 13 WEEKS OF AGE OR IT BEGINS TO BECOME
LESS EFFECTIVE!!
Call Animal Medical Clinic, Animal Medical
Clinic North, or CherryVale Animal Clinic to make an appointment with
Dr. Thompson or Dr. Buhl for your puppy's hip screening today.