May 2018 Newsletter

The annual visit……

Every year, the reminder cards go out for the “annual” exam along with a few other requirements like a fecal sample, vaccines and heartworm tests.

Us humans get these cards or text messages too as our dentists, primary care and other doctors beckon us to come see them. Do you worry? Are you happy to go? Do you try to put it off? Need to make sure you floss before seeing the dentist. You may need to take time off from work to make the appointment. So many things whirl around in our heads. But is is our health. We have one body and we need to take care of it. A strong relationship with those that help care for our bodies is invaluable.

So here we are, the veterinarian asking you to bring your pet in once a year if not twice a year for our older pets and pets on chronic meds. It is a time that is so valuable. Think about it. Can your pet talk? It can’t but there are many subtle things that we can pick up on.

Here at BANHC, our doctors take their own histories so we are able to spend more time with our patients and their owners. Time to observe. Time to discuss preventative care options, home dental care. We get to talk about training, diet and exercise. Checking in on the family, catching up on life is one of my favorite perks. The relationships that I have been able to develop with my clientele and their families over the last two to twenty years are strong.

As general practitioners, we are able to work with our specialists to help our patients with day to day care. Being able to provide so much follow-up at our office can make it so convenient for our owners to be able to provide so much more for their pets.

It’s so helpful to see our patients when they are well so we can detect the subtle nuisances when they are not quite right. Being able to detect a heart murmur before it becomes clinical can help so much. Talking about our referral and emergency care options “just in case.” Talking about the safety and efficacy of our parasite preventions options as we get into spring weather eventually!

I know it can be tough to squeeze in an appointment when life is rushing by. Kids, sports, work, family time but the value of the annual exam to assess patient health is worthwhile. Being able to detect a mass early, identify pain in an animal that is doing its best to not miss a step. Finding out about some of the new breakthroughs in pharmaceuticals for our pets. Being able to educate and empower clients about home dental care. There is so much that goes on in the exam room!

One of the other reasons to come in is to visit us in our new space!! We are so proud of the new facility that we have at the Cummings Center. We want you to come here and visit us.

Let’s all work together to be as well as we can be. Hope to see you soon in good health!

Twenty years… ..

April 1998 was the month that Beverly Animal Natural Health Center opened its doors. I can’t believe it has been twenty years. Just like with raising babies, the days may be long but the years are short! As I look forward to continuing to practice, I want to thank all the patients and families that have made it such an amazing career. Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is also celebrating my class’s 25th year reunion this year. I will miss the actual reunion because I have some great plans with my oldest daughter, now almost 16. Thank you for all your support and word of the mouth over the years.

BLANKET WEIGHTS

As I set here working on the newsletter, my cat Lily is snuggling up against my leg. It is a comforting feeling as she seeks to rest up against me. It’s the contentment we share as I pause from working and running around and she rests. The term blanket weight is one I coined after one of our clients sadly felt the loss of her blanket weight after the family dog passed . Despite his small size, Max was a very dependable blanket weight that kept the blanket on the bed! After his passing, she and her husband didn’t quite get the same distribution of the blanket. The memory of the daily impact that Max had on his families lives will always be with them. It’s a memory like this as well as all the other countless little acts that our pets give us daily.

As we read through the In Memorium of pets this month, there is a story with each one. Treasure each one and thanks for letting us be a part of it.

In Memory of our beloved pets that have passed: In Memoriam