Dr. Dan Jordan has been selected by the AAHA Awards Committee to receive the 2008 Nestlé Purina Petcare Award at the AAHA annual conference, held in Tampa, Florida, March of 2008. The Nestlé Purina Petcare Award is given in recognition of outstanding efforts by an AAHA member veterinarian to positively influence the lives of animals and people. The AAHA Awards Program is a celebration of excellence—a means of recognizing those who have made a difference in the field of small animal medicine.

Animal Avian Hospital of the Village achieves American
Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accreditation

Dr. Dan Jordan and the professional staff of Animal Avian Hospital of the Village understand that your pet holds a valued place in your life and your heart. We respect and honor that special bond. Dr. Jordan’s continual drive for excellence in the art of practicing veterinary medicine has motivated him to choose current technologies, proven pharmacology, and specialists that support quality of care for your pet. To this end, Dr Jordan and staff decided to have Animal Avian Hospital of the Village measured against the most rigorous published standards in the industry, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

AAHA was founded in 1933 and is the only association that provides voluntary accreditation to companion animal hospitals. Approximately 3,000 veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada are AAHA-accredited, and have made a commitment to meet the highest standards of veterinary care.

Animal Avian Hospital of the Village has been successfully evaluated on over 800 AAHA standards. These standards directly correlate to the care we provide your pet. The standards are also regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they remain consistent with changes in veterinary medicine and technology. To maintain our accredited status and to ensure we keep current, we are evaluated every three years.

Here are a few examples of how AAHA’s standards impact you and your pet:

• AAHV provides complete diagnostic services (x-ray and laboratory) so that we can quickly and accurately diagnose your pet.
• AAHV supports an onsite pharmacy. Therefore, we can begin treatment immediately on your pet.
• AAHV maintains medical records that are thorough and complete which helps us better understand your pet’s medical history. Past health issues that can impact a pets current medical status.
• AAHV focuses on continuous improvement in quality and range of services provided.

Dr. Jordan and the AAHV professional staff in appreciation of you and your pet are eager to continue their drive for excellence. If you would like to know more about the standards, please feel free to talk with any staff member.

AAHV Implements New Technology

How is your dog or cat’s breath? Minty fresh or not? Does your older pet seem cranky or reluctant to eat? Do you want your pet to experience a longer, healthier life?

Dental care for your pets is as important as it is for people. Studies show that as many as 80% of dogs and 70% of cats develop signs of periodontal disease or gingivitis before they reach three years old. Without regular cleaning both at home and professionally, bacteria and plaque can build up on the teeth and gums causing bad breath and gingivitis. If that wasn't bad enough, those bacteria can get into your pet’s blood stream and cause damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. The good news is that oral diseases are almost entirely preventable, and many are treatable when they are addressed promptly.

Even though your pets can’t talk to you, there are lots of ways that they can tell you that it’s time for action. Remember when your puppy or kitten’s shiny white new adult teeth came in? Now lift your pet’s lips and take a peek at the teeth and gums. If those pearly whites seem more yellow than white and the gums are swollen or inflamed, you’re looking at plaque and tartar buildup. Are the gums red or bleeding? That can be gingivitis or the beginnings of more severe periodontal disease. Left without treatment, this can lead to oral pain or tooth loss, and that can keep your pet from wanting to eat. Loss of appetite, excessive drooling, and loose teeth are all signs that dental disease may be affecting your pet.

Routine dental care for your dog or cat is a great value for you and your pet. Studies show pets with healthy mouths have fewer health issues and longer quality lives than dogs and cats with severe dental disease. With dental disease, just like with any healthcare issue, the best defense is a good offense. Start by having us evaluate your pet’s teeth.

If your pet does need dental care, we use the latest equipment, tools and training to provide the same level dental care for your pets that your would expect from your own dentist. Our dentistry services include:

• Fluoride treatment for all patients.
• Perioceutic treatments for pockets in the gums.
• Mechanical polishing of teeth and application of sealants.
• Air driven mechanical scalier for low temperature mechanical removal of tartar without the risk of heat damage to the tooth roots.

In between cleanings, you can help keep teeth fresh and bright by adopting an oral home care plan. This can include brushing, oral rinses, oral wipes, and special dietary aides such as TD and Chews. At your next visit, please ask for a hands-on lesson in providing good home dental care for your pet.

Call today to schedule a dental evaluation with a technician or to schedule teeth cleaning for your pet!

A Case Study:
Rosie was an eight - year old miniature poodle rescue. On her first exam, she was skinny with a dry, coarse hair coat and lethargic. In addition, her teeth had excessive tartar buildup, pus around her gums and terrible breath accompanied by a severe heart murmur. Her blood work was normal, and after x-rays, her heart was deemed strong enough to tolerate anesthesia for a dental procedure. She was started on antibiotics three days prior to the procedure to minimize bacteria in her mouth and blood.

