NVC joins Facebook
A few words from our doctors on adopting
a new companion
New information on topical flea & tick prevention
Northampton Veterinary Clinic Makes Green Strides
Northampton Veterinary Clinic Introduces Pet
Portals
Newest Member of the NVC family
Dr. Shelburne and friend
Helping Paws Fund: A Northampton
Veterinary Clinic fund to help special animals in need of medical
assistance.
Frontline
Handout: Information on a great product for flea and tick
prevention in dogs and cats. (Microsoft Word document)
NVC joins Facebook
The Northampton Veterinary Clinic is pleased to
announce the launch of our Facebook Page. Become a Fan and keep
up to date with veterinary news, helpful pet care tips as well
as see adorable pictures of our patients! We will also be posting
featured case studies and x-rays for our clients to view. We encourage
our clients to post their companions on our page and be a part
of the conversation!
As veterinarians, a common question we encounter is: “Where
should I get my next companion?” We are always happy to
have this conversation as it allows us to guide our clients and
friends as they make this important decision.
We openly admit have a bias. We prefer to see animals adopted
from a reputable rescue organization and are very honored to work
closely with Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society (DPVHS) in Springfield.
Euthanasia due to pet overpopulation remains the number one cause
of death of cats and dogs nationwide. Adopting a companion from
a rescue organization truly does save a life. You should be aware
that a reputable organization will charge and adoption fee to
cover the expense of behavioral screening, and veterinary care
including vaccines, spaying or neutering and deworming. It is
definitely worth the fee for all these valuable services. These
organizations work tirelessly to find homes for pets in need,
provide foster homes for pets awaiting adoption and educate the
public about the need for early spay and neuter to end the pet
overpopulation crisis.
We are very fortunate in the Northeast that we do not have a
significant dog overpopulation problem. It can actually be difficult
to find the perfect canine companion especially if a young dog
is a priority. Dakin is a wealth of resources and may be helpful
in locating the perfect companion. Alternative resources can be
found on line that can link you to rescue organizations outside
of our geographic area that may have young dogs that they often
will transport. By simply plugging in a zip code, a breed, or
even a desirable personality trait a good match may be found.
Choosing a dog is a complicated process due to variation in size,
energy level, behavior and appearance of our canine friends. It
is essential to match the individual dog to your individual life
style. If you are committed to a particular breed of dog, first
do research to know all the congenital issues, as well as, behavior
traits associated with the breed. Your veterinarian can let you
know how common some issues are. There are breed rescue groups
that can help you locate a pure bred dog in need of a home. If
you decide to acquire your dog from a breeder, be certain that
the breeder has spent the time and money to screen their breeding
animals for heritable conditions and desirable behavior traits
and that they are working with a qualified veterinarian. We generally
recommend visiting the facility and interaction with both the
breeder and their dogs. People who sell multiple breeds or who
have multiple litters simultaneously should be highly suspect.
Highly responsible breeders have a passion for their breed and
the dogs that they produce. It is much more than a business to
them.
Choosing a cat can be less complicated. We highly recommend visiting
a shelter to meet the many kitties of various ages available for
adoption- including pure breds. You should be aware that many
pure bred cats have significant medical issues associated with
their breed specific traits.
We would caution you against acquiring a companion animal from
a pet store or an unreliable/unknown source. Many people find
themselves in situations where they feel they must “save”
and animal from a pitiful situation. If many even be true, however
purchasing these animals only perpetuates often horrific living
conditions for the parent animals. We commonly see puppies that
have been inappropriately treated with multiple drugs and are
still sick. Many of these animals are coming from overcrowded,
under regulated puppy mills- where the breeding parents live in
deplorable conditions for their entire lives. Recently, with many
states cracking down on puppy mills, there is an increase in dogs
imported from foreign countries where there are no regulations.
Keep in mind when you adopt from a shelter, you rescue an animal
without perpetuating the misery of another.
Our lives can be so enriched by the perfect companion and the
decision to add a companion animal to your home is very important.
We hope that there will soon be a day when puppy mills are illegal,
negligent breeders are held responsible, and all animals who find
their way into a shelter are placed in loving homes. Until then,
choose wisely, a life may depend on it.
