Staying Informed Can Help to Keep Your Pet Healthy and Happy

Pets deserve responsibility, as well as your love and attention. Arming yourself with the right knowledge and advice is the first step. Seeking treatment as soon as possible if there is a problem is important, as this often results in better outcomes! Here are the answers to some of the most common inquiries we receive at the Brentwood Animal Hospital.

When should my pet be spayed or neutered?

While we can perform these procedures at almost any age, most dogs and cats are spayed or neutered between 5 and 8 months of age. However, it is best to discuss this with one of our veterinarians. The answer to this question may vary depending on your pet’s breed, size and other factors. With so many unwanted pets in this area, it is important that your pet is not contributing to the problem (and that you are part of the solution!).

Should my pet be vaccinated?

It is strongly recommended that you keep your pet’s vaccine status up-to-date. We can assess your pet’s lifestyle and recommend the best combination of vaccines to keep your pet safe. Today’s vaccines are extremely safe and effective at preventing disease (and some of those diseases can kill your pet!)

Should my pet be microchipped?

Microchipping is a simple and effective way to safeguard your pet in the unlikely event that he or she becomes lost. The microchip is safe and is not a tracking device. It is placed under the skin between your pet’s shoulders. Once scanned, the number combination can be used to identify the company that holds your pet’s database. As long as you keep your information up-to-date, it takes only minutes to locate you to let you know that your pet has been found.

My pet is not due for any vaccinations for two or three years, so why do I have to bring my pet in annually?

In the past we encouraged you to bring your pet in for an exam so that we could vaccinate it – stressing the vaccine over the exam! While vaccination is important, a routine evaluation (check-up, physical) is even more essential. Like humans, regular check-ups are crucial and when you consider that the average pet ages 4 to 7 years for every human year, visiting us once a year is pretty reasonable. When we observe our pets every day, we can often miss slow, subtle changes that may be occurring. Routine examinations allow us to monitor general health as our pet ages and can help us identify problems early when they are more easily treated.

My pet doesn’t have parasites (at least not that I know of)!

Some parasites such as ticks, lice or fleas can be easy to see. Other parasites reside within the body and require some detective work to find. As a minimum, we recommend annual deworming of your pet for gastrointestinal parasites. However, these dewormers do not provide protection for the full year! If your pet hunts, eats feces, visits dog parks or if you have children, more frequent deworming is important as some parasites can also make us sick.

My groomer cleans my pet’s teeth so why should I let you do it? It will be expensive and my pet will require a general anesthetic.

Dental care is very important to our pet’s long term health. Some dogs and cats never require a dental through their entire lives, while other pets require annual dental care. Proper teeth cleaning and oral evaluation cannot be accomplished without general anesthetic for several reasons. A full dental assessment and cleaning requires a minimum of 20 minutes which is too long to expect a pet to sit still. Also, it is often uncomfortable to properly probe and clean below the gum line. Improper use of dental instruments and failure to properly polish and care for teeth after cleaning can contribute to ongoing dental issues.

Why do I have to bring my pet in for an examination? Can’t you just prescribe some medication?

While we greatly appreciate your perspective on your pet’s health, the body has limited ways of dealing with disease and one disorder may look pretty similar to another. As veterinary medical professionals, we know we need to evaluate a patient and may even need to perform diagnostic testing or ‘lab work’ to help identify and properly treat your pet. Furthermore, veterinary law and ethics as well as our governing professional association standards obligate us to have assessed a patient prior to prescribing medications, ordering diagnostic testing or otherwise embarking on a specific therapy.

Why does my pet do that?

Behaviour issues may be easy to diagnose, but may also be difficult to treat. Sometimes behavioural issues occur because certain breeds (primarily dogs) have been developed to have certain characteristics such as with herding or sport dogs. Other behaviour issues may occur because we, the owner, give confusing signals or have unrealistic expectations of our pet’s behaviours. Unfortunately, some behaviours are due to genetic or medical problems and may be more difficult, if not impossible, to successfully treat. Treating behavioural issues requires a diagnosis (clinical evaluation), behavioural modification (re-training for both pet and owner) and/ or medication. For some problems, we will refer a pet to an animal behaviourist just like a doctor may refer a patient to a psychiatrist.

My pet is friendly. Why do I have to have my pet on a leash or in a crate while at the clinic?

Who doesn’t like a friendly pet! However, this is an animal hospital and not all of our patients are happy to be here. Some pets don’t like other animals and some are here because they are sick. For everyone’s safety and comfort, we ask that you please keep your pet on a short leash or in a crate while visiting our clinic.

How can I make my pet’s visit to Brentwood Animal Hospital less stressful? Helpful Hints

For cats: Let their kennel become part of their territory. Place it somewhere in your house without the door attached, and place a couple treats inside. Avoid making the kennel a foreign object that appears only for vet visits. Feliway®, a cat pheromone, is used in our clinic to reduce stress and Feliway® products are available for use in crates, cars and homes to help make cats more comfortable.

For dogs: If coming to the vet clinic is stressful, bring your dog in often for weigh-ins or just a quick visit to get a treat. Call us before the visit to see if there is a “quiet time” to drop in. Bring a couple treats and be sure to reward relaxed, positive behaviour. Adaptil, a dog pheromone, is used in our clinic to reduce nervousness and is available for any stressful situation.

Car rides can be stressful too. Ensure that your pet is safely secured in your vehicle and tether any crates to prevent them from sliding or tipping over. Also, never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle. Even for a 10 minute stop, the temperature in a vehicle can rapidly change! This fluctuation in temperature can be very uncomfortable or even deadly.

Please notify our staff if you have any concerns when booking an appointment. We can try to schedule a quieter time better suited for your pet’s needs.