Need a Date for Valentine’s Day?

Jan 28

Posted by MaryLou in Community Events | 2 Comments

How about your faithful canine companion? After all, your dog is crazy about you! No one gives unconditional love like your beloved dog, right? It doesn’t matter if you’re up, down, happy, or sad – your dog is always there for you! Whether you need a hug, lick, or playtime, your dog never disappoints…

Some examples of previous workshop photos by Lisa Scarsi.

Some examples of previous workshop photos by Lisa Scarsi.

So, who better to be your Valentine Sweetheart? That’s why this Valentine’s Day, we invite you to say “Cheese” instead of “Chocolate” and join us on Feb 6th & 13th for our Sit, Stay and Say Cheese Workshop (two sessions) and get professional portraits taken just in time for Valentine’s Day! And for those of you with 2-legged sweeties to please, these kissable portraits would make great and thoughtful gifts, too!

The training portion of the workshop will teach you how to pose your dog for the best photos ever on Saturday from 12-1pm on Feb 6th at Founders Veterinary Clinic, 330 N. Brea Blvd, Brea. Pet portrait sessions will be held the following Saturday, Feb 13th starting at 1pm.

Each workshop attendee will first learn posing techniques by trainer extraordinaire, Cindy Scott – followed by their very own furry photo shoot by an amazing professional pet photographer, Lisa Scarsi, on the following Saturday.

All this for a modest cost of only $105.

To sign up, contact Pro Dog Trainer Cindy Scott, of Dogs Etc.

at dogsetc@yahoo.com or call (714) 393-0432.

More about Cindy here: www.my-zen-dog.com.

More about Lisa here: www.lisascarsi.com.

Don’t miss this keepsake opportunity to capture adorable photos with the furriest love of your life!

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Pet Insurance Top Pick Revealed and Dr. T’s Panic Attack!

Jan 20

Posted by Paula Terifaj DVM in Preventive Care | 9 Comments

It’s been just 2 1/2 months since I purchased Petplan – prompted by our research project to find and study top rated pet insurance companies – when whamo,  a pet emergency unraveled right before my eyes at home in my living room! Curled up with a fascinating book – Outsmart Your Cancer by Tanya Harter Pierce – I was snuggled in the relaxed company of my two canine companions last Sunday afternoon on a couch too small for all three of us but try telling that to a dog! Bending themselves like pretzels around me I was startled when Brad Pit suddenly jumped down off the couch and began vomiting. As I started to call for maid service (yeah right)…things got worse. He lost all control of his bowels and then collapsed. “Oh my God,” I gasped, when I looked at his mucous membranes (inside lip and gums) – instead of a fleshy pink-red, his color was ghost white! With our clinic closed and no time to spare – like superwoman I picked up my 45 lb limp dog like he was the weight of a 5 lb Chihuahua and ran out the door into a speeding vehicle wishing Mario Andretti was at the wheel – “No cop is going to ticket a vet with a dying dog in route to the ER,” I kept shouting to the driver as tears blurred my vision and fear paralyzed the optimism I struggled to hold on to…

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Make 2010 The Year Of Affordable Pet Health Care!

Jan 1

Posted by Paula Terifaj DVM in Preventive Care | 17 Comments

As promised, we have just finished our in-depth insurance review conducted over the past three months. We now feel like exhausted experts on this topic! Initially – after looking at ten companies – we narrowed our focus down to these three: Petplan, Embrace and Pets Best. We found many similarities at first and later, major differences were uncovered, as we interviewed these companies over the phone and purchased a policy from each one.

Janet with her dog Cookie, enjoying a hike.

Janet with her dog Cookie, enjoying a hike.

I jumped in first, enrolling my pit bull mix-up, Brad Pit, with Petplan; Janet – our indispensable hospital manager and long time licensed veterinary tech –  signed up her dog Cookie with Embrace; Inez, our sweetheart groomer, purchased Pets Best for her newly adopted dog, Tigre. Yep, the same dog we were fostering – they had a 3 month love affair going on right under our noses!

My hat and stethoscope is off to Janet, who painstakingly studied each contract and directed my attention toward problematic areas. What follows is everything we learned and what you need to know before you enter the mind boggling world of pet insurance. We have done a lot of necessary homework and now it is your turn to compare, ask questions, and take action!

It is our greatest hope to see all our patients protected by a good pet insurance policy in the New Year. As I stressed in an earlier post, pet insurance is no longer an option – it’s a necessity if you want to make sure your pet receives state of the art medical care without maxing out your credit cards!

We want 2010 to be the year of affordable veterinary care. As a responsible pet parent, I challenge you to work an additional $25 to $35 into the monthly budget. So, if you become the unlucky pet owner faced with a $1,000 vet bill (happens every six seconds in the U.S.) don’t worry – just get your pen ready (or go on-line) and fill out your claim form!

Let’s begin…

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Could Feeding Raw Be Best For Your Pet?

