Driving pet care exposed

Luis Pena

The wet weather went away in time to allow folks to dryly see pets

galore over the weekend at the 15th annual America’s Family Pet Expo

at the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center.

A crowd gathered around one special canine, Air Bud, the

basketball-shooting dog made famous first on David Letterman’s

“Stupid Pet Tricks,” then on the silver screen. Two exotic Amazon

parrots named Lolita and Chester, meanwhile, entertained an audience

at the Heritage Stage during Joe Krathwohl’s exotic bird show by

saying “Hello!” and singing high notes.

Nearby, an 83-foot expandable tractor-trailer from the American

Animal Hospital Assn., an international organization of veterinary

hospitals that accredits pet hospitals on a voluntary basis, was

hosting a presentation called “Driving Excellence in Veterinary

Practice.”

The purpose of the trailer is to stress the accreditation

standards of the organization and to look at client compliance to

make sure pets are getting the highest quality of care possible, said

Debbie Tracy, public relations assistant for the association. The

program also encourages clients to attend association-accredited

hospitals and to follow through on veterinarians’ instructions and

health tips, Tracy said.

“Pets are really becoming more like members of the family,” Tracy

said.

A 2002 survey from the association showed that 84% of owners have

pets mainly for companionship, and that 86% include their pets in

holiday plans.

Taking care of a beloved pet has gone high tech, said Inger

Cotter, practice accreditation coordinator for the association.

Equipment formerly used for human healthcare is now being used in

animal care, such as endoscopes and ultrasounds, which aren’t cheap.

An endoscope can cost as much as $50,000, Cotter said. A survey

revealed that 73% of pet owners are willing to spend $1,000 or more

to take care of their animal companions if they become ill, Tracy

said.

Once inside the trailer, people sat down in swivel chairs where

they had Sherry Smith, one of the presenters, sharing various types

of pet care. A modern pet hospital’s diagnostic lab can perform up to

24 blood tests on a single animal, which allows for quicker diagnosis

and treatment, Smith said.

Another device was an intensive care unit cage that had Happy, a

golden retriever plush doll, inside as a mock patient. The ICU cage

helps keep pets comfortable and in good condition after a procedure,

Smith said.

Huntington Beach resident Linda Vannoy said she has spent a large

amount of money to take care of her pet, and would again, because

it’s a member of her family.

“Absolutely, we do spend a lot of money for our pets’ healthcare,”

Irvine resident Randy Ramos agreed. “He’s our $2,000 free kitty.”

Greg Panter of Long Beach liked the presentation because of the

high-tech equipment on display and because it would help him make an

informed decision on pet care.

“It looked better than some human hospitals,” Panter said.

* LUIS PENA is the news assistant and may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at luis.pena@latimes.com.