Don’t forget to click on the second video to hear what Dr. Olson has to say about caring for cats and Take Your Cat to the Vet Week.

Watch the interview

A speeing car may have knocked Kirby off her paws but it wasn’t enough to break the young dog’s spirit.

“She’s happy and she loves people,” said local rescuer Doug Halsey of Kirby, a 2-year-old mutt that landed at the NYC Animal Care & Control’s Manhattan shelter after being hit by a car in the Bronx in June.

The impact left Kirby unable to walk, a death sentence for most shelter animals since few rescue groups can help one with such a serious injury. But some big-hearted shelter volunteers fell in love with the pooch and sent out red-alert email pleas to save her.

“When we met her we could see they were right,” said Halsey, who runs Ready for Rescue, a nonprofit group that saves cats and dogs that would otherwise be euthanized at the city shelter.

“Despite extraordinary pain, she was sweet and gentle,” he said.

Halsey immediately committed to treating Kirby’s injuries and finding her a home.

Doctors at NYC Veterinary Specialists, a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week hospital on W. 55th St., determined she had a fractured back. However, the dog was able to feel her legs, a neurological sign that she could benefit from surgery.

“If there are no reflexes, then prognosis isn’t good,” said Dr. Mark Levy, a board certified veterinary surgeon, who inserted a Lubra plate to stabilize Kirby’s spine. “Every time she moved, it damaged her cord.”

Unlike a metal plate, the Lubra plate is made from a plastic derivative and doesn’t require screws.

Five days after surgery, Kirby moved her legs. She then started rehab at Water4Dogs, the city’s only indoor pool for dogs, in Chelsea, where she swam and did hydrotherapy.

Today, she’s is in no pain and walks well – with a bit of a funny gait – and remains in foster care while awaiting a new home.

While she’s still on the mend, Kirby will require followup visits; however, she has no additional medical needs, and will make a loving companion in a calm home where she’s not prone to rough play, Halsey said.

Some may question why one injured dog is worth saving when there are so many in need of rescue. After all, injuries like this are costly to treat.

Halsey, a Web designer by day, estimates he spent about $7,000, including CT scan, back surgery and hospitalization, plus boarding fees and rehabilitation.

And, like many of the city’s grassroots rescuers who rely strictly on donations, Halsey paid for most of it out of his own pocket, with help from a hospital discount, a few private donations and $500 from the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals’ Picasso Fund.

Every year, about 43,000 cats and dogs land at the city shelter and about half are put down because of injury, lack of space or simply because there is no one to adopt them. A majority of the dogs that are euthanized are pit bulls.

“Rescuing animals from the shelter is an inexact process,” Halsey said, and in this case, a lack of available foster homes meant a hospital stay helped fit into the logistics. “There are thousands that need saving, and different circumstances will influence what animal we are able to rescue at a given time.”

To inquiry about adopting Kirby or make a donation, email dougmh13@yahoo.com or mail a check to: Ready For Rescue, 130 W. 16th St., No. 23, N.Y., N.Y. 10011.

For more info, go to ready4rescue.org.

The group shows adoptable animals at The Pet Health Store at 440 Amsterdam Ave. (at 81st St.) in Manhattan on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.amy.sacks2@gmail.com

This story was originally published August, 14, 2010, in the New York Daily News.

Watch Video of Interview

Read below for more details on what Dr. Olson discussed during her interview with Good Day.

Vital Information for Pet Emergencies

Emergency phone numbers: Before an emergency occurs, pet owners should have their veterinarian’s phone number handy, whether saved in their phones or posted on their refrigerators. If you are having a pet emergency at home, call or head to a veterinarian immediately.

Responsiveness: If your pet appears unconscious, tap the inner corner of the eyelids with your finger near the nose of your pet. Your pet should blink. If not, it is a sign of a serious problem and you should inform your veterinarian immediately.

Gums: Normal gum color is pink. Lift your pet’s lip to look at the color. If the gum color is pale, white, yellow or bluish, it is a sign of an emergency.

