“In a little country church-yard in Hall County, among the hills of Northeast Georgia, stands a block of granite with the simple inscription, ‘Lt. Col. Amzi Rudolph Quillian, Gentleman and Soldier. Born September 12, 1911 – Died August 4, 1944’.

Rudolph’s broken body, with those of his comrades, lies in the American Cemetery at Ste. Mere Eglise in Normandy, but his spirit is here – in the rolling red hills among which he grew up, in the blue mountains he loved, and in the little Methodist Church which he joined at an early age. His memory is indelibly stamped on the minds and hearts of those who knew and loved him, as man and boy here in North Georgia and in the service of his country.”

The paragraphs above are from a story printed in The Assembly, West Point’s alumni magazine. The soldier described was my Great Uncle. On this Memorial Day I hope you will give me a little leeway here. Usually this blog is devoted to health topics for pets. But on this Memorial Day, I would like to add a story which I feel important to remember.

Amzi Rudolph Quillian, (Rudolph, as he was referred to by my father) was only 10 years older than my father. I think my father (John R. Quillian) looked at Rudolph more like an older brother than an uncle. After graduating from West Point, Rudolph had tried to help John get an appointment to the military academy. Unfortunately, my father had a knee problem and couldn’t pass the physical to get into the Army.

During World War II, the Quillians from tiny Quillian’s Corner, Georgia were well represented in the Army. After the war started it seems my father’s knee was good enough for service, and he also entered the army. My father was a PFC serving with the Armed Services Network in the European Theater. My uncle, Jimmy C. Quillian, flew with a bomber crew on a B-17, flying bombing missions from Italy into Germany.

After graduating from West Point, Rudolph went into the 66^th Armored Division of the 2^nd Armored Division, which was commanded by General George S. Patton. The division was involved in the invasion of French Morocco in December of 1942. In June 1940, while at Fort Benning, Rudolph had married Eva Mae Ansley. The photo below is a classic. I think his men required their commander and his new bride to take a tank ride. I have probably never seen a happier new bride. This photo is now part of a video display at the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning.

In January of 1943 Rudolph was assigned command of the 3^rd Battalion of the 66^th Armored. In July of 1943 the 66^tharmored was part of the Allied invasion of Sicily, code named Operation Husky. Near the town of Canicatti Rudy earned the Silver Star Citation for gallantry in action. The following is from his citation:

 “Lieutenant Colonel Quillian, unable to move by vehicle, went forward dismounted, between friendly and enemy machine gun fire, to coordinate the action of two columns, and drove the enemy out of the high ground they occupied. Again  at about 1799B, Lieutenant Colonel Quillian, unable to move by vehicle from his position, dismounted and went forward in the face of heavy enemy rifle and machine gun fire. While on foot under this enemy fire, he rallied stray tanks together and  personally led them in a successful  attack on the enemy occupied ridge. … By his heroic actions, Lieutenant Colonel Quillian set an example of brilliant leadership, calm courage and devotion to duty. Such coolness and disregard for personal safety over and above the call of duty in the face of the enemy reflect great credit upon himself and were in accordance with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces..”

 

The 66^th Armored was moved from Sicily to Scotland and then to England to begin training for Operation Overlord, the Battle of Normandy. The 66^th Armored began landing on Utah Beach on “D” plus six days. The fighting in Normandy was intense and the battle for St-Lo was a strategic goal for the American Army. After the breakthrough following all day and all night fighting, late at night, Rudolph was returning from Combat Command and was caught between the fire of American troops and that of a German raiding party. He was wounded on July 28^th and died on August 4^th.

In a letter to Rudolph’s mother, General George S. Patton wrote: “… (he) exemplified in his living and in his dying, the highest precepts of the U.S. Army and of the U.S. Military Academy”.

My father was the last family member to see Rudolph. Having been transported to England on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, John was able to meet up with Rudolph in London before D Day. After Rudolph died, there was some confusion with the family as far as where he was buried.  John was in contact with the family back here in Georgia, and attempted to visit Rudolph’s grave.

After Rudolph’s death, Eva wrote my father:

 “I’ve had this address and ready to write for over a week, but just haven’t been able to get it written before now. Seems like every time I start writing letters, I start remembering too many things. Of course, it’s still hard to realize that Rudy’s gone – I was always so sure that he was coming home. The part that hurts most is that he never saw Sally. He would have loved her so and been so proud of her. I am so glad that you had seen her when you saw him. I am looking forward to your coming home and telling me all about it.”

