August Team Member of the Month- Anna!!!!!!

She is awesome!!!

With the latest Team Member of the Month nominations, it appears we are having a lovefest with our Emergency Night staff!!!

  It is no real surprise either because this group works tirelessly while the rest of us literally rest.  Their expertise and passion for patient care manages our our most critical patients all along being ready to handle any kind of emergency. The accolades for this team member in particular could be no more deserved!!!

For 20 years our Team Member of the Month, Anna, has been a part of this crew. She has lent her expertise to the technician team and now plays a more supportive role behind the scenes.

While many of our day staff have never met her. Some do not even know her position exists. However, her productivity in the wee hours of night make each of our days caring for pets more informed, more efficient and simply better!

This unseen star is certainly super and while she may like the low profile, her role is irreplaceable. We are very please to recognize, Anna  as our August Team Member of the Month!

How to ensure your lost pet comes HomeAgain!!!!

The bond you have with your pet is forever.  At VCA Hollywood, we understand that. We are pet owners. We share that bond with our pets and yours. But what would happen if your pet was lost or stolen? How would they find their way home?

 In Florida, we are painfully aware of the challenges hurricane and storms can cause to our lives and loved ones. The stories we hear of pets going missing during hurricane season can fill a library however, this is not the only time pets go missing.

Every day, in our office we receive notifications about pets that have been taken from their home or who have slipped out accidentally while the door was ajar. Accidents happen and they happen to everyone. 

At VCA Hollywood we want to protect your pets. We want to protect them through well health care and protect them from loss. We believe we are giving each pet the best chance to maintain their end of the bargain in your forever bond by using the HomeAgain Microchip!

Our partnership with HomeAgain gives your pet a lifetime of protection.  No matter how far away your lost pet travels, their identification is present and logged into a permanent listing in a national database.  Within moments of receiving notifications of your lost pet, HomeAgain jumps into action with Rapid Lost Pet Alerts that communicate with a virtual neighborhood of alias who start looking for your pet. As the owner, you have the guidance and training of professional to help and support you in the recovery of your four-legged friend. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week HomeAgain’s trained Lost Pet Specialists will guide you through the process of finding your pet. They can even help you facilitate the transportation of your pet is found hundreds of miles away from home.  Finally, this lifetime of care provides 24 hour pet emergency services allowing you to speak with a licensed, ASPCA Veterinarian anytime for help when emergency strikes.

VCA Hollywood understands that we both want the best for our furry family. In an effort to ensure these chips do their job, we enroll them for you. As an added service, once your pet is microchip, we do the enrollment for you. This way your pet’s protection is guaranteed.  Now all you need to focus on is sharing your love. 

Dog and cat microchipping is a simple procedure. Learn more about how microchips work:

View our YouTube Channel to see how the how easy it is to protect your pet!

No need to worry! We will enroll your pet for you!! Click here to see some great success stories.



Source: HomeAgain
http://public.homeagain.com/

Belly rubs!!!!

 It’s called the sweet spot. That perfect place on your dog’s belly or sides that, when scratched, causes your pet’s foot to go into crazy automatic kicking mode. Every dog owner knows where to find this magical region on his or her canine, as it usually offers up unmitigated joy.
As delightful as this puppy kicking is to watch, this reaction is actually a means of self-protection for your pet. It’s called the scratch reflex, and it’s an involuntary response that exists to keep your dog safe from dangerous bugs or irritants.

Underneath certain portions of your dog’s skin, there are collections of neural pathways that are connected to the spinal cord. When these nerves are activated – either by a scratch or a tickle – they quickly send messages to the spinal cord, which then instructs the dog’s leg to kick. For some dogs, the kicking can be more pronounced depending on how much scratching they feel.

“Dogs that have allergies in particular, it tends to be really easy to illicit that scratch reflex, because the dogs are borderline itchy anyway,” says Lore Haug, a veterinarian and animal behavior expert for Texas Veterinary Behavior Services. “But when you rub their skin more, it accentuates the scratching.”

According to Haug, the scratch reflex came about as a way for animals to protect themselves against irritants on their bodies, especially invading bugs that could carry diseases. For example, if a dog has fleas running around on its skin, the insects’ itchiness will cause the scratch reflex to activate. Then, perhaps the kicking will knock some of the fleas off, alleviating the source of the itch.

It’s similar to the reflexes seen in humans, which usually exist to protect us in some way. “Let’s say you touch a hot stove, and before your brain recognizes it’s painful, the spinal cord recognizes the pain, and you involuntarily jerk your hand back,” Haug says. “If you had to wait until your conscious brain recognized something was in danger, your delay in reaction time could cause an injury or even death in some cases.”

The scratch reflex can be useful for your veterinarian to determine if your pet is suffering from any nerve damage, kind of like when your doctor tests your knee reflexes during checkups. Also, since the reflex is more for swatting away pesky bugs, it doesn’t necessarily mean your dog likes being scratched in that particular area. But of course, some dogs do enjoy a good rub on the belly. You’ll just have to pick up on cues from your pet to figure that out.


Source:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/family-life/why-does-my-dog-kick-when-i-scratch-his-belly/ar-BBbxrHJ