Our clinic has not closed during this crisis and we continue to honor all specialty appointments in Oncology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care and Emergency. Our dedicated team welcomes you back into our hospital and thanks you for your understanding and patience during this unprecedented time.

CHECK-IN

• When you arrive at the Animal Emergency and Specialty Center, call us at 865-693-4440 from your car to let us know that you have arrived
• A team member will check you in upon arrival in the parking lot
• Another team member will be with you shortly to bring your animal into the building for a veterinary examination.

SPECIALTY APPOINTMENTS AND EMERGENCIES

• We ask you to wait in your car for a technician or representative. Following the doctor’s examination, you will either be contacted by phone to consult with the doctor or directed into a freshly cleaned consultation room
• All clients entering the veterinary hospital are required to wear a mask
• All clients entering the veterinary hospital are required to use the hand sanitation center located in the lobby
• Please limit family members to one-two people per exam room. Our waiting room is currently closed
• If you prefer, curbside service will continue to be available for our clients
• If you are sick or have respiratory signs, fever and/or confirmed or pending results for COVID-19, and the appointment in non-emergency, we kindly ask that you reschedule. If your pet is in immediate need of emergency care, please make arrangements for another person to bring in your pet or talk to our receptionist before arrival. We need to prepare extra protective measures. However, we are still here to help.

PICK-UP INSTRUCTIONS

• A team member will come out to your vehicle with your pet, medications, and discharge instructions.

Thank you for your understanding. Please let us know if you need any special assistance. We are here to help.

The post COVID-19 Client Procedures Update appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

Learn how to easily make masks through a step-by-step pictorial or video how-to.

To establish the best method for you to drop off masks for use at either our practice, sister clinics, or human healthcare counterparts, please contact the Knoxville Veterinary Medical Association (KVMA) by e-mail at kvmapresident@gmail.com or through their Facebook event page, letting them know that you have spare, commercially-made surgical masks or hand-made cloth masks available.

Thank you so much for your support and participation. Together we can make a difference!

The post Join Us for the Million Masks Challenge appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

Your pet is not considered at risk for contracting this type of corona virus from people.

You can help us in maintaining a safe environment:

• Please call us at 865.693.4440 to discuss your pet’s needs if you have traveled outside of the U.S. recently, are at increased risk or are exhibiting symptoms (fever, coughing, sneezing) of illness.
• If you are having someone other than the recorded legal representative transport your pet, call to ensure authorization, medical privacy and payment method are communicated.

We want to continue to serve you if you need to stay out of any public spaces for your own health risks. We will be happy to take payments by phone, come out to get your pet from your vehicle, and deliver medications to your car in our parking lot for clients not wanting to come inside the building. If there is a critical emergency, we recommend notifying us first at our office or communicating with the local pet emergency clinic.

The safety and well being of pet family members, our staff and clients remain the most important focus for us and we are committed to providing services during this concerning and unusual time.

Thank you for your assistance in achieving our goals while caring for your pet!

The post COVID-19 Information for Pet Owners appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

It’s frustrating that you can’t just call and get a household fix over the phone, but the truth is, it’s impossible to tell what’s wrong with a sick animal based on a conversation. In fact, sometimes, even a visit to your regular veterinarian can be inconclusive.

For instance, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, loss of appetite, lethargy, limping, and more are all symptoms of common, easily treatable issues – maybe your pet has a flea allergy, or a thorn in his paw, or a simple upset stomach. But those symptoms are also all signs of bigger issues, especially when they are persistent.

An examination is key to feel the abdomen for masses and blockages, to check the painful joint for misalignment or swelling, and to check for fleas or mites that could contribute to a rash. Routine bloodwork, urinalysis, radiographs, and skin tests are often needed to diagnose the cause of the symptoms—or at least rule out things that are not causing the problem. Those are the stickiest problems, the ones where a veterinarian’s exam and routing testing can tell you what it isn’t, but the answer of what it is remains elusive. When regular exams and bloodwork are inconclusive, veterinarians rely on advanced diagnostics to give them a full picture of your pet’s health.

