Not always a needle in a haystack | Frederick MD Veterinarian

This cat was brought to Jefferson Veterinary Hospital after not eating for 3 days.  As part of the routine examination, veterinarian Dr. Ahalt checked the mouth for a foreign body and discovered quite a large one in the form of a needle that was lodged towards the back of the cats mouth.  We can say that this was a first for the veterinarians and veterinary technicians, who have seen ingested needles before, but never one lodged in the mouth of a pet.  

Dr. Ahalt (who as you can hear in the video is a little camera shy) sedated the cat and carefully extracted the needle, which he discovered had some thread attached to it.  Fortunately, as the needle was not ingested, and as the thread was thankfully not tangled in the abdomen, this foreign body case was fairly straight forward and the kitty got to go home and is having a fast recovery from their adventures.      

Dog and Cat Friends | Veterinarian Frederick MD

Is there anything else sweeter than the love that pets can have for one another?  It even crosses species from cats to dogs.  Frequently we see bonded pairs of dogs and cats coming into our animal hospital to see our veterinarians and it's truly amazing how they rely upon one another.  This is an old foxhound, and a new great dane puppy that has been recently introduced to the family.  There is another younger samoyed puppy in the household that the great dane plays with, but every time he goes to lay down he seeks out the old foxhound and either lays alongside him or on top of him.  The photograph below is a samoyed and a barn cat.  They constantly find each other out every time the dog goes outside, and the cat will rub himself up against the dog and fuss around her.   We would love to hear you stories of how your dogs and cats have bonded to one another.       

Lyme Disease | Veterinarian Frederick MD

We are seeing a lot of ticks in this area, which carry a variety of diseases including Lyme. Did you know that there is a Lyme vaccine for dogs? Make an appointment for your dog to get their shot today and help prevent this disease. To help your dogs from bringing ticks into your house, use a tick preventative and check their fur thoroughly when they come in from outdoors. If your dog has been bitten by a tick, or you find one on your dog, remove it carefully, ensuring you pull the head out and dispose of it - avoid crushing it as this can spread tick Bourne diseases and contact our veterinarians who can help determine if a course of antibiotics is necessary. This disease is awful, and can be transmitted via ticks to humans too - be aware and let's help prevent its spread!

National Take your Children to Work Day

One of our veterinarians, Dr. Ahalt, brought his son to work at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital to show him all about the practice of veterinary medicine.  Dr. A Jr. watched a minor surgical procedure, watched how digital x-rays were taken and hung out a lot with the dogs and cats that were being tended to at the animal hospital.  He had a great time and learned a lot!     

Dr. Ahalt doesn't look too thrilled at having his photograph taken. 

Which Image Should be on JVH's Banner?

Which photograph do you think should be on Jefferson Veterinary Hospital's new banner to announce the new animal clinic?  Image 1, 2, 3, 4, or do you think it should simply be our logo and text?  Let us know in the comments!

Image 1 

Image 2 

Image 3

Image 4 

Pet of the week | Veterinarian Frederick MD

The pet of the week this week is Jefferson Veterinary Hospital veterinarian, Dr. Ahalt's dog, Chug!  Chug is a samoyed, which is a high energy breed, intelligent breed of dog and a member of the spitz family.   Samoyeds were bred to pull sleds, but had to have a good temperament and were often considered extended members of the family.  Samoyeds are famous not only for their beautiful full white coats of fur, but the sammy smile, a natural expression that looks like the dog is sat happily smiling.  

As this is a high energy breed, they require a lot of exercise, and their intelligence means that they also need to have things to stay occupied.   As with most breeds, a bored samoyed is a destructive samoyed, and they will entertain themselves by chewing up whatever might be nearby.   Negative aspects of the breed include a penchant for landscaping, which verges on borderline excavation.  Their coat requires constant maintenance and "blows" out twice yearly, leaving enough fur behind to easily make two more dogs.  This undercoat can be spun into yarn, but Mrs. Dr. A puts some of it outside and the birds find it and use it to line their nests.  They are good alert dogs and will bark when someone comes onto what they perceive to be their territory, which isn't so good if you live in a house with a sidewalk that is used in front. 

Overall, samoyeds are a loving breed, and Mrs. Dr. A is very taken by them.        

Caption This! | Frederick MD Veterinarians

The veterinary technicians and receptionists at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital have some great helpers.   We have been having fun with this image of Malinda and her dog over on the Veterinary Hospital's Facebook page.  

Here are a few of our favorite captions: 

Renee: I'll keep an eye out for the doc....you go ahead and change that word "neuter" to "cuddles & treats!"

Martha: No, no, not the kibble! Order the Beggin' Strips! I'd do it myself but I don't have thumbs!

Christa: If you could get those TPS reports to me that would be just great.

Donna: No no no, you add 6 and carry the 1.

Dana: "Your total today comes to six dog treats. No, don't give them to Malinda, I'll take them."

Robert: "What time is Susie's appointment? I don't want to miss her this time like I did the last!"

