Mid-Peninsula Animal Hospital™ Blog

We had hoped that our next construction update would report a new transformer, completing the overall transformation, and an Open House date to celebrate. Alas, the new transformer install was delayed.

The backstory: The original electrical transformer is a dinosaur. Initially it was thought to suffice, particularly with our energy-efficient new systems. However, new considerations came up as the work moved forward, and it was determined that a new electrical transformer would be required after all. The County, PG&E and CalTrans are all involved, besides ourselves, our engineers and construction team.

Then, epic wild fires and winter storms made transformer work unsafe, and required transformers for recovery. Added to the local building boom, there have been unprecedented delays. We finally had an installation set in Feb. when the latest big storms hit, making work impossible on our date. We think we have a new date later in March, when the "storm door" hopefully closes, and crews are first available.

The transformer work happens overnight to minimize the impact on other businesses. Once the transformer is installed we can also return to our normal business hours. And we can throw a party!! The new transformer represents the completed transformation of the facility. We really can't wait.

There is some other good news to report. CalTrans and the county inspected and approved our underground work and allowed us to repave the portion of the road in front of the hospital. That work has been completed, so we continue to make good progress. In the meantime, we are enjoying working in the new hospital, and look forward to scheduling our open house to show you.

If you feed your dog Hill's Prescription Diet or Hill's Science Diet canned food, hold off (for now) and call us for a lot number cross-check, or food alternative. We've been made aware of a voluntary recall caused by an ingredient supplier overshooting the mark on Vitamin D – and too much Vitamin D can be a real problem.

The recall only affects canned food for dogs. None of the cat foods, dry foods or treats are affected by the recall, and are fine to feed your pet. It is also possible that the canned food for dogs that you are currently using may be unaffected as well. However, we'd rather spend time checking SKUs and lots and dates, than take ANY chances. 

Is this out of an abundance of caution? You bet. As of this posting, we have seen zero cases that we believe are affected by this. In addition, we have already reached out to every client who purchased Hill's canned food for dogs from us, directly. 

Most pets can tolerate short-term exposure to elevated Vitamin D without any ill effects. On the other hand, too much vitamin D can upset a dog's calcium balance. Symptoms can include vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss; if consumed at very high levels Vitamin D overdose can lead to renal dysfunction, kidney failure and heart failure. If your dog has exhibited anything like these symptoms, please contact us at once. When caught early, simply stopping the food leads to full recovery, but more advanced symptoms may require additional interventions. 

Our confidence in Hill's is not yet shaken. They have such a long history of great nutrition research and high quality food. Plus, they are being quite transparent about this issue, and are taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again. The preventative steps involve the supplier doing an additional check before sending the ingredient involved, as well as Hill's implementing additional testing steps upon receipt. Test, then trust but verify. 

Here's what the company is saying, "We care deeply about all pets and are committed to providing pet parents with safe and high quality products.  Hill’s has identified and isolated the error and, to prevent this from happening again, we have required our supplier to implement additional quality testing prior to their release of ingredients.  In addition to our existing safety processes, we are adding our own further testing of incoming ingredients."

If you did not purchase from us, call us anyway with a can in hand to determine if your batch is included in the recall. Alternatively, you can check against the list that Hill's has posted, which is available on their website.

While we are relieved that none of our patients seem to have been affected, our hearts go out to those who have. 

Quick status report as we dive into the New Year, plus a couple heads-ups. We hope your holidays were lovely, full of family and friends. As clients travel, it is our honor to take care of their pets, particularly those with specific medical issues. Over this season, our boarders enjoyed the new hospital, complete with new hospital smells. 

With the holidays behind us, the contractors are hard at work on the punch list of final items to complete. Most punch list items can happen in and around our operations with minimal or no impact. That said, during the month of January, on weekdays we are closing at 6pm and keeping our weekend hours to Saturday only. Our team members will be on-site with boarders on Sunday, but we won't be open to the public on Sunday, throughout January.

The last status update explained that a street project in the works since January -- as in last-January, or January 2018 -- finally fell into place. The project was supposed to take a few days, and mostly did, except one unforeseen delay to the road portion, and one of the agencies will need to return. 

Meanwhile, we took the opportunity to address a few sidewalk issues. For example, a cut-out for a former driveway harkened back to the 1940s. It was narrow and had a steep incline. In this day of smart phones, it could have been a tripping hazard. So, we leveled it out. 

These upgrades should make the public parking a bit easier, particularly along El Camino Real. There's also public parking along Buckingham. For now, if possible, please use public parking. While the garage parking is available, the safety signage is in production. We're keeping available garage parking to those who have special needs. If you, or your animal, has a special need, use the garage, but with caution, driving slowly as you enter and exit it across the pedestrian sidewalk. 

Wherever you park, remember to secure your pet FIRST before opening your car door. If you need a leash or a cat carrier, we have them available to take home, so your pet can arrive safely to the hospital.

That's quite a lot of progress, with more to come, and we will keep you posted. We very much appreciate all of your patience during this transition. 

Thank you!!

Over the weekend, we began the transition to the new location. At this point we are all moved out, but still moving in. Scheduled appointments for this week were contacted in advance, and they are being conducted as house calls. 

Which brings up phone calls: we had some hickups with the phone system transition, have been deeply concerned about it, and are doing everything in our power to troubleshoot and resolve the problem. We have the technical talent on site now. A voicemail system can currently accept messages and is being monitored during business hours.

Nonetheless, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. 

Most people contact us to: schedule an appointment or to get a prescription refilled. If possible, please use the RxRefill and Request Appointment webforms on the midpen.com website if you have either of these needs. If you need an urgent appointment, on the "Request Appointment" form, choose "Special Reason" then "other" and describe your urgent need. These forms are being monitored every hour, during business hours. Our phone message system is also being checked regularly, though the webforms are preferred and may be more expedient for you.

From a service perspective we're going mobile. At this point, we are conducting veterinary technician appointments by housecall (at no additional cost), and offering complimentary pet taxi for procedures. Our procedures are still being performed in a specialty surgical center in San Mateo, as they have been the last several months. 

Again, we apologize for the inconvenience during this unique time. Once we are ready to welcome visitors, we will invite you to an open house. Meanwhile, you can contact us via webform or leave a voicemail, and we will do our best to accommodate what you need.

Thank you for your patience.