October 2009

NEW HOURS!
A big thanks to all of you who took the time to complete our survey. We have decided to extend our hours on Wednesday from half day to full day. Our new hours are Monday 8am-8pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8am-6pm, Friday 8am-5pm, and Saturday 8am-1pm. We will remain closed on Sunday. We appreciate your feedback and comments!

CALLING ALL FACEBOOK FANS
Animal Clinic of Chardon now has a fan page on Facebook and is looking for more friends! We have posted pictures and other helpful and interesting information. To become a fan follow this link, sign in, and click "Become a Fan." It's a great way to keep up with what is happening at our clinic! For those of you not on Facebook, it's free to join. Just visit Facebook for more information.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
Indoor Cat Initiative  This site is brought to you by the Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and contains loads of information on how to keep your indoor cat healthy - both physically and mentally!

FRIENDLY REMINDER - Parasite Analysis
Overdue for an intestinal parasite analysis (stool check)? We mean your pet, not you! Join us on Facebook and receive $5 off your pet's next test. Have more than one pet? We will honor this discount for up to 3 pets, but samples must be presented at the same time. Offer expires 12/31/09.

Not interested in Facebook? Then visit the Indoor Cat Initiative and tell us about it and you, too, will receive $5 off a stool check. Same conditions apply as above.


TIPS TO KEEP YOU ON YOUR TOES Practical Information For Pet Owners
Dog Flu Information
What's this about my dog getting the flu? It seems we can't help but hear about the flu on a daily basis lately. And now, dogs too are susceptible. But wait, before you pick up the phone, ACOC has not seen a documented case and we are unaware of any in our or surrounding areas. Because of this, we are not recommending the vaccine to our dog patients at this time. There are a few important points to know, however, and we've tried to make it simple for you. Canine flu hasn't been around for very long. It is an influenza type A (like swine, avian, and equine flu) H3N8 virus. It infects dogs, not humans. This virus spreads rapidly from dog to dog via aerosilization and contaminated objects. It is highly contagious in dog populations and when exposed, 100% will become infected. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, and in severe cases pneumonia and/or death (it is similar to what we've known as "kennel cough" and is sometimes difficult to distinguish). Some dogs will not show signs, but can still spread the virus. A canine influenza vaccine was approved in May 2009. This vaccine is recommended for dogs that are at risk and have potentially high exposure to the virus. Although the dog flu has been reported in over 30 U.S states, it has primarily been seen in larger Metropolitan areas.  Dogs at risk are those in daycare, boarding and grooming facilities, show circuits and other densely populated places that dogs visit. So, if your dog travels and is considered "at risk", the vaccine may be warranted. Please call or e-mail us if you have any further questions. You may also check out this helpful on-line resource:
http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/canine_bgnd.asp


Animal Clinic of Chardon
656 Water Street Chardon, OH 44024
440-285-9191