Archive for the ‘Newsletter’ Category

by Brad Phifer, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA

This spring, like many springs before, I had my backyard landscaped—new pots of flowers, fresh green sod with no mud holes or urine burns, and a large deck was built to entertain friends. The yard looks amazing! I feel completely at peace when I am sitting outside with a glass of wine, while my dogs happily run through the yard and soak up the sun while lounging on the deck.

I find it extremely convenient, as do most dog owners, to open my back door and allow the dogs to come in and out freely. I am also prone to leaving the dogs outside for brief periods while I am working inside the house. The majority of the time, this isn’t a problem, however, less than a month after the yard was landscaped and the flowers were planted, I walked out to find my youngest dog happily digging her way to China, while her sister was standing in the flower pot eating the ornamental grasses.

Like any calm, cool, experienced dog trainer would do, I began screaming and yelling while the dogs looked at me like I was crazy. They have plenty of toys and bones available outside, yet they still chose to turn their attention to the new landscaping. Needless to say, I was mad! Read the rest of this entry »

by Dr. Elizabeth Murphy

Christmas trees set the tone for a festive holiday decor, but can pose a danger to curious cats and dogs.  Here’s what to watch for so you can protect your pets:

The Tree:

• Pine needles smell wonderful to us humans but, for some reason, are tasty to some cats and dogs.  Pine needles are not in themselves toxic to pets, but can be very irritating to the pet’s stomach, causing vomiting and a poor appetite.  Keep sweeping up those pine needles as they dry up and drop onto the floor over the next several weeks!

• Anchor your tree securely so that climbing cats and tail-wagging dogs will not knock it over. Read the rest of this entry »

The Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center is proud to announce that our medical director, Dr. William Neumann has earned recognition as a Diplomate with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP), as a Board Certified Specialist in Canine and Feline Practice. Dr. Neumann is one of only five veterinarians in Indianapolis to earn his certification as an ABVP Diplomate. Read the rest of this entry »

by Brad Phifer, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA

As humans we expect a lot from our dogs. We expect them to guard us against a burglar but not the mailman. We expect them to realize it is ok to jump up on Saturday afternoon when we are in garden clothes, but not ok Monday morning when we are in a suit. Many parents expect the dog to tolerate being jumped on, hit and/or poked with a toy without ever lifting a lip or growling to say leave me alone. While many dogs may be tolerant this kind of behavior from children, most will not and should not be expected to do so. Read the rest of this entry »

by Dr. Bill Neumann, Medical Director

There are many types of arthritis that can occur in people and in pets, but the type that most people are referring to when they use the word arthritis, is osteoarthritis.  This type of arthritis occurs over many months to years in response to some type of physical problem with that specific joint. In most cases, this physical problem is caused by acute trauma (think football ACL tear), prolonged repeated excessive strain on a joint, or some type of inherited joint malformation such as dog hip dysplasia.

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by Dr. Christine Heinz

In veterinary school, I was told that roughly 70% of dogs that have ruptured one of their anterior cruciate ligaments (called a cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL, in a dog) will rupture the other one within a year.  Unfortunately, my dog, Staley fell right in line with that statistic.  While I was still studying to become a veterinarian, Staley tore his right CCL and had surgery to repair it.  Eight months later, we were repairing the left as well.  That personal experience with my own dog helped jumpstart my interest in CCL disease in dogs and orthopedic disease in general.

Common symptoms of a CCL injury are limping that worsens with exercise or over time, difficulty jumping or getting up, sitting with the injured leg out to the side, or stiffness in the injured leg.  If you suspect your dog has a CCL injury, your veterinarian will most likely look for swelling in the joint, pain or resistance on range of motion, positive tibial thrust or cranial drawer tests and possibly medial buttress.  Both the tibial thrust and cranial drawer tests demonstrate instability in the joint indicating that the CCL is not intact and holding the joint in place.  Medial buttress is scar tissue that forms on the inside of the knee in response to the instability as the body’s way of trying to hold the joint together.

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We initiated a survey near the end of March 2011, seeking your feedback on our services. We really appreciated each and every response we received, and have been working on ways to serve you and your pets’ needs even better!

As a direct result of many, many suggestions and requests to lengthen our hours and offer some level of emergency service, we are launching a new “Technician-On-Call” service beginning Tuesday, July 5, 2011. This new service is free to all our BRACpets and their families! We recognize that in many cases, you are unsure as to whether your pet needs to be seen at an emergency clinic, or if an issue can wait until the next morning. Our hope is to offer guidance and support to you in these cases, until 10:00pm most evenings.

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Thirty years ago, in 1981 Dr. David Brunner opened the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic in a little shopping center on College Ave. With one employee, he proudly recounts the days when he would see an appointment in the morning, then run to the south side of Indianapolis to cover emergency hours, then hurry back to Broad Ripple for an evening appointment. Through his sheer will power, dedication to veterinary medicine, and love for the community of Broad Ripple and Meridian-Kessler, Dr. Brunner has managed to survive two major recessions and grow the original 800 square foot practice into something quite special.

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Did you know that if left unprotected, your dog has almost a 100% certainty of contracting heartworm disease if exposed to infective larvae? And your cat has a 60-90% chance of infection if left unprotected and is exposed!

In the state of Indiana, there are thousands of veterinary clinics and hospitals. Each practice sees an average of 26-50 positive cases of heartworm disease each year. If you think your pet is safe because they are indoors “most of the time”…think again! We’ve all seen mosquitos in our homes in the summer months, and that’s how pets are exposed to this deadly disease….through mosquito bites.

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by Brad Phifer, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA

The study of dog behavior and training is continuously evolving. Dog training, like parenting, looks different today than it did 10 or 15 years ago. As a pet parent, it is important for you to find a professional dog trainer you feel comfortable with, as well as one who has the necessary skills to meet the needs of you and your dog.

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