AAHA Accreditation - Standards for Excellence

It's time for another one of Mason's Mewsings!  Today, we'll be talking about AAHA, the American Animal Hospital Association.  You may have seen their logo on our website or around the hospital.

So, what is AAHA?  Per Wikipedia, "The American Animal Hospital Association is a non-profit organization for companion animal veterinary hospitals.  Established in 1933, the association is the only accrediting body for small animal hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.  The association develops benchmarks of excellence, business practice standards, publications and educational programs.  Any veterinary hospital can join AAHA as a member, but must then pass an evaluation in order to receive AAHA accreditation."

And what does this accreditation entail?  Well, to become an AAHA-accredited practice, animal hospitals and clinics willingly undergo a rigorous evaluation process to ensure they meet the 900+ individual standards of accreditation put forth by AAHA.  These 900+ standards include but are not limited to: "Patient care, diagnostic imaging, laboratory, pain management, pharmacy, safety, surgery, client service, anesthesia, contagious disease, continuing education, dentistry, examination facilities, medical records, leadership and emergency/urgent care. To maintain their accredited status, hospitals undergo comprehensive on-site evaluations every three years, which ensures that hospitals are compliant with the Association's mandatory standards."  And it's not just limited to general practice veterinary facilities - specialty hospitals can become accredited as a "Referral" practice, as well.

So, what does this mean for you, our clients?  It means that you can expect a higher standard of quality and veterinary care from us.  It means that we are holding ourselves to higher expectations and that we try to maintain and exceed current veterinary medical standards.  It means that we provide a safe, clean, contagion-free environment to come to, that we use high quality medications and anesthesia, and that our hospital protocols are designed to meet AAHA's high standards of quality.  AAHA also recommends continuous learning and keeping staff skills up-to-date.  This helps members build team confidence and ultimately helps hospitals provide a positive client “experience,” while improving the level of patient care.  AAHA-accredited practices use a team approach to meet the needs of their clients and the pets they love.

We're proud to say that we are AAHA accredited and have been for many years!  If you have any questions regarding our accreditation or practices, please contact us and we'll be happy to speak with you.  My favorite part is when the staff gives me copious amounts of treats and lets me stay at the hospital as their cat!  

Well, you cool cats, that's all for me today!  I have some much-needed napping to attend to!

Til next meow,



MASON



Great Falls Animal Hospital

703-759-2330

POISON CONTROL HELPLINE

PET POISON HELPLINE: (800) 213-5774

ASPCA POISON CONTROL: (888) 426-4435

24 EMERGENCY FACILITIES

THE HOPE CENTER- Vienna: (703) 281-5121

THE LIFE CENTRE- Leesburg: (703) 777-9968

VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax: (703) 752-9100 

Low-Stress Handling in the Veterinary Office

Hello, all you followers of Mason, you!  I have a very important topic to talk about today: low-stress handling.  The name may sound self-explanatory, but there is a lot of buzz about this "new" way of handling pets.

With animals, we have to rely on rewarding behavior as soon as it happens, and we must remove rewards for bad behavior before the animal is actually rewarded.  This is how we (and you) communicate with your pet.  And while animals may learn to recognize individual words, they don’t understand human language; however, they do understand our body language.  As a result we have to be aware of every action and movement we make because they all communicate something.  And we have to realize that whether we’re aware of it or not, every interaction we have with the pet is a training session.  Unfamiliar smells, sounds, and sights, and potentially threatening pets and people inundate our patients the moment they enter our office.  We perform unpleasant, sometimes painful procedures, often by force due to the unwillingness of the patient.  A single such experience can condition a negative emotional response where the animal learns to fear us.  This learned fear can result in fidgeting, attempts to flee, and/or aggression at subsequent visits.