What are advanced diagnostics?
Advanced diagnostic tools refer to tests and tools not readily available at most general practices. This might include:

• Ultrasound
• Advanced radiography (x-ray)
• CT scan
• Endoscopy
• Rhinoscopy
• Colonoscopy
• Fluoroscopy
• Echocardiography
• Electrocardiogram
• Exploratory surgery
• And more

These tools tell veterinarians what regular examinations and bloodwork cannot, such as the presence of tumors, broken or fractured bones, issues with the airway, esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, heart problems, and more.

When are advanced diagnostics used?
Advanced diagnostic tools can be used to identify foreign bodies, back disease, cancers or tumors, cardiomyopathy, and more.

Your regular veterinary hospital likely has many diagnostic tools on-hand, such as x-ray, cytology, and bloodwork. However, when a veterinarian cannot make a conclusive diagnosis, or treatment isn’t working, they rely on specialty hospitals such as Animal Emergency & Specialty Center to help them dig deeper to get to the root of the problem.

The bottom line is, bloodwork and x-rays aren’t always enough for answers, even when a pet is obviously very sick. This is when more extensive tools and expertise are needed for answers.

What advanced diagnostics are available at Animal Emergency & Specialty Center?

At our Knoxville or Chattanooga locations, we perform:

• CT
• Radiography
• Electrocardiograms
• Echocardiography
• Endoscopy
• Cystoscopy
• Rhinoscopy
• Laryngoscopy
• Bronchoscopy
• Gastroscopy
• Colonoscopy
• Endoscopic biopsy
• Blood-gas analysis
• Bone marrow aspiration
• Ultrasounds
• Ultrasound-guided tissue biopsies
• In-house cytology
• And more

When you don’t yet have all the answers for best treatment of your pet, the resources of Animal Emergency and Specialty Center are available.

The post The importance of advanced diagnostics appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

However, you can’t just “eeny, meeny, miney, moe” and choose whichever bag you land on. A good diet is vital to giving your pet the longest, healthiest life possible.

What are the benefits of a good diet?
A high quality diet results in a better coat, fewer skin conditions, less itching, fewer ear infections, fewer gastrointestinal issues, better muscle tone, stronger bones, healthier teeth, more energy, better temperament, and more. Additionally, certain prescription foods help pets with allergies, urinary issues, weight problems, joint problems, kidney problems, digestive issues, and more.

Many times, after we see a dog or cat, part of their recovery or treatment is a specific diet. A dog who has come to us with chronic kidney failure, for instance, may benefit from eating Science Diet k/d. A cat with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) may benefit from a food specially formulated to promote bladder health.

Prescription foods aren’t the only diets we recommend, though. If your pet is on a low-quality diet, we recommend switching to a better food to increase your pet’s longevity and improve their overall wellness.

How to choose a high-quality pet food
1. Consider your pet’s age
The first step in choosing a food for your dog or cat is to consider your pet’s life stage:

• puppy/kitten (up to 1 year old)
• adult (between 1 and 7 years old)
• senior (7 years or older)
• nursing/pregnant

Foods that claim to be “for all life stages” might not give your pet the nutrition he or she needs, especially if you have a very young pet, or a pregnant female.

2. Choose a food type
There are several types of pet foods. Here’s a breakdown of each:

Commercial dry food and canned food are the most popular choices among American pet owners. Using a good quality dry or canned food is a good choice for your pets. Both have long shelf lives and each has adequate nutrients (if the food is good quality). Dry food typically is cheaper than canned food, but both are affordable.

Homemade diets are a good option if you don’t mind extra time and expense. It isn’t as simple as sharing your dinner with your pets. Commercial foods undergo testing and research to guarantee proper nutrition. If you choose a homemade diet, you don’t have that advantage, and it can be difficult to ensure your pet is getting all the nutrients he or she needs, such as calcium, copper, iodine, fat-soluble vitamins, and B vitamins. Work with your veterinarian to formulate a home-cooked diet that is properly balanced, meets all nutritional needs, and is suitable for your pet’s age, lifestyle, and condition.

