Atlanta magazine, in its “Best of Atlanta” edition, names Briarcliff Animal Clinic as Atlanta’s best pet hospital. Thanks to all our families and pets for more than 50 years of support.
Archive for December, 2009
BAC wins Atlanta Magazine’s Best of Atlanta 2009
Sunday, December 6th, 2009Laparoscopic Surgery
Saturday, December 5th, 2009Laparoscopic Surgery
Briarcliff Animal Clinic is now offering laparoscopic surgical procedures. A laparoscope allows the surgeon to make a very small incision and introduce a camera into the abdomen to easily visualize everything he or she needs to see. The benefits of laparoscopic procedures over traditional surgical methods include decreased pain, faster healing, better visualization during surgery, and a quick return to normal function for your pet.
The services offered laparoscopically include spays, cryptorchid (when one or both of the testicles do not descend and are in the abdomen) neuters, gastropexies (a prophylactic procedure to prevent the stomach from bloating and flipping causing extreme pain and even death), and intra-abdominal biopsies and exploratories.
Briarcliff Animal Clinic strives to offer the most cutting-edge medical and surgical procedures in order to better your pet’s health. Call today about a laparoscopic procedure for your dog, and in some cases your cat, and Drs. Shannon South and Catherine Lane will be happy to discuss the details with you.
Ferret Health
Saturday, December 5th, 2009Ferrets are wonderful, fun-loving, and curious pets. If you are a ferret owner, you probably know that ferrets can be a handful, but well worth the time invested! Did you know that ferrets need vaccines? The canine distemper virus can be devastating to ferrets, and they can contract the virus as easily as a dog can. We recommend a yearly Ferret Canine Distemper Vaccine. Ferrets also need Rabies vaccines, and we use the 3 year canine vaccine.
Other tips to keep your ferrets healthy include bringing them in for yearly physicals, feeding them a healthy ferret carnivore diet such as Wysong or Evo (kitten food is too high in fat and most ferret treats are high in carbohydrates; these are not recommended), and monitoring for signs of illness. Ferrets typically live about 7-8 years, and there is a variety of common illnesses that can affect them, such as adrenal disease, gastrointestinal disease, and cancer (lymphoma and pancreatic insulinomas). Signs that could indicate that your ferret is sick include hair loss, itchiness, diarrhea, poor appetite, drinking more water/urinating more frequently, weight loss, and decreased activity.
If you note any of these symptoms or if you want to set up a yearly physical and vaccines, please make an appointment with Dr. Peter Muller III or Dr. Shannon South today!
