Compassion Veterinary Hospital

07/11/2024

To Our Valued Compassion Veterinary Clients,
As you may realize, after COVID, there is a severe and ongoing shortage of veterinarians. Several local hospitals have lost key veterinary team members in recent months and our own practice has become increasingly busy. It's very important to the Compassion Team that we do all we can to meet your expectations and assure your pets never have a lapse in needed medication or food. Due to State Law requirements, we want to be sure you all work with us to keep your pets up to date on their annual physical exam and bloodwork so that they can get refills without delay. Dr. Sarah Mills and I both want to ensure all of you that our staff is doing everything we can to get heartworm and flea/tick preventatives, other prescription medications and foods refilled in a timely fashion. Many of those products are available right here at Compassion Vet for your convenience with rebates to help you save money. And this is the fastest place for refills, usually within 24-48hours. Other products can be filled through online pharmacies but please allow up to a week for those to be processed. And finally, for those of you whose pets need specialty compounded medications through compounding pharmacies like Wedgewood, please note that recent changes in Federal Law have caused extreme delays in the filling of those prescriptions. Please allow at least three weeks lag time to ensure your pet does not run out of needed, lifesaving medication. Be aware that in order for us to comply with the laws of the State of NH Board of Veterinary Medicine, we must do a complete annual physical examination on your pet. And to comply with state law as well as with our liability insurance, all pets coming in must be up to date on a Rabies vaccination. The only exception is a pet who has been given an annual medical exclusion issued by a Board Certified Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist and the State Veterinarian. And most medications require blood tests at least once a year to be sure we are doing no harm to your pet and that the medication is being prescribed safely. We are very sorry for the delays, but appreciate your patience in these matters. As always, we appreciate your business and love caring for your fur kids!
Sincerely,
Dr. Diane Richter

11/29/2023

Good Morning,

We wanted to share with you one of the best articles we’ve seen on coughing dogs. It perfectly sums up how both Vets at CVH feel, be aware but there’s no cause for major alarm.

Yes, there is a respiratory disease of unknown origin in the US affecting dogs.

Yes, it is in NH.

Yes, CVH has seen it…BUT…

We’ve seen a total of 2 dogs, one last winter and 1 this fall. The one this fall respond rapidly to medication. The one last winter took a little more time, but is 100% normal now. Considering all the dogs we see, that’s a really low number.

Typical Kennel Cough is still out there and most dogs we see have that and are not super ill.

Most dogs who get the atypical respiratory disease do just fine and recover quickly. While it is true a small subset get very ill, this is not every dog.

There are common sense things you can and should do for your furry family member.

First, we recommend all dogs be vaccinated against Flu and Kennel Cough. While multiple state pathology labs (including UNH’s) are working on isolating this agent, protecting your dog against common pathogens is a good idea. This is doubly important for dogs that go to stores with you or to grooming, training or daycare.
Second, if your dog is coughing without a diagnosis, please KEEP THEM HOME. If you need to bring them in for vet care, please CALL US FROM THE PARKING LOT so we can limit exposure in the hospital. We may come outside to you or bring you directly in so your pet is not in the lobby.
Third, if your dog is EXPOSED to the new cough at daycare or by another means they STAY HOME FOR 14 DAYS to make sure they don’t come down with it and expose other dogs.

As always, if you have concerns about your pet’s health give our Front Desk staff a call. They’d be happy to make you an appointment.

Drs. Richter and Mills

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/uc-davis-school-of-veterinary-medicine-weighs-in-on-mystery-dog-disease/

11/20/2023

Dear Compassion Family,

We are all SO excited about the new parking lot. No more axle-breaking potholes!

They assure us "soon" they will have the parking stripes laid down. But until that time, bear with us.

PLEASE do not park in the driveway. The new narrow driveway the state made us put in for the permit makes it dangerous for people entering and leaving the highway if anyone parks in the narrow driveway.

Also, PLEASE do not park in front of the vet hospital or daycare area unless you have a handicapped sticker. If you need help getting your dog into either building, park in the regular parking lot, and come in to get help from the staff.

With the new narrow driveway we may even have to move our handicapped parking, but once the parking lines are in place, the flow will make more sense to all.

THANK YOU for your patience!

We appreciate ALL of you so very much.

Dr Diane Richter and the Compassion Team

11/20/2023

Dear Compassion Family,

PLEASE DO NOT BRING COUGHING DOGS INTO THE BUILDING. CALL US FIRST SO WE CAN SCREEN YOUR FUR KIDS IN THE PARKING LOT.

