December Pet Of The Month

“NALA” YOUNG

 

(Birth date: April 7, 2008)

  For December, 2011, the honor of our Pet Of The Month goes to “Nala” Young. Nala is almost 4-years-old and is a brown and beige female mix-breed dog belonging to the Young family of Parsippany. The way in which the Young’s obtained Nala is very unique and special. On June 7, 2008 Ms. Young was leaving an event in Nashville, Tennessee, and while walking to her car in the parking lot, spotted Nala laying quietly in the grass nearby. She had no tags or any form of identification on her. According to Ms. Young, she and Nala were immediately drawn to each other in a way that’s hard to put into words. Ms. Young knew she just had to do everything she could to find out if Nala had a home or had merely been abandoned. Weighing a mere 14-lbs at the time, Ms. Young discovered there was no record of a missing dog fitting Nala’s description. She checked the local pound and police department for any leads but nothing. It seemed it was meant to be for Nala to become the newest member of the Young family. Patiently tackling the considerable amount of red-tape involved, Ms. Young was finally able to have Nala transported to Pennsylvania where she was able to pick her up on June 28, 2008. How everything fell into place was so amazing that Ms. Young said she would one day like to write a children’s book about this wonderful story.

Top tips for boarding your pet this summer!!

It’s official! Summer is finally here, and with it comes road trips, vacations with the family and long weekends with friends.  Unfortunately, your best friend isn’t always invited. There are several dangersWhile you’re looking for a trusting source to leave your furry friend, (or scaly sidekick) here are some points to look for when selecting a facility to board at.

What kind of exercise will my pet get?

So admittedly this will vary with the type of pet you have (it’s rare that a cat enjoys a leash walk, but it’s always available) but you exercise your pet when you’re around, why should it be a couch potato while you’re away?  We include four outdoor walks a day at our hospital for all dog’s boarding (large dog’s stay exclusively in large runs), and cat’s have the option of condo’s to stretch and jump from level to level.  It’s important to maintain your pets active lifestyle, outdoor bathroom habits, keep them in the fresh air and sunshine and interacting with people on a daily basis!

What monitoring services are available?

We know your pet get’s a lot of attention at home, why should it stop while you’re away?  By monitoring your pet’s daily actions, they can see if there is any abnormality in their daily behavior.  In our experience it isn’t usual, however once we received a dog from an outside kennel that hadn’t been urinating for an extended period of time (more than two days before it was noticed!).  It turned out that this Dalmatian was suffering from bladder stones, and actually ended up with a tear in it’s bladder.  Fortunately, our very own Dr. Stockmal was able to accurately diagnose and perform the life saving surgery before the dog suffered septic poisoning.  Without proper constant monitoring, this best friend may not have been around to greet it’s owner when they came home.

What kind of environment do they stay in?

Many pet’s can be anxious when they’re away from their owner.  You should check to make sure that the facility is playing calming music, supplies toys to keep your pet’s mind active and that they have plenty of fresh blankets to sleep with. 

What access is there to a veterinarian?

Most facilities will not have a veterinarian on hand 24/7, but they should at least have a standing relationship with a local veterinarian or emergency veterinary clinic!  At American Animal Hospital we’re fortunate to be an animal hospital first, so there are multiple doctors on hand six days a week and a veterinarian on call, and it makes a difference when we have a boarder that may need regular shots or has medical conditions that require more attention during its stay.  Be sure to check your pet’s needs with the facilities abilities.

And of course, how does your pet relate with the staff?

You wouldn’t stay at a hotel where you constantly think the staff is inattentive, so why would your pet?  A loving and gentle kennel attendant can make a huge difference.  Our borders occasionally join us for lunch or spend some time with our receptionists in addition to their daily walks; and you may notice this comment on your pet’s report card! Keeping a personal relationship between the facility and your pet makes it easier for them to adjust when you’re forced to say goodbye.


Hopefully these tips will help your pet have just as much fun as you do this summer!