Garden Grove Dog & Cat Hospital

10/31/2022

05/04/2020

May the 4th be with you!

04/28/2020

New CDC Guidelines for Pets

CDC public health news, press releases, government public health news, medical and disease news, story ideas, photos.

04/10/2020

Breaking News:

New research has demonstrated that some cats can be infected and become ill with COVID-19.
Currently there is still no evidence that your pet can spread the virus back to people and dogs seem less vulnerable.
Please make sure that if you are sick or exhibiting any symptoms of Coronavirus, that you have someone else care for your pets (especially our feline friends).

Cats can become infected with the new coronavirus but dogs appear not to be vulnerable, according to a study published on Wednesday, prompting the WHO to say it will take a closer look at transmission of the virus between humans and pets.

04/07/2020

FYI.
Your pets should be OK
At this point there is no evidence that domestic cats and dogs can transmit COVID-19. But if you are sick, have others care for your furry friends to minimize exposure and spread to others by contact.

Four tigers and three lions at the Bronx Zoo all had one of the symptoms of a respiratory infection: a dry cough. What does this finding mean for cats and dogs?

04/03/2020

Just a smile for Friday

03/20/2020

COVID-19 UPDATE
Due to the rapidly escalating Coronavirus pandemic. Garden Grove Dog and Cat Hospital has increased our security protocols for both your health and the health of our staff. Our goal is to remain open and available to continue to provide your pets with their medical and surgical needs. Clients are not allowed in the building at this time. We are asking you to call us from your cell phone when arriving in our parking lot. We will take a brief history by phone and then send a technician to meet you at your vehicle and bring your pet inside for a physical exam with one of our doctors. The doctor will then call you to discuss recommendations and costs. Financial transactions will be taken care of through our online payment portal and credit card (as well as check and cash via the front mail slot). Medications and prescription diets are still available for curbside pick up and can also be shipped to you at a flat rate. Contact us for specifics. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience during this difficult time.

03/17/2020

An UPDATE on COVID-19 and Your Pets - Because We Care

Garden Grove Dog and Cat Hospital would like to give you a quick update on COVID-19 and the steps we are taking to help ensure that your pets will continue to receive their necessary care. We believe that veterinary medicine is an “essential” service, perhaps now more than ever. The Human-Animal Bond is among our most crucial needs helping us navigate through times of strife or crisis. Our pets are integral parts of our families and we will attempt to make every effort to safeguard their health and well-being. This being said, it is essential that we work together to help maintain the health and effectiveness of our veterinary team to continue to support our clients and patients. The current COVID-19 situation is fluid and rapidly developing. Here is some information for your consideration:

Garden Grove Dog and Cat Hospital is making significant efforts to maintain the well-being of both our clientele and staff members. We have increased our disinfection protocols and are limiting the number of clients in our reception area and our exam rooms. We are adopting enhanced drop off options for healthy pets with elective surgeries and procedures. As the situation is rapidly changing, we are currently investigating additional options to help maintain the health and safety of both our staff and clients while providing the essential care necessary for our patients.

Your Pets and Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Currently, there is no evidence that pets can become sick. Infectious disease experts, as well as the CDC, OIE, and WHO indicate there is no evidence to suggest that pet dogs or cats can be a source of infection with SARS-CoV-2, including spreading COVID-19 to people. More investigation is underway and as we learn more, we will update you. However, because animals can spread other diseases to people and people can also spread diseases to animals, it’s a good idea to always wash your hands before and after interacting with animals.

If you are sick with COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed), you should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. This can help ensure both you and your animals stay healthy.
When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. Avoid contact with your pet including, petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with them.

For Any Pet Visit to Garden Grove Dog and Cat Hospital

It is essential that anyone displaying symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, or shortness of breath) or who has traveled internationally in the last 14 days or to an area in the United States with high incidence of COVID-19 call from the car to discuss the situation. We have plans in place to help ensure your pet receives the care it needs. This can include having a staff member in personal protective equipment meet you at your car to bring the pet into ourhospital.

- As we are a “walk-in” facility, and to avoid a crowded reception lobby, we are currently advising clients to call our office when arriving in our parking lot to be placed on our waiting list. Wait with your pet(s) in your vehicle and we will call when an exam room becomes available. In the event of an “emergency situation” our staff members can join you at your vehicle to bring your pet into the hospital for more immediate evaluation.

- Visits to hospitalized patients will be significantly limited. Please contact our doctors or hospital manager if you have concerns about visitation.

