Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic

Wishing you and and your pets a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Opossum Pike Vet Clinic! Thank you all so much for the treats you have given to keep us in sugar-high spirits and larger scrub sizes! We love it!!! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Remember when traveling for the holidays, Car Safety isn’t just for people, it’s for your pets too! Unrestrained pets aren’t only victims, they can be the cause of collisions as well. “Distracted Driving” is the number one cause of vehicle accidents in the US each year! While there are no laws governing pets and travel, the safest option is to have them secured in an appropriately sized crate or carrier in the back of your vehicle. This prevents them from distracting the driver, escaping though open windows, becoming more severely injured in an accident, and from getting lost if an incident occurs! We're wishing everyone health, happiness, and safe travels this holiday season!

At Opossum Pike Vet, we take preventative care for our patients seriously. That’s why we are adding a yearly Heartworm/Lyme disease test to your pet’s wellness exam. Did you know Maryland is one of the top 12 states where the majority of all Lyme disease occurs? And incidences of Heartworm disease are on the rise throughout the country, especially in the Southeast where many of our adopted pets come from. Both diseases are preventable though testing, vaccines, or monthly chewable tablets- all which Opossum Pike vet provides to your keep your pets safe and healthy!

During the holidays, we can unknowingly introduce new pet toxins into our homes- and we’re not just talking about more chocolates! Plants like mistletoe, holly, poinsettias, amaryllis, and even our pine trees can cause our pets issues if ingested! Please be safe this holiday season and sweep up any fallen leaves, needles, flowers, or berries and keep pets away from chewing on the tree or drinking pine tree water! Happy Holidays!!!

At OPVC we are always striving to improve communication with our valued clients! Our new automated reminder system went into effect on November 30th. Please call or email our office to update your information if you have moved or had a change in name, phone number, or email address. Thank you!

Are you using Chewy .com or 1-800-Pet-Meds for your pet supply needs? We have our own online pharmacy where many of the prices are comparable! Check it out and use the 20% off coupon for your first auto-ship order! Thank you for supporting Opossum Pike Vet Clinic!

November is National Senior Pet Month! At Opossum Pike, we perform Senior Health Screenings as part of our older pet’s wellness exams. As our pets age, they become more susceptible to many diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and many more. Our Senior Screenings help us diagnose some of these illnesses, even before your pet begins showing symptoms. Early detection of these diseases can add years to your pet’s life!

Wishing you all a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!!!!

With thanksgiving just around the corner, keep in mind that not all tasty treats are pet safe! While our pup companions usually get the most hype for snitching unsavory snacks, cats can also get into trouble with toxic treats!
Turkey bones, Chocolate, Onions, Garlic, Grapes and Raisins can all be very problematic for dogs and cats. Nuts, Alcohol and Dairy products, Salty snacks, breads, and caffeine are also among the culprits! These foods can cause stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, foreign objects getting stuck, lethargy, or neurologic symptoms.
We hope you and your furry family have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Did you know: Our senior cats are experts at hiding signs of pain- but that doesn’t mean they aren’t “feline” it! In fact, veterinary researchers estimate 45% of all cats and 90% of cats over age 10 are affected by arthritis in some way. So how can you tell if your cat is having symptoms? Here is a chart to help you recognize what arthritis pain may look like. If you feel like your cat may be experiencing these symptoms, talk to one of our veterinarians about Solensia. 77% of cat owners reported improvement in signs of pain when their cats were treated monthly in a 3-month study.

OA Pain Checklist Recognize the signs of osteoarthritis (OA) pain in cats with this simple checklist. An easy-to-use checklist can help expedite the diagnosis and treatment of OA pain. Go to the Cat OA Pain Checklist quiz: https://bit.ly/OAChecklist

November is also Pet Diabetes Month! As our pets age, their risk of diabetes increases, especially if they are overweight! Here are some symptoms to help you recognize what diabetes may look like in your pet:
-Increased Thirst
-Increased urination
-Increased appetite
-Weight Loss
-Dry fur and skin
-Changes in behavior like increased sleep, less affectionate, or a lack of energy
-Diabetic neuropathy- which is nerve damage caused by diabetes. Some signs include limping or dragging limbs, a loss of balance, twitching skin etc.
If your pet is exhibiting any of these symptoms, make an appointment with one of our Vets to assess if diabetes may be the cause.

