Stockton Hill Animal Hospital of Kingman, AZ

Delores

Dr Nelson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:50:49 +0000

About 2 weeks ago a little girl and her father came into the hospital with a couple day old black kitten they found on the side of the road. Part of her left rear leg had been chewed (most likely from it’s mom) to just below the knee. They couldn’t keep her so they brought her here, not knowing what we would do with her but figuring we would most likely put her to sleep. Well, my receptionist Ashly comes back with this pathetic black kitten in her hands and asks me what can we do. She really looked so helpless in Ashly’s hands, her poor little leg chewed. So I thought, what the heck, let’s see if we can save this little kitty. So that afternoon, we put Delores under anesthesia and amputated her leg at the mid thigh. We honestly didn’t think she would make it through the surgery, being so young and going through quite a bit of trauma in such a short period of time in her very short life. But Delores came through surgery like a trooper! She handled anesthesia like a pro and recovered very well. I was really worried about her being in pain afterwards but as soon as she was awake, we offered her a bottle and she was completely content.

Delores just had her sutures removed yesterday and has been doing great. Ashly has decided that Delores is going to stay with her. She’s become quite attached to Delores since she has had to bottle feed her since she came here. She is growing every day and is getting more and more active and more and more demanding for her food! We expect her to have no problem getting around on 3 legs since that will be all she has ever known. We all have enjoying watching Delores grow and having the opportunity to give her a chance at life!

Multiple Cat Households

Jennifer Kreyger — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:35:11 +0000

Cats, though they seem very independent, are very sociable animals. Sometimes they will become lonely and bored if owners don’tÂ spend enough time with them. To minimize the chance of your cat feeling this way, you may want to consider getting another cat. And to minimize the chance of that cat getting lonely, you may want to get yet another cat…and the cycle continues. Here are some tips you might find useful for multiple cat households.

Consider your current catâ€™s personality before getting another cat. An energetic and active cat is more likely to accept a new kitten while a quiet, more reclusive cat may prefer an adult cat. Be sure to neuter or spay your kitten as soon as they reach the age suggested by your veterinarian. We prefer to spay or neuter young pets at four months of age. This helps reduce hormonal aggression and territorial marking.

If your cats exhibit personality conflicts, you can reduce the tension between family felines by making sure each cat has enough personal space and their own toys to fulfill their needs. Make sure you have at least one litter box per cat plus one extra, and that they are easy to get to. To avoid conflicts between cats, consider placing litter boxes in different locations throughout the house to avoid the exclusion of one cat from another catâ€™s territory.

Be sure to keep plenty of clean, fresh water available for your cats at all times. Keeping bowls in multiple locations throughout the house might be a good idea. Keep scratching posts and beds in several locations to accommodate all the cats in your household.

We also recommend a product called Feliway. It uses calming pheromones to reduce instinctive urges to mark and scratch. Pheromones are naturally secreted when cats rub objects with the side of their face. These pheromones are later recognized by the cat and produce feelings of familiarity and comfort. Feliway spray entices your cat to rub his face on treated objects, depositing his own facial pheromones on the object so that it becomes a place he is unlikely to urine mark.

Your Pet and Storms

Kourtney Lettau — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:15:37 +0000

Do you have a dog that hides when the thunder rolls? Does your cat cat run as soon as lightning flashes across the sky? We can help calm those troubled nerves as the storm rages on outside.

We carry a product that is an all natural dietary supplement which can help calm your dog or cat when stressed due to any condition. Resources Anxiety & Stress naturally decreases your pet’s anxiety level using the proper blend of natural ingredients.

Our doctor can prescribe tranquilizers should the need arise but the pet must not have a history of seizures.

July can be a noisy time of the month for our furry friends but that does not mean it has to be a time of stress and worry.

May’s Pet of the Month

admin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:54:59 +0000

Stockton Hill Animal Hospitalâ€™s Pet of the Month is Fargo, from Kingman, AZ!

Fargo is a Greyhound neutered male and is 11 years old. Fargoâ€™s owner is Sheila Graham.

Think your pet has what it takes to be the pet of the month? Bring in a picture or email a picture of your pet to us @ email@stocktonhillah.com!

The Stockton Hill Animal Hospital Pet of the Month is chosen at the end of each month. Winners will have their picture placed on our website and will receive a goodie bag, free bath and free toe nail trim!

Why do you recommend so many procedures and products for my pet?

