Maggie is ONE MONTH old! :-)

First of MANY hours of snuggling!

We had the opportunity to visit Maggie this past week and we were so excited to see her up and walking (attempting to any way!)  She is slowly but surely figuring out how to use her legs.  I can’t believe she is already one month old - time is flying by.  It gets so hard to leave the little fur ball after every visit.  Before we are even out the door I’m asking when we can see her again!  We’ll visit her again tomorrow and hopefully our visit after that will be to take her home for a day.  We take her home for a test run to make sure she is able to eat at our house and is ready to be off her mother’s milk.  If everything goes as planned we should be able to have her home for good early- to mid-June!  And if you can’t tell already we are so excited!  This has been a true test of my patience… and people know I can be very impatient!  My husband and I fight over who gets to hold her.  He calls Maggie his “replacement”…. I say “substitution”.  You say tomato.  I say tomata!  I’ve been trying to get extra shifts in at work to help the time pass between visits.  I also know I won’t want to work anymore than I have to once she’s here.  I’m starting to get nervous about potty training her.  I’ve always had the freedom to be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want.  We will have to get creative in coming up with a potty schedule for her.  I work evenings and my husband is a pilot so he is gone for a few days at a time.  Fortunately both of our parents live within 10-15 minutes and have offered to help along with a few other friends.  Maggie is going to be one well-socialized dog from meeting all of these people! J I’m hoping work goes by fast tonight and before I know it I’ll be playing with her again!   

Just relaxing with my new Daddy!

Staring contest! I WIN!

Proper Way to Remove a Tick from Pet

Pet of the Month

   One day Scott & Molly Meyer were perusing the Pet Finder website (www.petfinder.com) and they saw a picture of a dog that tugged at their heart, they just had to find out more information. Thus began their journey with the lovely dog they would call Clover.

Clover

   The story goes that someone “dumped” this dog at a farm near Postville, Iowa.  The farmer took pity on her and began to care for her.  Pretty soon he realized that Clover was pregnant! Knowing she needed expert care, he took her to a local rescue organization. Soon she had 12 puppies, six of them looked like Chocolate Labradors and the other six looked like Border Collies, what a mix! Despite having Giardia and a bacterial infection, Clover was a great mom. All 12 puppies lived and were healthy other than the Giardia that they all shared.  Pretty soon the puppies were weaned and were off to their new homes. Clover was exhausted!  Twelve puppies can definitely be a handful. It was time for her to recover and get some long overdue and much needed TLC.  That’s when Scott and Molly stepped in!

   Clover was about ten pounds underweight and in definite need of some extra calories. Her coat was very coarse, sparse and unhealthy looking.  Thankfully the Meyers were able to look past all this and see a wonderful dog in need of a loving home. Within minutes of meeting her they knew that she was a very special and amazing dog.

Clover

   Molly says, “She is the sweetest dog, we are so lucky to have found her and she is the light of our lives. It was just like finding a 4-Leafed Clover!!”  So that’s how she got her name……. J

When she came to the Meyer’s home they were pleasantly surprised to learn that she was a smart, well trained dog. She already knew sit, shake, down, roll over and “kennel up”! She was completely house-trained and will go to bathroom on command. She loves to go for rides in the car, does not climb up on furniture, doesn’t beg for food and doesn’t challenge them or their boundaries in any way. When they eat she will go and lay on her bed. She loves people and kids and loves to be petted; she will nudge you for a pet and roll over so you can be sure to scratch her belly.

Clover loves car rides!

   As you can see in the pictures, Clover has come a long way. She is a happy and healthy dog, it’s hard to say who may be happier, Clover or her new family!  Everyone is a winner!

   Special thanks to Erin Lunn, CSR at RVVS for nominating Clover as our May 2011 Pet of the Month!  Consider adoption or rescuing a pet.  There are many wonderful pets out there looking for their forever home.  We would be happy to help you with key information to consider when you are looking for that new family member.

Looking good Clover!

  

The warm weather and your pet's furry coat are happy hunting grounds for fleas and ticks.  We want you to know that fleas and ticks are more than just pests…they spread diseases, including, lyme disease, Erlichia, tapeworms, anemia, zoonotic intestinal disease and cat scratch fever. We offer flea and tick prevention to help keep your pet healthy and happy during this season. 

Featured Team Member of the Month





Tiana, Mara and Saul

    “T”, “T-Bops”, “Tina”, are all names that we affectionately call our Featured Team Member of the Month, Tiana Peterson.  We were lucky enough to have added this upbeat, positive person to our staff way back in 1995. Tiana started as a Kennel Attendant and moved up the ranks to become a first class, full-time Veterinary Assistant.  Along the way she also became certified as a Dog Obedience Instructor, making her a wildly popular instructor at our River Valley Dog School. Tiana has been able to share her experiences and education with many families as they start out with puppies in our Pups ‘R Us class, when they move onto beginning obedience class in Level I and rounding out the dog and owner educational experience with Canine Good Citizen class.

