Our consultation room provides a comfortable space for our clients to meet with doctors and visit with their animals.

Our Surgical Suite can accommodate up to four surgeries at one time and includes state of the art monitoring systems.

Our Intensive Care Unit is staffed 24 hours a day and is fully equipped to handle most emergencies.

We are able to offer great dental care for our patients with our new Dental Suite, including Dental Radiology.

We offer safe and secure boarding in a comfortable atmosphere.

Grand Opening Celebration….
FAMILY FUN DAY  Saturday June 14th (1--5pm)

On Saturday, June 14th, we invite all of you to attend our Grand Opening Celebration at our new facility on Metairie Road.  We have a fun filled day planned for everyone. For the kids, we'll have a magician and face painting and other fun projects!  For your pets, we'll have free samples and great prizes--including a Day at the Spa, valued at nearly $65!  Throughout the day we will be conducting drawings for prizes, including a year's supply of Hill's Science Diet (Sponsored by Hill's Science Diet and a year's supply of Frontline Flea Preventative (Sponsored by Merial), and many others.

We will also be joined by a local radio DJ as well as the famous Lucky Dog vendor , so come on down and grab a bite to eat with us.  While you're here, we will be conducting tours of our new hospital.  So, stop by and see our wonderful new boarding facilities, examination areas, bathing and grooming facilities, hospitalization and treatment areas and much more.  You will also have the opportunity to meet our doctors and staff while touring our new hospital.

Feel free to bring the entire family...there will be fun enough for everyone!  If you have any questions about this event, please call our main hospital at 504-835-4266.

                      Volume 5, Issue 6                               

Employee of the Month

   What's Your Diagnosis?

This cat was hit by a car and rushed to MSAH to be treated.  Upon examination, he was found to have difficulty breathing.  A radiograph was taken of the thorax (chest) and is shown at right.  What's your diagnosis?

                                     (Answer of Page 5)

Radiograph of the thorax, arrows point to the solid lung lobe.  The lungs should not appear "white/cloudy" as they do above.

Page 5

                      Volume 5, Issue 6                               

This cat suffered from a pneumothorax, which is often a result of trauma.  Pneumothorax is a condition in which air enters the chest cavity.  It is usually indicated by radiographs and can be noted by the displacement of the heart and lungs.  The heart normally rests right on the sternum, but in this case it is elevated inches above the sternum (see right).  A chest tube was placed to remove the air from the thorax (see radiograph 2) allow the heart and lungs to function normally.  This needed to be done several times before  the chest stopped filling with air. Now the chest tube has been removed and the patient is recovering well.

   Radiograph 2

Page 6

                      Volume 5, Issue 6                               

Over the Counter Pet Products

We ran a section on this once before but it may need repeating.  Pleas check with us prior to using any OTC (Over the Counter) medications on your four-footed friends.  It can be very dangerous to use a product (i.e. flea control medications) on a species that it was not intended for.  Each species has its own way of handling certain drugs.  Veterinarians spend a lot of time learning the various metabolic pathways of drugs and how each species differs. 

Dosages for medications will vary according to what type of species the drug is intended for.  These variations exist even if the weights and ages of the animals are exactly the same.  Some common drugs that you and I might take can be lethal in a small quantity to another species. 

Recently, we once again had a cat presented in a near death condition because the owner accidentally used an OTC product intended to be used on a dog on him.  This was a very dangerous situation.  Had the owner been asleep or out of the house and not realized that something was wrong, the cat would have died within a few hours.  Thanks to our 24 hour emergency service and a very good, dedicated doctor who spent the night working on this kitty, the outcome in this in this case was excellent. 

Before applying or giving any OTC products to your pet, check with a veterinarian to make sure it is safe and appropriate for your pet.

Why People Adopt Pets

The following information appeared in the May, 2003 edition of Veterinary Economics Magazine. 

According to AAHA's 2002 Pet Owner Survey, pet owners adopted their pets for the following reasons:

COMPANIONSHIP                                                              84%
AS A CHILD'S PLAYMATE                                                5%
RESCUED A STRAY                                                            4%
FOR SECURITY AND PROTECTION                                3%
RECREATION OR SPORT                                                   1%
TO TEACH A CHILD RESPONSIBILITY                         <1%
FOR PROFIT OR BREEDING                                            <1%
OTHER                                                                                   2%

         Visit The Silver Collar
                                   Pet Boutique at MSAH!