Livingston
Veterinary
Hospital
1104 E. Park Street, Livingston, Montana 59047 •
www.mtpetvet.com
222-3011
Providing the gold standard in veterinary care for all stages of life.
PA I D
Presort STD
U.S. Postage
Winter 2010
LIVINGSTON VETERINARY HOSPITAL
Livingston, MT
59047
Permit No. 96
Make Your Pet
(and Yourself!) Smile
with $50 Off Dental Services!
l
ary Hospita
n Veterin
Livingsto
Take this quiz for a chance to win! Visit our website at www.mtpetvet.com, where you’ll
find the answers to the following Dental Quiz – along with more great information.
When you’ve completed the quiz, drop your answers off at LVH or complete the quiz on
the website, www.mtpetvet.com, by March 15; we’ll enter you in our drawing for $50 off
your pet’s next dental cleaning and treatment.
1) What percentage of dogs over 3 years
of age have signs of dental disease?
2) Which three organs—that are critical
for improved lifespan in pets—can be
affected by bacteria from the mouth?
3) What are two things you can do at
home to help your pet’s teeth?
4) What are two signs (that you can
recognize) that your pet might have
dental disease and needs a dental
examination?
5) What are three things that LVH monitors while a pet is under anesthesia
for a dental procedure to make it as
safe as possible?
6) Why do the staff and doctors at LVH
recommend pre-anesthetic labwork
for all pets needing dental cleaning
and treatment?
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Why Do Bowser
and Mouser Need
X-Rays and
Labwork?
When you bring your faithful companion
Bowser to visit because he isn’t feeling
well, our staff and doctors’ first goal will
be to get a thorough history from you
about Bowser, and to perform a complete
physical exam. But what if these aren't
enough information? What’s next?
Although our patients are unable
to talk to us about their symptoms and
some diseases aren’t detectable on
exam, we are able to use some very
helpful tests as part of our diagnostic
tool kit. We may recommend blood and
urine tests, x-rays, an ultrasound, or other
tests. These have a huge value to you,
your pet and us. The results of the tests
give us clues that can help lead to a
diagnosis.
Blood and urine tests can tell us
how the kidneys, liver and other organs
are functioning, whether Bowser has an
infection somewhere in his body, or if a
hormone imbalance is causing some of
the symptoms. In addition to pointing to
certain diseases, abnormal laboratory test
results can reveal dehydration, anemia or
allergies. Since changes occur more
rapidly as pets age, we routinely recommend lab work for senior pets. In patients
over 7 years of age, 20% have abnormal
changes in their blood work even though
they had a completely normal history and
physical exam (go to Our Services/Senior
Wellness at www.mtpetvet.com for
more information). Regardless of age,
by detecting the changes early, we can
monitor and manage them – and often
prevent them from developing into
anything more serious.
Sometimes when Bowser or Mouser
is not feeling well x-rays and ultrasound
can help us identify exactly where the
problem is located. X-rays can reveal
broken bones, arthritis, organ enlargement
or foreign objects, such as a plastic toy
that Bowser ate or string that Mouser
accidentally swallowed. Armed with this
“photographic evidence,” we can treat
the exact problem. Ultrasound is another
way to look at the organs and identify
changes in the tissue structure. Guided
by ultrasound, we can also take samples
of organs (biopsy) without having to do
surgery.
The next time the doctor recommends diagnostic tests for Bowser or
Mouser, you’ll now be better equipped to
understand the test’s purpose and value,
and how the results will help determine
the diagnosis and best possible treatment. Combining the history, exam and
needed diagnostic tests often leads to a
quicker diagnosis, reduced cost of care
and a faster recovery.
Getting To Know
Rachel Agnew,
CVT
I am a true animal adorer and will drop
anything to help an animal in need.
Maybe that helps explain why I do
what I do!
After growing up in Minnesota, I
attended and graduated from Argosy
University in Eagan with a degree in
Veterinary Technology. I then acquired a
couple years’ worth of working knowledge and experience in Chanhassen Veterinary Clinic in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
While there, I discovered that my main
interests are pet and owner compassion
and strengthening the bond between
pets and owners.
In July of 2008, I moved to Livingston
to work at LVH – and to get away from
the big city life. I remember how welcome
I felt in this town. Everyone is very community-oriented, always willing to help
when you’re in need, and always with a
warm, friendly smile.
During my childhood, we often
visited family in Luther and Belfry and
friends all over the state while touring the
national parks. I’ve always been drawn to
the mountains and the people of Montana, so I thought I might as well make
it “home”. Minnesota was getting too
crowded for me! Hiking, fishing, camping, swimming, biking, snowboarding,
cross-country skiing, and just about any
outdoor activity is much more fun here in
the mountains. There is so much to do
that sometimes I feel there isn’t enough
time in a day. I love Livingston and plan
to stay here for a long time to come.
In addition to the wonderful patients
that I help take care of at LVH, I have two
dogs at home to care for. Sammy is a
beagle mix that I adopted from Salmon,
Idaho. I walked into a vet clinic there to
inquire about an internship and walked
out with two little black puppies! I knew
a family with four children who were
looking for a dog, and Sammy’s brother
was a perfect fit. I kept Sammy though,
who’s now 4 years old. I just recently
got Bella, who is a 1 year old mix of
Australian Shepherd, Heeler, and Border
Collie. Boy does she keep me busy!
Working in the veterinary field and
at Livingston Veterinary Hospital
has taught me a lot about animal science and about compassion and patience. I
hope to learn and grow
further in the field of
veterinary medicine
here at LVH and to
do my best educating clients for
the benefit of
their faithful
animal companions.
.
Rachel Agnew, CVT
with Bella and Sammy
Livingston
Veterinary
Hospital
shorts
New Therapies
In our never-ending quest to provide the best services possible for
LVH patients, we are now working
in conjunction with Canine Aqua
Balance in Bozeman for acupuncture, physical therapy, an underwater treadmill and swimming
therapies for dogs that have
arthritis, weight gain, or simply
like to swim during winter. We are
very excited to have these services available for our friends
through our relationship with
CAB. Visit them at www.cabrehab.com.
Cat Dewormer
At last, a stress free dewormer
for cats that is applied on the skin.
Profender is now available at LVH
to rid your cats of those pesky
parasites.
The Fur Ball at Chico
Get your tickets now for the
Stafford Animal Shelters’ spring
fundraiser, The Fur Ball. This
event will be May 21st at Chico
Hot Springs. Visit them at
www.staffordanimalshelter.org
for more information.
Pet Insurance
Are you considering pet insurance
for your furry friends? Now you
can get comparative informations
at www.petinsuranceview.com
and
www.petinsuranceguideus.com.