American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accreditation

The American Animal Hospital Association is the only organization that accredits small animal hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada. AAHA-accredited hospitals voluntarily choose to be evaluated on 900 standards. Veterinary hospitals accredited by AAHA must demonstrate an exceptional level of medical care and client service and they are re-evaluated every three years to make sure they are keeping up with industry updates.

Veterinary practices choose to become AAHA-accredited for a myriad of reasons, including the desire to improve practice operations and team building, update their skills, enhance their credibility with clients and strive for continuous improvement. Approximately 3,200 veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada have made a commitment to meeting the highest standards of veterinary care.

Choosing an AAHA-accredited hospital assures pet owners that the hospital they select has the staff, equipment, medical procedures and facilities that AAHA believes are vital for delivering high-quality pet care. Find out why AAHA standards are important to your pet.

Source: http://www.healthypet.com/Accreditation/WhyStandards.aspx

January is National Blood Donor Month

January is National Blood Donor Month! Blood transfusion (including transfusion of blood products, like plasma) is a critically important service that can mean the difference between life and death for veterinary patients. In our continuing efforts to offer the highest quality medicine to all of our patients, we are pleased to offer blood transfusion services supervised by our expert health care team at Hollywood Animal Hospital. 

                              .

People often wonder how blood donations work in the world of our furry friends as compared to human blood donations. If you have personally donated blood, then you already know how important donating blood is to the human community. Almost every person you know can be a blood donor, regardless of their blood type. The same is nearly true for feline blood donors--almost every cat can be a blood donor. However, the canine blood donation situation is a little different. 

Only about 40 percent can be blood donors, because donations can only be taken from those dogs with the universal canine blood type. The Hollywood Animal Hospital is home to both a feline and canine in-house blood bank.

We use greyhounds as our canine blood donors since they have the universal canine blood type and domestic felines as our feline donors. Each week, we take blood from alternating groups of pets to stock our blood bank. The blood is then used to assist animals with different types of needs.

The donors are all adopted animals who receive a safe, caring place to live, plenty of food to eat, and lots of play time.

                     Below is Squirrel, one of our Adopted Blood Donors, who was adopted six years ago. 

This is Squirrel! 

Squirrel and Linda

Kris, Kennel Supervisor, and Joyce who adopted Squirrel

Finally, after our donors serve for 2-years, we find a permanent home for him/her to live out the rest of their life in comfort.

For further information, please contact us at (954) 920-3556

Source: http://www.hollywoodanimal.com/hah-blood-donors
http://hollywoodanimalhospital.blogspot.com/2013/11/squirrel-adopted-blood-donor.html 
http://www.hollywoodanimal.com/blood-transfusions 

Team Member of the Month- Joyce!!

Entertaining!

Hilarious!

Thorough!

Artistic!

The adjectives could go on and on to describe this month’s Team Member of the Month. You may know her from her years of work with Dr. Schroeder. You may know her from her artwork. You may not know her personally at all but if you have had a pet at the HAH, she has touched your life. Joyce L has been at the HAH since 2002 and as the youngest of 9 she fits in nicely with this family. She has been a doctor’s technician, a supervisor, a general floor technician. She has worn many hats and worn them all with a great deal of humor and pride in a job well done. We are pleased to have her on our team and so glad to call her Team Member of the Month for January.

January Patient of the Month- Patches!!!!

At the HAH, we like to think of Patches, a five year old female cat, as our Christmas miracle.  In reality,  her story began long before Christmas, and her miracle was really her new family, Steve and Marina.

Steve and Marina found Patches three months ago, crying in their backyard, after hearing commotion from a pack of dogs. Patches suffered a vicious dog attack that left her with wounds over almost half of her body. Having never met Patches before, but knowing she needed help, they brought her to the HAH and was seen on emergency by Dr. Schoeller. Patches spent several weeks in the hospital under the care of Dr.’s Shapiro and Heim. She endured numerous surgeries and countless bandage changes to clean and repair the bite wounds. Once the wounds were nearly healed, she developed a resistant bacterial infection causing complications to the healing and extending her hospital stay. Finally, after three weeks of hospitalized care, her wounds were healing and she was discharged with prescribed homecare.

A few weeks later, after dedicated care by her now smitten humans, Patches was completely healed and had free roam of the house.

