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Clinic Hours:
Monday - Friday :
8am to 6pm
Saturday :
8am to 2 pm
Sunday : Closed
T: 408.263.3990
F: 408.263.0331
1393 S. Park Victoria Dr.
Milpitas, CA 95035
Click here for directions.
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News
Stay up-to-date on the latest at Parktown Veterinary Clinic |
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Newsletter Highlights:
- Importance of glaucoma testing
- Fighting the flea battle
- Let's talk about heartorms
- What are 'Foxtails' and the dangers
- Parktown staff updates
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What is Glaucoma and is YOUR pet at risk?
 Glaucoma is an increase in pressure within the eyeball. If left untreated, glaucoma damages structures within the eye, causing blindness. In animals and people, glaucoma is treated with drugs,surgery, or both.
There is only one way to diagnose glaucoma early enough so that there might be time to treat the eye and hopefully prolong vision. It is by using a small device called a tonometer that measures pressure within your pet's eye. Tonometry can be done in our office and only takes a minute or two. Checking eye pressure in your pet is not painful. A drop of local anesthetic is placed in the animal's eye and the tonometer is placed against the surface of the cornea where several measurements of internal pressure are taken, just like at a human ophthalmologist office.
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Since glaucoma may affect only one eye initially, most owners will not notice blindness. In advanced stages, owners may notice that the pet's eye is bulging, red, tearing or squinting. By the time animals present with advanced visual signs of glaucoma (large bulging eye) it is often too late to save the eye and at this point an enucleation (surgical removal of the eye) may be the only treatment option.
It is recommended that this simple yet valuable test be performed yearly in high risk breeds, in most animals presenting for eye problems, and yearly in all dogs over the age of 8. The earlier the disease is detected, the better the chance of maintaining a visual eye. |
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In California, it is always flea season. Have you noticed evidence of fleas on your pet? You might see your dog scratching more than usual especially toward his tail. You might see something that looks like “pepper” in their hair which is the excretion of fleas. For pets that groom themselves you might not see anything at all, but if your pet is not protected with flea medication they will have fleas! Besides making your pet itch, fleas carry harmful blood diseases and can cause anemia. When ingested, fleas turn into tapeworm in the intestinal tract too.
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Good news though…there are very good flea medications on the market. Safe brands to purchase are Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution. Advantage fights fleas. Frontline fights fleas and ticks. Revolution fights fleas, ticks, and heartworm. Heartworm preventative is prescription only and can be purchased through your veterinarian. All three of these products work equally well for fleas. If you’re wondering which one to use, we do recommend Revolution because it protects against a wider spectrum of problems. Plus, it is much cheaper to prevent heartworm than treat for it if they contract it. |
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Parktown will be helping you out this flea season by offering 1 dose of any of these flea medications FREE when you purchase 6 doses. That’s 7 months of protection for your pet for the price of 6. We are  also offering 2 doses free when you purchase 12 doses. That’s 14 months of protection for your pet for the price of 12. If you want to purchase 1 dose at a time, we can do that for you too. Please call or visit our office and our staff would love to talk with you about which product is right for your pet. |
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Heartworm is a dangerous parasite contracted by mosquitos. Dogs and cats can contract heartworm.
When bitten by infected mosquitos, microfiliaria travel through the blood stream and into the heart where they grow into parasitic worms. Your pet may not show signs of this infection until the disease is advanced. Signs include but are not limited to cough, tiring easily, weight loss, listlessness, anemia, jaundice, poor coat condition, and bloody stool. Unlike some intestinal parasites, the heartworm parasite is more likely to lead to death.
Heartworm may sound extreme but as medical professionals, we have seen heartworm fatalities and do not take it lightly. Testing for heartworm in your pet is easy and now more affordable. During the month of May, Parktown is offering 10% off heartworm and stool testing. Please feel free to call our office and set up a time for one of our experienced technicians to draw a small amount of blood from your pet. We also recommend yearly fecal parasite evaluation so remember to bring in a stool sample from your pet as well.
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For those who have had to visit your veterinarian to take out a foxtail from your pet’s eyes, ears, nose, or extremity, please raise your hand! We know there are many of you out there…we’ve seen your pet’s medical record.
“Foxtail’s”, also called “spear grass,” are a spikelet cluster of grass.  This cluster has a hardened tip with barbs that point away from the tip, making it look like a spear. This plant is designed to travel on animals fur in order to disperse its seed. They can also get irreversibly lodged in nostrils and ear canals causing soft tissue injury, infection, and in some cases death. |
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How to Safely Deal with Foxtails
AVOID- Keep your pet away from high grasses and un-manicured areas.
CONTROL- Keep your front and backyard manicured. Do some weeding, especially where there is a lot of foot traffic.
REMOVAL- After each walk or at least once daily comb out your pets fur. Use a long tooth comb for long hair animals. Check in and around their ears and eyes, and between their toes. This is a good time to practice flipping your pet on it’s back and handling it’s feet.
TREATMENT- DDo not attempt to treat a foxtail injury at home! Foxtails can be painful and complicated to remove. Your veterinarian has the proper tools to safely remove a foxtail.
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Happy spring everyone! The sun is out, the days are longer, and the mood for newness and spring cleaning are here.
The staff here at Parktown are celebrating spring by giving new light to our clinic. |
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We just had a fantastic painting party that resulted in a new and improved feel to our exam rooms, reception area, and dog and cat welcome rooms. Pictures of this fun filled event can be viewed on our facebook page. Better yet, we would love for you to visit our clinic to see the progress. Did you know we give tours of the hospital upon request? |
  You can view our staff sky dive pictures on our facebook page. A few weeks ago some of our staff got coordinated, drove over, suited up, and jumped out of an airplane. Some of us weren’t completely gung-ho. Like any human being, some had their reservations about jumping…even though it was a tandem jump with some of the most experienced sky divers in the bay area. Cassie, one of our veterinary technician, was very eager the whole time. We’re not really sure if she was ever nervous. You should view the before and after pictures of Vanessa, our other veterinary technician. Before the jump, she’s terrified. After the jump, she’s a new person. Vanessa said “doing something so radically scary and surviving it brings a clearer picture of life.” Needless to say, the staff will probably be looking out for another exciting adventure. Stay tuned for the next months newsletter updates.
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 Join our community &
help spread the word! Become a fan on Facebook.
 Thank you for your continued support. You can read reviews or write a review about us. |
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Upload your pet to our new pet portal. Go to: ParktownVet.com. Signing up is easy and the benefits are great!
 Check vaccination & exam status
Request prescription refills & delivery
Request appointments
Update contact info
Your pets can have their own space online, with pictures. |
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