When Rudolph was in North Africa, he had found out that his daughter, Sally, had been born. Knowing that there was a real possibility that he might not survive the war, he wrote a letter to Sally to be opened in the future if he didn’t make it home. A gifted writer, Sally Quillian Gates wrote an article in the Columbus newspaper about her father and opening the letter , 40 years after it was written.

In the letter, Rudolph had written:

 “The reason for this letter is that because of the business I’m engaged in it is possible that I may never get to see you. If that should be the case I want to at least leave you one or two of my ideas. …….

We are living in a time now when soldiers must be willing to die for their county or else we won’t have a country — I won’t go into detail because I know you will read it all in your history books.

Of course I am willing to die if necessary but before I do I expect to  make many of the enemy die for their country. Don’t think we are martyrs either because this is an interesting and fascinating game and we are rather keen about it. I have under my command some of the best and bravest soldiers in the world and regardless of whether or not some of us fail to come back, the Germans will say we gave then the toughest fight they have ever had.”

In her article in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Sally Quillian Gates wrote

 “The letter was something I avoided reading for 41 years, until the 40^th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. It was addressed to me from someone I never knew. In retrospect, I wish it had been read aloud by my crib every night.”

 

 

 

 

In December of 2008 JoAnn and I received a call from a good friend in Florida. Betty and Steve  had been on a trip to France, and toured the American Cemetery in Normandy. She asked: “Do you have a relative buried in the military cemetery in Normandy?”

It turns out that the tour she was with had given them an opportunity to place flowers on a grave.  Betty had placed a flower on a grave she had picked out because the soldier was from Georgia. After getting home, Betty wondered if there might be a connection, since I have a fairly uncommon last name. She sent a photo, showing her placing a flower at Rudolph’s grave.

 

Over 65 years after giving his life in a foreign country, fighting for his own country and the ideals it stands for, Amzi Rudolph Quillian was still being remembered. And that is as it should be. In World War II alone, over 400,000 Americans were killed. And like Rudolph, each man and woman who fell was much more than a soldier. They were brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers.

 

 

 

 

Since the founding of our country, over one million American service men and women have died in defense of our country and the ideals we stand for.

When each of these heroes, starting in the American Revolution and continuing up thorough today in Iraq and Afghanistan, gives “ the last full measure of devotion” it creates sorrow and disrupts lives for years to come.  So it is fitting that today we stop and remember and honor those have fallen in defense of our country. Through their sacrifice we are allowed to live in a free country. We owe a debt to these individuals that can never be fully paid.

 

 

Spring time: beautiful flowers, warm weather, outdoor festivals and, unfortunately, mosquitoes.

For Gainesville, Oakwood, Flowery Branch and surrounding areas in Georgia, mosquitoes mean the threat of heartworm disease for our pets.  Mosquitoes are the mechanism by which heartworms are transmitted from one pet to another. In fact, the heartworm has to go through a mosquito to mature.  So our pets never have to be around another dog or cat in order to come down with heartworms!

There is a drug that can be used to treat adult heartworms infections in dogs, but the drug treatment is costly and there are significant potential side-effects. This same treatment cannot be used at all in cats. The goal is to never let our pets become infected with heartworms. This is done by giving a monthly preventative drug.

These monthly preventative drugs are available for dogs and cats. There are several available, and all work extremely well if given at the right time and  in the correct dosage. Many of the differences in these products have to do with what other parasites are controlled other than heartworms.

And, yes, we do recommend heartworm preventative for cats. Even though heartworm disease does not occur as frequently in cats as it does in dogs, it is a much worse disease when it does infect a cat. There is no drug available to kill the adult heartworm in a cat.

At Family Pet Clinic, we do not attempt to carry every drug available. So this blog only covers the products we have available.  All of these products are to be given once a month; all year long.

For Dogs:

Trifexis is our “go to” product for dogs.  It is a combination of two drugs: spinosad + milbemycin oxime. Spinosad is a once a month product to kill fleas on dogs, and milbemycin prevents heartworms and also in adult dogs in our area. At this time, the company is offering a $10 rebate on 6 month supply; a $25 rebate on a 12 month supply and with both, the company sends an $8 check later that can be used for the next purchase of Trifexis.

As an added incentive to get 12 months of medication, Family Pet Clinic is now offering a free Occult Heartworm Test with a 12 month supply of Trifexis.

Heartgard Plus is another combination product containing ivermectin and pyrantel. It prevents heartworms, hookworms and roundworms. There is nothing for flea control or whipworm control in this product, but it is very palatable. Over 90 % of dogs will pick up the chewable and eat it like a treat.  It is also less expensive than Trifexis, but you will have to use another product for flea control.  Right now Heartgard is offering a $12 rebate on a 12 month supply.

