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Pet Safety Tips

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 17:19:00 GMT

Pet Safety Tips Veterinary Wellness Partners Mon, 08/22/2022 - 1:19pm Pet Safety Tips Not all pets can swim – carefully monitor your pet near water until you are sure that he or she can swim without sinking. Xylitol is a sugar substitute commonly found in chewing gum and can be deadly to pets. This chemical is especially dangerous because it is sweet-smelling and tasting. Be sure to keep pets away from purses or contents of pockets, candy baskets, etc. Know your pet’s normal temperature, pulse and breathing rate; gum and inner eyelid membrane color should normally be a healthy pink hue. Take a picture of yourself with your pet for purposes of identification. This way, if your pet is lost or stolen, you can prove that the pet is yours. Never feed your pet chocolate, moldy cheese, onions, raisins, or grapes, as these are poisonous. Many common houseplants (poinsettia, varieties of philodendron) are poisonous to your pet. Keep a pet emergency first aid kit handy, complete with emergency phone numbers for your veterinarian and local 24 hour emergency facility. Think ahead and have an evacuation plan in case of emergency. Do you know which local hotels accept pets? Make sure your pet has an ID tag or microchip – especially when travelling. Never give your pet human medication unless it is prescribed specifically by your veterinarian. Carry an extra leash in your car to use as a collar/lead or muzzle. Watch your pet closely when mulching or gardening, as cocoa-scented mulch can be harmful to dogs if ingested. Never leave your pet in a parked car.

Southern Medina Veterinary Clinic

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 20:45:00 GMT

Veterinary Wellness Partners (VWP) based in Orrville is pleased to announce the addition of Southern Medina Veterinary Clinic (SMVC) to their family of companion and farm animal care practices. Southern Medina Veterinary Clinic, formerly known as Medina County Animal Clinic, is conveniently located at 4840 Poe Road directly behind Centerra Co-Op on Route 3.

Dr. Richard Roberts, who has owned and operated the office for over 20 years, will retire June, 2021. The new veterinarians will work together to bring high quality standards that our existing clients have come to expect. Dr. Marissa Hofstetter will lead the team with over 10 years of experience in canine and feline medicine. Dr. Kellie Purucker and Dr. Cheyenne Davis graduated in 2021 and recently joined VWP. The current staff of Jenn, Lauren, and Amanda will continue to assist in providing modern, comprehensive, and compassionate care for both established and new patients.

"We are excited to share our VWP vision and values as we grow in the Medina area. During the transition from Medina County Animal Clinic to Southern Medina Veterinary Clinic, some minor changes will be noticeable, but the family feel will remain the same. We are eager to accept the reins from Dr. Roberts and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement," said Dr. Mel Wenger, President.

Veterinary Wellness Partners is a group of locally owned veterinary clinics and a premier pet lodging facility. Dr. Jeff Fink, Dr. Marissa Hofstetter, Dr. Gabe Middleton and Dr. Mel Wenger, formed VWP in 2018 to establish a unifying entity for their multiple locations and services. Orrville Veterinary Clinic is the home office and offers both companion and farm animal services. Orrville Pet Spa & Resort sits adjacent to Orrville Veterinary Clinic and has deluxe lodging accommodations for both dogs and cats, as well as a doggy daycare program. Akron Barberton Veterinary Clinic, Seville Wadsworth Veterinary Clinic, and Elm Ridge Animal Hospital all provide comprehensive care to companion animals. Overall, VWP cares for pets and farm animals in Medina, Stark, Summit, Wayne, and Holmes counties.

To schedule an appointment at Southern Medina Veterinary Clinic please call 330.722.1188. Visit the VWP website at www.vwpohio.com for more information.

Are Counterfeit Flea and Tick Products Harming Pets?

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 01:41:00 GMT

Earlier this month, USA Today published in article in which it was stated that the Environmental Protection Agency issued a report about potential problems with one of the more popular flea and tick products, the Seresto collar by Elanco Animal Health. According to the USA Today article, Seresto collars have been associated with the death of close to 1700 animals. In addition, the article claimed that tens of thousand of pets were injured, along with several hundred human injuries.

Many veterinarians were skeptical about the initial report, as the Seresto Collar has gone through several trials prior to reaching the market. It has also been on the market for several years. This skepticism is also based in the fact that there are numerous factors at play in the life and health of an animal. The mere fact that a pet had a collars in place does not mean the the adverse effects were directly attributed to the collar itself. The saying goes that correlation does not equal causation.

While most veterinarian likely feel that the collar are safe, there is some cause for concern. The high numbers of complaints and issues is enough to draw concern. Additionally, and perhaps the greatest cause for concern is that counterfeit flea and tick products can show up through various sources. In May of 2020, the US Customs and Border control confiscated a large shipment of counterfeit Seresto collars from overseas. These collars show up mainly through non-veterinary channels.

