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We are excited to announce the purchase of a La Boit mobile veterinary clinic. The clinic is built on the chassis of a 26 foot RV and contains a separate operating room, an x-ray machine, a treatment area with walk on scale, 1 large and 2 small cages, laboratory equipment, anesthetic machine and monitoring equipment, and more. It will allow Dr. Martin to perform more comprehensive diagnostic procedures, general anesthesia, dental procedures, and soft tissue surgery in addition to the services she already provides. We feel very fortunate to have found a used clinic for sale that met our budget and Dr. Martin’s requirements. We traveled to Virginia to inspect the unit, and moved forward immediately after visiting it. The process of purchasing this wonderful vehicle allowed to make some unexpected personal connections with people that we would not have otherwise had the occasion to meet. First of all, Dr. Kathy Bauer, of Dr. Kathy’s Mobile Pet Care. Dr. Kathy is an amazing veterinarian, who purchased the mobile clinic in 2006 but had an accident shortly thereafter which left her unable to take full advantage of the big clinic. She continues to provide wonderful and compassionate care to her many patients with a smaller vehicle, and in the short time since we met her, we have learned that she is very involved in rescue and shelter work, caring for countless abandoned and neglected animals in addition to her regular patients. Secondly, we met Dr. Kathy’s lawyers – we will write more about them in a separate entry soon. Suffice it to say that our encounter went well beyond a simple business transaction. They, along with Dr. Kathy, did everything possible to facilitate the transfer of her clinic to us and make sure we got on our way safely and as quickly as possible in spite of many complicating factors that came up beyond any of our control. We spent almost a whole day in their office, and were treated graciously and warmly the whole time. We discovered that they too are animal lovers, and very involved in animal rescue as well. They traveled to New Orleans right after Katrina and have many amazing stories to share of the animals they met, befriended, and rescued. We also met Hootie, the office mascot and former Katrina rescue, who also deserves and entry of his own! More to come… So on May 5, we began our journey home from Virginia. Actually, because we love adventure and are a little crazy at times, we decided to drive East before heading West yesterday after the formalities were complete and we drove away in our new clinic. We drove to the Atlantic coast from Richmond, arriving in time for sunset at Virginia Beach. The next morning, we photographed the clinic next to the Atlantic and headed west…
Posted at 21:03 | Permalink | Comments (0)
1/20/2010 21.52 lbs.
3/4//2010 20.14 lbs.
3/26/2010 19.38 lbs.
Joey’s diet – latest update:
Joey’s diet is going well. He has lost almost 7 lbs. since October. His activity level has really picked up in the last few weeks – we think it is because he is more able to be mobile (I think he had some level of joint discomfort at the higher weights) – he trots up and down the stairs with ease now, and does so regularly to see what is going on in different areas of the house.
He is teaching me about a phenomenon that I had only read about up until now: dry food addiction in cats.
Joey was eating mostly dry food prior to coming to live with us. My plan for weight loss for him involved switching him over to a high protein canned food. There is much discussion surrounding dry food vs. wet food for cats in veterinary circles currently. I used to have a fairly strong preference, health-wise, toward dry food over wet food in most cases, for young and middle aged cats without other issues, at least. I found it better for the teeth, and thought it also better for weight control as less “palatable” for most cats (ie most cats more likely to “overeat” on wet food).
Now, there are more and more arguments being made for wet food, and I can’t help but go along with many of them (grudgingly at first, because 1. Change is hard and 2. Dry food is so much more convenient!).
It seems that many cats are in a state of chronic dehydration. They evolved as desert animals, with strong mechanisms for conserving water, like the ability to produce super concentrated urine. But now, as pampered house pets, they don’t need to conserve water so efficiently, and the condition of semi-dehydration may be creating some health problems of its own in the long term – accelerating the development of kidney disease? Perhaps. Contributing to bladder stones and other urinary tract conditions? Almost certainly, more so in genetically pre-disposed individuals…
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they have to eat meat in order to be healthy. Dogs can do well on vegetarian diets, cats cannot. They cannot make certain amino acids on their own, and must get these from meat sources. Dry food diets contain lots of carbohydrates by nature – almost certainly “too many” carbs for cats’ natural metabolism. Over ingestion of carbs contributes to the development of such debilitating conditions as obesity and diabetes, which can be devastating and life threatening in our feline friends.
So, I was motivated to switch my newly arrived, overweight cat over to canned food only. Being somewhat of an eager eater, I felt certain he would go nuts for any canned food I offered him, and was concerned I would have to put up with voracious eating and constant begging.
