2014 Wayne County Fair

Veterinary Wellness Partners • August 29, 2014

Veterinary Wellness Partners

Fri, 08/29/2014 - 11:51am

2014 Wayne County Fair

It is that time of year again, time for the Wayne County Fair. The Wayne County fair is one of the largest fairs in the state, something for which our area can be extremely proud. Our doctors and staff really enjoy the fair and look forward to seeing many of our clients and patients succeed. We are also proud to be a supporter of the fair and local 4H groups and FFA chapters within the community. As the fair approaches, we though it would be good to focus on animal care as it relates to the fair. The fair presents unique opportunities us to experience new things along with our animals that are entered for the various shows and categories.

Along with these unique opportunities, come some unique risks. For the majority of the fair animals, especially the farm animals; they reside on a farm and travel very little from location to location. This means that they are not exposed to stresses and potential contagious diseases as much as if animals traveled from place to place. So as we think about the beginning of the fair, we focus on disease risk. The best prevention against contagious disease is a well rounded vaccination protocol. Many of the diseases that can be spread at the fair are respiratory in nature. This means that the virus or bacteria is spread within the air. The contagious disease can travel rapidly throughout the barn, sometimes exposing every animal in that barn to the disease. In addition, the many people that travel from barn to barn can spread diseases in other ways, such as through manure on boots.

There are many animals at the fair, representing a wide variety of species. These include dairy cattle, beef cattle, draft horses, show horses, pigs, goats, sheep, miniature horses, dogs, rabbits, chickens, and turkeys. Cattle should at least be vaccinated for respiratory diseases, such as Bovine Respiratory Synchitial Virus, Bovine Parainfluenza 3 and Bovine rhinotracheitis. We recommend that horses be current on at least Equine Influenza and Equine Rhinovirus. Dogs should be up to date on all core vaccinations, as well as Bordetella Bronciseptica (Kennel Cough) and parainflueza. We feel that protection from kennel cough and parainfluenza are especially important this year due to the recent increase in dogs with contagious repiratory disease in and around Wayne County. Sheep and Goats should be current on "overeat vaccine," which covers the clostridial diseases and tetanus. Though we do not do a lot of swine medicine, pigs should probably be vaccinated for parvovirus, swine influenza and PRRS.

Another risk associated with leaving the farm for the fair is stress. Animals can get stressed from simply the trailer ride from the farm. They may also get stressed from the many sights, sounds and smells of the fair. The constant flow of people in and out of the barns is something that most farm animals are not used to. The commingling with other animals can also be stressful, as there is not an established herd order among this new grouping of animals. Prior to the fair, you can expose your show animal to as many things as possible to try to keep them calm during the fair. Playing loud music or talk radio in the barn can help acclimate them to the various noises that they may see at the fair. Exposing your pet or livestock to various people can also help with the changes.

Of course, animals should be well taken care of at the fair. This means having fresh water and good food available to them at all times. Therefore, many animals will need clean feed and water buckets. Some owners are required to bring their own bedding (straw, sawdust, wood chips, etc), while some others will have straw and mulch provided due to support from the various fair boards. In addition, animals will likely need to have a good supply of fresh air. At the Wayne county fair, this may mean supplying your own fan to keep you animals cool. Since the fair is in early September, it can get very hot. Animals are very subject to heat stress, as well as the other potential issues that are listed above.

If you have any questions about what to do now to best protect your animal while at the fair, please call our office and we will try to provide as much information as we can. Keep in mind that you may need to check fair regulations to see if your animal will need a health paper or vaccine certificate to attend the fair. Horses may require a valid Coggins test, which is typically good for one year.

The Orrville Veterinary Clinic is a proud supporter of the fair and many local farms. We really look forward to seeing you and your pets and farm animals at the fair this year!

By Dr. Jeff Fink

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Pet Safety Tips

By Admin • February 7, 2024

Not all pets can swim – carefully monitor your pet near water until you are sure that he or she can swim without sinking. Xylitol is a sugar substitute commonly found in chewing gum and can be deadly to pets. This chemical is especially dangerous because it is sweet-smelling and tasting. Be sure to keep pets away from purses or contents of pockets, candy baskets, etc. Know your pet’s normal temperature, pulse and breathing rate; gum and inner eyelid membrane color should normally be a healthy pink hue. Take a picture of yourself with your pet for purposes of identification. This way, if your pet is lost or stolen, you can prove that the pet is yours. Never feed your pet chocolate, moldy cheese, onions, raisins, or grapes, as these are poisonous. Many common houseplants (poinsettia, varieties of philodendron) are poisonous to your pet. Keep a pet emergency first aid kit handy, complete with emergency phone numbers for your veterinarian and local 24 hour emergency facility. Think ahead and have an evacuation plan in case of emergency. Do you know which local hotels accept pets? Make sure your pet has an ID tag or microchip – especially when travelling. Never give your pet human medication unless it is prescribed specifically by your veterinarian. Carry an extra leash in your car to use as a collar/lead or muzzle. Watch your pet closely when mulching or gardening, as cocoa-scented mulch can be harmful to dogs if ingested. Never leave your pet in a parked car.

