New Pet Questions
New Pet Questions
Q: What vaccines does my puppy / kitten need?
A: Your puppy should receive his first vaccination (which includes distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus) at 6-8 weeks of age. This vaccine should be repeated every 3 weeks until your puppy is at least 4 months old. Coronavirus cannine should be given when the puppy is over 9 weeks old and boostered 3 weeks later. At 5 months, a booster for parvo only should be given. A new kitten should receive his first vaccination (which includes distemper and FDRCP at 6-8 weeks of age. This vaccine should be repeated every 3 weeks until your kitten is at least 4 months old. At 4 months, a 1 year rabies vaccine is given to puppies and kittens.
Q: After the initial visits, what next?
A: Your dog should have an annual physical examination including a dental exam, DAPL/parbo booster, corona booster, heartworm blood test, and fecal test for internal parasites. Your cat should have an annual exam including a dental exam, FDRCP booster, feline leukemia booster, and fecal test for internal parasites. Rabies vaccinations should be given when due, as well for dogs and cats.
Q: What about heartworms?
A: Heartworm disease is a serious threat to dogs in our area. We strongly recommend that preventive medication be given to all dogs year round. The preventive medication is inexpensive, safe, and effective. Dogs less that 6 months old can safely be started on the preventive without testing. Dogs older than 6 months must have a blood test before starting the preventive. Cats also get heartworms - over 50% of heartworm positive cats live in doors only. We strongly recommend preventive medicine for cats and dogs year round. Read more under the Heartworm Disease section.
Q: What about dental care?
A: Dental care is very important in dogs and cats. Peridontal disease not only causes bad breath, but can lead to serious heart and liver disease. This is why we recommend a dental exam every year.
Q: Should I spay or neuter my pet?
A: We recommend spaying or neutering your pet unless breeding is intended. This helps control overpopulation and prevents some medical problems. The earliest recommended ages are as follows: females - 4 months; males - 6 months. Read more under the Spaying/Neutering section.
Q: What is the best way to housebreak my puppy or dog?
A: The first step is to by your dog a crate. No, this is not cruel! Dogs like to have a den in which to feel safe. Make sure it is large enough for your pet to lie down in when he is full grown. Introduce your pet to the crate by making it a pleasurable experience. Feed your dog in the crate, and praise him when he enters the crate. Dogs are creatures of habit and do best when following the same routine daily. 1.) First thing each morning, take your pet outside to the spot you have chosen as your pet's bathroom. Be patient and give him time. 2.) Next, feed your dog (in his crate). For puppies, we recommend you feed them 2-3 times per day. Give your pet 20 minutes to eat and then take up the dish (even if he didn't eat it all). Within approximately 35 minutes, your pet will need to use the bathroom again, so take him to the same spot as before. 3.) If everyone in your home is gone more than 6 hours at a time, be sure someone gets home to let the pet outside to go to the bathroom. We can't expect a puppy to hold urine for 12 hours right away. 4.) Verbally praise your dog every time he goes to the bathroom outside.
Anytime your pet is through playing or wakes up from a nap, he will need to go to the bathroom. If you catch him in the act of going inside, usually a loud "no" is adequate. If you find your pet had an accident, try to hold your temper - if you punish him after the fact, he will not know why you are displeased. The best advice wihen house training your pet is to be consistent and give plenty of praise.
Q: Should I spay or neuter my pet?
A: We recommend spaying or neutering your pet unless breeding is intended. This helps control overpopulation and prevents some medical problems. The earliest recommended ages are as follows: females - 4 months; males - 6 months. Read more under the Spaying/Neutering section.
Q: How should I handle fleas?
A: Fleas can be a pet owner's worst nightmare. There are many new products that control fleas. The one that works the best is called Frontline®. We have been using it since summer 1996 with excellent results. It is available in a spray or "pour-on" where you apply it directly to the pet's skin from a small vial. It kills ticks for 30 days and fleas for up to 60 days.
Q: How does a cat get infected with FeLV?
A: The primary method of transmission is through fighting because the virus is present in very high concentrations in the saliva. When one cat bites another, they literally inject the virus into the other cat. The virus can also gain entry into the body through membranes of the eye, nose, and mouth.
Q: What happens when a cat gets FeLV?
A: Once the virus enters the body it goes to the regional lymph nodes where it infects the cells of the lymph system (lymphocytes). Lymphocytes are important to the body because they help fight off diseases. Cats with FeLV show a decreased resistance to many diseases. They stop eating, run fevers, get colds easily, and are more prone to illness. They become very susceptible to certain types of caner and related diseases such as leukemia, lymphosarcoma, and anemia which do not respond to treatment.
Q: What can I do to protect my cat FeLV?
A: Test your cat to make sure he is not already infected. If no infection is present, two vaccines are given three weeks apart to help build immunity. A booster vaccination should be given every year. If your cat tests positive, FeLV in in their body. Some cats will reject the virus and recover. About 60% of cats will either develop a persistent infection or become latent carriers. Cats with a persistent infection will have a shortened life, and carriers will spread the virus to other cats and may come down with FeLV related disease.
Q: How is FeLV detected?
A: A blood test is used to detect the presence of the virus.
