Juniper Valley Animal Hospital, P.C.

10/23/2024

🎃👻 It’s that time again! Our annual JVAH Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest is back, and we want to see your pets in their spookiest, funniest, or most creative costumes! Snap a pic of your furry family members dressed up for a chance to win BIG—one dog and one cat will each receive a $200 JVAH Gift Certificate! 🎁🐾

🕷️👑 The JVAH team will be voting on the most pawsome costumes, so get creative! Winners will be announced a few days after Halloween. 🎉

Post your photos in the comments below or tag us! Ready, set, howl! 🐶🐱

08/28/2024

🌈 Thanks to everyone who paused to remember Poncho with us last week. The love that poured out was something to behold—proof, if we needed it, that pets are love incarnate, walking around on four legs. As Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day draws to a close, we’re sending all that love right back to every pet who’s crossed over, taking chunks of our hearts with them. The double rainbow pic here? It’s the one that showed up right after Poncho left us. We’re calling it Poncho’s rainbow, but really, we know it belongs to every four-legged soul who ever loved us back. 🐾💖

05/15/2024

🐾 Meet Dash, the brilliant 5-month-old Papillon who's mastered the art of escape games! Until today, harnessing Dash was like a tricky puzzle. But little did he know, wearing a harness is his golden ticket to endless outdoor adventures. 🌍✨

Caught in the act! This snapshot captures the moment right after we finally slipped him into his new harness. Can you see that tail blur? That’s pure joy! 🐶💨

Here's to a future filled with exploration and fun—so long as Dash agrees to keep his harness on! Here’s to new adventures, Dash! 🚀🌳

04/20/2024

Tiny’s smiling extra wide today—could it be because he knows it’s 4/20? 🐶🌿 As we celebrate safe, legal use of ma*****na, remember it’s also more accessible to our pets, sometimes even found on the street 😬Symptoms to watch for include increased sensitivity to sound or touch, difficulty walking, excessive drooling, tremors or seizures. Learn how to respond by visiting the ASPCA Poison Control website[https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control]

04/17/2024

Dilophosaurus? Dogosaurus? Actually a Lucasaurus🦖❤️🙂

04/12/2024

It looks like Bethpage thinks we're the Best Pet Hospital in Queens, and hey, we'll take it! 😉 (We know, we know, but a tie is a tie.) This award is truly a reflection of our phenomenal team's dedication to providing top-notch care to all our furry friends. We couldn't do it without you guys!

03/29/2024

Itchy pup? Atopic dermatitis isn't just seasonal – and Time Magazine consulted our own Dr. McCarthy on how to keep your doggie comfortable year-round! If you've got an itchy best friend, this article is a must-read [ https://time.com/6961113/dog-allergies-atopic-dematitis/]. Our team at Juniper Valley Animal Hospital is dedicated to helping your pet find relief from itching. If you suspect atopic dermatitis or other causes, give us a call!

Climate change plays a role.

03/23/2024

Spring is in the air! 🌸 And with it comes National Puppy Day 2024! 🐶 Did puppies secretly lobby for their own holiday? We may never know...

Here at JVAH, we're lucky to witness puppy antics daily. From unconditional love to food-theft skills that defy physics, these pups are pure entertainment!

We try to capture their funniest moments, but let's be honest – puppies are way faster than our camera skills. To all the pups whose photo ops we missed: it's not you, it's definitely us. We were likely distracted by your cuteness... or forgot to take the lens cap off. 🤦‍♀️

Let's fix that! Share your puppy photos below and turn this post into the cutest digital puppy parade ever! 🐶📸

Special thanks to Jackie, who actually knows how to use a camera! And check out her amazing video montage of our puppy pals🙂

03/11/2024

Meet Hannah, the brave German Shepherd puppy! At just 8 weeks old, she came to JVAH seriously ill – vomiting, diarrhea, and very weak. It turned out to be parvovirus, a highly contagious and potentially devastating disease in dogs.
Parvo requires intensive in-hospital treatment and strict isolation protocols. Our team had to wear full protective gear and limit contact. But with their dedicated care, Hannah fought hard and made it through! After a week with us, she went home on Friday feeling like a brand-new puppy.
Hannah's story reminds us that dangerous viruses are still common, even with effective vaccines available. It's easy to become complacent, but March is National Pet Vaccination Month – make sure your furry friend is protected!

