FAQ

Ideally a puppy or kitten should receive their first set of vaccinations at about 8 weeks of age.  For the vaccines to be effective and protect adequately against disease they will need to be boostered every 3 to 4 weeks until the pet is approximately 16 weeks (4 months) of age.  The types of vaccines administered depend upon the pets exposure and living situation.  Puppys and kittens also need routine deworming and parasite prevention.

We like to alter (spay or neuter) a pet at approximately 7 months of age.  At this age all of their adult teeth will be present so we can see if any baby teeth are retained (did not fall out) and need extracted.  Also this is early enough to provide all the benefits of altering your pet before hormones can have effects upon their health.  A pet can be altered at any age and some are done very young others done when they are older, this is just the age at which we feel is most beneficial to the pet. There is little benefit to early age spays and neuters and no need to wait until the pet is sexually mature to do the procedure.

This is a very difficult to answer question but in general a dog or cat should eat a high quality meat based name brand diet.  Pets are carnivores so ideally they will have a meat based and not a grain based diet.  By sticking with higher quality name brand foods you can avoid poor quality ingredients and fillers that have little benefit to your pet.  Try to avoid “trendy” diets, or those with lots of colors added for visual appeal.  An example of good quality foods are Science Diet, Iams, Purina Pro Plan, and Royal Canin to mention a few.  This is NOT a comprehensive list so ask the veterinarian for a specific recommendation for your pet.

Not really the best idea.  A quality diet will have all of the essential vitamins and minerals you pet needs to maintain optimum health and by supplementing with people foods or table scraps you can cause problems without meaning to.  Obesity is a very common problem in pets and can lead to a multitude of medical problems.  In addition a pet accustomed to people foods can become a very picky eater and that makes it difficult for you to get your pet to eat a balanced diet.   A pet, like a human child, needs a healthy , balanced diet and this is best provided with quality commercial pet foods not with home made diets.  Always avoid chocolate, grapes, alcohol and others foods that can be harmful to your pet.  If you have a question about a specific food and if it is ok for your pet to eat please ask your pets veterinarian.

It is ideal to do this procedure at the same time as your pets spay or neuter which will be at about 7 months.  Since some kittens come from a shelter or rescue already altered it is possible to do this surgery earlier but ideally the kitten should be a minimum of 4 months of age.  Adult cats can also be declawed but it is a bit more difficult surgery so it is best to discuss this with your pets veterinarian before scheduling the procedure.

Dogs need obedience training outside of the home in a group setting for numerous reasons.  First of all in a group environment you have a better opportunity to socialize your pet with other dogs and people which is essential to their mental development.  Also by being in a group you can learn not only from the instructor but also from other students as well.  This type of training also provides a social outlet for both you and your dog and helps prevent boredom or behavior problems when the pet is older.  Since 8 out of 10 dogs that are rehomed are given up due to behavior problems we strongly recommend obedience training for all dogs to help them stay in their forever home and prevent future problems.

Tough question because there are numerous good products out on the market.  In Florida you need three types of protection: 1. Heartworm prevention (spread by mosquitoes); 2.  Intestinal Parasite Prevention (spread through the soil or contact with infected pets); and 3. Flea and possibly Tick prevention (a rick for any pets with exposure to the outdoors).  First of all it is usually best to avoid over the counter products because they rarely work as well as their prescription counterparts and some can actually be harmful.  That being said to help you decide on a product you need to think about what type of product is best for you and your pet.  There are both topical and oral products which provide complete protection for an economical price.  So if your pet is a picky eater it might be best to go with a topical product so you don't have to poke a pill down them each month.  However if your pet swims every day and is frequently bathed an oral product might be a better choice.  (Yes the topical are water resistant but their efficacy can be reduced by repeated immersion).  After you decide which type is best for your situation ask your veterinarian what product they recommend and follow their advice.  The markup on these products is not great so we are not selling them to make money but instead to provide the best care for your pet.
 

It is important to know that teeth cleaning is not just a cosmetic procedure but also provides many health benefits for your pet.  Baby teeth that are retained can cause damage to permanent teeth if they are not extracted and can also provide extra areas for plaque and tartar to build up.  Plaque and tartar (the yucky stuff from not brushing) contain bacteria that like to live in the heart and kidneys so by not getting your pets teeth cleaned you could open the door for a potentially serious infection.  Also gingivitis (bleeding gums) and periodontal disease (loose infected teeth) can both lead to tooth loss and other more serious problems so it is best to take care of those teeth to maintain both your pets health the and the health of their teeth. In addition a bad tooth can be very painful as well.

Senior bloodwork is a common term used for a complete blood work up that is comprehensive and discounted for senior pets.  This includes a Complete Blood Count (checks for anemia or infection), Blood Chemistries (think liver and kidneys plus more), a Thyroid Test (can cause obesity or weight loss), and a Urinalysis (for infection or beginning kidney disease detection).  As you can see this is a lot of information that is provided to the doctor.  This helps us to detect problems that can be caused by aging before they make a pet sick and provides a valuable baseline to keep on file should the pet become ill in the future.  It is always better to prevent a problem than to fix it once it has occurred and frequently we will find mild problems that can be managed with diet or lifestyle change so they don't make the pet sick in the near future.

Veterinary Cold Laser is a relatively new application of laser therapy.  By applying the laser to certain areas for different lengths of time many benefits are available.   Faster wound healing, pain management and control, stimulation of the immune system and anti inflammatory properties are all things the cold laser can provide.  Useful in the management of arthritis it also is beneficial in treatment of wounds and injuries and can even be used post surgically to help speed the pets recovery.
 

You can contact the Veterinary Emergency Center of Central Florida, they have three locations and are open overnight and on holidays.  They have a Seminole county location in Casselberry 407-644-4449, Lake County in Leesburg 352-728-4440, and Orange County in Orlando 407-438-4449