march

Mon, Wed,
Thurs, Fri
8:00 AM - 6:00PM

Thursdays 12-1pm
Closed for Staff meeting

Tuesday
8:00AM - 7:00PM

Saturday
8:00AM - 11:00AM

For after hours emergency care
contact

Crown Veterinary Specialists
Lebanon, NJ
908-236-4120
www.crownvet.com

Animerge
Raritan, NJ
908-707-9077
www.animerge.net

Cares
Langhorn, PA
215-750-2774
www.vetcares.com

Valley Central
Veterinary
Referral Center
610-435-1553
www.vcvrh.com

MARCH 2011 NEWSLETTER

Buyer Beware
If your pet has a Homeagain microchip you may be receiving what you think is a yearly renewal notice from Homeagain stating there is a $12 fee to keep your pet's information in their database. This is not a yearly fee. It is actually a fee for an upgraded service that Homeagain offers and does not have to be paid. Failure to subscribe to the upgraded service will not affect your information or notification in the event that your lost pet is found.

Thanks for buying toys from South Branch Vet:
Please visit our office to peruse our retail shelves, especially the toys. All proceeds are donated to local shelters, plus we match the proceeds dollar for dollar. This past year we were able to donate $416.00 each to Tabby's Place and The Hunterdon Humane Animal Shelter and with your help we will be able to continue our yearly donations.

New recommendations:
We are now recommending that all pets have a fecal sample tested every year for parasites. This includes cats that are strictly indoors. This is in line with current CDC recommendations for the safety and well being of your pets and family members. There are a number of zoonotic parasites (parasites that can be transmitted from pets to people) which can adversely affect the health of both pets and family members.

Time to learn:
Please be advised that the office is closed every Thursday from 12 noon until 1PM for our weekly staff meeting. This allows us uninterrupted time for continuing education, updates, and medical reviews. We often have speakers that come from as far away as Cornell University to update us on new medications and procedures. We would like to thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Deadly disease:
Sadly, we lost a dog to Leptospirosis recently, a particularly dangerous bacterial infection. It is the world's most common zoonotic disease and is spread in the urine of infected animals such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks. It can survive for weeks to months in the soil and surface waters such as lakes, streams and puddles. There is a vaccine to help protect your dog and the doctors will be happy to discuss your pet's risk factors and make the proper recommendation.

Lock up those medications:
Many human medications are toxic to pets and an overdose of a pet's own medication can also be harmful. Although pill vials have child-proof tops, the plastic vials are sometimes no match for your pets' teeth. In the event of any questionable ingestion of a prescription drug by your pet, please call the office as soon as possible. You can also call NJ Poison Control at (800) 222-1222. There is no charge for this call, but there are no veterinarians on staff. The number for the ASPCA Poison Control is (888) 426-4435. There is a fee for this call, but there are veterinarians on staff to help you and recommend emergency treatment if necessary.