The Importance of Bloodwork for your Furry Friend

Very often during a routine visit to the vet, you will be advised to get a blood test done on your pet. Because the blood work involves extra cost, many pet owners are hesitant to agree to this. However, blood work is very important for your furry friend.

Here are some of the important reasons why a vet will require that blood work is done.

Check your pet’s general health

Even healthy pets need to get bloodwork done as this gives your vet a baseline to compare future blood test results.

Identify disease early

Bloodwork on your pet is important to identify disease in its early stage before other physical symptoms show up. For example, certain enzymes, proteins, glucose, and white blood cells may indicate that your pet may have a condition that requires treatment. 

Usually, liver disease, diabetes, anemia, and kidney problems show up in bloodwork.

Very often, if these diseases are caught early enough, they can be much easier to treat and manage.

Required before surgery

Your vet will usually require that bloodwork is done before any surgery. This helps to be sure that all the vital organs are functioning properly and reduce the risks connected with anesthesia.

Check for viruses and parasites

If you have noticed that your pet is “off color” or just not acting themselves, they could have a viral or parasite infection.

For example, in dogs, heartworm caused by mosquito bites and Lymes disease causedby ticks can be discovered early with the appropriate blood tests.

Cats are prone to feline leukemia and FIV and the proper blood test will detect if your furry friend requires treatment.

Bloodwork for Pets

So, if your vet advises the bloodwork be carried out on your pet, it is always the best course of action to get this done. Even if the bloodwork doesn’t show up any abnormalities, you will have the peace of mind that your furry friend is in the best of health.

Did you Know your Pets Age Faster Than You?

Unfortunately, it's a fact that our pets age faster than we do. Just like aging in humans, advanced years brings more health issues for older pets. However, with the proper pet care and attention, there is much that you can do to help your dog or cat live a happy and fulfilled life even in advanced years.

What happens with the aging process in our four-legged friends?

Aging in Dogs and Cats

It's actually a myth that one human year represents the equivalent of seven dog years. If you think about it, a dog that is one-year old in "human years" is much more mature than a child who is seven. After all, many dog breeds can already produce a litter of pups after a year or so.

The aging process with dog and cats is much quicker in the first few years of their lives. This means that our pets reach adult maturity faster than humans so. So, a cat or dog that is one-year old would be the equivalent age of a 15 or 16-year old adolescent. Then, the second year of a dog or cat's life would be the equivalent to around 3 to 8 years of a human.

After the first 2 years of a dog or cat's life, the aging process slows down and each year would be the same as 5 or 6 years of a human's life.

There is also the fact to consider that, especially with dogs, the aging process is different among the breeds. In general, smaller dogs age slower than larger breed dogs. So, with smaller breeds like terriers, they reach "old age" when they are around 11 or 12 in human terms. But, larger breeds like German shepherd dogs are classed as elderly when they are about 8 years old.

The same is true when it comes to life expectancy in dogs. The average life expectancy for smaller breeds ranges between 12 and 16 years and larger breed dogs between 8 and 13.

As with aging in humans, there are also a number of factors that can influence how long you can expect your pet to live. Therefore, it is important that your pet enjoys a well-balanced diet with all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required. You should also take your pet to the vet for regular checkups so that any health issues can be caught early on and the proper treatment and medication can be administered.

Should your Dogs and Cats be Flossing?

We all want to do everything we can for our adorable pets. However, when it comes to dental hygiene for dogs and cats, we can all sometimes be a bit negligent. Regular brushing and good oral hygiene practices are just as important for your pet's mouth as it is for yours. However, when it comes to flossing, what should you do? Do dogs and cats need to have their teeth flossed?

One of the problems that many pet owners face when it comes to their pet's oral hygiene is the fact that pets aren't always cooperative. This makes many pet owners give up looking after their pet's teeth. However, flossing and cleaning can prevent tooth decay and even keep your pet healthy.

The biggest challenge is to get your pets used to the cleaning process. If you have a cat, you can start by gently rubbing a cotton swab over your cat's teeth and gums. In time, you can try to start using a cat toothbrush and a special toothpaste for cats.

If cats don't take to having their teeth cleaned, check their teeth regularly and pay a visit to your local vet if you have any cause for concern.