   Tiana has her sights set on getting her degree as a Certified Veterinary Technician and is enrolled at Argosy University as a full time student while keeping up with her full time duties at RVVS.  Tiana’s co-worker, Nancy says that Tiana is a lot of fun to work with and always makes her laugh! Brenda says that Tiana uses her great sense of humor to connect with clients. She also appreciates learning from Tiana as she uses her dog training abilities with patients during nail trims, patient restraint and helping the pet overcome their fears.  “They nearly always respond positively to her leadership and rewards!”

Dr. Laurie Miller says “What I think is great about Tiana is her longevity and her growth. From a high school kennel person to an accomplished VA, Obedience Instructor and CVT student all while at RVVS. That is really something today, where most people work many different places in their career.”

Tiana

   Tiana’s great sense of humor and fun really stands out both at work and outside of work.  Erin appreciates that Tiana has helped plan the annual Fall Fling for RVVS staff helping to make it a fun event for staff and their significant others.  “Tiana is a kind and generous person who always has a smile on her face, co-workers and clients all love her and appreciate her!”

   A German Shepherd named Saul and an Australian Shepherd named Mara are the two dogs in her life. Saul has spent time in nursing homes visiting people and Mara is busying training in agility, Tiana has done such a great job with these dogs!  She is also interested in fish and aquarium maintenance; in fact she has two aquariums at home. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family and friends, scuba diving, fishing, outdoor activities and training her dogs in obedience and agility.

Tiana (right) and her sister Lissa



 

    Congratulations to Tiana Peterson, we are so proud to count her as a friend and co-worker at RVVS!

Mara (left) and Saul enjoying a summer afternoon!

Hotdogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob…YES PLEASE! That’s what your pet is thinking when you’re cooking out. We would like to remind you that even a small amount of “people food” can be bad for your pet’s stomach….Don’t forget to be mindful of your pet while cooking out.  

Here She Is... MISS MAGGIE!!

I'm 3 weeks old!

Meet Maggie!!  This past Sunday we picked out our first puppy!  I was a little hesitant to pick out our puppy so early (she’s only 2 weeks old) but the other half of me couldn’t wait to hold our very own puppy.  It was so hard to not want to scoop them all up and take them home with me.  I was so happy to have my husband there since he was supposed to be out of town.  (He flew home early and surprised me! ) Surprisingly, there was no disagreement between my husband and I as to which puppy we chose.  While we were holding Maggie, she opened her eyes for the first time.  She seemed so calm and just melted in our arms.  She felt like the perfect choice! ... Plus I'm a sucker for chubby puppies!  Our breeder said this litter was one of the fattest she's had.

We will be able to see her weekly once she is 4 weeks old.  A few weeks later we will be able to take her home for a “trial day” to see how she does in a new environment… Then hopefully around 8 weeks we will be able to take her home!!  We are so excited to have her in our home.  I constantly check our breeder’s website just waiting for a new picture of her to pop up!  I’m counting down the days until I get to see her again.  It’s crazy to think in 2 weeks time she will have learned how to walk!

I can’t wait to come home to her wagging tail, take her on walks, and play with her outside in the summer.  I can’t wait for her to be lounging in her doggy bed - which I exchanged more than a few times until I found just the perfect one!  (Nothing but the best for this puppy!!)  I feel like I’m nesting… for a DOG!  Call me crazy, I’m okay with that!  I’m sure my husband will be a bit jealous but, hey, after all he bought her for me!  It just might also be the most expensive gift he’ll ever buy me… Did you know Martha Stewart has a puppy line!? J

Stay tuned for another update!  I’ll keep posting new pictures of Maggie as our breeder puts them up on her website.

Brit



It only took her a second to weasel her way into our hearts!





Happiness :-)



Happy Mother's Day!

We would like to wish a Happy Mother's Day weekend to all the pet mommies of fur babies and other pets! We hope you have good memories on Sunday, May 8th and that you do something special with or for your pet that day. Have a great Mother's Day everyone!

 

This week is Be Kind to Animals Week!

Join the event that’s been celebrated every year since 1915 -- American Humane Association’s Be Kind to Animals Week. In this annual tradition, we commemorate the role animals play in our lives, promote ways to continue to treat them humanely, and encourage others, especially children, to do the same. While Be Kind to Animals Week is celebrated only once a year, we should strive to always be kind to animals every day. What is the kindest thing you've done for your pet today?

 

During springtime we all start doing more outside activities, especially with our pets. Accidents happen and the first thing to remember when dealing with any injured animal, whether it’s a family pet or one you found lying on the side of the road is to approach with caution. When an animal is hurt and you approach to help, their response to pain may cause them to bite or scratch and injure their rescuer. If it is your pet, cover his head so he can’t bite you, put pressure on minor wounds, provide support to the injured limb and seek treatment immediately.