Contact Numbers:

            Office:              336-526-6013

            Emergencies:   336-526-6013

 

     Hello and welcome to our re-vitalized newsletter. Our hopes are to publish a newsletter twice yearly for our clients with news, tips and advice for your pets and livestock. We will be publishing the newsletter on paper as well as on our website, with the main goal of transitioning 100% to the internet for environmental reasons. If you are on the web, please email us or call our office with your email address so that we can let you know when future editions of the newsletter are available. Our email address is timbercreekvet@triad.rr.com. and don’t forget to visit our website at

www.timbercreekvet.com.

     Our office hours have changed slightly. In the past, we had been open every other Saturday for routine appointments, but as of the first of 2009, we have elected to remain closed on Saturdays. The reasons are many, but mainly so that we can have more time to spend with family. We hope this is not an inconvenience for our clients, but are open to suggestions, ideas or complaints. Please let us know of any concerns. Our weekly hours have remained the same with late nights on Mondays and Thursdays. As usual, we are available for emergencies after hours, even on the weekends. So, if a problem arises on a Saturday, please do not hesitate to contact us via the emergency line.

     Our phone system has changed over the past year and has become somewhat automated. When you call our main number, you will be given many choices. For reasons of simplicity, you may push “1” to reach the front desk and “2” is to be pushed for after hour emergencies.  

     Our emergency line is a dedicated line for emergencies only. When you press “2”, you will be put into the emergency voice mailbox. Please leave your message here, making sure to leave your phone number, and then at the conclusion of your message, the doctor will be paged and return your call as soon as possible. Please use this emergency line for emergencies only and don’t forget to leave your phone number. Without the phone number, we may not be able to return your call. Dr. Schell is routinely available for emergencies, but occasionally is out of town and unavailable. If this is the case, the emergency line will inform you of the back up options. For small animals, the Animal Emergency and Trauma Center, located off Jonestown Rd. in Winston-Salem, is our preferred option when we are not available. For large animals, we recommend Dr. Roger Holt or Dr. Clark Fincher. Again, instructions will be left on the emergency line if Dr. Schell is not available.

     Our practice was opened in 1995 to serve the tri-county area. Thanks to our clients, the past 14 years have been a success. We are here to serve you to the best of our capabilities. Please let us know how we are doing. If you have any suggestions or even complaints, please let us know; in person, by phone or even by email. Your input is important to us so that we may serve you better.

 

 

     We have begun to explore and utilize alternative therapies at our office for both small and large animals. This type of medicine is refered to as CAM or CAVM, which means complimentary alternative medicine. We practice mainly two types of therapies at this time; nutritional and herbal or botanical.

     Dr. Schell became intrigued with both forms of therapy after becoming involved in a research trial evaluating the impact of nutrition on cancer patients. Over the past year, we have become very involved with offering nutritionally and herbal based therapies to help improve the quality of life for our cancer patients. In many instances, the patients responded well with an improved state of well-being as well as evident prolongation to lifespan. In a high number of cases, the nutritionally and herbally supplemented patients outlived their counterparts that received traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation.

     The therapy protocols utilized in our cancer patients can be broadened to include our allergy and arthritis patients as well. In fact, many common ailments and diseases can be managed or at least helped in some way with a change in diet as well as supplemental therapies. 

     The advantages to nutritional and herbal therapies are that they are non-toxic, few if any side effects and in most cases help the patient significantly. 

     When one begins to take notice of the potential side effects of routine prescription medications, alternative therapies become more enticing. 

     Have more questions? Schedule an appointment, email Dr. Schell or visit our website at www.timbercreekvet.com for more information.

 

 

     Do you have a hard time finding a diet that your pet consistently likes? Does your pet have allergies, frequent upset stomach or skin problems? All of these issues could be related to the diet. In today’s world of diet manufacturing, there are many preservatives, additives and colors added to foods; all of which can be triggering health problems in your pet.

     So what is the solution????

     Timbercreek Veterinary Hospital is now carrying Eagle Crest’s Holistic Select line of dog and cat food. This product provides superior nutrition with added antioxidants, with no artificial flavors or added ingredients. The line of food comes in canned or dry and in many different flavors. Come by and get some samples today for the health of your pet.

 

            Small Animal Dentistry

   

     Does your pet have terrible breath or obvious debris built up on their teeth? More than likely they have severe dental tartar and even gingivitis. Tartar is a combination of food debris as well as various minerals that accumulates on the teeth. Small dogs are more predisposed to this problem than larger dogs. Cats are equally predisposed but less commonly diagnosed because few open a cat’s mouth to look around. 

     The tartar is a haven for bacteria to accumulate and grow. The bacteria can then invade the gumline and eventual underlying bone and tooth root. This will lead to not only tooth loss but the bacteria can actually reach the bloodstream and cause problems such as heart failure or even kidney failure.

