History of the VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital

Front of HAH

Our History 

The Hollywood Animal Hospital was originally built in 1947 by Dr. C.E. Dee and Dr. I.C. Frederickson on what was then the western edge of the City of Hollywood. The announcement of their practice at 2864 Hollywood Boulevard was sent to the community on November 1, 1947. The phone numbers at that time were Hollywood #1253, Ft. Lauderdale #862 and Miami # 7-7727. 

The original announcement to the community about the opening of our practice.

In 1978, we completed the construction of our current medical facility and in 1996, opened the Outpatient Clinic, which is also referred to as the Annex, located next to the hospital.

In 2010, the construction of our final addition commenced adding several thousand square feet to our practice and expanding our services to include a comprehensive Canine Physical Rehabilitation Center and CT scanner facilities.

In 2014, Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) purchased our practice and included us in a family of practitioner over 750 strong.

Since its inception, the VCA HAH (as it is commonly referred to) has grown to include a staff of more than 22 doctors including Boarded General and Specialist Veterinarians. With more than 100 technical and support staff employed compassionate and communicative team appreciate the special role that pets play in our lives.  In addition, we prioritize the lifelong commitment to continuing education as an integral part of the philosophy of our medical staff.

We are an ever growing animal hospital available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to provide the finest veterinary care to our patients and to assure that their owners are well informed and comfortable with the decisions made regarding their pets care.

View of VCA HAH from the west. You can see our outdoor kennels and running areas for our pets.

A client saying "Good-bye" to their pet as they leave them to board.

Dr. Dee Sr. evaluating a puppy.

Here are a few of the original images from the 1940's of Hollywood Animal Hospital.

Dr. Dee Sr. using fluoroscopy (their current form of 'radiographs') to evaluate and injured leg

 

Staff area patio.

Lab, Pharmacy, Treatment area

OBESITY IN DOGS

Definition: Obesity (the storage of excess fat) is usually caused by excessive food intake and insufficient exercise. 

• Estimates show that 40% to 50% of dogs are overweight and 25% of dogs are obese.

• Dogs can develop many obesity-related health problems. 

• By examining your dog, veterinarians determine whether he or she is overweight or obese and help you create a weight-loss program. 

• The most effective weight-loss plans involve increasing activity and feeding fewer calories. Causes Obesity (the storage of excess fat) is typically caused by excessive food intake and insufficient exercise. 

•  According to estimates, 40% to 50% of dogs are overweight and 25% are obese. Obesity is more common in older, less active pets. Dogs that are fed homemade meals, table scraps and snacks are more likely to be overweight than dogs eating only a high-quality commercial pet food. 

 Diagnosis and treatment 

There are many obesity-related health problems, and some medical conditions can lead to obesity. So it’s important to take your dog in for annual checkups. Remember, you can’t judge if your dog is overweight merely by putting him or her on a scale. By examining your dog, veterinarians can use weight, overall body condition, and other indicators to tell you whether he or she is overweight or obese, what the probable cause is, and what the best weight-loss regimen is. Don’t feel bad if you are told your dog is too heavy. 

Everyone knows that dieting can be challenging. But losing weight can help your dog live longer, avoid disease and feel better, so it is well worth the effort. Get veterinary advice before changing your dog’s eating and exercise habits. Veterinarians are trained to recommend an appropriate diet and exercise program for safe weight loss. When helping your dog lose weight, slower is safer. “Crash” diets or intense workouts aren’t appropriate for inactive dogs. If your dog gained the weight slowly, he or she can lose it slowly. The most effective weight-loss plans involve increasing activity and feeding fewer calories. The more convenient you make it, the better the chance of sticking with it. When on a weight-loss program, your dog should lose 2% or less of its initial body weight per week. For example, a 100-pound dog should lose no more than 2 pounds every week. A successful weight-loss program may take a year or longer. 

Diet 

There are several dietary strategies for helping your dog lose weight. One or more of the following may be recommended by your veterinary hospital. For all of these methods, it’s important to use an actual measuring cup (not an old coffee mug or drinking cup) to keep track of how much you’re feeding your dog. Feed your dog smaller meals more often. This helps your dog burn more calories and should help minimize begging for food. However, don’t feed more food per day. Instead, divide your dog’s daily ration into three or more feedings. Feed your dog less of its regular food per day. This strategy is most effective with increased activity. But check first with your veterinarian to ensure that your dog will receive the right amount of nutrients. Instead of feeding your dog less, gradually switch him or her to a lower-calorie food recommended by your veterinarian. The change should be gradual; a sudden switch could upset your dog’s stomach. 

Combine the new food with your dog’s usual food in larger and larger proportions over several weeks until you are only providing the new food. Give treats only on special occasions, such as birthdays, holidays, or good visits to the veterinarian. Offer low-calorie treats and limit or eliminate fattening ones. 

Exercise 

You can help your dog become more active and lose weight by scheduling regular play times and walks. Consult your veterinarian before beginning an exercise program for your dog. Not all games/exercise are appropriate for all breeds or medical conditions. For walks, start out slowly to give your dog a chance to adapt to an exercise routine. Work up to a brisk 10- to 20-minute walk or jog once or twice a day. On hot or cold days, go easy or rest. If you don’t have time to walk your dog, hire a dog walker. Doggy day care centers can also help ensure that your dog gets plenty of exercise throughout the day. Here are some calorie-burning activities for your dog: 

· Fetch 

· Keep away 

· Playing with other pets 

· Walking or jogging 

· Running off leash in a restricted area 

· Swimming (great for arthritic dogs) 

· Tricks for low-calorie treats 

· Tug of war 

SOURCE: https://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/pet_health_library/dog_care/diseases_conditions/obesity.aspx

Team Member of the Month- Liz

Our Team Member of the Month for October certainly keeps busy.  

