Otterkill Animal Hospital
Newsletter Volume 9, December 2006

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

The doctors and staff at Otterkill Animal Hospital wish you and your entire family, both two and four legged, a wonderful holiday season and a New Year filled with peace, happiness and good health for all. We have had another wonderful year here at Otterkill Animal Hospital. We all thank you for your continued trust and confidence. It's caring animal lovers like you that make our lives so fulfilling. We are so pleased to be able to provide the best veterinary care possible for each of the over four thousand patients we treated this year. We are so happy to assist those less fortunate animals too - we've treated more than three hundred shelter animals this year and helped many of them find new and loving families.

It's not too late for last minute gifting!
Stuck for a last minute gift for the animal lover on your list? Give them a gift certificate for veterinary care here at Otterkill! Contact Lauren at 427.2854 for details.

Holiday Pet Tips

• Keep animals from chewing on ribbons, trees and wrappings. Limit tinsel and garland type decorations. Almost every year we have to operate on some animal to remove an obstruction for eating one of these objects.
• Keep the chocolate under wraps. Chocolate can be toxic to dogs even in fairly small doses.
• Limit those treats. Holiday over-eating can be trouble for our companions also. Ask your guests to limit those hand-outs. One cookie per animal please!
• A bowl of lemon peels under the tree can help keep cats from climbing.
• Remember that our animals give us the best gift of all - unconditional love.
• Don't forget to return the favor.

Keep up your preventatives
We've always recommended that you continue your heartworm and flea and tick preventative medication year-round. We're still seeing mosquitoes around with this crazy warm weather! It is especially important then, to continue those preventatives now.

Employees of the Year
This year, Dr. Zgoda had a difficult time deciding on just one employee worthy of this award. Congratulations to Office Manager Lauren and Licensed Veterinary Technician Jenn on receiving this year's award! We know that you'll agree with this choice. They work hard at providing you and your companions with excellent care and service, living up to Otterkill Animal Hospital's goals and mission. We're lucky to have them as part of our animal health care team.

Heifer.org
If you're not familiar with them, Heifer International is a non-profit charity that provides sustenance animals to poor families around the world. Our staff gladly pooled its resources this holiday and donated an animal to a needy family. It's another way we could help fulfill our goal of making the world a better place one animal at a time.

Best Wishes to all of You for a beautiful holiday season and a New Year filled with Peace, Health and Happiness!