Ask the Vet
Why is my dog dragging his hind end on the ground?
Your dog most likely needs his anal glands expressed. Anal glands are small glands found near the rectum of many mammals including dogs and cats. Normally when the animal defecates the sphincter muscles squeeze these glands and release a secretion. For various reasons, such as the conformation of your pet or a bout of soft stool, the glands are not released properly and need to be expressed by a veterinarian. If left untreated, anal glands can become impacted or infected. If you believe your dog (or cat) may be having anal gland problems, we recommend coming in for an anal gland expression. Other signs of a problem include excessive licking, straining after defecating or a foul odor coming from your pet’s rear end.
When and why should I have my puppy or kitten spayed/neutered?
We strongly recommend spaying or neutering your pet. This procedure is generally done at 6 months of age.
Neutering eliminates health risks such as prostate and testicular cancer and also helps reduce unwanted behaviors such as aggression towards other dogs, wandering, and urine marking.
Spaying reduces the risk of mammary cancer and eliminates the risk of uterine cancer and pyometra (a life threatening infection of the uterus). It also eliminates the risk of unwanted pregnancies.
Your dog most likely needs his anal glands expressed. Anal glands are small glands found near the rectum of many mammals including dogs and cats. Normally when the animal defecates the sphincter muscles squeeze these glands and release a secretion. For various reasons, such as the conformation of your pet or a bout of soft stool, the glands are not released properly and need to be expressed by a veterinarian. If left untreated, anal glands can become impacted or infected. If you believe your dog (or cat) may be having anal gland problems, we recommend coming in for an anal gland expression. Other signs of a problem include excessive licking, straining after defecating or a foul odor coming from your pet’s rear end.
When and why should I have my puppy or kitten spayed/neutered?
We strongly recommend spaying or neutering your pet. This procedure is generally done at 6 months of age.
Neutering eliminates health risks such as prostate and testicular cancer and also helps reduce unwanted behaviors such as aggression towards other dogs, wandering, and urine marking.
Spaying reduces the risk of mammary cancer and eliminates the risk of uterine cancer and pyometra (a life threatening infection of the uterus). It also eliminates the risk of unwanted pregnancies.
What is my pet’s normal temperature?
The normal body temperature for both dogs and cats ranges from about 100.5°F to 102.5°F. The most accurate way to measure your pet’s body temperature is rectally.
How do I know if my pet has worms?
In some cases you may see worms in your pet’s stool or vomit, or clinging to the hair or skin around your pet’s anus. If so, please bring in a sample for us to examine and determine which type of worms your pet has. Tape worms are often in the hair/skin around your pet’s anus and are approximately ¼” long and resemble a grain of rice. Round worms are round, long, yellow-ish white, and resemble spaghetti. Some worms are only detectable by microscopic examination such as the hookworm or whipworm. This is why it’s important to bring in a stool sample annually, regardless of whether or not your pet is showing symptoms of worms, for us to perform a fecal examination.
Other signs of worms include: weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, and scratching around base of tail.
Does my dog really need to be on Heartworm Preventative?
Yes! Dogs get heartworm from the bite of an infected mosquito. Once the larvae transmitted by the infected mosquito mature into adults, they live in the heart, lungs and surrounding blood vessels. Treatment is expensive and can be dangerous depending on the severity of the disease so the best option is to keep your pet on a monthly heartworm preventative and avoid the risk. The heartworm preventative also prevents some of the common intestinal parasites.
Does my dog need the Kennel Cough Vaccine?
The Kennel Cough Vaccine is recommended for dogs that come into contact on a regular basis with other dogs. Situations such as dog parks, dog daycare, groomers, and boarding facilities are prime places for kennel cough to be spread. If your dog is often in these high risk areas we recommend vaccinating every 6 months to ensure protection. Dogs less frequently exposed to the disease may only be vaccinated once a year, depending on the veterinarian’s recommendation. Remember, if you decide against the vaccine your pet may be at risk coming into the veterinary hospital as we often treat kennel cough cases.
My cat is urinating outside the litter box. What does this mean?
There are many reasons your cat may decide to stop using his or her litter box. There are often environmental factors that cause this behavior such as: changing litters, changing depth of the litter, not cleaning the litter box frequently enough, moving the location of the litter box, or cleaning the litter box with too strong of a cleaning solution. Stresses such as unfamiliar company, moving to a new home, or changes in routine can also be a factor. In addition, there are several medical reasons such as urinary tract infections, diabetes, kidney disease, blockages, etc. that may cause your cat to stop using his or her litter box so we’d recommend coming in for an
examination.
