How to Make Your Veterinary Visit Easier For You (And Your Pet)

Veterinary checkups are an important part of preventative healthcare.  They give us the opportunity to catch health problems early on, and ensure that your pet is living the healthiest life that it can. However, we know that your pets don't a...

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How to Celebrate a Pet-Friendly Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner!  Are you planning a Halloween party this year?  Be sure to celebrate a pet-friendly holiday by keeping these safety tips in mind.Halloween Pet Safety:Keep Halloween Candy Hidden - Many Halloween cand...

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What to Do If Your Pet Has Fleas

What to Do If Your Pet Has FleasREUNION VETERINARY HOSPITAL, PLLCwww.ReunionVetHospital.comItchy Pet?  It's flea season!  Unfortunately, warm weather also means that pet owners need to be on the lookout for fleas.  These small dark insec...

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How to Include Your Pet In Your Wedding

How to Include Your Pet In Your WeddingREUNION VETERINARY HOSPITAL, PLLCwww.ReunionVetHospital.comIt's wedding season!  Are you making plans to include all of your loved ones in your celebration?  Your day wouldn't be complete without your fu...

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Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Pet Happy & Healthy This 4th of July!

Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Pet Happy & Healthy This 4th of July!



The Fourth of July is a time when the entire family gets together around the grill. The perfect time to share stories and food in the comfort of your own backyard; but perhaps it isn't exactly safe to include your four legged friend in on the festivities. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center cautions that the holiday food can in fact be potentially dangerous for your fury loved ones; here are the following tips to keep your pet safe.
Beware of the Piña Coladas: Alcoholic beverages pose a potential risk to your pets if consumed. They can lead your friend to depression or a possible coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a posing threat in the worst case scenarios.
Do not share your insect repellent or sunscreen: The consumption of sunscreen products and insect repellent may lead to drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, extreme thirst and complete lack of energy. Any insect repellent that contains DEET is said to leave neurological problems
Never let them help light the grill: Some brands of matches contain certain substances that are poisonous for your loved one. Chlorates can possibly harm your pets blood cells that lead to difficulty breathing, possibly Kidney disease in the worst case scenario. Lighter fluid, whether ingested or inhaled can lead to many health problems such as: gastrointestinal irritation, depression in the central nervous system, aspiration pneumonia and the development of breathing problems.
Everyone should keep an eye on what they eat: Remember that they are family but cannot eat everything you eat. Certain foods like onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes, raisins, salt and yeast dough can be toxic for all animals. As their owner, you should be especially careful if your pet is not as young as they used to be; older pets have harder times with digestion and more nutritional requirements.
Be on the lookout for glow sticks: Glow sticks can be a fun additional accessory for every party but not so much for your pet. If consumed you're looking at the possibility of gastrointestinal irritation, excessive drooling and even intestinal blockage from swallowing the plastic container. Lets keep an eye on what is in their reach, especially if you have a curious friend.
Citronella candles, insect coils and oil products are as harmful as they are useful: Consumption of any of these products could lead to more gastrointestinal irritation and depression in the central nervous system. If they inhale the oils, you could be looking at aspiration pneumonia for your loved one.
Keep them away from the fireworks!: We all know what exposure to any lit fireworks can do but even toxic substances in the unlit ones can cause harm; potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals are potentially fatally dangerous if exposed to your pet.
Even the festive firework displays are a nuisance: Make sure they are in the house, where they can fully be protected from the noise that's going on outside. Keeping your pet safe is going to be easy this Fourth of July as long as you are an educated owner. 

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Helping Pets Cope with Thunderstorms

Helping Pets Cope with Thunderstorms


Photo Source: Wikipedia
Do thunderstorms cause your pet anxiety?  Your pet is not alone.  Many animals are afraid of the loud roar of thunder.  Fortunately, there are ways to help your pet cope with this fear and stay calm during a storm.


Calming Tips:
  • Quiet Hideaway – Make sure that your pet has access to a quiet place where he or she can go to hide.  If possible, try to block out the lightening and cover up the sound of the thunder.
  • Stay Distracted – Sometimes playing a game or distracting your pet with their favorite toy can keep them at ease.
  • Conditioning Behavior – Behavior modification can desensitize your pet to the sound of a storm.  Try playing recordings in short intervals for conditioning.
If you are still having trouble keeping your pet calm during a thunderstorm, visit our office.  The experienced Veterinarians at Bregman Vet Group can help you determine the best possible coping method for your pet.  You can also read this article to learn more.


