Marina Bay Animal Hospital was excited to sponsor our first booth this year at the Chelsea and Boondoggles Woof Stock event.  MBAH staff manned the booth throughout the day and distributed free goodies to pets and owners alike.  As a special treat, one of our own receptionists customized Woof Stock-themed keepsake cards.  Our staff stamped “paw prints for peace” onto the cards with non-toxic and water soluble tie-dyed ink as a perfect remembrance for our visitors and their furry family members!

We would like to thank Hill’s Science Diet and Merial for donating items for seven raffles that were offered at our booth throughout the event.  Proceeds from the raffles were donated to Bay Area Pet Adoptions.  Another shout out and thank you to all the visitors who came by our booth.  It was great seeing our clients and making many new friends.  Congratulations to the winners who received a three month supply of Frontline Plus and/or a 38.5# bag of Hill’s Science Diet dog food of choice! 

We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at the future Woof Stock events!

Coming Soon – Petly!

We’re eager to announce the launch of Petly! We have decided to move away from our current pet portals and upgrade to Petly, a new system we are very excited about.   As a result, your Vetstreet  pet portal will be deactivated on December 13th.

With your upgrade to Petly, you will receive the following benefits:

• Pet Health, Centralized: Keeping your pet healthy has never been so easy! Review your pet’s test results, x-rays, immunization records and more. Request an appointment or order a prescription online.  Petly is designed to let you access your pet’s health resources when you need them most.
• Your Pet’s Appointment Information: View up-to-the-hour information on future appointments.  Know when to arrive and what to expect at each appointment.
• The Latest in Pet Health: Access informative articles about the latest in pet health from the Pet Health Network. From medical articles to behavior tips, breed information to breaking news about tick borne diseases and food recalls, the Pet Health Network has it all to help you keep your pet as healthy and happy as possible.
• Get Social: Our live Facebook feed will provide you with the latest in pet-related news.  You can also learn about deals and offers, and stay in touch with MBAH.

When we activate Petly, you’ll get an activation email providing you with login information. During your first login, you’ll be asked to create a password.

Lights, Camera, Action… Holiday Pet Video!

We had such a great response to the summer video prepared by our kennel technician, Leanne, she has offered to compile a Holiday video. If you would like your pet to be a part of this video, please email us a holiday themed photo to infombah@gmail.com by December 14, 2012. This video will be published onto the clinic’s Facebook page and website. By emailing us, you release MBAH to share your pet’s photo along with your pet’s name.

Deck the Halls! Employee Ornament Contest:

Stop by the hospital before December 20, 2012 to admire and place your vote for the most creatively decorated Christmas Ornament. Each participating employee has designed an ornament to hang in our lobby.  We are inviting our clients to vote for their favorite.  We will draw a client’s name on December 21^st from our stocking full of votes.  The winning client will receive a Starbucks gift card! The winning employee gets something too!  Help us deck the halls with holiday spirit…

Good Tidings We Bring to Our Furry Friends:

The 2^nd Annual Holiday Pet Food Drive is in full swing!  In addition to food this year, we are accepting donations of supplies.  Our friends at the League City Animal Shelter, Bay Area Pet Adoptions, and Galveston County Animal Shelter have given us a wish list:

Canine Food Feline Food Treats
Clay Litter
Toys
Washable Beds
Towels
Dish Detergent
Laundry Detergent
Bleach

The drive will come to a close with the month of December.  Remember these pets-to-be this holiday season; you might even want one under your tree!

     The drive will officially begin on Friday, November 30th.  Marina Bay Animal Hospital will be offering 20% off all maintenance food bags purchased in hospital to be donated to the drive.  Ask the staff for details!

Thank you to Ms. Hicks for allowing us to photograph her and her beautiful girls, Abita and Cleo, receiving treats from Andrea!

To make your own batch of homemade dog treats, check out the recipes at these sites:

Pumpkin Dog Treats with Peanut Butter

Cornstarch Dog Treat Icing

     All too often we want to blame that foul odor in the room on our pet. Usually the male is the first to be blamed. He, in turn, tries to blame it on the dog (somehow women and cats are never to blame). Well sometimes that odor really is from our pet! Have you looked at your pet’s teeth lately? Can you see their teeth? Dental care can be a very important part of your pet’s routine health maintenance and should never be overlooked.     When your pet visits your veterinarian for routine exams, attention should be paid to the condition of the teeth. Most pets are in need of some professional dental cleaning at about 5 years of age, some even younger. Your veterinarian can best advise you on the type of treatment needed.     Your pet’s teeth are very similar to your own in that they are a dentin structure covered by hard enamel coating. Inside is a central network of nerves and blood vessels within a pulp cavity. The enamel coating helps to protect against tooth wear and tartar accumulation. The teeth have pointed surfaces and are spaced apart which minimizes plaque accumulation. Also, cats and dogs are not prone to cavities as we humans are.  Dogs and cats tend to bite then swallow their food rather than chew excessively as we do. The differences in their teeth shape is evidence of this. The chewing they do provides relaxation and is done mainly on non-digestible items rather than for eating. Over time the teeth can wear down from chewing, or fractures can occur that expose the dentin inside the tooth. Sometimes the pulp cavity may even become exposed. This can lead to premature tartar development, death of the tooth, and tooth loss.

    As plaque (food particles and debris) accumulates on and around the teeth, bacteria in the mouth react with it and form hard concretions on the tooth surface. This is dental tartar. The bacteria in the tartar cause pitting of the enamel surface, odor in the mouth (usually a bad odor!), and a loosening of the tooth attachment to the bone. As this irritates the gums and loosens the teeth, some pets will exhibit mouth pain, drooling, pawing at the face, and bleeding in the mouth. Some pets will stop eating hard food items. This tartar accumulation is essentially an infection within the mouth and can lead to spread of bacteria to the blood stream. This, in turn, may result in heart or kidney disease.

    Preventative measures for dental care in pets include brushing of teeth using a soft bristled brush, enzymatic rawhide chews, specially formulated dog foods, oral rinsing solutions, and dental scaling. All have their place, but tooth brushing and dental scaling have the most benefit. Tooth brushing must be done through training the pet to accept the procedure. Any soft bristled toothbrush will work but special toothpaste or no toothpaste is best. Pets hate minty flavors and the foaming action of most human toothpastes. Mouthwashes, dental chews, and special foods help slow down tartar build-up on the back teeth. Eventually all pets will need an ultrasonic cleaning. This usually requires anesthesia and special equipment used at a veterinary office. How frequently this will be required depends on your pet’s genetics, any tooth damage present, and how much tartar has been allowed to accumulate. Minimal tartar build-up will be quicker to clean, therefore decreasing anesthesia time. This will also prevent excessive pitting of tooth enamel. Large amounts of tarter will severely pit the teeth which will cause tarter to reaccumulate at a faster rate and may even require tooth removal to make the pet more comfortable. Most pets will benefit from tooth removal when loose and painful teeth are present. They can eat hard food better with no teeth than with loose and painful teeth and gums.

    If you see brown or gray color changes on your pet’s teeth or the odor of their “kiss” knocks you out, a visit to your veterinarian is in order. Otherwise ask your veterinarian about the condition of your pet’s teeth and the facilities available to clean or treat them. Believe me – it will definitely improve you and your pet’s love life

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