*** If you have a male cat and see him straining to urinate, making frequent attempts to urinate, or crying while urinating make sure to take him to the veterinarian right away.***
I have recently taken in a stray cat. What vaccines should he/she receive and is my health at risk?
If you are certain that the cat doesn’t belong to someone, we recommend testing for Feline Aids and Leukemia. Both suppress the cat’s immune system making them more susceptible to disease and can spread to other cats. It is not a death-sentence, but precautions such as keeping them indoors and away from other cats should be taken. If the stray tests negative for both diseases and you plan on allowing the cat to go outdoors, the Feline Aids and Feline Leukemia vaccines are strongly recommended to keep your cat from contracting the disease in the future.
The Feline Distemper vaccine is recommended for both indoor and outdoor cats. This is a virus that can be carried indoors on our shoes so indoor cats should be vaccinated regardless of their separation from other cats.
Most importantly, your stray cat should be vaccinated against Rabies. This disease can be transmitted to people and is deadly. Avoid being scratched or bitten until you know the cat is fully vaccinated and free of the disease. Vaccination against rabies is required by law.
The normal body temperature for both dogs and cats ranges from about 100.5°F to 102.5°F. The most accurate way to measure your pet’s body temperature is rectally.
How do I know if my pet has worms?
In some cases you may see worms in your pet’s stool or vomit, or clinging to the hair or skin around your pet’s anus. If so, please bring in a sample for us to examine and determine which type of worms your pet has. Tape worms are often in the hair/skin around your pet’s anus and are approximately ¼” long and resemble a grain of rice. Round worms are round, long, yellow-ish white, and resemble spaghetti. Some worms are only detectable by microscopic examination such as the hookworm or whipworm. This is why it’s important to bring in a stool sample annually, regardless of whether or not your pet is showing symptoms of worms, for us to perform a fecal examination.
Other signs of worms include: weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, and scratching around base of tail.
Does my dog really need to be on Heartworm Preventative?
Yes! Dogs get heartworm from the bite of an infected mosquito. Once the larvae transmitted by the infected mosquito mature into adults, they live in the heart, lungs and surrounding blood vessels. Treatment is expensive and can be dangerous depending on the severity of the disease so the best option is to keep your pet on a monthly heartworm preventative and avoid the risk. The heartworm preventative also prevents some of the common intestinal parasites.
Does my dog need the Kennel Cough Vaccine?
The Kennel Cough Vaccine is recommended for dogs that come into contact on a regular basis with other dogs. Situations such as dog parks, dog daycare, groomers, and boarding facilities are prime places for kennel cough to be spread. If your dog is often in these high risk areas we recommend vaccinating every 6 months to ensure protection. Dogs less frequently exposed to the disease may only be vaccinated once a year, depending on the veterinarian’s recommendation. Remember, if you decide against the vaccine your pet may be at risk coming into the veterinary hospital as we often treat kennel cough cases.
My cat is urinating outside the litter box. What does this mean?
There are many reasons your cat may decide to stop using his or her litter box. There are often environmental factors that cause this behavior such as: changing litters, changing depth of the litter, not cleaning the litter box frequently enough, moving the location of the litter box, or cleaning the litter box with too strong of a cleaning solution. Stresses such as unfamiliar company, moving to a new home, or changes in routine can also be a factor. In addition, there are several medical reasons such as urinary tract infections, diabetes, kidney disease, blockages, etc. that may cause your cat to stop using his or her litter box so we’d recommend coming in for an
examination.
*** If you have a male cat and see him straining to urinate, making frequent attempts to urinate, or crying while urinating make sure to take him to the veterinarian right away.***
I have recently taken in a stray cat. What vaccines should he/she receive and is my health at risk?
If you are certain that the cat doesn’t belong to someone, we recommend testing for Feline Aids and Leukemia. Both suppress the cat’s immune system making them more susceptible to disease and can spread to other cats. It is not a death-sentence, but precautions such as keeping them indoors and away from other cats should be taken. If the stray tests negative for both diseases and you plan on allowing the cat to go outdoors, the Feline Aids and Feline Leukemia vaccines are strongly recommended to keep your cat from contracting the disease in the future.
The Feline Distemper vaccine is recommended for both indoor and outdoor cats. This is a virus that can be carried indoors on our shoes so indoor cats should be vaccinated regardless of their separation from other cats.
Most importantly, your stray cat should be vaccinated against Rabies. This disease can be transmitted to people and is deadly. Avoid being scratched or bitten until you know the cat is fully vaccinated and free of the disease. Vaccination against rabies is required by law.