Iverhart Plus contains the same drugs as Heartgard, but is not in a form that dogs will eat like a treat. It generally costs about 20% less than Heartgard. Right now  there is a $3 rebate on Iverhart.

Sentinel is a product which has been off the market for a while, but is now coming back. It contains milbemycin to prevent heartworms and lufenuron, which is a product which prevents fleas from being able to reproduce.  So it is active against heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and fleas.

Revolution contains the drug selamectin. In dogs it prevents heartworms, kills adult fleas, treats ear mites and sarcoptic mange and controls the American dog tick.  Right now, the company is offering a special pricing in which a 12 month supply is 25% off.

It has the advantage in dogs and cats of being a “spot-on” , which means you don’t have to entice the pet to eat something.

For cats:

Revolution is our “go-to” product for cats. In cats, Revolution will kill adult fleas, prevent heartworm disease, treat and control ear mites and treat and control roundworms and hookworms.  And since it is a “spot-on” product, the cat does not have to be given an oral medication. This is a big plus for most of our feline friends, who can be very difficult to get to take medicines by mouth. As with the dog product, right now, the company is offering a 12 month supply that is 25% less than buying two 6 month packages.

As an added benefit, several of the drug makers have a monthly reminder program where you will be sent a monthly email or text message when the next dose of medicine is due. The links below will take you to a sign-up site.

Trifexis:  https://www.myregistrationc.com/ElancoPets/Account/Register/6341

Heartgard: http://www.heartgard.com/Pages/hlp_reminder.aspx

Revolution for cats: https://www.revolution4cats.com/signup.aspx

Revolution for dogs: https://www.revolution4dogs.com/applymembership.aspx

Pine Pollen from Gainesville GA.

As many of you have probably already noticed, we are having some record breaking pollen counts in the Gainesville area this week. Yesterday, April 11, the count was 8024! Only two other days in history have recorded higher counts (these days were March 19 and 20, 2012).

These high pollen levels affect pets as well as people. This week we have seen several dogs from various parts of Hall County who have had eye problems associated with the pollen. Dogs seem to have more problems from the pollen than cats. Many dogs develop a condition called atopy, which is an allergy to environmental pollens. This will cause dogs to be itchy around the face, ears and front feet.

However this week what we have mainly been seen is allergic conjunctivitis. These dogs have redness of the mucus membranes around the eye (the white part of the eye) and some discharge from the eye. In people when the term conjunctivitis is used, the first condition we think of is “pink eye”. Of course in people this is a highly contagious condition. The conjunctivitis we normally see in dogs may only be due to allergy or may involve a secondary bacterial infection, but is normally not contagious.

It may help to limit the time a pet spends outside on these days when the pollen counts are extremely high. If the symptoms are only mild, routine eye wash solutions may help. These usually contain some type of boric acid solution. But if the dog’s eye is very red or has a discharge, a veterinarian should examine the pet.

The most effective treatments for allergic conjunctivitis are prescription drugs which require a veterinarian’s examination to dispense.

Whether you live in Gainesville, Oakwood, Flowery Branch or any other area of Hall or Gwinnett Counties, we would love to help you take care of your family pet members. Just call us at 770-532-2849.

Easter is a great time of year. Spring is here, the weather is getting nice and the time has changed. For Christians this is a season of celebration and renewal. But this can also be dangerous time of year for pets.

Easter lilies, which are commonly sold this time of year, can be very toxic to cats. The newest flier from the local Kroger stores in Chestnut Mountain and Gainesville have Easter lilies on sale. I am sure there are numerous stores in Oakwood selling them. In fact, any of the true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis spp.), including the Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Japanese Show and Easter lilies cause the same problems.

The worst effect is kidney failure. A recent study by the Animal Poison Control Center, involving 57 cats, showed that 5% of the cats had permanent kidney damage and 5% were put to sleep because of renal failure. This study showed that 93% of the cats had received prompt veterinary care.

Other signs attributed to lily exposure were vomiting, not eating, lethargy and death. The exact mechanism of is not known and very small amounts, ingesting two or three petals or leaves, can possibly result in kidney failure. And the ASPCA Poison Control Center lists the Easter lily as non-toxic to dogs.

Another problem seen frequently at Easter is chocolate toxicity in dogs and cats. All those chocolate bunnies and eggs make it easier for pets to get them. Dogs are more often seen with this toxicity, but cats can be affected.

