Pet Owners FAQ

Pets instinctually hide any weakness or illness so as not to appear vulnerable. While this behavior can protect animals in the wild, it can also prevent us from noticing when our pets are ill. A classic example is kidney disease—by the time your pet starts showing symptoms, up to 75% of kidney function has already been lost.

For this reason, it is important to perform a pre-anesthetic health screen on all surgery patients to ensure they are healthy enough to undergo anesthesia safely. Our standard pre-operative screen analyzes blood levels of six key factors, including liver enzymes, glucose, protein, and waste products, to determine whether major internal organs are functioning well enough to handle anesthesia and surgery.

RELATED LINKS:
Your Pet & Anesthesia
Pre-anesthetic Testing and Screening

Spaying or neutering your pet is one of the most important choices you will make as a pet owner. Altering your pet will impact their health and behavior, often dramatically. We recommend spaying or neutering your pet as early as 6 months of age, for several reasons.

Behavior problems. Intact animals, especially males, often have more aggressive tendencies toward humans as well as other animals. They may be driven to mark their territory—which may include your carpet. Unlike humans, animals do not have a sense of self-worth attached to their bodies and a male will not “feel bad” about being neutered.

Heath issues. Spaying at an early age dramatically reduces the risk of mammary cancer and eliminates uterine infections, a common and life-threatening problem. Neutering males eliminates any risk of testicular cancer, and reduces prostate hyperplasia, a cause of prostate cysts and infections. Contrary to popular belief, there is no health or behavior benefit to breeding a female even once before spaying, and this misconception has contributed greatly to the homeless pet problem. Nor will alteration cause your pet to get fat—weight is determined by exercise and calories.

Safety. Intact animals are more driven to roam and therefore comprise the majority of animals hit by cars.

Pet overpopulation. Approximately 50,000 pets are euthanized each year in Oregon shelters alone. About 25% percent of these animals are purebreds.

Spaying or neutering your pet is one of the most important choices you will make as a pet owner. Altering your pet will impact their health and behavior, often dramatically. We recommend spaying or neutering your pet as early as 6 months of age, for several reasons.

Behavior problems. Intact animals, especially males, often have more aggressive tendencies toward humans as well as other animals. They may be driven to mark their territory—which may include your carpet. Unlike humans, animals do not have a sense of self-worth attached to their bodies and a male will not “feel bad” about being neutered.

Heath issues. Spaying at an early age dramatically reduces the risk of mammary cancer and eliminates uterine infections, a common and life-threatening problem. Neutering males eliminates any risk of testicular cancer, and reduces prostate hyperplasia, a cause of prostate cysts and infections. Contrary to popular belief, there is no health or behavior benefit to breeding a female even once before spaying, and this misconception has contributed greatly to the homeless pet problem. Nor will alteration cause your pet to get fat—weight is determined by exercise and calories.

Safety. Intact animals are more driven to roam and therefore comprise the majority of animals hit by cars.

Pet overpopulation. Approximately 50,000 pets are euthanized each year in Oregon shelters alone. About 25% percent of these animals are purebreds.

RELATED LINKS:
Myths and Facts About Spaying and Neutering

Microchipping is an invaluable service that we recommend for all pets, even if they are “indoor only”. Despite our best efforts, pets do get out. It only takes one visitor leaving the window open or forgetting to latch the gate. With AVID microchips, you will have peace of mind knowing that if your lost pet ends up with Animal Control or in a shelter, your information will be available and your pet quickly returned. Most shelters are sadly overcrowded and unable to accomodate the huge volume of homeless animals brought in. Microchipping your pet will ensure that, if lost, they will not be euthanized by a shelter before you can find them again.

Microchipping is quick and easy. The chip is injected under the skin through a needle, similar to giving a vaccination. It will remain there, and functional, for the rest of your pet’s life—unlike collars and tags, which can fall off or be removed. If your pet ever ends up in a shelter, it will be scanned for a chip. The chip number is then checked against the PETtrac database to find your contact information so you and your pet can be reunited.

RELATED LINKS:
AVID Microchip Identification

As in humans, excess weight in pets can create a variety of health problems. The millions of overweight and obese dogs and cats in the U.S. are at increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and more.

It’s much easier to maintain a healthy weight than to lose excess weight later. Schedule regular exams for your pet so that any weight gain can be addressed before it causes severe problems. Discuss your pet’s eating and exercise habits with your veterinarian, who can help you create a healthy feeding plan.

