Animal Urgent Care

Stay safe and happy holidays from Hazel, Herschel and the rest of the Animal Urgent Care staff.

A very big thank you and happy technician week to our amazing techs. Veterinary technicians/assistants/receptionists and all the support staff here are an integral part of this hospital and we would not be able to do what we do without them. Technicians are the unsung heroes of our profession and this has been a particularly tough year for all of them. As an essential business, many of them have had to continue working full time while risking their own health and balancing families/personal life. Additionally, we have seen a very significant increase in caseload which has placed additional stress on them and I could not be more proud of how they have handled all of this. Please be sure to thank the next technician you see and remember how much these individuals sacrifice to make sure your pets are taken care of.

Case of the month: Joey presented to us earlier this month for acute vomiting. X-rays were performed and revealed a condition called a peritoneal pericardial diaphragmatic hernia (PPDH). This is typically considered a congenital condition (animals are born with it) where there is a an opening in the diaphragm (which separates your chest and abdominal cavities) allowing abdominal organs to get trapped underneath the outer layer of the heart. Amazingly this condition often ...does not cause any symptoms. In Joey's case, he happened to also have a foreign body in his intestines which is why we were able to diagnose it in the first place. Surgery was extensive and required replacing all of his herniated organs back into his abdomen, removing the foreign body and closing the diaphragm. After multiple days in the hospital, Joey ended up doing very well and is now home with his loving family. Just another reason why your veterinarian will often recommend diagnostics for vomiting because you never know what you will find unless you look.

Our two 3-legged hospital cats Hazel and Herschel hit it off much better than anticipated so we decided to make it official (she said "meow" which we interpreted as "yes"). All kidding aside we clearly adore these two who serve a vital role here at the clinic. We hope to adopt them out together in the near future where they can spend the remainder of their long lives together doing what married couples do.

The dramatic uptick in our caseload has been steadily increasing since February and has put a tremendous amount of stress on our staff. We strive to see and treat every animal that comes through our door but with 1 doctor on at a time and no scheduled appointments this can be very difficult to manage at times. We want to provide the best care possible for your pets which is why we unfortunately have to prioritize those patients who need care the most. Reminder to always call ahead and avoid coming in during the busier hours (10 am to 12 pm, 5 pm to 8 pm) if your pet is stable. We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding.

Meet our newest hospital cat Hazel. This feisty little calico had a bad femoral fracture and with nobody able to care for her, we were happy to adopt her and give her the care she deserves. Hazel now joins our other hospital cat Hershel in the 3 legged cat club. She is making an excellent recovery from surgery and we are looking forward to introducing these two when the timing is right. Hazel also happens to have type B blood, which is very rare in cats and can be extremely useful when another type B cat is in need of a transfusion.

Animal Urgent Care is currently looking for canine blood donors to participate in our blood donor program. Blood transfusion is a vital treatment in emergency medicine and has historically been accomplished through either purchasing products through blood banks or relying on our own pets for donation. This has led to shortages and delays in treatments which is why we have recently purchased equipment which allows us to process our own blood products right here in the clinic. ...We are very excited to offer this to our patients but will need the help of our clients in order to keep up with demand. In order for your dog to become a blood donor, the following criteria must be met: -Between the ages of 1-8 years -Weight at least 55 lbs -Current on flea/tick/heartworm prevention -Current on vaccines -No other health conditions or current medications -Not pregnant or previously received any blood products -Good temperament If you think your dog would be a good donor, please email us at: [email protected] and include your name, phone number and pet information. Your pet will receive a free exam and blood work prior to each donation. Thanks.

This is what we refer to as the "foxtail sneeze", which is due to a foxtail getting sucked up into the nasal cavity and causing significant discomfort for the pet. As opposed to sneezing due to other causes, a foxtail sneeze is much more dramatic and persistent. The nasal cavity is one of the most common locations we remove foxtails from in dogs (in addition to ears and paws). What most people dont realize is that finding these foxtails in the nasal cavity is a lot more c...omplicated than simiply looking straight into the nostrils. This is because the foxtails enter a small opening (meatus) adjacent to the septum and then get caught in a labryth of cartilage making it very difficult for them to sneeze it back out. In order for us to find and retrieve a nasal foxtail, most animals need to be fully anesthetized as the nasal cavity is very stimulating and most dogs will not tolerate us working in there while awake. Once anethetized, we will insert a cone into this small space and look through the magnifying lens to identfy it. Once located, the foxtail is grasped with forceps and pulled straight out. So if your dog begins sneezing like the one in the video, it is best to have them seen right away as delaying treatment may make it more challenging to locate.

