Allow us to introduce you to Sugar! This adorable and very friendly guinea pig is about 6 months old. Her owner is a very smart and responsible young lady who wants the best care possible for her new pet. Sugar received a thorough physical exam with Dr. Burcham and then they reviewed basic husbandry and diet. We also trimmed some of Sugar’s toenails! Sugar is clearly a very social and well-cared for guinea pig, and we look forward to helping keep her healthy for many years to come!

It’s hard to believe this gorgeous feline is over 12 years old! Scarlet is a purebred Maine Coon and weighs 17 lbs.  She’s in good health and came in to visit us recently for her wellness exam. Her owner shared this photo with us, which she had taken with her phone. Yes, Scarlet is sitting inside a bowl. No one’s sure why, but she’s quite content with her choice. We thank Scarlet’s owners for bringing her in to see us so we could get some extra big-furry-Maine-Coon-lovin’!

This picture of Hercules, a senior Italian Greyhound, was taken about a year ago. He stopped in for his routine senior wellness visit today and we figured out that he’s probably at least 12 years old, maybe older! Hercules has a history of vaccine reactions, so we gave him an injection of benadryl prior to any vaccines today. Luckily, we follow a 3-year vaccine protocol, so that means he doesn’t need as many shots any more. We also give him ProHeart6 for heartworm prevention, a 6-month injectable heartworm prevention product (although he wasn’t due for it today).

Routine wellness testing is so important for dogs as they get older, because they help us track changes and catch problems early, so we performed a Total Body Function profile for Hercules today.

Hercules is missing a few teeth and his eyes and coat are graying, but we do find him to be an especially handsome senior Italian Greyound and we’re always glad to see him!

Aren’t those German Shepherd puppy ears the funniest? This is Era, an adorable German Shepherd puppy. In the picture on the left, she’s 10 weeks old, ears flopping over. On the right, she’s 13 weeks old and her ears are standing up and looking huge! We look forward watching her grow up into a big, beautiful girl!

The following is shared on behalf of Maggie’s owner, Ellen, who wrote this article.

In Memory of “Maggie”

Clearwater Lashes Maggie UDX. AX, AXJ, TDX

May 4, 1996 – August 12, 2010

Maggie came to live with us from Idaho while we were living in Alaska. When I picked her up from Alaska Air cargo, she was screaming to get out of the crate.  She loved living in Alaska hiking on the trails both in the summer and the winter.  She never appreciated the move to the Kansas when she was five years old.  She hated the hot summers.

Maggie was my Novice A dog.  I learned to love obedience through her.  We got off to a slow start in her obedience career due to a limited number of trials in Alaska and needing ACL surgery in both knees when she was two years old after too much jumping in drifted snow.  She got her CD and CDX in Alaska and then we moved to Kansas.  Just prior to moving she got certified with Delta Society as a pet partner.  We helped second graders in Paola that were having difficulty reading and then she had a couple hospice patients she visited.

Maggie was a lot of fun on the agility course.  She was nicknamed “tank” by a good friend because of the force with which she slammed in to the A-frame.  I had to be sure to get out of her way while running or she would surely take me out as she bulldozed around the course.  After completing her excellent titles in agility I stopped showing her in agility to save her knees to finish her obedience titles.  Maggie showed me how hard Utility is and especially how agonizing it can be for some dogs and their owners to get a Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) title.

Once we were done with obedience in 2005 I decided to teach my old dog (9 years old) tracking.  I enjoyed her slow methodical pace.  One week before her tracking test in the Fall of 2005 she was playing and herniated a disc in her back.  The vet chiropractor said she was fine to walk, so that next weekend she pulled me down the track faster than she ever had.  I was trotting behind her for the first time and she passed in fine style.  The next couple of months we thought for sure we were going to lose her because her back was getting worse, but I kept taking her for walks and then in the summer she swam often.  She just got better and better.  Then in Fall of 2007 she was really bored, so I decided to teach her Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) work.  I tried in the Spring of 2008 to get her in to tests, but was unlucky.  Then in the Fall of 2008 at her first TDX test, she passed at the age of 12 ½ years old.

Maggie was a social butterfly.  She always wanted to greet people and be there for them.  If someone was not feeling well, she sensed it and would go lay by them.

We will miss our beloved “Fur Ball”.

–Ellen, Leo and Jazz

Oscar (left) and Felix (right) were adopted through Kitty City Kansas Rescue and came to see us last week. We had fun playing with them and then gave them some Revolution for flea and parasite control. They also appear in our video of the week!

Gidget is an 11-year old Jack Russell Terrier, but she still has the energy of a puppy! We bribed her with some treats to get this adorable photo–apparently she loves the camera! She’s in great health other than some periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can lead to heart and kidney problems, so we recommend having her teeth cleaned under anesthesia. We realize her Mom may be moving soon, and wish them both all the best!

Meet Riley! She’s 13 weeks old (8 weeks in this picture–and they grow fast!), all lab and all puppy! And anyone who knows labs will tell you, these puppies are full of energy! She’s a lot of fun and we love getting to see her regularly as she comes in for her puppy vaccines.

Haley was a very beloved member of her family. When her owner traveled (which was frequently), Haley came to stay with us. She was known for making herself right at home, and she would even pick out her own run. When Haley started collapsing and having weakness in her hind end, we knew something wasn’t right. Ultrasound of her abdomen showed an abnormal spleen, and although further diagnostics could not be performed, we were highly suspicious of cancer. Her health deteriorated over the next month, and we knew helping her pass on peacefully was the right thing to do, as hard as it was to say good-bye. At nearly 14 years of age, we admire her beautiful, long and full life.

This is Lenny! He’s a ferret, about 4 years old. It’s hard to tell in this photo, but Lenny has quite unusual coloring. He’s mostly white with hints of yellow around his neck and tail. He and his new brother, Waylon, have fun playing and getting into mischief. Lenny’s recent wellness blood work all checked out great, and we appreciate the great care his owners provide!