According to The Union of Concerned Scientists, recycling is great but to make any real difference in our impact on the environment, we need to focus on the BIG things, like the energy consumption associated with transportation and heating/cooling. At Atlantic Veterinary Hospital, we’re looking at these two issues and making some changes. To help make it a community effort, please take advantage of our “Green Discount” — walk, cycle, bus, or carpool to your vet appointment, and we’ll give you a 5% discount on outpatient services. Please ask us for details!
Seattle Artist Helps Us Remember Beloved Pets
The death of a pet means losing a member of the family. Their memory lives on in our hearts, but it’s also nice to have a tangible remembrance — something we can see and touch or a place we can go to feel their spirit. Often, families choose a favorite location outdoors in the yard or garden. We just learned of a local Seattle artist helping families memorialize their deceased pets with beautiful, customized garden stones, perhaps to mark a favorite resting spot or where their pet’s ashes are buried. Take a look at: www.TattvasGardenArt.com
New Monthly Oral Medications Protect Pets & Families — It’s About More Than Just Fleas
The dog is lying between your feet. The cat is wrapped around your head. Pets share our homes, and often our beds, like regular members of the family. They may be our first “children,” our only children, or the loving souls that fill the void after the two-legged children move out. Pemco’s right — we ARE a little different in Seattle.
We take our cats car camping on the Peninsula. Our dogs carry their own vittles hiking with us in the Cascades. We arrange play dates at Genesee Park Off-Leash Area. They lie patiently at our feet while we dine al fresco in Columbia City. And our dogs know the drive-thru bank tellers in the cluster of banks on Rainier Avenue all have a supply of biscuits in the window.
The comfort, companionship, and affection they provide are priceless — but have you considered the things pets can harbor that may affect you and your family?
Besides being a yucky nuisance, parasites can cause or transmit serious diseases to your pets and you. Effective parasite control goes far beyond just controlling fleas during summer and fall. It also includes year-round prevention of internal parasites that can make pets and humans truly ill. In our temperate Seattle climate, intestinal parasite eggs, an invisible threat, can live in the soil for 7-10 years. They can be transmitted year around to pets (or a barefoot child) walking through a contaminated area like a dog park, beach, hiking trail, or even your own backyard. Pets can transmit parasites to us through incidental contact. How do you protect your pet from something you can’t see?
Recent advances in parasite control for pets have significantly improved the safety and convenience required to protect our pets from internal and external parasites. Fifteen years ago, flea control was transformed when products that really worked became available through veterinarians. Since then, however, it’s become apparent that these products are frequently messy and might wash off. They sometimes cause localized contact dermatitis. To avoid accidental human contact, they should probably be applied to pets after younger family members go to bed. Pets frequently hide when they see the package or smell the product. And now we may be seeing flea resistance.
New, safer, FDA-approved oral medications given once a month have created a new standard in parasite control. These medications come in flavored, chewable tablets that can be crumbled into a meal and given at any time of the day, mess-free. They are completely waterproof, so swimming and bathing won’t affect them. And most importantly, they control internal and external parasites, providing complete protection from most parasites that can affect your pet and your family. But you won’t find them at Costco or PetsMart.
These new oral medications are prescription only and have gone through more rigorous testing than topical products. Talk with us today to assess your pet’s risk factors and develop a comprehensive, year-round parasite control program that meets your needs too.
Welcome to Atlantic Veterinary Hospital!
Welcome.
That’s the feeling I got when I walked into the hospital October, 2009, after trying to find a place for more than a year to hang my shingle. The economy adversely affected my family too, and it was time to strike out on my own after being an associate veterinarian for 14 years.
It was a long journey to find Atlantic, with many potholes along the way. But the moment I walked in the place and met Dr. David Batteiger, its beloved owner for the past 26 years, I knew it was “the one.”
The staff welcomed me, the facility was clean and up-to-date, and it smelled good! My soul did a mental “sigh” after all the other places I’d considered.
Dr. Batteiger and I developed an almost instant rapport – we’re both Midwesterners, raised on farms, outdoor lovers (although I only hunt berries), and graduates of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Stepping into Dr. Batteiger’s shoes in January when he retired, however, was a bit intimidating. I mean, have you seen his ratings on Google? Folks love him! He’s been a family doctor to generations of pets and seen many, many clients through the ups and downs of keeping furry family members healthy.
He’s no-nonsense and cuts to the chase, but he’s also known for his big heart. He’s become a friend and mentor, and I’m going to miss him too.
If you’re already a client of Atlantic, please join me in sending him a message below. He doesn’t own a computer, but I’ll make sure he gets them.
If you’re new to Atlantic, I hope your soul gets that same mental “sigh” when you walk through our doors. The staff and I are working very hard to make that happen. Let us know how we’re doing.