Sadly, only a few weeks later, Patches returned to the HAH very ill with a liver condition called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver. Hepatic lipidosis is an accumulation of fats in the liver that, if left untreated will cause the liver to fail. The treatment is dietary and if diagnosed early, works well in reversing the condition. Dr. Heim and Dr. Shapiro placed a feeding tube in Patches’ esophagus and prescribed a regimen of antibiotics, liver supplements and a carefully formulated slurry of food to be administered several times a day for weeks.

After a few more weeks of hospitalization Patches was well enough to be discharged and continue her care at home.

Today, Patches is home and completely cured. After weeks of specialized feedings at home she was weaned back to her regular diet and the tube was removed just before Christmas.

This month’s Patient of the Month won the hearts of her new humans throughout this process and has made a forever home with Steve and Marina. The intention of wanting to help a wounded cat created a family and we are so pleased to be a part of their story.

Happy New Year to this powerful trio!!

http://hollywoodanimalhospital.blogspot.com/2013/10/fatty-liver-disease-in-cats.html

2014 Broward Rabies Tag unavailable until mid-January.

The 2014 Broward County Rabies Tag will not be available from the County until the middle of January.

We apologize for the inconvenience but Broward County has not received or release their 2014 Rabies Tag due to an issue on their end. However they expect to have them available in two weeks. Vaccines can still be administered and you will receive your rabies certificate as proof of vaccination. When the tags arrive they can be at the HAH or at Animal Care and Adoption with proof of  your rabies certificate.

Feel free to call us with questions and we will continue to keep you informed as things change.

December Team Members of the Month!!!

Since the HAH’s inception it has grown to include a staff of over twenty veterinarians and more than 100 technical and supportive staff. All of which have been selected, not only for their compassion and communication skills but also for their appreciation of the special roles that pets play in our lives. Each month, we highlight one staff member that epitomize these qualities and who makes the days at the HAH more enjoyable. However, one group of team members is often excluded from these highlights.
This month we would like to recognize our favorite doctors and say “Thank you, for all your care, compassion and skill. We appreciate the job you do!”**

** All doctors are NOT represented here. Not as a reflection of our lack of undying love for them but rather a reflection of just how darn busy everyone is. It was hard enough pulling this crew out of exam rooms!!!

Thank you to everyone for all you do!

Breast Cancer Awareness!

Breast Cancer in Pets. (yes, they get it too!!)

Many pet parents don't realize that pets can also suffer from breast cancer. In veterinary medicine, these tumors are referred to as mammary gland tumors, and are unfortunately one of the most common kinds of cancer in pets.

Cats generally have eight mammary glands, arranged in four pairs. Dogs usually have 10 glands arranged in five pairs, though the number varies with the size of the dog. Mammary gland tumors in dogs and cats can be benign or malignant. In cats, around 90% of mammary gland tumors are malignant. In dogs, approximately 50% are malignant.

How can mammary gland tumors be prevented in dogs and cats?
The most effective way to prevent mammary gland tumors is to have your pet spayed before she ever goes into heat. There is a myth that animals should have one heat cycle (or give birth to one litter) before they are spayed. In fact, dogs who are spayed before their first heat cycle are 2,000 times less likely to develop breast cancer! Cats spayed before their first heat are 91% less likely to develop breast cancer than unspayed cats. After just one heat cycle, the risk rises in both dogs and cats.

Detecting mammary gland tumors
Just like in people, performing mammary exams in dogs and cats is very important. Early detection is key. If your dog or cat allows, perform a mammary exam on her once a month. Gently feel the tissue under and around each nipple, "rolling" the tissue between your fingers. Very small mammary tumors often feel like a little BB pellet under the skin. If you feel even a tiny lump or firm area, bring your pet to the veterinarian immediately.
There is evidence that canine mammary tumors can become malignant over time, so prompt removal is essential.

Treatment of mammary gland tumors in pets
The main treatment at this time is surgical removal. Depending on the situation, your pet may need to have the affected mammary gland, several mammary glands, or all the glands on that side of her body removed. The tumor that is removed will be sent to the lab for a biopsy to tell you if it is benign or malignant. If the tumor is malignant, your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary oncologist for consultation.
For more information about keeping your pet healthy, please visit the ASPCA Animal Hospital.


Source:  http://www.aspca.org/blog/term/pet-care
Friday, December 13, 2013 - 3:45pm
Guest blog by Louise Murray, DVM DACVIM, Vice President of the ASPCA Animal Hospital and author of “Vet Confidential: An Insider’s Guide to Protecting Your Pet’s Health”