03/04/2024

So here’s a scene at JVAH: Dr. Casper, doing her best Dr. Pol impression, except it’s a dog, not a cow. And before you ask, no, she’s not getting ready to wear this doggie up to her elbow like some kind of bizarre puppet show. It’s just the angle of the shot, people! She’s actually expertly maneuvering an ultrasound probe to locate a dog’s bladder for a urine collection. Our team is always ready to go the extra mile—or down to the floor if need be—to ensure our patients get the care they need. No obstacle is too big, not even gravity. So hats off to Dr. Casper, who proves that sometimes the best way to care is to do the unexpected. To go the extra mile. To perform the extra stretch. And maybe, just maybe, to wake up the next day feeling like you’ve invented new muscles🙂

12/07/2023

Celebrating the joy and light at this time of year, and all of God's creatures that bring us much joy and light throughout the year! Happy Hanukkah from all of us at JVAH!

11/26/2023

If you’ve been reading or watching the news lately, you may be aware of the buzz around the “mystery” respiratory disease that has been affecting dogs across the country. In some instances, the illness has proven fatal. Like many of these stories, there is a lot of hype but there does not appear to be much substance. At this point, we know cases have been reported in several states (Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, and New Hampshire) going back to early 2022 with no reported cases in New York that we know of so far. The current outbreak in Oregon seems to be the biggest, or at least the one getting the most coverage. The causative organism is not yet known, with initial cases suggesting some sort of virus, but recently a lab in New Hampshire has suggested a new bacterial organism could be the culprit, but the data is very preliminary. It’s quite possible that there could be an initial viral component with a secondary bacterial infection. Most of the reports are about dogs that did not respond to treatment initially or at all and go on to develop pneumonia, however it’s likely there are dogs out there that were treated, recovered completely, but that were just not reported. Some veterinarians have seen these dogs respond well to the antibiotic doxycycline, an antibiotic that is often used to treat several respiratory bacterial infections in dogs. So at this point, in our area, it is likely not necessary that we put all of our dogs in lockdown a la COVID, but that we do follow the usual precautions: make sure your dog is vaccinated for bordetella (kennel cough), parainfluenza and influenza if they go to groomers or daycare/boarding/dog runs, etc.. If your dog starts to sneeze, cough, have runny eyes or nose, or suddenly becomes extremely tired, keep them at home away from other dogs and let us know. And keep track of news reports, because if it starts to show up in our area it’s likely there will be plenty of coverage, and we’ll put out the word as well.

11/23/2023

Today is a day for food, parades, football, and, of course, the dog show. But let’s not forget that’s it also a time for us to think about all that we’re thankful for in our lives. For us, it’s being able to work with such an amazing team every day to provide top-notch care for our wonderful pet guardians and their furry family members! So we wish you all a very happy and peaceful Thanksgiving! 😊

10/25/2023

It's that eerie season again! 🎃 Show off your furry friends in their best costumes for the JVAH Howl-O-Ween contest. The JVAH team will once more pick the most impressive outfits, and the top dog and cat will each win a gift basket packed with over $200 worth of treats, including a $100 JVAH Gift Certificate! Winners will be revealed shortly after Halloween. Best of luck! 🐾👻

10/16/2023

This week (October 15-21) is National Veterinary Technicians Week! 🎉 Let's give a huge shoutout to our wonderful veterinary technicians who are indispensable members of the JVAH Team. As veterinary nurses, they work tirelessly to ensure outstanding care for our four legged family members. A big virtual hug and thanks to Jenny, Melissa, Danny, CC, and Veronica for all their hard work and dedication. ❤️ Want to learn more about the role of veterinary technicians and why this week is so special? Check out www.navta.net (http://www.navta.net/)
😊