So, what are some of the steps we take to handle your pet in a low-stress way?  We work to condition a POSITIVE emotional response.  This approach can prevent fear from developing, as well as counter-act a fear that has already been established by previous encounters elsewhere.  We pair the experience with something that naturally elicits a positive emotional response in the animal - food and love.  Food is the easiest and most powerful means of providing this response because we are all programmed with an innate positive response to food.  And we use gentle motions, soft voices, hugs, and lots of petting to calm your pet during the exam and treatments.  We use small sharp needles that do not hurt as much when we give injections or vaccines.  We use pheromone sprays and diffusers in the exam rooms to help alleviate any stress your pet may be feeling.  We use appropriate but minimal restraint for procedures and examinations, include towel restraint for cats versus scruffing.

Pets who have already developed a strong negative emotional response to a clinic setting may need a slower, more systematic approach as they may be too stressed to find food appealing at that point.  These pets are best helped by setting up a series of "Desensitization" visits. If the care needed is urgent or necessary, then sedation is recommended before beginning any stressful procedures.

With both positive reinforcement as well as coercion, the timing is the same and owners need to be equally consistent.  So, if a pet owner does not have the ability to reward consistently and with the right timing, it’s not likely they will be able to perform the punishment technique well either.  It is important to continue training your animal when not at the veterinarian's office so that your pet will learn to be more comfortable with us and in other stressful situations.  If you are interested in low-stress handling, consult the works of Dr. Sophia Yin, the leading expert on behavior modification and positive reinforcement training.  You are also welcome to call our office and ask about low-stress handling!

Well, cats and kittens, that is all for today.  I know I always appreciate being treated gently and with lots of treats, so I'm sure your pet will, too!

Til next meow,



MASON



Great Falls Animal Hospital

703-759-2330

POISON CONTROL HELPLINE

PET POISON HELPLINE: (800) 213-5774

ASPCA POISON CONTROL: (888) 426-4435

24 EMERGENCY FACILITIES

THE HOPE CENTER- Vienna: (703) 281-5121

THE LIFE CENTRE- Leesburg: (703) 777-9968

VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax: (703) 752-9100 

TNR - Trap, Neuter, Return

Mason, here!  Talking to you about a very important topic with regard to felines who live outdoors.  We all know the problem with feral cat colonies and cats who live outdoors: a lot of them aren't spayed/neutered and their population keeps increasing!!  Trap-Neuter-Return (called TNR) is a humane and effective approach for cats living outside.  Scientific studies show that Trap-Neuter-Return improves the lives of feral cats, improves their relationships with the people who live near them, and decreases the size of colonies over time.

Trap-Neuter-Return is exactly what it sounds like: Cats are humanely trapped and taken to a veterinarian to be neutered and vaccinated, and to have their ears tipped to indicate that they have been neutered and returned to the outdoors.  This practice stops the breeding cycle of cats and improves their lives.   Since most feral cats are not adoptable, they have been trapped by animal control services and subsequently killed in pounds and shelters due to their wild nature and lack of domesticity.  Trap-Neuter-Return helps prevent the need for euthanizing these felines while allowing them to live without adding to the problem of overpopulation.

Our own Dr. Snellgrove and Vet Assistant Elizabeth Board participate in TNR clinics and love talking about their experiences in aiding outdoor felines!

 

Here, Elizabeth is helping another volunteer to prep cats for surgery. This involves removing hair from the surgical site and scrubbing it clean.

 

Here, Dr. Snellgrove (in the red top) and another doctor perform neuter and spay surgeries while technicians monitor the patients and stand by to give additional anesthesia if necessary.  The doctors have to work very fast because the felines are anesthetized with injectable medications versus gas anesthesia, to prevent any medical complications.

  

Don't worry, this cat is just asleep!  Each cat has an ID number and paperwork that accompanies it, so there's no worry of getting the animals mixed up.  You may also see animals laid out on trays in preparation for the surgeries - this helps cut down on time that the cats have to stay asleep so the neuter and spay surgeries can be done quickly and efficiently.  

This kitten just had her ear tipped in surgery prep (she's asleep, too!).  The clamp will stay on through her surgery and be removed in recovery.  Chances are if you see a cat with a clipped ear, it was once an outside cat who has gone through a TNR program and was adopted!