Q: Are some cats more likely to become infected than others?
A: Yes. In kittens less than 12 weeks old, the immune system isn't fully capable of fighting off disease, and they are more susceptible to FeLV. Cats who live in a multiple cat household where FeLV positive cats live or cats that are allowed to roam free outside are also at higher risk.
Q: Are FeLV-infected cats a health hazard to humans?
A: There is no conclusive evidence linking FeLV with cancer or other diseases in humans. Emotionally, however, there is a lot of human suffering when a caring pet owner is dealing with a chronic long term fatal disease that could have been prevented.
Q: What is a spay?
A: A spay is an ovariohysterectomy, that is, both ovaries and the entire uterus are completely removed. It is more than just "tying tubes." There are medical benefits that will be discussed later..
Q: What is a neuter?
A: Neutering is the surgical removal of the entire testicle. There are medical benefits to this procedure as well.
Q: What are the general benefits?
A: 1.) Many unwanted puppies and kittens are born each year. Tens of thousands of kittens and puppies are abandoned to fend for themselves and die. 2.) Female dogs in heat can attract male dogs from all around. These male dogs may fight each other or tear up property in order to reach the female.
Q: What are the medical benefits?
A: Unneutered male cats and dogs roam and fight more, lowering their life expectancy and quality of life. Many dogs are injured while roaming by gunshot, poison, hit by car, beating by upset owner of other dog, or fight other dogs. Pyometra, an infection of the uterus eventually causing death, can occur in unspayed female cats or dogs. Spaying before the first heat almost eliminates breast tumors as they animal ages. Castration is an effective too to help prevent prostate problems that often occur in older dogs. Of course, tumors of the ovaries, uterus, and testicles are eliminated by spaying and neutering.
Q: When should the procedure be done?
A: Male puppies and kittens should be done between 6-10 months old. Female kittens and puppies should be done between 4-6 months old. At these ages, the animal is mature enough for the operation and young enough to receive maximum benefits. But remember, it's never too late!
Q: Tell me about the operation?
A: General anesthesia is given. The surgical site is shaved and scrubbed with an antiseptic solution by a technician. The Veterinary Surgeon puts on a cap & mask, scrubs his hands and arms with a surgical antiseptic, then puts on a sterile gown and gloves. The surgery is done in a sterile environment. The male cat is the simplest to neuter. Each testicle is removed through a small incision and the blood vessels are tied off to prevent bleeding. The incision heals well and rapidly without stitches. Because of the male dog's anatomy, the incision is closed off with two subcutaneous layers of absorbable stitches which dissolve inside the body after healing is complete. The spay operation is the same in both dogs and cats. A small incision is made in the abdomen and uterus and ovaries are removed through this opening. Blood vessels leading to the uterus and ovaries are tied off to prevent internal bleeding, and the abdominal wall and the subcutaneous layers are closed with subcutaneous stitches. Spaying is a little more involved, so the dog or cat will need to be kept calm for a few days while she heals.
Q: Will my pet get fat and lazy?
A: Some pets will tend to put on weight but most don't. As with humans, good diet and exercise will help any unwanted pounds.
Q: Is it better to let them have one litter first?
A: No! This does not satisfy any "maternal need." All you do is bring unwanted babies into the world.
Q: Is it cruel to deprive my pet of his/her sexuality?
A: No. A spayed or neutered animal is not interested in sex.
Q: What is heartworm disease?
A: Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite which lives in the pet's heart called Dirofilaria immitis. It can cause damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Weakness, fatigue, chronic cough, loss of appetite, and weight loss characterize heartworm infestation. Death will follow. First signs may not appear until as much as year or more after initial infestation.
Q: How can my pet get heartworms?
A: Heartworm larvae are transmitted from pet to pet by mosquitoes. A pet with adult heartworms in it's heart usually will have baby heartworms (microfilaria) in its bloodstream. When a mosquito bites an infected pet, it picks up some of the microfilaria which develop into infective larvae in the mosquito during a 2-3 week period. When that mosquito best another pet, the infective larvae enter the pet. The larvae then migrate to the heart, becoming adults in about 6 months.
Q: What about other animals?
A: Heartworms have been found in other animals related to the dog, such as wolves and coyotes, however, the dog is the natural host. Cats can get heartworm disease and are only tested if they are showing clinical signs. Unfortunately, one of the most common clinical signs in cats is sudden death.
Q: Can heartworms be detected before clinical signs are present?
A: Yes. A simple blood test requiring a small amount of blood is routinely done in veterinarians' offices.
Q: Can heartworms be treated?
A: Yes, but only in dogs. If the infestation is detected early enough, heartworms can be treated with minimal chance of complications. Lab work is done first to evaluate the general health of the patient. Two injections are given in the muscles of the back 24 hours apart while the dog is hospitalized for 2 days. The adult worms will die slowly over the next 6 to 8 weeks, during which the dog's activity needs to be severely restricted. Sometimes, the treatment will need to be repeated.
Q: Can heartworms be prevented?
A: Yes! Prevention is simple to do and very effective. The medication, Heartgard, comes in tablet form and as a chewable treat. Puppies and kittens should be started on the medication as early as 6 weeks of age and no later than 6 months of age.