Feline Diabetes,
Laser Surgery and Thank You!
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Join our mailing list!
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Welcome to June! I hope you are off to a fantastic
Summer. This months newsletter will include articles about feline
diabetes, laser surgery, fun facts and of course the monthly trivia
question. Remember we love input on the newsletter so any recommendations
or suggestions of article topics are very welcome! I hope you are
enjoying our newsletters and I thank you for your time.
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Feline Diabetes
Could your cat be a diabetic?
 Feline diabetes is becoming a much more common
diagnosis in the veterinary world. We are now finding that
approximately 1 in 200 cats are or will become diabetic. Diabetes
is a medical condition resulting in excessive glucose or sugar in
the blood due to insulin deficiency. The most common clinical signs
are increased water consumption and urination. Weight loss and
increased appetite may also be noted. Diagnosis is made through a
physical exam, blood glucose and fructosamine measurements and
urinalysis. Diabetic cats are also much more prone to feline lower
urinary tract infections due to the "sugar" in the urine.
Diabetes is a treatable condition. There have been many newer and
better treatment options recently including Purina DM diet and
others and the return of PZI insulin. Some cats will maintain well
on diet alone. Other cats require insulin injections in addition to
dietary change.
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Laser Surgery
When you want to very best for your pet!
 Veterinary laser surgery has come a long way over the
past few years and is now a great option for many pet surgeries.
You may have heard of lasers being used for both human and animal
surgery and many of you know that I purchased a laser unit about
1.5 years ago. I then attended laser training in Georgia. There are
about 3,500 U.S. veterinary practices who offer laser surgery which
is approximately 10-15% of veterinary hospitals in the U.S. Laser
takes the place of a scalpel. It is a focused beam of light that
vaporizes the water in the tissue. It becomes a non-contact
surgical tool allowing a clean and sterile procedure and also
cauterizes vessels and "caps" nerve endings. There are
many benefits to laser surgery including less pain and bleeding for
the patient, faster recovery times, reduced infection rates, and
decreased swelling and tissue trauma. Laser may be used with almost
any surgery but is particularly useful for cat de-clawing, eyelid
surgery, and mole and tumor removals. Although I was skeptical
after using laser at a previous clinic and only seeing a little
benefit, after the advanced training and then observing patients
post op I have seen a dramatic difference in recovery and pain
levels. A few months ago I had 2 cats in for front de-claw surgery
and they happened to be identical sex, weight and age. One owner
opted for laser and the other declined due to finances. Both cats
were given local and general pain medication pre op, the same
anesthesia regimen and both did well with surgery. The "laser
cat" awoke and walked normally on the front feet immediately
and even batted at the cage door during the day. The other cat did
fine but was lame/tender on its front feet for about one week.
Laser definitely has many benefits for the patient. The fee for
laser surgery is an additional $45 basic surgery and $65 extensive
surgery. Laser by no means is a cure all or a requirement for
surgery but is an option to consider. For more information about
laser surgery feel free to call me.
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Thank you to our referral
prize donors!
Drawing to be held in June
 Our "refer a new client" program is off to a
great start this year. As many of you know, if you refer a new
client to us, both you and the new client will be entered in our
twice yearly drawing (June and December). The first drawing will be
held the end of June and winners will be contacted by phone and announced
in the July newsletter. A special thank you to Precious Pets
for the Keepsake Pawprints kits, Cat's Cradle for three 3
night cat boarding certificates, Shampooches for 2 free dog
wash certificates, the Kalamazoo Dog Training Club for a
free obedience class, Bone Appetit for a free bath&
brush and a $10 gift certificate, Bark's Fifth Avenue for a
great gift basket, and Uptown Pets for a $20 gift
certificate. I really appreciate all the donated gifts- Thank
you! and thank you to everyone who has referred friends and
family to our services. It is much appreciated!
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Trivia
June trivia question: What was the most popular cat &
dog name in 2005 for the 3rd year in a row? (one answer). The first
client who calls with the correct answer will get $5 credit on
their account! May trivia question: In 7 years, one female
cat and her offspring can theoretically produce a. 420 cats b.
4,200 cats or c. 42,000 cats. Yes, amazingly, the answer is c.
42,000! Just one of the many reasons to get your pets neutered!
Congrats to Amy L who received a $5 credited to her account! (thank
you to the Kalamazoo Humane Society for this question!)
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Did you know?
The ASPCA recently released a list of the 10 most common
poisonous plants: 1. marijuana 2. sago palm 3. lillies 4.
tulip/narcissus bulbs 5. azalea/rhododendron 6. oleander 7. caster
bean 8. cyclamen 9. kalanchoe and 10. yew. For more info on this
check out the aspca website.
www.aspca.org
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Thank you for your time and I wish you a fantastic
month! We constantly strive to provide the best care for your family
pets and exceptional service to our clients. I offer appointments
while parked at Discount Pet store on Gull Road and also offer house
calls as available. If I can be of service to you, please give us a
call at 269-731-7387 to schedule an appointment today. Also, remember
if you refer a friend or family member, both of you will be entered
in our 2006 referral drawing program for many great prizes. Our
drawings will be held the end of June and the end of December (please
see our website for more info about our prize drawings). Thank You
and Good Luck!!!
Sincerely,
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