Hi everyone, We will continue to utilize Facebook to convey any updates or changes to our COVID-19 policies so please keep an eye out for future updates. As a pet emergency hospital, we are considered an essential business and will remain open 24/7. Although we will continue to prioritize those pets deemed the most critical or unstable, we will continue to see and treat pets with less serious injuries or illness to the best of our ability. With that being said, in effor...ts to prevent the transmission of the virus and protect our employees Animal Urgent Care is instituting the following new guidelines for all clients arriving to the hospital: 1) When arriving to the hospital, we ask that you remain in your vehicle and call the hospital number at 760-738-9600 and a staff member will come outside to assist you. 2) If your pet is critically ill and/or you are unable to call the hospital, please ring the door bell and a staff member will come to the door and assist you. 3) The technician will triage your pet outside and ask to take them into the hospital for the doctor to assess them. We ask that you remain outside or in your vehicle during this time. 4) Once the doctor has examined your pet, he/she will call you to discuss their findings and give further recommendations. 5) If there are particular findings that the doctor needs to discuss with you in person and/or circumstances dictate person to person discussion, you may be asked to come into an exam room. All exam rooms will be thoroughly disinfected after every use. 6) We are limiting hospital entry to 1 person per pet. 7) Upon checkout, you will be permitted to enter the lobby where a staff member can check you out and discuss discharge instructions. 8) If you are feeling ill and/or have any symptoms pertaining to COVID-19 we ask that you refrain from entering the building and call the hospital directly for further advice. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patients during these unprecedented times.

A message from Animal Urgent Care regarding COVID-19: Animal Urgent Care will remain open and continue to provide care for your pets 24/7, 365 unless directed otherwise. We are committed to following all recommendations laid out by the Center for Disease Control and local officials as we continue to monitor the evolving Coronavirus situation. To answer some questions that have come up recently regarding pets and COVID-19, the CDC released the following statements:... -There is no reason to think that any animals, including pets in the United States might be a source of infection with this new coronavirus. -To date, CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COViD-19. -There is no evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19. We ask that all of our clients refrain from entering our hospital in the event you are experiencing any symptoms that may be related to COVID-19. Furthermore, we will refrain from shaking hands with any clients and ask that any clients who have a pet emergency but are experiencing symptoms to wait outside in their car and call the hospital so we can triage your pet outside and give further recommendations as the situation dictates. We thank you all for your patients during these trying times. If you have any further questions please contact the hospital directly at 760-738-9600. Sincerely, Scott DiLorenzo, DVM Owner, Animal Urgent Care

Electrical cord bite injuries are commonly seen in cats who like to bite/chew on exposed wires. This can cause significant thermal injury to the oral cavity as well as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs). This poor kitty had one of the more significant injuries to his tongue as the result of chewing on an exposed wire resulting in severe ulceration and sloughing of the tongue and oral mucosa. Fortunately his lungs were spared and a feeding tube was placed to allow us to ad...minister food and medications while his mouth recovered. Within a few days, the damage to the oral cavity began to subside and he started eating for us. He is expected to make a full recovery but an important reminder in this current world of technology to keep any electrical cords (cell phone charges, lamps, computers) out of the reach of your kitties inquisitive mouths. See more

Nice gesture and story all around. Looking forward to seeing this commercial on Sunday.

Animal Urgent Care is currently looking for canine blood donors to take place in our new blood donor program that we will be starting this month. Blood transfu...sion is a vital treatment in emergency medicine and has historically been accomplished through either purchasing products through blood banks or relying on our own pets for donation. This has led to shortages and delays in treatments which is why we have recently purchased equipment which allows us to process our own blood products right here in the clinic. We are very excited to offer this to our patients but will need the help of our clients in order to keep up with demand. In order for your dog to become a blood donor, the following criteria must be met: -Between the ages of 1-8 years -Weight at least 55 lbs -Current on flea/tick/heartworm prevention -Current on vaccines -No other health conditions or current medications -Not pregnant or previously received any blood products -Good temperament If you think your dog would be a good donor, please email us at: [email protected] and include your name, phone number and pet information. Your pet will receive a free exam and blood work prior to each donation. Thanks.

Just a friendly reminder that there is no such thing as a safe dog toy/bone. This little guy had been chewing on a bone shaped toy when he suddenly began to choke. Although actual choking events are fairly uncommon, the size of this bone combined with the short face features of this patient caused it to get stuck in the back of his throat, occluding his airway. Fortunately his parents got him in just in time for us to remove it without any damage.