Dec 17

Posted by Melissa in Preventive Care | 4 Comments

Melissa with her two cats, Jefe (left) and Clarabell (right).

Melissa with her two cats, Jefe (left) and Clarabell (right).

Hi there, my name is Melissa. I’ve been working the front desk for the past three years, happily greeting our wonderful clients and their pets. I’d like to share my experience with you on the importance of feeding an optimal diet for your pet.

I have two well fed cats (brother and sister) who are both 13½ years old. However, I believe the good health that they have enjoyed up until I started working at Founders has been due mostly to luck. I’ve always loved animals, but I was ignorant of the level of health care that pets need until I started working at Founders three years ago. As I’ve learned from Dr. Terifaj, a truly healthy diet is essential to pet health and there are many popular commercial junk pet foods you should absolutely avoid!

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No More Bad Breath!

Dec 3

Posted by MaryLou in Preventive Care | 1 Comment

MaryLou lends a reassuring hand to dental patient while Annie from Pet Dental Services performs a routine dental cleaning.

MaryLou lends a reassuring hand to dental patient while Annie from Pet Dental Services performs a routine dental cleaning.

Just imagine how your teeth would look and feel if you did not brush daily — so much for a second date! Pets also suffer from bad breath and unsightly tartar build-up when routine dental care is neglected. Many pet owners aren’t aware that bad breath may be a symptom of serious gum disease and joke that Fluffy needs a breath mint.

Hi! I am Mary Lou. As a kid growing up, we had a cockapoo who lived to be 18 but only had a handful of teeth left. We thought this was perfectly normal — dogs got old, their teeth fell out. Working at Founders, I learned that’s not true!

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Pet Health Insurance — You can’t afford to be without it!

Nov 19

Posted by Paula Terifaj DVM in New @ Founders | 10 Comments

Me sharing a moment of affection with my rescued pit bull mix, Brad Pit. I just purchased Petplan for him (one of the companies we are reviewing) with coverage up to $20,000 per year for a monthly payment of $36. Yes, even vets need pet insurance!

Me sharing a moment of affection with my rescued pit bull mix, Brad Pit. I just purchased Petplan for him (one of the companies we are reviewing) with coverage up to $20,000 per year for a monthly payment of $36. Yes, even vets need pet insurance!

An unexpected illness or injury could cost you thousands of dollars to save your beloved pet. At Founders, we worry that you could be forced to make critical health care decisions based on cost alone. That’s why a good pet insurance policy is so important for your peace of mind and ours too! You can’t predict the future of your pet’s health, but you can prepare for it. We can help you make the best choice.

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“Up to 8% of clinically ill dogs may die from complications of canine influenza, H3N8…”

Nov 10

Posted by Paula Terifaj DVM in Medical Alerts | 2 Comments

scared dogWhat’s the implication of that jaw dropping statement — or this quote by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): “The AVMA believes there is urgent need for an effective canine influenza virus (CIV) vaccine to improve the health and welfare of animals and reduce the financial impacts of canine influenza.” Good grief! Will our dogs drop like flies? What’s up Doc?

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Luv-a-Bully March catches attention of American Dog Magazine!

Nov 5

Posted by Paula Terifaj DVM in Political Action | 2 Comments

Over 100 angry dog owners marched down Brea Blvd to City Hall in peaceful protest.

Over 100 angry dog owners marched down Brea Blvd to City Hall in peaceful protest.

On October 24th at 10am, more than 100 outraged dog lovers (and maybe a few cat lovers) marched down Brea Blvd and Birch Street in protest of unfair breed discriminatory ordinances in a growing number of cities scattered all across the country.

With signs waving, tails wagging, and cars honking, activists walked more than two miles in a loop to Brea City Hall. More than 90 events were well attended in cities all across the United States and Canada, in a national campaign to create social awareness about the danger of allowing renegade cities and insurance companies to impose restrictions on dog ownership.

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Halloween WARNING: The sweet kiss of death for dogs!

Oct 29

Posted by Karen in Medical Alerts | 2 Comments

Trick, treat, or poison.

Trick, treat, or poison.

Hi! I’m Karen Delaney. I have been working at Founders part time for 2 years while attending college. I really enjoy helping your pets, while receiving free on the job training on pet health care. Today I want to share important information that could prevent a tragedy in your family…

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Pet Owners May See Tax Break — Paws Up for HAPPY — HR 3501

Oct 21

Posted by Eric in Political Action | 1 Comment

Lolita

Lolita

Hi! I’m Eric Christensen and this is my first time blogging with you. I sometimes man the front desk, taking calls and scheduling appointments — but my real job at Founders is that of Hospital Administrator. The staff likes to call me the ‘Computer Guy’ since I worked in the computer industry during my first three lives and now keep the computers up and running at Founders. I am also known as ‘Cat Guy’ here at work — being the only employee to have all feline housemates and no canines (see photos). I still love dogs, but cats just seem better suited to my laid back lifestyle.

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