With Trap-Neuter-Return, veterinarian professionals can stabilize the feline outdoor population humanely, improve the cats’ lives, save taxpayer dollars, address neighbors’ concerns, and help the entire community reach a solution that benefits everyone!  If you are interested in helping with Trap-Neuter-Return programs, you can contact Alley Cat Allies or Metro Ferals for more information.  Here at Great Falls Animal Hospital, we work with 4Paws Rescue Team directly to care for their cats and spay and neuter them!

I hope that sheds some light on a very interesting and life-saving practice that we believe in wholeheartedly!  Well, kittens, that's all for now.  I'm going to snuggle up here and wait for Christmas!

Til next meow,



MASON



Great Falls Animal Hospital

703-759-2330

POISON CONTROL HELPLINE

PET POISON HELPLINE: (800) 213-5774

ASPCA POISON CONTROL: (888) 426-4435

24 EMERGENCY FACILITIES

THE HOPE CENTER- Vienna: (703) 281-5121

THE LIFE CENTRE- Leesburg: (703) 777-9968

VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax: (703) 752-9100 

Building Stoves in Guatemala

Hello, All!  Mason here.  I wanted to share a very special project that one of our employees worked on this summer!  Our technician Denise went to Guatemala with her church group to help build brick stoves for one of the villages there. 

Did you know that exposure to cooking fire smoke kills approximately two million people worldwide every year?  In Guatemala, as in many other countries, breathing in the toxic fumes while preparing food puts Mayan women and children at risk for respiratory illnesses, blindness, and burns on a daily basis.  A majority of Guatemalan families use wood as their main fuel source, and many of Guatemala’s forests are lost annually, mainly due to the need for fuel for cooking fires.  Precious family resources and a great deal of time are spent on gathering or purchasing wood.  The cooking fires themselves are open air and not contained, so the smoke fills their huts and causes a buildup of smoke, ash, and noxious fumes with nowhere to go.

 

Building stoves helps alleviate these problems by building vented stoves that are adapted to Mayan cooking methods.  These stoves are made of cement blocks held together by mortar, and feature a chimney pipe or smoke duct that takes the poisonous smoke out of the house.  The design of the stove reduces wood consumption and pollution greatly.  It is an ‘improved cooking stove’ and while most of us would find it rudimentary, Guatemalans are so very grateful for the vast improvement to their health and lifestyle.  They can now avoid spending the better part of the day gathering wood and cooking, and no longer have to worry about getting burned or developing respiratory problems!

Along with building stoves, the group also helps paint walls and brings materials for education that drastically improves the villagers' every day lives.  With more time in the day available, education is very important and more attainable.

 

The villagers are so very grateful for the improvements to their lives.  Denise says the Guatemalans gave lots of beautiful flowers to the group as thanks for their hard work, and you could see the gratitude in their eyes and smiles!  What a wonderful project to be a part of!!

Well, kids, that's all for now.  This is Mason, signing out until next time!

Til next meow,



MASON



Great Falls Animal Hospital

703-759-2330

POISON CONTROL HELPLINE

PET POISON HELPLINE: (800) 213-5774

ASPCA POISON CONTROL: (888) 426-4435

24 EMERGENCY FACILITIES

THE HOPE CENTER- Vienna: (703) 281-5121

THE LIFE CENTRE- Leesburg: (703) 777-9968

VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax: (703) 752-9100 

Winter Woes - Eternal Sunshine of the Busy Mind

Mason, here - It has been a while!  I was trying to hibernate through the fall and winter, but these pesky humans who work at the hospital won't let me sleep; they are continually making noise and looking at other cats and dogs (and let me tell you, I'm not very keen on sharing my space).  So, since it's now the New Year and my beauty sleep is on forced hiatus, I figured I would share more of my knowledge with you!

