Press Release About Baily

Bailey Berling

Bailey’s story begins on the morning of Christmas Eve 2012.  Bailey had tried to catch and kill a UPS truck menacing the neighborhood…but unfortunately, the truck had won the battle.  When Bailey arrived at First Regional, he was in critical condition with severe injuries – he was suffering from shock, his left hind leg broken in multiple places, and he had large open wounds on his hind legs, tail, and front paws.  The emergency team at FIRST Regional, led by Dr. Heather Hendricks, provided him with life-saving oxygen, intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and pain medication.  X-rays revealed further injuries:   tearing of his abdominal muscles; several pelvic fractures; and a broken femur at its articulation with the right hip.

For the next few days, Bailey remained in critical care. His shock was stabilized, the extensive wounds were treated several times daily, and he remained on high doses of pain medications until he was transferred to me for further evaluation and treatment.  Unfortunately, his left hind leg was so severely damaged that amputation was the only option.  I tried to stabilize the right hind leg, there was not enough bone to hold the surgical implants, and we had to remove the top of the femur bone that had shattered.  The owners were warned Bailey might have difficulty learning to walk again, due to the fact he was now missing a limb, a portion of his right hip joint, and had pelvic fractures that needed time to heal. 

However, despite the severity of injuries and aggressive surgery needed, Bailey’s remarkable tenacity and spirit began to shine through, and he started walking with assistance just a couple of days after surgery!  Unfortunately, another complication appeared right before he was going to be sent home.  During the accident, areas of his skin had lost their blood supply, and several regions on Bailey’s back and trunk appeared to be dying.  5 days after the first surgery, I tried placing a drain and compression bandage, in hopes that the remaining skin would heal and we could avoid additional surgery.  

Unfortunately, a few days later the skin in those areas died and infection set in.  On January 4, 2013, a second surgery was performed, and all of the dead skin was removed and the remaining skin sutured closed.  Bailey recovered quickly and was sent home with antibiotics.  Sadly, as you can see in the pictures, his recheck examination on January 7^threvealed additional areas of skin had died and infection progressed despite the antibiotics.  At that point, it was obvious traditional therapies would not work - over a third of the skin on his back and trunk had died and the whole area was infected.  We were worried Bailey might not survive after all.

Vacuum-assisted wound closure (VAC therapy) was recommended by our Critical Care Specialist, Dr. Alisa Reniker.  This treatment is new in veterinary medicine, but has proven effective in the treatment of many large, infected, and complicated human wounds, such as those suffered by the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It greatly accelerates wound healing by applying constant negative pressure to the wound to improve blood supply, remove excessive fluid, and rid the wound of infection.

Fortunately for Bailey, his owners were very dedicated to his recovery.   A third surgery, to remove the dead skin and place the initial VAC bandage, was performed on January 9^th.  Bailey had VAC bandage changes on the 10^th, 15^th, 18^th, and 21^st.  After 15 days of VAC therapy, the wound was less than a quarter of the original size, the infection had cleared, and there was a healthy tissue bed.  Today, the wound is almost completely healed due to his fighting spirit, his owners’ love and dedication, and a new technology that will hopefully help many more pets in the future.

   

	Left side
								Left side
		Left side
							Left side

Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

The team at First Regional Animal Hospital knows that your pet is a part of your family. Did you know there are even health benefits of pet ownership? 

Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

In our hearts we know that pets enrich our lives, and in recent years scientific studies have begun to pin-point the ways that companion animals improve our minds and our bodies. Beyond walks and "fetch," beyond lazy days in the sun and eager faces at the end of the day, pets provide documented health benefits. A 1993 report in the Harvard Health Letter explains that companion animals have more consistent behavior compared to our human companions and that they offer unconditional affection. The effect: lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety level for pet owners. We repay them with love and attention. In fact, more than 60 percent of pets receive "as much attention as children," according to the 1994 American Animal Hospital Association pet owner survey.

Originally published by Healthy Pet.

Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth

Pet Dental Care from First Regional Vet

The team at First Regional Vet is concerned about your pet's health and safety, that's why we have provided this great article for your information! At home dental care is one of the most important steps to giving your pet a healthy life. Please contact our team if you have questions about dental health!

Brushing Your Pet's Teeth

Equally important to annual dental exams at your veterinarian’s practice is home dental care, including brushing your pet’s teeth every day if possible. AAHA recommends a technique for both younger and older animals, although it’s easier to start brushing when your pet is young.

To introduce a fearful cat or dog to the idea of dental care, start slowly and gradually. Dip a finger into beef bouillon (for dogs) or tuna water (for cats) and gently rub along your pet’s gums and teeth. The most important area to focus on is the gum line (the crevice where the gums meet the teeth), where bacteria and food mix to form plaque. Focusing on the gum line, start at the front of the mouth, then move to the back upper and lower teeth and gum areas. Once your pet is okay with a little bit of touching, gradually introduce gauze over your finger and rub the teeth and gums in a circular fashion.

