Hi everyone. Sorry for the lack of content this week -I’ve been busy trying to put together my hospital’s Open House & Expo which is happening in a couple of weeks. For anyone who is reading this blog locally, you’re all invited to come down and have some fun with us. It’s not going to be your typical open house with a carnival-like theme (I’m not sure why veterinary hospitals like to do that so much), but rather a showcase for some local non profit groups as well as educational opportunities for all the attendees. Perhaps “The 1st Annual Levittown Pet Owners Convention” would have been a slightly more appropriate title… In any case, details are below. Hope to see some of you there.
There was a local news report last night about dogs dying from canine influenza and how they all need to be protected with this new vaccine. It was your typical media scare-tactic garbage to generate an audience …and it did lead to my office phone ringing off the hook this morning. Does your dog need to be vaccinated with Intervet’s new flu vaccine? The short answer is NO. 
I get asked that question a lot. Sometimes I know the answer, but often I don’t …and that’s by design, as I try not to let my perception of what’s “expensive” influence my medical recommendations for my patients. It my job to answer “What does the patient need?” not “What can the client afford?” But 
Occasionally i receive the odd request from a client for a written prescription for a special food. This is odd to me since there really is no such thing as a prescription food, despite the fact that Hill’s has trademarked the brand name “Hill’s Prescription Diet.” The FDA has no regulatory 