With caring for dogs, it is usually easier to clean their teeth. The easiest time will be just after exercising or playing because they will generally sit still. Once again, you can get your dog used to the cleaning process by using a cotton swab before introducing a doggy toothbrush. Dogs usually love the taste of dog toothpaste, and so it shouldn't be too difficult to clean their teeth a minimum of once a week.

Flossing may be more difficult. There are some chew toys on the market that claim to help floss dogs teeth to remove harmful plaque. Your local vet can also show you some of the best and easiest methods to floss and brush your dog's teeth.

Keeping your dog and cat's teeth healthy will not just save you a lot of money on vet bills, but you will keep your pet healthier.

The Do's and Don'ts of Heart Worm Prevention

Heartworm is a life-threatening disease that is very easy to prevent and difficult to cure. Therefore, to keep your dog or cat in good health and save you costly medical bills, heartworm prevention is essential.

Heartworm is a disease that passed on to dogs and cats by a mosquito bite. According to Sheldon Rubin on Pets WebMD, heartworm has been reported in all 50 states in the U.S. He says that if you have mosquitos then your animals are at risk from heartworm.

Essential Do's and Don'ts for Heartworm Prevention

So, when it comes to heartworm prevention for your pets, what are the essential do's and don'ts to prevent heartworm disease?

Do's

• Visit your local vet to check for heartworm before any prevention medication is given. This is because if your pet is already infected, the heartworm prevention could make the condition worse. 
• Keep up with monthly heartworm preventatives to reduce the risk of any infection.
• If your dog or cat has been diagnosed with heartworms, don't allow them to exercise for 4-6 weeks. 
• Call your vet if your pet seems unwell or starts coughing.
• Unless your vet tells you otherwise, keep up the heartworm prevention also during the winter months.
• Make sure that your pet has a yearly check up to check their general health and test for heartworms. 

Don'ts

• Don't think that your pets are safe just because they have a long coat or are kept indoors.
• Don't assume that coughing is just a sign of asthma. Blood testing is needed to check for heartworms and the symptoms of asthma and heartworm disease are similar.
• Don't forget to take your pet to the vet to have him/her re-tested for heartworms 3 – 4 months after treatment.
• Don't forget that just because your dog or cat shows no visible symptoms of heartworm, it doesn't mean that there is no infection.

Know the Symptoms of Heartworm Disease

It is important that all pet owners know what the symptoms of heartworm disease in cats and dogs are. There are:

• Dogs will tire easily and may cough.
• Coughing
• Weight loss
• Cats may suffer from difficulty in breathing.

If you are concerned that your pet may have heartworm, you should contact your local vet to arrange a check up.

Check the Chip – August 15 2016

Check the Chip day is to remind all pet owners the importance of having their pets microchipped. Any vet will tell you that microchipping your pet is part of caring for your pet. However, even if your pet has a microchip, it is still essential that you make sure that your contact information is up to date.

Why Is Pet Microchipping Important?

Microchipping your pet is important because it greatly increases your pet's chances of being returned in the event they are lost or stolen. The microchip contains all the information necessary for a vet or rescue center to contact you if your pet is found.

A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that around 75% of dogs and 60% of cats that came into shelters were returned to their owners. The high rate of return-to-owner was thanks to owners who had their pets microchipped.

However, the microchip in your pet is only as good and useful as the accuracy of the information on it. The study reported that around 35% of animals couldn't be returned to owners because of incorrect or disconnected telephone numbers.

How to Check the Chip?

First of all, it's important to make sure that your pet is microchipped. In order to do this, make an appointment at your local vet. Once the microchip has been put in you need to register the chip in the manufacturer's database with your contact information.

If your pet has already been microchipped you can go to the manufacturer's database online, enter the microchip number and check the information. If you are unsure which database your pet microchip was registered in, you can use the Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool.

Hopefully, you will never have to go through the stress and worry of your pet being lost. But, if that does happen, you at least know that the chances of your pet being returned are greatly increased thanks to the microchip. So, remember to Check the Chip on August 15 2016.

Congratulations on 50 Years of helping animals, Dr. Eberhardt!!

Congratulations, Dr Eberhardt!! This year marks the 50th anniversary of becoming a veterinarian!! We appreciate all your hard work and your never ending care of our Pet Kids!!

These dogs are loving the snowy weather on the other side of the country!

These dogs are loving their play time out in the snowy weather on the other side of the country!! We'll just have to make due with our 70 degrees here in SoCal!!

What a veterinarian "makes"