Safari Veterinary Care Centers

11/22/2024

What happens when your dog eats a penny?

11/20/2024

Retained deciduous teeth (baby teeth) is the most common orthodontic problem in dogs, but especially so in small breed dogs such as Maltese, Yorkshire terriers, and poodles.

At about 4 months of age a puppy's adult teeth will begin to emerge and the baby teeth will fall out. In order for the baby teeth to fall out, the roots are resorbed, or dissolved, to make room for the roots of the permanent teeth to fit in the right place. In other words, we don't want two teeth trying to occupy the same spot.

Sometimes the signal to resorb the teeth is not triggered, but the adult teeth emerge anyway. If this happens, it can cause abnormal tooth alignment, bad breath, periodontal disease, overcrowding, and poor oral health from food getting trapped between the teeth.

Should your puppy show signs of retained teeth, they should be extracted sooner rather than later in order for the root socket to form normally and develop proper support. Extracting the baby teeth while the adult teeth are still erupting can prevent orthodontic care later on, should the tongue, the palate, and the mandible become damaged.

11/19/2024

It's that time of year again! Join us for Santa pictures!

11/18/2024

Arthur started having trouble walking after a month or so of more subtle signs. Then, the day after an episode of trembling, tensing up, and not being able to raise his head up, he was brought to Safari. A CT scan showed a 90% (!!) compression on the left side of T12-T13. This meant surgery was needed, so he went straight to the surgery table from the CT room. Because he was still able to walk and had deep pain perception, his chance of recovery were high. Within a week he was walking and is doing very well in rehab! Check out the before and after scans that show how much of a compression there was vs. what was removed surgically.

11/15/2024

It's Friday Funny day! Enjoy your weekend - should be Fall-like weather!
We're here if you need us 281-332-5612

11/15/2024

Is your pet experiencing spinal issues? With Safari's advanced diagnostics and on-site rehab facility, your pet can have the best care at a fair price.
Call today - referrals welcome!
281-332-5612

11/08/2024

"Tooth Resorption" is not something you may be familiar with, but is actually common in cats. It affects an estimated 20% to 60% of all cats and close to 75% of cats 5 yo and older. The cause it still not known and can lead to the loss of a tooth or all teeth.

Within each tooth are blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves that communicate with the rest of the body. Surrounding these tissues is dentin, which makes up the most of each tooth. This dentin can start to erode in one or more teeth at the same time which can eventually destroy the tooth. Note the parts of the tooth that have been eaten away in the photo.

Affected teeth ultimately need to be pulled, as the condition can be very painful to the cat. The cat can seem to become a picky eater, eating less and may begin to swallow food without chewing it or suddenly prefer soft food. Like us, if a tooth or teeth are particularly affected, the cat may experience excruciating pain.

Your cat's teeth should be examined annually by a vet, and especially if you notice any irregularities in their eating patterns. Full mouth radiographs needed to diagnose this condition.

11/06/2024

11/04/2024

Got Milk?

A cutie pie to start your Monday off with a smile!

11/01/2024

Here at Safari we treat a number of diseases with stem cell therapy. Some of these diseases cannot be cured, but when treated with stem cells we are able to extend the pet's life. Stem cells are also able to make the pet more comfortable by reducing inflammation, increasing the pet's appetite, and giving them more energy.

We received this heartwarming message from one of our clients whose cat had been getting stem cells from us for very late stage kidney disease, which is incurable. While we grieve for the loss of her family member, we are happy to have given them more time together. The chart shows how long a pet is expected to live through traditional treatment methods. Read her message to see how long this patient lived with the addition of stem cell therapy!

"Yesterday [my cat] passed at home. He declined pretty fast starting about 2 weeks ago. It was just his time. Thank you for giving us a little more than 2 years to say goodbye to our little family member. By my estimate, he lived 12.5 to 25 times longer than most cats diagnosed stage 4 and most of that time was filled with quality time and love. I have no regrets getting him stem cells and firmly believe they got us this far. Biology after all has limits.

I hope his story somehow helps other cats thrive."

10/29/2024

Ranger got a special procedure to help with his spinal issues. Normally we use stem cells alone when surgery is not required. In Ranger's case, we are taking this a step further by implanting a collagen disc impregnated with stem cells along his spinal cord. There are 2 main reasons for this. The first is that this will create a sort of "home" for the cells, allowing them to do the work they do for a longer period of time. Think of it like timed release medications. The second reason is that normally cells are grown in a single layer - 2 dimensional. This disc provides a sort of scaffolding which allows the cells to come into contact with each other better and to grow 3-dimensionally. This means more cells which means more healing properties released. What do stem cells do for spinal injuries and IVDD? They are world class at reducing inflammation, help preserve nerve cells, grow "relays" around injured nerves, grow new cartilage in spinal discs, and grow new capillaries to drying discs to feed them. Stem cells are powerful natural healers!

10/25/2024

The winner of a Safari wellness plan is ISABELL LAYMANCE!!!
Give us a call to get started!

10/17/2024

09/18/2024

Puppies for sale! These beautiful West Highland Terriers are waiting for their new families to come find them!
You can meet and greet them at Safari's League City location.

09/17/2024

Arrr mateys - it's talk like a pirate day Thursday!

Safari will take care of your best first mate by trimming beaks, wings, and nails for 25% off all day!
Join us and be sure to bring your best pirate voice!

09/13/2024

We've got another fun week in store for our 40th Anniversary! Practice your best pirate voice and bring your birds in for their trims on Talk Like a Pirate Day, get 25% off f***l tests on Saturday the 19th, and come tour our Hobbit room (with a big, heavy round wooden door and everything!) on Sunday the 22nd!
We can't wait to see you!

09/10/2024

This Friday is Senior Cat Day -
Call and book your appointments now!