Let's talk about winter, or more specifically, being shut indoors all winter.  It can be very, VERY boring to stay inside all the time with nothing new to do (which is why I was trying to hibernate).  But there are ways you can keep you indoor-bound companions in tip-top shape and their minds sharp as a tack.  I learned long ago that mental exercise can be satisfying to bored, bounce-off-the-wall pups and cats.  Most breeds of dogs were developed to work (like Corgis, Sheepdogs, German Shepherds, and Terriers to name a few), and many dogs today are not expected to fulfill that inherent trait. Giving dogs a job to do is good for them, and they like it! (much unlike cats such as I, who prefer to sleep a lot and keep to themselves).

There are many tricks that you can teach your dog to help them work for their treats, and it also reinforces discipline and good behavior.  I know someone who taught their dog to balance a biscuit on his nose, then flip it into the air and catch it on command. Now that's a heck of a parlor trick!  He also knows to bark on request, shake hands and even find his plush toys and put them away.  Try starting with a simple game and build on it.  If your dog likes to retrieve, begin with simple in-sight fetching and then slowly make things harder.  Add a "stay."  Then "hide" the toy in an easy-to-find spot, making the game a little trickier as your pet learns you want him to "find," instead of merely "fetch."

Every trick, whether useful or just plain fun, was born on a gloomy winter afternoon.  You can also use search games, where you can hide a toy and ask your dog to find it.  For even more mental stimulation, see if your dog can find the right object by name - Kong, frog, football, and so on.  Such games are to dogs what the daily crossword puzzle or the latest computer game is to us.  Dogs have to think, they have to learn, and when they get it right, their sense of accomplishment and joy is palpable and contagious.  And as fun as these games are, with plenty of praise for a job done right, they also reinforce a dog's place in the pack structure we humans call "family."

If bored and lonely, many animals will develop any number of bad habits. They dig holes in the yard or carpeting, bark or cry endlessly day and night, and become chewers of  furniture, shoes, or pillows.  And sometimes, without the socialization all pets need, they become aggressive and moody, ready to bite or snarl at anyone who comes into their territory.  So it's important to keep up with your pet's personal growth and socialization in winter time!  Just don't let them sit around doing nothing.  You'll all enjoy a bitter winter day better if you find your dogs something useful to do! 

 Now, this isn't just a matter for the dogs in your life - birds need exercise, too!  From the smallest budgie to the largest macaw, parrots are highly intelligent, active birds who need to stay mentally and physically active to stay healthy.  Anything a parrot can dig into, from a toy to a challenging food that requires effort to eat, is good.  One toy in particular is good for burning the calories consumed by a sedentary bird: the coiled-rope perch.  This springy invention requires effort to stay on, and some birds become so enamored of it that they'll spend hours bouncing up and down.  Human interaction is a huge part of animals companions' well being and growth, so take those birds out and let them stretch their wings, meet your visitors, watch some TV with you, or run little obstacle courses in the open!

Another thing to remember with birds is that many of the birds kept as pets are of species most comfortable in places that we would find intolerable: the steamy, hot rain forests of Central and South America.  The dry air of human homes - especially in winter - is thought to be a contributing factor to feather-picking, a frustrating syndrome that can drive birds to pluck themselves bald.  Many birds enjoy being dampened by water from a spray bottle or being offered the chance to take a bath in a shallow dish of clean water.  How often should birds get a bath? There are no firm guidelines, but daily would be fine with many of our feathery friends.

And, of course, when it comes to your feline friends, there's no better way to spend a day indoors than this:

No stimulation is "technically" necessary, though we do like a fun game of "Catch the Laser Dot" or playing with feathered devices and whatnot to keep ourselves looking svelt.

So, remember, while the winter is woeful with all its bitter cold and nasty weather, you can still enjoy the indoors with your pets and give them something fun to do to keep them healthy and social!  After all, your pal Mason here would never steer your wrong...right?

