Welcome...

Morningstar Animal Hospital is a newly constructed, state of the art, full service animal hospital offering the best of modern medicine and cutting edge technology, integrated with acupuncture, herbal therapy, laser therapy and more.

The mission of Morningstar Animal Hospital is to practice high quality, integrative medicine to best promote the health and well being of your pet. We take into account medical history, current problems, diet, personality, living situation and state of mind in formulating a plan to optimize health.  The treatment/wellness plan for your pet may include Western Medicine, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Western Herbal Medicine, or any combination thereof.

BREAKING NEWS ON CANINE INFLUENZA VIRUS:

In July a case of canine influenza was diagnosed in Boston.  This causes us to be on high alert since it is the first confirmed case in MA.  Here is what you need to know:

This disease can be either mild or severe. If your dog is affected by the milder form, they might have a wet cough that continues for 10-30 days, a dry cough, reduced appetite, fever, sneezing or discharge from the eyes and/or nose. The more severe form consists of high fever, and sings of pneumonia such as difficulty breathing.  As in human flu infections, pneumonia is a secondary, but dangerous infection which can occur whenever the lungs are damaged. 

Canine influenza virus is transmitted through close or direct contact between dogs. A dog is contagious even before he or she shows signs of illness, which can lead to rapid spread of the disease.  The best way to prevent your dog from contracting canine influenza is to limit their contact with other dogs. Dogs going to daycare, parks, or other places with many dogs have a higher risk of contracting flu and other infectious diseases. Seniors and very young dogs are most likely to become infected due to their weaker immune systems. Dog to human transfer has not been recorded, however limited transfer to cats has been observed. 

Here at Morningstar we recommend vaccinating at risk dogs, especially now that we know the disease has reached MA. We use a vaccine which contains two strains of canine flu - both H3N8 and H3N2 (which is the newer strain diagnosed in Boston). If your dog has not been vaccinated for flu before they need a series of two injections, 2-4 weeks apart, followed by annual boosters. If your dog is a patient of record here, is currently healthy, and has been seen within the last year, the technicians can give the vaccines without a Doctor's appointment.  If we have never seen your pet, or if your pet is unwell, an appointment with Dr. Lee is needed prior to any vaccination.  If your pet is showing any of the above symptoms, or is just not acting themselves, please don't hesitate to call for advice and to set up an appointment.