VRC

Happy Mother's Day from all of us at VRC!

Today is World Veterinary Day! We’d like to thank all of our dedicated and hardworking staff for everything they do. Today we celebrate all of the veterinarians who go above and beyond for their patients. To our colleagues in the veterinary community please know that we need you, we appreciate you, and you are loved.

We invite you to check out a beautiful page: Raven Rocks. Raven was a patient here at VRC, who recently lost her battle with lymphoma. In her memory, her mom created this lovely group on Facebook where she leaves painted rocks along various trails for people to find. From her page: "If you find a Raven rock - please feel free to keep it, move it to another trail, or just take a photo of it and then post here about your find "... If on your next hike you find a Raven rock, please help her spread the love and further memorialize her beautiful girl.

Who remembers Sharkie?! This fun-loving guy officially turned 1! In typical Sharkie (and Nurse Ash!) style, he celebrated the occasion with some cake, steak, and his best pals. The fact that Sharkie made it to his first birthday is truly amazing. If you don't know his story or need a refresher, we encourage you to check it out here: https://bit.ly/3b5i59q ... In the meantime, please join us in wishing Sharkie a very happy first birthday!

From our family to yours, Happy Easter!

Ready to tackle some spring cleaning? Be sure to keep a close watch over your pets around cleaning products. Remember, "natural" doesn't necessarily mean pet-safe!

We have great news to share! Our oncologist, Dr. Colleen Martin, is back from her maternity leave and is ready to start seeing cases again. She is available Tuesday through Friday. For more information about our oncology services, click here: https://bit.ly/3pZVHVS

January is #NationalWalkYourPetMonth! However you walk 'em, let's see 'em - share a picture in the comments below of how you walk your pet. If you are unable to walk your pet, give us a call and we would be happy to recommend a reliable dog walking service!... Remember, if it's too cold for you, it's too cold for your pet. Please walk responsibly.

For this week's #fanfriday we bring you the adorable, Carly! This brave Beagle underwent two surgeries with Dr. Tracy this past year to treat her IVDD. Her mom sent us a very sweet Christmas card with an update on her progress. We are so happy to see this girl back to her fun-loving self!

Happy New Year! As a reminder, we are open 24/7 for all pet emergencies. If you need us, call (610) 647-2950.

Brrr...it's getting colder out there! Extremely cold temperatures can cause serious problems for animals who are outside for even short periods of time. Most pets are not bred to withstand temperatures below freezing (32F). Check out our tips to help keep your pet safe during the colder months ahead.

WE HAVE A NEW HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE The winner of the 2020 VRC Pet Hall of Fame is Ralphie! Ralphie was brought to VRC after being attacked by another dog, sustaining severe wounds. He was hospitalized for 2 months, with the majority of his stay in the ICU. He had a very large wound that required daily sedated bandage changes. The wound took up most of his back, impeding his range of motion at times. He later became ill with a very serious infection causing his kidneys ...to shut down. Despite severe pain, bandage changes, urinary catheters, wound vacs, and infections, Ralphie remained true to his sweet disposition and quickly became a staff favorite. Sadly, Ralphie succumbed to his wounds and passed away. Why Ralphie was nominated for the VRC Pet Hall of Fame: - No matter how miserable he must have been at times, he always trotted off to go outside with a little bounce in his step. - Ralphie managed to touch every person in this hospital, whether they saw him every day, just heard about him from others, or spoke with his parents. Ralphie was such a trooper through everything we needed to do. He was a hospital favorite who will live in our memories and our hearts. - He went through so much have numerous wet to bandages, sedations, a lot of pain and infection. It took its toll on poor little Ralphie and through it all, he was the sweetest bravest little dog. Join us in welcoming Ralphie as our 3rd inductee to our Pet Hall of Fame, and share the love for ALL of our amazing nominees in the comments below! Read all the inspiring nominee pet stories from 2020 in our official Pet Hall of Fame photo album.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! As a reminder, we are open 24/7 for any pet emergency. Give us a call at (610) 647-2950.

Today we bring you a very special #FanFriday story, meet Fenway! Like so many dogs, Fenway was diagnosed with Laryngeal Paralysis (aka LarPar). He came to see Dr. Ken Sadanaga for a very successful Bilateral Vocal Fold Excision (Mucosoplasty) & Bilateral Arytenoidpexy (BVEAP) surgery. As soon as we met Fenway, we knew he was special. While he never officially became a certified therapy dog as his mom hoped, Fenway has always done it in his own way by instinctively seeking out... the people (usually perfect strangers) who need it most. When he meets these people, he instantly comforts them with a kiss on the cheek or even a leap on their lap. His mom is filled with pride every day for his generous heart. Despite his various medical conditions, including a recent lymphoma relapse, Fenway continues to spread his love, warmth, and happiness to countless folks in his neighborhood...at a rate far greater than before his LarPar & lymphoma diagnoses, and with a quality far more spiritually intense. The collage below represents just a few of the many souls Fenway has touched on his journeys. We are so honored to have been a part of Fenway's healthcare team and to share his story. The world needs more Fenways!

Every day at VRC we witness the strength and resilience of pets in our care, and the warmth and compassion of their owners. We are often inspired and encouraged by their determination to overcome whatever life throws at them. These pets tug at our hearts and we carry their stories with us. This is why we formed a special Pet Hall of Fame - to honor these special pets. While all pets that come through our doors touch our hearts, there are some that directly and profoundly imp...act our lives and inspire us with their brave stories. Shared in this album are a few special pets nominated by our own VRC staff members that visited our hospital in the past year. With your help, one of these pets will be inducted into our 2020 Pet Hall of Fame! Simply like the photo of the story that felt inspirational to you. You can vote for as many stories you want. Voting is NOW OPEN through Tuesday, December 22nd. The winner and newest inductee will be announced Wednesday, December 23rd!

This holiday season, we hope your home is filled with fun and holiday cheer! It's important to consider your pet's safety when decorating and preparing holiday meals. Check out our holiday pet safety tips.

May light and love fill your home. To all those who celebrate, we wish you a very Happy Hanukkah!