Care for Your Pets

RCP – Rhinotracheitis-Calicivirus-Panleukopenia

All kittens need a series of vaccinations to help against potentially deadly diseases. The RCP vaccine protects against the 3 most common diseases that your kitten may come in contact with. We recommend vaccinations every 2-4 weeks until your kitten is 16 weeks of age. It is very important for your kitten to receive their complete series of vaccinations to ensure their protection.

 

Rabies

Rabies is required by law in the state of Minnesota, because rabies is a deadly disease that is capable of being transmitted to humans by bite wounds. All cats, even indoor cats, are required to be vaccinated for rabies. Even if your cat is indoors, it should be protected against this virus as sometimes a bat can come into the house that can be infected (which the cat may find) or sometimes a cat escapes the house. The first vaccine is usually given as early at 12 weeks.

 

Feline Leukemia

We strongly recommend that cats who go outside, or have contact with cats that do go outside, be kept vaccinated against feline leukemia. All cats should be tested at least once to determine if they are carrying either Feline Leukemia (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Both of these diseases can be fatal if your cat contracts them. Both diseases occur in our area and are transmitted from infected cats through saliva or cat fights, bites, bodily fluids, and from mom to kittens. The FeLV vaccine is given in two boosters the first year and then once annually after that. There is no vaccine for FIV.

Parasites

Internal parasites that commonly occur in kittens include roundworms, tapeworms and coccidia. All are easily treatable. Since it is possible for people (mainly children) to contract parasites from animals, we strongly recommend fecal examinations for all cats and kittens.

Spay/Neuter

We recommend to spay/neuter your kitten at 4-6 months of age. This way you spay females before they go into their first heat cycle and neuter males before they start behavioral spraying. Female cats, that go into heat, will continue to go in and out of heat until they are spayed or bred. Neutering a cat after it has already started to spray will help reduce the tendency but may not completely eliminate the problem because it has become a learned behavior. Spay/neuter early to avoid these problems.

Animals get immunity from collostrum (First mother’s milk), but as they approach the 6-12 week age, maternal antibodies decrease.  We are unable to detect the actual time that maternal antibodies quit working, and they can be different for each pet, therefore we recommend starting vaccinations at 6 weeks.  Booster vaccinations are then given every 3 weeks until the kitten or puppy is 16 weeks of age.

SPAY (OVH) – Ovarian Hysterectomy

OVH is the surgical procedure in which the uterus and ovaries are surgically removed. The procedure itself lasts 20 – 45 minutes. Their heart-rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and core body temperature are monitored by a surgical technician throughout the procedure. Standard spays are given absorbable sutures so they won’t need to return for a suture removal. All spayed are monitored during the day of surgery and go home late in the afternoon the same day as surgery. Take home instructions and pain medications to keep your pet comfortable will be given at the time of discharge.

 

NEUTER – Orchiectomy

Neutering is the surgical removal of the testicles and all reproductive capabilities. The procedure lasts 5-10 minutes for cats and 20-30 minutes for dogs. Heart-rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and core body temperature are monitored by a surgical technician throughout the entire procedure. Neuters are given absorbable sutures so a suture removal is unnecessary. Neutering is performed as a same day procedure. Take home instructions and pain medications to keep your pet comfortable will be given at time of discharge.

Heartworm is a very serious but easily preventable disease that is transferred by an infected mosquito.  Here are some commonly asked questions about heartworm.

How can my dog get heartworm?

Heartworm is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and can affect your dog’s heart and lungs.  The following is the heartworm life cycle:

• Tiny immature heartworms (larvae) are transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito into the tissues blood stream of your dog.
• Eventually the worms occupy your dog’s heart.
• As the worms grow and reproduce, more immature worms (larvae) are released into your dog’s blood stream.
• When other mosquitoes bite your dog they ingest blood and the heartworm larvae traveling through its blood stream.
• Those now infected mosquitoes bite other dogs and the cycle starts again.

Is heart worm disease serious?

Yes it is very serious and can be life threatening if not detected/treated early enough.  Heartworms interfere with the normal flow of blood from the right side of the heart to the vessels serving the lungs.  If left untreated, heartworm disease can significantly reduce your dog’s quality of life, cause failure of the heart and other organs, and can ultimately lead to death.

What are signs of heartworm?

At first, an infected dog may show little or no signs of infection, but as the heartworms grow and mature, they cause increasing damage.  Your pet may become listless, tire easily after exercise, develop an occasional to persistent cough, and become anemic.  In advanced cases, dogs often suffer congestive heart failure.  Complications may develop in the liver and kidneys.  The blood supply to the lungs and other major organs may become blocked.

How can I prevent my dog from getting heartworm?

A simple blood test can determine if your dog has heartworm.  Once we determine that your dog is heartworm free, we will prescribe a once a month chewable preventative medication that is given year round. Another option is a ProHeart injection as a form of prevention.

What if my dog does have heartworm?

