Laser Therapy is Available at WVH

TAKE AWAY THEIR PAIN WITHOUT THE HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS

Low level laser therapy has been proven to promote bone repair, wound healing, reduction of inflammation and tendon/ligament repair. Laser therapy has been shown to stimulate osteoblast, fibroblast, stem cells, skin tissue, nervous tissue, immune cells and a wide assortment of other tissue structures and cells. Targeting these cells can promote the release of important molecules that support increased blood flow, collagen synthesis, cell recruitment, mineralization, skin cell replication, nerve tissue regeneration, reduction of scar tissue and tissue repair. The Laser works by influencing the energy production of a cells (ATP), which is necessary to drive reactions to produce the outcomes mentioned above. Most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) attempt to suppress the mechanism responsible for producing a key immunologic molecule that promotes an inflammatory response and can further damage tissue and impede the rate of healing. Although NSAIDS have been used for many years and their effectiveness is well documented, there are many patients in which they may be contraindicated or simply pet owners may wish for an alternative. The same mechanism these medications attempt to suppress, laser therapy has been proven to do the same but on a local level and more importantly bypassing the digestive system.

Please contact our hospital for your consultation appointment or email Dr. Eberly for more information at ceberly@wvhcares.com

Summer Newsletter 2023

Summer is in full swing. At WVH we are seeing several cases of the following.....


  1. Hotspots on the skin, secondary to seasonal allergies, heat and humidity

  2. Many cases of Giardia causing acute gastroenteritis

  3. Several positive tick borne diseases including Lyme disease


In this newsletter we will go over each of these concerns and how we can help you avoid these problems with your pet.


 

Hotspots

Hot spots are acute moist dermatitis that typically occur secondary to allergic reactions that can include seasonal Atopy or bug bites including flea bites and bee stings. Hot spots are intensely itchy causing biting and scratching. Typically the best way to avoid these, is to keep your pet on its allergy medication during allergy season, keep the coat dry and trimmed during hot summer months and keep your pet on flea/tick prevention. Treatment typically entails shaving the area to keep it dry, topical or oral steroids and treatment for any secondary bacterial or yeast infection.

 

Gastroenteritis Caused by Giardia

Giardiasis is an intestinal infection in humans and animals caused by a microscopic protozoan. Giardiasis can be transmitted by eating or sniffing the cysts from contaminated ground,or by drinking contaminated water. These microscopic parasites attach themselves to the intestinal wall, and the damage causes an acute, sudden onset of foul-smelling diarrhea. Giardia infection in dogs may lead to weight loss, chronic intermittent diarrhea, and fatty stool. The stool may range from soft to watery, often has a greenish tinge, and occasionally contains blood. Infected dogs tend to have excess mucus in their feces. Vomiting may occur in some cases. The signs may persist for several weeks, and gradual weight loss may become apparent. The best way to avoid this infection is to keep your pet from drinking from outside water sources especially standing water in the yard or stagnant natural sources. We run a test on your pets stool to determine if infection is present. Treatment typically requires medication and probiotic therapy. Cats can have this infection as well as dogs. Giardia is transmissible to people so it is very important to handle any abnormal stool carefully and with good hygiene.

Tick Borne Diseases



Ehrlichia, Lyme, Anaplasma, Babesia and Cytauxzoonosis are all infections that we see in our pet population. These infections are caused by ticks feeding on your pet for 48 hours or more. Infections can cause a range of symptoms including rash, fever, lameness, acute kidney failure. Treatment typically requires use of broad spectrum antibiotics. Recurring symptoms and immune dysfunction can be a long term concern with these cases. Year-round tick prevention medications are the number one defense against tick-borne diseases.

Whenever your dog has been outside be sure to inspect your dog's skin for ticks at the end of each day. Most of our positive cases occurred in months that owners were not using tick control. We cannot predict weather in winter months anymore with our climates change.




 

FROM THE DESK OF DR EBERLY




I would like to share a few procedural requests so that we can meet your pet care expectations in a positive and efficient manner. We are hard at work, making sure your experience at WVH is helpful, desirable and productive.




