Newsletter – November 2019
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Next Purrsday is November 21st! Does your cat dread a trip to the veterinarian?
Does your favorite feline get fearful in the lobby
when a dog walks over for a curious sniff?
Purrsday may be just the day for you and your
worried kitty! On the last Thursday of every month,
our staff switches over our exam rooms** to play
“Through a Cat’s Ear.” Feliway, the cat-calming
pheromone, will be in the prepared rooms.
This day is perfect for a visit for cats who do
not share a home with a dog. Schedule an
appointment or procedure for the fantastic feline(s)
in your home to reserve a spot at our Gold
Standard Cat Friendly Practice on this cat-centric
day!
**The clinic will reserve one room for our
canine patients who need urgent attention. Our
canine friends will need to enter through our back
entrance on Purrsday.**
Save the Date: Viking’s Julebukking will
be on Saturday, December 21st this year
from 10a to 1p.
Julebukking is a Scandinavian
tradition from Dr. Gilbert’s hometown of
Petersburg, Alaska. It has evolved into a
“Thank You” to our clients for their
patronage. We hope to see you there!
Please join us in congratulating Jessica (left)
and Alejandra (middle)! They were
accepted into the Portland Community
College Veterinary Technology Program
and have started coursework to work
towards becoming Certified Veterinary
Technicians. Cristina (right) is entering her
second year of the program, with plans to
graduate in June 2020. We are so proud of
you, ladies!
Amanda to the Rescue has started its
second season on Animal Planet! Check it
out to see behind the scenes at Viking while
we work with Panda Paws Special Needs
Rescue.
Did you know 100% of our staff
members are Fear Free Certified
Professionals? Providing individualized
Fear Free care is the mission of our hospital
and we take it very seriously! To learn
more about Fear Free in your home check
out Fear Free Happy Homes!
Newsletter – November 2019
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Please join us in welcoming
Dr. Ginger Grellmann to the Viking Team!
Dr. Grellmann has been bitten by the dentistry
bug! Since receiving her doctorate in veterinary
medicine, she has become an advocate for oral
health because of the impact that oral pain and
infection can have on her patient’s overall
wellbeing and long-term health. She will
enthusiastically work with you to develop a
strategy to help your pet’s mouth stay healthy,
and to address oral pain and infection!
Dr. Grellmann’s goal is to provide her patients
with longevity and quality of life through
individualized care. She is already a Fear Free
Certified Professional and can't wait to meet our
amazing clients and patients!
We're excited to work with Dr. Grellmann, and
we know you will be too! Call us for an
appointment today at 971-371-4024!
Canine Influenza is Here to Stay: Is the Vaccine Right for my Dog?
In light of recent information regarding the two viruses causing canine influenza (H3N2 and H3N8), we
are now recommending the Canine Influenza Combination Vaccine for dogs that are frequently in
contact with other dogs, via boarding, day care, grooming, or dog parks. Previously, we leaned
towards vaccinating in the face of an outbreak, but the latest research shows that nearly all dogs that
are exposed to the flu will become infected, and ~80% of those infected will be sick.
Dogs that are immunocompromised (the elderly, the young, and those with underlying medical
conditions) are particularly at risk for developing pneumonia with a 5-10% mortality rate.
Pneumonia usually requires hospitalization with IV fluids and sometimes oxygen in an isolation ward,
which can be incredibly expensive and stressful for our canine companions! Additionally, cats can
become infected with one of the strains of canine influenza and become very sick as well.
Newsletter – November 2019
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If we can ensure most of the dogs
socializing in the Portland area are
vaccinated against both canine influenza
strains, we are providing “herd
immunity”, which means we may even
provide protection for those that can’t be
vaccinated for medical reasons, and who
are at higher risk of developing severe
clinical signs if they are exposed. Each
Canine Influenza Vaccine is $35 (with a
tech appointment of $10) and requires a
re-vaccination after 3 weeks. We can
incorporate it into most exams if your
veterinarian feels it is an appropriate time
to vaccinate. The vaccine we use
contains killed viruses has a LOW risk
of vaccine reactions (<1%). It can be
given to puppies as young as 8 weeks of
age. For more information on the vaccine
we have chosen to offer, check out
www.dogflufacts.com.
Portland did have a couple canine influenza outbreaks this summer from dogs that were brought in from
out of the state, and in some cases out of the country. The animal rescue community is AMAZING in
the Portland area, but that does mean we have animals coming into our state from overcrowded shelters,
puppy mills, dog meat markets, and other situations that make the spread of infectious diseases very
likely. For this reason, please keep your pets updated on ALL their vaccinations, and consider the
Canine Influenza Vaccine if your dog participates in higher risk activities where they socialize or
share toys, bowls, or blankets with other dogs. If you are petting a strange dog, please be aware that
infectious respiratory secretions can remain active on your hands and clothing for up to 24 hours. Make
sure to take precautions to protect your own dogs (and cats!) at home.
