Shoal Creek News

A newsletter for clients and friends of Shoal Creek Animal Clinic, P.C.

Volume 2, Number 2
Summer 1996

RELIEF FROM ROWDY ROVER

Do you often want to pull your hair out because of your dog's hyperactivity? Believe it or not you can do something to control this behavior.
Hyperactivity among dogs has many sources. Puppies often outgrow their behavior by the age of 18 months, but early training is recommended. Older dogs may be hyperactive for a variety of reasons including lack of exercise and restlessness. Pets that are overindulged can become hyperactive. Some pets, such as miniature and terrier breeds, are hyperactive due to hereditary. Although professional training is recommended for best results, some simple tips for improving a dog's behavior are as follows:
Keep your home environment as calm and quiet as possible. A home full of activity and excitement can result in a hyperactive pet.
Provide your dog with at least one hour of exercise per day.
Carefully discipline your dog. A firm "NO" will let your pet know that you disapprove of his behavior. However, if you reprimand the animal when the hyperactivity is due to a situation, such as traveling, it will be confused about the reason for the punishment.
Teach your dog to sit and stay on command. Once these fundamentals of training are learned, fewer hyperactive episodes will be seen. In addition it is a good idea to reward your pet for sitting quietly.
Talk to your dog in a conversational manner. Dogs interpret yelling as barking and it excites them more.
If you feel you and your pet need professional assistance in dealing with a behavior problem, please call us for a recommendation.

DENTAL HEALTH FOR PETS

Did you know that dogs and cats suffer from similar dental problems as people? Consider what our dentists recommend for us--brush after every meal and have a dental check-up twice a year. Unfortunately, very few pets follow these guidelines. However, with help, your pet can avoid oral problems.
By the age of three, eight out of ten dogs will develop gum disease, the most common oral disease for adult pets. Left untreated, it can result in pain, loss of teeth, and other health problems.
Signs of gum disease include bad breath, a yellow-brown crust of tartar around the gum line, and apparent pain and/or bleeding when your pet eats or when its mouth or gums are touched. It is recommended that pet owners not wait for these tell-tale signs to develop. Instead, begin a program of veterinary supervised preventive care as soon as possible. Gum disease can be controlled or even eliminated with proper dental care.
The first step on the road to dental health is a visit to the veterinarian for examination of your pet's teeth and gums for signs of disease. The doctor may recommend that your pet's teeth be thoroughly cleaned and polished. Second, start a dental care routine at home. Brushing your pet's teeth with a special toothbrush and toothpaste developed for pets is an ideal treatment if you have the patience, time, and your pet's cooperation. Just like training your dog to sit or your cat to use the liter pan, training your companion to accept this new routine may take several days or even weeks.
With proper care, your pet can enjoy a lifetime of healthy, clean teeth surrounded by firm, pink gum tissue. For further information about dental care, please feel free to call us at Shoal Creek Animal Clinic.

FLEA FACTS

-More than 2,400 flea species exist world wide, but the most common household flea is Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea.
-A female flea consumes 15 times its body weight in blood daily.
-Fleas can jump up to 150 times the length of their bodies. This is equivalent to a man jumping nearly 1000 feet.
-Fleas accelerate the equivalent of about 50 times faster than a space shuttle after liftoff.
-Only 5% of fleas are adults. The majority of the fleas population exists in the pre-adult stages of life: eggs, larvae, and pupae.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to "Becca" Johnston who placed third at the 1996 Grand National Invitational Field Trial in St. Louis last month. Becca competed against a field of over one hundred other dogs and was quite a star. Shoal Creek Animal Clinic is proud to have Becca and her owner, Kevin Johnston, as a part of our family. Way to go Becca!

STAFF NEWS

Hello...
Shoal Creek Animal Clinic is proud to welcome Ms. Andrea Simmons and Dr. Cheri Roberts to our Staff.

Andrea is originally from Hickory, NC and has been a resident of Athens for the past three years. Prior to joining Shoal Creek Animal Clinic as our newest receptionist, Andrea worked for Haverty's Furniture Company. She enjoys cooking, reading, aerobics, and horseback riding. However, most of her free time in the near future will be spent planning her February wedding! Andrea adds these words to you, our clients, "I am really looking forward to getting to know all of you and your pets"

Dr. Cheri Roberts is a 1982 graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. She has practiced small animal medicine and surgery at Chatahoochee Animal Clinic in Roswell, GA and at the Clarke Mobile Veterinary Clinic/Athens Area Animal Emergency Hospital in Athens. She has held the position of outpatient veterinarian in the Small Animal Teaching Hospital at the University of Georgia. Dr. Roberts has completed post doctoral work in the Anatomy and Radiology Department. She investigated Canine Langerhan's Cells which are important in the immunology of the skin. While a graduate student, she developed an interest in animal behavior by association with Dr. Crowell-Davis, who is a board certified behaviorist and anatomist. She is a familiar figure at the Veterinary College campus with eight years experience teaching small animal anatomy to freshman veterinary students. Dr. Roberts shares, "Having known Dr. Askren professionally thirteen years, I am very pleased to be associated with Shoal Creek Animal Clinic. I join the staff with great anticipation and look forward to assisting Shoal Creek clients in the care of their pets. I look forward to meeting you and your pets at the clinic!"

...Goodbye
We fondly bid farewell to Suzi Kilgo and Dr. Jody Sherrill. Suzi had been an employee at the clinic since its opening day and has relocated to Aiken, South Carolina. Dr. Sherrill has moved to California, where she will be serving an intensive, year long internship at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Rancho Santa Fe. We will miss them both.