WVH Winter Newsletter

February is National Pet Dental Health Month and this season's newsletter is all about dental health in our dogs and cats. Check out this edition for information on the most common type of dental disease in pets, why we recommend anesthesia for dental cleanings, and to learn about our dental special!

The American Veterinary Medical Association has additional information on periodontal disease in pets as well as video demonstrations on introducing your pet to brushing. Check out the links below for more dental information.

ATTENTION Voluntary Food Recall

ATTENTION RECALL NOTICE: 14 Hill's prescription diets and 11 Hill's Science Diet SKUs have been voluntarily recalled due to potentially elevated Vitamin D levels. Symptoms include lethargy, inappetence, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased thirst/urinating. These symptoms should resolve once the diet is discontinued but may require some veterinary care.

There are 6 additional diets that were also voluntarily recalled because the levels of Vitamin D do not meet the product specifications; however, the levels in these diets do not pose a safety risk to your pet.

If you are feeding your pet one of the diets on this recall list please discontinue using the food. If you purchased your food from Washtenaw Veterinary Hospital please stop in to return or exchange your food.

Only canned food was affected by the recall so there were no kibble diets affected. Please consult the lists below to see if you’re using any of the affected diets and then check the SKU and lot numbers to see if they match your cans.

Appendix A lists the diets that could cause illness in animals. If your pet has been eating one of these diets and is showing symptoms of being ill, please discontinue feeding the diet and call our clinic for assistance. For more information from Hill’s you can visit the website by clicking the button below:

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Appendix B lists the diets that were voluntarily recalled but do not pose a safety concern for pets. These diets had levels of Vitamin D that did not meet the product specifications. We also recommend returning or exchanging these diets.

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WVH Newsletter: Holiday 2018

The 2018 Holiday Edition of the WVH newsletter is here! Browse this newsletter for information on keeping your pet safe from toxic plants, food, and décor during the holidays and read the kitty corner section for the benefits of regular veterinary visits for your feline friends. Our holiday hours can also be found in this edition. Happy Holidays from all of us at Washtenaw Veterinary Hospital!

Canine Influenza Virus

In the month of July there have been two confirmed cases of Canine Influenza Virus H3N2 in Michigan. The dogs were at a kennel in Shelby, Michigan and neither were vaccinated for this virus.  Many kennels and daycares in the area are now requiring this vaccine and we have a combination vaccine available that protects against both strains of CIV.  Influenza viruses cause respiratory symptoms like sneezing, coughing, fever, lethargy, ocular and nasal discharge, and occasionally gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea. 

The following material is from the manufacturer of the CIV vaccine and contains valuable information about the two different influenza viruses we have in the United States and frequently asked questions.

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Urgent Care Appointments

The doctors at WVH will be seeing urgent care appointments starting August 1st! In an effort to accommodate more emergency cases, we will be offering urgent care appointments during our regular business hours. There will be an additional $25 fee for booking an urgent care appointment and these coveted times will only be given to patients that need to be seen that day.  WVH sees patients by appointment only and we are unable to accommodate walk-in patients. By designating urgent care appointment time each day, it is our goal to reduce the number of patients that are sent to emergency facilities.