WE WILL BE CLOSED:

• Thursday April 2nd–Personal Day
• Wednesday April 22nd at noon through Monday May 4th–Vacation
• Monday May 25th—Memorial Day
• Monday September 7th—Labor Day
• Thursday November 26th—Thanksgiving
• Thursday December 24th–Christmas
• Thursday December 31st–New Year’s

NORMAL HOURS:

Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays
We are typically in surgery on Wednesdays

If you have an emergency when we are closed, please call PET Emergency Treatment and Specialties at 295-7387, 930 N. Queen St., Lancaster, www.lancasterpetemergency.com or Furdunkin Urgent Care at 717-937-8815, 1090 N. Charlotte St., Lancaster, https://furdunkin.com/urgent-care/

Remember that you can access your pets’ vaccine records on our CLIENT PORTAL. This is especially helpful when you need vaccine records for boarding or grooming, or if you need to visit another veterinary office. You simply need to go to Covetrus Client Portal (https://login.evetpractice.com/Clients/Account/LogOn) and click “Log On”.

Your initial username and password is your email address. You will be prompted to change the password the first time you log on. I’d recommend trying this out ahead of time so if you if you have trouble accessing the site, you can let us know to do a reset.

PLEASE check your medications and make sure you will have enough to get through the times we will be closed. Let us know 2 weeks ahead of time so we can order them, if needed, and mail them out to you.

As you may know, the CDC recently updated their masking recommendations. We are currently evaluating our policies but have enacted some loosening of restrictions in the meantime.

Here at P*A*W*S, we believe in the power of compassion and care. This extends beyond our patients and applies to all humans everywhere. P*A*W*S is proud to stand with protesters in Lancaster and beyond in stating firmly that Black Lives Matter.

Please check out the links attached for a master list of events this weekend in Lancaster. If you are not able to attend, consider supporting Lancaster’s minority-owned restaurants which are listed in the second link.

Black Lives Matters protests around Lancaster County:

 https://www.facebook.com/events/2603015533248214/

Minority-owned restaurants in Lancaster:

 https://www.facebook.com/HelloFellowFoodie/posts/1983644071766143?hc_location=ufi

A Covid-19 update for our P*A*W*S clients,

As most of you are aware, there is a stay-at-home order for the state of PA through April 30^th. P*A*W*S is considered an essential business, and we will available during this time. However, we are instructed to continue not seeing any routine visits—which includes wellness checks, vaccinations (rabies vaccines may be an exception—check with us if your pet is due), nail trims, dental cleanings, spays/neuters, etc. Reminders are sent automatically–please hold off on scheduling until after April 30th. The purpose of the order is two-fold—to conserve supplies such as masks & gloves and to limit contact with others as much as possible.

P*A*W*S is adhering to these recommendations and have also decided to limit our hours during this time. We will be open from 8 AM to 3 PM Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays. If the stay-at-home order is lifted on April 30^th, we plan to resume our normal hours.

We will continue to mail out medications and be available by telephone, email, & text when we are open. We are currently looking into setting up a telemedicine platform called Teletails. Once this is up and running, we will forward instructions on its use.

If you have a pet that needs to be seen and you have any signs of Covid-19 including coughing, fever, or difficulty breathing, or if you are in quarantine because of a possible or known exposure, please call the office ahead of time so we can discuss  how to safely proceed.

I have been checking my temperature every morning. If I develop a fever or any signs of Covid-19, I will cancel all appointments and self-quarantine until I am cleared by my physician to again work. I am wearing a mask during client interactions.

We enacted several changes to our routines as mentioned in our last update. We have been following those for the last couple of weeks and will continue to until it is deemed to be safe by the experts. As a reminder:

• We will not be coming into your homes. Please bring your pet outside to meet us. If you need to use our cat carrier, let us know in advance. We will spray the carrier down with disinfectant before and after use.
• We are not allowing any clients into the van.
• We will go over your pet’s history and clinical signs outside (while maintaining a 6 foot separation) or over the phone.
• We will call you when your pet is finished being examined to discuss our recommendations.

If your pet has reached their end of life and it is time for euthanasia, we will discuss the best way to perform this service to make you and your pet the most comfortable. We will make exceptions to the above rules as long as we can do this safely for everyone.

PETS remains open 24-7 for emergencies. If you need to take your pet there, they are asking that you call ahead at 717-295-7387. They are doing curb-side pickup of the pet while you wait in your vehicle to keep everyone involved healthy.

This continues to be an ever-changing situation, and we will provide updates as needed. You can find these on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PAWS.Mobile.Vet.Care/  and website https://p-a-w-s.com/ .

Stay safe! Wash your hands, stay home, and practice social distancing!

 

To our P*A*W*S clients,

We have been closely following the Covid-19 recommendations and the need for social distancing. Governor Wolf has ordered all non-essential businesses in PA to close. As a veterinary practice, we do provide an essential service. However, we are not to perform any non-essential services for a minimum of two weeks.

It has been a difficult decision for us as we weigh all of the advice against the needs of our clients. We have decided to remain open at this time but in a limited capacity. We will continue to see sick and injured pets but not wellness or vaccine appointments. We may be able to service some of your pet’s needs via telemedicine. We will mail out medications as and be available by telephone, email, & text during our normal hours.

If you have an upcoming appointment and have any signs of Covid-19 including coughing, fever, or difficulty breathing, or if you are in quarantine because of a possible or known exposure, please call the office ahead of time so we can discuss how to safely proceed. If I end up needing to self-quarantine, I will let you know.

