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Kitten and puppy vaccinations should
start at 6-8 weeks of age with a Distemper combination. The
Distemper vaccination should be repeated every 3-4 weeks until the
puppy or kitten reaches 14-16 weeks of age. At this time, the puppy
or kitten should receive their last Distemper combination and their
Rabies vaccination. After this vaccination series, the animal only
receives yearly boosters of rabies and distemper.
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Puppies and kittens should get spayed or
neutered at six months of age. Spay is the surgical sterilization of
a female animal. Neuter is the surgical sterilization of a male
animal.
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Some cats will have a problem voiding in
unacceptable locations. First have the cat checked by a veterinarian
to rule out a urinary tract infection. If that is fine then confine
the animal in a small area (bathroom or carrier) that has food,
water, and a litter box. Once the animal is successfully voiding in
the litter box then slowly increase the amount of space the animal is
allowed i.e. let the animal win back the rights to the house. If a
mistake occurs, then back up a step and try again. Be consistent.
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Yes! Cats can get heartworms like dogs.
The heartworm microfilariae are transmitted by the bite of a
mosquito to the cat. Unlike the dog, the microfilariae can not be
seen in a blood sample. Symptoms of heartworm disease in the cat
include coughing, vomiting, and respiratory difficulties. There are
tests available now to test for heartworm disease that your vet can
run in their hospital. There also is monthly heartworm preventative
available for cats. There is no treatment for heartworms in cats as
is done in dogs. The treatment is symptomatic only.
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It is recommended that dogs and cats
receive yearly vaccinations to stimulate the immune system so the
most effective response will occur if they do come in contact with
any of the vaccinated diseases.
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We recommend all kittens be Feline
Leukemia tested and receive leukemia vaccinations. The Feline
Leukemia vaccinations are initially a series of two vaccinations 3
weeks apart then yearly thereafter. Feline Leukemia is an
immunosuppressive virus, meaning the body will have a hard time
fighting infection if the animal contacts a disease. There is no
treatment for the Feline Leukemia disease except for supportive
care. We also recommend that indoor only cats do get vaccinated for
the leukemia virus too since if they ever escape, they will have no
protection against the disease.
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Parvovirus is one of the diseases
included in the canine distemper vaccination combination. This
vaccination protects against Canine Parvovirus, Hepatitis,
Leptospirosis, Distemper, and Para-influenza. Since Parvovirus is a
severe usually fatal disease in puppies, the vaccination is given
3-4 times during the puppy vaccination series to build
protection.
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Obese animals need to reduce their
caloric intake and to increase their activity. Caloric intake can be
achieved by initially reducing the quantity of their food by ¼.
Dry cup measure the food then reduce accordingly. The obese animal
likes to eat anytime it can and usually is a beggar. Portion out
it's food to multiple small meals during the day so the animal feels
that it is still eating constantly but limited by the measured
amount. Feed vegetables and fruits as snacks instead of milk bones
and snacks. If you feed milk bones then break one into 6 small
pieces, as the size of the treat is not as important as the
attention they get with it. The adult dog should have a thin layer
of fat over the ribs and a waistline. The adult cat should have a
slim line proportional to its frame.
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Most puppies and kittens will do well on
any growth type diet, which will be higher in fat and protein versus
the adult maintenance diets. Watch the animal to see if the diet is
well tolerated; is the animal growing adequately? Does the animal
have a shiny hair coat and a bright personality? Is the diet
palatable to the animal? Does the animal have allergies to the diet?
We find that Nutro, Iams or Eukanuba growth diet is
palatable to most animals, and gives them a consistent stool in form
and consistency. It also is nutritionally complete and needs less
fed in amount than most commercial diets.
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Most puppies and kittens can be fed free
choice (available all the time) or 3-4 times daily. We weigh the
animals every 3-4 weeks when they come in for vaccinations; we then
recommend if the feeding needs to stay the same, increase, or
decrease.
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We recommend that you feed the smaller
dog breeds and kittens a growth diet for the first year. The food
may be fed free choice unless the animal is becoming overweight and
then we will limit the amount fed. A large breed dog will also be
allowed free choice growth diet until 10 months of age. We watch
that the animal is not growing too fast as this may cause
panosteitis, speed up the signs of hip dysplasia, and other growth
abnormalities. At 10 months of age, we recommend the animal be
switched to an adult diet and be fed twice daily. We watch the
amount fed by watching the weight and outward appearance of the
animal. Large breed dogs bone will continue to grow until 2 years of
age even though they reach adult height usually by 8-10 months of
age.
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Declawing is a surgery in which the
claw/third bone in the toe is removed and the skin is closed over
the incision. The claws should never grow back. Declawing can be
done as early as 12 weeks of age. The options instead of declawing
are to retrain the animal to scratch on a scratching post instead or
use Soft Paws. Soft Paws are plastic glued on covers for the nails
which can be applied by the veterinarian. These will usually stay on
4-6 weeks depending on the cat. Younger and smaller cats will do
well with declawing and usually recover quickly and uneventfully.
Larger and heavier cats have a longer recovery time and may limp or
be nonweight bearing on the declawed feet up to 6
months.
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The most common cause of scooting is full
anal sacs. Anal sacs are located at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions of the
rectum. They are similar to scent sacs of the ferret or skunk. The
only way an animal can eliminate the contents of these sacs is to
scoot on the ground or lick. When the contents are not eliminated
normally, then the sacs distend and fill. Your veterinarian can
express the sacs for the animal. Scooting can also be seen with
diarrhea in which the animal is trying to clean
itself.
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Dogs will get heartworms when bitten by
an infected mosquito. A mosquito will take a blood meal from a
heartworm- infected dog. Then, the baby heartworms (microfilariae)
undergo a several stages of growth in the mosquito. The infected
mosquito bites a non- infected dog and when taking the blood meal will deposit the microfilariae into the bloodstream. The
microfilariae will continue to grow in the bloodstream and upon
reaching maturity will only live in the right side of the
heart.
