Posts from July 2014
The Doris Day Animal Foundation is in the home stretch--only four days to go!
The Shop for Your Cause Voting Challenge
Please help The Doris Day Animal Foundation win $1,000 for the animals in the Shop for Your Cause Voting Challenge! Visit SHOP FOR YOUR CAUSE to vote.
Please vote EVERY DAY and spread the word to your friends.
Doris Day
Doris Day is one of America's best known leading actresses and a living national treasure! She is also a huge animal advocate. Her foundation, The Doris Day Animal Foundation, has saved and enhanced the lives of countless pets in need. Both Drs. Bashara serve on the board of the Doris Day Animal Foundation, and Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital is a big supporter of Doris Day and her wonderful team of Pet Savers!
We are so impressed by all Doris Day has done in her career and even more so by all of the help she has provided to animals in need.
Winning the Challenge
If The Doris Day Animal Foundation wins the Shop for Your Cause Voting Challenge, they will win $1000 to help animals who need them!
You can vote every day through July 2014.
Thank you so much for your help!
Meet Our Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals Veterinary Team!
Our Featured Team Member:
Kelly Turley
Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital has the BEST clients and patients in the world! We also have a very kind, compassionate and knowledgeable veterinary team. We will continue to introduce them to you one at a time.
Kelly and Dr. Jones at a Continuing Education Meeting at Henry Doorly Zoo
Please meet another of our wonderful technicians, Kelly Turley!
Name: Kelly Turley
Position: Licensed Veterinary Technician
When did you join the Gentle Doctor team?
October 2002
Tell us about the people and pets in your family.
The Turley Family
I married my best friend Bill, and we have two children, Will who was born in May 2010 and Teagan born in February of 2013!
Abe and Teagan
Our four legged children include a Boxer named Abe, a Vizsla name Shelby, two cats, Spot and Stripe, and two horses, Legacy a four year old blind Quarter Horse and Pablo an 18 year old Quarter Horse, a 1 year old Guine Pig Nilla, and 2 Betta fish named Bruce and Blue.
Bruce lives at the 120th and Blondo Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals where Kelly mainly works. Bruce is over 3 years old!
What do you like to do when you are not restoring and maintaining the health of pets?
My love of animals continues outside of work. Our family owns a horse boarding facility where we own horses and care for just around 50. When we are not working our horses, both my husband and I spend time at the Bennington Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department where we are both firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Being a part of the medical field and helping those in need – animals and people - have always been large parts of my life. This is something that we hope to share with our children. We also love to play sports, dance and sing.
What do you like most about your career?
I love educating pet owners about medical and behavioral problems.
As an expert in your field, what advice would you give people about maintaining the health of their pets?
Never be afraid to call and ask questions. If we don’t have an answer, we will find it. There are no bad questions.
Kelly and Mary Review a Case Together
What advice would you give someone looking into a career in veterinary medicine?
I love my job! I love helping keep pets healthy and taking care of them when they are sick. Every day is different; every pet is special.
Kelly Prepares Bratty Rat for Surgery
Kelly Assisting with a Wellness Exam on Groomer Amy's Macaw Nephew
Tell us about one of your favorite patients.
This is a very tough question because after being here for so many years I have grown to care about so many patients that I can’t just pick one. Every pet that walks though our door is like an extension of my own family, from the smallest bird to the tallest Great Dane. I love them all, and know most of them on a personal level.
Nicole and Kelly with Great Dane Sloan
Kelly Turley, Bennington Fire and Rescue, saves Yellow Lab, April 2014, KMTV - http://www.jrn.com/kmtv/news/Fire-fighters-Save-Dog-From-Burning-Home-256914861.html
Kelly and Nigel Reviewing a Case Together
Do you have a story about a time Kelly has helped your pet? Do you have a story about working with Kelly? Thank you Kelly for allowing us to tell your story!
Decreasing the Risk of Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus
Everyone with a large, deep-chested dog knows what a scary and serious condition GDV – gastric dilatation and volvulus - is. GDV is a medical emergency in which the stomach dilates and twists on itself, causing damage to the entire cardiovascular system, the stomach, and sometimes the spleen.
Riley and James - high risk due to their breeds, but no occurences of GDV thank goodness!
Gastric – of the stomach
Dilatation – expansion
Volvulus – twisting
Dogs with GDV often attempt to vomit but cannot and have a visibly bloated stomach, which is why GDV is commonly known as bloat.
Time is of the essence in treating GDV. Gastric dilatation and volvulus, even with surgical correction, can be fatal. When possible, prevention is always ideal!
Large and Giant Breed Dogs are at the Highest Risk of GDV
All dogs, cats, guinea pigs and rabbits are at some risk for GDV, but the pets at the highest risk are large and giant breed, deep-chested dogs.
Decreasing the Risk of Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus - Gastropexy
If a pet has his or her stomach surgically attached to the inside of their body wall, the stomach will be able to dilate, but not twist – the most dangerous part of the condition. This surgical procedure is called a gastropexy.
Gastr/o – relating to the stomach
Pex/y – to attach
We recommend that all giant breed dogs have a gastropexy done as puppies. If they are going to be spayed or neutered, we can do both procedures in one visit.
At Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals, we do gastropexy surgeries laproscopically which involves two very small incisions and a much shorter healing time than with traditional surgery!
Our combined goal as a veterinary community and large breed dog lovers over the past several years has been to do all we can to prevent this condition from occurring. The difficult part of that goal is that we only know in part what causes gastric dilatation and volvulus.
Minimizing the Risk of Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus
Here are the known risk factors for gastric dilatation and volvulus from veterinary surgical specialist, Dr. Eric Monnet1:
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Feeding only once a day increases the risk of GDV. We recommend at least two meals a day for every dog.
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A “fast eating style” increases the risk of GDV. Ask us about “Brake-Fast” bowls that can help your dog slow down at meal times!
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Exercise or stress after a meal increases the risk of GDV. We recommend one hour of “down time” after meals for large and giant breed dogs.
1Monnet, E. 2012. Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus: Controlling the Crisis. Veterinary Medicine. October 1, 2012.
What Suggestions Do You Have for Other Pet Lovers to Decrease the Risk of GDV?
What have you done for your big dogs to decrease the risk of GDV? Has your pet had gastropexy surgery? What has been your experience with gastric dilatation volvulus? Call us or add to the comments here with questions about GDV, preventing GDV and the gastropexy surgery.
Every month at Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals we choose a breed to highlight online. Sometimes we choose the breed of the month based on rescue groups we love, sometimes we choose the breed of the month based on the pets we have in our own families and sometimes we choose the breed of the month because, in our professional opinions, the breed we have chosen to celebrate is just a great breed!
English Bulldog
The breed we have chosen to celebrate during July 2014 is the English Bulldog. We will spend the rest of the month celebrating this breed with you!
Joining the Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals Breed of the Month Online Conversation:
Make sure to join us on whatever online forum you like best –
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GentleDoctorAnimalHospitals
Twitter - https://twitter.com/GentleDoctor120
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/gentledoctor/
or right here on our blog in the comment section of this post. What questions do you have about English Bulldogs? What do YOU love about English Bulldogs? Let us know why YOUR English Bulldog is great! Send us your pictures, your health questions and your stories. We are looking forward to this month with you!