Breathing: To know if your pet is breathing, watch for a rise and fall of your pet’s chest and check airflow by the nostrils. If a pet is breathing excessively with more than 50 breaths a minute, it is a sign of a serious problem. You can count your pet’s breaths by counting as many breaths as you can for 15 seconds and multiplying by four.

Heartbeat: It is difficult accurately assess a pet’s heart rate without a stethoscope and veterinary training. Pet owners at home can feel for a heart rate if a pet is laying down by moving the front leg back and putting their hand on the chest under the arm. A major artery is also located on the inside of a pet’s thigh.

Healthy Vitals: Pet owners should become familiar with normal signs of a healthy pet by checking their pet’s vitals when their pet is healthy, so they know what doesn’t look right when an emergency occurs.

If you want to learn more about what to do in case of an emergency, call your family veterinarian to learn more about how you can care for your pet’s specific health needs.

Dr. David Wohlstadter speaks with NBC 4 in New York about the benefits of specialized veterinary medicine and how it can improve the quality of life for our pets. As the cost of health care continues to climb for humans, medical care for four-legged companions can be taxing on your wallet as well. For instance, New Yorkers Heather and Cindy paid more then $21,000 to treat their dog Casey Joe, who was diagnosed with cancer. The solution? Pet health insurance.

Watch the Video

This story originally aired July 28, 2010, on NBC 4 New York.

Watch Video

QUEENS — Everyone knows the importance of wearing a seat belt. They are the most effective way to save your life or the lives of your loved ones in case of a car accident.

However, you may not be protecting all of your loved ones, in particular, your dog.

It may sound a little extreme, but buckling up Fido is part of a growing trend.

A proud pug named Zena struts what looks like an ordinary dog harness and leash.

But it’s actually a life-saving accessory her owner straps on her every day.

“You hook them up to a seat belt. So the idea is when you hit the brakes, and the seat belt tightens you up. It keeps them from launching,” said Dr. Mark Levy, of NYC Veterinary Specialists in Forest Hills, Queens.

Pets can be ejected from convertibles and pickup trucks without them. Dr. Levy has treated it all.

“We see a quite fair number of injuries, whether the dog gets launched into the windshield, or into the seat. I’ve seen back fractures, facial trauma, hip trauma,” Dr. Levy said.

Some carmakers, like Volvo, can come factory equipped with three-point rear seat belts for pets.

According to the website, barkbuckleup.com, 98 percent of dogs are not restrained while riding in vehicles.

This story originally aired July 27, 2010 on WABC-TV New York.

When our little girl, Lilly, a then 4 year old Miniature Schnauzer, developed a cataract my partner and I were just crushed…absolutely crushed. Cataracts are not all that rare for the breed but Lilly is special to us and we just could not accept it. She was also a very young doggy and the thought that for the rest of her life she would be near blind in one eye was very much our motivating factor in finding a qualified and trustworthy doctor who could perform the delicate cataract removal surgery.

We chose NYC Veterinary Specialists and the outstanding Dr. Jennifer Welser. She immediately charmed us and, more importantly, Lilly. She diagnosed Lilly, explained the science of cataract removal and the consequences of inaction, issued a treatment plan…it was all extremely orderly and professional.

Lilly’s surgery was scheduled and on the day of her surgery we arrived as a family — Arturo, me, Lilly and our boy dog Max — and were allowed to accompany her to Dr. Welser. She accepted Lilly and let us exit gently so that surgery preparations could begin.

I received periodic updates throughout the day and our anxiety’s were kept low. After surgery we were told we had a choice of picking Lilly up or leave her in the hospital overnight…it is NOT an inpatient procedure. But we decided that Max, our boy dog, missed her too much and that it might be best for us if she was allowed to recuperate overnight without fear that Max and Lilly might want to play.

I was told it was okay to visit her and I did (mistake because she wanted desperately to go home). I brought her a dirty shirt to remind her of our scent and also gave her a pillow from our bed.

The next day she was delighted to leave, cone intact…

NYC Veterinary Specialists gave us clear and explicit after care instructions and were able to take good care of her.

Her recovery went off without a hitch and I am happy to report that Lilly has laser sharp vision now and we have had only a little redness from time to time.

