Autumn Greetings

Some people are just naturally cool.  So it is with the crew at Irvington Veterinary Clinic.  Headed up by Dr. Rachel and husband Brian Austin, the group delivered greeting cards to their neighbors recently — charming little pumpkins with little greeting cards attached.  “We just like to do things to let people know we’re in the neighborhood in a fun way,” says Brian.  Another great item the group offers will be available at the Spot booth at upcoming events:  durable cards with clinic info, photos of canine staff members French Bulldog Buddha and French Mastiff Henna — doing yoga and getting acupuncture!  On the flipside: recipes for treats like doggy scones, doggy apple cake, doggy peanut brittle and doggy meatballs. 

“East Meets West” vet clinic celebrates 1st anniversary

Celebrating its first year in business at Fremont Place, Dr. Rachel Austin and her team practice “The Best of East and West” by offering conventional and traditional medicine for comprehensive animal care and wellness.  While many vets offer one or the other, Austin and her team use both in order to provide the broadest spectrum of services and treatments.  The clinic — equipped with digital and dental x-ray, a complete surgery suite, in-house laboratory and pharmacy — also offers herbal treatments, acupuncture, food therapy and other Eastern techniques which, according to Austin, are often equally effective and less intrusive. 

Dr. Austin works with each client to choose the ideal approach — often combining “East and West,” for their animal’s treatment plan.  “Neither approach is ‘better’ in every circumstance,” says Austin.  “So we help you decide how you want to treat your pet.”  Lifestyle considerations are always part of the assessment process in determining the best course of action.  In fact, the doctor has been developing “Lifestyle Veterinary Care” for over eight years.

“We have poured our hearts into creating something that parallels our beliefs and lifestyle,” says Austin.  “It’s based on our love for our city, neighborhood, neighbors, and of course, the Portland animal community.”

Learn more at www.irvingtonveterinary.com.

Dove celebrates a year at the coast

In March 2010, DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital opened a satellite clinic in Lincoln City to serve the animal emergency needs of area tourists and residents.  The only after-hours emergency facility in the area, Dove at the coast has treated nearly 1,000 animals since opening.

Stress and diet affects cats and dogs too

If your cat or dog is listless, disobedient and frequently ill, chances of a mysterious disease are smaller than garden-variety stress.

 “A lot of people think stress is something that only affects humans, but it’s a very real threat to the health and happiness of their pets, too,” says Dr. Paul McCutcheon, a veterinarian of over 45 years and co-author of The New Holistic Way for Dogs and Cats from Random House.  “Better pet care results when pet lovers and veterinarians understand that stress is the underlying cause of every form of health problem a dog or cat can have,” says McCutcheon.  The doctor believes that stress, combined with diet and other environmental concerns, can present serious — but unspecific — symptoms that can worry both the pet and the pet owner.

McCutcheon’s tips for pet owners who want healthier, happier pets include:

 • Think Before You Adopt — It’s critical to assess your lifestyle and future before adopting a pet. Choose an animal whose needs match yours. 

• Establish Your Role — While a pet owner is in the best position to influence their dog or cat, the vet can provide opinions and advice to help make good choices in care and feeding.

•  Diet — Just as processed foods cause obesity in people, causing a wide variety of health problems, processed food is equally bad for pets.  Learn about food and make changes as needed. 

DoveLewis offers emergency services at the Coast

DoveLewis expanded its veterinary emergency and urgent care services to Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast last month. “This is a labor of love we’ve been working on since last June,” says Ron Morgan, DoveLewis CEO. “For years, people have asked us to open at the beach. I’m thrilled that DoveLewis is now able to serve other animal–loving communities by opening the first after–hours emergency animal hospital on the Oregon Coast.” 

Currently, in the event of an after–hours emergency in Lincoln City, pet guardians must rely on an on-call system that sometimes means driving many miles to a clinic, which can be risky when time is crucial. Dr. John Emerson, co–owner of the Lincoln City Animal Clinic, has responded to countless late-night and weekend emergency calls. “This new service . . . will be a great benefit to the animals of the central coast and their human family members,” says Emerson. “Dr. Hoffman and myself are absolutely thrilled to be a small part of this effort.” To learn more, visit dovelewis.org.

DoveLewis Closes SE Hospital

After years of budget shortfalls, Dovelewis closed its SE Hospital near Mall 205 Dec. 11. Spokespeople at Dove say while the satellite facility has closed, “our commitment and dedication to the animal-loving community and veterinary professionals remains the same” and that the organization will continue serving the greater Portland area from its hospital at 1945 NW Pettygrove in Portland, which staffs specialists and the most board-certified doctors and vet techs in the state.

In the coming months, Dove hopes to finalize plans to expand its emergency and critical care services to other markets in the state that are currently underserved. Details dovelewis.org.

N-H-O-C at PCC Rock Creek

That’s New-Horse-On-Campus of course! This fall PCC Rock Creek welcomed the newest member of its veterinary technology “staff,” Emmy-Lou, a 20-year-old bay Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse.

Emmy Lou was donated to the PCC vet tech program by an individual, a certified vet tech at Newberg Veterinary Hospital. Emmy Lou fills the position vacated by Dave, the long-time Rock Creek horse who died last spring at age 31.

According to Veterinary Department Chair Brad Krohn, DVM, “Emmy Lou is healthy, well-muscled and has an excellent temperament, allowing safe instruction for our students.”

PCC Rock Creek, the only vet tech program fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, includes large animal medicine and has an on-campus working farm that is also home to pigs, sheep, cows and a lama.

Emmy Lou’s closest companion is a registered Jersey Heffer, a dairy cow named Lucy Lou, also donated by a private individual last summer. Both animals are very friendly, says Krohn, adding that Lucy Lou is the resident attention hog. “She thinks she’s a dog,” says Krohn. “A 600-pound dog.”

OHS Medical Center welcomes Tokyo students

The Oregon Humane Society’s veterinary teaching hospital welcomed six students from Tokyo’s Nippon Veterinary and Life Sciences University in August. The students completed a two-week rotation, part of their graduation requirements, while residing in dorms at OHS, along with professor Dr. Yasuji Harada DVM, Ph.D. 

“These are not our first international students, but they certainly traveled the farthest to take part in our program,” said Dr. Kris Otteman, OHS Director of Shelter Medicine. OHS’s program, unique in the nation, gives veterinary students the opportunity to gain valuable surgical skills while working at a hospital attached to one of the largest animal shelters in the country. The program is operated in partnership with Oregon State University, whose students must complete a two-week rotation before graduating.

“Most veterinary programs only give students a chance to do a handful of surgeries during their four years of study,” said Otteman. “At OHS, they’ll do 30 or 40 surgeries and learn about every aspect of shelter medicine.”

The students came to Portland with the help of an unexpected ally: author and animal communication teacher Lauren McCall. “I was speaking with a professor in Japan who told me her students don’t get much hands-on experience before they graduate,” said McCall. “Knowing the program offered by OHS/OSU, my motivation was to give these veterinarian students some practical experience before they began their careers.”