- No personal items can be kept with the pet while hospitalized, including blankets, toys, collars, leashes, etc.

- Please clean your carriers, leash, and collar as carefully as possible before arrival with an appropriate alcohol-based disinfectant in the event our staff needs to handle them.

- Please use the sanitizing agents at the front desk upon arrival.

- Please respect the ‘social distancing’ recommendations and maintain a distance of 6 feet from others, and refrain from shaking hands.

THANK YOU for your understanding and please do not hesitate to call us with any questions (714) 537-8800. We’re here for you, your patients, and the communities in which we live. We will continue to keep you informed as news and information becomes available. Be well.

More detailed information regarding COVID-19 is available on our website at: ggpethospital.com

03/17/2020

Garden Grove Dog and Cat Hospital wants to assure you that we understand that PETS are FAMILY and that we are here continuing to provide for their health, well-being, medical and surgical needs. Here is information regarding COVID-19.

https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/covid-19-faq-pet-owners_031620.pdf

01/22/2020

Please don't throw away your older towels and blankets. GGDCH will gladly accept donations of extra bedding to help keep our furry friends warm and comfortable during their stays with us. Thank You!

12/31/2019

Wishing Everyone a Happiness and Good Health for the New Year!

10/15/2019

Dr. Mark.... So Serious.

10/15/2019

Just a friendly reminder from Charlie: Chocolate is toxic to dogs (no matter what they think).

10/14/2019

Hey Everyone! Please help us select the best pumpkin from our talented staff and doctors. Give us your comments and votes. Happy Halloween!!!

08/26/2019

08/23/2019

It's all about Charlie.....

08/02/2019

News out today.

Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Pet Treats

07/30/2019

More News for Pet Owners to Digest

Understand what the FDA's grain-free diet alert could mean for your dog's health.

07/30/2019

CVM is concerned about the public health risk of raw pet food diets.

07/24/2019

The small spines (called papillae) on a cat's tongue are very rough, a little bit like a rasp. So, when a cat washes, this rasp goes deep into the fur touching the skin. The dragging spines stimulate skin glands into releasing a series of body chemicals that help make the coat water-resistant.

07/22/2019

Some Summer Safety Tips from the ASPCA:

We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but being overeager in hot weather can spell danger. To prevent your pet from overheating, take these simple precautions provided by ASPCA experts:

Visit the vet for a spring or early-summer checkup. Make sure your pets get tested for heartworm if they aren’t on year-round preventative medication.
Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it’s hot or humid outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful not to over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.
Know the symptoms of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. Symptoms can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.
Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. Not only can it lead to fatal heat stroke, it is illegal in several states!
Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool—not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals.
Open unscreened windows pose a real danger to pets, who often fall out of them. Keep all unscreened windows or doors in your home closed, and make sure adjustable screens are tightly secured.
Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs’ coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. And be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled specifically for use on animals.
When the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close to the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.
Commonly used rodenticides and lawn and garden insecticides can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested, so keep them out of reach. Keep citronella candles, tiki torch products and insect coils of out pets’ reach as well. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you suspect your animal has ingested a poisonous substance.
Remember that food and drink commonly found at barbeques can be poisonous to pets. Keep alcoholic beverages away from pets, as they can cause intoxication, depression and comas. Similarly, remember that the snacks enjoyed by your human friends should not be a treat for your pet; any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe digestive ailments. Avoid raisins, grapes, onions, chocolate and products with the sweetener xylitol. Please visit our People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets page for more information.
Please leave pets at home when you head out to Fourth of July celebrations, and never use fireworks around pets. Exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns or trauma, and even unused fireworks can contain hazardous materials. Many pets are also fearful of loud noises and can become lost, scared or disoriented, so it’s best to keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area of your home.

07/22/2019

HOT CARS KILL DOGS!
Be extra careful and leave your pets at home.

12/02/2018

Happy Hanukkah!

02/28/2018

Too Funny.

Directed by James Rautmann Written by Phil Jones and Kristin Kelly Produced by Mark Mazur, Trent Hilborn and Phil Jones Executive Produced by Elizabeth Ryan-...

02/08/2018

Valentine's Day is just around the corner (Shared from Dr. Weitz)

12/30/2017

Happy New Year Everyone. We look forward to helping keep your pets happy and healthy for years to come. Cheers!

12/21/2017

It's Christmastime, and that means dogs are now at peak risk of chocolate poisoning

Dogs are more likely to encounter chocolate during the Christmas season than at any other time of the year, new research shows. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)
Karen KaplanContact Reporter

It may be the most wonderful time of the year for people, but it's a time of peak peril for our pets.
Dogs, in particular, face a heightened risk of chocolate poisoning during the Christmas season. According to a new study, the risk is nearly five times greater than at holiday-free times of the year.