     This problem is inevitable in most animals, but can be controlled with good oral hygiene. Oral dental treats are great but in most cases, a good dental cleaning is what is required and usually on a yearly basis. Dental cleanings are performed routinely every week in our office but do require general anesthesia. Many are concerned about anesthesia and their pet, but honestly, the risks of NOT performing the procedure are much higher than the risks of running into complications under anesthesia. After the teeth are cleaned, you can then resume your normal brushing or offering of dental treats to reduce further tartar accumulation.

     Dental care is extremely important for overall health. Schedule a dental cleaning for your pet today.

 

     Fleas and Ticks…they are back with the warm weather, but did they really ever leave?? In our region, due to lack of persistent cold temperatures, these ectoparasites tend to persist and quickly emerge with just a hint of warm weather. 

     Given this information, we routinely recommend the application of topical flea/tick products throughout the year. Currently we offer topical Frontline Plus, Advantix and Advantage for our patients. These products have been proven safe and effective in the majority of cases. We are also exploring and hope to carry an all natural flea/tick product in the near future.

     Many of our clients are using “over the counter” flea medications. Please be careful with the use of these products. We have noted for several years that there is an increased risk of seizures, upset stomachs and even death with the use of these products. 

     There are many choices and even many newer flea and tick medications available over the internet and by prescription. Many ask why we do not carry these products and the answer is simple…safety concerns. The majority of these products have only been on the market for a short time, thus we do not have long term safety information. Better to be safe, wait and see what the long term effects are before making that step. A few of these products require the oral or by mouth administration of a medication that will kill fleas for one month. This is a huge concern for us as once this drug is in the system, there is no removing it. Again, this particular product may be safe, but we’d rather err on the side of caution for now.

 

 

     It is almost spring again, make sure your horses are protected. Vaccines are very important and easily forgotten about. So many diseases that are easily prevented by the administration of a vaccine. Keep your horses updated and don’t forget about their Coggin’s Test. This document is required for the admittance to all state parks as well as when competing in sponsored events or crossing state lines. Please give us a call to schedule your horse for this important blood test and vaccines.

     Is your mare pregnant and due to foal?? Are you prepared emotionally and physically? Has your mare been kept off of fescue hay and grass for the last 60-90 days of pregnancy? Do you know the process of foaling and what “red flags” you need to be aware of?

If your mare is due to foal and you answered “NO” to any of the above questions, please give us a call so that we can make sure you are prepared. One of the biggest problems we see in this area is a lack of milk production or agalactia, which is usually due to fescue toxicity. This results in a lack of colostrum for the foal as well as other complications, all of which can lead to infection and even death. This can be a costly mistake. Call us in advance so that we can help.

     Does your horse have arthritis, laminitis (founder) or even navicular disease? Is he or she reliant on pain medications such as bute or even joint injections? Dr. Schell has been working on an all natural joint supplement for horses that has been proven in two research trials to reduce the inflammation associated with these problems. The product is called Cur-OST and is available at our hospital for purchase after being extensively studied. The thing that is most interesting about this product is that first, it is all natural with no noted side effects and second, it is able to reduce inflammation effectively and therefore pain without the need for prescription medications. We realize there are many joint supplements on the market, but this one is unique not only in the ingredients, but also in the mode of action. The list of ingredients is formulated after several human research trials evaluating the impact of various herbs on rheumatoid arthritis. After 30 days of supplementation, many owners have been able to discontinue or reduce the dosage of other pain medications and discontinue the painful habit of joint injections.  Please call us or visit our sister website at www.nouvelleveterinary.com for more information.

 

     No one likes going to the dentist, but for horses it is an absolute must in most cases. Unlike humans, horse’s teeth continually erupt or “grow” until the early 20’s. The upper and lower teeth grind or wear against one another during mastication or chewing. One benefit of this is that the teeth wear themselves down like two stones against one another, but the downside is that during this act or rubbing, they can and do produce sharp edges called enamel points. The enamel points can pinch the tongue or cheek and create moderate pain and even oral ulcers. This is all bad for the horse and can lead to poor feed digestibility and even reduced appetite if bad enough. The good news is that all of this is easily controlled by ‘floating’ of the teeth, which is when the points are reduced or filed down smooth. Most hoses require ‘floating’ at least once yearly, but some seem to do fine with an every other year schedule. It is generally recommended to have your horses evaluated once yearly to see if points are developing. Your horse’s health is the bottom line most important thing. Call us today to schedule a dental exam.

 

 

     Things change yearly at our practice and we just wanted to let everyone know about the services that we currently offer:

·        24 hour hospitalization

·        IV fluid therapy

·        Medical care

·        Surgical care/recovery

·        Gastroscopy

·        Upper airway endoscopy

·        Digital radiography

·        Ultrasound

·        Reproductive services

·        Preventative Care

 

 

 

 

Thank you all for the opportunity to serve you and your pets / horses. We strive to provide the highest quality of care for all of our patients while trying to keep the care affordable. We strive to continue our education yearly so that we can offer the latest in care and even provide newer therapies such as alternative approaches. If there is anything we can improve on or do better, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

            Email: timbercreekvet@triad.rr.com

 

            www.timbercreekvet.com

 

            www.nouvelleveterinary.com

 

 

ONE COUPON PER FAMILY PLEASE.