Raw diets have gained traction in recent years. However, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) have all released statements discouraging the feeding of raw or undercooked animal-source protein to dogs and cats. The Delta Society’s Pet Partners Program has a policy preventing animals on raw meat-based diets from participating in the Therapy Animal Program. There are many reasons for this – there are potentially harmful pathogens in raw meat, raw meat poses the risk of salmonella, raw bones have been associated with dental problems in dogs, and raw diets are often nutritionally imbalanced.

3. Choose the perfect recipe
With your pet’s life stage and the type of food you want to use in mind, you’re ready to choose a food!

If you’re buying a bag of kibble from the pet store, the bag has all the information you need. Per current U.S. pet food regulations, pet food labels must list:

• Product name
• Net weight
• Name and address of manufacturer
• Guaranteed analysis
• List of ingredients
• The words “dog” or “cat” food
• Statement of nutritional adequacy
• Feeding guidelines
• Calorie content of the diet expressed in both kcal/ME/kg and familiar household unit (e.g., cups or cans)

Ingredients listed in a product name tell you a lot about the percentage of that ingredient in the product. For example, using the term “beef” in a product name means beef must make up at least 70% of the total product. However, “beef dinner,” “beef entrée,” “beef platter,” etc., tells you beef is 25% or more of the total product. “With beef” indicates only 3% or more of beef, and “beef flavor” indicates the least amount of beef.

The ingredient list is important, but perhaps not in the way you think. Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, but ingredient lists do not state quality or grade of ingredients, and may need to be adjusted to dry matter for a true assessment of amounts. The ingredient list is most helpful to see where the protein and carbs are coming from in your pet’s food – helpful if, say, your pet has a food allergy.

When choosing a food, look for the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement on the bag to check if it was formulated (someone made the recipe with the requirements) to meet needs, or if it has been tested through feeding trials (the company made the recipe then tested it in a feeding trial, then monitored the animals over time to make sure there were no metabolic issues with the food). We recommend only those foods that have been proven through feeding trials and AAFCO standards.

Remember: The most expensive food is not always the best food. Check with your veterinarian for recommendations on the best diet for your pet’s breed, age, lifestyle, and condition.

The post Why is a good diet important for my pet? appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

We have been very good this year. There was only that time we knocked over that plant over back in March (it was never going to make it ‘til summer anyway, with Mom’s black thumb). And in our defense, we didn’t know it wasn’t OK to unravel the toilet paper (why make something so fun off-limits?).

Since we have been perfect angels otherwise, we would like:

– Some new toys to chew and chase:
We pets don’t need anything fancy. For Dog, please bring a rubber Kong toy. He loves to chew it, chase it, and work hard to get the yummy peanut butter filling out. It keeps him busy (and out of Cat’s way). Dog also likes puzzle toys – they keep his brain sharp so he can learn new tricks! If that is too much trouble, a simple rope toy is good, too – Dog loves rope toys to play tug-o-war and keep his teeth clean.

Cat loves puzzle toys, too (and can do them better than Dog). And some feather or jingle bell toys would be nice, too!

– Christmas cookies:
We love cookies! Our favorites are … all of them. But those human cookies make us sick (shh! Mom doesn’t know we snuck some once!). We like cookies from the pet store, or the homemade kind. We even found our favorite recipes for your convenience:

Cat treat recipe:
10 oz canned salmon (undrained)
1 egg, beaten
2 cups whole wheat flour
Miniature cookie cutter

Pulse salmon in a food processor until finely chopped. In a large bowl, combine the salmon with the egg and the flour until a tacky dough forms (add flour as needed to make dough firmer; add water if it’s too dry). Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it’s about ¼ inch thick, then use your cookie cutter to cut out treats. Bake the treats on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (or until they’re slightly browned and crunch). Allow to cool before serving, and keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Dog treat recipe:
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour
Miniature cookie cutter

Beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and eggs until well-combined. Gradually add in 2 ½ cups of flour, beating at low speed until just incorporated. Add an additional ¼ cup of flour at a time until the dough is tacky, but not sticky. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface a few times, then roll it out until it’s about ¼ inch thick, then use your cookie cutter to cut your treats. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Let cool before serving.