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures and possible death. Toxicity depends on the type of chocolate involved. Dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate, and baking chocolate is worse than dark chocolate. It can take several days for the chocolate to work its way out of a dog’s system. If treated early, a dog may have vomiting induced and so get the chocolate out of its system. Otherwise, it can take several days of hospitalization to control the symptoms.

There is an interesting interactive chart on National Geographic website which shows how much of each type of chocolate is toxic to different sizes of dogs:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/pets/chocolate-chart-interactive

The following chart is taken from an article at veterinarypartner.com at this address:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1762

This will give you an idea of how much of each type of chocolate can be toxic:

Grandparent Alert

While looking for an Easter egg hunt for our granddaughter, I came up with these possibilities. I thought there might be some other folks who would appreciate seeing the list. Many of these came off of the Gainesville Times website (http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/), the “Get Out” section; family events calendar.

YMCA Easter Egg Hunt, Gainesville. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 23. J. A. Walters Family YMCA, 2455 Howard Road, Gainesville. 770-297-9622, pbecerra@gamountainsymca.org.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt,Gainesville. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 23. Brenau University Amphitheater, 500 Washington St. SE, Gainesville. $5 per person. brenau.phimu.org.

Brunch with The Bunny, Flowery Branch. 10 a.m. to noon. March 23. Mulberry Creek Community Center, 4491 J M Turk Road, Flowery Branch. $3 child, $6 adult, children under 6 months free. 770-965-7140.

 Easter Egg Hunt   Gainesville, GA

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Midtown Greenway
2pm
Free Activities – Hunt, Face Painting,&Tatoos
Photos with the Easter Bunny – $5
Concessions for Sale
Hunts will be divided: Ages 3 and under; Ages 4-7; and Ages 8-10
EVENT SPONSORS:  Amerigroup Real Solutions in Health Care and Lake Lanier Club Luxury Apartment Homes

Save the Date! Saturday March 23, 2013
Rabbittown’s 3rd Annual Parade & Festival
Bring the kids & family for a day of fun, food & festivities!
HOP ON OVER & join the fun! http://www.facebook.com/rabbittowneasterfestival/info

Easter Eggstravaganza and Rabbit Palooza, Cleveland. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 30-31. North Georgia Zoo, 2912 Paradise Valley Road, Cleveland. 706-348-7279.

 Easter Craft Week, Gainesville. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 1-5. Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, 999 Chestnut St. SE, Gainesville. $1 with paid admission to museum, INK Members are free. 770-536-1900.

The following is from: http://www.facebook.com/cabbagepatchkidsfan

One week until our 25th Annual Easter Eggstravaganza! March 23rd 2013..This is a event you don’t want to miss..BabyLand will open at 9am and will close at 5pm…During this time we will have Arts, Crafts, Rides, Game,and Food on the grounds here at BabyLand.. We will also have Half Hourly Prize Drawings and Music and dancing with JB Jamms on the Back Veranda… Costume Characters will also be here..Easter Bunny will be here all day for pictures, located in the BallRoom..At 11:00 their is a Parade through Downtown Cleveland.. From noon until 4pm you can pay $5.00 for Cupcakes and carrots with the Easter Bunny…Egg hunt at 2pm.. Easter Bonnet Contest at 3pm.. Grand Prize drawing at 5pm ( Original Cabbage Patch Kid) Come join us.. Nurse Denise

The CDC has reported that from 2008 through 2011, nearly 400 people were infected with salmonella carried by African dwarf frogs. Most of these cases were in children. These frogs are sold to live in aquariums, underwater, and eat blood-worms. They can average living about 5 years, but can live up to 20 years.

They are still being sold today at pet stores. Small turtles have also be identified as a source of infections in people.

The problem with these frogs, and may other amphibians and reptiles, is that they can carry salmonella for years, without ever being sick themselves. This carrier state cannot be resolved. There is not a treatment which will get the bacteria out of the digestive tract of the reptile or amphibian.

To find out more about salmonella and small pets and to learn what precautions to take if you have one of these pets at home, check out the two links below from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control.

http://goo.gl/AY52p

http://goo.gl/uPcJG

Even though at Family Pet Clinic we seldom work on reptiles, we still like to pass on information that may be useful to our clients. In Gainesville and Oakwood, Georgia we may not be as likely as some areas of the county to have clients with exotic pets, but we recognize that these pets are sold all over the country.

In fact, chocolate is as closely associated with Valentine’s Day as giving flowers and exchanging cards.  But we have to be aware that dogs and cats should not share in our sweet treats.

Chocolate has an active ingredient, theobromine, which is toxic to cats and dogs. It has a caffine-like affect. Some of the potential toxic effects of theobromine include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, drooling, and heart arrhythmias and seizures. The symptoms usually show up about 6- 12 hours after eating the chocolate.