AND IF ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD IS SICK, PLEASE MASK UP! AND IF YOU ARE COVID POSITIVE, PLEASE DO NOT COME IN. THANK YOU.

MORE BELOW:

I wanted to take a moment to let you know about a concerning new respiratory infection being seen around the country.

Thus far we have not had reports in our area, but with travel over the holidays, it is only a matter of time.

What we know thus far:

This emerging new infection can make dogs sick with coughing that looks like "kennel cough" (infectious tracheobronchitis) and then rapidly progresses to life threatening pneumonia, which requires weeks of hospitalization at 24 hour referral centers.

Thus far it does not respond to any antibiotics, including doxycycline. So they think it is likely viral. A new virus we have yet to identify.
This infection tests negative for all know infectious agents, all viruses, all bacteria, all mycoplasma and even negative for covid-19.
In other words, we have no idea WHAT this is. and they suspect it is an NEW infectious agent.

In addition, there have been reports of humans working around these dogs becoming sick with similar respiratory pneumonia, that does not respond to antibiotic treatment. So this could be a zoonotic disease that is contagious to dogs AND humans.

At daycare and boarding we already require all the vaccines that are available to protect dogs, and we clean with an excellent product, and really do all we can to minimize risks.

That having been said, PLEASE do realize, that boarding and daycare when there is an emerging illness increases risk of exposure even with our best efforts.

We will keep you abreast of the situation as this emerges.

Best, Dr Diane Richter

11/15/2023

2023 HOSPITAL HOLIDAY HOURS:
Closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday 11/23 & Friday 11/24. Closed on Christmas Day 12/25 & New Year's Day 1/1/24.
BOARDING/DAYCARE HOLIDAY HOURS: Closed on Thanksgiving Day 11/23, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 12/24 & 12/25 and New Year's Eve & New Year's Day 12/31 & 1/1/24. There will be NO Daycare on Friday 11/24 and Boarding drop offs & pick ups will be limited to 7:30-8am and 4:30-5pm.
There is VERY LIMITED availability for Daycare on Wednesday 11/22. Please make sure you already have a reservation, otherwise, you may be turned away.

11/02/2023

The hospital & daycare will be closed on Friday, November 10 to have our parking lot expanded and paved. There will be no boarding drop-offs or pick-ups. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding.

03/30/2023

ASK US ABOUT OUR ONCE A YEAR HEART WORM SHOT

Have you ever forgotten to give your dog their monthly Heart Worm medication? Yeah…us too. We all know it’s important, but life is busier than ever and it’s so easy to forget those things. We get it!

That’s why we’re so excited to let you know that starting in April, Compassion Veterinary Hospital will be adding a new product to our arsenal of parasite prevention, a one time injection that treats your dog for 12 months! Proheart 12 has been on the market in the US for years now and is very safe and as importantly very effective!

Heart Worm cases are on the rise in New England. Both the Compassion doctors have seen native New Hampshire dogs who have become infected in recent years. And our southern colleagues are reporting more resistance to oral medications.

Proheart 12 helps you protect your furry family member by providing year round protection with no lapse and no struggling to get a picky dog to eat the pill.

When you’re due to renew your prescription for Interceptor or Heartgard we’d love to answer any questions you may have and help you decide if this medication is right for you and your family.

10/18/2022

Did you know it's National Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week? Drs. Richter and Mills would like to take a moment to thank our entire staff in honor of this week. Our dedicated staff do so much behind the scenes, from cleaning to cuddling and loving your pets when they're with us we simply couldn't provide the care we do without them. In the coming weeks we'll be posting photos of their own fur family members in the building, but in the meantime if you're here this week, show them some love, they absolutely deserve it!

11/18/2021

10/29/2021

10/15/2021

We value all of our clients and, up to this point, have absorbed all credit and debit card processing fees internally. The cost of accepting electronic payments continues to rise and with so many customers paying with credit or debit cards, the cost of doing business by accepting these forms of payment continues to increase. In order to keep our prices competitive and our business profitable, those transactions will incur a 3.5% non-cash adjustment to help offset the fees we must pay to process those payments. We encourage clients to pay by cash or check whenever possible as these will not incur the fee. We understand some clients may not agree with this decision, but we thank you all for your understanding and continued loyalty.

05/28/2021

We hope you all have a safe and healthy Memorial Day! The hospital will be closed Monday May 31, 2021. We will reopen at 8:00 am on Tuesday June 1, 2021. If you need any food or refills on prescriptions, please call ahead of time. If you have an emergency please call CAVES at 603-227-1199.

