Get to know Valerie of Animal Hospital of Polaris!

Valerie has been the Compliance Coordinator for over three years at Animal Hospital of Polaris.  You may have seen her working hard behind-the-scenes to help keep the clinic stocked and running smoothly.

Valerie, what do you enjoy most about your role?
I like meeting new people.

Do you have pets?
Peanut is eight years old.  She is a longhaired, black cat.  Finn is three, and a shorthaired, black, male cat.  Amhurst is four and a half.  He’s a male, retired racing greyhound.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I am a music teacher.  I love to spend time with family and friends.

If you see Valerie in our lobby or back offices, be sure to say “hi!”

Pay attention to your pet’s ears!

Not that we’ve had much snow for our furry friends to play in but just this morning, I noticed that my dog was playing in the snow…or so I thought!  Turns out, his ears (he’s a lab) were irritating him and the cold from the snow was probably soothing the pain he was feeling.

The inner side of the ear should be a healthy pink color. A small amount of black discharge may be observed.  If you observe a more significant amount of discharge (like I did), you will want to make an appointment so that a veterinarian can determine if your pet needs a good ear cleaning or if there is something more serious occuring.  Ear infections are common in specific breeds but all breeds may be prone to ear infections.  Some signs that your pet may have an ear infection include:

• redness
• discharge
• odor
• head shaking
• ear scratching
• rubbing ears on the floor or other surfaces (such as a snow covered back patio?!)

Call us today at (614)888-4050 to make an appointment if you suspect your pet may need a thorough ear cleaning or may even have an infection.

Amy Jones is the newest addition to Animal Hospital of Polaris!

Welcome Amy Jones; one of our newest team-members at Animal Hospital of Polaris!  Her welcoming smile and friendly personality make her a great addition to our team.

Amy, what do you enjoy most about your role as a Veterinary Assistant?
I like working with all the animals and helping them to get better.

Do you have pets?
Yes, one dog, a puggle named Pumpkin. She’s fun and full of energy!  We are usually always together.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I was a dolphin trainer for eight years and worked as a great apes keeper for a year.

Introduce yourself to Amy next time you’re in!

Hairballs: unpleasant for you and your cat!

After rising at an EARLY hour earlier this week, I stumbled out of bed and landed my left foot in a beautiful, sloppy hairball left behind from one of our beloved cats.

No two ways about it: Hairballs in cats are unpleasant. And they’re not just disagreeable for the person who has to clean them up — they can cause intestinal blockages, which can be a serious health problem, for your cat. It’s a given that your cat is going to groom herself, so what can you do to keep hairballs to a minimum?

Well… we probably should define what a hairball actually is first.  When your cat grooms himself, tiny hook-like structures on his tongue catch loose and dead hair, which is then swallowed. The majority of this hair passes all the way through the digestive tract with no problems. But if some hair stays in the stomach, it can form a hairball. Ultimately, your cat will vomit the hairball to get rid of it. Because hairballs pass through the narrow esophagus on the way out, they often appear thin and tubelike, rather than round.

There is no magic cure for hairballs.  Nothing can be done to totally prevent hairballs in cats, but there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood your cat will have hairballs or reduce their frequency.

1. Groom your cat regularly.

2. Feed your cat a specialized, hairball control, cat food.

3. Use a hairball product or laxative.

4. Discourage excess grooming.

Call us today at (614)888-4050 for more details and information on how to help your cat control the discomfort associated with hairballs… and how to possibly preserve your carpet!