Q: How safe is my pet's procedure?
A: Each individual procedure will vary from pet to pet and condition to condition. As with humans, the older the individual the more precaution needs to be taken. Typically a physical examination, review of the patients' medical history and blood work are recommended with older patients. These precautions will help to make the procedure as safe as possible with a senior pet, especially if they are undergoing a procedure that involves anesthesia.
Q: Does my pet truly need a dental procedure?
A: Tartar often builds up on the molars, premolars, and canines. The accumulation of tartar can lead to periodontal disease which can often be noted by the redness of the gums around that affected tooth. Periodontal disease leads to gingivitis and may eventually cause loosening or loss of the tooth. Dental issues are especially prevalent with smaller breed dogs.
Q: How important is nutrition for my pet?
A: Similar to human food intake, a diet that is low in fat and high in protein is essential to the life of your pet. Our hospital offers the newest and most efficient food for your pet available. We offer a variety of diets, from weight reduction regimens to diets tapered specifically to a disease or organ failure, as well as novel-protein diets that are often utilized in food allergy trials for allergic dogs and cats. We also offer well-rounded maintenance diets that we found to be low in cost and high in quality.
Q: How long should I wait to bring my pet to the veterinarian?
A: It is always important to take your pet immediately to your vet when your pet exhibits a change of behavior. Some changes may be insignificant, but others could indicate a more serious issue that should be evaluated immediately by your veterinarian. Diarrhea and vomiting may lead to dehydration, and that can happen very quickly in puppies, kittens, and geriatric pets.
Q: My dog has heartworms. What do I do and what can I expect?
A: Heartworms are carried by mosquitos. Since we see mosquitos year round here in Louisiana, it is important to provide our pets with year-round heartworm prevention. Heartworms live in the heart and the lungs. Some dogs with heartworms show no physical symptoms, while others may show coughing, inappetance, exercise intolerance, or lethargy. We follow the currently accepted heartworm treatment protocol as recommended by LSU Veterinary Hospital and the American Heartworm Society. Dogs are sent home on strict cage rest during the treatment, as uncontrolled exercise may lead to the movement and embolism of a dead heartworm. While treatment is safer today than it was several years ago, there is still some risk involved.
Q: Can cats get heartworms?
A: Cats can get heartworms. Some cats' immune systems will clear the heartworms themselves, with the owner never knowing that the cat was positive. Other cats will have severe respiratory issues abruptly. We believe in preventative heartworm medication for cats for 2 reasons: 1. Heartworms are hard to test for in cats. Cats typically only harbor 1-2 worms and most heartworm tests look for a minimum of 2 gravid female worms in the cat. This means that many tests may come back as false negatives. 2. Heartworms are hard to treat in cats. The best way to help keep your cat healthy and prevent heartworms it to keep them up to date on their heartworm prevention.
Q: How do I give my cat ProZinc insulin?
A: ProZinc, like other insulin, controls blood glucose by stimulating carbohydrate metabolism in heart, bone and fat tissue, helping these cells to use glucose for energy. To administer to your cat, simply follow the link below and watch their video. http://www.prozinc.us/videos_and_support.html