Having worked at the HAH for nearly 4 years, Liz has experience in all departments.  For the last year, she has been the technician for our board eligible surgeon; therefore keeping very busy with critical and advance surgical patients.  Liz never shies away from offering a helping hand within the practice. She welcomes new processes and happily shares her knowledge with the team. 

Liz is currently completing her 2^nd Bachelors degree in pursuit of her career goal as a veterinarian. She is a regular participant in our community events like the Stonewall Pride Parade in Wilton Manors and the Pit-bull BBQ Event this November. Yet, she still finds time to participates in more personal events like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the NightWalk a cause close to her heart because of her mother’s diagnosed 2 years ago.

By the end of the month it may feel a little like ‘all Liz all the time’ as you see her with our Patient of the Month and we share some highlights of her talents but the fact of the matter is that Liz is a hard worker!  The HAH is very proud to partnered with Liz in the care of our patients and recognize her as our October Team Member of the Month!!!

Pets & Chewing

It is natural for puppies to explore their environment; however, their natural curiosity often leads to frustration on your part when they chew your favorite slippers. While you may be tempted to punish your naughty pup, reinforcing good behavior is much more effective and will keep you and your dog happier. Chewing is a natural behavior that helps dogs relax and aids in dental health. It is important to provide proper chew toys for your dog. Additionally, giving your dog a specific time for chewing will help them ”wind” down for the night (similar to humans reading a book before bed).

Anxious chewing

However, not all chewing is good for your dog. Destructive chewing may be related to anxiety. It is important to teach your dog that he cannot always receive attention on demand. To reduce anxiety, train him to lie on his bed or in a crate, rather than constantly at your side. For dogs with separation anxiety, begin with short departures and then gradually increase the length of your time away to help them be comfortable and calm while you’re gone.

Anti-chew sprays

Anti-chew sprays can be used to deter your pup from chewing on household items. If you witness your puppy chewing on a household item, calmly walk over and spray the item with the anti-chew spray and firmly say ”leave it”. Instantly redirect your puppy’s attention by animating the dog toy in order to get him excited enough to chew it. Once the dog wants the toy give it to her and then softly praise the dog and back away (avoid turning this into an active game of tug-of-war; you simply want to get the dog interested in the toy). This will give the dog something to chew on and still remain in the calm state she was in previously.

Teething

Chew toys are a great way to keep your puppy busy as well as relieve pain associated with teething. Once the teeth erupt, the real chewing begins. The teeth seem to need “setting” into the jaw and this is accomplished through hard chewing. Present your puppy with a variety of toys to determine which types he likes best (avoid giving him chew toys that resemble household items that you do not want him to chew, i.e. a toy shaped like a shoe). Rotate different toys to keep your puppy’s interest and reward your puppy with praise when he chews on them. If the puppy seem to seek out a certain items that are not for chewing, try finding toys with similar textures because they may need that texture for dental health. Remember, buying a bunch of toys is a lot less expensive than replacing the furniture that he may chew up.

Source: http://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/pet_health_library/dog_care/behavior/chewing.aspx

August Patient of the Month- Cali!!!!!

This "cupcake" became her favorite toy.

Responsible breeders often live in the shadows of the dark stories of large-scale commercial dog breeding operations (puppy mills) where profit is given a greater priority then the well-being of the animal.

Cali in O2 chamber.

Our August patient of the month begins her story as a victim of one of these puppy mills. Cali, a white and tan English Bulldog had a very rough start. Her forever family found her at a local pet store known for their Teacup puppies. They fell quickly in love. On her adoption day, 11 week old Cali was energetic and sweet but had noticeable yellow discharge coming from her nose. Cali had been seen by a veterinarian to receive her initial vaccinations and approval for purchase through the puppy store. So, trusting that they were receiving a healthy puppy, they welcomed Cali into their home. However, in a few days, her symptoms had worsened and they knew they had been mislead.

Cali’s owners took her to their regular Veterinarian where bloodwork and radiographs (x-rays) were performed.  The x-rays showed severe pulmonary infiltrate in an alveolar lung pattern in the right middle and left caudal lung lobes. In short, Cali had severe bacterial pneumonia that required aggressive medical management and oxygen therapy.

For the nearly three weeks, Cali was a resident of the HAH. She received powerful antibiotics, oxygen (O2) therapy, nebulization and intensive nursing care. Because of her age, close monitoring of her liver and kidney values was imperative to ensure they could successfully process the strong antibiotics she was prescribed. For two weeks, she set up shop in one of our oxygen chambers where she received 24 hour oxygen therapy and watched the world through a Plexiglas window. Dr. Patterson monitored her constantly, adjusting her medications and treatments. She took x-rays and ran bloodwork to monitor Cali’s progress and waited for Cali to respond.  This battle was hard to win. Cali did not respond quickly to therapy. Alternative solutions had to be considered.

By now, Cali had spent more of her life with our HAH staff than with the family that adopted her. We loved her and along with her family she had a team committed to seeing her through this. It would take time and patience. After almost three weeks of care, Dr. Patterson cleared Cali to go home.

After one month of treatment for bacterial pneumonia, Cali is home and doing well. Her x-rays showed permanent changes in her lungs due to the pneumonia but her quality of life is great! To see her now you may not know she had such a rough start. However, the lack of initial care she received in the 10 weeks prior to finding her forever family was disastrous. It was in that time and due to a lack of consideration for the health of pets that Cali developed this condition that threatened her life. Thankfully, her forever family stood by her. We are pleased to have been a part of Cali’s care and to recognize her as our August Patient of the Month!

Watch this silly video and see how truly well Cali is now!!! Watch now!!!