Animal House Veterinary Hospital

06/18/2024

Come join us on June 30th! 😀

We are just around the corner from our 15th Annual Polish Festival on Staten Island!!

Join us on Sunday, June 30, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM in Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden!

This year's entertainment includes first time performers Cello Brothers, The Masters, DJ Tomek, and a traditional folk band (kapela ludowa).

Join us for delicious Polish food, cold beer, live music and good times! We will have lots of new vendors, special games and contests, plus a full kids zone as always.

$10.00 Entry for Adults includes one free raffle ticket.
Children up to the age of 12 can enter free of charge.
We can't wait to see you there!

06/17/2024

Animal House will be at this year's Polish Festival in Staten Island! Come by and say hello 👋

https://www.facebook.com/PolishFestivalNYC

page promoting the Annual Polish Festival in Staten Island, NY.

06/04/2024

Bella and Jinxy enjoyed their first visit with us at Animal House... even if Bella looks a little unimpressed. These American Shorthair babies are gorgeous and we loved them a ton ❤️ 🥰

05/20/2024

Hello from NJVMA! We've spent the weekend learning more about how to give our beloved patients the best of care !♡

05/09/2024

Meet Bailey ♡♡

She experienced an unexpected back injury while jumping up excitedly to greet her owner. She was suddenly unable to use either of her hind legs. Her family rushed her to us. We managed her pain and started treatment, then she was referred to a specialist and it was determined that surgery wasn't an option for her. Instead, she's going to physical therapy and using a wheelchair! This has greatly improved her quality of life and she has regained a lot of use of her back legs. We're hoping she continues to improve and we applaud her family for doing everything possible for their baby. She's a very sweet girl and is much happier to be more mobile.

05/08/2024

Spring has sprung! The birds are chirping 🐦 the flowers are blooming 🌼 , and the fleas and ticks are in full force! 🤢

Animals that venture outdoors are at the highest risk, but indoor animals can also get fleas and ticks! They can hitchhike on our clothing and shoes and affect animals that have never stepped a paw outdoors.

We always recommend prevention year round, but as the weather gets warmer make sure your pets are protected!
A flea and tick preventative product is the best way. These may be topical products or chewable tablets, often given monthly. We recommend prescription strength products to keep your pet safe from bites and from the diseases these pesky bugs can carry!

Give us a call if you have any questions about specific products or our recommendations ♡

05/07/2024

What is Stelfonta?

Stelfonta is an injectable drug used to treat mast cell tumors in dogs. Mast cell tumors are malignant masses that are often surgically removed. This injection has provided an alternative to surgical removal , especially for pets that aren't good candidates for anesthesia. The drug "kills" the mass, causing it to necrotize and leave a wound where it was, which then heals, and healthy tissue grows there instead ! We're excited that this option exists and have seen some great results.

04/27/2024

Happy World Veterinary Day from all of us at Animal House! Today we celebrate the entire veterinary community, and we're all proud to be a part of it 😻🐾

04/16/2024

It really was an Animal House this weekend! Bo and Boomer (nyc__goats on insta) came to visit us and their friend Bob! Bob was originally found by their house. Sam and Dr Lepkowski were very happy to see them and hope they come back soon

04/11/2024

Happy National Pet Day!! 🥳

Our staff has put together a bunch of photos of our personal pets for the occasion.

Post your pet's pictures in the comments!!! ⬇️

04/05/2024

Meet Bob! We LOVE Bob.

He came in as a stray kitty with both of his right paws wounded. No one but him knows how it happened, but each paw had infected wounds and badly broken toes. With some medications, wound care, and surgery to remove the painful broken toes, Bob is feeling much better!

He did some yoga this morning, and is back to using those feet, even playing with soft toys 😻

04/01/2024

Zuza came to see us this weekend!♡

She was very happy with all the attention she got. What a beautiful girl 🩷

03/26/2024

Five years post chest surgery!

This is Johnny, one of Dr. Lepkowski's cats. 5 years ago, we took an xray of his whole body and found an incidental mass in his chest. We later diagnosed this mass as a thymoma.

What is a thymoma?

A thymoma is a tumor originating in the thymus gland, behind the sternum. Johnny had his removed, which involved an intense open-chest surgery. The tumor was biopsied and found to be benign 🥳

After a long recovery, close monitoring, and a chest drain placed after surgery to remove fluid buildup, Johnny made a full recovery and is loving his life, spoiled as always.

These images show Johnny recovering, Dr. Lepkowski and Dr. Seim performing his procedure, xrays of his chest with the tumor present, then with a chest drain, a microscopic image from his biopsy, and Johnny performing his daily ritual of being bossy, making his mom turn the faucet on for him.

He still has plenty of lives left!

#

03/20/2024

What a handsome man 😻

Harry Barry loves our cat-friendly exam room and made himself comfortable right away.

03/18/2024

HAPPY PUPPY DAY!