Dr Nelson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:15:30 +0000

Every once in a while, we’ll get a client that will get upset with us for recommending too many services for their pet. Why are we recommending all of these things? Because we want your pet to live a long and healthy life. It is our job to recommend things that are necessary to ensure that they stay healthy. If we aren’t doing that, then we aren’t doing our job properly and your pet may not stay as healthy as he or she can be nor live as long as they can. What kinds of things might we be recommending? Weight loss so your pet has a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis. Teeth cleanings so they don’t lose teeth or get infections in their mouth that can spread to their heart, liver, and kidneys. Fecal examinations to check for intestinal parasites, some of which can be transmitted to you and your family. Heartworm tests that check for heartworm disease, ehrlichia, and lyme disease. We have treated cases of heartworm disease in our hospital and ehrlichia is a tick disease that is very prevalent in Arizona. There are also cases of lyme disease that are diagnosed in Arizona too. Check out dogsandticks.com for more about hearworm, ehrlichia, and lyme disease. Now, if you went to your doctor and they didn’t recommend things to you that would help extend your life, wouldn’t you be upset? So, please don’t get upset or irritated if we recommend these or other services for your pet. We just want to recommend what is best for them because we know they are a part of your family.

April’s Pet of the Month

admin — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:26:50 +0000

Stockton Hill Animal Hospitalâ€™s Pet of the Month is Peanut, from Kingman, AZ!

Peanut is a Doxi-mix male and is 11 years old. Peanutâ€™s owner is June Giansoldati.

Think your pet has what it takes to be the pet of the month? Bring in a picture or email a picture of your pet to us @ email@stocktonhillah.com!

March’s Pet of the Month

admin — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:22:07 +0000

Stockton Hill Animal Hospitalâ€™s Pet of the Month is Socks, from Golden Valley, AZ!

Socks is a Chiuaua male and is 6 months old. Socks’ owner is Linda Mason.

Think your pet has what it takes to be the pet of the month? Bring in a picture or email a picture of your pet to us @ email@stocktonhillah.com!

February’s Pet of the Month

admin — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:03:48 +0000

We apologize for the delay on posting the PotM, so here are three month’s pets in a row!

Stockton Hill Animal Hospitalâ€™s Pet of the Month is Spencer, from Kingman, AZ!

Spencer is a Yorkie male and is 1 year and 10 months old. Spencerâ€™s owners are Bill and Marie Glass.

Think your pet has what it takes to be the pet of the month? Bring in a picture or email a picture of your pet to us @ email@stocktonhillah.com!

Saying Goodbye

Jennifer Kreyger — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:17:36 +0000

May 3^rd was a very hard day for my family. We had to say goodbye to Rusty, our 8 year old Labrador who had suffered from a cancerous growth in his nose. He was diagnosed with cancer months before and we were expecting that this day would come, but it didnâ€™t make the pain of having to let him go any easier.

It is always hard to know when to euthanize your pet, even when theyâ€™ve had a happy and long life. When deciding to put Rusty to sleep we looked at his quality of life even though he wasnâ€™t very old. Here are some of the things we considered:

Is your pet still eating?
Does your pet like interaction with people or other pets?
Are they in pain?
Is your pet still going to the bathroom outside?
Can their medical problems still be managed?

When the answer to most of these questions was no, it was time for us to euthanize Rusty and let him go peacefully. You and your family know your pet best, and only you can decide when the time is right. If you are struggling with the decision to euthanize your pet a veterinarian can help guide you and help evaluate your petâ€™s quality of life.

It was very hard for our family to let Rusty go even though it was time, and he was suffering. I don’t think it is ever easy to euthanize your pet, but it is a peaceful option, and better then letting them suffer.

Rusty died as he had lived, in our best care, in our hearts, and surrounded by those that loved him. We will miss you Rusty, we will never forget you.

Are you allergic to your pet?

Dr Nelson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:19:36 +0000

Right now allergies are in full swing for pets and for people. But some owners have something worse than seasonal allergies, they are allergic to their pets. This can be pretty devastating to find out you are allergic to your beloved friends. Here are some helpful tips to try and help minimize allergies to your furry friends.

1. Visit a reputable allergist
-insist on thorough testing
-remove all “other” allergens in home
-desensitizing shots (immunotherapy) can be very effective

2. Clear the air
-have at least one good air purifier with HEPA filter
-keep pets out of bedroom

3. Allergy-proof your home
-have as many washable surfaces as possible (ie wood floors, blinds, roll-up shades)
-desensitize sleeping area at minimum (ie non-allergenic bedding, waterbed)
-let someone else vacuum

4. Manage the pet
-groom/brush daily (preferable someone without allergies); wipe down cats with barely damp cloth once daily
-feed a complete, balanced diet
-let someone else care for the litterbox and the dust that comes with it