A complete physical and medical examination is necessary to determine the health of your pet and the severity of the disease.  Blood tests and possible x-rays will be taken to assure treatment tailored to your dog’s condition.

There have been significant improvements in heartworm treatment in recent years.  First, medications are given to weaken the worms and then injections are administered to kill the worms. Very specific activity restriction instructions will be necessary during treatment. 

TREATMENT OF HEARTWORM DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOUR DOG IS IMMUNE FROM THE DISEASE IN THE FUTURE!!

My dog doesn’t spend much time outside, does it need to be tested?

Yes.  Mosquitoes are everywhere including inside your house.  It is possible to get bitten anywhere.

My dog was tested last year.  Do I need to bring him in again this year?

Yes.  Even one missed or belatedly given heartworm pill can result in infection.

A minor dental infection can become major health problem….. Oral hygiene is critical for both dogs and cats to:

• Maintain healthy teeth and gums
• Decrease oral infections that can cause the loss of teeth and damage both heart values and kidneys. Bacteria from oral infections have a clear path to the animal’s bloodstream and vital organs.
• Prevent the loss of teeth
• Decrease mouth odor
• Decrease oral pain
• Prevent oral abscesses

Warning signs of Dental Disease:

• Bad breath
• Loose or missing teeth
• Red and swollen gums
• A brownish crust of plaque on the teeth near the gums
• Difficulty eating or decreased appetite
• Bleeding from your pet’s gums when touched or when they eat.

Plaque is an accumulation of debris and bacteria. When plaque is present, bacteria remain at the gum line. The plaque will eventually harden and turn to tartar. Like people, animals need professional teeth cleaning on a routine basis.

General anesthesia is required to adequately clean the pet’s teeth.

We take full mouth dental x-rays on every patient that has a dental cleaning performed at our hospital. This enable us to find and treat dental issues that may not be detectable on an oral exam as most issues occur under the gumline. Treatment of these painful oral  issues will improve your pets quality of life. 

We recommend that animals undergoing a general anesthetic and surgical procedure have lab work done prior to anesthesia. This is particularly important with middle age and older animals. The pre-surgical screen allows the doctor to look for organ dysfunction and anemia (low blood counts) that might affect the safety of the anesthetic. This can be done the day of surgery or a short time prior to surgery.

Many of our surgeries are outpatient procedures, and patients can be discharged the same day as surgery.

Post operatively our patients are carefully monitored as they come out of anesthesia by our caring technicians and doctors.

An anesthetic and surgery consent form must be completed prior to surgery or any anesthetics.

We use both alternative and pharmacological treatments to reduce pain caused by injuries, surgery, or illness. Alternative pain management treatments we offer include laser therapy and acupuncture. Such forms of treatment seek to help your pet’s body heal by restoring balance to various systems, decreasing inflammation, increasing circulation, and releasing natural pain-relieving biochemicals. Acupuncture accomplishes this through the stimulation of specific points with very thin needles that affect the sites where needles are placed and the central nervous system. Laser therapy uses light energy to activate healing mechanisms at the cellular level. These therapies can be used individually or in combination to treat a wide variety of medical conditions in pets.

Obesity in pets is the most common diagnosis.  The most important factor leading to obesity is excess intake of calories and/or decreased physical activity.

There are several significant health problems that can develop due to obesity.  The most common problems being diabetes, osteoarthritis, breathing difficulties, plus anesthetic and surgical risks.  Studies have even found that the development of cancer is more likely in pets that are obese/overweight.

Extra weight increases the pressure on joints, which can in turn worsen an existing arthritic condition.

What do you do if your pet is overweight?

The general approach in treating an overweight pet is to reduce the caloric intake while increasing the energy output.  This can be accomplished by feeding a high-fiber, low-fat, less calorie-dense food and beginning a controlled exercise regimen with your pet.  We can help you formulate a diet plan to help facilitate weight loss in your pet.

The most important part of a successful weight reduction program is a total commitment by everyone in the family to help your pet lose weight. 

What do you do after your pet has reached its optimal weight?

Once your pet reaches a healthy weight, your goal is to prevent the extra pounds from coming back.  Periodic checkups, combined with nutrition formulated to prevent weight gain will help maintain optimal body weight.  Weight loss will improve your pet’s appearance and health as well as his enjoyment and length of life.

• Permanent, Life Long Identification
• Safe
• Greatly increases the chances of retrieving a lost pet

A small electronic ID chip with a unique code can be easily implanted under the skin of your pet for positive identification in the event that your pet becomes lost. Our doctors use a special syringe and needle to place the microchip under the skin, between the shoulder blades. The process does not require any sedation or anesthesia and is a short procedure (similar to giving a vaccination), however it does require an appointment and can be performed while your pet is here for other services.

We currently use microchips that come pre-registered.

In an effort to unite lost pets with their owners, most animal control facilities across the country have these microchip readers. They scan the chip, then call the registration number to determine the owner’s name and phone number and help unite the lost pet with its owner. Microchiping is permanent, so your pet can be identified, even if their collar is lost.