Always safely secure any chocolate products where your pets cannot get to them. Several years ago, some friends went to Europe and brought back some chocolate items as presents. The chocolate was boxed and these boxes were inside other boxes. Their dogs could smell the chocolate and tore into the boxes to get to the candy.

And don’t forget that cats are susceptible to chocolate toxicity, also. Because of their tendency to get to chocolate products, many articles on chocolate focus on it’s toxicity to dogs, but cats can also be affected.

If you think your pet has ingested chocolate, try to get an idea of the amount eaten, and the type of chocolate. Milk chocolate is much less toxic than cooking or baking chocolate.  Less than one ounce of baking chocolate can be lethal to a 10 pound dog.

Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poision Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. There is also a web site, http://www.askavetquestion.com/chocolate_toxicity.php, which has a chocolate toxicity calculator for dogs. You put in the dog’s weight, the type of chocolate eaten and the amount, and it tells what symptoms to expect and if an emergency trip to the veterinarian is recommended.

You can get more information on chocolate toxicity from registering on our website and going to the “Pet Health” page and clicking on “Illustrated Articles” and searching for “chocolate”.

The book of Job says “For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.” But when trouble comes looking for you, it sure helps if you HAVE taken all the precautions you are supposed to.

This concept was brought home to me recently by the experience of one of our good clients. Hearing barking outside, he went to investigate and found a skunk in his fenced-in backyard. The skunk was acting in a bizarre manner and one of his dogs was barking at it.  The skunk then went out of the yard by going under the fence. But then the skunk came right back in.

Not knowing what had occurred before getting outside, our client dispatched the skunk. Animal control was called, and the skunk tested positive for rabies. We examined both dogs and it appeared that the skunk had not bitten them.

Our client had done everything right. His dogs were controlled in a fenced-in yard and they were current on their rabies vaccination, which means our client was in compliance with all county and state laws. But trouble still came looking for him. I asked if he would mind me sharing his experience, to help our other clients.

Over the years, I have heard a lot of excuses people use for not getting their pets vaccinated for rabies. One of the most frequent has been “but my pets are in a fence and never leave”. What they forget is that sometimes, rabies comes looking for your pets. Unless your fence can keep all other animals OUT, your pets are at risk of being exposed.

And this can include totally indoor pets, such as cats. Tragically, in December of 2011, a middle-aged woman in South Carolina died from rabies. Health officials now believe that she was exposed to rabid bat in her own home.

Why is it so important to vaccinate your pets?  No only is their health at risk, but YOUR health is at risk, too. Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system, including the brain. If a person is exposed and receives post-exposure prophylaxis, the chance of successful treatment is high. However, if a person develops symptoms of the disease, there is very little chance that any treatment will prevent death. There have only been a handful of people in history who have survived rabies after showing symptoms.

Around the world each year more than 55,000 people die from rabies, mostly in countries too poor to be able to provide post-exposure vaccination.

What happens if your pet is unvaccinated and exposed to a wild animal that has rabies?  According to the Georgia Rabies Control Manual, that pet should be euthanized.

And does the wild animal have to test positive at a lab?  No: “Any animal potentially exposed to rabies virus by a wild, carnivorous mammal or a bat that is not available for testing should be regarded as having been exposed to rabies.”

Any decisions about what happens to a pet that is unvaccinated, or not up-to-date on vaccines, is up to the Rabies Control Officer of the county; it is not a decision that your family veterinarian can make.

So the easy solution to this potentially deadly problem:  Make sure all your pets stay current on their rabies vaccination.

At Family Pet Clinic, we keep a computerized record of when your pet was vaccinated, and which specific vaccine was used.  Also, we use our computerized system to send you a letter, e mail or text to remind you when you pet is due again for vaccination.

Let us help you dot all the “i”s and cross all the “t”s involving your pet’s health care.  And so when trouble comes, it won’t be any worse than necessary.

Because trouble will come.  In the words of the Outlaw Josey Wales: “Sometimes, trouble just follows a man”.

Sixty pet cats in Athens were fitted with lightweight cameras on break-away collars and kept the cameras on for 7-10 days.  Researchers then reviewed about 2,000 hours of video to see what these cats were up to. According to one researcher, the number one activity of the cats was:  (survey says) lying around.

You can read more about this study in an article at OnlineAthens (http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2012-04-24/kitty-cams-show-what-athens-roaming-cats-are).

The website for the study has more details and several videos from the kittycams.

http://www.kittycams.uga.edu/