Disaster Preparedness Tips

You may have heard about, if you were not part of, the natural disasters that have happened around the world.  One thing we know for sure is that hey can happen at any moment, so it is important to be well prepared. 

Emergencies come in many forms, and they may require anything from a brief absence from your home to permanent evacuation. Each type of disaster requires different measures to keep your pets safe. The best thing you can do for yourself and your pets is to be prepared.

Here are 3 easy steps that will help you get started on disaster preparedness.

Step 1: Get a Rescue Alert Sticker to let people know pets are inside your home. 

Step 2: Arrange a Safe Haven in the event of evacuation.

Step 3: Keep an Emergency Supplies and Traveling Kits handy and make sure everyone in your home knows where it is kept. 

Source: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness

2015 National pet Week Creative Writing Contest

The Auxiliary to the American Veterinary Medical Association (Auxiliary to the AVMA) is pleased to announce their annual creative writing contest. This contest will be for the 2015 National Pet Week theme, “Adopt a Pet – A Promise of Love.”

The creative writing entry should center around the NPW theme, should include the NPW theme in the writing, may be a story, essay, or poem, must be no less than 20 words and no more than 200 words in length, must be the writer’s original work, and must be previously unpublished.  An adult may help type the entry but may not change the content or style.  The creative writing contest is open to students in grades Kindergarten through 12^th grade.  All entries must be accompanied by an entry form which has all pertinent information filled in.

To obtain an entry form and ask questions, contact the Auxiliary to the AVMA office, Mary Ellen Bowgren, at mbowgren@avma.org or call 1.847.285.6747.

Send the creative writing entry with the entry form:

By email (the entry form and writing should be in the body of the email and not as an attachment) to mbowgren@avma.org.  The date of the email transmission shall be considered the postmark date.

By mail (the entry form should be attached to the rear of the creative writing in some way) to:     

NPW Creative Writing Contest

Auxiliary to the AVMA

1931 N. Meacham Road Suite 100

Schaumburg, IL 60173

The national winner will receive a $100.00 cash award. Judging will be based on originality, content, and the use of the National Pet Week theme.  Immediate or extended family members of the judges will not be eligible to participate.

Submission of a creative writing entry and entry form entitles the Auxiliary to the AVMA to publish and promote the writing in their projects, promotions or publications. Entries will not be returned and become the property of the Auxiliary to the AVMA.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM

Send the creative writing entry with the entry form:

By email (the entry form and writing should be in the body of the email and not as an attachment) to mbowgren@avma.org.  The date of the email transmission shall be considered the postmark date.

By mail (the entry form should be attached to the rear of the creative writing in some way) to:     

NPW Creative Writing Contest

Auxiliary to the AVMA

1931 N. Meacham Road Suite 100

Schaumburg, IL 60173

E-mail questions to mbowgren@avma.org or call 1.847.285.6747.

Source: http://www.petweek.org/poster-and-writing-contests.html

Welcome Dr. Kate Onasch

We would like to welcome Dr. Kate Onasch to our team.  She will be starting late June, early July.  Dr. Onasch is a graduate of Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2013.  After graduating from Veterinary School, Dr. Onasch completed a prestigious one year internship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, KY.  Dr. Onasch practices all aspects of equine medicine including lameness, reproduction, internal medicine, and preventative medicine.  She will be taking over the large animal practice at Town and Country and also doing Small Animal preventative medicine and surgery with Dr. Ayres. Outside of work Dr. Onasch enjoys riding, hiking, fishing, and spending time with her dog, Jake.

We are Accredited by (American Animal Hospital Association) AAHA

Town & Country Animal Clinic is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). AAHA is the only organization that accredits veterinary hospitals, both general and specialty practices. Our clinic has been evaluated against a pool of approximately 900 standards that represent best practices in veterinary care and hospital management. Pet owners can feel reassured about the care their pets receive at our facility, because we are AAHA accredited. There is a saying among business leaders: Good management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things. Accreditation assures you that we are doing both!

In the United States, all hospitals that serve people with Medicare must be accredited through an accrediting body, that is, they must undergo regular reviews and quality checks to ensure they meet standards of quality for every aspect of medical care. You might be surprised to learn that the same is not true for veterinary hospitals. When it comes to pet health care, accreditation is voluntary. In fact, only about 12% of veterinary hospitals (also called clinics or practices) are accredited. 

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is the only organization that accredits veterinary hospitals — both general and specialty practices — in the United States and Canada. Practices are evaluated against a pool of approximately 900 standards that represent best practices in veterinary care and hospital management. A national task force of veterinary professionals created and continually updates the standards to reflect the latest developments and improvements in patient care, surgery, medical records, cleanliness, staff safety, leadership, and a host of other areas essential to excellent patient care. After applying to become accredited, a veterinary practice usually spends several weeks or months examining and fine-tuning its systems, processes, and protocols (procedures) to be sure every aspect meets AAHA’s standards of quality. 

 Often the whole practice team becomes involved, which builds collaboration across the entire clinic — an important factor in quality pet care. When the practice is ready, AAHA sends consultants — trained professionals with veterinary backgrounds — to conduct an on-site evaluation. Practices are awarded points for each standard they meet, and they must amass a certain score in order to pass the evaluation. Accreditation is by no means guaranteed, and practices that pass evaluations often host parties for staff and clients to celebrate achieving the milestone. 

To maintain accredited status, clinics must be re-evaluated every three years. This ensures that every AAHA-accredited practice represents the most current thinking about what constitutes the best health and medical care for pets. Pet owners can feel reassured about the care their pets receive at AAHA-accredited hospitals. There is a saying among business leaders: Good management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things. Accreditation assures you that your veterinarian does both.

Source: http://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/about_aaha/why_accreditation_matters/about_accreditation/how_the_accreditation_evaluation_works.aspx

Love Your Pet Day

Did you know today happens to be Love Your Pet Day?  Every day is Love Your Pet Day for us!  There are many ways to show a little extra love to your pet.

Pets as Christmas Presents

Sometimes it may seem like a cute idea to give someone a pet as a Christmas present, but it’s important to give that some extra thought before you do it. Most pets that are given up lose their home because their owner loses interest in them or is unprepared for the responsibility of pet ownership. This is a huge problem seen among pet owners who receive their pets as “gifts.” Children especially are given the mistaken idea that pets are all fun and games, but they are not fully ready to take on the responsibility of feeding, walking, cleaning, and training their pet.

Instead of giving pets as presents, we recommend getting acclimated to the idea of bringing a new pet into your home. Bringing your children to volunteer at an animal shelter or babysitting the pet of a friend or family member can help. Children and potential pet owners (no matter their age!) need to be reminded that pets aren’t just cute; they are also hungry, need to exercise, and need to use the bathroom. They can be messy when they aren’t fully trained, and the training process can be difficult too.

Please, don’t adopt until everyone in your family is READY. 

Sunday is Take a Hike Day

Sunday is Take a Hike Day! That means gear up and take your four-legged friend out for a nice walk outdoors! It’s a great way to bond with your pet while also staying fit!