Imagine my surprise when he completely refused to eat my prescription, high protein, “ideal” food that I lovingly (ok, overconfidently…) ordered 3 cases of prior to his coming home. Because cats can suffer dire consequences from too severe caloric restriction and/or too rapid weight loss, I was very paranoid about making sure he took in a certain amount of calories each day. I would offer the canned food, then hold out as long as I could stand before giving him a small handful of kibbles to tide him over. I perused the pet food aisles, selecting flavors that I thought might tempt him when it became clear he was not interested in my prescription food. I developed new found empathy for clients in certain difficult situations of wanting to do what is best for their pets while faced with said pet refusing said recommended treatment…
Slowly, over a period of weeks, he came around to the canned food. Other than for his small amounts of dry food, he was never “excited” about his meals, nor did he do any “begging” in between his meals. For the last 3-4 months, it has been smooth sailing. He has eating ¾ can of wet food (finally got him onto the prescription by slow mixing, etc.) twice daily, and losing weight at a steady, controlled rate. Recently, as I said above, his activity levels have increased, and it seemed his weight loss was speeding up. Because the canned food is a bit of a hassle, and more expensive overall than the same dry food (I think – haven’t calculated exactly), I decided to offer him a small amount of kibble mid-day to supplement his calories, give him a “treat,” and help his teeth a bit. It has been 3-4 days of this process, and he has become a monster! He now cries for food in the middle of the day, picks at his wet food while crying as if he hadn’t been fed while sitting right next to his food bowl, etc.
Yikes!
I didn’t anticipate this… Quite honestly, I’m not sure where we will go next. Will I give in, take the easy route, and go back to dry food? Will I bite the bullet and go back to canned only, going up to 2 cans/day until further notice???
Tune in for the next installment of Joey’s diet saga…
Posted at 14:29 in Joey's Diet | Permalink | Comments (0)
Dr Martin's daughter Marlena celebrated her 10th birthday in December. Instead of presents for herself, she asked friends coming to her birthday party to bring gifts for the animals waiting to find homes at Pets in Need, the shelter where we adopted our dear little dog Felix. Here are some pictures of her delivering the gifts of food and toys, and some of the animal friends we met that day.
See our photo album...
Posted at 22:00 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Joey came to live with us on Oct. 5, 2009. He is a 6 year old domestic short hair orange tabby cat. He was overweight, weighing in a 26 lbs. He is on a medically supervised weight loss program. He is eating mostly a canned, high protein diet which Dr. Martin feels is ideal for weight loss. He was addicted to dry food when he arrived, and it took several weeks to convert him to a mainly canned food diet. He is a good example of how important it is to be careful in the initial stages of a weight loss program for cats, as even the most overweight cats will sometimes refuse to eat or display very picky appetites. It is especially crucial for cat’s liver metabolism not to lose weight too quickly or go on a “starvation” diet.
He now loves his canned food and eats his portions regularly and with gusto. He still loves his crunchy high fiber treats and enjoys a few each day. He also gets a tiny amount of dry food, located downstairs from his main living area and requiring trips up and down the stairs if he wants his favorite crunches.
We will track his progress here to hopefully motivate those who struggle with weight loss in their feline friends.
10/05/09 26.0 lbs.
10/16/09 25.3 lbs
10/27/09 24.9 lbs.
11/17/09 23.6 lbs.
01/01/10 22.2 lbs
Posted at 22:21 in Joey's Diet | Permalink | Comments (0)
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Mateo, CA) and serving the Peninsula, Wise and Wonderful is a mobile house call practice caring for dogs and cats. It is our commitment to provide quality veterinary care throughout the life of your pet. Our services are designed to assist in routine preventive care for young, healthy pets; early detection and treatment of disease as your pet ages; and complete medical care as necessary during his or her lifetime.
We understand the special role your pet plays in your family and are dedicated to becoming your partner in your pet's health care. We treat your pet as we would our own. Our goal is to practice the highest quality medicine with compassion and an emphasis on client education. We are committed to providing personal attention to the unique concerns of each individual pet owner.
We provide a broad spectrum of diagnostic procedures through the use of external laboratories. We also work closely with local practices and specialists when specialized diagnostic testing is required. Dr. Martin's mobile van is well-stocked with a pharmacy of commonly prescribed medications, emergency supplies, and diagnostic materials.
At Wise and Wonderful we strive to offer not only sound advice, but also optimal veterinary care, thus allowing you the enjoyment of your companion for a maximum number of years. Our job is not only to treat your pet when he or she isn't feeling well, but also to help you learn how to keep your best friend happy and healthy.
James Herriot: All Things Wise and Wonderful
Thanks to this book Jennifer became Dr Martin...