09/10/2023

One of the questions we invariably ask our dog parents is "what do you feed your dog?" More and more the answer is some sort of unique, non-traditional, diet containing venison and peas, duck and potatoes, and so on. The reason being that so and so fed this and their dog’s skin improved, so it must be good for my dog. Of course, pet food manufacturers and stores noticed this trend and ran with it - pet food store's aisles are clogged with venison, duck, salmon, rabbit, and other diets. It seems that everybody and their neighbor have decided to create dog food. To reinforce the uniqueness of these diets and capitalize on the human anti grain bandwagon, pet food manufacturers coupled these novel proteins with non-grain sources of carbohydrates such as peas, lentils, and potatoes. And a willingness on the part of us dog parents to pay more for these diets because we only want the best for our four-legged kids, has only fueled their abundance. However, between 2018-2021 studies emerged that called into question the safety of a whole host of these non traditional diets being fed to dogs. These dogs developed a specific heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a condition that they are typically not genetically prone to. Nutritionists at Tufts University Veterinary school have continued to study this issue and recently concluded that the ingredients most likely at the heart of diet-associated DCM are pulses which include peas, pea protein, lentils, chickpeas, although more research is needed on other ingredients. The presence or absence of pulses cannot be predicted based only on the diet's name or whether the diet contains grains, so the full ingredient list of the product must be reviewed. Basically, if the diet contains pulses, potatoes or sweet potatoes in the top ten ingredients (or multiple pulses anywhere in the ingredient list), it might put some dogs at risk for heart problems, so think twice about feeding it. For more information, please check out this link :

A new FDA update provides more information on diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). While the specific cause is not yet known, the problem hasn’t gone away

08/28/2023

This week, the NYC Department of Health issued a veterinary alert about harmful algal blooms, or HABs. While most algae are harmless and actually beneficial for the ecosystem, HABs are a different beast altogether. They produce toxins that are harmful to us, our pets, and the environment. These troublesome blooms can show up in both fresh and saltwater, spurred on by warm water, nutrient pollution, and sunlight. The alert noted that HABs have been found in lakes and ponds in all 5 boroughs except the Bronx. In our area alone, we have lakes and ponds in Forest Park, Highland Park, Flushing Meadows, and there are many others that may come to mind. Once we get out of NYC, and go Upstate, it’s even more prevalent. Blue-green algae, the common culprit behind HABs, can produce toxins that cause a range of health issues in dogs, including vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, difficulty breathing, seizures, and unfortunately, even death.
If you suspect your dog has been exposed to a harmful algal bloom, it is absolutely critical to seek veterinary care immediately. While there is no specific antidote for HAB poisoning, prompt action can lead to the administration of drugs that prevent further absorption of the toxins and help to eliminate them from the body. Some dogs may need to be hospitalized to manage respiratory problems and seizures.
Prevention is key. Here are some tips to keep your dog safe from HABs:
• Avoid letting your dog swim in or drink water that is discolored, has a strong odor, or has the consistency of pea soup.
• If you're unsure about the safety of the water, it's better to err on the side of caution and keep your dog away.
• Always keep your dog on a leash when you are near bodies of water.
• Rinse your dog with clean water after swimming or playing in any body of water, whether you suspect contamination or not.
• Stay informed about HAB advisories in your area. You can visit the NYS interactive website at https://nysdec.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ae91142c812a4ab997ba739ed9723e6e

04/28/2023

This week we have been celebrating our front office team during Veterinary Receptionist Week! They are almost always the first and last point of contact for our pet parents and their furry family members here at JVAH. Their smarts, empathy, excellent communication skills (and working at the front desk requires A LOT of communicating, whether in person, by phone, text, app, fax or message), major multitasking and organizing skills, creativity, sense of humor and of course, love of animals, are what make Kelly, Jackie, Rachel, Melissa, Kyana, and Bryonna so special - so here's to you - and thanks for all that you do!