Greenbriar Animal Hospital

We are now doing cat boarding, dog & cat daycare, and weekday staff baths!

Cats staying with us get lots of attention. We ask you to bring your cat’s food & litter with your cat so their routine is not changed. Space is limited, so call ahead for reservations.

In need of daycare for your pet(s)? Call us for arrangements. Available most weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We may not have last-minute openings.

Staff baths include nail trims, and are available most weekdays. If your pet has knots or a very thick coat, we may recommend a professional groomer instead. If pets with knots or matts in their hair are bathed, the knots get much tighter and can cause harm. Pets must be current patients and up to date on vaccines.

Working Dogs - Canine Mine Detectors!

Did you know that dogs work at clearing minefields? They find all kinds of unexploded ordinance. In 2008, “explosive remnants of war” were responsible for over 5,000 human casualties. Most of these were civilian injuries, and over 40% of civilian casualties were children.

Only a few dogs are suited to this work. The dogs detect the odor of the explosives, and can find mines masked in gasoline or even hidden underwater. Dogs are trained to sit when they sniff a mine (then they are taken away from the area so the mine can be safely removed or detonated).

It can be confusing for the dogs if there are a lot of mines. In places where multiple explosives are expected, armored vehicles drive through, using a pump to suck air samples into sealed containers. The samples are labeled with GPS coordinates and then sniffed by the detection dogs. If the dogs indicate there are mines, that section is carefully de-mined by humans. So far, the mine detecting dogs have cleared huge amounts of land in many war-torn parts of the world.

The dogs are fast at their work. They can clear an area 12 to 15 times larger than a human can in the same amount of time. The dogs are retired to loving homes after a 6-year working life. For more information, check out ‘United Nations Mine Action Service’.

Do you have a cat that might have food intolerances, food allergies, or other allergies? How do you tell? Ask us!

These cats can have picky appetites, frequent vomiting, loose stools, or difficulty maintaining a desired weight. Cats with food allergies AND cats with other allergies also can have constantly itchy ears, itchy face, fanny, and/or skin, and even constant or recurring scabs or sores. New Feline HA dry food can be used as a food trial for food allergies as well as a hypoallergenic food for cats with skin problems. Call us for more information, and a free sample (samples available for a limited time only).

Ticks and tick removal:

In our area, we have Deer ticks, Brown Dog ticks, Lone Star Ticks, and American Dog Ticks. They live here in large numbers, year-round. They carry and spread Lyme disease, Erlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, and more. Taken as a group, diseases spread by ticks (called “Tick-Borne Diseases” or “TBD’s”) are our most common diagnoses for sick cats and dogs.

What to do to help keep ticks from biting your pet? Use Frontline or the new generic Fiproguard. It is important to use this preventative every month, all year round. Unfortunately, ticks are tough and can sneak in sometimes even when Fiproguard is used regularly.

Common symptoms of TBD can include lethargy, decreased appetite, limping, being stiff and sore, and lots more. Older pets often seem to age rapidly with TBD. Symptoms are almost always reversible with treatment. Many pets with TBD never had a known tick bite, so don’t discount the possibility because you didn’t see a tick! A simple blood test will tell us if your pet needs to be treated.

If your pet gets a tick, remove it. Use a tick remover (stop by and ask us for a free one) or tweezers. Don’t squeeze the tick and do your best not to touch it with bare hands – there are some TBD’s that you can get from handling a tick! Once you remove a tick, flush it. If you don’t think you removed the entire tick, don’t poke around to get more. Call us to schedule an exam –we’ll tell you if your pet should have blood tests done (and when), or if a course of antibiotics is needed.

Litter boxes – for the best luck in having cats use their litter boxes all the time, have one box per cat or one box per floor of your home, whichever is more. Cats prefer large, uncovered boxes. Don’t suddenly move a litter box, or change litter type. For more pros and cons, see our handout “Litter Box Tips”.

Did you adopt a rescued cat or dog, or plan to soon? Stop by to discuss behavior issues with Dr. Olson. Most rescued pets come with problems (or develop problems). Expect things like marking, separation anxiety, fear of strangers, excessive barking, etc. A little planning can make a difference, as can treatment, dog or cat pheromones, and special training.

Trying to get a good photo of your dog and not having much luck? Use a telephoto so they don’t notice you. Don’t use a flash. And take lots of photos – I often take 10 to 20 photos of Madison to get one I like. I took 16 photos of Madison on the hike on 9/24/11. I got this photo plus 5 others that will be OK for her photo gallery. This was a really extraordinary photo day as I often shoot this many photos and get nothing I want to save!

New treatment for hyperthyroid cats ...

– via prescription food, no medication needed! This is a real breakthrough for feline medicine. Thyroid disease is a common & increasing problem for middle-aged and elderly cats. It is caused by an almost always benign proliferation of extra, un-needed thyroid cells that over-produce hormones. 

Feline Y/D (the new food) does not contain any medication. Instead, it works by having a very low iodine concentration. Thyroid cells need iodine to live, and there is not enough iodine in this food to support the over-population of thyroid cells. The extra thyroid cells will “starve”.

This new treatment can be used for both newly diagnosed hyperthyroid cats AND cats currently on medication. If your cat will eat the special food, it will take 3 to 12 weeks to be able to stop all medication. The special food comes in both dry and wet forms, and will be available in October. We already have a few free trial kits of Y/D. If you have a hyperthyroid cat, please contact us about getting a free trial kit (while supplies last), or to ask any questions you may have.

To celebrate the new treatment for hyperthyroid cats, we are encouraging everyone to have tests done for cats and dogs 7 years of age and older. Through November 15^th, we are offering a 40% discount on wellness blood test panels that include a thyroid level. Wellness tests are scheduled with a checkup or recheck exam, or within 6 months of a checkup exam. Sick pet testing is not part of this special. Discounted tests include:

• “Senior Pet Panel” with CBC (Complete Blood Count), comprehensive chemistry (tests liver, kidneys, pancreas, electrolytes, and more), & thyroid level. For cats and dogs.
• “Senior Pet Panel plus Heartworm test” – for dogs.
• “Senior Pet Panel plus recheck TBD or Tick Borne Disease test” – for cats and dogs.

These tests are run daily and results are available the same or the next business day; the blood sample amount needed is only 1.2cc (about ¼ teaspoon) to run any of these 3 test panels.

Does your pet have bad breath?

Is there gingivitis, plaque, or tartar? Or would you like to help prevent these problems? Try DH dry food! It is good for teeth and gum health, yummy, and is also low calorie. Ask for information and a free sample of DH dry food for your dog or cat.

Bad breath, gingivitis, and/or tartar can also be helped by our Brushless Oral Care products for cats and dogs: Maintenance Oral Gel (to rub on gums), Therapeutic Mouthwash (to squirt into pet’s mouth), and there’s a Drinking Water Additive, too. You’ll get the best results from using 2 or more of these helpful products, but even one is worthwhile. Anything you can do to help your pet’s teeth and gums is a good thing! Don’t forget about dental chews/dental treats, and brushing teeth if you can! Also, persistent bad breath should trigger a call for an appointment, as some pets with bad breath need teeth cleaning or have other issues that should be addressed.