March 2009 Newsletter

Lone Mountain Animal Hospital
March 2009 Newsletter

Laser Surgery-Discount Special
Lasers have been in use within human medicine since the 1960’s, but have become more prevalent in veterinary medicine within the last decade. This growing interest of pet laser surgery is because pet owners have come to demand the same high quality medical care that they receive themselves. And veterinarians recognize the advantages that laser surgery brings to their animal patients.

What are the benefits of laser surgery over traditional surgery?

Decreased bleeding
Reduced Pain
Less swelling
Reduced infection
Extreme precision

These benefits all translate into a more comfortable pet that heals up faster from traditional surgery. The laser is especially valuable in the case of smaller patients and exotic pets in which any blood loss must be minimized. Laser surgery isn’t found at every veterinary clinic, but has been in use at LMAH for many years now. The laser has become invaluable for smoother surgical recoveries and allowed new surgical techniques that could not be done without it. At our office the laser is commonly used for spays, castrations, tumor removals, eye surgeries, and all feline declaw surgeries.

During the month of April we are offering a Laser Surgery Discount of $25.00 on any surgical procedure performed with the laser. This discount only applies to laser procedures performed April 1st thru the 30th. And sorry…no human laser surgeries!

Pet of the Month
Hooray for Goldie our April 2009 Pet of the Month. Goldie is a love bug and has toughed it through some serious health problems. Visit our website to see her story at www.lmah.net.

Do the Motorized Pet Nail Trimmers Actually Work?
We all have seen those amazing commercials of pets enjoying having their nails trimmed at home with the motorized nail files. But does it really work? The feedback from our staff and clients is that these nail trimmers don’t always work like magic. And if your dog hates having his feet touched for regular nail trimming…it is unlikely that changing to a motorized grinding tool will improve that fear. In fact, it may worsen his response.

The biggest problem we have encountered is that some of the nail tools stop grinding when the pressure of the nail is applied to the disc. Some of the more expensive or higher powered units don’t seem to do this as much. Also be aware of long haired pets whose fur can get pulled into the unit and catch on the rotating piece- resulting in a frightened pet caught with a toe stuck in the tool!

But not all the reviews have been bad- some pet lovers find that these nail trimmers work well as long as you do small amounts of trimming at a time. And everyone seems to appreciate the smooth nail edge rather than the rough edge following regular nail trimming. Many people are surprised that these tools are basically your average dremel tool dressed up and encased in the protective plastic. In fact you can simply purchase a protective dremel attachment and use your regular low speed dremel tool!

Tips for Using Motorized Nail Trimmers

- Practice handling your pet’s feet first while turning on tool. Do not use the tool yet- just get them used to the sound of the unit.
- Reward your dog with treats and praise whenever nail trimmers are used.
- Keep a firm hold on the individual toe throughout trimming.
- Discontinue if your pet attempts to bite- some pets will never get past the noise or vibration!