The Morrisville and Preston Progress, Wednesday, July 31,1996 - 5 A hound, helpless kitten among vet’s memorable patients ByRonPag0 The animal that has made the big gest impression on veterinarian Chad E. Aderhold was a Basset bound he treated as a trainee out of the University of Georgia veterinary school. "The animal was suffering from a condition called Alpha-Dominate, a behavioral disorder in which the animal lakes on a role as leader of the pack and tries to rule the roost," Aderhold says. "It was sitting on a table in the examining room, and I was gently patting and stroking its head, when I happened to look down, and its eyes met mine. "The dog suddenly lunged at my face, caught my nose in its teeth and held tight. I literally had to pry it loose with a jerk. It took 75 stitches to close the wound and then plastic surgery. You can still see the scar," he says. Aderhold and R. Doug Meckes opened the Cornerstone Veterinary Hospital on High House Road, just west of Davis Drive, four months ago. The half-million-dollar facility is one of the ouiparcels at the Cornerstone Shopping Center and caters to all types of animals, but primarily dogs and cats. While Aderhold has treated a range of exotic animals, from Bengal tigers to leopards and Afri can lions, a tiny abandoned kitten found by the side of Harrison Ave nue in Cary is one he will always remember. "You don’t forget some thing that small and injured so bad ly," be says. He explains that a client had found an orange-colored kitten lying near the curb of the roadway, next to another kitten which was dead. "They were about 6 to 7 weeks old, and when she brought the kitten to me it was having dif ficulty breathing but was too frail TREATING THE PATIENT-Dr. Chad Aderhold checks on a Cocker Spaniel, groggy after minor surgery to sew up a cut on his shoulder. Dr. Aderhold recently opened an office at Corner stone. to determine whether the cause was pneumonia or a traumatic injury to the chest.” The kitten continued to have dif ficulty in breathing during the days that followed, and when the clinic was able to take X-rays, they dis covered it had a diaphragmatic hernia. "There was a huge hole in the diaphragm and the stomach and liver had been pushed up through the cavity into the lung area," Ader hold explains. "The more it ate, the larger the stomach became." He said they were able lo take care of the problem and the kitten is fine today, adding: "We named him Squash." Oddly, a three-year-old Blue Per sian cat was brought in about the same time with a similar physical problem. It, too, was treated suc cessfully. While those procedures were, of course, significant to him, Ader- hold’s concern these days centers greatly on the family dog and to protect it against the life- threatening disease called heartworm. He points out that the local pet population has increased greatly in the past few years with the rapid growth in residential construction. "Many families have pets that were bom in other areas of the country, Aderhold says. "A lot of our new clients come from other stales and in many, like California for in stance, they may not have become aware of the heartworm problem. "It is not a problem for dogs there, but it is in this area of the country," he explains. "Mosquitoes transmit heartworm disease by biting an infected dog, then passing the infection on to other dogs they bite. Developing heariworms live in the right side of the heart and do damage to the vascular system. They migrate to the dog’s heart and can grow up to 14 inches as they mahire." Aderhold says if it is not removed, the worm can cause permanent heart and lung damage and even death. "But you may not see any signs before it’s too late," he says. "And once diagnosed, the treatment for heartworm disease can be dangerous and costly." Veterinarian clinics abound throughout the Triangle, but the new Cornerstone hospital is the only facility located in the Preston and Morrisville area. It is an af filiate of the Apex Veterinary Hos pital. Veterinarian Glenn Br^shaw is an associate at Cornerstone. Aderhold feels that while heartworm presents a major prob lem which a pet’s owner must ad dress, another is being assured the pel can be identified if it strays away or is losi w "lliere was a time when pet iden tification consisted of tags or even tattoos," says Aderhold. "But tat toos or ^in staining can bt changed or eliminated. Today the sure means of identification is to insert a miaochip into the dog’s back. It’s a simple procedure that does not hurt the animal, and is given like a vaccine, inserted by a needle. When the dog is found, no matter where it might be, a scanner will retrieve the identifying number which will have been recorded on a national register by the AKC at the time it was inserted." While dogs and cats dominate Cornerstone’s list of clients, an oc casional potbelly pig is cared for. Aderhold says