Best Kept Secret
Kennel services especially for dogs are a bargain. All dogs receive at least four walks a day in a park like setting behind the hospital. Our staffing for boarding services is more than adequate for normal healthy boarders. On the other hand extra care is available for those pets needing to be medicated or receive special services. When needed, in house doctors are available for your pets medical needs.  Visit our "Services" page for more information regarding Boarding.

Website
Please check out our website at www.restonanimalhospital.com for updates regarding new products and services available. In addition we also have links to a number of websites that provide useful information for pet care.  Also, "like" us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/RestonAH

Cat and Dog Behavior
There are two products that have been available for some time that help deal with behavioral problems in pets. Feliway, a facial pheromone, and D.A.P., a dog appeasing pheromone. These two products are available as a spray or outlet plug-in aerosol. Feliway helps cats deal with stress, evidenced by house soiling, and aggression towards other house hold cats. D.A.P. may also help those dogs who suffer with thunderstorm and noise phobias. D.A.P. for dogs is also available as a collar form.

Hills
Hills pet food company is considered to be a leader in the pet food industry. New products continue to be introduced. The quality, availability, palatability and cost of Hills products are never in question. Hills products have a total customer satisfaction policy, even opened bags of dry dog food can be returned for full credit. A few new labels we particularly recommend:
J/D: Joint diet. Protects joints, reduces joint in arthritic dogs by utilizing omega-3 fatty acids
B/D: Brain diet. Antioxidants effectively control symptoms of cognitive dysfunction.
D/D: Dermatitis diet. Upgraded! Offers a unique protein source that increases your pet’s ability to manage food allergies.

Wisdom Panel
Have you ever wondered what unique mix of breeds make up your beloved mutt? We are now offering the Mars Veterinary Wisdom Panel, mixed breed analysis. This test uses a small amount of blood to pinpoint which breeds are in your dogs family line. This is the most comprehensive genetic analysis panel on the market. Knowing what breeds make up your dog will help you understand behavioral traits and any common genetic problems to that breed.

Microchips
Our current microchip is called “ResQ”, provided by Bayer. This chip is recognized in Europe as well as in the United States. There is no annual fee and your pet is identified under your name as well as ours. There is a one-time $40 fee that covers implantation as well as the registration. Scanners are utilized by shelters and clinics nationwide and can identify more than one company’s chip.

Annual Exams, Semi-Annual Exams and Three Year Vaccine Protocol
We will continue to adjust your pet’s vaccine protocol as published data becomes available. We offer a three year canine rabies vaccine and are utilizing three year canine and feline distemper vaccines.

We now recommended semi-annual exams for our senior patients. While annual exams include physicals, fecal exams, and heartworm exams our senior exams should include urine, blood tests and x-rays to better establish the status of those patients.

Dental
Dental care is our full time concern. In recent years there have been many advances both in the technical management of dental disease and home care. The benefits of tooth brushing have long been stressed but in reality this may not be practical. Dental food, water additives and dental toys are some alternative options.

The expenses of dental cleaning in pets, unlike in humans require health screens and evaluation of anesthetic risks. The choices of procedures to retain teeth or needed extractions require good communication between doctor and owner. We encourage you to discuss any concerns with our doctors or technicians. Local specialist in dentistry offer tooth restoration, and root canals to name but a few. The benefits of healthy well maintained teeth and dental disease will add years to your pet’s life.    

Does your dog have a tick problem?
Ask one of our technicians about Preventic collars.

Does your dog have a weight problem?
Ask one of our technicians about Purina’s OM diet or Slentrol.

Health Insurance
With the increased sophistication in services available through local animal emergency clinics, the potential for expensive services is a concern. Within the last six months, we can identify expenses of $5,000, $8,000 and even $12,000, which have been incurred. Pet’s Best insurance is popular within our clinic staff. There are also many other pet insurance companies to choose from.

Pets Best
http://www.petsbestins.com
1-877-546-8080
Veterinary Pet Insurance
http://www.petinsurance.com
1-800-USA-PETS
Pet Healthcare Plan
http://www.petpartnersinc.com
919-859-8222

Care Credit
Our office offers Care Credit for our clients, which allows us to focus on patient care and not on payments. This organization has been in business for 16 years. In light of the current on credit crunch, this company offers an alternative method of payment. While not directly through our office, other organizations have entered the market. Chase Health Advantage (1-888-388-7633) and the Universal Group (1-877-233-6999) also provide credit services for pet owners.

Heartworm
The Heartworm Society recommends yearly testing and the use of preventatives for heartworm disease in dogs and cats. The use of preventatives in cats has more recently been recommended. We carry Interceptor, Sentinel, Heartgard and Revolution for heartworm prevention.

Strategic Deworming
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) has suggested that annual fecal testing alone may no longer be satisfactory in the prevention of animal parasitism and human exposure. Although we are unaware of any specific incidents among our clients or their families, there have been reported cases of human exposure to roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, fleas, mange and toxoplasmosis. It is estimated that 10,000 children in the U.S. are infected with parasites each year. To help solve this problem, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recently introduced the concept of strategic deworming. We carry several deworming agents that are safe, effective and easy to administer to your pet. Dog and cat owners who use heartworm prevention, which offer intestinal parasite prevention, are already practicing strategic deworming. Cat owners are also urged to strategically deworm their pets. There is a new and very easy to use topical dewormer for cats called Profender. In addition, the use of flea ridding products (such as Frontline) will help prevent the transmission of tapeworms.

Lyme Disease
For the pets that test positive for Lyme disease but have no clinical symptoms, further testing is recommended. It should be noted that a positive Lyme test in a dog is less likely to result in active disease. The disease in humans is often complicated and more likely to result in medical complications.

ATTENTION!

Did you know that just like humans, there is a blood shortage for dogs getting medical care? But you can help! The Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank is currently accepting blood donations from healthy dogs over 35 pounds and meeting a few other requirements. Bryce, our hospital manager's dog, goes in every two months to donate! For more information on how you can help pets in need, click the following link: Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank Home Page.