What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 5:30pm Tuesday 8am - 5:30pm Thursday 8am - 5:30pm Friday 8am - 5:30pm Saturday 8am - 12pm

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Summer Ave Animal Hospital, 4450 Summer Avenue, Memphis, TN (2025)

08/28/2025

In the last ten years spaying and castration (neuter refers to either s*x) have gotten more attention than in the previous 31 years of my career. Recent studies done in California have suggested that early neutering has a negative influence in musculoskeletal development and even cancer. Although I have not accumulated data to prove any particular claims, I do make the following observations.
Spaying and castration in my first decade of practice (the eighties) was done later than now, typically at 1 1/2 years of age. The factor determining the age back then had more to do with the safe use of anesthetics. The anesthetics we have now are so good, anesthetizing patients down to three months of age is unremarkable. Also in the eighties the number of people choosing not to neuter was much higher. The result: I would see five cases of breast cancer (benign and malignant) every month. Now, with younger neutering, I see less than ten cases of breast cancer in a year, and those cases 90% of the time are in unspayed dogs. I do not believe I am seeing more developmental problems compared to back then. I am sensitive to the concerns, and I have moved back my recommendation for the age to neuter from 6 months of age to 8 months. Another source of information comes from Banfield Veterinary Hospitals. They are the largest corporate group of practices in the country. Although, I have not been a big fan of corporate practices, they are uniquely able to gather information from all their practices nationwide and have published statistics you may find interesting. The following quote about statistics Banfield has published I got from an AVMA article:
" Pets are living longer, according to the report. The mean life span of a cat in 2012 was 12 years, an increase of 10 percent since 2002. The mean life span of a dog in 2012 was 11 years, a 4 percent increase since 2002.

Neutered male cats live a mean of 62 percent longer than unneutered male cats, and spayed female cats live a mean of 39 percent longer than unspayed female cats, the report said. Neutered male dogs live a mean of 18 percent longer than unneutered male dogs, and spayed female dogs live a mean of 23 percent longer than unspayed female dogs.

Two of the five states with the shortest life span for dogs have the highest percentages of unneutered and unspayed dogs, Mississippi at 44 percent and Louisiana at 38 percent.

Here is a link to reports Banfield has published:
https://www.banfield.com/State-of-pet-health

08/08/2025

Fleas, ticks and mosquitos carry/cause over 20 different specific diseases such as heartworm disease and conditions such as allergic skin disease in dogs and cats. It is thought by some that fleas, ticks and mosquitos disappear in the winter. This is not true for a number of reasons. The graph posted here shows what is known as the Urban Heat Island. For a city like Memphis the ambient temperature remains much higher in the areas associated with the city. In addition, we reach temperatures that sustain these creatures often during our winter. Memphis has recorded 79 degrees in January more than once. Also fleas, ticks and mosquitos can get into homes or in the crawl spaces under homes and remain active in the heated space. This makes heartworm preventative necessary all year long, and for many people flea and tick control as well.

07/17/2025

Did You Know There Is a Tennessee Animal Hall of Fame?

In 1993 the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Assc. Began taking nominations from the veterinary community each year for animals that have stood out for the following criteria:
Those who, through unselfish and courageous accomplishments, exemplify the affection, loyalty, security and value of the human-animal bond.
They demonstrated unselfish and/or courageous accomplishments, examples of their affection, loyalty and companionship, or the ways in which they provide healthful benefits, confidence, or opportunities for exercise, socialization, or laughter.
Award may be given each year for Hero, Companion and Professional categories. In more recent years, since 2010, there has been only one award.
The picture attached is of my patient Budd that was awarded Hero of the year in 1995. Also in the picture is the owner Angela Brewer and the life he saved, Mrs. Lubiani, Angela’s aunt.
Budd’s story is this. On Feb. 10, 1994 Memphis was hit with one of the worst ice storms in history. 250,000 MLGW customers lost power. Ms. Lubiani lost power at her home and she went to stay with her niece, Angela Brewer. Ms. Lubiani was under cardiologist care for significant heart disease, and during the night she had a life-threatening cardiac event. Her symptoms were so severe she was gasping, could not get out of bed, and could barely speak with a whisper. Budd awoke and detected that there was a problem. Ms. Lubiani was able to gasp out, “Get Angela.” Budd ran back and forth from Ms. Lubiani’s bedroom to Angela’s. Budd realizing something was definitely wrong became insistent trying to wake his owner. Angela awoke but initially thought Budd was just being Budd, but he became so persistent that she got up to see what had him agitated. It was not until she got down the hall nearer Ms. Lubiani’s room that she could hear her aunt gasping for help. Paramedics transported Ms. Lubiani to the hospital. Later her cardiologist stated, “It was close.”

Address

4450 Summer Avenue
Memphis, TN
38122

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8am - 5:30pm
Friday	8am - 5:30pm
Saturday	8am - 12pm

Telephone

(901) 682-2791

Website

facebook.com

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Summer Ave Animal Hospital