FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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I have been thinking
about microchipping my pet, do you think it is a good idea?
We think it is a great
idea. A microchip is a small chip that is about the size
of a grain of rice. It is inserted under your pet's skin
with a syringe like a vaccine, except the needle is bigger.
Once the microchip is inserted it is permanent identification.
If your pet were to ever get lost,any shelter, humane society,
or veterinarian could then scan your pet with a handheld
scanner and pick up his/her unique number. That number is
then called into a national database where your address
and phone number are given and you are reunited with your
pet. We have seen microchips reunite pets with their families
here at Sunset Cliffs Animal Hospital. When a person brings
a lost pet to us the first thing we do is scan them for
a microchip. Tags and collars get lost or removed, but a
microchip is permanent. For $33.00 it is the best gift you
will ever give to your pet.
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My cat is dribbling
urine or not urinating at all, what should I do?
You should call
us immediately. This could be a life-threatening situation,
especially for male cats. The problem occurs when the pH
of your cat's urine is not normal. This allows small mineral
deposits called crystals to form. These crystals have sharp
edges and scratch the urethra, making it painful for your
cat to urinate, which is why he or she will dribble urine
that is sometimes blood tinged. Eventually the crystals
will gather and "block" your cat...this is a life-threatening
situation. You will want to bring your cat to us immediately
(or to an emergency hospital if we are not open) so that
we can catheterize your cat to unblock him. Your cat will
then need to be hospitalized and will go home on a special
diet and medication.
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I think my pet has tapeworms,
how do I know for sure?
Fleas transmit
tapeworms. If your pet is grooming and ingests an infected
flea your pet will have tapeworms. They look like small
grains of rice and can sometimes be seen around your pet's
rectum or on their bedding. If you suspect your pet has
tapeworms, we will do a deworming injection to rid your
pet of the worms and then recommend you apply flea control
on a regular basis. We can also run a fecal test, however
tapeworm eggs are not in every stool sample; so while we
may see tapeworm eggs in the sample, we may not.
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Can I give my pet Tylenol
or Advil if he seems ill?
Absolutely not.
These medications, along with many others that you or I
might take, can be fatal to our pets. The only thing that
is relatively safe is aspirin, but even aspirin should be
taken under the guidance of your veterinarian. Please call
us before giving your pet ANY medication that has not been
specifically prescribed for him or her.
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When I take my dog to
Dog Beach he always has loose stools afterwards, should
I stop taking him?
No, dogs love
dog beach. While your dog is there, he is ingesting small
amounts of salt water, which upset his stomach a little
and in turn, he gets diarrhea. If the loose stools continue
for longer than 24 hours then, Dr. Berg or Dr. Acosta should,
definitely see him. Always be sure your pet is current on
vaccines, especially if you go to Dog Beach. Also, it is
a good idea to be sure to have your pet on flea control
and an intestinal parasite preventative (Sentinel or Interceptor)
when going to Dog Beach...and remember to always pick up
after your dog while you are there.
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My dog never goes to
a kennel; do I really need to vaccinate her?
Vaccines are necessary
for all dogs. While disease can be spread in a kennel, it
can be spread anywhere...the pet store, the sidewalk, even
in your back yard. Many of these diseases are airborne and
spread easily to your pet, even if it's just a walk around
the block. The reason that we do not see rabies or parvo
often is because of vaccines. They are very important for
all dogs and cats.
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I haven't had a vaccine
since I was a child, do I really need to vaccinate my pet
annually?
Yes and no. Our
staff constantly goes to continuing education lectures and
reads various journals to keep up on the latest research
and information on things such as vaccine protocol. You
haven't had a vaccine since you were a child, but you do
not eat things off of the ground, get into fights where
you bite and scratch, sniff everything in site, or eat and
sniff other animals feces like your pet does. Not to mention
that we wash our hands and are generally much cleaner than
our animal friends. Vaccines are very important and here
at the hospital we see first hand what can happen when an
animal is not vaccinated... they get parvo, distemper, feline
leukemia, etc, and it is so sad because it could've been
prevented. So, yes we recommend that certain vaccines are
done yearly to provide adequate immunity. Some vaccines
such as rabies are done every 3 years. For cats that are
indoor only and have little or no exposure to other cats,
we recommend that all vaccines be done every 3 years. If
you have mixed feelings about vaccines, talk to us. We can
also do vaccine titers in which we send a blood sample to
the lab to see if your pet has enough antibodies to be protected
and in turn not he or she may not need to be vaccinated.
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I went to the grocery
store and saw flea control drops for less money. They are
the same thing as what veterinarians sell right?
No they are not even
close to being the same. These companies package them to
look just like Frontline or Advantage (the topical products
we recommend), but they are not. "Grocery store"
flea products contain pyrethrins, the same stuff that was
used back in the 1980's. It didn't work then and it doesn't
work now. Also, one very important note...these products
can be harmful to your pet....especially to cats. We have
seen cats come in the hospital seizuring after having these
"knockoff" flea products applied. Please do not
use these products....the small amount of money you save
is just not worth it. Frontline and Advantage are such GREAT
products, there is no reason not to use them. They are safe
and very effective, so safe and effective that there is
no reason for any pet to have fleas today. Please use Frontline
or Advantage, your pet will be happy that you did!
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My dog just got sprayed
by a skunk, what should I do?
If your dog gets sprayed
in the face he/she will probably salivate heavily and have
watery eyes, but unless your dog gets bit by the skunk (which
happens very rarely...) skunk spray does not cause any medical
problems. The best thing to do is to wash your dog right
away with dish detergent. Although there is a lot of advise
out there, such as tomato juice, baking soda, etc....dish
soap really works the best. Since the skunk spray is an
oily spray it likes to stick to your dogs hair. If you apply
dish soap it breaks up the greasy oil so that it can wash
out of your dogs coat. Some people like to add a little
baking soda to the dish soap which you can do as well, but
the main active ingredient in a good de-skunking bath is
the dish detergent. Washing a skunked dog is never fun,
and if you just can't stand the smell bring your dog in
and we can do it for you!!!!
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If there are any questions
you may have regarding your pet's health that we have not
covered - please give us a call at (619) 224-0773
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