Mazeikeen was approximately 6 weeks old when she was found by a Good Samaritan in a cardboard box next to a dumpster. Her rescuer brought the sweet baby kitten to Second Chance Animals Services for help. When she arrived at Second Chance, she was cold, dehydrated, and listless. She was having seizure-like episodes due to severely low blood sugar.

Our doctors worked hard to get this little girl feeling better. They found that her dehydration and other symptoms were due to severe diarrhea that was caused by an infestation of internal parasites – roundworms. These worms were literally sucking the life out of the little 1.2-pound sweet girl. We hospitalized Mazeikeen in hopes of saving her. They needed to treat her worm infestation and diarrhea while upping her blood sugar and rehydrating her.

Loving technicians even took her home overnight to ensure that there was never a moment that she was left alone and without care. After three and a half days of supportive around the clock care, this little girl’s body just could not fight any more. The worms left her very sick despite all our efforts. In the end the Second Chance team had to say goodbye to this girl that they poured their hearts into over the last few days.

While we are devastated over the loss of sweet Mazeikeen, we want to make her story a learning opportunity.

It is never okay to dispose of an animal on the streets, in a box, a dumpster, etc. There are always resources to re-home animals of any age and condition and organizations like Second Chance can and will help!

Internal parasites (worms) may not seem like that big of a deal but can be detrimental to puppies/kittens and even adult animals in high volumes. It is always recommended to bring a fecal sample for parasite testing to each yearly wellness examination to ensure that your pet does not have a worm that may require further treatment. Puppies and kittens are at higher risks – not only can they pick up these parasites from their surroundings, but they can be passed from their mothers. It is always recommended to get puppies and kittens dewormed several times during their first few months of life to help treat these worms before they get out of control and cause serious health concerns. All Second Chance locations offer deworming at our low-cost vaccine clinics and during office visits at our full-service hospitals. Talk to your veterinarian about deworming your pet and testing a fecal sample to ensure your pet does not need treatment for parasites.

Dr. Jackie Celmer
Second Chance Animal Services Veterinarian 

Dr. Jackie Celmer explains why it’s important to help your pet maintain a healthy weight and what to do if your pet needs to drop a few pounds.

Obesity amongst domestic dogs and cats in America is becoming more common than veterinarians would like. A recent study showed that in America about 60% of cats and 56% of dogs have been classified as obese by a veterinarian. So what makes my pet obese? A pet is classified as obese if it is deemed at least 10-20% heavier than their ideal weight. Obesity is not only a primary issue but can predispose our pets to many secondary issues like diabetes, thyroid disease, heart disease, joint pain which can worsen arthritis, and weakening a pets immune system making them more susceptible to secondary illnesses.

So what do we do if our pet is overweight? The first recommendation is to evaluate what we feed our furry friends at home. Step one is to actually measure what we are feeding our pets. Most of us use a “scoop” that is some unknown measurement and we provide a scoop or two into the dish. It is very important to quantify how much we are actually feeding with an appropriate measuring cup. Secondarily it is good to mention that most commercial dog and cats foods have feeding recommendations on the back of the bag which should be fed for the pets age and ideal body weight. Ideal body weight is our “goal weight”, so if our pet is 15 pounds and we want them to be 10 pounds we need to be feeding for a 10 pound animal and not a 15 pound animal. If you are having trouble knowing how much you should be feeding your pet feel free to reach out to one of us for a more precise diet plan.

Not only is dieting key but like in humans, diet needs to be paired with exercise. We should try to take our dogs for walks or exercise them in the yard daily. If the weather is bad try to play with them in the house for at least 15 minutes a day. Cats are a bit more challenging to get to exercise on demand. Getting a tall cat tree can entice our furry felines to jump and climb more which can aide in weight loss. Additionally wand toys and laser pointers can be used to get our cats moving. I usually recommend having them chase the laser dot for at least 10-15 minutes once to twice daily.

Only about 10% of pets diagnosed with obesity are successful at losing weight and over 40% of those who lost weight gained it back within a year. It is important to remember that weight loss takes time, do not get discouraged, it is a lot of work but your furry friend will thank you in the long run!

Second Chance has 4 Community Veterinary Hospitals to help you care for your pet – call to schedule an appointment today.

Second Chance hit a milestone recently, performing our 65,000th spay/neuter surgery.

The procedure was performed at our Worcester Community Veterinary Hospital. The recipient was an 11-month-old bubbly cavapoo named Jax who was brought in by a local animal control officer through the nonprofit’s Helping Hand Program. This program lends a helping hand to other animal welfare organizations, providing veterinary care at a significantly reduced cost.

Jax was accompanied by his new friend, a dog named Tyson who was recently found abandoned in a Salvation Army shed.  Tyson was seen for his own care and plans to return to Second Chance soon for his neuter.

Second Chance began our low-cost spay/neuter program in 2005 at the East Brookfield shelter to help stem pet homelessness in the surrounding community.  Today, hundreds of pets come to the nonprofit’s hospitals each month for spay/neuter surgery in state-of-the-art surgical suites made possible by grants and generous donors. Second Chance’s new educational hospital in Southbridge plans to begin low-cost spay/neuter later this year.

