Growing…

June 1, 2000 marks the end of yet another of Jenn’s part-time jobs. Jenn is now full-time for Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails, and she is looking forward to being able to put in the full-time effort Bright Eyes requires! With Dr. Kate Simpson’s departure for Colorado, our increased availability comes at an opportune time (Kate was Iowa City’s other housecall veterinarian–a visionary, she was IC’s first).

We have also been getting a lot of referrals lately. Thank you! To continue this trend, we have started a "thank you basket" containing a variety of pet- and people-toys. If you refer someone to us, please be sure to have the person you send tell us. On your next visit, we’ll have you choose the toy of your choice.

Construction We promised photos of our home office in the last newsletter. Please check out our on-line tour for the latest photos! You’ll see a few rough edges still (baseboard and oak door trim, cosmetic routing for computer networking wires), but not very many. The only big task that remains is to put in the dropped ceiling and fluorescent light fixtures. But, we are to the point where we no longer feel that we need to apologize for our appearance! We are now fully set up to complement housecall service with traditional care (scheduled appointments, full hospitalization, X-ray, surgery, etc). Actually we’re quite proud, since we did most of the construction work ourselves. Don’t let the new rooms distract you, though: we are not distancing ourselves from our housecall roots in any way. We think that routine appointments are often best seen as housecalls. Your pet doesn’t have the stress of travel, and you don’t have the stress of sitting in a waiting room.

RATS!

Rats make great pets if you can get past the inaccurate stereotypes. Children have an easier time handling rats than smaller rodents such as mice or hamsters, and rats are much less likely to bite. They’re smart too, often returning to their cage if they got loose, and they can be trained to come when called for a treat. We tend to see two different types of coat color: the "lab rat" which is white with pink eyes, and the hooded rat which has color over the head and shoulders. Other than aesthetics, there are few differences.

Rat housing and equipment
Rats can be housed in either an aquarium or a wire cage that has deep sides that help to contain the bedding. If using an aquarium, it is very important to keep it very clean since ventilation isn’t nearly as good as a wire cage. Water is best supplied using a water bottle. Change water daily, and check to make sure that the bottle is working properly.

There are several different types of bedding available for use. Pine shavings are still the most popular. Some rats are actually allergic and need to be kept on recycled newspaper such as Yesterday’s News® or corncob byproducts.

Feeding
You will want to buy a pelleted rat food as the main source of nutrition for your pet rat. Be careful not to feed too much seed since they not only tend to lead to obesity, but are also unbalanced for calcium. Use the seed as a treat when training your rat, or maybe give a little once a week as a treat. Your rat will prefer to eat the seed instead of his pelleted food, so even though you may put both in the cage, the pellets will just sit.

The average Rat lifespan is 2-3 years, but we’ve seen one as old as 5yrs. Tumors are the most common medical problem we see.

Short things

Jenn has become a good contact if you are looking for a new pet, or need to find a new home for a pet. Right now we know of a few kittens that are available to a good home. If you need another pet (and who doesn’t?), we urge you to seriously consider taking an unwanted one instead of buying one from a breeder or a pet shop. Call us, or call the Iowa City Animal Shelter.

Homer (chewing the toy on the left) was a very popular guest at Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails. Homer moved to a Pitbull breed rescue center in Chicago about three weeks ago where he met his girlfriend Scooby (on the right). Just three weeks ago Homer moved to a permanent home in the Chicago suburbs. Homer now has a new girlfriend, a fenced in yard, and two pet boys.

For sale to a good snake home: Professional display case, used less than one year. 72'' long x 28'' high x 33'' deep. Integrated heater and thermostat. Asking $200, call Dan Bucher at 358-8435.

Heartgard and Frontline
We have discount coupons from the manufacturer for Heartgard and Frontline. If you need to stock up on heartworm and flea preventatives, now is a good time. Give a call–we deliver.

Next Newsletter: September 1, 2000

As always, ideas for topics for the next newsletter are welcome. We hope to return to more animal health information and pet tips in September (the layout and printing of all the photos was more time consuming than we had hoped). Multicat households and long-distance (airplane) traveling are possible topics for September.

Gratefully yours,

Jennifer and Allan Berger

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Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails* Veterinary Service

Jennifer Berger, DVM
Allan Berger, DVM, PhD

Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails PLC
3005 Highway 1 NE
Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 351-4256
(319) 229-7344 (pager)
ab@BrEBT.com

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*Bushy tails optional for reptiles and pocket pets

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