New information on topical flea & tick
prevention
The EPA recently announced that they are going to
enforce stricter guidelines for topical flea and tick preventative.
We recommend Frontline and Advantage which has been proven effective
and safe in our patients. However, we have seen adverse effects
with some other topical preventatives. It is very important to
select a product recommended by a veterinarian and always read
the packaging for the correct dose information. Please give us
a call at 413-584-6309 if you have any questions.
Northampton Veterinary Clinic Makes Green
Strides
Over the last year the Northampton Veterinary Clinic has made
some very significant strides to “green” our practice.
One of our founding goals has always been to use products that
are environmentally friendly and that do not harm animals. For
the last couple of years we have been working with our staff and
vendors to create more solutions to go green. We increased the
number of recycling bins throughout the hospital, switched to
a waste removal company that is more environmentally friendly
and found a company to recycle our old radiographs. We started
re-using paper in-house so both sides of the paper are used before
it makes its way into the recycling bin. One of our biggest accomplishments
has been transferring our paper records into a paperless electronic
medical record system. We were generating a huge amount of paper
for our patient’s charts, now all of that information is
stored on the computer and accessible throughout the entire hospital.
This was an extensive project and we continue to see how much
it has made an impact on reducing our paper usage. This month
we also switched to digital radiology thus decreasing chemicals
used within our practice as well as x-ray film and paper folders.
Digital radiology also provides a higher level of patient care
and allows us to email our studies to Board Certified Radiologists.
Our staff is very environmentally conscious using aluminum water
bottles and not using disposable silverware and plates for lunch.
In order to continue our mission we are investigating more ways
that we can continue to go green such as email reminders, a reverse
osmosis water system, heat deflecting blinds, and paperless fax
communication. Our entire staff is committed to our mission and
feels very fortunate to be a part of a community that strives
to constantly go green as well. Thank you to our wonderful clients
who have been so supportive as we continue to update our hospital!
Northampton Veterinary Clinic Introduces
Pet Portals
The Northampton Veterinary Clinic is pleased to announce the
addition of Pet Portals to our website. Pet Portals is an interactive
way for our clients to view their pet’s medical information
in the comfort of their own home. Clients can check the status
of their companion’s vaccinations, request medication or
diet food refills, request an appointment for non-emergencies
as well as update their contact information. There is a photo
gallery, a place to write remembrance postings or a funny story,
and even valuable health care articles on common questions. Clients
can also generate an email reminder to give their pet’s
medication as well as print out instructions for a pet-sitter
or kennel. Our goal is to allow our clients to have accessibility
to important information even when we are not available. In the
next couple of months there will be an online store available
where our clients can purchase items and have them shipped directly
to their homes. We have already received a lot of positive feedback
regarding Pet Portals and our staff has enjoyed enhancing their
own. If you are interest in a Pet Portal for yourself click on
the link found on our homepage and send in a request. Once your
email address is entered into our system you will receive an email
with a password to login and start using your Pet Portal today!
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February 8, 2010 marked
the official adoption of Anthony Quinn Sager-Cutt into the
family of one of our veterinary technicians, Kim Sager-Cutt
and her partner, Martha. Our entire staff wishes this family
love and happiness for their future together. |
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Dr. Ellie Shelburne
and friend, Emma Erickson
At the Northampton Veterinary Clinic we believe that enthusiasm
in veterinary medicine and good health for our client's
pets should start at an early age. |
Please support our Helping Paws Fund. At the Northampton Veterinary Clinic we have established the Helping Paws Fund in order to assist special animals that are in need of medical assistance. Our primary focus has been assisting stray cats with medical treatments, food and in finding them a loving, permanent home. The Helping Paws Fund is utilized to update him/her on vaccinations, testing for FeLV/FIV, and to spay or neuter if necessary. We then place each cat into a loving and caring home. We also provide care to injured wildlife and occasionally to homeless dogs. Our clients' generous contributions allow us to help so many special animals live wonderful, healthy lives. We appreciate your donations and support. Thank you.
Occasionally, we will have pictures and stories of these special cases and will post them on our featured case page.
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