If we wait until we have an outbreak, we could quickly have an epidemic on our hands in the
Portland and surrounding areas, which is why we have changed our stance on when to vaccinate
for canine influenza.
Our Veterinary Team does not recommend vaccinations or veterinary products that we wouldn’t provide
to our own animals. If you have any questions while assessing your pet’s risk or want to schedule an
appointment to get your dog protected, please give us a call at 971-371-4024 or email us at
[email protected]. Thank you for entrusting us with your pets’ care!
Most sincerely,
Dr. Rosie Gilbert, Hospital Owner
Ashley supplies the cheese as Dr. Rosie vaccinates her
Great Dane, Jacks.
Newsletter – November 2019
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More Than Just Crate Rest for Post-op Orthopedic Procedures!
Recently, the Viking Team had some hands-on
training with Dr. Katy Felton, a certified rehab
veterinarian and classmate of Dr. Gilbert and Dr.
Brock. Dr. Felton is helping us integrate TPLO
(cruciate ligament repair) and FHO (femoral head
ostectomy) Rehabilitation Plans back into our
hospital!
It's so important for owners to know what to expect
post-op with both of these orthopedic procedures!
Our veterinarians and trained staff can walk you
through the recovery process, including evaluating
your pet's healing, providing exercises that will help
rebuild the atrophied muscles without overdoing it,
and monitoring for any indication that the surgeon
needs to be consulted. These exercises also help with
mental stimulation.
Viking Veterinary Care is pleased to announce our most recent partnership! Dr. Tom
VanGundy will now be available for surgical appointments at Viking Veterinary Care!
Dr. VanGundy is a veterinary specialist with
decades of experience in soft tissue and
orthopedic surgery. Working with Dr. VanGundy
allows our team of certified Fear Free
Professionals the opportunity to induce
anesthesia and recover your pet in a Fear Free
manner at the hospital they know and love!
For additional information about what services
Dr. VanGundy can offer, or if your pet is going
in for TPLO or FHO procedures soon and you
want to have the best plan in place for success,
give us a call today at 971-371-4024 for more
information or to make an appointment!
Newsletter – November 2019
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Cassie’s Fund Update
This year, a scholarship was awarded from Cassie's Fund to help "Mission Impawsible" care for
abandoned cats in a trailer park colony. Our technician assistant, Jessica, has worked hard all summer
to get these little ones a better life and stop the circle of breeding.
The cats that adjusted to human attention were adopted out, either
privately or through one of our adoption partners. Cats that were happier
living outside in their colony were returned after spaying/neutering and
vaccination.
Theo, our current Adoption Ward resident, was a member of this colony
and is still looking for his forever home! Check out our previous posts on
this handsome guy to learn more, or come on in and meet him today!
Cassie's Fund was set up in honor of
Cassandra Stolzenburger, a member of our
Viking Team that was lost too soon. Cassie
was always in our Adoption Ward helping
our residents feel comforted and loved until
they could find their own families.
Even with Cassie gone, the work continues in her memory. Cassie's Fund
has helped numerous homeless pets over the last 3 years address medical
issues so they can find loving homes. Scholarships from Cassie's Fund
have helped dogs and cats from Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter receive
dental care desperately needed for adoption, Minerva from Cat's Cradle
Rescue to help fund her stem cell treatment for hind end paralysis, as well
as the day-to-day needs of our Adoption Ward Residents.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us improve the lives of homeless
pets!
Newsletter – November 2019
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Introducing Viking’s New Fear Free Socialization Challenge!
Our doctors recognize the importance of puppy socialization. Our Puppy Play Day is one of the
best ways to get your puppy excited about coming in to our hospital for positive interactions with
staff, other puppies, veterinary tools (thermometers, microchip scanners, etc.) and the building.
Please find all of the details for Puppy Play Day on our website at
http://www.vikingveterinarycare.com/index.html?content=puppyplayday/.
While this weekly gathering is great, what can you do
with your puppy during the rest of the week? And what
about our new feline friends? We hope you consider
participating in our new Fear Free Socialization contest
for puppies and kittens: The Viking Challenge!
Now, before we get into the details about the challenge,
we always want to be sure that puppies are safe,
physically AND emotionally! The world can be a big,
scary, weird place, especially for sensitive babies. If you
see signs of fear, resistance, or stress, honor those
emotions and show them that they can trust that you will be their advocate!
Some puppies and kittens take the world by storm, showing little to no hesitance in the face of
novel things. Others like to check things out before they approach, while some don't want to
approach even for the best treats! All of these normal behaviors your pet looks to you, their owner,
to show them that the world is a safe place that is fun to be curious about! Keep in mind that it is
perfectly normal for growing animals to go through "fear periods" where you may see them be
fearful of things that they used to be okay
with. If you run into questions as you
socialize your new young family
member, please reach out to us.