– A walk for Dog
Dog doesn’t need anything to unwrap, as long as Mom and Dad take him for a nice long walk! A trip to the park or a dog-friendly patio would be fine, too!

– A tree that Cat can climb
For some reason, Mom and Dad got really mad at Cat for climbing the Christmas tree. So, Cat needs a tree that is OK to climb! It’s fun for Cat, plus provides a safe space to hide when Dog gets a little too rowdy (and cat trees are good for climbing and jumping, which is good exercise – and after those cookies, Cat needs exercise).

– A new bed and blanket
We love getting new blankets! It’s so fun to burrow and roll in them, and even chew and lick them.

– Some new threads
It’s really cold outside! Our fur does the job, but when we go out in the snow, an extra sweater would be pretty nice. Also, we saw Mom and Dad wearing some really cool pajamas, and I saw that they make the same pajamas with four legs – we love matching with the rest of the family!

– Toys to play with Mom and Dad while they’re at work
We would love a camera and treat dispenser that Mom and Dad can use while they’re at work to talk to us and give us treats for being so good while we’re home alone! Dog really wants an automatic ball thrower, too, so the fetch never has to stop. And for Cat, an automatic, interactive laser toy would be the cat’s meow.

But really, Santa, all we want is to be with our humans. We don’t need toys and treats when we can get unlimited ear scratches and belly rubs!

The post A letter to Santa from your pets appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

Robust healthcare for senior pets
Geriatric pets – those older than age 7, or age 6 for dogs over 50 pounds – should receive:

1. Twice yearly wellness exams.
Wellness visits include a thorough evaluation of your pet’s medical history, health risk screenings, senior pet health education, and referrals to specialty care (if needed). When we examine old pets, we look for common issues such as infected teeth, cataracts, heart murmurs, or tumors.

Regular physical exams and consultations are the most valuable tool to monitor your pet’s health. They’re an easy way to catch developing problems in your aging pet, and early diagnosis is critical to preventing and managing diseases including, but not limited to, dental disease, obesity, osteoarthritis, renal disease, and diabetes.

2. A health risk screen
As part of your senior pet’s robust healthcare regime, your veterinarian may suggest health risk screenings. There are a lot of critical values that need to be checked, including blood sugar, thyroid hormone, and kidney function.

Fortunately, there are easy tests to give us important answers, including bloodwork and urinalysis. With regular health screenings, you don’t have to wait until your pet gets sick before you realize something is wrong. We can catch any abnormalities right away, and address potential problems before they are detrimental to your pet’s health.

“As an emergency and referral facility, we see the importance of early detection of disease in our senior pets on a daily basis,” says Dr. Nikki Branam, hospital administrator at Animal Emergency & Specialty Center. “As a general rule, the sooner a problem is detected the higher success we have at treating and managing it without requiring lengthy and costly hospitalization.”

That includes early detection of kidney disease, liver disease, endocrine diseases such as Cushing’s Disease or hyperthyroidism, and more, she said.

“If a general practice veterinarian is able to detect these diseases early on by performing biannual exams and blood screening tests, the overall prognosis greatly improves,” Dr. Branam said.

Other senior pet care tips
In addition to regular, thorough exams and screenings, your senior pet should receive a nutrition evaluation – many problems can be addressed with a simple diet change! And you should also exercise your pet regularly. Regular walks for dogs, or play sessions for cats, will keep your furry friend in top shape, which is key to longevity.

Finally, keep up with parasite control, including flea and tick control and heartworm preventive, and vaccines. You don’t want your fur baby’s immune system compromised by something easily prevented!

The post Senior pet health: How to care for your aging pet appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

Learn about:

• Toxic plants common around the holidays
• Dangerous holiday food items
• Holiday decoration pet dangers
• and more!

The post Pet-proofing for the holidays appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

What is pet insurance?
Pet insurance covers illness and injury expenses for pets. You pay for your policy each month – typically between $30 and $50 per month – just like you do for your own insurance.