If your pet already has weight and/or other health problems related to diet, your vet may recommend a prescription diet. Prescription diets are specially formulated for animals with obesity, kidney disease, intestinal disorders, and other health issues. Because the unique balance of nutrients in these diets is not appropriate for healthy animals, they are available only through your vet.

RELATED LINKS:
Hill’s Pet Nutrition
ASPCA Pet Nutrition Center
Obesity in Dogs

Parasites aren’t only an annoyance; because many are transferrable to humans, they pose a serious health risk to you and your family as well as your pet.

Monthly topical flea control products include Advantage (fleas only) and Advantage Multi (fleas, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms), and Advantix (fleas and ticks). Comfortis is a once-monthly oral flea product (for dogs only) for owners who prefer a pill rather than topical application. A strictly indoor cat will probably require only occasional applications of Advantage to keep fleas at bay, while an active hunting dog may require the additional protection from ticks and mosquitos provided by Advantix. Advantage Multi is appropriate for pets that spend any time outdoors, where they will be exposed to multiple parasites. Discuss with your vet which option best serves your pet’s needs.

In addition to flea control, it is recommended to have your pet tested for intestinal parasites 1-2 times a year. These common parasites include hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Because some parasites can survive for years in the environment and can also be contracted by humans, it is very important to have all new pets checked and treated for parasites, and to continue with regular screening and treatment throughout the pet’s life. A roundworm may lay 100,000 microscopic eggs in a day; accidentally ingesting just one might transfer the infestation to you. You can have your pet screened for intestinal parasites at any time; simply drop off a small fresh stool sample at the clinic.

RELATED LINKS:
CDC Zoonotic Parasites Guidelines
Advantage
Advantix
Comfortis

Preventive vaccination is one of the simplest and most effective steps you can take to keep your pet healthy. It is much easier to invest in a few low-cost vaccines each year than to deal with the dangerous and potentially deadly diseases they prevent. In addition, fatal diseases including rabies and leptospirosis can be contracted by humans if exposed to an infected animal.

Vaccines work by stimulating your pet’s immune system to produce antibodies. If your pet is exposed to a disease they have been vaccinated against, their antibodies will recognize, attack, and neutralize the infectious agent. Because immunity declines over time, and because occasionally new strains of common diseases will necessitate updated vaccine formulas, it is advisable to revaccinate periodically according to your veterinarian’s recommendations. We recommend the following core vaccines for dogs: Rabies, Bordetella (“kennel cough”), and DHLPPV-C (distemper/hepatitis/leptospirosis/ parainfluenza/parvovirus/coronavirus); for cats we recommend Rabies, FeLV (feline leukemia virus), and FVRCP (rhinotracheitis/calici/panleukopenia). Dogs who frequent wilderness areas may benefit from vaccines for Lyme disease and/or rattlesnake venom. Young dogs of breeds prone to dental disease may benefit from a porphyromonas vaccine. Ask your vet if you think your dog may need one of these non-core vaccines.

RABIES Rabies vaccinations are legally required in most areas of the U.S. for dogs, and in some areas they are required for cats as well. Rabies is usually transmitted by saliva and infects the nervous system, causing brain damage and death. It can affect all mammals, including humans, and once signs appear is always fatal. Because most rabies is carried by wild animals, vaccinations are especially recommended if your pet spends time outside and may be exposed to local wildlife such as skunks or racoons.

DHLPPV-C This vaccine protects against many common and serious canine health threats including distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and coronavirus. All of these diseases cause severe health problems and can be life-threatening. Leptospirosis attacks the liver and kidneys, is spread through urine, and can be contracted by humans.

BORDETELLA Also known as “kennel cough” because it spreads quickly through shelters and boarding facilities, bordetella causes a respiratory disease characterized by a harsh dry cough.

FVRCP This vaccine protects your cat against the two most common causes of feline respiratory disease, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus. It also protects against panleukopenia (“feline distemper”), a virulent and life-threatening parvovirus that is particularly dangerous to kittens and older cats.

FeLV Feline leukemia virus weakens your cat’s immune system, leaving them vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases including respiratory infections and cancer.

RELATED LINKS:
CDC Rabies Information Site
Fort Dodge Vaccine Information