ARE COUNTERFEIT FLEA AND TICK PRODUCTS HARMING PETS?

By Veterinary Wellness Partners • December 19, 2023

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

SPORTMIX PET FOOD RECALL

By Veterinary Wellness Partners • December 19, 2023

The FDA announced a recall of certain pet foods from Sportmix Brand. These foods contain high levels of aflatoxin, a mold that typically grows on corn. This is in response to 28 deaths and 8 sick patients as of 12/31/2020. Pet owners who have purchased Sportmix pet food products should be aware that this brand is linked to the fatalities. The pet food in question was manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods. According to the FDA's release, aflatoxin is "a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food." In high levels, it can cause harm to pets. Clinical signs and sympotms include: sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea. In some cases, it can cause liver damage and can even be fatal. If you happen to have any Sportmix pet food in your possession, the FDA suggests not feeding it to your pets and consulting a veterinarian if they've ingested it recently. In the organization's recall, they wrote that their investigation is ongoing and that as more information is available, they will update their post. Affected products iclude: (copied from the FDA website) The list of recalled dry pet food products announced by Midwestern Pet Food, Inc. on December 30, 2020 is: Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag Exp 03/02/22/05/L2 Exp 03/02/22/05/L3 Exp 03/03/22/05/L2 Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag Exp 03/02/22/05/L3 Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 lb. bag Exp 03/03/22/05/L3 Sportmix Premium High Energy, 44 lb. bag Exp 03/03/22/05/L3 Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag Exp 03/03/22/05/L3 Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag Exp 03/03/22/05/L2 Exp 03/03/22/05/L3 Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM” Veterinary Wellness Partners recommends the following companies for pet foods, as these companies have higher certification levels and higher quality control measures than some of the smaller companies: IAMS/ EUKANUBA ROYAL CANIN PURINA Hill's/ SCIENCE DIET Article written and published by Dr. Jeffrey R. Fink

VETERINARY WELLNESS PARTNERS COVID-19 PLAN MAY 18TH, 202

By Veterinary Wellness Partners • December 19, 2023

With the continuing COVID-19 situation across the country, many veterinary clinics continue to provide curbside care to their clients and patients. Veterinary Wellness Partners, including our four clinics, are continuing with this same curbside care for the foreseeable short-term future. What is Curbside Care? Curbside care is the term used to describe the process that we use to accommodate the social distancing guidelines by having clients wait in the parking lot. We still perform a complete examination and discuss findings and recommendations with each client. How does curbside care work? Upon arrival at one of our clinics, clients are to call the front desk. We ask that all dogs are on leashes and all cats are in carriers, as they could easily get away if not properly placed in a carrier. We also request that clients wear a mask while interacting with our staff. Once the front offices checks your pet in, a medical team member will come out to the vehicle to bring your pet into the clinic. A valid cellphone number will be obtained, so as to allow for communication from the veterinary staff to the clients. A history will be taken either over the phone or discussed at the vehicle. Once your pet has been escorted into the clinic, he/ she will be weighed and then will have a complete physical examination. Following the physical examination, you will be called by the attending veterinarian to discuss our findings, as well as to go over our suggested treatment plan. At the end of the follow-up phone calls, clients will be placed on hold. This will allow the front office staff to discuss payment. A check can be written and given to the team member that returns your pet to the car, or a credit card number can be obtained over the phone. How long will curbside care last? We do not know the end date to this system at this time. We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and recommendations given by the federal government, as well as the government of the state of Ohio. In addition, we take the safety and concern of our staff into consideration. Our staff members are our greatest aspect of our clinics and we need them to be comfortable and relaxed as we proceed going forward. We have had some client feedback and requests for clients to be allowed into the clinics. We will continue to listen to feedback. Some of the challenges of the social distancing protocols centers around the limited spacing in the examination rooms. With many examination rooms being too small to allow the proper 6 feet of distancing with three to four people in the rooms (one client, the doctor, and a support staff are general required for each examination). Veterinary Wellness Partners want to thank everybody for their understanding. We have had 100% compliance with clients. There have been very few client complaints and a lot of compliments as to how this process is going. We continue to be thankful to be able to provide the best care to our patients and their families!

2014 Wayne County Fair

Pet Safety Tips

ARE COUNTERFEIT FLEA AND TICK PRODUCTS HARMING PETS?

SPORTMIX PET FOOD RECALL

VETERINARY WELLNESS PARTNERS COVID-19 PLAN MAY 18TH, 202

Veterinary Wellness Partners COVID-19 Plan May 18th, 2020

Farm Animal Coronaviruses

COVID-19 Update 3/23/2020

March Bovine Health

COVID-19 Update 3/19/2020

VWP 2020 Declaw Statement

CONTACT US

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