Western Hills Veterinary Hospital, Topeka, KS

Welcome to our
HOME PAGE
Updated 19 January 2006

Our team's mission is to provide our
clients with a compassionate
approach to a 'wellness' concept of
preventive medicine for their pet(s)
and to perform knowledgeable and
accurate diagnostics and therapy
when necessary.

Be sure to look at ourINTERESTING CASE
andOTHER FEATURES presentations
below.....

And, click on the CARE CREDIT icon for
easy payment plans!

Contacts and Phone Numbers:

ASPCA Poison Control Center:
800-426-4435
$45 fee payable by charge card.
No fee for follow-ups.
Helping Hands Humane Society
785-233-7325
CAT Association of Topeka
785-272-4735

Dogs and Cats:

All dogs and cats are 'seniors' by seven. This means their
wellness will depend upon timely intervention of any disease
process. All 'seniors' should have an annual blood evaluation
or an ERD (Early Renal Disease) urinalysis.

Right now the ERD Test is a hot item. Why? The idea is that
any 'albumin', (a protein) found in urine is abnormal and
indicates ongoing kidney damage. Early diagnosis,
finding the source and treatment can help your
pet's longevity.

Dental care is always important--people and pets, too!
Infection around teeth can let bacteria into the body. These
little guys land in organs with high blood flow, especially the
kidneys, and cause a mild infection. The body responds by
surrounding these areas with scar tissue. Over time, the
kidney can be rendered useless and the pet begins to die.
We have acquired a new high-speed dental engine and
associated implements to increase the quality of our work.

FEBRUARY IS PET DENTAL MONTH.
We offer a 20% discount on the dental
cleaning. Call our office for prices.

Ticks: Suburban dogs and cats often are exposed to ticks.
Ticks carry lots of disease including Rocky Mountain Spotted
Fever, Ehrlichia, and Lyme Disease. Tests are available for
the last two in conjunction with heartworm testing for dogs.
Additionally, a vaccine is available for Lyme disease for dogs.
Ticks present themselves as problems in late winter and
early spring, especially if warm weather prevails. Start
Frontline early...

Domestic cats living near bobcats are in danger of a
parasite, Cytauxzoan, being transmitted via ticks. This
disease is tolerated by the bobcat but is 100% fatal for the
domestic cat. A monthly topical application of Frontline on
your pet's skin to KILL TICKS is highly recommended.

MedRx (New to our clinic)

We have a new ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM--MedRx. The
expandable features of this unit allows us to grow as client's
request more advanced services. Currently we can do full
diagnostic and treatment of external and middle ears, nasal
cavity and bladder. Small biopsies can be taken from the liver
and other organs with our current level of instrumentation.
Photographic documentation accompanies all advanced
procedures. Every pet who has an anesthetic has their ears
'scoped' free. We are currently doing the same for grooming
and boarding pets.
Cats:
All kittens should be tested for Feline Leukemia Virus
(FeLV) and Feline Immunosuppresive Virus (FIV). These two
viral disease are slow workers. It may take years for them to
show signs of illness within your pet. Kittens can be born
infected and older cats cat get the disease through the
exchange of body fluids from other cats. Vaccines are
available for both diseases. Multiple cat households are
especially at risk.

Interesting cases:
#1 Suzie arrived several weeks before this
photo. She had a corneal (eye) ulcer. The edges
of the ulcer were undermined. Q-tip debridement
and follow-up care will allow this inflamed and
angry eye to heal with only a slight scar. Vision,
in general, should not be impaired.

#2 Dogs can suffer from "hives" just like
people. This extreme example came to us
recently. Treatment was with
antihistamines and steroids. Causes can
include issues such as insects, foods or
even medications. This case was fairly
refractory and required several days for
the skin to normalize.