From our intimate meeting area to the thorough discharge information our intent is to make the pet / human experience as pleasurable as possible. We recognize that each pet and pet owner is unique and therefore require individualized program of care. This means paying attention to details, listening carefully, communicating properly and being available for consultation.
One example of the customized care we provide is special drop-off and pick-up times for sick or anxious pets. Another important feature of our pet care is making the client-pet owner part of our team through education: i.e. taking the time to demonstrate home care.
Our experienced and dedicated staff are ever mindful of the importance of the human-animal bond. Our goal is to combine the art and science of veterinary medicine with compassion and wisdom to bring a complete package of pet care to our community.
CASE OF THE MONTH:
Meet Gracie, the amazing survivor of the month!
Gracie is a five-year old cat that accidentally ate some of her mom’s decorative Lily flowers without knowing that they were poisonous for her. One night she started drooling excessively and licking her lips and her mom became very concerned. Her mom called Lake Forest Animal Hospital for advice and discovered that the Lily flowers are extremely poisonous to cats. She brought Gracie in immediately to be examined and have some lab work done. When cats eat lilies, it can cause their kidneys to fail, and sure enough, Gracie’s kidneys were in severe failure from eating just a little bit of the flowers. In order to save Gracie’s kidneys, she had to spend three weeks in the hospital on intravenous fluids and several medications. She also had a feeding tube placed directly into her stomach from the outside of her body to help with feeding her and giving her the medications. This makes it much easier since cats are very hard to give medications to by mouth and she may need treatment for the rest of her life.
After three long weeks of treatment and daily visits from her mom, Gracie was discharged from the hospital with mild permanent kidney dysfunction. She is currently doing wonderfully at home. She still has her feeding tube and probably always will. She is very special and now has to wear a sweater or t-shirt all the time to keep her tube in place.
Unfortunately, not all kitties are as lucky as Gracie. Fifty-percent of cats that ingest Lilies and develop kidney failure do not recover! It’s very important, especially as the Easter holiday and spring time approaches and Lilies grace the shelves of all the supermarkets that we remember the danger they pose to our four-legged feline friends! Please keep Lilies away from your cats and admire from a distance!