Pet of the Week - Jackson the Jack Russell Terrier\Parson Russell Terrier | Frederick MD Veterinarian

Our first pet of the week at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital is owned and loved by our very own Veterinary Technician, Brandy!  He is Jackson, the Jack Russell Terrier.  Jack Russells' were bred as a working dog, and that working instinct and ethic has remained with them today.  They have a voracious appetite for exercise and activity.  If left to their own devices, they will create their own activity, many have been known to take up interior design, and they have a unique style which is generally not in keeping with their owners.  

Brandy tells us that Jackson's favourite activities are walking with his Gram and his Aubrey around Jefferson, MD (say hi if you see them!) as well as lazing on on the sofa.  Rumour has it that Jackson is very in touch with his feminine side and if you peruse Jefferson Veterinary Hospital's facebook page you may come across an image of Jackson laying on his back after having his nails done.  

The Jack Russell Terrier Club has put together a handy little test to see if a Jack Russell Terrier would be a good and happy addition to your family.   If you have any questions about this breed, or would like to hear information from our veterinarians about adding another member to your family, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We would love to help you! 

View fullsize

Where is Barb?

For the last few months we’ve had a friendly smile missing from our front desk as Jefferson Veterinary Hospital and this has been noticed by clients and been sorely missed by our veterinarians, veterinary technicians, assistants and receptionists alike.  

We have been slow to notify people of the reason and for that we are sorry.  Our receptionist Barb was diagnosed with a form of breast cancer late last fall. Shortly after, her treatment plan when into action and unfortunately it has taken a toll on her ability to work. 

She is currently entering the middle stages of her treatment and we are all hoping that, by year’s end, she will be recovering and looking to return to her former antics for our clients and staff. 

In support of Barb, our veterinarian Dr. Kalf, and other fighters in the struggle against breast cancer, the staff of Jefferson Veterinary Hospital will be participating in the Bros and Bras 5k run/walk on Saturday, April 23 in beautiful Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.   Both Brunswick Grooming Spa and Jefferson Veterinary Hospital will be closed while all of our veterinarians, techs, assistants and receptionists show their support for breast cancer research.

Please join us in wish Barb good luck in the next stage of her treatment.  We miss her very much and cannot wait for her laugh to ring through our office once more.

For more information about donating or if you are also interested in joining the Bros and Bras 5k check out their website here.

We know that Barb sometimes checks Jefferson Veterinary Hospital's website and would love to hear any words of support from you either below or on the veterinary Facebook page,! 

New Puppy Check up

This beautiful Australian Shepherd came to see our veterinarians today in Jefferson, MD for a puppy well check.  These checks form an important part of your new best friends health care and allows us to get to know each other!  Our veterinarians review our recommended vaccination schedule, discuss training recommendations and, most importantly, listen to any concerns and answer any questions that you, our client, may have.     

National Puppy Day! | Frederick County Maryland Veterinarian

It's National Puppy Day!!!!  We would love to see pictures of your dogs over on our Facebook page when they were puppies, when butter wouldn't melt in their mouths, before they chewed the leg on the dining room table chair or ate the couch, or, well ... did a whole number of destructive things that puppies can sometimes do!  Extra brownie points if you include details and/or a picture of the worst thing your dog did as a puppy!!! We will go first with Chug - he's been a wonderful puppy and avoided most of the typical things puppies do, but recently he's started stealing shoes (nothing like only being able to find one shoe) and decided that our garden needs a little work and has begun excavating. 

Part of national puppy day is encouraging pet adoption - if you are looking to add a new furry family member, consider checking out the local animal shelters and rescues!  You could save a life and find a wonderful companion! 

Jefferson Veterinary Hospital's New Facility

If you have been driving on Roundtree Road, Jefferson MD, or past the Lander Road exit on 340 on your way to West Virginia or Frederick MD you may have noticed some construction on a piece of land there.  This is soon to be the new home of Jefferson Veterinary Hospital.  We are very excited to soon be moving to this new location, which is less than half a mile from our current animal hospital and still convenient to our clients in Frederick county, MD.  When we started the process to build a new animal hospital, we had no idea of the process that was involved and are so glad to finally see the end (or beginning) in sight and that some of Frederick's best pet vet's will soon have a new veterinary hospital to call home.   One thing that we can tell for certain before the foundation is even poured is that we have a beautiful view and some amazing neighbours!  

We are proudly using a local builder (and client of Jefferson Veterinary Hospital) for the project - as not just a local business but as Frederick county Maryland residents (Dr. Ahalt and the majority of his staff live in Frederick MD, Jefferson, MD, Middletown, MD and Myersville, MD), we strongly believe in supporting other local businesses and people.

Mrs. Dr. A. took a quick trip from Frederick MD to take some pictures of the site of the new animal hospital - a culvert entrance and storm water management system is in place, and the site has been prepared ready for the construction of the new veterinary clinic.   We anticipate that construction will commence by the end of March and will update the blog, and our page devoted to the new veterinary hospital, as progress is made.  

Below are a few photographs taken by local photographer Clare Ahalt (AKA Mrs. Dr. A), who branched out from her role as a child and high school senior photographer to capture the progress made on the new veterinary hospital site.  We will keep the blog posted with updates of the progress made to the new veterinary clinic, and also have a page dedicated to the new animal hospital, which also includes the site plan and floor plans.