Why are we doing this challenge?
Puppies and kittens have an important
learning window in their first year.
Experiences within this window helps
them become well-adjusted and resilient.
This challenge will help owners socialize
their puppies and kittens throughout that
window and beyond!
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Here's how "The Viking Challenge" works:
To be eligible to participate, puppies and kittens must have had an exam at Viking Veterinary
Care, be up-to-date on vaccines, and be under one year of age. Owners will review the Fear Free
Puppy/Kitten Socialization Bingo Card and choose at least five experiences they socialized their
pet to, including a picture of at least one of those experiences. Please email the picture and the
five chosen activities to [email protected].
*By submitting an image/images and participating in this contest, you grant Viking
Veterinary Care, its representatives and employees the right to copyright, use and publish
the same in print and/or electronically. You also agree to Viking Veterinary Care using the
image(s) for publicity, illustration, advertising, and web content. *
Keeping in line with all of our Fear Free practices, images with puppies and kittens exhibiting
fear, stress, anxiety or resistance will not be considered. If you have questions on how to spot
these signs, our Fear Free Certified Staff can help! Feel free to give us a call anytime with
questions about what fear/anxiety/stress might look like in your pet.
Once a month, Viking will choose one winner out of the submissions for a free vaccine (a $28-
35 value)!
Newsletter – November 2019
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Save that Snaggle Tooth: Dentigerous Cysts and How to Prevent Them
Meet Mo, Dr. Ginger Grellmann’s adopted fur-kid. This
past year he was diagnosed with a dentigerous cyst at his
first routine dental cleaning. Even though he had little
dental calculus and mild gingivitis, Dr. Grellmann was
concerned because he was “missing” a number of teeth
externally on his awake oral exams. She feels very lucky to
have discovered it before there were major consequences
from the amount of bone destroyed by the cyst.
Dentigerous cysts are formed when a tooth has not erupted
and the enamel organ fails to regress. The most commonly
affected breeds are brachycephalic breeds such as boxers
and bull dogs, but any breed can be affected. Anytime there
is a “missing” tooth externally, dental radiographs should
be performed to confirm the status of the “missing” tooth.
Sometimes teeth fail to develop, other times teeth can be
impacted and at risk of forming a dentigerous cyst.
Wisdom teeth in humans pose a similar problem, and
if impacted can also result in the formation of a
dentigerous cyst. In humans, the third molars are often
affected, but in dogs the most commonly implicated
teeth are the lower first premolars and the canine
teeth. If a dentigerous cysts become large, they can
cause significant bone loss and jaw fracture.
Mo successfully had the dentigerous cyst and
impacted tooth removed. However, because the
dentigerous cyst was affecting his lower canine (his
snaggle tooth), his lower canine was extracted too in
order to guarantee the complete removal the cystic
structure. If the impacted tooth had been caught
earlier, the surgery would have been less invasive and
he would still have his snaggle tooth.
Viking Veterinary Care offers dental radiographs for $50 and they can be performed at the time
of spaying/neutering for any animal missing a tooth by this time in their development. Please
talk to your veterinarian if you have any concerns about your pet’s dental health!
Newsletter – November 2019
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Confused about heart disease being linked to dog food? You're not alone!
Petcardia Veterinary Cardiology, a veterinary cardiology group out of Colorado, has put
together this great summary of the ongoing research and how to protect your canine
companion.
At Viking Veterinary Care, we have seen several cases of heart enlargement in young
dogs that are on the implicated diets. We are catching it on the pre-anesthetic workups for
pups coming in for their spay and neuter surgeries, and then it is confirmed by a
cardiologist. When the food has been changed to a diet that underwent feeding trials prior
to sale, and that was formulated by a veterinary nutritionist, the heart enlargement resolves
(if caught early enough).
The number of dogs affected by nutritionally mediated dilated cardiomyopathy is likely
under-reported. To be reported to the FDA, it must be confirmed with a cardiac
ultrasound...and not all owners can afford the expense.
We don't know what is causing this, just like we don't know why some dogs will go into
kidney failure with ingestion of one grape/raisin and others can eat them their whole lives
without an issue. It is being investigated by specialists and universities across the country,
and hopefully, we will know more soon. For the latest information, check out the
Facebook Group Taurine-Deficient (Nutritional) Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Researchers
are sharing their findings in this group as they go and it's a great resource for dietary
information and recommendations.
If you need help choosing a food or you want to have your pet screened for heart
enlargement, give us a call at 971-371-4024! Our veterinarians are happy to help! Please
see the next two pages for more information.
Newsletter – November 2019
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Newsletter – November 2019
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