This international puppy day we're showing off one of our new favorite patients, Santo! He was recently adopted and is only 3 months old :)

Some puppy themed reminders:
-It's never too early to train! Start teaching good manners at a young age
-Puppies need to chew, always make sure their toys are appropriate for their size and don't break easily
-If you get a puppy from a breeder, check that their parents had all the appropriate health testing for their breed
-Puppies need a lot of attention! Someone should be home with them frequently during the day to provide meals and potty breaks

We want to say a big thank you to Santo's dad for letting us share his beautiful squishy face

03/01/2024

"The time? Don't worry about it. Time for you to appreciate my beauty."

This boy is ridiculous.

Dramatic lighting and dramatic model both provided by Dr. Lepkowski

02/28/2024

Ouch!!

This kitty's xray shows uroliths! (That's medical jargon for bladder stones). These stones were removed, sent out for evaluation, and determined to be ammonium phosphate. This is one of several types of common bladder stones that we see.

How does this happen?
Some cats are genetically prone to forming bladder stones, but many of them form because of their diet. Certain diets, especially dry food, and those with high ash content are usually the culprit. Fish based diets can also contribute, though they don't have to be avoided entirely in a cat that doesn't have urinary issues.

What can be done to prevent this?
Cats thrive on a wet food diet for many reasons. As obligate carnivores, they need high protein and high moisture food. Food made in a dry kibble form just doesn't fit those needs! Minimizing or ideally eliminating dry food, and feeding non-fish flavors will help prevent bladder stones as well as other health issues, and keep your cat healthier and happier 😺

02/23/2024

Something doesn't look right here... Guess what's abnormal about this x-ray.

If you guessed foreign material you're right! This kitty ate quite a few different objects that got stuck in his GI tract and caused an obstruction. He came in to AHVH for persistent vomiting, and required surgery with multiple incisions to remove all of this from his stomach and small intestine. We found hair ties, string, and bits of wire. After surgery he recovered well and went home happy, but it was a scary experience for everyone.

We wanted to take the opportunity of seeing this case and the very interesting xrays associated with it to create a little PSA!

We remind everyone to keep an eye on what your pet is playing with, and to address a symptom like vomiting as quickly as possible. Our babies can be very sneaky and a situation like this can be life threatening. We're very happy that this baby's owner addressed his situation and he was able to go home happy and feeling better ♡

02/17/2024

This is Ringo!

Ringo is a sweet 8 month old boy who is looking for a new home. He was rescued from outside, because he's way too sweet to make it out there. The person taking care of noticed he was a gentle boy and getting his butt kicked out there. He's recovering from an injury right now and would love a warm home to go to after he's fully healed. He us felv/fiv negative, vaccinated and microchipped.

02/13/2024

Baby says "Yaaaaay it's snowing!"

Remember everyone to use dog-safe salt in front of your homes to protect your babies' feet.

Outdoor cats can be helped through this weather by providing shelters with straw inside- blankets can get wet and freeze!

02/08/2024

We are now open on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm!

02/07/2024

We're very proud to announce that we've joined the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce !

In this New Member Spotlight, Dr. Malgorzata Banaszek-Lepkowski of Animal House describes her new veterinary practice, the services she provides, and more. L...

02/05/2024

It's dental month!!

Can you identify the issues in this kitty's mouth?

Could you if he was awake?
All the way in the back of his mouth we see stomatitis, painful inflammation of the tissue. And toward the front , that little hole is an abscess forming around the diseased root of the canine tooth. These problems can really hide, and many pets won't let you take a peek. We can really only evaluate the mouth this thouroughly when the pet is sedated. If you're worried about your pet's teeth, take advantage of the 20% off dental procedures all month!

01/31/2024

Our practice has been thoroughly inspected and deemed cat friendly! Not only by AAFP, but... this cat. (Who else would you trust to determine that?)

01/24/2024

Someone looks confused.

Did you know that some breeds of cat, including Siamese, Himalayan, and Ragdoll cats like this one are prone to having crossed eyes? They're genetically predisposed to this, and have no trouble living a normal life and seeing well. They just look silly!

The Ragdoll breed is also known for being very friendly and tolerant of handling. This little girl named Taa Taa was an excellent example of this trait and was on her best behavior for her visit today

01/23/2024

February is pet dental health month! AHVH is offering 20% off of costs for dental procedures throughout the month. Give us a call if you'd like to schedule a visit. Dental cleanings are an integral part of your pet's overall health! Our dental procedures involve scaling and polishing, extracting diseased teeth when necessary, and dental x-rays to help determine when it is necessary to remove a tooth.

Questions? Drop a comment below or give us a call!

01/09/2024

AHVH PIN PROJECT!

This is our pin wall! You can purchase a pin for $5!
The money goes directly towards treatment for patients who don't have an owner, or who's owner cannot afford it.
The pins are constantly changing but always animal themed. Come check them out!

01/05/2024

Chauncey James! The handsome mohawked man! Our whole staff has known him since he was a puppy and I know you shouldn't have favorite patients but...he sits on your lap, kisses you and holds your hand during his visits!

01/04/2024

The staff of Animal House Veterinary Hospital would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!