CUVS' Pet Talent Contest

Enter CUVS' Pet Talent Contest!

Every one of us thinks that our pet is the most amazing animal ever - On National Pet Week, let’s give them a chance to shine!

Does your pet have a special or unusual talent? Send us a video to prove it. If your entry receives the most votes, your talented pet will be featured on our homepage and blog. And you’ll win a CUVS fleece. This contest isn’t limited to just cats and dogs, so get out your video camera or smart phone and capture your cat, fish, dog, horse, hamster, guinea pig or ferret doing something extraordinary!

All entries will be posted in our Most Talented Pet album on our Facebook page. The video that gathers the most “likes” will be the winner! You can email entries to smueller@cuvs.org, or send us a facebook message with your video as an attachment. Make sure to include a brief description so that we know what we’re looking at! Once your video is up, feel free to share it with your friends, family, coworkers and neighbors and encourage them to vote for your pet! We will accept entries until 5pm on Thursday, May 23rd and will announce the winner the next week.

Get those cameras rolling and let’s see what your pet can do!

April is National Heartworm Awareness Month!

Heartworm Awareness and a Very Special Update

April is National Heartworm Awareness month, and our cardiologist, Dr. Gretchen Singletary, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), has some information for all dog and cat owners about this dangerous, but highly preventable disease:

"Heartworm disease affects increasing numbers of dogs and cats in the US every year. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and is most prevalent in warm and humid climates. Peak transmission usually occurs during July and August, although pets in certain areas such as the Southeastern US may be at risk year-round. Heartworm disease is a serious, sometimes fatal condition which can be safely and easily prevented using a monthly heartworm preventative medication. Yearly testing for heartworm is recommended for all dogs.

Pets infected with heartworm can develop damage to their blood vessels, lungs and heart. Symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, decreased ability to exercise and weakness. Severe infections can result in heart failure or death. There are approved treatments for infected dogs - including injections of a medication to kill the worms and removal of the worms using a minimally-invasive surgical procedure. There are no approved treatments for heartworm infections in cats. Prevention is key when it comes to heartworm disease!"

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 Dr. Gretchen Singletary, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology)

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We at CUVS can't think of heartworm without also remembering Lucky. In 2011, we posted about Lucky, the mixed breed dog who was rescued in Los Angeles, and brought to CUVS by a New York rescue organization. When he was first brought to us, Lucky had suffered gunshot wounds to his legs, and needed several surgeries. While his injuries were already certainly enough for the scrappy dog to handle, it was discovered that Lucky was also suffering from a severe heartworm infection of his pulmonary artery. Fortunate for Lucky, our cardiologist was able to expertly remove the heartworms using flouroscopy and an incredibly steady hand. While heartworm extraction is a complex procedure with many risks involved, Lucky sailed through the procedure and after a night of recovery in CUVS' Intensive Care unit, went home heartworm free.




When Lucky was brought to CUVS, his injuries were severe.

 

Cardiologist Dr. Kleman was able to remove a sizable group of heartworms from Lucky's pulmonary artery.


Lucky then underwent surgery to repair the damage to his front and rear legs, caused by serious abuse before he was rescued. Thanks to the skill and care of CUVS' surgery department, Lucky's limbs were skillfully repaired and Lucky was able to regain full use of all his legs. At the end of Lucky's journey here, one of our staff members adopted him and provided Lucky with a happy ending in his new forever home. 

Lucky with Dr. Kleman, members of the nursing staff and his rescuers on his way home.


Lucky attended our Courageous Companions event in April, and CUVS staff had the opportunity to reunite with him and his supportive family. We're happy to say that he looks incredible, and along with his supportive family, enjoyed the spotlight with his colleagues.

Lucky attended the reunion looking better than ever!

Lucky was fortunate that his heartworm was discovered before it had progressed any further, and he serves as an example of why heartworm prevention is so vital to a pet's well-being. Speak to your primary care veterinarian about the prevention options available to you and take care of all those hearts that are so dear to yours!

Wally's Story

Meet Wally and family!

Wally is a 7 year old Pembroke Corgi that was diagnosed with B-Cell Lymphoma in April 2011. We, along with Wally's parents and brother, are so proud to annouce that Wally has graduated!

He is finished with his chemotherapy protocol this month and he is still in a complete remission. Wally had virtually no major problems handling his chemotherapy. The protocol we used was co-authored by our own Dr. Gerald Post DVM, MEM, DACVIM.