Happy New Year!

It's time to say good bye to 2014, and welcome 2015!  We want to wish you all a happy, and safe, New Year!

Keep in mind, New Year's parties can be a problem for your four-legged kids.

#1 - Loud music - With any party you may host, playing music loudly can be bothersome to your dogs.  Their hearing is much more sensitive than ours.  If you are going to be playing loud music, keep your dogs in a room that is away from all the festivities and the music will be muffled.

#2 - Party food - Many foods that we put out at parties can be harmful to our pets.  Ask your guests, politely, to not feed your pets from their plates.  Keep all alcohol out of the reach of your pets.  Many parties include desserts and candies.  While some people food can cause vomiting or diarrhea, others, like chocolate, grapes & raisins, can be toxic to pets.,   Keep all foods up on tables and counters where your pets are less likely to be able to get to them.

#3 - Fireworks - Celebrating the new year, usually brings out fireworks, and sometimes even guns, for marking the midnight hour.  The loud pops and bangs from gunfire and fireworks can startle your pets and make them want to run out a door, jump a fence, or hide under furniture.  Keep them in a room with a TV on at a lower volume to help distract them from the loud noises outside.

#4 - Open doors - Every time a guest enters, or even leaves, your house, the door will open.  Dogs and cats may see this as an opportunity to go outside.  Make sure that your microchip information is up to date.  If your pet is not microchipped, be sure to have their most recent Rabies and/or identification tags on their collars.

The Animal Hospital of Avon will be closed at noon on New Year's Eve, and all day New Year's Day.  We will re-open on Friday and return to normal business hours.
If you have an after hours emergency needs, please contact one of the following clinics:
Airport Animal Emergi-Center, 5235 W. Washington St, Indianapolis - Open after hours - (317) 248-0832
IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital, 5425 Victory Dr, Indianapolis - Emergency Department is open 24/7 - (317) 782-4418
Circle City Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital, 9650 Mayflower Park Dr, Carmel - Emergency Department is open 24/7

Dr. Campbell says Good-bye. :(

Almost 13 years ago, while still in high school, I began my employment at Animal Hospital of Avon and Rockville Road Animal Hospital.  My first day on the job, a fresh-faced assistant with zero experience, I was only trusted to follow Dr. Richards around to erase the scuffs his shoes made on the newly waxed floor and clean out the freezer of a forgotten exploded Pepsi can…and I loved every minute of it.  I was so excited to be around cats and dogs on a daily basis and work with a group of people that were more than a team, they were a family.  Slowly my responsibilities progressed and the skills I developed with the experiences I had there became the basis of my application to Purdue’s School of Veterinary Medicine.  Throughout my time at Purdue, I would return on breaks and vacations to squeeze in as much time as I could at my second home.  As fate had it, when the time came to graduate from school, they were in need of a full-time veterinarian!  What better place to start out than in the comfort of your own home! 

As you all know, working at an animal clinic is one of high stress, emotion, excitement and sadness.  Adjusting to these ups and downs was difficult but bearable when surrounded by such a fantastic staff and clientele.  It is very rare to find a group of people like these who genuinely care for all of their clients and patients.   My time here has been extraordinary, but unfortunately life has taken me in a new direction.        

I’m saddened to announce officially that by the end of May I will be no longer a part of the fantastic teams of Rockville Road Animal Hospital and Animal Hospital of Avon.  I cannot thank my staff, colleagues, and bosses enough for all that you have done to support me and contribute deeply to the type of veterinarian I am today and strive to become.  We will forever be family.

With Love,

Rachael  (Dr. Campbell)

Free eye exams for service animals!

The American college of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) will host it's 7th public service event providing free eye exams to Service Animals, May, 2014.  Approximately 220 ACVO board certified veterinary ophthalmologists will donate their services to provide complimentary screening eye examinations to Service Animals across America and Canada.  Best of all, the Service Animal's owner/agent will incur no cost for these services.  It is anticipated that through these efforts Service Animal health can be improved and potential disease averted for thousands of animals.

Please share this important information with all Service Animal owner/agents.

Qualification information and registration available at:  www.ACVOEyeExam.org

Registration is open April 1-30, 2014

Complimentary eye screenings take place in May 2014