As many of you know, our goal is to always keep you informed about your pet’s health, new treatments, emerging diseases and awareness of current happenings within out hospital. In that light let’s take a look at what’s occurring here that affects you and your pet companions.

1. Tick borne diseases, mainly Anaplasmosis and Lyme Disease, are very much on the rise within our patient population. The recent wet weather combined with cooling temperatures brings on the “second” tick season. We have seen a dramatic increase in tick activity in our area over the last few weeks. Be aware of the risks to you and your pets.
2. There has been continuing emphasis on avoiding over vaccination of pets at a single visit. Traditionally, when dogs and cats would visit the veterinarian, they would receive multiple vaccines at once. Although most pets will tolerate multiple immunizations without any reaction, our experience has shown that there are far fewer vaccine reactions if a visit is limited to no more than two or three vaccines. Even though requiring an additional visit is an inconvenience, the benefits outweigh the extra trip. It should be mentioned that there is no additional cost incurred by splitting vaccines up.
3. Improving dental hygiene. Over the last five years we have made an assertive effort to improve dental health in our patient population. Although recently we have seen an increase in facial abscesses as a result of infected teeth, we are performing fewer dental procedures than previous years. Better care at home leads to fewer anesthetic procedures needed in the hospital.
4. Staffing changes. As many of you know Dr. Kate Smolka has joined our practice as staff veterinarian. For those of you who haven’t met her yet, she is a very talented and engaging practitioner. In adding an additional doctor it has allowed us to open more appointment slots to make it easier to schedule patients. We have also brought on additional technical help to enable us to schedule in hospital procedures with a minimum of delay.
5. Many of you have asked if I (Dr. Hirschberg) has retired or is retiring. The answer to that question is a resounding NO. As I often tell friends and family members, I will retire when I get to see “how it all comes out”. Since “it all” is ever expanding, I don’t think it will be anytime soon. Although I am often not in the exam rooms seeing patients, I am present in the hospital doing procedures, writing papers or planning for a future speaking engagement. I am still available for appointments although my schedule is limited at times. The work that we have done with Laser Therapy at the Brockton Animal Hospital over the last decade has gained significant attention. Responding to emails, fulfilling obligations and compiling research often amounts to burning the candle at both ends. My passion, however, is still first and foremost in providing patient care. Myself, Dr. Huffenus and Dr. Smolka discuss cases daily. So whether you see all of us at once or not, the care of your pet is always a cooperative effort.

The above amounts to a brief summary of what is happening in the pet world as well as our hospital. If you have any questions, whatsoever, please feel free to contact us.