She was notably appreciative, we think, as her energy levels and interactivity definitely increased.

We thank everyone at Bluepearl Veterinary Partners for making Lilly and us so happy. You guys did an enormously important thing and we are eternally grateful.

Veterinarians from our hospital in Kansas City, Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, will join the Mobile Heart Health Unit this Sunday at Bark in the Park. People are invited to bring their pets along to watch the minor baseball team T-Bones game.

Bark in the Park will feature many pet-friendly activities including the Mobile Heart Health Unit where our veterinarians will provide dogs with free heart health screenings.

A free heart health screening can be especially important for dogs that are predisposed to heart disease, which include Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Poodles, Schnauzers, Chihuahuas, Boxers, Dobermans and Great Danes.

Symptoms of heart disease include:
•    Reduced willingness to walk or exercise
•    Difficulty breathing
•    Coughing,
•    Loss of appetite
•    Weight loss

Dr. Brian Lucas is giving a free heart screening in the Mobile Heart Health Unit at an event held earlier this year.

Event information
Date:    Sunday, July 25, 2010
Time:    3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: T-Bones “Bark in the Park”
Community America Ballpark
1800 Village West Parkway,Kansas City, KS 66111

We will be in the Mobile Heart Health Unit outside of Gate A.

To learn more about heart disease in dogs and the Mobile Heart Health Unit, please visit www.yourdogsheart.com.

Americans plunked down $12 billion on health-care last year — for their pets.

Whether it’s for expensive diagnostic scans, surgeries or, in some cases, treatments so radical that doctors are not yet allowed to perform them on humans, devoted pet owners are spending more than ever to save the lives of their beloved animals, experts told The Post.

“The bottom line is always doing what is best for the pet’s quality of life,” said Dr. Louise Murray, vice president of the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital on East 92nd Street.

Last year, Americans’ $12 billion in veterinary bills was about double what they spent a decade earlier, according to ASPCA figures.

PUPPY LOVE: Dr. Karen Oberthaler (left) examines Casujoe yesterday as owner Cindy Ramos comforts her pit bull, who's recovering from cancer surgery.

Veterinarians say the boost in spending is partly because of the availability of new medical procedures and technologies.

But the change is mostly caused by the greater role that cats and dogs have been given in the family, Murray said.

“The shift happened around the same time people started giving their pets human names instead of calling them Spot and Fido,” she said. “Yes, there is new technology, but the driving force is consumer demand.”

One downside to such advanced technology is that vets and pet owners now have to wrestle with weighing the ethics of subjecting cats and dogs to aggressive treatments.

At places such as the radiation suite at the Animal Medical Center on East 62nd Street, pet owners spend thousands of dollars on procedures.

The center’s new half-million-dollar, 3-D imaging scanner was a gift from an owner whose pet was saved at the research and teaching facility.

The AMC offers 24-hour emergency care using procedures like heart surgery, MRI and ultrasound.

Dr. Jim Dasbach, a vet at the Greenwich Village Animal Hospital, said it’s not unheard of for people to spend tens of thousands of dollars to extend a pet’s life by only months.

A billionaire client, whom Dasbach declined to identify, spent $20,000 on brain-tumor treatment for his 8-year-old bulldog.

“He didn’t care what it cost,” Dasbach said.

But such splurging is not limited to the wealthy.

“You’ll see people who will take out second mortgages out for their pet,” Dasbach said.

And the animal medical advances can help humans, too.

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, a new surgical technique to repair torn knee ligaments in dogs was so successful that it’s now being used on professional athletes, said hospital director Dr. William Gengler.

CASE STUDY #1

21G? ‘He’s part of the family’

Cindy Ramos has spent $21,000 to save her pit bull, Casujoe, and says it was worth every penny.

“I’ve had my dog for 13 years and he’s like part of the family,” said Ramos, 30, who teaches kindergarten in The Bronx.

The massive costs have racked up since a problem was discovered in March. Since then, a tumor in the pooch’s right hind leg has required several surgeries, including the amputation of the limb.