There will be no daycare on Monday May, 31, 2021. Boarding pick-ups and drops-offs will be between the hours of 7:30am-8:00am and 4:30pm-5:00pm. We will be open our regular hours on Tuesday June, 1, 2021. If you would like to make a boarding reservation, please call us ahead of time. There is an extra $10 surcharge fee for holiday boarding.

02/01/2021

WE WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 2, 2021 DUE TO THE STORM. WE WILL BE BACK WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3. IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL CAVES AT 603-227-1199. SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.

12/16/2020

We hope you all have a nice Holiday!
The hospital will be open from 8:00am-12:00pm, boarding will be open from 7:00am-12:00pm for drop-offs/pick-ups on Christmas Eve, there will be no daycare. We will be closed Christmas Day, so there will be no drop-offs or pickups. The hospital and boarding will be open with normal hours on Monday, December 28th.
Happy New Year! The hospital will be open from 8:00am-12:00pm, boarding will be open from 7:00am-12:00pm for drop-offs/pick-ups on New Year's Eve. We will be closed on January 1st, so there will be no drop-offs, pickups, or daycare. The hospital and boarding will be open our normal hours on January 4th. If you would like to make a boarding reservation, please call us ahead of time. There is an extra $10 surcharge fee for holiday boarding. IF YOUR PET IS BOARDING WITH US, PLEASE CALL 603-938-5733 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

If you need any food or refills on prescriptions, PLEASE CALL AHEAD OF TIME! 603-938-5500

IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL CAVES at 603-227-1199.

11/20/2020

HOSPITAL: We will be closed Thursday November 26, Friday 27th, and Saturday 28th. We will reopen at 8:00 am on Monday November 30, 2020. If you need any food or refills on prescriptions, please call ahead of time. If you have an emergency please call CAVES at 603-227-1199.

BOARDING: There will be NO pick-up or drop-offs on Thanksgiving Day, November 26th, 2020. There will be no Day Care on the 26th or the 27th. There will be a holiday surcharge for dogs boarding over the holiday. If you have a question for boarding, please call 603-938-5733. We hope you all have a nice and safe Thanksgiving!

10/30/2020

10/06/2020

We hope you all have a safe and healthy Columbus Day! The hospital will be closed Monday October 12th, 2020. We will reopen at 8am on Tuesday October 13th, 2020. If you need any food or refills on prescriptions, please call ahead of time. If you have an emergency please call CAVES at 603-227-1199. We will be closed for daycare on Monday October 12th, 2020. Pick up and drop off times are between 7:30-8am and between 5:00-5:30pm. If you have any questions for boarding or daycare, please call the BOARDING number at 603-938-5733.

09/02/2020

We hope you all have a safe and healthy Labor Day! The hospital will be closed Monday September 7th, 2020. We will reopen at 8am on Tuesday September 8th, 2020. If you need any food or refills on prescriptions, please call ahead of time. If you have an emergency please call CAVES at 603-227-1199. We will be closed for daycare on Monday September 7th, 2020. Pick up and drop off times are between 7:30-8am and between 4:30-5pm. If you have any questions for boarding or daycare, please call the BOARDING number at 603-938-5733.

07/06/2020

MISSING GOLDEN RETRIEVER, NAME IS ARLOW. HAS A BLUE BLOW UP COLLAR ON HIM. IF ANYONE HAS SEEN HIM, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL AT 603-938-5500 OR CALL NUMBER ON FLYER.

06/27/2020

We hope you all have a Happy 4thof July! The hospital will be closing at noon Thursday July 2, 2020. We will be closed Friday July 3, 2020. We will reopen at 8:00 am on Monday July 6, 2020. If you need any food or refills on prescriptions, please call ahead of time. If you have an emergency please call CAVES at 603-227-1199.

Boarding drop-off and pick-up times on Friday July 3, 2020 will be between 7:30am-8:00am and 4:30pm-5:00pm. There will be no daycare on Friday July 3, 2020. Have a fun and safe holiday!!!

05/22/2020

We hope everyone has a safe, healthy and happy Memorial Day weekend! Please call CAVES at 227-1199 for emergency needs. We will see you back on Tuesday May 26th!

05/22/2020

We want to thank everyone for their support during COVID-19! Stay safe! Special thanks to Jazzy Adams!

08/30/2019

We will be closed Monday, September 2nd for Labor Day. We hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend! We will be open again starting the next day, September 3rd. If you have a pet emergency this Labor Day, please call CAVES 603-227-1199

07/18/2019

It's been a fun week here at daycare, plenty of running around and cooling down in the pool!

07/12/2019

It has been a great week for playing outside and dipping our paws in the water! Featuring: Forest, Bella, Luna, Patsy, Maggie, Guzzi, Bodie and Findlay