We're hoping you'll take a minute to meet our May Pet of the Month, Clay, as we're sure you'll see, he's definitely worth a look!

Clay had done a lot of traveling in his relatively short life, before he came to City Pets Vet Clinic in September of 2016. He was born in Kentucky or Indiana, then adopted in Florida when he was 3 months old. His owners, Robert and Bethany, were walking passed a pet store when they saw his wrinkly little face. He looked so sad, they had to see him out of the cage and he never went back in. They later learned, unfortunately as is often the case, the pet store was notorious for selling very sick and poorly bred dogs. Three days after getting home, Bethany noticed Clay was lethargic and barely able to breath. They immediately took him to the emergency veterinary hospital where he was treated for severe bacterial pneumonia and a temperature of 105.8! He spent three nights in the hospital, but he recovered.

Many Chinese Shar-Peis suffer from over-breeding, which can result in numerous issues including hot spots , corneal ulcerations, and irritation caused by their signature wrinkles. Clay dealt with all of these issues at one time or another. In fact, it was his corneal ulcerations and irritation that first brought Clay to City Pets Vet Clinic. The wrinkles on his face caused both his upper and lower eyelids to roll inward, which brought his eyelashes and the hair on his eyelids in direct contact with his eyes. This direct contact caused constant irritation and discomfort. Dr. Hui first saw Clay after he had an ulcer debrided at another clinic to check his progress. While this bought him some relief for a period, the irritation and discomfort returned by February. It was at this time Dr. Weinrick suggested surgical intervention to trim back the upper and lower eyelids to prevent them from rubbing on his eyes. The difference was immediate after the surgery and only became more noticeable as his swelling went down.

Despite all Clay has been through, Robert and Bethany noted that none of it ever dampened his puppy-like nature. He remained playful and energetic. Every night before bed, Clay experiences something his owners have dubbed "a madness" where he sprints at top-speed from room to room, jumping on them, spinning around, and flying off to another room. Once he settles, he gets his bedtime snack and culminates with "puppy kisses" for both his people. He also has many names at home including Pickles, Pip, Smoosh, Polar Bear, and more. He responds to all of them. It also appears Clay is deathly afraid of drinks. Robert and Bethany don't know why, but if you extend a drink towards him, he hightails it into the other room. At least after his surgery, he'll see those scary drinks coming his way much better.

One of our goals here at City Pets is to develop a comprehensive health care plan for your pet, including their physical, mental, and social health. A growing amount of research has shown a link between proper force-free training and happy, healthy pets. To help meet all the needs of our clients, we've partnered with K9 Turbo Training to offer classes, in-home training, and behavioral consultations. Krista teaches a number of classes here at the clinic, including Puppy Manners, Advanced Puppy, and Basic Manners. In addition, we have Puppy Social hours where puppies can socialize and learn how to play!

If you would like more information, you can contact the clinic or visit their website at www.k9turbotraining.com/.