September is Dental Special Month!  Call now to schedule a dental cleaning to get your pet smile ready for those holiday photos!  Special pricing is available during September.  We do recommend  the Surgical Wellness Plan be included in your pet’s dental treatment plan.  This includes pre-anesthetic blood work, an Intravenous Catheter and Intravenous Fluids.  The Surgical Wellness Plan helps the doctor to evaluate and support your pet before and during the anesthetic procedure.

Welcome, Matt!  Matt joined our practice as a Kennel Attendant, and quickly rose to the position of Veterinary Assistant.  Matt has shown incredible enthusiasm and aptitude for veterinary medicine.  His family has been involved with Arizona Beagle Rescue for quite some time.  He always willing to learn, and is dedicated to giving our clients and patients the best care possible. 

Welcome, Mariah! Mariah has returned to Tatum Point!  She moved to Utah a year ago, but has returned to the Valley and to us.  Utah’s loss is our gain – Mariah worked for a veterinary clinic there and is now a valuable Veterinary Assistant here at TPAH!

Welcome Nikki!  Nikki moved to the Valley from California.  Nikki worked for Bakersfield Animal Control, and was instrumental in greatly increasing the number of animals adopted through the shelter. She is a dedicated animal lover, and has been a great addition to our front office team.

We are delighted to welcome Heather Lynch, RVT CVT to TPAH as our Lead Technician.  Heather is an extraordinarily skilled Veterinary Technician.  She is arguably one of the top technicians in the country.  Heather has a Master’s Degree in Physiology, and is on the forefront of Diabetes Management in a clinical setting.  Heather moved to Arizona from San Diego, CA where she worked for 10 years as a technician and special assistant to a prominent Internal Medicine Specialist at a large specialty hospital.  We are very excited to have Heather with us! 

We offer speakers for your school, church, or any other organization!  Dr. Roice gives a monthly presentation on “Introducing Your Pet to the New Baby” for expectant mothers and families at Paradise Valley Hospital. Our Practice Manager, Vicky Kamm, gives presentations regarding Regulatory Compliance for Veterinary Professionals, as well as on Pet Care and Veterinary Careers for schools.  We can tailor presentations to accommodate any age group.  We also offer tours of the hospital at any time. Heather is popular speaker at many major Veterinary Conferences across the country, with presentations on Diabetes Management and other clinical topics. Give us a call! 

Dr. Roice is now the President of the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association.  She began her one year term as President in June of 2010.  This is a great honor, and Dr. Roice is happy to have the opportunity to give back to the profession she loves so much.   

THE DOCTOR IS IN! -   An important goal for our clients at Tatum Point Animal Hospital is continuity of care for your pet.   We have implemented a new Summer Schedule to better accommodate early morning and late evening appointments.  This will allow for travel to and from the clinic during the cooler parts of the day.

Tatum Point Animal Hospital hours are:

Monday - 7am to 5pm with appointments from 7:30am to 3:30pm.
Tuesday - 7:30am to 8pm with appointments from 8am to 7pm.
Wednesday - 7:30am to 6pm with appointments from 9am to 5pm.
Thursday -  7am to 5pm with appointments from 7:30am to 3:30pm.
Friday - 7:30am to 8pm with appointments from 8am to 7pm.
Saturday – 8am to 2pm with appointments from 8am to 1:30pm.

Moving? Don’t forget about us, we would appreciate a call to update your address ad phone number so that we can continue to keep you up to date on you per’s annual exam’s blood work, and vaccines as well as inform you about upcoming promotions and dental specials!! Just give Alicia, Virginia, or Nikki a call and they will be happy to update your information!

WARM WEATHER TECH TIP
Arizona can be a very dangerous place for pets during the summer season. Make sure outdoor critters have a shady alcove, a constant and clean water supply and a chance to come inside if it ever gets too intolerable.  Better yet, bring ‘em inside!

Best dog walking times are very early morning or after 6 p.m. once the day starts to cool. It can be torture, especially for darker dogs to be out in the sun.  Dogs do not have the same type of body cooling system we do.  They don’t sweat efficiently at all, with most of the body cooling accomplished with panting.  And your canine friend will do anything to please you, including continuing that run with you until they literally drop.  So be very careful about taking your dog with you on those grueling runs!  Other things to consider are:

Concrete and Asphalt - Your dog doesn’t wear shoes, right?  Paws are very sensitive, especially for pets that live the sweet life indoors with us.  Please take into consideration the temperature of the pavement when walking your dog.  It seems like a simple thing, but it is easily overlooked. Walk at dusk or dawn.  Inexpensive booties can be purchase at many pet stores, too.

Cars – It’s illegal to leave your pets unattended in cars, not to mention really, really dumb. The temperature inside a car can broil 20 degrees above the outdoor temperature and quickly kill off cats, dogs, or any living thing left in the car.  Just don’t do it.  Ever.

Air conditioning units – Pets with long hair, long ears or an innate curiosity about whirling, noisy things should definitely be kept far away from the air conditioner. The poor pooches, kitties, lizards and the like can become mutilated, maimed or even killed if they ever get sucked inside.

Grill – Anything that has fresh meat odors wafting from it is going to attract your pets. Teach pets right off the bat that going near the grill is “bad.” Have a little lesson before you even light the grill, just to get the message across. You don’t need your pets milling about a tin basin that’s shooting out flames and fire.  Also, watch out for the area under the grill.  Grease can drip onto small rocks and make the rocks pretty appetizing to a pet looking for a treat.

Flip flops – These comfortable sandal-like contraptions can be heavenly on your feet. But they will also be hell if they end up as a chew toy. Not only will your pet suffer from the dirt, grime, oil, grease and other gunk you’ve stepped in while wearing the things, but the chunks of flip flop rubber have been known to be fatal. Keep flip flops, strappy sandals and other chew-toy-like shoes far from a pet’s toothy reach.

Creepy Crawlies - Watch out for the things with lots of legs (or no legs).  Black Widow spiders, snakes, and scorpions are always a threat.  Keep up on Pest Control around the house, and keep your dog leashed while out walking.