FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long is a dog pregnant for?
How often does a dog go into heat?
How often can I bath my dog?
Heartworm Disease & your dog?
Why are annual heartworm tests are required every year for dogs that are not on Heartworm prevention year around?
Why does my dog need a heartworm test every two years if my dog is on year around heartworm prevention?
What is “Kennel Cough” and is it recommended for my dog?
Why should I spay or neuter my dog?
How old should my pet be for spay or neuter?
Can a Pregnant Pet be vaccinated?
Can I give vaccines myself?
Why is pre-anesthetic bloodwork recommended?
Why is pre-anesthetic bloodwork required for surgery/anesthesia if my dog is over 7 years of age?
Can’t you just give the vaccinations? I don’t want the physical exam, and all I want are shots.

Q: How long is a dog pregnant for?
A: 63-65 days

Q: How often does a dog go into heat?
A: Usually twice a year or every 6 months for 2 weeks at a time.

Q: How often can I bath my dog?
A: Depends on the dog, but generally no more than 1 time per week. Too frequent bathing may dry out their skin.

Q: Heartworm Disease & your dog?
A: All dogs, even indoor dogs are susceptible to heartworm.
A: One bite from an infected mosquito is all it takes for your dog to contract this deadly disease.
A: Symptoms include coughing, fatigue and loss of appetite. However, symptoms do not appear until the disease is quite advanced and treatment is difficult.

Q: Why are annual heartworm tests are required every year for dogs that are not on Heartworm prevention year around?
A: It takes several months for heartworm disease to appear in a blood test. All it takes is one mosquito bite for your pet to contract heartworm disease, so if they aren’t on year around protections it is necessary to test.

Q: Why does my dog need a heartworm test every two years if my dog is on year around heartworm prevention?
A: There are still a minimal percentage of animals that can contract heartworm disease while on heartworm prevention.

Q: What is “Kennel Cough” and is it recommended for my dog?
A: Kennel cough is a bronchitis characterized by a harsh, hacking cough. It is highly contagious and most boarding kennels, grooming facilities, and obedience classes require the Bordetella Vaccination to protect against Kennel Cough. The Bordetella Vaccination is intranasal or injectable. Intranasal vaccination may be given as early as 2 weeks of age and immunity generally lasts 10-12 months. (Usually this vaccine is boosted annually.) It takes 4 days to generate a solid immune response after intranasal vaccination so it is best if vaccination is given at least 4 days prior to the exposure. Some dogs will have some sneezing or nasal discharge in the week following intranasal vaccination.

Q: Why should I spay or neuter my dog?
A: All pets not intended for breeding should be surgically spayed/neutered for many important reasons. In addition to improved health and behavior resulting from this surgery, you will be doing your part to reduce unwanted pet populations. Millions of unwanted animals are euthanized each year because good homes are limited and most pets simply cannot be adopted out. Unsterilized animals are more likely to have behavioral problems.

Benefits – Females

• Prevents signs of heat
• Prevents blood stains from heat
• Decreases chance of breast tumors
• Eliminates chance of cystic ovaries
• Eliminates chance of uterine infections
• No unwanted pregnancies or offspring
• Eliminates possibility of uterine, ovarian, and breast cancer particularly when your pet is spayed before its first heat.
• They live longer
• Will be more affectionate companions and less temperamental

Benefits – Males

• Prostate cancer incidence reduced
• Testicular cancer eliminated
• Decreases roaming
• Decreases aggression
• Eliminates undesirable sexual behavior.
• Less likely to mark territory
• They live longer
• Will be more affectionate companions and less temperamental

Q: How old should my pet be for spay or neuter?
A: 4 to 6 months of age

Q: Can a Pregnant Pet be vaccinated?
A: It is important that live vaccines NOT be used in pregnant pets. This is because a "modified" virus that will not cause illness in the mother may still be strong enough to infect the unborn puppies or kittens. Killed vaccines may be given during pregnancy though, as a general rule, it is best not to give any medical treatments during pregnancy if it can be avoided. While the administration of killed vaccines is commonly performed in large animals and food animals, it is not routine for dogs or cats.

Q: Can I give vaccines myself?
A: It is physically possible to give vaccines yourself if you know how to give a subcutaneous injection. In many areas, some pet vaccines are considered over-the-counter medications and you can get them from your local pharmacy or by mail order.

We do not recommend this practice for the following reasons:

• It may be difficult for you to properly dispose of the needles.
• If there is any type of acute allergic reaction, you will not be prepared to address it.
• In cats, there are specific guidelines regarding where vaccines should be placed. This makes the process trickier especially with uncooperative cats.
• You may get bitten.
• If you do not know where to give each type of vaccine, you could be increasing the risk of vaccine-site tumor formation.
• You may not have kept proper records of vaccination should proof of vaccination be needed. Facilities requiring proof of vaccination may be unwilling to accept your own word that your pet is vaccinated adequately.
• Modified live vaccines are somewhat sensitive to proper storage. They cannot be mixed up in advance and their components must be kept at the proper temperature. This may be difficult depending on how vaccine is transported to your home.

Q: Why is pre-anesthetic bloodwork recommended?
A: For young animals it is used to detect congenital problems w/ liver or kidneys. If there are problems identified, they may not be able to withstand anesthesia. If bloodwork is determined normal it is used as a baseline for the future should medical issues arise.

Q: Why is pre-anesthetic bloodwork required for surgery/anesthesia if my dog is over 7 years of age?
A: As pets age, they undergo many physical & mental changes, blood screens are necessary to monitor the health of senior pets and keep them as healthy as possible and prevent any complications that may arise with anesthesia and surgery.

Q: “Can’t you just give the vaccinations? I don’t want the physical exam, and all I want are shots.”
A: Short Answer “No.” We believe we have an obligation to do everything we can to ensure an animal’s health prior to administering vaccinations, it is essential that a veterinarian do a general health evaluation of each pet.

This provides three services:

Establishes safety. A Sick animal will be further stressed when exposed to a vaccination (an injection of foreign materials which is intended to generate an immune response). This increased stress often makes the animal more sick, causing discomfort and sometimes life-threatening complications.

Ensures efficacy. Animals that are not healthy may not mount effective immune responses to the vaccinations, diminishing the value of the vaccines. This is especially important for Rabies vaccination, as the first vaccination is typically not followed by a booster shot for one year. Additionally, when using Rabies vaccinations that are licensed for three years, declining immunity over time can render your pet (and your family, since unvaccinated pets can expose people to rabies) unprotected near the end of the vaccination period.

Enables detection of sub clinical problems. Often, a thorough physical exam allows us to detect health problems before they become threatening to the health and comfort of your pet. We can find (and treat) disease such as:

• Dental disease, including tooth decay, gingivitis, and tarter buildup
• Benign and malignant cancers, including mammary tumors, skin masses, and abdominal tumors
• Ear infections
• Heart disease
• EARLY detection is the key to successfully treating and/or curing many of these ailments.