We are still celebrating Senior Pets this month! Did you know, Opossum Pike Vet offers Laser Therapy Sessions!
Laser therapy is a comfortable and painless way to decrease pain and inflammation and improve wound healing. At OPVC, we use laser therapy to treat a variety of conditions like osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, fractures, muscle sprains, wound healing, and post-surgical pain. Osteoarthritis can affect so many of our senior cats and dogs and laser therapy is a great way to help relieve that pain! Speak to one of our Vets to find out if Laser Therapy may benefit your pet.

November 8th is the International Day of Radiology! Radiographs (X-rays) are an important diagnostic tool we use at Opossum Pike Vet with the most updated technology! X-Rays are used to detect many issues including masses in the body, bone fractures, pneumonia, spinal issues… and of course, Foreign Objects!
Take a look at these X-Rays of what these mischievous pups ate and see if you can guess what they got into!

November is National Adopt a Senior Pet Month! We'd love to see some pictures of your adorable senior pets!

November is National Adopt a Senior Pet Month! In celebration, Animal Control in Frederick is waving all adoption fees for the month of November for any animal over 5 years old! Please consider adopting a wonderful new friend with plenty of love left to give from them, or any of our wonderful local shelters!

Happy Howl-o-ween!
We'd like to announce Bebe King as this year's winner of our costume contest! Congratulations Bebe and Amy!
Thank you all for entering!

With “Howl-o-ween” coming up, we want to make sure your pets are safe! Please remember that chocolate and candies containing Xylitol can cause serious and sometimes even fatal reactions in pets. Lollipops and candy wrappers can also present choking hazards. So, be a LIFESAVER and keep the candy out of reach. We love your pets to REESE’S PIECES, but we’d rather not charge you 100 GRAND!

It’s the last day to enter our costume contest!! Please submit pictures of your pets before tomorrow when a winner will be chosen!

It’s that time of year again! Opossum Pike Vet Clinic would love to see pictures of your pet for our Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest! Please post pictures of your pet in costume to our page with a short bio! Pets of any kind can enter, and we will have a panel of impartial judges who will determine the winner! The winner will receive a gift card and bragging rights for the year! Please post all entries by Sunday October 29th. The winner will be chosen and featured on our page on October 31st!

Save the date and help support Leader Dogs for the blind!

It's almost time for Canines on the Creek 2023! 🐾🎃

Head out to Carroll Creek Park on October 28th for this annual event featuring a dog and human costume contest, exhibitors, food, and prizes! Registration is now open - get your doggos dressed up and ready for a fun time in Downtown Frederick, sponsored by the FSK Lions Club.

More info: https://www.visitfrederick.org/event/canines-on-the-creek/20787/

Its National Veterinary Technician week and we'd love to introduce you to more of our wonderful technician staff!

Maya joined OPVC in 2022 and has worked as a veterinary technician for over a decade. She has a cat named Flerken and a Rottweiler named Hulk who volunteers as a certified therapy dog in Frederick County public schools. Maya is also pursuing a wildlife rehabilitator license.

Its National Veterinary Technician week and we'd love to introduce you to more of our wonderful technician staff!

Laura joined us in 2020 but has been a veterinary technician for the past 16 years. Her passion is working with animals. She has had many different pets over the years but her current baby is her tortoise "Too-Toot!" In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her young daughter and family.

Alexis has been a part of our team since 2021. She has earned her Veterinary Assistant Certification and hopes to attain a certificate in grooming next year. She has 2 fur babies, Ghost and Titus. She is enjoying her technician training, her favorite task is running bloodwork and labs. If you are ever curious about great coffee shops or breweries, ask her! She’s been to quite a few in the DMV area!

It’s National Veterinary Technician Week and we’d love to introduce you to more of our techs!

Emily joined OPVC in 2017. She started as a receptionist and worked her way to veterinary technician! At home she has plenty of fur babies. In her downtime, Emily enjoys hanging out with family and friends.

Kristie is a registered veterinary technician. She graduated from Wilson College with her whippet Sandy in 2018 and joined the clinic that same year. She and her husband also have a Cat named Bounce. Outside of caring for animals, she enjoys reading and games.

Its National Veterinary Technician Week! We'd love to introduce you to our techs!

Kevin is a veterinary technician assistant and has been working with us since 2012 He graduated from Walkersville High School in 2013. He lives with his family and their 2 dogs, Murphy and Cassidy, and a cat, Timber. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys going to the movies and playing video games with friends.

Corinne joined our technical team in July 2015. She studied and completed four veterinary assistant courses at Hagerstown Community College. Corinne considers herself fortunate to work with animals of all kinds and their owners. Her most honorable achievement was holding an injured Bald Eagle for radiographs. When not at the clinic Corinne enjoys listening to music and snuggling her fur babies.

