Eastridge Animal Hospital

WE ARE OPEN (By appointment only. Call us at (619) 465-4600 for more information) As a small business our ability to remain open is reliant on our ability to keep our staff (and you) healthy and safe. So for those reasons, here are a few guidelines:... 1) We are by appointment only. No walk-ins, please. If you have an emergency, please contact one of our local emergency veterinary clinics. 2) If you are currently experiencing any cold or flu symptoms, like sneezing, coughing, body-aches, fever, etc, please stay at home and call us for more direction. Additionally, if you (or a family member) have been exposed to anyone showing symptoms, please notify our staff at scheduling, and before arriving, so we can make any required adjustments. 3) In order to maintain Social Distancing, please minimize the number of people coming to the clinic with your pet. Exam rooms are similar in size to a small bedroom, when you add your pet, the doctor, and +/- a staff person - it is safest if we can minimize the number of clients to 1 person per pet. 4) For your own peace of mind, our hospital is cleaned and sanitized with medical grade cleaners repeatedly and thoroughly through-out the day. Furthermore hand-sanitizer, and hand washing sinks are available. 5) Drive up service is available for appointments and purchases (medications/food). This means you will not need to enter our facility at all. Please give the office a call for more details. 6) Lastly, we are closely monitoring any new developments from the CDC, AVMA, local, state, and national governments regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes working diligently to conserve personal protective equipment (PPE) to help with demand on the human side. Please be aware that during this tough time, medications and medical supplies may be limited or rationed; and these decisions may be beyond our control. In the end, our goal always has been, and will continue to be, to keep our patients, clients, and staff safe. As a country, we will get through this. In the meantime, we all have a part to play in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and we appreciate your assistance during this time.

Rabies is a dangerous, deadly virus that can spread across species (ie pet to human). Thankfully, the virus is rare is the US, but that is because every state in the US requires the rabies vaccine for pet dogs (and some states require it for pet cats). Rabies DOES EXIST in our wildlife, (particularly bats, skunks & raccoons). If your pet has not been vaccinated in awhile, please call us - so we can ensure your pet is protected from this deadly disease.

September was definitely a busy month! Besides Pain Awareness Month, and Happy Healthy Cat Month...it was also Classical Music Month - so get out your favorite Mozart or Verdi and enjoy some easy listening with your furry friend. (Warning, although I love Tchaikovsky - the cannons of the "1812 Overture" are a little scary for pets - so please listen to that one alone)

Besides being Pain Awareness Month, September is also Happy, Healthy Cat Month - have you had your feline friend checked out recently? Cats are experts at hiding pain and disease, if they have not be seen by a veterinarian recently, now is a good time to call us and make an appointment.

Have a Safe and Happy Labor Day!!!!

September is Pain Awareness Month - have you noticed your pet slowing down, not jumping on furniture like they used to, or walking with an odd or stiff gait. Call us to make an appointment - there is no reason for a pet to be in pain.

Thankfully, Eastridge Animal Hospital went unscathed last night. I would like to acknowledge and thank one of our team members, Christa, who helped me evacuate our hospital cats (no other animals were in the clinic). That said, there are a lot of small local businesses who could use your help. A GoFundMe page has been started by the East County Chamber of Commerce. Also, if you have not heard there is a curfew in La Mesa starting at 7pm tonight (yes, thankfully BEFORE sunse...t - hopefully that will help prevent a recurrence of last night). Please stay safe everyone.

HAPPY NATIONAL PET DAY!!!! Today is a great day to hug and cuddle your pet! One of my home projects, during this time, is to consolidate my photos. Yesterday, I found this blast from the past. The top picture, is our hospital cat, Effie, in 2014. ... A Good Samaritan had just rescued her and brought her to our hospital. Poor thing was a bag of bones with rotten teeth. (You can even see her mouth propped open and salivary stains on her chest). A little over 5 years later and look at her now! It's amazing what a little food, a little medical care, and a lot of love will do!

I know this isn't an animal or pet thing, but it is such an important skill right now that I thought it was important enough to share.

