Safe Warm Weather Fun
A letter from Dr. Goodman...

As I write this letter, the scorching hot days of a few weeks ago are almost forgotten, with rain falling from cloudy skies in 65 degree weather. In the last month, though, low temps were nowhere to be found! Instead, Zoey, who normally goes everywhere with either Pam or me, found herself left at home for even short errands. Likewise, she cocked her head on more than one occasion, wondering how I could even consider going on a run without her. Warm weather is sure to return and hot weather does pose risks for our animal friends, so with that in mind, keep your pets cool in warm weather with these helpful tips.

1. Never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle during warm days. Even when outside temperatures are a moderate 70 degrees, a car or truck cab can become a miniature greenhouse. The temperature inside a car can quickly climb to more than 110 degrees. Because dogs don't perspire (they pant to take in cooler air), the distress of a hot car can make them panic, which only aggravates the problem. Heatstroke is life-threatening for animals. If not caught quickly and early, heatstroke can be fatal.

2. Provide your pet with plenty of clean, cool drinking water. This is very important in order to avoid dehydration. However, do not let your dog drink a lot of water before, during or after exercise, because a condition called gastric torsion or bloat may result. A dog, especially deep-chested breeds like German Shepherds or Great Danes, can die from bloat. Its stomach may swell and even rotate like a wringing towel, which cuts off blood supply through the stomach.

3. Avoid exercising your pet during the midday summer heat. Exercising your animal is important, but it is better to do so in the early morning or evening hours when the temperatures are lower. If you run with your dog, it is important to gradually build an exercise program that your dog can handle. Dogs can suffer from heatstroke if overworked.

4. Beware of exercising your dog on hot pavement. Because dogs don't have tennis shoes, they need pad protection. Your dog can get damaged or blistered feet if it doesn't have time to build up its foot pads. Consider running on trails or use booties available through REI. to protect the pads.

5. Consider a child sized play pool for the backyard. On hot days, dogs love to lay in the cool water just as much as we do!

As I close this letter, Zoey is at my feet; ready for a run, ready for a swim, and as always, ready to play! Enjoy this last bit of summer and remember, we are here when you need us!

Sincerely,
Dr. Laird Goodman

Dr. Goodman is the hospital director and owner of Murrayhill Veterinary Hospital. He lives in Tigard with his family, and enjoys spending time with his Golden Retriever, Zoey, and his three cats, Lilly, Eileen, and Annie

Dr. Goodman's Bio

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Growing, Growing, Growing!!
Welcome to Dr. Deb Miller
"Through my more than 18 years of practicing veterinary medicine, my philosophy has been to continuously research, investigate, and explore new techniques to keep pets healthy and to diminish pain.

I believe by using newly developed procedures and surgical techniques relating to veterinary medicine; while also focusing on wellness, preventative care, pain management, and progressive medicine, that we ensure the longevity and happiness of our pet family members."

Dr. Miller's Bio

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Exotics Services at Murrayhill
By Dr. Gabriella Flacke

What exactly is an "exotic" pet? In the traditional sense of the word, it includes everything from birds to reptiles to rodents to wallabies. Basically, an exotic pet is not a dog, cat, horse, sheep, goat, pig, or cow. There are some very popular exotic pets, ranging from the familiar parakeets and hamsters, goldfish and green iguanas, to the recently more common sugar gliders and African pygmy hedgehogs. In traditional veterinary medicine, the only species studied in school are the "domestic" ones listed above. Thus, there is not nearly as much medical knowledge available about the "exotic" pets as there is about dogs and horses. But that trend has also changed dramatically in recent years. Veterinary schools are adding exotics courses to their elective curriculum, and the ever-increasing popularity of exotic animals as pets has led veterinarians to pursue additional training in these areas. At Murrayhill, we are lucky to have two veterinarians possessing experience working with exotic animals; Drs Deb Miller and Gabriella Flacke.

The most difficult issue involved with exotics pets, and the issue that is generally at the root of most medical problems experienced by these animals, is improper husbandry. Husbandry includes things like diet, housing, temperature, light levels, humidity, and unique requirements of different exotic species. Although the dietary requirements, housing preferences, ambient temperature and exercise requirements for our dogs and cats are well known and understood by veterinarians and pet owners alike, there are thousands of different exotic species that are kept as pets whose husbandry requirements are just as diverse as they are. For example, a green iguana and a bearded dragon are both from the lizard family, but they have very different temperature and humidity requirements and also very different dietary needs.

