Hear it here first! Frederick County's newest animal hospital will soon be opening! Owner and Veterinarian, Dr. Ahalt, is watching the finishing touches be made to his veterinary hospital and starting to work on the logistics of moving from the current building to the new location. Thankfully, it's not a far move, less than 1/2 a mile from door to door. You can see the progress of the construction of the new veterinary hospital here and an exterior of the newest veterinary hospital is pictured below!
Veterinarian Dr. Ahalt sees first patient at Frederick County MD's Newest Veterinary Hospital
Veterinarian, Dr. Ahalt, saw his first patient at the new veterinary hospital the other day. It was a Chihuahua called fluffy. Pet Vet Dr. Ahalt consulted with his veterinary textbook, which Doc. McStuffins so kindly leant to him, and diagnosed fluffy with a case of the stuffies. She just needed a little refill. The case got put down in the big book of boo boos and fluffy is feeling better now!
Jefferson Veterinary Hospital's Youngest Clients, YBR Farm Labs, Star in Photography Workshop with Internationally Renowned Child Portrait Photographer Elena Shumilova { Veterinarian Frederick MD }
Jefferson Veterinary Hospital young patients, labrador puppies from YBR Farm, were the star models at a photography workshop held by internationally acclaimed photographer Elena Shumilova in Northern Virginia. Dr. Ahalt's wife, Clare, is a professional photographer (you can see her portfolio here and her work from the weekend here), and is always keen on furthering her education. She participated in the workshop and YBR farms kindly loaned their chocolate lab and yellow lab puppies to her for a couple of days over the Labor day weekend. The puppies were incredible and responded so well to the child models (Dr. Ahalt's daughter also modeled for the workshop). A selection of the images from some amazing photographers are below.
Why it's important to continue to provide flea and tick treatment to your pets during the fall { veterinarian frederick md }
Read why it's important to continue your pets flea and tick treatment through the fall and winter months!
Fall has arrived and as the leaves change and temperatures drop pet owners may fall in a false thinking that their pets no longer need flea and tick prevention until next summer. Wrong! In fact, fall is one of the most prime times of the year to contract Lyme and other tick and flea borne diseases. “Urban wildlife, particularly the booming whitetail deer population, warming climates and ticks’ natural resilience means the threat of ticks, and the diseases they carry is on the rise in almost every part of the country.” (Source Frontline and Merial) Adult ticks generally become inactive at temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Until those type of temperatures arrive and remain in place for a period of time, adult ticks will continue to actively seek out new hosts and meals in order to complete their life cycle.
Don't let your pet become a host to fleas and ticks!
As for fleas, “the life cycle can lay more than 40 eggs per day during peak production. These eggs can hatch in 1-10 days, but pre-emerged fleas can survive in cocoons for weeks or months waiting on a suitable host.” (Source Frontline and Merial) Optimal conditions for fleas are between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity. So with the cooler temperatures of fall why should you worry about fleas? Well here’s why… During the summer your home air conditioning removes humidity from the air, lowering levels to less than optimal conditions for flea development. However, flea cocoons can remain dormant and hidden during this time. Then the temperatures begin to drop so you turn off your AC and let that nice fresh air inside. This increase in humidity and warmer temperatures during the afternoons can be enough to trigger the pupal stages into waking up and hatching into adult fleas.
Most people keep their houses between 68-72 degrees year round it would will allow fleas a prime place to flourish should a population become established inside your home. So as you enjoy the beauty of the fall season make sure you continue to treat your pets against fleas and ticks. Here at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital we offer Nexgard & Frontline products to keep your furry friends happy and healthy. Stop by or call today for prices and to schedule an appointment.
October Savings on Flea and Tick Preventative! { Veterinarian Frederick MD }
- RECEIVE A 10% SAVINGS ON YOUR PET'S PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE! PURCHASE A 12 MONTH SUPPLY OF SENTINEL AND/OR A 6 MONTH SUPPLY OF FLEA AND TICK CONTROL PRODUCTS. ADDITIONAL MANUFACTURER REBATES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AND MAY BE COMBINED.
CLICK HERE OR CALL 301-473-4111 TO LEARN MORE !
Receive September Savings on Dental Care for your Pets!
Don't Let your pet become known as halitosis hal at one of Frederick's dog parks and be left puzzled why no one wants to play with him!
Bring him to Jefferson Veterinary Hospital and Receive a 15% Savings on your Pet's Dental Care During the Month of September!
Is your pet's breath no longer sweet smelling? Would you like your pet to have bright clean teeth and fresher breath so you can snuggle them closer and not be embarrassed to have guests close to their doggy breath during the upcoming holidays? Bring your dog to Jefferson Veterinary Hospital this September and have him open wide to receive a 15% savings on all dental treatments!
Why Veterinary Dental Care is Important
Bad breath isn't just unpleasant, it can signal dental disease, which can affect your pets overall health and well being.
Your pet will leave Jefferson with a smile he or she can be proud of!
Plaque is full of bacteria which can enter into the bloodstream and damage parts of the body, such as heart valves and kidneys. Gingivitis can promote loss of gum tissue, can ultimately result in teeth loss. Up to 80% of pets have periodontal disease by age 3. Regular brushing can help keep plaque down, but once a pet has plaque on their teeth, it needs professional veterinary care to scale it off. If you have a puppy or kitten, or a pet that has recently had their teeth cleaned, regular brushing, such as 4 times a week, or even everyday like you and I, can help keep their teeth sparkly clean and give them a smile they can be proud of!
Due to the overwhelming demand in February for our dental month appointments, which sell out each year, we have extended it to include the month of September so our clients can have their pets teeth clean and sparkly in time for the holiday season! Receive a 15% savings on all dental appointments during the month of September. Call 301-473-4111 to schedule your appointment today and give your pet the gift of clean teeth and breath!