Til next meow,



MASON



Great Falls Animal Hospital

703-759-2330

POISON CONTROL HELPLINE

PET POISON HELPLINE: (800) 213-5774

ASPCA POISON CONTROL: (888) 426-4435

24 EMERGENCY FACILITIES

THE HOPE CENTER- Vienna: (703) 281-5121

THE LIFE CENTRE- Leesburg: (703) 777-9968

VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax: (703) 752-9100 

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/

Why Microchipping Your Pet Works

Hello, blogger fans!  It has been a long and fun summer and everything is now winding down for the fall.  That also means lots of moving, kids going to school and moving for college, and fall changes.  So, today, I would like to talk to you about microchipping.

What is microchipping, you may ask?  Well, a microchip is a tiny electronic device (about the size of a grain of rice) that uses radio waves to transmit stored information when it is read by the right kind of scanner.  Microchips for pets store a unique identification number and do not need a power source, and they have no moving parts, so they do not wear out.  Microchips are made of a material that is compatible with body tissues, so rejection and infection at the site are rare.  After injection, the microchip becomes encased in the tissue at the injection site (usually around the back and shoulders). It may move slightly, but it usually stays at or near the place it was injected.  To read the chip, a compatible scanner must be passed over it.  Different microchip companies use different chips; however, there are scanners that can read all kinds of chips.

To complete the microchipping process, you must register your pet’s microchip with the microchip company.  Unless the microchip company has your information, there is no way for the identification number on the microchip to link you with your lost pet!  This is the number one way to reunite an owner with their pet, and we here at our hospital have many happy stories about reuniting pets and owners due to a microchip and the information attached with the microchip.

So, what happens if your pet becomes lost?  When a lost or injured pet is taken to an emergency room, veterinary office, or shelter, he or she can be scanned for the presence of a microchip.  If the pet has a chip, the scanner reads the pet’s identification number.  If the chip has been properly registered, the shelter or hospital can provide the number to the microchip company, which maintains the owner's contact information.  The microchip company or hospital then contacts the owner, and the pet can be reunited with his or her family!

The use of tattoos as permanent identification for pets has for the most part been made obsolete by microchip technology.  A microchip and an ID tag, however, work best together, and I recommend that every pet have both.  The most important thing to remember about any form of pet ID is to keep your contact information current!  If you move or change your phone number, update your microchip information immediately.  Don’t wait, because a move is a high-risk time when your pet is more likely to slip out and go missing.  And get a new ID tag as well: Many pet-supply stores have machines that make them while you wait, in five minutes or less!  No excuses!

The bottom line, though, is that if your pet is lost, you want to make sure you have done everything you can to make his return home as quick and easy as possible.  You don’t want to have to rely on posters plastered around town or hope a harried shelter worker will have the time and resources to figure out where your pet belongs.  Tags, microchips and other innovative ways of identifying pets all help to produce happy endings for lost pets and their owners.

To sum up, here's why you should use a microchip as an identifier for your pet:

Microchips are a way of permanently identifying your pet.

Microchips must be registered with a microchip company to reunite you with your pet.

Microchipping is a simple, quick procedure that can be performed by your veterinarian.

Many lost pets are never returned to their owners because they do not have any form of identification.

To keep your pet safe in the face of the unknown, try a microchip today!  Coupled with an ID tag or ID collar, your pet will have the best chance possible to be reunited with you.  And I should know - I'm microchipped, too!

Til next meow,


Mason



Great Falls Animal Hospital

703-759-2330

POISON CONTROL HELPLINE

PET POISON HELPLINE: (800) 213-5774

ASPCA POISON CONTROL: (888) 426-4435

24 EMERGENCY FACILITIES

THE HOPE CENTER- Vienna: (703) 281-5121

THE LIFE CENTRE- Leesburg: (703) 777-9968

VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax: (703) 752-9100 

 

http://www.vetstreet.com/microchipping-your-pet
http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/microchips-and-id-tags-work-best-when-pets-have-both?page=2
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/microchips-and-tags-why-your-pets-need-id

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-pet-microchips-arent-always-foolproof

Do We Love Our Dogs More Than Our Cats?

Hello, all!  Mason here, checking in with you for another newsletter!