As of now, the FDA and EPA have not been able to confirm whether or not the majority of problems are coming from the brand name product or from counterfeit collars that have entered the US. These products can easily be purchased without knowing if they are the real deal or the fake product. Elanco distributes directly through veterinary channels, which avoids the potential of receiving a counterfeit product when purchasing directly through your veterinarian.

Veterinary Wellness Partners offers many products through direct veterinary channels. The easiest way to purchase is at one of our clinic locations. In addition, we offer an online store , that still guarantees that the product is delivered through proper channels to avoid the risks associated with potentially counterfeit products.

How to Use our Online Store

Sportmix Pet Food Recall

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 18:35:00 GMT

2020 has one more surprise for pet owners: A FOOD RECALL

The FDA announced a recall of certain pet foods from Sportmix Brand. These foods contain high levels of aflatoxin, a mold that typically grows on corn. This is in response to 28 deaths and 8 sick patients as of 12/31/2020. Pet owners who have purchased Sportmix pet food products should be aware that this brand is linked to the fatalities. The pet food in question was manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods.

According to the FDA's release, aflatoxin is "a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food." In high levels, it can cause harm to pets. Clinical signs and sympotms include: sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea. In some cases, it can cause liver damage and can even be fatal.

If you happen to have any Sportmix pet food in your possession, the FDA suggests not feeding it to your pets and consulting a veterinarian if they've ingested it recently. In the organization's recall, they wrote that their investigation is ongoing and that as more information is available, they will update their post.

Affected products iclude: (copied from the FDA website)

The list of recalled dry pet food products announced by Midwestern Pet Food, Inc. on December 30, 2020 is:

Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag

Exp 03/02/22/05/L2

Exp 03/02/22/05/L3

Exp 03/03/22/05/L2

Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag

Exp 03/02/22/05/L3

Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 lb. bag

Exp 03/03/22/05/L3

Sportmix Premium High Energy, 44 lb. bag

Exp 03/03/22/05/L3

Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag

Exp 03/03/22/05/L3

Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag

Exp 03/03/22/05/L2

Exp 03/03/22/05/L3

Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”

Veterinary Wellness Partners recommends the following companies for pet foods, as these companies have higher certification levels and higher quality control measures than some of the smaller companies:

IAMS/ EUKANUBA

ROYAL CANIN

PURINA

Hill's/ SCIENCE DIET

Article written and published by Dr. Jeffrey R. Fink

Veterinary Wellness Partners COVID-19 Plan May 18th, 2020

Mon, 18 May 2020 20:25:00 GMT

Curbside Care

With the continuing COVID-19 situation across the country, many veterinary clinics continue to provide curbside care to their clients and patients. Veterinary Wellness Partners, including our four clinics, are continuing with this same curbside care for the foreseeable short-term future.

What is Curbside Care?

Curbside care is the term used to describe the process that we use to accommodate the social distancing guidelines by having clients wait in the parking lot. We still perform a complete examination and discuss findings and recommendations with each client.

How does curbside care work?

Upon arrival at one of our clinics, clients are to call the front desk. We ask that all dogs are on leashes and all cats are in carriers, as they could easily get away if not properly placed in a carrier. We also request that clients wear a mask while interacting with our staff. Once the front offices checks your pet in, a medical team member will come out to the vehicle to bring your pet into the clinic. A valid cellphone number will be obtained, so as to allow for communication from the veterinary staff to the clients. A history will be taken either over the phone or discussed at the vehicle.

Once your pet has been escorted into the clinic, he/ she will be weighed and then will have a complete physical examination. Following the physical examination, you will be called by the attending veterinarian to discuss our findings, as well as to go over our suggested treatment plan.

At the end of the follow-up phone calls, clients will be placed on hold. This will allow the front office staff to discuss payment. A check can be written and given to the team member that returns your pet to the car, or a credit card number can be obtained over the phone.

How long will curbside care last?

We do not know the end date to this system at this time. We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and recommendations given by the federal government, as well as the government of the state of Ohio. In addition, we take the safety and concern of our staff into consideration. Our staff members are our greatest aspect of our clinics and we need them to be comfortable and relaxed as we proceed going forward. We have had some client feedback and requests for clients to be allowed into the clinics. We will continue to listen to feedback. Some of the challenges of the social distancing protocols centers around the limited spacing in the examination rooms. With many examination rooms being too small to allow the proper 6 feet of distancing with three to four people in the rooms (one client, the doctor, and a support staff are general required for each examination).

Veterinary Wellness Partners want to thank everybody for their understanding. We have had 100% compliance with clients. There have been very few client complaints and a lot of compliments as to how this process is going. We continue to be thankful to be able to provide the best care to our patients and their families!