Although many people asked her, “Why didn’t you put him down?” Ramos, of Westchester, said she never considered that an option.

“It’s the same thing if a diabetic person had to get their leg amputated. I mean, he’s still full of life — why would I put him down for something that there’s a solution for?”

The treatment at NYC Veterinary Specialists on West 55th Street included, among other expenses, $5,500 for the surgery to remove the tumor, $3,400 for the amputation and another $1,000 yesterday to remove infected stitches.

Ramos says she and her sister are splitting the bills, each paying $500 to $1,000 a month.

“It’s been hard because I work as a teacher and taking off a lot of days, leaving early, it takes a toll on my financial status,” she said.

“But it’s definitely worth it. It’s all about having a good heart and doing what’s best to prolong his life.” Laurie Kamens

CASE STUDY #2

Chance to repay the love

Sparkles beat cancer.

The 14-year-old Javanese cat was diagnosed with nasal sarcoma last year, but after monthly chemotherapy and 18 rounds of radiation, he has managed to hang on to at least two or three of his nine lives.

Mary Cripps, 47, of Manhattan, said she never hesitated at spending $3,000 on the treatment at NYC Veterinary Specialists.

“I’m grateful to the doctors who did this; they’ve given him quality time for us and for her,” said Cripps, a health-care worker.

“I love my pet, he’s been a wonderful companion and extremely loving — he gives nothing but love and asks for nothing in return.”

Cripps brought Sparkles back to the hospital yesterday after he started sneezing blood, but the treatments appear to have been effective in reducing his tumor.

“When he gives so much to every member of the family, I feel like I owed it to him,” Cripps said. Laurie Kamens

Tampa Bay Business Journal – by Margaret Cashill Staff Writer
Friday, July 16, 2010  |  Modified: Monday, July 19, 2010, 2:00am EDT

TAMPA — Just as a human in need of special medical attention may turn to a cardiologist, neurologist or other specialist, animal owners are taking their pets to veterinary specialists.

The breakthrough of specialty veterinary care has translates to growth for BluePearl Veterinary Partners, a Tampa-headquartered group of hospitals offering specialty treatment and emergency care to dogs, cats and other animals.

BluePearl’s 12 hospitals in seven states have 700 employees working as doctors, nurses, technicians, client care coordinators and other support staff.

Brothers Darryl Shaw, CEO, and Dr. Neil Shaw, chief medical officer, opened their first hospital, Florida Veterinary Specialists, in 1996.

Darryl Shaw handled business operations at the 1,500-square-foot leased facility while Neil Shaw, a veterinarian, treated animals. The Shaws had one employee, a technician who is still with the company.

“We started lean, and we essentially reinvested,” Darryl Shaw said. “We knew the practice was growing quickly, so we invested profits and lived lean for a while.”

By 1999, the company moved into a newly constructed facility on Busch Gardens Boulevard. An expansion in 2001 brought the facility up to 17,000 square feet.

“There was a lot of demand,” Shaw said. “You’ve seen people willing and interested in providing a level of care for their pets they would provide for themselves and family members.”

The Shaws in 2005 opened a 6,000-square-foot facility in Brandon in 2006 opened a 3,000-square-foot facility in Clearwater.

Later in 2006, they opened a 20,000-square-foot hospital in New York City after veterinarians in the area reached out to them expressing a need for specialty services.

After a yearlong renovation in the basement of an 18-story apartment building, the greatest challenge was building the relationship with the New York City veterinary community, Shaw said.

With the 2008 opening of a location in Queens, N.Y., and merger of the Florida and New York hospitals with a practice in Overland Park, Kan., the company took on the name BluePearl Veterinary Partners. It has since added locations in Eden Prairie, Minn., and Brentwood, Tenn.

On July 12, BluePearl announced the addition of a hospital in Atlanta and three hospitals in Michigan through mergers with local veterinary hospitals.

Barry Alpert, managing director of investment banking at Raymond James Financial (NYSE: RJF), and Dick Dobkin, retired managing partner of Ernst & Young, are BluePearl board members.

While the Shaws have an ownership stake in each location, they share ownership with doctors and key administrators onsite at the various locations.

