Common Veterinary Medical Questions

The American Heartworm Society recommends that all dogs should be tested annually.  Because heartworm preventative must be given monthly, pills may be forgotten to be given, the pet may "spit out" its pill without the owner knowing it. and owners often stop preventative early or start late because of the erroneous feeling that there is no mosquito activity.  Heartworm preventative will not clear adult worms from the heart once they are established.  Early detection is vital to preventing damage to the heart.  This is accomplished with yearly screening.

One of the biggest fears pet owners have regarding their pets is death during a surgery.  Many medical problems can not be detected  by physical examination alone.  Bloodwork allows the veterinarian to evaluate the major organs, blood and electrolytes.  How well these organs are functioning is vital to safe anesthesia.  If liver, kidney, blood or electrolyte abnormalities are detected, the best and safest course of action can be determined by the veterinarian.  The veterinarian will change the treatment plan because of new information gained by bloodwork.

Ancare Veterinary Clinic recommends spay and neutering pets at 5-7 months of age.  Of course, it is always recommended to spay or neuter older pets because this helps prevent problems later in life.  Click on Spay or Neuter for more information.

The first physical examination is recommended at 6-8 weeks of age with followup exams/vaccinations at 10-12 weeks and 14-16 weeks of age.  We recommend examining any pets purchased from a kennel or pet store within the first 72 hours of purchase.

No, a three year rabies vaccine has been tested and shown to be protective for three years.  A one year vaccine has only been tested one year to prove efficacy.  There is no such thing as a stronger vaccine.  All vaccines should be given at the recommended dose and "splitting" vaccines is strongly discouraged because the level of immune protection can not be guaranteed with a "split" vaccination. 

We recommend all pets to be examined two times a year.  This is especially true in patients older than 7 years of age since pets age more rapidily each year than humans.  The earlier signs of disease are detected, the greater the impact you can have on the progression of that disease and its effect on your pet's quality of life.

Pets scratch for a number of reasons and the skin only changes a limited number of ways as a result.  These causes can be additive and alter the response your pet has to medications.  Your pet may have another complicating problem that may prevent the use of a medication previously used.  A common problem is seasonal inhalent allergies.  These respond well to short courses of corticosteroids.  Complicating secondary infections such as staphlococcal bacteria or yeast may reduce the response to previous treatments and need to be addressed.  Fleas, lice or mange mites may further complicate the itching problem.  As a pet ages, hormonal or liver disease may cause further problems or actually become the primary problem.  The veterinarian takes all these factors into consideration when your pet is examined along with a detailed history which is often vital when sorting out the various causes of disease.  Often concurrent ear disease is present and this should be addressed to improve the pet's health and comfort.        

We recommend the combination of topical medications and area treatment for safe and effective flea control.  For more information on flea treatment call the office or click here for information on flea control.