Archive for March, 2008

Above is an incidence map showing cases of Heartworm, Ehrlichia, and Lyme disease present in Mohave County.

Each year thousands of dogs contract Lyme disease, Heartworm disease, and Ehrlichia.  Ticks and mosquitoes can be present anywhere, even in your own back yard. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes and is a serious and potentially fatal threat to dogs. Lyme disease is caused by ticks and signs are difficult to detect and may not appear until several months after infection. Canine Ehrlichia is also caused by ticks and like Lyme disease, warning signs may not be readily apparent.

Despite the availability of simple testing, prevention, and treatment options, many people don’t know their dog is suffering from these debilitating diseases until it’s too late. The good news is we can screen for these diseases with an simple blood test that can be preformed here at the animal hospital on your pet’s next visit.

We take every possible step to ensure that our patients receive the very best pharmaceutical products available. This is especially important with life threatening illnesses. However, we understand and empathize with the desire to find veterinary products cheaper. We know that .com sites appear to present these products cheaper than we are able to. If you wish, we will indeed write prescriptions for your pet for these products in lieu of selling them here. We do, however, wish for your decision to be an informed decision and we want you to know several things regarding.com/discount sales:

1. All major manufacturers maintain a strict policy of sales exclusively to licensed veterinarians for the purpose of prescribing and selling these products for their patients. All .com/discount sales are through non-approved (bootleg) channels.

2. Most guarantees that manufacturers make regarding their products are null and void if their products are purchased through non approved channels. This includes the guarantee reimbursement programs for Heartgard heartworm preventative, as well as all flea and intestinal parasite claims and coupon discounts we offer.

3. Some pharmaceuticals manufactured and labeled for use in other countries have been know to be illegally diverted and sold through these discount houses in the U. S.

4. Discount houses have been cited by the FDA and State Boards of Pharmacy for violating prescription procedures. One was fined over $100,000 by the FDA and Florida Department of Health. This particular .com site has also been sued for the same by the Texas Board of Veterinary Examiners and the Texas Pharmacy Board.

5. Our products come with a person to help you utilize them in the most efficient manner. For example, we welcome and immeciately address questions regarding a product that was purchased here.

6. Shipping charges, delays, and mis-shipments aling with damaged/counterfeit products are several of the reasons that many clients feel that the hassles of dealing with the discount houses are not worth the savings.

7. Understand that the sales of many of our retail products help subsidize the cost of other services at the hospital, namely emergency and rarely used drugs.

It is getting closer to that time of year where snakes begin to emerge from their winter hibernation.

There are ways in which one can minimize the risks when living around snakes and that is where we can help! Stockton Hill Animal Hospital offers a rattlesnake vaccine that protects your dog from the toxins emitted from the bite of the Western Diamondback. This vaccine works by neutralizing the venom giving you time to have your pet seen by our veterinarian.

A snake bite is an emergency but with the rattlesnake vaccine, a snake bite does not always equal a deadly outcome for your dog.