GUILDERLAND — Visitors Saturday at the Guilderland Animal Hospital open house will be able to look back at the past, tour the present, and glimpse the future.
"We’ll have one room with memorabilia of the hospital — old pictures and old equipment from large-animal treatment," said Bonnie Selke, a veterinary technician.
"There will be biographical information on staff members," she said.

Selke, herself, has worked at the hospital for over 17 years.
"I like the variety of things you do during the day," she said. "You get to see different pets and meet different people."

Staff members have taken responsibility for various open-house display areas, Selke said. Hers is the laboratory.
She will have on display "different types of worms and parasites — disgusting things," she said with a laugh. Selke hopes, for example, to have an ear mite under a microscope for visitors to gaze at.

Visitors may also look at the ultrasound room where pets have their internal organs surveyed to scan for diseases or lumps.
A display in the operating room will have a stuffed animal, probably a dog, hooked up with a drape on it "to simulate what a pet would look like in surgery," said Selke.

Visitors may also see the dental area where teeth are cleaned and sometimes extracted.

Pets are put under anesthesia to have tartar that has built up on their teeth removed with a hand scaler or an ultrasonic scaler, Selke said.

Some come in as often as once every six months for the cleaning while, for others, once in a lifetime is enough, she said.
"We encourage brushing with dog toothpaste," she said. "Dogs don’t know enough to spit it out," she said, explaining why digestible dog toothpaste is needed.

Representatives from the Guilderland Animal Shelter will be on hand Saturday with animals up for adoption. There will be a drawing to benefit the shelter, which is being expanded and renovated.

Bill Pentak, a member of the Albany County Sheriff’s Department, will give demonstrations with Mac, his trained police dog; he will also talk to visitors and answer questions, said Selke.
The House Rabbit Society will be at the open house, too. "They rescue rabbits, spay and neuter them, and find homes for them," said Selke. "They’re into public education."

Cathy Crawmer, who trains dogs, cats, ferrets, and birds, will also be on hand to answer questions and dispense information.
"And one of our clients, Naomi Wickane, will bring in hedgehogs; she does hedgehog rescue," said Selke.

Free pet-identification tags will be available, and each family who visits can take home a free goody bag for their dog or cat.
"We’ll have helium balloons and face-painting for the kids," concluded Selke, "and someone will be wearing a giant dog costume."