Many people are tempted to get an exotic animal as a pet because it's unique, different, interesting, and fun. Large parrots, for example, are colorful, can learn to talk and mimic sounds, and they are playful and entertaining. However, many people do not realize that some species can live to be over 70 years old, and that in the wild parrots live in large flocks, meaning that keeping one individual bird in the household can lead to many behavioral and health problems secondary to the bird not living in a normal "flock" environment. Also some species of exotic pets are very "cute" as babies, for example primates and exotic big cats, but then grow up to be dangerous and unmanageable, especially in the hands of inexperienced pet owners. And there are definitely several exotic pets that are not good for families with small children, because they are either dangerous to the child or vice versa. For example, a cute cuddly rabbit cannot be handled and carried around the house like a cat, because if it falls it can easily break its back.

However, it is certainly not our goal to discourage anyone from owning an exotic animal as a pet. On the other hand, we do strongly encourage people to do research first about the species they are thinking of adding to their family. Although some of these exotic pets do not have annual vaccination recommendations, they should still receive regular veterinary check-ups, the frequency of which would certainly depend on the species in question. Specifically, ferrets should be vaccinated for distemper and rabies, and psittacine birds (parrots) should be vaccinated for polyoma virus, which is in the same family as parvovirus. Also, if your exotic pet becomes ill, routine diagnostic tests can be run to determine the cause of their illness.

So whether you are already an owner of an "exotic" animal, or if you are considering adding one to your family, please consider the many differences between that animal and a domestic pet, and please do your research first! Together we can work harder to learn more, and to make our exotic friends just as happy and healthy as the rest of the family!

Dr. Flacke's Bio

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We are here for you!
By Theresa Short

All of us here at Murrayhill Veterinary Hospital wanted to let you know about some exciting new programs and protocols we have established to help ease some of the economic worries that we are all feeling.

We understand that with consumer gas prices sky rocketing and the associated trickle down effect raising the costs of just about everything, deciding how and where to spend your money is an everyday concern.

Suggesting the best preventative healthcare for your pets is one way we are attempting to help, both economically for you and health wise for your pets! By getting regular exams, vaccinations, and basic lab work for your pets, you are helping to prevent emerging health issues from becoming more chronic conditions. Addressing health issues sooner rather than later is better for you and your pet, and it is also good for your wallet!

We are also introducing a new multiple pet discount effective immediately. When you bring more than one pet in for an appointment, there will be a standard exam fee for the first pet, and each additional pet will have a discounted exam fee of.

Finally, we are excited to announce that we have partnered with the online pharmacy, Vetsource, to bring you Murrayhill Veterinary Hospital's own online pharmacy! Hundreds of items including prescription foods, medications, supplements, and flea and heartworm preventatives are now available for fast, convenient delivery (within 24-48 hours) to your home. Through our new pharmacy, we are price matching several prescription medications that are used to manage chronic conditions, as well as flea and tick preventatives. This will ensure that your pet is getting the best medication available at the best price. An added bonus is that medication purchased from Murrayhill Veterinary Hospital's online pharmacy is guaranteed by the manufacturer, while medication purchased elsewhere online is not. You can visit our website at www.murrayhillvethospital.com and click on the pharmacy button for more information.

We hope that these new changes help during these trying economic times. We are always striving to improve, so if you have any suggestions for us, please feel free to email us at team@murrayhillvethospital.com or call us (503)579-3300.

Murrayhill Veterinary Hospital

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Did you know......
Doctors at Murrayhill are Leaders in the Profession

As your pets' veterinarians all of the doctors at Murrayhill work hard to provide the best in medicine, surgery and preventative care for your pets. However, did you know that in addition to working hard at the practice, our doctors at Murrayhill volunteer their time in other ways as leaders in the profession?

For example:

Dr. Goodman is this district's representative on the executive board of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, and serves on the board of directors of the Delta Society.

Dr. Zambelli is the current president of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) and has served on their executive board for many years.

Dr. Hall is currently on the National Strategic Planning Committee of the American Veterinary Medical Association and has just finished a two year seat on the PVMA.

Dr. Zawadzki is the current veterinary advisor on the board of directors for Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon.

Dr. Miller is a pet partner with the Delta Society with her corgi "Mojo". She is also a consultant for Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue and Florida Dachshund Rescue

Dr. Flacke has earned a masters degree in Wildlife Conservation as has recently been published in a professional journal. She is also actively involved with RAVC (Remote Area Veterinary Services), a volunteer organization sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, that provides basic veterinary services to economically underprivileged communities in remote areas of the US and abroad.

All of us at Murrayhill are proud that these doctors call our practice home!

More information on all of our doctors

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