And more questions....
Q: Why does my pet scoot on its bottom? A: There are several reasons for this behavior, and all of them require veterinary intervention. Your pet may have parasites that it is trying to dislodge or which are causing it discomfort from their presence. There may also be a skin infection in the area. Finally, the anal sacs may be either full or infected. Anal sacs are like the glands on skunks. They may become impacted or infected and need to be expressed in order to provide relief to your pet.
Q: Why does a dental cleaning cost so much? A: Just like humans, dogs and cats have sensitive nerves in their teeth that make dental procedures very painful without a way of blocking that discomfort. Human dentists administer a local anesthetic and ask their patient to just hold still. We can likewise numb an animal's mouth, but convincing them to hold perfectly still for us is a lot more challenging! In order to provide the thorough and deep ultrasonic cleaning necessary to treat and prevent periodontal disease, we must completely anesthetize the patient, in the same manner as we do for surgery, although at a much lighter level. This requires mulitple induction drugs, an anesthetic gas, an endotracheal breathing tube, vital systems monitoring, IV fluids, and a Veterinary Nurse monitoring the patient's vital signs to ensure your pet's safety while the veterinarian carries out the dental procedures. A pre-anesthetic blood test is necessary to ensure the pet is healthy enough to undergo any procedure---or to provide the veterinarian with the additional information needed to compensate for any ongoing problems, such as infection, liver or kidney disease, dehydration or anemia. These conditions combine to make veterinary dental care more expensive than our human annual visit to the dentist. However, it is much more important that your pet receive dentistry regularly by a qualified veterinarian. (Not just a local groomer who scrapes off the exposed tartar and ignores the real disease hidden under the gums!) Unless you are performing a good daily brushing, your pet likely has a significant amount of dental plaque and tartar, and inflammation and infection developing deep at the tooth roots, contributing to eventual tooth and bone loss. This periodontal disease causes painful gums, difficulty eating, and infection which often affects other organ systems, including the heart, liver and kidneys. For more information, please see Periodontal Disease on the
Helpful Documents page.
Q: Why can't I give my pet aspirin and other human medications? A: These medications are designed and formulated for human use. In some cases, drugs that are effective on humans may be toxic to pets, such as acetominophen (Tylenol) in cats. Other drugs may provide fatal doses in human levels, as the organ systems of pets are so much smaller than people. Common problems associated with human drugs being administered to pets include anemia, GI tract bleeding, abdominal pain, renal failure, and liver dysfunction.
Q: Why does my pet need intravenous (IV) fluids while under anesthesia? A: IV fluids are administered in order to maintain blood pressure and blood volume during surgery when the normal regulating mechanisms of the body are temporarily 'on hold'. Intravenous catheters also provide a route for the rapid administration of drugs to counteract any developing problems and maintain a safe level of anesthesia for your pet. IV fluids are a 'must' for any procedure requiring general anesthesia, as is an endotracheal tube for maintaining a breathing airway, oxygen, and closely controlled anesthetic gases. By utilizing these tools, we can quickly intercept and control developing problems for your pet which might otherwise prove fatal in a less controlled surgical environment.
Q: Why can't I give my pet food from my plate? A: It's easy to give pets a snack which seems minimal from a human's point of view, but is closer to a meal from a small animal's viewpoint! Obesity in pets, as in humans, can lead to diabetes, GI upset, major organ failure and crippling orthopedic problems. Human foods fed to pets often lead to bacterial overgrowth in the intestinal tract, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and even pancreatitis, a potentially fatal disease. Even seemingly small amounts of sweets, high-fat foods or chocolate can cause severe disease and even death. A continuous flow of snacks and treats may be our way of showing our love for our pets, but in reality we are shortening their quality of life and life expectancy. Avoid feeding people food to your pets.
Q: Do you treat birds, fish, reptiles, barnyard or wild animals? A: No, our practice is limited to dogs, cats, and small mammals, such as rabbits, ferrets and other "small furries".