Is pet insurance the same as human insurance?
Pet insurance is similar, but not quite the same as human insurance. With human insurance, you must find a doctor in your insurer’s network, then, when you arrive for your appointment, you hand over your insurance card and pay any copay. Any charges not covered by your insurance are billed to you later.

With pet insurance, instead of finding an in-network provider, you go to any veterinary office near you!  However, you don’t simply pay a copay and go about your way; instead, you pay for your pet’s medical bill upfront, then submit the receipt to your pet insurance company for reimbursement.

Most pet insurance policies have a limit for how much you can claim each year, and for what types of procedures or visits (some costs for pre-existing conditions, for instance, may not be covered). Like human insurance, you must meet a deductible before you can be reimbursed.

A great budgeting tool
Pet insurance is a great way to keep a handle on your pet’s vet costs. You know exactly how much you’ll have to pay each month and how much your deductible is each year, allowing you to accurately budget for your pet’s medical costs.

However, some vet visits – even routine visits – are pricey. A routine annual exam might reveal dental problems, and a dental cleaning could cost a few hundred dollars. Or maybe your pet has an upset stomach, and you suddenly have an extra vet visit that includes an internal parasite screening and a heartworm test.

While you’ll get your money back eventually (after you’ve met that deductible, of course!), you’re still on the hook for those visits and tests upfront. Consider keeping a small savings or a credit card available for the upfront vet costs, and replenish the fund or pay the credit card bill once you’re reimbursed from the insurance company.

How to decide if you need pet insurance
Many regular veterinarians offer wellness plans that take care of routine things, such as annual exams, vaccinations, and more. Those plans are helpful and can save you quite a bit of money, but they don’t cover emergency and specialty services. That’s where pet insurance comes in.

It’s a bit of a gamble: you may pay for it and never need it. But if you do need it, it can be a godsend, especially if you don’t have savings or another financial safety net for unexpected vet visits.

If you already have a plan with your regular veterinarian, and some savings specifically for vet costs, you may be fine without pet insurance. This is particularly true if your pets are indoor pets who do not go outside unsupervised. Of course, pets are crafty, and can get into trouble even when they’re inside and constantly supervised, but the risk is significantly less.

If you live, say, in an area with more wildlife or near a busy road, or you travel a lot, pet insurance could make more sense for you.

Bottom line: pets come with various costs, and veterinary bills make up a sizeable portion of those costs. Adding extra peace of mind with pet insurance is extremely valuable. You don’t want to opt out of the best care for your pet simply because it’s too expensive.

The post Do you need pet insurance? appeared first on Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville.

This CT scanner replaces our current model in Knoxville and offers increased precision and diagnostic capability.

What does a CT scanner do?
A CT scan – which stands for computed tomography scan and is sometimes called a CAT scan – takes computer-processed combinations of many X-ray measurements from different angles to produce cross-sectional (tomographic) images of specific areas of a scanned subject. These angles are called virtual “slices.” Our new Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville machine is a 16-slice CT scanner.

Essentially, CT allows our technicians and doctors to see inside your pet without cutting.

How do we use our CT scanner?
A CT scan allows our doctors to better evaluate complex body parts, such as the head, abdomen, joints, and various internal organs. “This machine helps scan different levels of tissue density and produces a more detailed image than a simple X-ray table can,” said Paul Moore, Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville’s hospital administrator.

With CT, we evaluate the abdomen and thorax for staging of neoplasia (the presence of an abnormal growth), assess masses pre-surgery, and conduct vascular studies. We also evaluate the skull and cervical spine for nasal disease, thyroid masses, herniated disks, and trauma. We conduct musculoskeletal evaluations and evaluate limb deformities, tumors, and bone fractures. Best of all, a CT scan takes only a couple of minutes, meaning we can quickly evaluate your four-legged family member and form a treatment plan.

“This will obviously help our specialists in their various fields to provide better diagnostics as they are developing treatment plans for our valued clients’ fur babies,” Moore said.

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