With nearly 100 percent internal ownership and no outside investors or private equity, the firm does not feel pressure to grow at any certain rate. The company offers equity when prudent in a merger or acquisition and has stated to the Securities and Exchange Commission the minimum investment accepted is $140,000.

BluePearl does not have a timetable or a geographic plan for growth, Shaw said.

“As we’ve become more well known, more opportunities are finding their way to us,” he said.

A Brooklyn, N.Y., facility is scheduled to open later this summer.
Relationships important

As in the case of the New York City location, a BluePearl hospital increases business by keeping up contacts with referring veterinarians.

Veterinary specialty medicine is still evolving and finding its way to new regions around the country, said Leah Basinais, chief operations officer of Symphony Inc., a veterinary management company based in Ventura, Calif., that owns and operates specialty practices.

“The veterinary community is extremely tight-knit,” she said. “We’re still small enough to where it’s very personable. You know people at a large number of hospitals.”

Basinais is president of the Veterinary Specialty Practice Alliance, a nonprofit representing 20 veterinary specialty hospitals around the country. While the members do not encompass the entire veterinary specialty hospital community, it’s small and extremely tight-knit, she said.

“Our bread and butter is a general practitioner who sends us a case,” Basinais said. “With the exception of emergencies, we are almost 100 percent referrals.”

The pet-owning population covers a range of demographics and pet owners usually pay out of pocket for patient care.

Veterinary medicine is not “recession-proof,” Neil Shaw said, but while clients may have smaller budgets, their desire to help their pets has not waned.

The hospitals have seen 74,500 new patients in 2010, up from 48,000 in 2009.

INFO
BUSINESS: BluePearl Veterinary Partners
ADDRESS: 3000 Busch Lake Blvd., Tampa 33614
NATURE OF BUSINESS: Specialty and emergency veterinary medicine
PHONE: 813.933.8944
WEB: www.bluepearlvet.com

This story was originally published Friday, July 16, 2010 in the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

It’s not easy learning to dog-paddle when you’re a cat.

Here’s 6-year-old Nazzaning, partially paralyzed by a spinal-cord injury, learning to walk again with the help of aquatic therapy at Water 4 Dogs, an animal-rehabilitation center on Worth Street in TriBeCa.

Owner Florence Rostami got a frantic call from her mother, saying her beloved cat, whose name means “Dear One” in Turkish, had broken her front paw in their Garment District apartment.

“She didn’t realize Nazzaning was paralyzed on the left side,” Rostami said. “I rushed home and took her to the hospital.”

The emergency-room vet at the NYC Veterinary Specialists in Hell’s Kitchen found the cat’s paw wasn’t broken, but couldn’t figure out what was ailing the normally feisty feline.

“We were very afraid and thought we would lose her that first night,” Rostami recalled of the June 21 ER visit.

Luckily, the condition didn’t require surgery. Boaz Levitin, a neurologist at the clinic, instead suggested a novel idea normally prescribed for humans or dogs — physical therapy in water.

Since most cats have a maniacal aversion to H2O, there was doubt that Nazzaning would willingly take the plunge. She would have to dog-paddle in a custom-made swimming pool and, in a shallower tank, on a submerged treadmill at the Worth Street rehabilitation center.

Her meowing eventually mellowed with cat-whisperer John Larson, a therapist at the clinic, guiding her in the 92-degree water.

“I only hold her to make sure her ears don’t get wet,” Larson said during Friday’s session.

So far she’s doing swimmingly. With each $160 session, Nazzaning’s injuries are improving.

She’s one of the first cats to successfully undergo hydrotherapy treatment, said Levitin. “I’m a big believer in physical therapy but most cats just see water and flip out so I’ve never recommended that for them before.”

Nine sessions later, Nazzaning, a Turkish Van cat breed, is back to her old oddball antics.

“She basically runs the house,” Rostami said, adding that all the tests and work cost the family a pretty penny.

“I had major surgery on my foot three months ago, and my $10,000 therapy has cost about the same as Nazzaning’s.”

This story was originally published Sunday, July18, 2010 in the New York Post.