FAQ

A. The first thing that a pet owner must understand is that there are many causes of inappropriate urination in animals. There are medical reasons and behavioral reasons. Some medical reasons are urinary tract infections, diabetes, bladder stones, and cancers to name a few. Some behavioral reasons are separation anxiety or territorial marking. Owners do not need to stress out when faced with pets urinating in the house. A thorough history, physical exam, and urine tests can be preformed by your vet to help distinguish medical from behavioral roots of the problem and help tailor a treatment to your pet accordingly. If your pet exhibits a problem outside of the realm, please contact your veterinarian.

A. Scratching in your pet can occur for a variety of reasons including allergies, flea issues, dry skin and medical conditions, such as mange. It is important to remember that your pet can suffer from all of the same allergies that people can have.

Fleas: Fleas are everywhere. They reproduce at a very rapid rate making them a complete nuisance. It is important to keep your pet protected and we offer Vectra, Revolution, Capstar and Advantage Multi to help with this.

Allergies: Dogs and cats can be allergic to grass, molds, fungi, pollens, food. We offer allergy testing to help identify which allergens your pet is most sensitive to.

Dry skin: Bathing too often can cause your pet’s skin to dry out causing itchy, flaky patches. We recommend bathing every two weeks or so with a sensitive skin shampoo.

Mange and ear mites can also be causes of scratching. The vets here at Rocky Ridge are always available for evaluation.

A. Fleas actually spend very little time on your pet. They jump on your pet, feed and then jump off, hiding in your home or yard to lay their eggs. A flea infestation must be attacked on three different fronts. First, treat the pet, then the house and yard. A long-acting flea prevention must be applied to the pet. We recommend Vectra, which kills fleas and prevents eggs from hatching. It kills ticks and repels flies and mosquitoes. Advantage Multi is another good flea adulticide. There are plenty of products on the market. Just remember, you get what you pay for! Cheap products are cheap for a reason! Also make sure you read your labels and never apply a product labeled for a dog on a cat.

A. Vomiting and diarrhea are very general signs that may be caused by anything from dietary indiscretion to more serious conditions including foreign bodies, intoxication from plants or other sources, parasites, bacterial infections, viruses or even cancer. If your dog is vomiting or having diarrhea, you should think back to the previous 24 hours and ask yourself what has my dog eaten? New food? New treats? Gotten in the garbage? Have they been to any new places or met any new dogs? If your pet has eaten something it shouldn't, call your veterinarian ASAP. If your dog is lethargic and/or is having continuous or frequent vomiting and diarrhea, you should contact your veterinarian ASAP. If your dog is not having these signs, you may withhold food for 12 to 18 hours. Then, give a small amount of water or ice chips and then reintroduce small amounts of food. If your pet still vomits, then call your veterinarian for a consult. Remember, it is better to call us sooner rather than later.

A. Intestinal parasites are very common in puppies. Puppies can become infected with parasites before they are born or later through their mother’s milk. The microscopic examination of a stool sample will usually help us to determine the presence of intestinal parasites. We recommend this exam for all puppies. Even if we do not get a stool sample, we recommend the use of a deworming product that is safe and effective against several of the common worms of the dog. We do this because our deworming medication has no side-effects and because your puppy does not pass worm eggs every day so the stool sample may not detect worms that are present. Additionally, some of these internal parasites can be transmitted to humans. Deworming is done now and repeated in about three weeks. It is important that it be repeated because the deworming medication only kills the adult worms. Within three to four weeks, the larval stages will become adults and need to be treated. Dogs remain susceptible to re-infection with hookworms and roundworms. Periodic deworming throughout the dog’s life may be recommended for outdoor dogs.

Tapeworms are one of the most common intestinal parasites of dogs. Puppies become infected with them when they swallow fleas; the eggs of the tapeworm live inside the flea. When the dog chews or licks its skin as a flea bites, the flea may be swallowed. The flea is digested within the dog's intestine: the tapeworm hatches and then anchors itself to the intestinal lining. Therefore, exposure to fleas may result in a new infection.

Tapeworm infections can occur in as little as two weeks. Dogs infected with tapeworms will pass small segments of the worms in their stool. The segments are white in color and look like flat grains of rice. They are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) long and may be seen crawling on the surface of the stool. They may also stick to the hair under the tail. If that occurs, they will dry out, shrink to about half their size, and become golden in color. Tapeworm segments do not pass every day or in every stool sample. Therefore, inspection of several consecutive bowel movements may be needed to find them. We may examine a stool sample in our office and not find them and then you may find them the next day. If you find them at any time, please notify us so we may provide the appropriate drug for treatment.

A. Heartworms are important parasites, especially in certain climates. They live in the dog's bloodstream and cause major damage to the heart and lungs. Heartworms are transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes. Fortunately, we have drugs that will protect your dog from heartworms. These drugs are very safe and effective if given regularly. We can help you choose the best product for your pet's needs and lifestyle. Heartworm preventatives are dosed according to your dog's weight. As the weight increases, the dosage should also increase.  Please note the dosing instructions on the package. 

A. When the puppy nurses from its mother, it receives a temporary form of immunity through mother's milk. This immunity is in the form of proteins called maternal antibodies. For about 24 to 48 hours after birth, the puppy's intestine allows absorption of these antibodies directly into the blood stream. This immunity is of benefit during the first few weeks of the puppy's life, but at some point this immunity fails and the puppy must be able to make its own long-lasting immunity. Vaccinations are used for this purpose. As long as the mother's antibodies are present, vaccinations do not have a chance to stimulate the puppy's immune system. The mother's antibodies interfere by neutralizing the vaccine.

Many factors determine when the puppy will be able to respond to the vaccinations. These include the level of immunity in the mother dog, how much antibody has been absorbed and the number of vaccines given to the puppy. Since we do not know when an individual puppy will lose the short-term immunity, we give a series of vaccinations. We hope that at least two of these will fall in the window of time when the puppy has lost immunity from its mother, but has not yet been exposed to disease. A single vaccination, even if effective, is not likely to stimulate the long-term immunity, which is so important. Rabies vaccine is an exception to this, since one injection given at 12 weeks is enough to protect your pet for a year.

A. Spaying offers several advantages. The female's heat periods result in about two to three weeks of vaginal bleeding. This can be quite annoying if your dog is kept indoors. Male dogs are attracted from blocks away and, in fact, seem to come out of the woodwork. They seem to go over, around, and through many doors or fences. Your dog will have a heat period about every six months. Spaying is the removal of the uterus and the ovaries. Therefore, heat periods no longer occur. Spaying prevents unplanned litters of puppies. It has been proven that as the female dog gets older, there is a significant incidence of breast cancer and uterine infections if she has not been spayed. Spaying before she has any heat periods will virtually eliminate the chance of either. If you do not plan to breed your dog, we strongly recommend that she be spayed before her first heat period. This can be done anytime between four and six months of age.

A. Neutering offers several advantages. Male dogs are attracted to a female dog in heat and will climb over or go through fences to find her. Male dogs are more aggressive and more likely to fight, especially with other male dogs. As dogs age, the prostate gland frequently enlarges and causes difficulty urinating and defecating. Neutering will solve, or greatly help, all of these problems that come with owning a male dog. The surgery can be performed any time after the dog is six months old. Cats are generally neutered to avoid spraying indoors and to reduce fighting.