 

I've been thinking a lot lately, and I feel we should discuss a topic very close to my heart: Feline Health Care.  Did you know that there's still this misconception that cats don't need regular health care?  That your cats don't need to be seen but every 3 years when their vaccines come up due, or don't need to be seen at all except for when there's a problem?  Well, I'm here to say that you feline friends need to be seen by a veterinarian at least once a year, and twice if they have health issues or are older.

 

I know you're thinking, "But, Mason, I can't catch my cat to bring him in!" or "My cat never goes outside and so she doesn't need to be seen."  Cats are the wildest of our domestic pets and it is their instinct to hide illness until they absolutely can't.  Some cat owners bring their pet to our office in very dire conditions, guilt-ridden that they didn't realize it needed care.  And there's also the opinion of cat owners to consider - there's a very "Town Mouse, Country Mouse" view of how cats should be treated, as either outdoor or barn cats, or as house cats who live in relative luxury.  Any animal, no matter how big or how small, deserves to be in good health!

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), here are some facts regarding feline health check ups. 

• More than half of owned cats (52 percent) hadn’t been to the vet within the past year.
• Older cats see vets less often than younger cats do.
• Meanwhile, 95 percent of veterinarians believe cats should receive annual checkups, and 72 percent believe that wellness exams are the most important service we provide.
• And get this: Only about half as many cats get annual checkups as dogs.

So what’s up with that?

A Number of Contributing Factors

1. The economic impact of the recession. The study was conducted during the height of the economic downturn.
2. Fragmentation of veterinary services. Lots of choices in veterinarians and specialists can be confusing and can actually interrupt access to vet services.
3. The use of the Internet versus office visits. Lots of cat owners seek help in inexpensive places first.
4. Feline resistance. Cats don’t like going to the vet.
5. Perception that regular medical checkups are unnecessary. Veterinarians aren’t always very good at communicating the importance of regular vet visits.

All of that makes sense!  But that still doesn’t explain why cats receive less care than dogs do.  After all, all of these causes could be applied to the case of dogs, too. Which is why I think this issue is less to do with economics and more about why cats garner less attention than their canine counterparts.
 

 

 

So, why should you bring your cat in for check ups regularly?  Even if your cat seems healthy on the outside, an underlying problem may be lurking on the inside.  Fecal exams, blood and urine tests, and other tests that screen for infectious diseases, such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV), may be required, based on your cat’s age and lifestyle. 

Even if your cat spends most or all of its time indoors, it may still be at risk for certain preventable viral diseases. Your veterinarian will assess your cat’s risk and develop a vaccine protocol tailored specifically to its needs. 

Cats are prime targets for parasites such as fleas and ticks, not to mention the ones we can’t see like heartworms (which are spread by mosquitoes) and intestinal parasites. Your veterinarian will discuss the best options to keep your cat free and clear of these dangerous pests. 

Dental disease isn’t just for dogs—cats are susceptible, too. Your veterinarian will examine your cat’s mouth and determine if further action, like a full oral health assessment and treatment under anesthesia, is needed to keep your cat’s teeth and gums in good shape. 

Just as your cat needs to be physically healthy, it needs to be emotionally healthy, too. Your veterinarian will ask questions about your cat’s environment—whether there are other pets or children in the house and how your cat interacts with them, what kind of playful activities your cat participates in, and so on—and inquire about any behavioral issues that need attention.

So, I highly recommend that cat owners everywhere try their best to bring their cats in to a veterinarian at least once or twice a year!  Our health is just as important as dogs' health, plus we tend to keep it a secret from you - being proactive and taking felines in regularly will help eliminate emergencies and surprises! 

 

 

Til next meow,


Mason



Great Falls Animal Hospital

703-759-2330

POISON CONTROL HELPLINE

PET POISON HELPLINE: (800) 213-5774

ASPCA POISON CONTROL: (888) 426-4435

24 EMERGENCY FACILITIES

THE HOPE CENTER- Vienna: (703) 281-5121

THE LIFE CENTRE- Leesburg: (703) 777-9968

VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax: (703) 752-9100 

 

 

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/data/articlestandard//vetmed/182014/842022/article.pdf