He will want to show off his smile!
He will no longer be embarrassed to play with his friends!
Barb is Back! { Veterinarian Frederick MD }
We are SO, so very happy to see this smiling face behind our reception and hope that our veterinary clients and patients will be happy to say hello to Barb again!
English Springer Spaniel Puppies First Visit to the Veterinarian
Feature in the Frederick News Post
In May, we wrote a blog post about how your veterinarian, Frederick County MD native Dr. Ahalt, assisted the American Shark Conservancy with information on staples and whether they would be suitable to use while tagging sharks. The Frederick News Post saw this blog and wrote an article about it in Sunday's newspaper! Check out the full article here!
Not always a needle in a haystack | Frederick MD Veterinarian
This cat was brought to Jefferson Veterinary Hospital after not eating for 3 days. As part of the routine examination, veterinarian Dr. Ahalt checked the mouth for a foreign body and discovered quite a large one in the form of a needle that was lodged towards the back of the cats mouth. We can say that this was a first for the veterinarians and veterinary technicians, who have seen ingested needles before, but never one lodged in the mouth of a pet.
Dr. Ahalt (who as you can hear in the video is a little camera shy) sedated the cat and carefully extracted the needle, which he discovered had some thread attached to it. Fortunately, as the needle was not ingested, and as the thread was thankfully not tangled in the abdomen, this foreign body case was fairly straight forward and the kitty got to go home and is having a fast recovery from their adventures.
That day when your veterinarian helped with Shark Conservation
Dog and Cat Friends | Veterinarian Frederick MD
Is there anything else sweeter than the love that pets can have for one another? It even crosses species from cats to dogs. Frequently we see bonded pairs of dogs and cats coming into our animal hospital to see our veterinarians and it's truly amazing how they rely upon one another. This is an old foxhound, and a new great dane puppy that has been recently introduced to the family. There is another younger samoyed puppy in the household that the great dane plays with, but every time he goes to lay down he seeks out the old foxhound and either lays alongside him or on top of him. The photograph below is a samoyed and a barn cat. They constantly find each other out every time the dog goes outside, and the cat will rub himself up against the dog and fuss around her. We would love to hear you stories of how your dogs and cats have bonded to one another.
Lyme Disease | Veterinarian Frederick MD
We are seeing a lot of ticks in this area, which carry a variety of diseases including Lyme. Did you know that there is a Lyme vaccine for dogs? Make an appointment for your dog to get their shot today and help prevent this disease. To help your dogs from bringing ticks into your house, use a tick preventative and check their fur thoroughly when they come in from outdoors. If your dog has been bitten by a tick, or you find one on your dog, remove it carefully, ensuring you pull the head out and dispose of it - avoid crushing it as this can spread tick Bourne diseases and contact our veterinarians who can help determine if a course of antibiotics is necessary. This disease is awful, and can be transmitted via ticks to humans too - be aware and let's help prevent its spread!
National Take your Children to Work Day
One of our veterinarians, Dr. Ahalt, brought his son to work at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital to show him all about the practice of veterinary medicine. Dr. A Jr. watched a minor surgical procedure, watched how digital x-rays were taken and hung out a lot with the dogs and cats that were being tended to at the animal hospital. He had a great time and learned a lot!
Dr. Ahalt doesn't look too thrilled at having his photograph taken.
Which Image Should be on JVH's Banner?
Which photograph do you think should be on Jefferson Veterinary Hospital's new banner to announce the new animal clinic? Image 1, 2, 3, 4, or do you think it should simply be our logo and text? Let us know in the comments!
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Cough, Cough, Hack. It's National Hairball Day!
Happy National Kids and Pets Day!! | Frederick MD Veterinarian
Happy National Earth Day! | Veterinarian Frederick MD
Pet of the week | Veterinarian Frederick MD
The pet of the week this week is Jefferson Veterinary Hospital veterinarian, Dr. Ahalt's dog, Chug! Chug is a samoyed, which is a high energy breed, intelligent breed of dog and a member of the spitz family. Samoyeds were bred to pull sleds, but had to have a good temperament and were often considered extended members of the family. Samoyeds are famous not only for their beautiful full white coats of fur, but the sammy smile, a natural expression that looks like the dog is sat happily smiling.
As this is a high energy breed, they require a lot of exercise, and their intelligence means that they also need to have things to stay occupied. As with most breeds, a bored samoyed is a destructive samoyed, and they will entertain themselves by chewing up whatever might be nearby. Negative aspects of the breed include a penchant for landscaping, which verges on borderline excavation. Their coat requires constant maintenance and "blows" out twice yearly, leaving enough fur behind to easily make two more dogs. This undercoat can be spun into yarn, but Mrs. Dr. A puts some of it outside and the birds find it and use it to line their nests. They are good alert dogs and will bark when someone comes onto what they perceive to be their territory, which isn't so good if you live in a house with a sidewalk that is used in front.
Overall, samoyeds are a loving breed, and Mrs. Dr. A is very taken by them.
Caption This! | Frederick MD Veterinarians
The veterinary technicians and receptionists at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital have some great helpers. We have been having fun with this image of Malinda and her dog over on the Veterinary Hospital's Facebook page.
Here are a few of our favorite captions:
Renee: I'll keep an eye out for the doc....you go ahead and change that word "neuter" to "cuddles & treats!"
Martha: No, no, not the kibble! Order the Beggin' Strips! I'd do it myself but I don't have thumbs!
Christa: If you could get those TPS reports to me that would be just great.
Donna: No no no, you add 6 and carry the 1.
Dana: "Your total today comes to six dog treats. No, don't give them to Malinda, I'll take them."
Robert: "What time is Susie's appointment? I don't want to miss her this time like I did the last!"