Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center

09/19/2024

Rose is a sweet 95-pound Irish Wolfhound that came in for an ultrasound with Dr. Burcham. 🐕‍🦺 Rose was very cooperative as Celia and Erin held her in position. Her feet rested on Celia's shoulders, like a reverse hug! 🤗

09/17/2024

Today we celebrate National Bird Day! 🐦 As pet parents, we do our very best to keep our feathered friends happy and safe. When things go south, it can be a challenge to keep ourselves from unfastening.

Owen is an umbrella cockatoo and these birds are known for being a bit mischievous! They are known as the "engineers" of the bird world because they enjoy taking things apart to see how they're made! 🦜 Owen recently decided to "deconstruct" a zipper and ended up ingesting a bunch of the zipper teeth (see xrays with metal visible in the gizzard). We implemented a nonsurgical protocol for elimination of foreign bodies--Metamucil! Over the course of 1-2 weeks, he successfully passed all the pieces! (We say 1-2 weeks because of one stubborn piece of zipper remaining after 1 week. The Metamucil treatment was repeated and Owen was x-rayed a second time.) We're so glad he's doing well and never experienced any negative consequence of his poor decision! One could say he is now zipping along just fine. 😎

09/17/2024

Survey participants needed! Are you a guinea pig owner over the age of 18 and live in the United States? One of our OMALS - Virginia Tech students in the Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare concentration is studying guinea pig housing and husbandry. Please fill out the survey at this link: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AaqwNZ2X72 or scan the QR code on the flyer! Thanks! Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

09/14/2024

September is Animal Pain Awareness Month. 🐾 Pet's cant tell you where they are hurting! It's important to look out for signs of possible pain in order to be an advocate for their wellbeing. Signs of pain can include:

- Stiffness
- Shaking or trembling
- Reluctance to jump
- Slow to get up or lie down
- Tense muscles and twitching
- Changes in behavior
- Excessive licking
- Whimpering

Veterinary Medical Manipulation (VMM) is a physical therapy used to help identify and alleviate points of pain or discomfort. If you believe your pet has been experiencing pain or exhibiting these common signs, contact your veterinarian about VMM.

09/12/2024

Dispose of unneeded medication all year round! 💊 Along with a cleaner medicine cabinet, safe removal of unused medication can help prevent accidental poisonings, misuse, and protect the environment. For more information and to find a drop off location, click on the link below.

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09/10/2024

Here's a guinea that makes us grinny! 😄 Danny is an adorable 5 year old guinea pig that came in to see us last month. 🌱 We'd like to think he's smiling right back at us!

09/07/2024

September is National Service Dog Month! 🐕‍🦺 Service dogs are specially trained to help those with disabilities perform everyday tasks and experience life to the fullest! These hard working canines undergo many hours of training and can perform a wide variety of tasks. 🐶 Huan (in red) and Elfi (in blue) came in for Elfi's rabies vaccine along with a wellness exam. They are both Irish Wolfhounds! Elfi is a 5 month old puppy and weighs almost 60 pounds!

09/04/2024

Tomorrow is Ariel's 17th birthday on September 5th! 🥳 Please join us in celebrating our very loved Princess Ariel! 👑 From kitten to cat, we are so lucky to have her in our lives and to be able to share with our Mariposa family.

09/02/2024

Happy Labor Day to our Mariposa family! 🦺 Our clinic will be closed today, so that our staff may celebrate Labor Day with their loved ones. We will reopen on Tuesday, September 3rd.

08/30/2024

At Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center focuses on treating the whole animal, building a partnership between the client and the veterinarian, and using all appropriate therapeutic options to achieve optimal wellness for your pet! 🐾 Integrative veterinary medicine is a comprehensive medical approach to pet care that combines the best of conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies. 🩺 🧬

Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine therapies may include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, laser therapy, chiropractic, therapeutic nutrition and nutritional supplements. 🌿 This holistic approach means they take the body, mind and spirit into account when formulating a treatment plan.

Mariposa was founded with the philosophy that all patients should be treated with respect, kindness and understanding for their individual needs!

08/28/2024

Thank you for such a thoughtful review, Tom! Treating animals with respect, kindness, and understanding is at the heart of our philosophy. Our goal is cooperation, NOT control! 🦴 We believe this can be done in a safe and rewarding manner for all pets, regardless of their history.

08/26/2024

Happy National Dog Day! 🐶 Our canine friends give us new leash on life and bring us so much joy! Share your doggone favorite photos with us in the comments. (We can't get enough!)

08/24/2024

August is National Wellness Month!🧑‍⚕️ Keeping up on routine visits for your pet will help to ensure a longer and healthier life. At Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center, we offer a variety of wellness screening services for your cat or dog. 🐾 Schedule these services together to save on our Discounted Preventative Care Bundle! Contact your veterinarian for any questions regarding available services and alternative therapies.

08/22/2024

Free to a good home, baby plecostomus (plecos for short)! 🐟We have at least 6 babies available that are currently 3-4 inches in size. Anyone that is interested would need to bring a clean container for transport. Please remember to do any research needed to care for these fin-tastic fish!

08/20/2024

⚠️ Warning: Silly Snake Ahead! 🐍 ⚠️

If you have a sensitivity to images of snakes, we encourage you to slither away from the following photos.

Dr. Carrier brought his snake, Aphrodite, in for weigh-in last week. Aphrodite is a female Burmese python, who is at least 32 years old! At her most recent visit, she weighed 90 pounds and measured 15 feet long! 🤯

08/17/2024

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day! 🐈‍⬛ There are so many black kitty cats that we enjoy having in our clinic and we appreciate you for choosing Mariposa for your feline friendly care. We can't get enough of seeing Rolo in our clinic while we help care for him. 🐱 Please celebrate your black cats with us in the comments!

08/15/2024

What do you think happened here? 🧐 Wrong answers only! Check the comments tomorrow to reveal the answer!

08/13/2024

Last year, Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center conducted a Canine H**p Oil Study and the results are NOW IN! 🧑‍⚕️ We want to give a very special thank you to all of our pawsome participants! Click the link to learn more about the results. ✍️

Mariposa H**p Oil Study Results Published - In 2023, Dr. Dodson and a team of researchers conducted a clinical study of the effects of VF H**p Oil on the improvement of gait, mobility and quality of

08/10/2024

During International Assistance Dog Week, we recognize the large impact that assistance dogs make in our lives and the hard work that they do every day. 🦮 Assistance dogs perform various functions for humans with disabilities and health challenges. If you have an assistance dog, we want to celebrate them in the comments!

Source:
dogster.com/statistics/service-dog-statistics
sundogtherapy.com

08/08/2024

Happy International Cat Day for all the friendly felines and kitties with cattitude. 🐈 Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center is a gold-level feline friendly practice and we can't get enough of our clinic cats, Ariel and Sparrow! Share with us your favorite cat photos, puns, and a-mew-sing memes in the comments! 🐱

08/06/2024

Today is the halfway point in the Summer season! ☀ There is still a little bit of Summer to have a whole lot of fun! How will you and your pets make the most of it?

08/03/2024

Rolo is a little black kitten that has been spending a lot of time with us lately as we help him overcome some health challenges! 🐈‍⬛

08/01/2024

Screech and squawk, Sherlock's on a walk! 🐦 Our CSR, Annette, took him outside for a little walkabout in his harness when the weather was nice last week! ☀️

07/31/2024

We can't help but go mutts over mixed breed dogs! 🐕 Their truly unique personalities and adaptable temperaments make them special in every way! How will you celebrate your mixed breed today? 🥳