the pigs are in telligent, make good pets, can be litter trained and grow to about 50 pounds. And, adds Aderhold, the pigs are far tam^ than the feisty Basset hound that bit a young vet’s nose. It Won't loose Its Cool WRh The Uqu'idCoiri Engine Local woman pressing ahead with drive for new senior center in western Wake Elaine Stoops is 71 years old but she isn’t one to sit at home when there is work lo be done. That’s why you won’t find her there much these days. She’s organizing a campaign to raise some $2.3 mil lion to build a dream she and a group of friends cherish - a West ern Wake Senior Center - or what she calls a haven for residents 55 and over. "We’ll probably kick off the campaign for funds by the middle of September,” she says, "but we’ve got a checkhst of things to do before th^.” With color render ings under arm and carrying a checklist of plans and profKisals, Sloops has been visiting officials in Cary, Morrisville and Apex over the past few months, and will soon go to Holly Springs in an effort to explain the project she and her group have in mind. Stoops and her committee hope to build a 20,0(X)-square-foot complex on High House Road at an eight- acre site that has been lease4 to the Western Wake Senior Center for 35 years by the Town of Cary. The property is located next to Bond Park where Stoops says the campaign kickoff will probably take place. Her immediate plan is to get leactership for the drive. She said Joe Gaytoun of Cary has been the honorary fund-raiser for the group, but that a permanent leader is being sought. "Our brochure's at the printer, and it’s been designed to include a pledge card that can be mailed back to the committee," she explains. "It contains information on the pro posed center and an architect’s drawing of the building. "We’re also finishing a slide presentation which should be ready by the middle of August and a stu dent at North Carolina State Uni versity is helping prepare a special video which will show how the rooms are to be laid out. We’ve used an existing building in San ford with a similar layout as we propose and the video will show a walk-through and explanation of how the rooms will be used. "This will give us two different presentations rather than just talk ing to an audience," she says. Stoops says by the time the campaign starts, the group hopes to have named the 19 permanent board members who will direct construction and operation of the facility which they hope will be ccanpleted by 2005. It is to be fur nished as a residence to give a feel ing of a home and not an institu tion, she explains. The idea of such a center began in the mid-1980s when eight senior citizens started the committee. Since then the group has traveled to similar centers across the country to determine the type of center that would best fit this area of North Carolina. "We know we have a big job ahead, but we are determined to realize our dream," Stoops says. The center, she says, will provide fellowship for the thousands of seniors who live in this area, as well as friendship, health and well ness programs, and social, recrea tional, cultural, educational and other activities and services. To date. Wake County has donated $50,000, and the N.C. General Assembly gave $100,000 in 1994, which the group used to hire Hale Architecture and the Cap ital Consortium fund-raising firm. Some $3,000 has also been raised selling raffle tickets and note cards with pictures of the proposed cen ter. Appeals will also Ite made to corporate sponsors, and bake sales, dinners and shows will follow. The contract with Cary for the land on High House Road requires that 75 percent of the building’s to tal cost must be raised by 2001. See me for a State Farm .Famih^ Insurance ChecMv It's a no-cost review of your insurance cover ages and needs. Chuck Tickle, Agent 966 High House Rd. 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The parade will be held Dec. 7 and Police Chief Bruce Newnam said information about taking part in the event is available from Lisa Day-Cobb, who can be reached at headquarters by calling 469-9709 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Day-Cobb has maps and applica tions that can be filled out by any citizen or business in town to take part in the line of march, the chief said, adding that the police depart ment has been asked by the Board of Commissioners to help with planning. The parade will take place at 1 pjn. starting from Perimeter Park Drive and N.C. 54 to Aviation Parkway to Cotton Drive where it will disband. Newnam’s wife. Commissioner Phyllis Newnam, is chairman of the parade, which will be funded by a $7,000 allocation by the town. Air South pulled out April 30. It had been operating four daily flights to Atlantic City. ValueJet, which had 13 departures, suspended its flights June 17. Right^Iwid The Comer... 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