Today is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day!
Being overweight can shorten your pet's life expectancy and increase their chances for a variety of health problems. If you think your pet maybe overweight, talk to one of our Veterinarians about what you can do to help them get in better shape!
Opossum Pike offers weight loss diets both in the clinic and through Purina VetDirect, which delivers food and supplements directly to your home! Use Code OEX3Z for Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic ID when signing up.

Did you know we participate with Purina VetDirect? VetDirect offers Veterinary diets, supplements, treats, and supplies delivered directly to your door! Enjoy online shopping while supporting your local small business! Use our clinic code: OEX3Z to support Opossum Pike Vet Clinic. You can also contact our front desk staff for more information!

October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month!

Rubber and plastic balls are one of the most common choking hazards for our pets. It is important to choose the right diameters for pet's toys so they can't easily swallow them. If your pup is ever in a choking situation- here is an Emergency Extraction technique that could save their life!

TikTok · Alayna 2781 likes, 17 comments. Check out Alayna's video.

October 1st is National Walk Your Dog Day!

Daily walks with your dog are a great way to improve their health and yours!
Walking builds and strengthens muscles, helps maintain a healthy weight, and improves cardiovascular, digestive, and urinary health.
Daily exercise with your pup can also improve your bond, boost, emotional health, and improve sleep for both of you!

If your dog is boarding with us here at Opossum Pike Vet, we do offer the option of having them walked outside. Just speak to our receptionist about walks when scheduling your boarding appointment!

The fall weather is great for walking outside so lace up those sneakers, grab the leash and get going for the month of October!!

Assist the veterinarians, monitor pets under anesthesia, fill prescriptions, draw off blood samples, treat hospital patients, and more.

Dear Clients,

It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing my departure from Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic as of September 30, 2021. I will be moving to Indianapolis to pursue a relationship as well as to pursue a long standing passion for in-home euthanasia and in-home hospice care for pets.

Please know that this was not an easy decision. I will miss those of you that I have gotten to know both on a professional and personal level and it has been an honor to have followed some of your furry kids through all stages of life. Thank you for entrusting me with the care of your four-legged and two-legged kids over the past 17 years.

Dr. Emily Yau, VMD

Our staff has been working so hard this summer and through the pandemic so we are celebrating them today with fried chicken and our very own ice cream truck! Thank you all for your hard work!

Dear Clients,
We are currently looking for a full-time or part-time receptionist as well as a full-time or part-time veterinary technicians. If you are interested, or know anyone who is interested, please send us an email with your resume at: [email protected]
Thanks!

We are maintaining normal business hours before and after July 4th. Here are some tips for the upcoming fireworks.

Do fireworks make your dog anxious or fearful? Ryan Hospital's Behavior Medicine Clinic has provided tips to help your dog feel safe during (and thunderstorms!)

COVID-19 Policy Update: Please click the link below to review our current policy. Thank you! https://opossumpikevet.blogspot.com/2021/05/pike-veterinary-clinic-covid-19-policy.html

Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic COVID-19 Policy Update May 18th, 2021 Most of you have probably heard that the CDC has advised that indiv...

Thank You for Your Patience and Understanding

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect on lives and businesses. As we continue our goal of keeping our clinic open so we may provide care to our patients, we appreciate and want to thank you for the patience you have shown our staff.
We are more than aware of the stress of curbside appointments, limited appointment availability, difficulties getting through on the phone and then long hold-times on the phone. Our staff is stressed by these same things. They are truly doing their best to accommodate all client and patient needs. The kindness and understanding from our clients has been a positive boost to the morale of our staff.

Over the next few weeks, we will begin to transition from curbside appointments back to in-clinic
appointments. We ask that you please continue to follow the instructions given to you by the receptionists as many safety precautions will still remain in effect for some time.

Again, thank you for your patience, kindness and understanding.

***Correction to last post**** We will be closing at 6pm only tomorrow, Friday, March 19th.

On Monday, March 15th, two of our staff tested positive for Covid-19. In addition, several staff are being asked to isolate because of extended direct contact with the positive staff members per guidance from the Frederick County Health Department. As a result, we are currently working with a greatly reduced staff. We have made the decision to return to curbside appointments and close the clinic at 6:00pm instead of the normal 8:00pm at least until March 24th.

*Correction*: We will be closing the clinic at 6pm just through Monday, March 22nd.

All the rest of our staff have tested negative for Covid-19, however, we will review the situation on a daily basis. Please check back on our page for updates. The office is still open for sick appointments during this time period.