Getting to Know Mary

Many of you already know Mary, one of our Customer Service Representatives here at 1^st Pet in Chandler.   

Mary has been a loyal team member of 1^st Pet Veterinary Centers for 11 of her 15 years in the veterinary profession.   Born in New Jersey, she has lived the majority of her life in Arizona where she resides with her husband, son, and daughter.  She also has three wonderful fuzzy kids- Kai, Brooklyn, and Madison. 

She loves to travel and has visited many exotic locations around the world.   She also loves outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and gardening, as well as of course…shopping!

But her heart and soul keeps much of her time devoted to our patients here at 1^st Pet.  Getting to know our wonderful clients and receiving tail wags and kisses from our patients, showing them love and compassion every day, is what she feels is truly special. 

Faces of Compassion (just a few out of many)

com·pas·sion

noun

1. a feeling of deep sympathy accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate suffering.

 

The first thing that I noticed when I started working at our 3 hospitals is the compassion that is everywhere. The receptionists, the doctors, the techs, everyone I have worked with cares, and cares an enormous amount. 

It really touches my heart when I see a pet brought in the back for one procedure or another and being talked to (always in a kind voice) having explained to them what’s going on and being told that they are ok. Moms and dads if you have ever wondered what goes on when they are away from you, regardless of what your pet needs done, they are being loved and comforted.

I have seen a tech sit on the floor with a cat getting a blood transfusion and pet him the entire time. I have watched as techs and doctors have caressed the paw of a sick pet. I have seen lots of hugs and petting and comforting, and did I mention petting? There is LOTS of that going on. 

I have seen people going out of their way to come over and say hi to a pet and tell them they are so happy to see them again and call them by name. You can feel the love that the doctors and techs and receptionist have as they care for each pet that comes through the hospital doors, and it is all three hospitals, every day. I feel so blessed to work with so many compassionate people. 

Written by Debe, Our Social Media Coordinator

Laser Therapy for Pain Management

Zander is feeling the success of his laser therapy. He is a super sweet 13-year old Pit Bull. As he aged, he grew stiff and sore and was unable to enjoy being as active as he was in the past. He had a hard time standing on tile and his legs would give out after a short period of time.

His dad was in our office and noticed a sign for laser therapy. Because he knew a lot about sports medicine, he took a pamphlet and inquired about the benefits of therapy for Zander.

A little over a month ago, he started the laser therapy 3 times a week and is now down to twice a week. Zander is able to stand for much longer periods of time and even spins around when playing at home. We are so happy to see Zander reduce the amount of pain meds he needed and living a much more active life!

To celebrate International Assistance Dog Week we would like to honor Vashti.

  

Vashti is an (almost) 5 year old spayed female Rottweiler/ English Mastiff mix. At 95 pounds, she is mom’s (Jamie from FRAH) biggest lap dog. She was adopted at 3 months old, from NVRAH, where she was abandoned with a fractured hind leg. 

Vashti is a universal blood donor. When she was 2 years old, she became an official hospital blood donor when the others became to old and could no longer donate. Vashti's large size makes her an ideal blood donor because we are able to collect a large amount of blood from her. The amount of blood we collect is based on her body weight and the recipient pet’s needs.

In order to be a blood donor, Vashti had general bloodwork, but also had specialized testing such as blood typing. She was also checked for blood parasites (such as Tick Fever and heartworm, among others) and Valley fever. She also had an ECHO, which is an ultrasound of her heart to make sure it was healthy enough to donate. 

To continue being a blood donor, Vashti must have annual bloodwork. She must always be on heart worm preventative. She must always use flea and tick preventative and she must be up to date on vaccines. She is also on call at all hours for donation, although she can only donate once during a 6 week period. Thanks Vashti for helping other dogs by giving blood.

Meet Dr. Daniel Guastella!

We are proud to tell you about Dr. Daniel Guastella, our newest board certified surgeon to join our team at  FIRST Regional Animal Hospital.  A native of New York, Dr. Guastella started out with a major in marine and molecular biology.  With this accomplishment he became employed at John’s Hopkins Hospital as a lab technician in the neuroscience department for 3 years prior to starting Veterinary School in 2000. 

After becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, he performed a 1 year internal medicine and surgical internship at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine, followed by a 3 year residency in Small Animal Surgery at the Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, NJ.  

After residency Dr. Guastella passed intensive specialty board exams to achieve the status of Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons- Small Animal.  He joined our team here at FIRST Regional in October of 2012 where he offers many advanced surgical services to our patients-  including tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA), which is a procedure for cruciate ligament tears in the ‘knee’s’ of large dogs.   Dr. Guastella uses the latest in medical advances to repair fractures surgically with as minimally invasive an approach possible. 

Dr. Guastella is a proud father of an 18 year old daughter. He is now married to Dr. Alisa Reniker (our critical care specialist!).  They have a new 4 month old son they enjoy playing with at home, along with their 4 dogs (Bruiser, Reilly, Little Bug, and Cleo),  4 cats (Scooter, Bungie, Richard Parker, and Kitty Rex Ryan), a 20 year old iguana (Ray), and 2 horses (Fergie and Jack)!  

When Dr. Guastella is not busy working and saving lives like that of our patient  ‘Bailey’ Berling (one of his favorite memories so far at FIRST Regional- read about his story on our Facebook page!),  he enjoys fly fishing, playing with his newborn son, and movies.

If your pet ever has any orthopedic problems, or surgical needs, please make an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Dan Guastella for the best possible surgical care!