VT NH Veterinary Clinic

07/22/2025

07/15/2025

Please join in wishing Dr. Ted Johnson a wonderful retirement. Dr. Johnson, ("no relation to Clyde") joined the practice 35 years ago, and if you have horses, you've probably had him out to your farm! He has been an integral part of the equine practice at VT-NH over the years and has helped countless horses and their owners with competence, compassion and also the creativity that rural practice demands.

If you know Ted, you know he loves adventure, whether it is camping with his wife Colleen and their dogs, rafting the river or skiing the slopes of Magic Mountain. Though he will be missed, we know he will be out enjoying his well earned retirement.

We have Dr. Heather Federow here at the practice for your equine needs and also Dr. Jessie Werner will be back soon to help us continue our compassionate care for area equines! Please feel free to share some of your favorite Ted stories below and wish him a happy retirement.

06/23/2025

06/10/2025

Hello Clients: Be advised that our telephone service is currently experiencing technical problems. Incoming and outgoing calls cannot be made. You can send a text message to the main number and we will receive those messages. Thank you for your understanding.

02/28/2025

Well said from our sister clinic Rockingham Veterinary Clinic

As this proposed event approaches, it has made me think about where I spend my money. I’m not sure that one day of not buying from big corporations is going to have any significant effect but I do know that community support makes a huge difference to locally owned businesses, including farms, restaurants and veterinary clinics.

Rockingham Veterinary Clinic does not have investors, we make investments in our staff and community. The clinic owners are all veterinarians that work full time in our practices ( we have an office in East Dummerston, VT also). As is the trend in many businesses, smaller companies are bought by larger corporations and currently in Veterinary Medicine, up to 40% of veterinarians work for a corporation.

As a community we can keep our local businesses healthy by spending our money locally when we can.

One day of avoiding buying from giant corporations may be a start but it may be more effective to shift 25% of your typical online and big box store purchasing to a local privately owned business.

I love being part of this community and wish good health to the people and animals within it.

Sincerely,

Jerilyn Jacobs,DVM

01/25/2025

Did you know that only 40% of cats receive routine veterinary care while close to 80% of dogs receive routine veterinary care every year?! I know the cat owners out there love their cats as much as dog owners!

So why is there such a barrier to getting your cat to the vet?
Some reports show that it's because of the stress involved with cat carriers, car rides, and with indoor cats, low risk of disease exposure are all reasons given by cat owners.

It's no fun to try and wrestle a ninja with 4 blades of death, I mean 4 paws with claws, and the flexibility of an inflatable tube man! However if you start training your cat, it will not only help them get better health care but will reduce their stress of coming to use if they experience an emergency.

You can leave your cat carrier out at all times and even place toys, favorite blankets, and food in the carrier. Some people are feeding their kittens IN the carrier on a daily basis to associate positive experiences with it. If the carrier only comes out for wrestling matches and vet visits, you are training or cat to associate negative things with the carrier.

Top loading carriers are less stressful for cats and make sure you have the appropriate size carrier for your pet.

You can use feline pheromone sprays to help calm them as well and even talk to your veterinarian about anxiety medications.

When you do carry your pet in a cat carrier, remember to think about how it feels to be in the carrier. Carrying the carrier flat, not swinging it, or placing it on the ground facing dogs or scary scenes is important. Covering the opening with a towel sprayed with feline pheromones can also be helpful.

Cats tend to hind their illness until they are nearly on death's door. Routine care is very important to catch things like dental disease, kidney disease, and thyroid disease. They are more prone to fleas than dogs, due to their smaller size and can get an infectious disease from fleas. Mousers and cats who go outside should be dewormed for intestinal parasites. ALL cats, even if they are indoor only, should be rabies vaccinated, this is because who is most likely to catch a bat in your home!?

Many of the illnesses we see in cats at EMEVC can be caught earlier with routine wellness visits and blood work. We hope that we can help get more cats to their day doctors, but if you need us, we are here!

01/22/2025

Attention pet owners - avian flu has been in the news a lot lately. This disease can affect birds and mammals, including humans. In addition to exposure to wild birds, raw diets and raw milk have been linked to outbreaks. These tips can help protect you and your pets!

01/15/2025

What is H5N1?
H5N1, commonly known as avian influenza A or bird flu, is a highly pathogenic strain of influenza virus that primarily affects birds, but cases have recently been reported in wildlife, cattle, cats, and humans.

What do we know about the latest outbreak?
Recently H5N1 influenza cases have been reported in cats that have consumed contaminated commercial raw food diets, unpasteurized milk, or had contact with wild birds and cattle.

Precautions:
Consider discontinuing your pet’s raw diet. Even if their raw food is human grade, frozen, or freeze dried, this does not prevent the potential spread of pathogenic bacteria, parasites, or H5N1 that may be present in the food. Consider cooking your pet’s raw food and/or consulting your veterinarian about diet change.
Limit your pet’s access to wild birds that may be carrying the virus and avoid giving them raw milk.

What are the symptoms to watch out for in our pets?
Clinical signs in pets may include the following:
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Fever
• Neurologic signs (ataxia, circling, tremors, seizures, sudden blindness)
• Copious oculonasal discharge
• Difficulty breathing
We recommend seeking veterinary care if your pet shows any of these signs. If they are having any life-threatening symptoms (neurologic signs, seizures, difficulty breathing, or collapse) seek veterinary care immediately.

Can this cause illness in humans?
Yes, H5N1 can cause illness in humans. Current human infections have been linked to contact with infected cattle and wild birds. There is no current evidence of human to human transmission.

What is being done?
The CDC, FDA and USDA are closely monitoring cases as they develop. One voluntary product recall has been issued for contaminated raw food diets for cats & dogs. We are continuing to monitor this emerging virus.

Follow our animal health centers' social media accounts for regular updates.
https://hubs.la/Q031WZ2g0

08/14/2024

Phones are working!

We are currently having phone issues, if you need our assistance please call our phone # and leave a message and our staff will call you back as soon as possible! Phone calls are not going through, but we are checking messages and able to make outgoing calls. You can also send us an email. We are working on fixing the problem, thank you for your patience and understanding.

07/03/2024

Please join us in welcoming our newest veterinarian Dr. Heather Federow! We are excited to have her join our team here as a mixed animal practitioner providing care in both our small animal clinic and to equines. Dr. Heather is a 2024 Ross graduate, from New York, and enjoys trail riding her QH, crocheting and paddle boarding. Her veterinary interests include surgery, holistic medicine and fostering the human-animal bond.