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11 Fall Pet Dangers to Avoid

Fall is here, and we found this article from our friends at Agway with some dangers for your pets. Below is a list of things you want to make sure your pet avoids this fall.  AntifreezeAllergiesArthritisMushroomsCompost PileRodenticidesCandyThanks...

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Meet Dr. Eric Bregman

The Reunion Veterinary Hospital, owned by the Bregman Veterinary group, opened its doors in July of 2014.  This is the second of a 2-part interview where we introduce the veterinarians who work in our facility.

Dr. Eric Bregman is a resident of Reunion, FL, and one of the 2 main veterinarians at the Reunion Animal Hospital.  He is the son of Dr. Jack Bregman, and is a certified Radiation Officer licensed to administer radioactive iodine to treat feline hyperthyroidism.  We sat down with Eric and asked him a few questions.

Interviewer: Eric, Where are you from originally?
Dr. Eric Bregman: I am from a small town in Upstate NY called Delhi. I grew up on a horse farm there.

Interviewer: Where did you get your degree in veterinary medicine?
Dr. Eric Bregman: I got my degree in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania at the School of Veterinarian Medicine in Philadelphia.

Interviewer: When did you first decide you wanted to work with your father, Dr. Jack Bregman?
Dr. Eric Bregman: I was in my 2nd year of college at the University of Houston and at that time I was contemplating a career in Human Medicine. One day I had an awakening that I wanted to practice Veterinary Medicine like my father. Veterinarian Medicine was a great part of my childhood so it was easy to feel this way and make that decision.

Interviewer: Growing up, what made you want to be a veterinarian?
Dr. Eric Bregman: As a child, when my brother (Dr. Allan Bregman of the Bregman Vet Group) and I had summers off from school, we would spend our time in the clinic working, helping, cleaning cages, handling the animals- whatever we could do to be a part of the clinic. It was a different era where a kid could be in the office and observe what was going on, and it was accepted.

Interviewer: Which Bregman Vet Group location do you mainly work out of?
Dr. Eric Bregman: I mainly work out of the Reunion Animal Hospital in the Ovation Shopping Center on Lake Wilson Road in Davenport, FL.

Interviewer: Have you ever worked at any other Veterinarian Offices before the Bregman Vet Group?
Dr. Eric Bregman: I have, actually. I did a one-year internship in a small animal hospital in Oradell, NJ. It was a large referral specialty hospital. We did emergency medicine, surgery, radiology, and much more. It was a very intense year in a high volume referral hospital which really set the standard for my career. It’s something that I elected to do after veterinary medical school. It’s not required. It made me the doctor I am today. They had fantastic people and wonderful specialists in orthopedics, neurology, and internal medicine. I received 5 years of knowledge and experience during the year I was there.

Interviewer: How many pets do you have?
Dr. Eric Bregman: I have 2 dogs, both Cairn Terriers (Rescue Dogs) – You know, like the dog from the Wizard of OZ.

Interviewer: Out of all the experiences you’ve had practicing veterinary medicine, which is your most memorable?
Dr. Eric Bregman: That’s a tough question. I’ve had many memorable and life changing experiences. I had a client in Long Island whose cat got out of the house and had some type of trauma, probably hit by a car, and had a fractured back leg. While stabilizing the cat we also identified a diaphragmatic hernia. He had a tear in his diaphragm that was allowing his stomach and liver to move into his chest. Our first surgery involved repairing the life threatening hernia, and one week later we went back to surgery and fixed the fractured femur. We were able to return the cat good as new to the owners. That was about 1- years ago and I still see the cat to this day for his annual  visit.

You heard it from Dr. Eric Bregman! Stop by the Reunion Veterinary Hospital or visit www.ReunionVetHospital.com for more details on their veterinarian care. Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!

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Mikey’s Pool Rehab

Say hello to Mikey!  Mikey is a 5 year old Daschund, and a patient at Reunion Veterinary Hospital.  He recently visited us, and upon examination, we found he herniated a disc in his lumbar spine.  Our treatment for Mikey includes therapu...

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