What’s next — the bionic dog? By CRIS LEYKAUF JUST LIKE a cashier scans _ groceries for a price, Ter- race residents can now bar- code and scan their pets, _ Getting the Great Danes up ' to the counter is proving dif- ficult, however, - Well, actually it’s a litde ‘different from a grocery slore, but the principal is es- : sentially the same. And it’s ‘helping pet owners across the continent keep track of that cat who wanders, or the dog who gels fost while on vacation in a strange town, - - - Thanks to: the- marvels of ‘technology, you can now ‘keep better track of your ‘animals than your children, through a system of micro- - chip identification. Just last weck Terrace vets implanted their first micro- ‘chips in a handful of local dogs and puppies. “T think it’s a very, very good thing,’ said an enthusiastic Dr. Tom Sager of the Skeena Animal Hos- pital. “Collars can come off and tattoos are very hard to read and subject to being mis- . read. This is permanent.’? The microchip is smaller than a grain of rice and comes in a 16 gauge needle, somewhat larger than your average vaccination’ needle size; “IPs the size used to col- lect blood from cows,’’ says | Dr. Louis Elorza of the Ter- race Veterinary Medical Centre. He was a bit put off dy the size of the needle, and so used a local anesthetic when injecting the microchip into some pups. Only one pup even flinched, Sager, who didn’t use any The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 12. 1996- BS CRIRVUE | 635-TIPS STOPPERS TERRACE COMMUNITY BAND presents 0. Featuring TERRACE COMMUNITY BAND Gold Medal Winners PERFORMING IBI2 OVERTURE SPECIAL GUEST JIM RYAN DON CLARK VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR TRUMPETER SPECIAL GUEST MASTER OF CEREMONIES DENNIS TUuPAUAN Tickets Avaitable of: SIGHT & SOUND TICKET OUTLET in the SKEENA MALL. Adults: $12.00 © Students & Seniors: $10.00 © Children 5 ond under: FREE > SATURDAY, June 15, 1996” DIRECTED BY 0. REM. Lee Theatre at pm > TERRACE REGIONAL HEALTH CARE SOCIETY INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE SERVICES Milts Memorial Hospital t. Is it a REAL Medical Emergency? MARKED FOR LIFE — Stacey Ottenbreit's golden iab Sonny bacame one of the first dogs in Terrace to receive a microchip ID, Here Dr. Tom Sager passes a scanner over the dog's shoulders, to make sure Sonny's new barcode id is wark- Use Your Emergency Department Wisely Your hospital EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT is organized for sudden, serious health problems. The hospital has a fixed budget, however, and unnecessary anesthetic on a larger dog, found the dog barely noticed the necdle. “Tt’s relatively painless,’ he says. On dogs the microchip is implanted between ~ the Shoulder blades. A brief pass with a scanner will give a digital readout of the dog’s personalized number. A vet or animal shelter can then calla toll free num- ber where that person can then access a daia base with information such as the owner’s name, address, vet’s name, second contact, etc. The system would be val- uable to those who travel with their pets, explains Sager. If someone finds a dog who’s been injured and brings it to the vet, the vet can run a scanner over him to see if the dog has a mi- crochip. If he docs, Sager ing properly: could call the owner or the owner’s vet, to see if the owner would pay for surgery. “Right now if an animal is injured and brought into the vet, it can be pul to sleep without. your, permission,’”’. . aT toos,’’ says Denise Coulas of Fireweed Kennels. And the needle will] be much less traumatic for ihe pups than ihe tattooing process, she adds. Identifying the dogs will _also be easier under this sys- — Thanks to the marvels af technology, you can now keep better track of your animals than your children, through a system of microchip identification. says Sager, explaining what could happen if the owner’s identity is unknown. Locally, the Skeena Val- ley Kennel Club has em- braced the idea. “This will phase out tat- tem, ; Both the kennel club and the vets are using micto- chips manufactured by AVID Canada. The company claims its chips can be read by all scanners world-wide. When microchips were first introduced, competing companics couldn’t read each other’s chips, AVID is changing that with open chips, and scanners that can read all. appreved chips in North America, The compa- ny donated two of the scan- ners to the local animal shelters, and has donated them to SPCA offices across the country, The cost of this technol- ogy depends on whether you're a kennel club mem- ber and whal vet you use. Kennel club members pay as little as $19 for the mi- crochips, while —_non- members ordering through the club pay about $30, NIEWW [al Mon - Fri Saturday ClH[1/Mo| ble|L jt |vielRly NEW NiuiMBlelR 635-0422 ojulris GP.M. - 11P.M. 9A.M. - 11P.M. Ultimate Solution flectrolysis Permanent Hair Removal! tor men & women Sandy Smart Electrologist 202-4650 Lazelle Ave. (Credit Union Building) NORTHWEST ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS _ 308 - 4722 LAKELSE AVE. TERRACE, B.C, 638-1 183 REGISTER EARLY FOR FALL INSTRUCTION IN Piano, Theory, Flute, Violin, Voice, Guitar, Instrumental ENGLISH AND FRENCH INSTRUCTION AVAILABLE “MAKING MUSIC” PRE SCHOOL GROUP Bonnie juniper, ARCT Piano, Vialin, Advanced Theory Marylin Davies, ARCT, RMT Fiano, Theory Kelly MacNeill, ARCT, Piano, Theory ~ Christine Shaw, 8. MUS, Flute, Piano Becky Bloski, B, MUS, Voice Jone. Zagar, Piano Fric Simmons, Guitar, instrumental Nina Par, Piano Erin Anderson, Student Teac. her Fiano use of the emergency department diverts resources from other areas of the hospital. The same service provided in the doctor's office is much cheaper than if provided in the Emergency Department. It should not be used as a substitute for visits to your dector’s office. Doctors’ Office Versus Emergency Visit If you have an ongoing medical problem that has not suddenly affected your well being, you should arrange to. see..your.doctor..in..the. office... If you. are seriously, injured of, are suddenly: takenuill, the. EMERGENCY. QEBARTMENTai is where you belong.- Capek eh nye ag ter elgg bes' ioe gat: a . 4 Sey we a wy, What. lf You Don’t Have a Doctor? Plan to have a family doctor before an emergency occurs. Family doctors’ office number in Terrace are listed in the Yellow Pages of your telephone directory under “Physicians & Surgeons." The EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT staff cannot recommend the name of a doctor to choase. When It Really ls An Emergency When you have a real emergency, bring the patient to the EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, promptly, using ambulance services if necessary. Emergency room nurses are also not allowed to give medical advice over the phone. EMERGENCY patients are assessed on arrival and those with serious and/or life threatening problems are seen first. The hospital does nol have on site emergency physicians, In a real emergency “on-call’ doctors are available. Appropriate Use of Your Emergency Department Ensures That Our Doctors and Nurses Can Treat You Promptly In A Real Emergency! li you S SPECIALS ON Patio Blocks PORTLAND CEMENT Out a is SS $8.50... za "$7.50 any PF. SFTES mR DY tn, kof Caved Diamond . Single 1. Score Corrugated Double Trang! 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