All of us know about the benefits of routine dental care for ourselves. Daily brushing and flossing, and regular visits to the dentist, keep our teeth and gums healthy and comfortable. Unfortunately, routine dental care is still an often-neglected item of dog and cat general health care. Your pets, as well as yourselves, deserve regular dental care.
Nutritional Counseling
Miniature and toy breeds of dogs exhibit dental problems more frequently and much earlier in life than do the larger breeds. Cats are especially prone tap gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and cervical line lesions, a type of cavity that occurs at the gum line and eventually destroys the tooth. As a result of mouth pain cats may stop eating and show weight loss and nutritional disturbances.
Your new puppy or kitten should be dewormed for roundworms. This is a common parasite that can pass from the mother to the babies in the uterus and through their milk. They may need one or two treatments.
Pain Management
While any surgical procedure has risks and yes pain we do everything we can to reduce the discomfort your pet may have from the surgery. They are given combinations of pain medication for post-op recovery and kept very comfortable. Most animals at 1 day post-op do not need any additional pain medication and can go home and do great.
Vomiting Treatment
Diarrhea Treatment
Leftover fatty, meat scraps can produce severe inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) leading to abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
Though they have a bad rap, poinsettia plants are only mildly toxic. Far more worrisome are holiday bouquets containing lilies ( Lilium spp), holly, or mistletoe. Even bouquets brought into the house by holiday guests should be thoroughly inspected, as lilies are one of the most commonly used. Just one or two bites from a lily can result in kidney failure in cats – even the pollen and water that the plant is in are thought to be poisonous! When in doubt, don’t let these bouquets in a cat-loving household!
The proper medical term for a "neuter" procedure is called an orchectomy (removal of the testicles) and is often referred to as castration. Besides the obvious reason of preventing unwanted pregnancies, a neutered male will have less tendency to roam the neighborhood looking for a female and getting into fights. A number of diseases, including FIV (similar to human HIV) are transmitted through bite wounds between cats. A neutered cat is also less likely to "spray" in order to mark his territory. It is important to neuter your male before he develops these tendencies. Once established, these behaviors can be very difficult to eliminate or correct.
By getting your dog spayed you will also completely eliminate the chances of her suffering from a pyometra (uterine infection). The risks of your female having pyometra increase each time she goes into heat. This is a very serious and life-threatening condition that requires emergency surgery to treat. And if done at an early age, spaying your pet will also greatly reduce her chances of developing mammary tumors.
Avoid stress or confusion at home. This includes consistent location of beds, food and water bowls, litter boxes, as well as a daily routine. Instruct children to respect your senior pet’s need for rest and quiet.