COO of Hospitals Amanda Normandin says she is extremely proud of this milestone and the work the spay/neuter teams have accomplished.  “We know just how important spay/neuter services are. Not only does the program help prevent pet homelessness, but it also improves the lives of pets receiving the surgery.  Many of the emergency surgeries we perform are on female pets suffering from pyometra, a potentially deadly infection of the uterus.  Routine spays and neuters can help protect pets from many life-threatening conditions including pyometra and testicular cancer.”

Second Chance surgeons are specially trained to perform the highest-quality high-volume surgeries.  Pets check in early morning and are discharged later the same day so they can recuperate in the comfort of their own homes with their owners.

Second Chance founder and CEO Sheryl Blancato is proud of the longstanding low-cost spay/neuter program and said, “Thanks to these surgeries, less pets are ending up in Massachusetts shelters, which means more pets in shelters are getting a second chance.”

Click here to learn more about our spay/neuter program and how you can have your pet spayed or neutered.

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Second Chance Medical Director Dr. Ashely Raymond on dental & oral health

It’s that time of the year to pay extra special attention to your pet’s mouth.

Dental and oral health are very important parts of your pet’s overall health. We recommend all pets, young and old, have a yearly oral exam, typically during their annual check-up. You might think just older animals suffer from dental disease, but your veterinarian can identify problems in their mouth while your pet is still developing their permanent teeth. Yes, dogs and cats lose their baby teeth too!

The single most important thing you can do as a pet owner is to brush your pet’s teeth daily. Make sure to use a toothpaste made specifically for dogs and cats. Human toothpastes often contain an artificial sweetener called xylitol, which is toxic and potentially fatal for pets.

Did you know that 70-80% of pets will develop periodontal disease by the time they are 3 years old? That is why it is so important to start brushing while your pet is still a puppy or a kitten. The goal is to get your pet used to handling their mouth while also preventing periodontal disease from developing.

There are many causes of dental disease, but periodontal disease is the most common condition seen in dogs and cats. It starts with infection when plaque builds up on the teeth, then travels above the gum line causing disease to the tissues that support the teeth and the surrounding bone. This can cause teeth to be loose, painful, and infected.

If you notice any of the following possible signs of dental disease, we recommend scheduling a physical exam for your pet:

• bad breath
• loose, broken, or discolored teeth
• redness, inflammation, or bleeding from the gums
• difficulty chewing or dropping food
• decreased appetite or weight loss
• pain in or around the mouth
• growths within or on the mouth

At your pet’s appointment, we can discuss preventative strategies, dental diets, recommended products, and identify problems during the exam. If your veterinarian has a concern, they may recommend dental surgery, often just referred to as a “dental.” During this procedure your pet will receive a complete oral health assessment and treatment under anesthesia, which includes full-mouth x-rays, scaling and polishing of the teeth, and may include extraction of teeth, if needed. Anesthesia-free dentistry is not recommended for any pet, for both their safety and to minimize your pet’s pain and discomfort.

We look forward to caring for your pets!

CEO Sheryl Blancato offers a glimpse inside Second Chance

Day after day, a similar scene plays out.  Our veterinarians and vet techs go about their day, seeing pets for checkups and sick visits, or performing scheduled surgeries while reception staff greet pets and pet owners and schedule future appointments.  They may have plans after work, even if it’s just to put their feet up and relax.  When a phone call comes in of a very sick pet, all those plans change.

It was already midafternoon recently when Second Chance received a call about a dog that couldn’t pee due to a blockage of stones.  An emergency facility had temporarily unblocked him, but this was just a temporary fix.  Without immediate surgery the dog would suffer in pain, unable to pee, and die.  Emergency hospitals are stretched to the limit, just like the owner’s budget.  Second Chance was this dog’s only chance.

Suddenly those afterwork plans changed.   Schedules were quickly shifted. A vet and two surgery techs agreed to extend their already long day to perform the surgery after their regular day ended.

The dog arrived late afternoon and was prepped for surgery. The surgery began and it didn’t take long to see that the dog was a lot sicker than originally thought.  There weren’t just a few stones…there were hundreds of tiny stones.  The expected one- to two-hour surgery continued for nearly five hours.  Exhausted, the team plugged along.  The vet carefully removed the stones while the surgery techs monitored the dog’s vital signs.

The hospital director had left for the day just as the surgery began, expecting the staff to be there just a couple of hours.  When the surgery continued into the night, she left her family to provide support.  She picked up snacks and Chinese food on the way back to the hospital.  It was now after 9 PM and the surgery had to continue, there was no stopping.  They had to be sure that no stone was left behind, risking another blockage.

The surgery finally ended a little after 10 PM.  Now it was time to monitor the dog’s recovery.  The staff could finally sit down and have something to eat.  The dog recovered well, the family was ecstatic, and the weary team headed home just before midnight.

This is not an isolated story.  It happens more often than you think.  This dog is alive today and with his family because three staff members gave up their time and their plans to save a life.  I am in awe of the work our staff does at our hospitals and adoption center every day, going above and beyond when necessary to help a pet in need if possible.

Last month, we adjusted the surgery schedule at our largest vet hospital in North Brookfield in response to the current emergency veterinary care crisis that’s affecting pets in Massachusetts and across the country.  We reduced spay and neuter surgery capacity to allow our doctors to provide critical care and surgeries, saving an average of 25 pets every week.  While spay and neuter services are temporarily limited at this location, our Springfield and Worcester hospitals are running at full capacity.