http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=105May 12, 2011Mr. Neil Young of Youngandamp;rsquo;s Funny Farm brought in his 2 therapy dogs, Cinderella and Timmy, and his therapy donkey, Henry, to VCVRC for an Ophthalmology exam during ACVO Service Animal Month. Timmy is the only therapy dog that was credentialed by the NYPD to work at Ground Zero for human comfort and he is only the 4th dog to ever receive a hearing aid from the University of Cincinnati and only the 2nd dog to get a Bluetooth hearing aid because of his work as a medical alert service dog. Henry is aandamp;nbsp; therapy donkey who was adopted from the US Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse Burro Program in September of 1995. Henry received his certification from the Delta Society as a therapyandamp;nbsp; donkey in 2007. Henry injured is eye in October 2010 and Dr. Mary Landis and Dr. Robert Peiffer examined all three therapy animals at VCVRC.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=105National Service Dog Eye Exam DayValley Central Veterinary Referral Center (VCVRC) in Whitehall, PA, is teaming up with the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) to participate in the ACVO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam Event. The fourth annual ACVO National Service Dog Eye Exam Day will provide a free screening eye exam during the month of May to Service Dog groups including guide dogs, handicapped assistance dogs, police detection dogs and search and rescue dogs selflessly serve the public. Dr. Robert Peiffer, a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist at VCVRC will provide free eye exams to eligible dogs. Dr. Peiffer's participation along with 180 board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists in the US and Canada will provide free sight-saving eye exams to thousands of service dogs.How to Register for the Eventandamp;nbsp;To qualify, animals must be andamp;ldquo;active working animalsandamp;rdquo; that were certified by a formal training program or organization or currently enrolled in a formal training program. The certifying organization could be national, regional or local in nature. Other service animals are welcome to participate (i.e., horses, cats, etc.), as long as they meet the stated qualifications. Additional registration details can be found at www.ACVOeyeexam.org.How to make an Appointment at VCVRCandamp;nbsp;Most importantly, you must pre-register prior to making your appointment at VCVRC.andamp;nbsp; To schedule a free exam at VCVRC, call 610-435-1553. andamp;nbsp;Event Informationandamp;nbsp;To learn more about and register for the ACVOandamp;reg;/Merialandamp;reg; National Service Dog Eye Exam Event, please click here.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=1054.13.11 Dr. Carlos Hodges discusses pet poison warnings on WFMZandamp;rsquo;s Sunrise Show Link to the video here.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=105 Fox Fursday: Pet Safety: MyFoxPHILLY.comhttp://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=1053.16.11Dr Carlos Hodges has been invited and accepted to participate on the Abbott Animal Health's Anesthesia Speaker Program. He will bring awareness to veterinarians and technicians on the broad range of products from anesthesia and fluid therapy to wound care.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=1053.9.11Dr. Carlos Hodges to perform first knee replacement surgery in the area on service dog.Please click here to learn more.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=1052.10.11Approximately 2 years ago, two of Jean Boggieandamp;rsquo;s prized Leonbergers presented at VCVRC for an acute onset of bloody diarrhea, vomiting blood and extreme dehydration. Glitz, then a six-year old FS Leonberger, presented dehydrated and weak and was having large amounts of dark, tarry soft stool or melena, which indicates the presence of digested blood in the stool. While there are exceptions, melena often suggests bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.andamp;nbsp; She was severely anemic with a PCV of 9%, which is generally incompatible with life. The PCV refers to the percentage of red blood cells that constitute blood and a healthy dog has a PCV of about 40%. In addition to a life-threatening anemia, her plasma proteins were also low, which leads to a lot of complications such as edema in the legs and exacerbates an already problematic diarrhea. Glitz was treated aggressively with multiple blood transfusions, fluid therapy and intravenous antibiotic therapy.andamp;nbsp; Not 24 hours later, GiGia arrived showing the same signs as Glitz. Her anemia was less severe but her plasma proteins were similarly depleted so she too required multiple transfusions with fresh frozen plasma as well as fluid therapy and intravenous antibiotics. In total, four of Jeanandamp;rsquo;s Leonbergers required hospitalization and aggressive supportive care due to the severity of their clinical signs. I must profess that a pack of sick Leonbergers is a whole hospitalandamp;rsquo;s worth of work and thank goodness for the staff at VCVRC and VCEH that worked diligently around the clock to nurse this ensemble back to health. Our diligence and hard work has paid off as all of the Leonbergers survived the ordeal and both Glitz and GiGia will be strutting their canine stuff at the Westminster Dog Show this weekend.andamp;nbsp; Good luck Jean, Glitz and GiGia. We were thrilled with your recovery and so glad we could help you when times were tough.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=105 Fox Fursday: Keeping Pets Safe: MyFoxPHILLY.comhttp://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=105Please click here to learn more.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=73Please click here or here to learn more.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=73Please click here for more information.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=73Please click here or here to learn more.http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=739.9.2010 Dr. Carlos Hodges was featured on Fox News on September 9th, 2010. Click below to watch the video. http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=737.29.2010 See Valley Central on FOX 29 News. http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=736.24.2010 See Valley Central on FOX 29 News. http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=105Congratulations to Dr. Steinberg in becoming board certified in surgery!http://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=10506.22.11 Dr. Carlos Hodges discusses summer pet care on WFMZ's Sunrise Show. Click here to watch the videohttp://www.vcvrc.com/index.php?cID=105 [WHITEHALL, PA] andamp;mdash; Valley Central Veterinary Referral Center has earned accreditation following a thorough evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) that included a quality assessment review of the hospitalandamp;rsquo;s practice protocols, medical equipment, facility and client service. andamp;ldquo;I would like to congratulate Valley Central Veterinary Referral Center on achieving accreditation through AAHA,andamp;rdquo; said Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP, AAHA executive director. andamp;ldquo;They are clearly committed to doing their very best as evidenced by the hard work and effort they put into this voluntary process.andamp;rdquo; Accreditation is a voluntary commitment practices make to their clients and patients, and AAHA is the only organization in the U.S. and Canada that accredits companion animal hospitals based on standards that go above and beyond state regulations. The AAHA Standards of Accreditation, viewed as the standard of veterinary excellence, contain more than 900 individual standards, divided into 18 major sections. These areas of focus include: patient care and pain management, surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, exam facilities, medical records, cleanliness, emergency services, dental care, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology, and continuing education. Only 15 percent of all small animal hospitals in the U.S. have achieved accreditation by the Association. To maintain accredited status, Valley Central Veterinary Referral Center must continue to be evaluated regularly by AAHA. Valley Central Veterinary Referral Center, located at 210 Fullerton Ave in Whitehall, has been accredited with the association since 2004 and can be reached at (610)435-1553. For more information about AAHA-accreditation, visit www.healthypet.com.