Wally's Adventure with Hyperthyroidism
If you had the pleasure to meet our hospital cat, Wally, you know he's a sweet and affectionate boy! Wally was found by our client relations manager, Ginny, outside sitting on our wall. He was a young and friendly cat and we searched for his owners, but no one came to claimed him. Lucky for us he joined our GWLAH family and has provided many cat cuddles and cute antics for the staff to enjoy throughout our busy days. Over the years, Wally developed a condition called Hyperthyroidism, which means his thyroid was overworking and increasing his metabolism rate (leaving a very hungry cat!). Thankfully today there are many forms of treatment to help manage this condition in cats. We initially tried Methimazole pills, but he proved to be a true cat and dislike getting pills. There is a special diet for hyperthyroidism for cats, but we had another hospital cat, who was very finicky with food so we could not pursue that option. We then tried Methimazole ear cream, an option that is compounded through a special pharmacy. The ear cream option did last us a while but recently his hyperthyroidism started to become difficult to manage with just the ear cream. Understanding Wally and the options we tried already, Dr.Louer made the decision to pursue a treatment using radioiodine to help Wally's hyperthyroidism condition. We pursued the treatment with Oradell's Internal Medicine Department, where Wally was given an injection of radioiodine and had to stay for a week to help the radioactive component breakdown. Wally is now back at GWLAH, in isolation for the next few weeks as we wait for the radioactive iodine to continue to breakdown and be eliminated from his body.
Hopefully the end goal is that his hyperthyroidism is cured and he can live the rest of his days, medication free !!!
A special thanks to the amazing internist who treated Wally at Oradell Animal Hospital, Dr. Lucy!
April 1st is Easter Monday and April Fool's Day The staff at GWLAH would like to wish all our clients (and furry friends), a wonderful and joyous Easter holiday! April 1st is commonly known as April Fool's Day. April Fool's Day's origins aren't exact but historians can trace back to the 16th century. It's a day to let loose and pull some harmless pranks on friends and family! One of our favorites is switching salt with sugar, giving someone a surprise taste!
Here at GWLAH, we pride ourselves in making sure you have the information and education you need to keep your pets happy and healthy. A big aspect is making sure you have access to heartworm preventions for both your dogs and cats. Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitos. While we associate mosquitos with warm weather, they can be present all year around taking shelter in warm environments such as your house. Heartworm infections can be fatal for our furry friends. Treatment in dogs can be strenuous and there are no treatment options for cats. We recommend dogs get tested for heartworm disease once a year and continuing heartworm prevention all year long. One pill a month can go a long way for helping our furry friends ward off this disease. Please call us or come in and ask us about our heartworm prevention options and which will be best for your four-legged pal!! For more information on Heartworm disease, please visit Home - American Heartworm Society !!
Starting every April 17th, this week is dedicated to spread awareness about the importance of making sure your pet has ID in case they become lost. Below are some tips from American Humane organization to help keep our pets safe and increase their chances of being returned to your family in case they become lost:
If you haven't microchipped your pet yet, we offer microchipping here at GWLAH!! Please call our office to make your appointment today and establish some peace of mind that your increasing your pet's return to you safely in case they become lost!!
For more tips and information please visit: Attention Pet Owners, It’s National Pet ID Week! - American Humane - American Humane
The staff at GWLAH would like to extend to our clients to have a wonderful Passover week!!
What a fabulous day to celebrate! This day is to create awareness to the growing number of animals placed in shelters and how your soon to be best friend is waiting for you to discover them! Millions of animals are placed in shelters due to lack of spaying and neutering, owners unable to care or home their pets anymore, or lost animals that are not claimed. A lot of shelters sometimes have specials on this day, helping pets find their forever homes. Please contact your local shelters to see how they are specifically recognizing this amazing day and just maybe you find your fur-ever friend!!!
Birthdays we are celebrating this month:
Karen (surgical technician) and Lauren (receptionist) will be celebrating their birthdays this month! Please join us in celebrating these wonderful ladies and wishing them a fantastic birthday!
Anniversaries we are celebrating this month:
Karen (surgical technician) celebrating 7 years
Halena (receptionist/tech in training) celebrating her 1st year
Chyna (kennel assistant) celebrating 7 years
Madison (technician) celebrating her 1st year
Melissa (lead surgical technician) celebrating 8 years
Angelina (lead receptionist) celebrating 15 years
Stephanie (technician) celebrating 2 years
We are ecstatic to have such wonderful, caring individuals a part of our team. Thank you, ladies, for all your hard work and care you pour into helping our clients and patients feel comfortable and loved here at GWLAH!
This week is to spread awareness about how common dog bites occur in the US. Millions of dog bites are reported throughout the year, the most common dog bites occurring to children. Being a responsible pet owner is being aware of your dog's demeanor, understanding they have limits and fears when put into unfamiliar situations. To protect both humans and our canine pals here are some suggestions from American Humane organization:
For more information, please visit National Dog Bite Prevention Week® - American Humane and Dog bite prevention | American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org) !!