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WHAT’S NEW
The ON-LINE edition of our monthly newsletter
NEW: MAGAZINES FOR VACCINE REMINDERS
One of the services our clients have constantly been grateful for is our monthly vaccine reminder system. Every month, we have our hospital computer software generate a list of pets that have vaccines due, and mail reminder post cards to them. For the next few months, however, we are trying out a new format for these monthly vaccine reminders: Healthy Pet Magazine. The vaccine reminders will appear on a cardboard front cover wrap around. The magazine issue is yours to keep.
Pros: You get a magazine in addition to your vaccine reminder. Cons: The printing process takes two weeks, so it is possible you’ll get a reminder again the next month (two weeks of cross over rather than just a few days). Also, only one pet’s information fits on the front cover wrap around. If you have more than one pet with vaccines due that month, the first pet will have all the vaccines due listed, and any other pets with vaccines due that month will just have their names listed.
The cover wrap will look like the graphic above, although yours will be easier to read. Let us know if you like the magazine better than the old post cards.
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FALL FELINE SURGERY SPECIAL COMING For the past few Octobers we offered all feline elective surgeries at a 50% discount in order to help out with all the newly maturing kittens from the previous summer. This community special has been a dramatic success. If there is an adolescent kitten in your family, remember these special six weeks at our hospital, from October 1st through November 15th.
More details next newsletter!
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This Month’s Installment: Everyone is familiar with a list of ingredients. We see these lists on the foods that we consume. Pet foods also have a list of ingredients with the most predominant components listed first according to their weight. Each term on this list is specifically defined by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) and a catalog of definitions is available for all the terms that may be used on this list. One might think something like “chicken” does not really require a definition but, in fact, the AAFCO finds that it does. CHICKEN : the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken or a combination thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails. Beef is similarly strictly defined. BEEF: the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle, and is limited to that part of the striate muscle which is skeletal or that which is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or in the esophagus; with or without the accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve and blood vessels which normally accompany the flesh. This may seem bizarrely graphic but it is important to differentiate the main flesh of the meat source from the “by-products” (which are generally the organ meats) or meat meal (which is basically ground up meat) or meat digest (meat that has been treated with enyzmes). There have been an assortment of rumors regarding meat “by products” which have suggested that these include hair, feathers, hooves or other poorly digestible tissues. It should be noted that these tissues are specifically excluded from the definition of “by products” by the AAFCO. A partial list of ingredients has been posted at www.malteseonly.com/food2.html Another source of confusion in the ingredient list is the fact that the vitamins that fortify the pet food are listed by their biochemical names. This tends to make the list read like some sort of chemical textbook. Here is a handy guide for those unfamiliar with common supplements:
A more complicated issue would be what to look for on an ingredient list. Some labels flaunt such statements as “no soy” or “no corn” or “no preservatives” or “no by-products.” Some make a point of having meat first ingredients while others have grains as first ingredients. Why are these issues marketing points? Our story continues next month. [Back to Index at Top of Page]
ZOONOTIC DISEASES
Ever wonder what about diseases transmissible to humans from animals... or from animals to humans? Periodically we are asked for a list but such a list would enumerate hundreds of infections. Good thing these are rare conditions! Fortunately, there is a government agency who’s job it is to keep track of these sorts of things, and The Center for Disease Control has an area just for you at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/parasiticpathways/animals.htm
PET SITTERS
Need a Professional Pet Sitter or thinking of becoming one? If so, this is a web site for you. For example, we bet you didn’t know that a pet sitter could become accredited at four different levels! Read more about those levels or other pet sitting information at: [Back to Index at Top of Page]
Monday, September 4th is Labor Day. Hopefully, you will be getting the day off. If you would like to use your free time to bring in your pet or pick up some pet products, we will be open for business as usual. [Back to Index at Top of Page]
Thank-You for our New Referrals Here are the names of our clients who have referred their family or friends to our hospital in July 2000.
Thank you again for your confidence in us. [Back to Index at Top of Page]
WHAT’S NEW ON OUR WEB SITE (since last month) RUNNY EYES [Back to Index at Top of Page]
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