WHAT’S  NEW The ON-LINE edition of our monthly newsletter   Healthy Life Pet Food Discontinued New Grooming Area Completed Holiday Hours Closed Thansgiving day, Christmas day and New Year’s day: closing early the day before each, and closing one hour early Mon. Dec 13 Interesting External Links HAVE YOU HEARD OF PET THERAPY? MAYBE YOU HAVE A THERAPIST IN YOUR OWN HOME Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI, INC.) was founded in 1976 by Elaine Smith, formerly of Hillside, NJ, now a resident of California. A registered nurse working in England, Smith observed the benefits of pets interacting with patients. She noticed how the patients reacted to the daily visits of the chaplain and his companion, a golden retriever. Upon returning to the United States, Smith was determined to bring the concept of pet therapy to health care facilities. Pet therapy is used in many institutions to help people stay connected, to assist in mental recovery, and simply to brighten someone's day.  If you and your dog are interested in participating, visit: http://www.tdi-dog.org/ Did You Know? That our hospital has launched a monthly feature of the strange but true information that makes the cutting edge of pet care fun?  Every month we include something new but perhaps not widely known, a fun fact to amaze your friends. Thank-You for Our New Referrals What’s New in our Web Site Libraries (since last month) (Go to Hospital Home Page) (Check out the Pet Web Library, Pharmacy Center, Surgery Suite & Vaccine Mezzanine) The “What’s New” Archives   Would you like an eMail each month when this page is updated? Click here and ask to be notified whenever a new “What’s New” page is added. POPULAR TOPICS FROM PAST NEWSLETTERS

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WHAT’S NEW IN OUR WEB SITE LIBRARIES (since last month) ADEQUAN When you say "polysulfated glycosaminoglycans" you have said a mouth-full but when you get an injection of them you get a joint-full... a joint full of cartilage repair, that is.  When a pet becomes arthritic, it is important to leave no stone unturned in helping the joints heal. Adequan injections are often the missing piece of the puzzle for pets already on NSAIDs and nutriceuticals. Read this page in The Pharmacy Center for more information. GLARGINE Human diabetics use ultra-long acting insulins to provide blood sugar control over the length of an entire day. Feline diabetics have not been as lucky. Insulins made for humans simply don't last as long in the cat. A synthetic human insulin called "glargine insulin" is different and looks extremely promising in the way diabetic cats are treated. For details check out the newest page in The Pet Web Library. TRAMADOL Pain relief for our pets is an important consideration but sometimes the usual medications are not enough or are not tolerated. Tramadol represents a different pain relief mechanism and can be used in both dogs and cats. This page in The Pharmacy Center has additional information. ELMIRON Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease is a condition with many causes and many theories about many causes.  The human disease, called "Interstitial Cystitis," may prove to be a good model for the feline condition (or vice versa depending on one's perspective).  Pentosan polysulfate sodium is an effective treatment for many humans and is often used in cats. Learn more about it in The Pharmacy Center.