Dr. Flaum & Staff attend the AVMA Annual Convention

In July our staff had the great opportunity to attend the Annual Convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association which was hosted right next door in St. Louis, MO. The convention provided a venue for national leaders in their fields to offer important continuing education sessions for veterinarians and staff.

Dr. Flaum attended four days of lectures on topics as diverse as eye surgery, cardiac disease, infectious urinary tract disease and many others. "The information from the sessions helps refresh memory and learn cutting edge medicine and surgery. Veterinary school was over 20 years ago and one of the exciting challenges of veterinary medicine is to stay abreast of advances." said Dr. Flaum. There was also an exhibition hall with exhibits from suppliers of veterinary equipment and services. Dr. Flaum obtained new instruments for eye surgery, a surgical light and magnification system to better visualize fine procedures, instruments for treatment of ears with the video Vetscope, and a new edition of a veterinary drug formulary.

After attending the Tuesday session, Kelley, our client care team leader stated, "It was a great opportunity to have this convention so close to home. The sessions provided many new ideas that we can use to help care for our clients and their pets. Learning new ways we can connect with our clients through a variety of methods is exciting. While we will continue to improve the personal aspect of our customer service we will also try to integrate more modern methods to keep in touch with our clients who utilize the internet. Our goal is to make coming to the veterinarian a comfortable and supportive experience for our clients."

Jess, our veterinary technician/nurse attended sessions on rehabilitation of post-operative patients. Physical therapy after orthopedic surgery can speed recovery and improve function. We are exploring the possibility of adding PT as a service in the future. Jess also learned about the relationship of pet parasites and infections in people as well as diabetes care and the vital role of veterinary technicians in patient care. "The convention was a wonderful experience. It was an opportunity to receive advice from other technicians, get caught up with newer theories, and learn additional ways to make a better experience for our clients and patients," reports Jess.

We are excited about the opportunity to learn about advances in veterinary medicine and care and bring them to our patients and their families.

Is Xylitol Toxic to Dogs?

Many dog owners are aware that chocolate, coffee, and grapes are toxic to dogs, but are not aware of the risk from ingesting the common natural sweetener, xylitol. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that is found in a variety of products, including chewing gum, toothpaste, mints, floss, candy, chewable vitamins, and sugar-free baked goods. While xylitol offers many health benefits to humans, it can be deadly to dogs and should not be fed to any pets.

Ingesting 100 milligrams of xylitol per kilogram of bodyweight may cause a rapid release of the hormone insulin, causing a sudden decrease in blood glucose (potentially life-threatening hypoglycemia, low blood sugar) for dogs. The drop in blood sugar occurs within 15 minutes, while the symptoms of hypoglycemia (vomiting, depression, loss of coordination, seizures, or coma are all possible symptoms) may be seen within 30 minutes after the dog consumes the xylitol-containing product. Exposure to higher doses of xylitol may possibly result in fatal liver failure in some dogs.

So, if you know or suspect that you dog has ingested a product containing Xylitol, it is very important to act quickly and call your vet’s office or nearest emergency room.