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Rabies Cases in the USA During 2011 This information is taken from the summary of an article “Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2011” by Blanton, Dyer, McBrayer, and Rupprecht, published JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) September 15th, 2012. “Summary – During 2011, 49 states and Puerto Rico reported 6,031 rabid animals and six human rabies cases to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), representing a 1.9% decrease from the 6,153 rabid animals and two human cases reported in 2010. Approximately 92% of reported rabid animals were wildlife. Relative contributions by the major animal groups were…

From the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) Newstat: FDA: 360 dogs, 1 cat reportedly dead from jerky treats  People who have been monitoring the news about Chinese-made jerky treats being blamed for pet illnesses finally have some figures to analyze. According to a news release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), at least 360 dogs and one cat have died over the past 18 months, reportedly as a result of illnesses associated with the chicken jerky treats. Overall, the FDA said it has received about 2,200 jerky-related complaints in all 50 states and six Canadian provinces during the…

If you own a Golden Retriever this is an event you should consider attending. If you have friends or family with a Golden Retriever, please share this information with them.  “PIGMENTARY UVEITIS IN GOLDEN RETRIEVERS”  Presented By: Dr. Wendy Townsend Purdue University Veterinary Ophthalmologist   December 8, 2012 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. STONE CITY KENNEL CLUB 13606 Laraway Rd New Lenox, IL 60451  Dr. Wendy Townsend is a veterinary ophthalmologist on the faculty of Purdue University in Indiana.  She has had research grants investigating Pigmentary Uveitis for several years.  “PIGMENTARY UVEITIS”  Pigmentry Uveitis, also known as Golden Retriever uveitis…

Online Pet Pharmacies Printer friendly PDF Protect Yourself and Your Pet: Be Online Pet Pharmacy A.W.A.R.E. “Affordable pet prescriptions!” “Pet meds at discount prices!” “No prescription required!” “Your best source for pet meds!” If you’ve ever searched online for prescription pet medicines, you’ve no doubt seen eye-catching, attention-grabbing claims. They sound convincing in their promises of convenience and lower prices. But are these claims always true? Internet sites that sell pet drugs can be reputable pharmacies. However, others are fronts for businesses breaking Federal, State, and sometimes, International laws. Illegal online pharmacies may sell medicines that are counterfeit, outdated, mislabeled, incorrectly…

We are very pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Kristina Kalivoda to the veterinary staff of Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center. Dr. Kristina Kalivoda graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. She completed a Zoological Medicine internship at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008, where she worked with the collection at the Schubot Aviary in addition to seeing various non-traditional species including wolf hybrids and tigers. She then completed a two year residency in Avian & Exotic Animal Medicine at Cornell University Hospital for Animals and Cornell’s Swanson Wildlife…

A disease condition which has been a scourge of ferrets is adrenal gland disease. Clinical signs seen with this condition include hair loss, swelling of the vulva (external structure of the female reproductive tract), skin disorders/itching, unusual sexual behavior/aggression, and lack of energy. Previously, the only true cure of the condition was complete removal of both adrenal glands, which is a very risky surgical procedure. Now there is an implant now available in the United States, SUPRELORIN F, enabling ferret owners to have a simple, convenient, medical alternative for controlling the clinical signs of this disease in their pets. The…

Just a reminder about the charity yard sale coming up Sunday, September 23rd from 9 AM to 3 PM being held in the parking lot of Niles Animal Hospital. We have collected all sorts of goodies for the sale, with more coming in. There is a large variety of items which have been donated, including a number of bird cages of various sizes. We have all sorts of things you can imagine and some you could not have imagined! One generous person has donated a large number of Precious Moments figurines, which would be of great interest to collectors. Stop…

In one of our previous blogs we discussed the variety of conditions we could treat with our therapy laser. The beauty of our therapy laser is that it also can be adapted to be used as a surgical laser. We have been able to perform some surgeries which would have been very difficult without the use of the laser. The advantage of the laser is that there is minimal bleeding and minimal discomfort post-surgically for the pet. We took a video during one such laser surgical procedure. It was a Labrador retriever who had a mass deep in the ear…

This was a question I received from a bird club newsletter a few years ago and I thought it would be worth posting it on our website blog. Dr. Sakas Do Birds Fall In Love? A very intriguing question. Those of you that have pet birds know how truly interactive and intelligent they are. They are social animals and have a strong desire for companionship. People who have a bird (or birds) keeping them as ornaments and failing to develop a relationship miss the beauty of the bond that grows. Our pet birds greet us eagerly in the morning, chatter…

As we see a large number of birds at Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center, I have become quite the expert on bird droppings. I came across this interesting article on the internet where a study was done in England where they were trying to determine which color of car attracted the largest number of bird droppings. (Maybe too much time on their hands?) Anyway it was an intriguing read. To add my perspective to this. Through the years I have noticed certain things about birds, such as, they seem to be predominately left-footed (evidenced by which foot they…