LET YOUR VOICE OUT (Sing & Howl) Just over a week ago is when the Stay-in-Place Order went into place. While our hospital is open, like many of you (since I now do Administrative work), I have been working from home. While working at home does have some benefits, looking at the same four walls and not speaking with coworkers can be monotonous. So, for today's activity, let your voice out!... I actually have a different song for each one of my pets. They may not know the words, but when I quietly sing to them, they know this is a special bond just between me them. Unfortunately, I don't have a video of me singing to them (sorry, it is a private thing), but another one of my favorite voice bonding activities was between Indy and I. Before losing his hearing, Indy loved to howl with sirens! He would get excited, he would dance in place...quite simply, he felt it was his duty to lead the call. Of course, working near the fire station led to a lot of sirens, so eventually we had to make the rule that he could only howl if he physically saw the vehicle drive by. Thankfully, during one of these occasions I was able to capture it on video. Although he no longer howls at the sirens, this is still one of my favorite videos.

THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR PET #3 Teach you pet a new trick. This is a great way to spend some time with your furry friend. The important part about training, however, is you want to make it fun and enjoyable for both of you. Animal Behaviorists strongly recommend positive reinforcement training. There is no reason to create fear when training a pet, and punishment based training can cause anger, frustration, fear...and eventually unwanted behaviors including aggression.... Here are two sites that encourage positive based training. Kikopup and Catmantoo. (By the way, even if you are a dog lover - check out the Catmantoo channel - he has videos for dog training, as well as some amazing videos of things he has trained his cats) Have fun with your furry baby, and as always - stay safe and healthy! https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup https://www.youtube.com/user/CatTrainerToo

THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR PET #2 Go to the (virtual) zoo. So, yes, we are all bummed that the zoo is closed due to COVID-19, however, their webcams are still operational!! (Plus, they have some really good recorded highlights).... Now granted, many of our pets tend to ignore our television screens, but this is the only way they can visit the zoo (and there are a few who still get enjoyment). Besides, human health officials are reporting that watching animals during this time is beneficial to our mental health. So if anything, do it for yourself. Here are my two favorite sites: The San Diego Zoo (of course) and the Smithsonian (National) Zoo. https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams

THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR PET #1. Ok, so this one is a little obvious, but...Take a walk! Of course, you know we can't be that simple, so here are some additional ideas (especially for owners of cats, small dogs, or for rainy days when you or your pet want to stay indoors).... Getting up and moving is important during these times, so here are some tips to encourage an in-the-house walk: 1) Follow the food bowl or treats - I once had an extremely overweight patient who lost 10% of his body weight between exams. I asked the owner how she was able to get her cat to lose the weight. She responded that she noticed he would follow her whenever she prepared his meals, so she started walking from room to room with the food bowl...the whole time her hefty feline would trot after her, chirping away in excitement for his food dish. By the end of the year, the owner commented that for each meal she now routinely made two trips around the house including going up and down stairs! 2) Use a Laser Light - First the WARNING - When using a laser light, your pet must periodically receive some sort of reward (a treat). Without the reward, over time, pets can become frustrated and it can cause unwanted behaviors. So, before your indoor walk , hide random treats through-out the house. Now remember the key is for you to get up and move as well....so with your pet, walk around the house while shining the laser light behind you. Periodically, stop to shine the light onto a favored treat before continuing on your walk. 3) Finally, the wand toy - to be honest, I thought this video explains this one the best. After all, we all need a little humor now and then... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rXLZfsJT0

CALLING ALL FURRY, FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS! Thankfully, during this difficult time, our pets can still be next to us and by our side. To date, there is still no evidence that pets can become ill with COVID-19, nor has there been any evidence of a pet spreading the virus to people. So, it got us thinking....what have you been doing with your Four-Footed, Furry Best Friends and Closest Confidantes?... Each day, we will post an activity you can do with your beloved pet. Meanwhile, SHARE YOUR IDEAS TOO - the idea with the most likes (when the Stay-in-Place Order is lifted) will WIN A FREE EXAM! (Note activities must be mutually enjoyable by you and your pet. Any activity that can cause Fear, Anxiety, Stress, Pain or Discomfort in an animal is discouraged and will be deleted and disqualified).