Researchers came to this conclusion by scouring patient records from 500 clinics that are part of the United Kingdom’s Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network. They reviewed 2.7 million records of dogs seen between November 2012 and May 2017 and identified 386 cases of “chocolate exposure” suffered by 375 animals.
The study authors, from the University of Liverpool, hypothesized that these illnesses were clustered around holidays known to feature chocolate: Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween.
To see if this was indeed the case, they compared vet records during four “risk periods” — one week before and two weeks after each of the holidays — to records from other, “non-festival dates.”

It's OK to dress your dog in a Santa hat, but don't let him sample your hot chocolate. (Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP/Getty Images)
Sure enough, they found that cases of chocolate poisoning were 4.74 times more common during the Christmas risk period than during less wonderful times of the year. In addition, the risk of chocolate poisoning nearly doubled during the Easter risk period compared with the holiday-free baseline.
According to the patients’ files, the most common sources of chocolate were candy bars and gift boxes (35 cases), followed closely by Easter eggs (31 cases). Chocolate cupcakes came in third (22 cases) and chocolate oranges were fourth (15 cases). A combined category of chocolate rabbits, Santa Claus figurines, Advent calendars and Christmas tree decorations accounted for another 10 cases of poisoning, and six more were blamed on Toblerone consumption. Then there were five dogs who consumed chocolate liqueurs and one who lapped up a hot chocolate drink.
Typically, the amount of chocolate consumed was deemed “small,” but the study authors noted one exception: a dog that ingested “a garden of Easter eggs hidden for a large party of children.”
Chocolate is dangerous for dogs (and cats as well) because it contains a chemical called theobromine, which comes from cocoa beans. Humans can metabolize this, but it’s not so easy for our four-legged friends. When too much of the chemical gets into their canine systems, the result can be seizures, tachycardia (an abnormally fast heart rate), vomiting or other problems.

To keep your dog in a good mood at Christmas, be sure to keep her away from the chocolate. (Ralf Hirschberger / AFP/Getty Images)
None of the 386 poisoning cases in the U.K. study were fatal. But they were undoubtedly uncomfortable for the dogs. Nearly one-third of them (121 cases) were treated with activated charcoal to absorb the theobromine and reduce its circulation through the body. Activated charcoal is administered through a stomach tube or a large syringe.
About as many dogs (114) were treated with the drug apomorphine to induce them to vomit.
Intravenous fluids and antiemetics (drugs to counteract vomiting) were also reported in the treatment of a smaller number of cases.
The data suggest that chocolate-eating dogs have learned from their mistakes. Dogs considered “old” (past their eighth birthday) were 58% less likely to need treatment than their young counterparts (those who had not yet turned 4 years old), the researchers reported.
There was no relationship between dog breed and vulnerability, they added.
Studies from the United States and Germany have found spikes in chocolate poisoning around Valentine’s Day and Halloween, but this pattern did not hold up in the United Kingdom. That may be due to “alternate romantic gift choices (or more fastidious curation by their recipient) and different festival priorities,” the University of Liverpool team wrote.
But when it comes to Christmas, let there be no doubt: Dog owners should be extra careful not to leave chocolate lying around in reach of their furry friends.
The results were published this week in the journal Vet Record.

12/12/2017

Happy Hanukkah Everyone!

11/20/2017

Crusoe & Oakley the Huntin' Dogs: Turkey Time

Wishing Everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Follow Crusoe for more pics & videos! -- http://Facebook.com/crusoedachshund -- http://Instagram.com/crusoe_dachshund -- http://twitter.com/celeb_dachshund J...

10/31/2017

Happy Halloween. Have Fun and Keep Your Pet's Safe!

09/15/2017

Garden Grove Dog and Cat Hospital will be operating with Limited Out-Patient Services ONLY for Rosh Hashana on Thursday September 21st and Yom Kippur on Saturday September 30th. Please plan any elective anesthetic procedures for other days. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Thank You!

07/14/2017

Timeline Photos

05/08/2017

Smallbatch Pets recalls frozen dog, cat food for Salmonella

FYI

Smallbatch Pets Inc. of Portland, Oregon is voluntarily recalling two lots of frozen 2 pound chicken blend for dogs and cats.

04/13/2017

Have a Happy (and Safe) Easter!

04/13/2017

Happy Passover!