We are enacting several changes to our routines for the near future. We do realize that we may need to make individual exceptions to these and will review that on a case-by-case basis.

• We will not be coming into your homes. Please bring your pet outside to meet us. If you need to use our cat carrier, let us know in advance.
•  We are not allowing any clients into the van.
• We will go over your pet’s history and clinical signs outside (while maintaining a 6 foot separation) or over the phone.
• We will call you when your pet is finished being examined to discuss our recommendations.

Obviously, this is a very fluid situation and recommendations are changing daily. We will update you if we need to make further modifications.

The PA Department of Health has great information for you to keep up-to-date on Covid-19: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx

We will all get through this difficult time together. Stay healthy!

Sharon L Daub-Pelker, DVM
P*A*W*S Mobile Veterinary Care
717-871-1700
mobilevet@p-a-w-s.com
www.p-a-w-s.com

Updated 3/20/20
Updated 3/21/20

(adapted from a handout written by Dr. Carla Pfeiffer, DVM)

There are hundreds of pet foods on the market.  We recommend only using certain foods manufactured by companies which comply with ALL the recommendations set by WSAVA for animal feed companies.  They should:

• Employ board certified veterinary nutritionists full time to formulate their diets, and are available for consultations and questions.
• The diet(s) are tested using AAFCO feeding trials, by nutrient analysis. Look for the following on the label under the ingredients and guaranteed analysis:

“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that <this food> provides complete and balanced nutrition for <this specific life stage>.”

• They have specific quality control measures in place to assure the consistency and quality of their product line.
• They have full control over the plants where their foods are produced and manufactured, and allow visitors.
• They provide a complete product nutrient analysis for the dog and cat food of interest, including digestibility values.
• They provide the caloric value per gram, can, and/or cup of their foods.
• They conduct research on their products, and the results are published in peer-reviewed journals

***Hills, Purina, Iams/Eukanuba and Royal Canin are the ONLY pet food companies we know of that comply with all of these recommendations. Please check the label to be certain.

You can find the full recommendations here: https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Images/Association%20logos/WSAVA-Nutrition-Assessment-Guidelines-(2011)_JSAP.pdf

Also, due to the current investigation being headed by the FDA on the link between boutique, exotic ingredient and grain-free foods (“BEG”), and an increased risk for heart disease, we DO NOT recommend a grain-free diet for any pet that wasn’t specifically diagnosed with a medical need for this diet by a board certified veterinary nutritionist, gastroenterologist, internal medicine or other specialist.  In addition, be wary of any foods that list in their top 5 ingredients – peas, sweet potatoes, lentils, potatoes and chick pea as these ingredients are also under investigation as a potential link to an increased risk for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and/or taurine deficiency (a deficiency which cannot necessarily be satisfied by supplementing the food).

More information can be found here: https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm630991.htm

Be aware that all the foods currently under investigation have been “formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or cat) Food Nutrient Profiles.” Some of the foods currently under investigation may conduct AAFCO feeding trials, but as of this printing none meet all the WSAVA recommendations.  We always recommend feeding your pet a diet that was specifically formulated for their life stage (puppy, kitten, senior…), and we do not recommend food that has been formulated “for all life stages”.

 

Additional helpful information is available:

• It’s Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy—http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/11/dcm-update/
• A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients— http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/06/a-broken-heart-risk-of-heart-disease-in-boutique-or-grain-free-diets-and-exotic-ingredients/
• Taurine + DCM—https://taurinedcm.org/?fbclid=IwAR33QbDczd9Duaq9G0c_iwGYGZzOC1GdbbuRyFZlGGyBJcNlKT_9ZzwcVNI
• Taurine Deficient (Nutritional) Dilated Cardiomyopathy— https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaurineDCM/
• The Savvy Dog Owner’s Guide: Nutrition on the Internet—https://www.grrmf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/The-Savvy-Dog-Owner-s-Guide-to-Nutrition-on-the-Internet.pdf
• How to read pet food labels (FDA article)– https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20180908064952/https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm047113.htm

 

Trending Now: Are Essential Oils Dangerous to Pets?

A popular topic making the rounds on social media and causing a lot of concern and confusion. The answer is, unfortunately, not a clear cut yes or no.

Here is a concise, informative article with information straight from the ASPCA Poison Control Center.

Trending Now: Are Essential Oils Dangerous to Pets?

FDA Alerts Pet Owners About Potential Pentobarbital Contamination in Canned Dog Food Manufactured by The J.M. Smucker Company, Including Certain Gravy Train, Kibbles ‘N Bits, Ol’ Roy, and Skippy Products

You can find out more information regarding the issue, which foods are affected, what the company is doing, what this means for your pet, and what you should do at the FDA website.

Fear of Fireworks

“American pet advocacy groups point out that the number of escapees is so high that Independence Day is the busiest day of the year in shelters — and that many pets get lost, injured, or killed. You should know which clinics or emergency hospitals will be open during fireworks season, in case you need one, as this will help you avoid time delays and stress.”

Read tips on protecting and calming your pet in Dr. Dr. Becky Lundgren, DVM’s article Fear of Fireworks.

 

 

 

Welcome to our newly designed website!

After 15 years of being in business, we decided it was time for the P*A*W*S website to get a face lift.

Please take a look around at all of our areas and let us know what you think. It is a work in progress, and if you have any suggestions, just let us know!