During the procedure, we found several teeth so rotten that they were loose in their sockets. These teeth were extracted and the defects filled with a powder that promotes new bone growth. The remaining teeth were scaled to remove the tartar, polished and given a fluoride treatment. She went home with two weeks of antibiotics and pain medication.

Three months later, Rosie was reevaluated. The bone loss in her jaw had been reversed and had returned to its normal thickness and strength. The heart murmur reduced in severity by 50%. She now had boundless energy and exhausted her new owner with all her playing.

One year later she returned for her annual vaccines and the heart murmur was gone! Her heart had completely recovered from its infection that had started in her mouth. She also had a silky, soft hair coat and had gained weight. Without the thorough dental regime, Rosie probably would have died in 12 to 18 months from heart failure. Instead, she regained her youth and vitality! She is now 10 years old and doing very well.

Dan M. Jordan
Awarded TVMA Veterinarian of the Year 2005
Non Traditional Species

Texas Veterinary Medical Association Names Houston
Dr. Dan M. Jordan as ‘Veterinarian of the Year 2005 – Non-Traditional Species’
Houston – Dr. Dan M. Jordan of Houston, Texas has been named Veterinarian of the Year 2005-Non Traditional Species by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA). On March 5, Dr. Jordan received this award at the Austin TVMA Conference honors luncheon. 

Since its inception in 1903, the TVMA has worked “to support veterinarians as they practice the art and science of veterinary medicine in Texas”. With over 3,000 current licensed veterinarian members, it is one of the largest state veterinary medical associations in the nation. “It is recognized for its leadership on important issues, innovative solutions and effective representation.” Each year TVMA recognizes veterinarians who have made an outstanding contribution to their specific fields of practice. 

A graduate of Texas A&M, Dan Jordan received his B. S. in 1978, and his DVM with honors in pharmacology in 1981. He is veterinarian/owner of Animal Avian Hospital of the Village, a progressive, state-of-the-art facility located in Houston, Texas. In-house capabilities applied to traditional and non-traditional species include blood analysis, ultrasound, radiology, sevoflurane anesthesia, endoscope, and CO2 laser surgery. Dr. Jordan appreciates, respects and supports his clients in the loving relationships they share with their pets. Taking time to listen to their concerns and helping incorporate their pet into the family dynamics is part of his support. He also offers veterinary internships and summer positions for mentoring veterinary students, encouraging them to expand their foundation knowledge of traditional and non traditional species medicine.

In the case of Dr. Jordan, “non-traditional species” refers to the fact that he has expanded the scope of his medical practice beyond dogs and cats to include birds, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, hedge hogs, sugar gliders, pocket pets, reptiles and a wide variety of native, non-hoofed wildlife. Jordan continually refines researched medical techniques in combination with state of the art technology to render medical services once considered too difficult or impossible in the various species he treats. While nurturing a busy practice, Dr. Jordan provides consultation and veterinary services to such organizations as the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition, Wildlife Rescue and Education (WR&E), Gulf Coast Animal Rescue, the Raccoon Committee, and the Cockrell Butterfly Center at Houston Museum of Natural Science. Dan Jordan, DVM also contributes medical support and placement assistance for adoptable, non-traditional species to The Houston Humane Society and SPCA. 

His deep commitment of time and resources in caring for injured and ill wildlife has made Dr. Jordan an integral and invaluable part of the wildlife rescue community of Houston and the surrounding area.  He works closely with a number of state and federally permitted wildlife rehabilitators. As a result he has treated a large number and a wide variety of native Texas wildlife including several threatened and endangered species. He has medically treated falcons, numerous owls and hawks, egrets, skunks, armadillos, opossums, bobcats, box turtles, hummingbirds, seagulls, alligators, ducks and much more. The vast array of wildlife injuries has provided an arena to refine repair techniques for damaged turtle and tortoise shells and damaged and severed waterfowl beaks, wing pinning's of various raptors, diagnosing difficult skin problems on armadillos, removing fish hooks from waterfowl, ultra sounding elephants at the Houston Zoo, and performing necessary wing amputations on endangered Brown Pelicans, enabling them to be placed in zoos where they can reproduce. Hundreds of wild animals have been given a second chance as a direct result of Dr. Jordan’s unique knowledge and abilities in caring for these species.

Dr. Jordan’s professional memberships include the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, the Avian Association of Veterinarians, the Harris County Veterinary Medical Association, and the National Wildlife Rescue Association. He regularly presents cases to his peers. In addition he has been a guest speaker of the TVMA Houston conference. Dan Jordan gives educational information, seminars and speeches to grade and high school children, including multiple youth organizations – Yes College and Boy Scout Dens are a couple. Jordan has been featured in the Houston Chronicle’s Lifestyle, on Channel 13 and Fox 26 news.