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The two most common monthly preventatives
available are Heartgard and Interceptor.
Heartgard comes as a small beef jerky type of treat. Interceptor
comes as a small pill which can be eaten, pilled, or hidden in a
small piece of food. These preventatives should be given monthly,
all year round. Yearly blood tests to check for heartworm disease
should be performed by your veterinarian.
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We recommend that you still give your pet
the heartworm preventative monthly. Your dog has the chance of
finding a mosquito through a break in the window screens, if you
open a door or window, going outside to go to the bathroom, and many
other ways. It is easier on your pet and less expensive for you to
prevent versus treat heartworm disease.
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- Have a helper hold the animal
comfortably and securely, keeping their face away from the
animal's muzzle.
- Hold the foot and apply gentle
pressure at the base of the toe.
- Look at the nail. Visualize the blood
vessel that runs through the nail.
- Trim the nail just beyond the blood
vessel. Clear nails are easier than black nails. Hint: On black
nails, trim the nails just beyond the curve of the nail.
- Continue with all other nails.
- There are usually 5 nails on the front
feet and 4 nails on the hind feet.
- If you do trim the nail and find the
blood vessel, apply gentle pressure to the base of the nail. Apply
Quikstop, Flour, Cornstarch, or a bar of soap to the nail to stop
the bleeding.
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Rawhide chews are not recommended unless given under close
supervision. Some dogs who get excited when chewing them will
swallow large pieces of the rawhide. Pieces of the rawhide have been
removed from the roof of the mouth, around the lower jaw, and places
in the gastrointestinal tract. A non-destructible ball, a Kong toy,
or string tug toys are recommended instead.
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Most dogs need infrequent baths on a routine basis.
Frequent bathing may cause dry, itchy skin. If frequent baths are
needed for the dirty puppy or outdoor dog, then use a gentle dog
shampoo. Do not use human shampoos as they contain too many
detergents and will dry the dog's skin. If your dog is itching due
to allergies or a skin condition, your veterinarian will recommend a
shampoo for the condition.
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Female dogs will have their first heat cycle around six
months of age and every six months thereafter. Dogs cycle will last
10-21 days. Cats will also have their first heat cycle around six
months of age. Cats are light dependent usually with heat cycles
every 9-13 days from January through October. The cycle will last
5-7 days. Some indoor cats will cycle all year due to the constant
light times.
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During each yearly examination, the veterinarian should
examine the animal's teeth. The teeth should be clean, free of
gingivitis, and free of tartar. If the tartar is moderate to heavy,
the teeth should be cleaned. It is easier on the dog to have the
teeth cleaned periodically. The dog should have less time under
anesthesia and not need supportive antibiotics. Some dogs need to
have their teeth cleaned every six months, and some dogs will have
their teeth cleaned twice in their lifetime.
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Tapeworms are one of the few internal parasites that can
be seen by pet owners. The tapeworm egg sac is deposited with the
stool of an infected animal. The flea ingests the egg and the
tapeworm undergoes growth within the flea. The dog then eats the
flea and gets the tapeworm within its intestinal tract. The tapeworm
grows and upon maturity will shed egg sacs out the rectum of the
infected dog. The pet owner will see white to cream colored rice
size segments in the animal's hair or on its bedding. Flea control
as well as tapeworm dewormer are both needed to treat this
condition.
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The main ways of transmission are bite wounds and mucous
membrane contact i.e. cat fights and breeding. It has also been seen
transmitted by saliva exchange, sharing the same litter box, or
sharing the same food and water bowls. Kittens can get the disease
in utero from an infected mother. This is why all kittens should be
screened for the disease.
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Dog and cat gestations will last 62-64 days.
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There is variation in each breed as well as individual
animal. The best way to find out is to have your veterinarian x-ray
your pet at 45 days into the gestation. The fetuses will be
calcified and a head count can be obtained. This is also a good time
in small breeds to see if the babies are small enough to pass
through the mother's pelvic canal.
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It is best to feed the mother a growth type diet as she
will be feeding herself and her growing family. Vitamin
supplementation is not needed unless the mother is in poor condition
going into the pregnancy or is on a poor quality diet. The growth
diet should be continued after the whelping through lactation.
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Your cat's gestation is 62-64 days long. You
can bring her to the vet in usually 2-3 weeks after being bred, the
vet should be able to palpate the fetuses in the uterus in her
abdomen. At this time they will feel like small marble size
individuals. During the second month you will see the abdomen and
mammae enlargement. You can actually go to your vet at day 45 after
conception (if you had her bred and know dates) and get an x-ray. At
day 45 the fetuses bones will be calcified and you can count babies
on the x-ray. During the final week the mammae will fill with milk
and they will leak colostrum (the first milk) usually 24-48 hours
before the birth. I do recommend that if your vet does think she is
pregnant that you put her on kitten food during the gestation as she
will need the additional energy and protein to provide for her and
her babies. Continue the kitten food until the kittens are weaned.
Good Luck.
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I have heard of using a kids swimming pool
padded with towels or a large box. The female likes to have a
confined space to nest and then to keep the pups in. A lot of
females, if they don't have a box or space for the pups, will
continue to move the pups until they find their own space to put
them (hard on the owners to keep a head count!) I usually recommend
putting towels in the bottom of the pool and a favorite toy or your
old sweatshirt in the pool to make her comfortable with it. I would
give her the pool 1-2 weeks before whelping to allow her time to
nest and make it comfortable. Make sure anything you put in the pool
with her is not important as it will get quite messy during
whelping. Have fun, birth is a wondrous event!
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