Dr. Younker goes to a Tonga Village in Zimbabwe

I'm writing this from South Africa after a great mission trip to a Tonga village called Siabuwa, deep in the Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe. I've gone with some members of my church and some others to minister to the poorest people of one of the poorest countries in the world. The Tonga people are great people and have welcomed us for many years. This year, along with teaching them about God, helping the missionary-nurse treat patients, involve children in sports ministry, and visit with the people, I was able to deworm lots of goats and teach them about caring for their animals. For a small animal veterinarian like me, this is one of the greatest thrills of my life and will go back again some day. I will return around Thanksgiving. The Tonga word for goats is "ponga". I will try to post a picture or two in my next blog.

Canine Influenza Is Here!

Canine Influenza, or "Dog Flu" is a viral disease caused by the H3N8 virus. Similar to but not the same as "Swine Flu" (H1N1), this virus was discovered in Greyhound kennels in Florida in 2004. We have seen at least 50 cases at Fayette Veterinary Medical Center. In fact, during the July 4'th season, our kennel was hit by this virus. We believe that a "stray" dog, brought to us for a check-up and discovered to be heartworm positive stayed for evaluation and treatment. During this time, this dog shed the influenza virus into the air of our kennel before becoming symptomatic with respiratory disease. Because of the extreme contagious nature of this virus, many dogs developed symptoms within 3-7 days. All dogs were treated and recovered.

Coincidentally, a vaccine for Canine Influenza was released by the FDA right after our outbreak. We have recommended that all dogs that have continued exposure to other dogs, such as boarding, grooming, dog shows, obedience classes, dog parks, etc., receive this vaccine. Go to our website: www.FayetteCountyPets.com and read more about this disease and the vaccine.

Client Service and Relationship - That's What We're All About!

   It has been almost one year since we merged Huntington Creek Animal Hospital and LaFayette Center Animal Hospital.  We have all made so many new friends and there have been 296 of days of seeing patients, doing surgery, boarding, grooming, and treating animal emergencies.  One thing is for sure...WE'VE BEEN BUSY!  In fact, busier than we expected.  The one thing we do not want to lose as we have gotten a little bigger...and that is RELATIONSHIP.  For many years, we have enjoyed developing close relationships with the people of Fayette County and their pets.

   We have had some rocky patches as we have tried our best to keep you from waiting a long time to see a doctor.  We have tried our best to make you feel comfortable in our new environment as you have encountered new faces as you came in.  Our greatest desire is to make you feel "at home" because we want to continue that relationship for many years to come.  I think we are finally getting there and we always want to hear from you about how we can improve in that area.  So, let us know how we can serve you and your pet better.  We believe that we are poised to be the very best when it comes to the practice of small animal medicine and surgery.  Our staff is great... from our doctors to our kennel staff.  They all care deeply about you and your pet!              - Dr. Mike Younker

Welcome to our New Blogsite!

Welcome to our new blog where we will post information important to you and your pet.  We look forward to seeing you in the office and on the internet!

Dr. Mike Younker