  1. We have had a lot of issues regarding online pharmacies. It is our hospital's policy that if you want to work with an outside online pharmacy for medications you must obtain a written script from us in person. This does not include prescriptions for food or prescriptions to be filled at local in person pharmacies like Costco, CVS, Kroger Pharmacy etc, we can call prescriptions into local pharmacies. Many of our clients have had counterfeit concerns with well known online pharmacies. For this reason we do not partner with outside online pharmacies. This takes any legal liability out of our hands. You always have the right to do business where you want to do business. Writing prescriptions and putting them into your hands give you the ability to exercise that right without involving our hospital. This has always been our policy and there will not be any deviation from that policy. As the medical director my main focus is keeping all of our patients safe and treated with the highest level of care. In this spirit, please respect my hardline stance in regards to this policy.

  2. We have had a lot of positive response to our new prescription refill request form. This allows us to fill your pets refills with precision and a quicker turnaround time. Please remember all refill requests need to be done via the form vs a written email request. Please see more information regarding our refill request form below.

  3. We would like to help with the confusion regarding checking in for your appointment. Our lobby is now fully open. We only require curbside check in with a phone call from your vehicle for surgery drop-offs and technician appointments. FOR ALL IN PERSON APPOINTMENTS and SURGERY PICKUPS please come into the lobby as soon as you arrive, we will then escort you into a room for check in with your technician.

  4. There is a way to streamline your pet's prescription or food pick up. You can call ahead, make payment for your pet's prescription, then it will be placed in the vestibule prescription pick up area that is open during all work hours including the lunch hour when our lobby is closed. You can stop in and pick up anytime we are open without the hassle of waiting to be checked out.




REFILL PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS:

If your pet needs a medication refill they have been previously prescribed by one of our veterinarians please fill out this request form and we will contact you when the medication has been approved and refilled. Email your request to vettech@wvhcares.com.

Prescription Refill Form

Please allow 24-48 hours for medications to be refilled. Staff is checking these requests several times during business hours. Here is the link for that form.

April Newsletter

We are excited to announce that we have a new option for clients needing prescription or food refills! Our new online request form allows you to skip calling the front desk so that you can get your refills faster and more efficiently. The refill request form can be found on our webpage under the pharmacy section...WVH Pharmacy

Please fill out the form on your device and then send to our pharmacies email. Here is a direct link to the request form...Prescription Refill Form

We will contact you with any questions and what time your refill is ready for pick up. Please give it a try!

We have many clients that like and continue to request curbside care. So, here are a few reminders about our hospitals appointment policies as we try to reach a good balance on what is desired by clients and what is safe and efficient for everyone. Curbside will always be available for any appointment for those that prefer its convenience.

  1. Technician, daycare and surgical appointments will continue to always check in as a curbside appointment. Please call from your car to check in.

  2. All other in person appointments can check in curbside from their car and then be escorted into the exam room OR if you prefer coming in with your pet into the lobby, we can check you in that way as well.

  3. Whenever possible please prepay for your prescription and food refills so we can have them ready for you to pickup in the vestibule, saving you time and freeing up our lobby.

  4. Masking is optional for all clients and staff. Please reschedule appointments if you are ill. We appreciate the humans not coming into our building if they are sick so we can keep our staff healthy and able to work.

 

In order to service our clients better we need to have appointments available when they are needed. Therefore, starting May 1st, 2023 we will have two new scheduling policies.

New Clients will be asked to leave a $50.00 dollar deposit for their first visit. There is a 48-hour cancelation requirement for new patient exams.

Existing Clients will be charged a $25.00 dollar fee for any missed appointment that was not canceled 24 hours prior to their scheduled appointment.

No show appointments or appointments canceled at the time of the appointment are inconsiderate to our practice and to the patients and clients that are waiting and need to be seen. I greatly appreciate your understanding with regards to our new policies.

Thank You!

Dr. Crystal Eberly