When your four-legged friend can handle the gauze, try brushing with a toothbrush specially designed for pets or a very soft, ultra-sensitive toothbrush designed for people. The bristles should be held at a 45-degree angle to the tooth surface and be moved in an oval motion. Scrub in the gum line, as this is where odor and infection begin. Gradually add special dog/cat toothpaste (flavored with meat or fish), but never use people toothpaste or baking soda, as both will upset your pet’s stomach.

Use the following process to clean the inside surfaces of your pet’s teeth:

1. Place your hand over your pet’s muzzle from the top
2. Gently squeeze and push his lips on one side between the back teeth (to keep his mouth open)
3. Pull his head back gently so his mouth opens
4. Brush his teeth on the opposite side
5. Repeat this process for the other side

The entire process should only take a minute or two. If your dog or cat continues to resist, try gently wrapping him in a large bath towel with only his head sticking out. Above all, avoid overstraining and keep sessions short and positive. With plenty of praise and reassurance, your dental sessions can bring the two of you closer---a closeness that won’t be marred by the perils of dog breath.

Home care can be improved by feeding your pet an unmoistened dry pet food and offering him hard biscuits after each meal. Both dry food and hard biscuits produce abrasion to help keep plaque to a minimum on the crown of each tooth. 

Dental care of dogs and cats is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet health care; however, it is necessary to provide optimum health and quality of life. Diseases of the oral cavity, if left untreated, are often painful and can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung and kidney disease.

AAHA encourages pet owners to regularly examine their pet’s teeth for signs of periodontal disease, such as brownish colored teeth; swollen, red, or bleeding gums; persistent bad breath; loose teeth or loss of teeth; pus between the gums and teeth; broken teeth and any unusual growth in the mouth. Reluctance to eat, play with chew toys, or drink cold water are warning signs of periodontal or gum disease. Consult your veterinarian if you notice any of these signs in your pet to schedule a dental exam.

There are two critical components of your pet’s veterinary dental care: oral examinations and dental cleanings. Veterinary dental care begins at the puppy and kitten life stage. As your pet ages, your veterinarian will look for developmental anomalies, the accumulation of plaque and tartar, periodontal disease and oral tumors. Veterinarians can perform a basic oral examination on patients that are awake. However, when a cleaning is required, your pet will need to be induced under general anesthesia wherein a thorough examination will be done prior to the cleaning. Dental cleanings performed while your pet is awake is not only dangerous for the team member performing the cleaning but dangerous to your pet as well.

Since there is an element of risk associated with any medical procedure, it is important that safety precautions are used. Among the many standards in the dentistry section, AAHA accreditation requires that veterinarians perform thorough examinations of the teeth and structures of the oral cavity in patients presented for dental procedures and only properly trained practice team members perform dental procedures. Additionally, AAHA Standards recommend that dental procedures are accompanied by pain assessment and appropriate pain treatment.

For more information on pet dental care, read our AAHA Dental Care Guidelines article.

Click here for an instructive video by the Cornell Feline Health Center on brushing your cat’s teeth.

Originally published on Healthy Pet.

2012 Team Awards

2012 TEAM AWARDS

We recently had our All-Staff Party for the 3 hospitals, their staff and families.  Due to a very rainy day, the party was moved to Polar Ice, a local ice rink.  We had a great turnout and had a fun time eating and ice-skating.  At the party, we held our annual Team Member of the Year Awards Ceremony.  Following are the 2012 winners.  Thanks – we are so proud of all of you!

1. FIRST Regional Animal Hospital
1. Team Member of the Year:  Trina
2. Veterinarian of the Year:  Dr. Hemberg
3. Technician of the Year: Charlotte
4. Client Service Representative of the Year: Meghan

                                          i.    Excellence in Patient Care: Dr. Begay, Erin, Dr. Moentk, Trinity and Lauren

                                        ii.    Excellence in Client Service: Elana, Mary, David, Alison and Cheryl

                                       iii.    Excellence in Teamwork: Cristi, Eric, Kim, Kristina and Jaime

2. 1^st Emergency Pet Care
1. Team Member of the Year: Karen
2. Veterinarian of the Year: Dr. Tobe
3. Technician of the Year: Cara
4. Client Service Representative of the Year: Karen

                                          i.    Excellence in Patient Care: Ginna, Dr. Mosbacher and Viviane

                                        ii.    Excellence in Client Service: Maryanne, Lisa and Gail

                                       iii.    Excellence in Teamwork: Angie, Tatijuana and Angel

3. North Valley Regional Animal Hospital
1. Team Member of the Year: Darci
2. Veterinarian of the Year: Dr. Fitzpatrick
3. Technician of the Year Melinda
4. Client Service Representative of the Year – Lynze
5. Certificate Awards:

                                          i.    Excellence in Patient Care: Dr. Begay, Holly, and Tammy

                                        ii.    Excellence in Client Service: Jessica, Yulonde and Ricki

                                       iii.    Excellence in Teamwork: Lynda, Aubrie and Tina