Relay for Life
River Heights Veterinary Hospital is forming a team to walk in the Oswego Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society. If you would like to help sponsor our walkers or would like to join us in the walk go to www.relayforlifeosmo.org to River Heights Vet. Or you can contact Sandy at 630-554-3400.

Hair Mat Program
Jan Ziech, groomer at River Heights Veterinary Hospital recently donated a large box of pet hair to the Oil Spill Hair Mats Program, a unique program that saves the lives of marine animals.

Matter of Trust collaborated with thousands of salons throughout the US and abroad to donate hair clippings to soak up oil spills. Last year over 2,600 oil spills occurred in the world. They weren't all are high profile, but most had an impact on the environment. Phil McCrory, a hair stylist from Alabama, first discovered how hair can help. He was watching CNN coverage on the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. He noticed the fur on the Alaskan otters completely soaked with oil. He began testing how much oil he could collect with the hair clipping from his salon. Phil then invented the hairmat which has other uses as well.

The clipped hair is woven into mats which are used to clean up oil spills – a ½ inch thick 1 foot by 1 foot hair mat can collect one quart of oil in one minute! Loose hair can also be stuffed into recycled nylon stockings which are doubled up and tied together to make "booms" that surround and contain as well as soak up oil spills. The mats are also used to help clean wildlife that has been affected by oil spills.

Announcing Accreditation
River Heights Veterinary Clinic has again met the stringent standards to remain a AAHA accredited Hospital. We have recently undergone AAHA's through inspection and have received accreditation for the next three years.

Paws for Success

Paws for Success now offers Puppy pre-school (socialization) as well as Kindergarten classes.

Pre-school classes are for puppies 8 to 16 weeks of age and teaches basic handling and care, discusses common puppy behavior, introduces sit, down, come, off, eye contact and walking without pulling. The instructor also discusses crate training.

Kindergarten classes are for those puppies that have completed pre-school and those pets that were too old to attend. Instructor approval is necessary for pets that haven’t attended pre-school. Your pet needs to have a knowledge of basic commands in order to ensure they will benefit fully from this class. This is a chance to continue your basic training and learn how to improve the skills learned. You will learn new commands and exercises but the main goal will be to give better and longer control through the same positive methods used in our pre-school.

Your instructor will be Pat Rattray. Pat is certified by Purdue University in Dog Behavior Modification. She has been teaching obedience training classes for 15 years.

Classes meet on Friday nights. If you would like more information please contact our office at 630-554-3400 or Pat Rattray at 630-554-6028

Classes now forming.

Doctor Speaks in Sweden

Dr. Stephen Juriga was a guest speaker at the European Veterinary Dental Conference in Uppsala, Sweden. Dr. Juriga gave lectures on zoo dentistry, pediatric dentistry and advanced endodontic therapy. During the conference he toured the Swedish University’s Agriculture School and spoke with veterinary students on private practice in the United States.

Dr. Juriga is one of 84 board certified veterinary dentists in the United States. Dr. Juriga provides referral dental services at River Heights Veterinary Clinic, Brookfield Zoo and in conjunction with the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois.

Continuing Education at River Heights

The staff of River Heights Veterinary Clinic is always looking to increase their knowledge so that they can better serve our clients and their furry friends. Seminars and conventions offer excellent opportunities for continuing education.

The following employees have attended continuing education programs: Alexandra Juriga and Amy Brown attended the 4th module of The Veterinary Management Institute. Ms. Brown received a certificate in Veterinary Practice Administration from Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in conjunction with AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association).

Dr. Ronda DeVold attended the North American Veterinary Conference in Florida.

Clinic Adds Digital X-ray

River Heights Veterinary Clinic now offers digital x-ray technology to its patients. The new system provides a more detailed image than traditional film based systems. The digital format allows for image magnification and enhancement which leads to a more accurate determination of a pet’s current medical condition. In fact, digital radiography has become the standard in human medicine.

“The doctors and staff of River Heights continually strive to increase the level of care we provide”, said Dr. Stephen Juriga. “Digital radiography fulfills this goal. We now feel we have the best diagnostic images available and can share these with clients and specialists on a CD.”

Doctor Provides Training

Dr. Stephen Juriga and his dental technician have teamed with Pfizer Animal Health to provide seminars in Veterinary Dental Radiology. These training opportunities assist veterinarians in expanding their dental services.

Seminars are an extension of the training that the Veterinary Dental Center provides. Dr. Juriga founded the Veterinary Dental Center in 2002 to address the ever growing need of advanced dentistry for our pets.

You may visit the Veterinary Dental Center’s informative website at www.veterinarydentalcenter.com

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