Summit Pad Blog

It’s regular to have conflicting feelings in the days after your dog’s operation. On the one hand, you’re likely pleased the treatment is over. Recovering your dog’s health after surgery puts a severe concern on you. You must follow your vet’s recommendations after surgery, regardless of how little it is. Once you’ve researched and are prepared, attending to your dog’s stitches should be easy enough.

Ways to Heal Your Dog’s Surgical Wound Faster

The after-surgery care for your dog can be a significant source of anxiety. You can expect to take your dog home from the vet with a closed incision treated with stitches, sutures, or staples. Following the procedure executed on your dog, your vet will offer post-operative care recommendations. Unlike people, dogs typically ignore their sutures and relax when they get them. That said, they might demand more attention than usual.

After surgery, you must follow these guidelines and standards when caring for your dog’s stitches.

Prevent them from licking it.

After surgery, you must stop your dog from biting or licking its stitches since it can result in infection and require further surgery to close the wound. The cut site should be secured from licking, biting, and inflammation by keeping a cone or e-collar on your dog when alone. There is a soft version of the cone to go along with the hard plastic one.

Recovery jumpsuits and donut-style collars are alternatives to the traditional cone if your dog has trouble adjusting to it. However, you must rush your pet to a veterinarian from an animal hospital like Companion Animal Hospital, which provides pet surgical services if the surgery wound is opened.

Restrict their activity.

You need to limit their physical activity. Walking slowly to the yard so your pet can go potty there is all the activity your pet needs, per the vet’s suggestions. You should start taking your dog on short walks after a week or so. For the first couple of weeks, it’s ideal to refrain from doing anything that can thrill your dog to the point that it jumps or runs around.

The use of a kennel or crate helps limit movement. In addition to prioritizing your pet’s healing, enrolling them in pet wellness plans guarantees their continued health and wellness. If you are interested in enrolling your pet in a wellness plan, look for “pet wellness plans near me” on the web to find one in your area.

Monitor their incision. 

One of the most effective techniques to hasten your pet’s recovery is to take special incision treatment. Excessive bruising, bleeding, or inflammation are all signs of an inappropriate incision. If you spot any of these, it’s wise to schedule an appointment with a vet as soon as possible.

If the bandage gets wet or needs to be changed, you need to call the local clinic for instructions or set up an emergency visit. On the other hand, if you feel your dog is in pain, it’s finest to take them to a veterinarian who specializes in internal medicine so that you can get them some pain medication. Moreover, you can search for “internal medicine veterinarian near me” on the web if you are looking for one.

The Takeaway

You just read a guide on helping your dog recover from an injury as quickly as possible. Remember that preventing infection is vital if you want quick healing from your pet’s wound. Additionally, your pet should begin to feel better after surgery or an injury if you give it physical treatment, exceptional food, a clean environment, medication, and focus.

Many pet owners think that they do not need to visit a veterinarian if their animal is healthy. You must frequently take your animal companion to the vet if you want to spend a long time with them and live a healthy life. No matter their species, this is especially true for exotic animals.

Why Is It Important to Have Annual Health Exams?

Even if your pet is in excellent health, you should still take them for an annual wellness examination once or twice a year. For your pet to have the best possible health, it aims to identify and stop disease early on.

Regular vet visits for your healthy pet enable the practitioner to monitor its general well-being and search for diseases that can be challenging to spot in their early stages (such as cancers and parasites). Like other pets, exotic animals like birds and other animals you keep need annual check-ups. Keep in mind that exotic pets frequently need extra love and care, as well as sometimes a more restrictive diet.

Nutrition

It is crucial to give birds and other exotic pets the proper food if you want to keep them healthy because they have unique nutritional requirements. It takes more effort to feed an exotic pet than simply cracking open a can of food or a bag of kibble. An expert exotic animal vet at Pine Grove Animal Clinic will be able to tell you exactly what foods your exotic pet needs to consume to stay healthy.

Environment

Numerous exotic animals have specific requirements for cage bedding, heat, light, and temperature. It takes time to decide which products are best for exotic pets. An exotic pet-trained veterinarian will inspect the cage set-up to ensure that you provide an environment appropriate for your pet’s particular species. These factors include the right enclosure size, the proper humidity and temperature levels, and whether the cage has enough airflow.

Behavior

Unlike cats and dogs, whose behavior typically does not change throughout the year, many birds and exotic pets can alter their behavior in response to the length of the day and the temperature. Your veterinarian, who has experience treating birds and other exotic animals, will better understand typical and abnormal behavior, allowing you to recognize warning signs.

Immunizations

In many states where they can be kept as pets, exotic animals like ferrets, potbellied or minipigs, kinkajous, and fennec foxes must get annual vaccinations to stay healthy. You can make sure these animals are protected from harmful diseases by bringing them in for a check-up once a year.

Prevention Care 

Because prevention is more economical for your pet, it is always preferred to treat. A veterinarian skilled in caring for birds and exotic pets can inform you of the diseases typical to your pet’s species. They can show you, for example, the symptoms to watch for before these conditions get worse. You should think about getting a pet wellness plan for your pet to spend less money on preventative care for your pet without sacrificing quality.

Parasites

Some birds and exotic animals, like cats and dogs, can carry intestinal parasites that can be transmitted to humans. But parasite prevention can help you avoid this. You must get rid of these parasites if they are already present by having your pet’s stool examined by a veterinarian once a year. Remember that these parasites steal vital nutrients from your pet’s diet and infect your family.

Why Is a Visit to a Veterinary Internist Necessary for a Pet?

Your pet’s body is a complex network of interconnected systems that interact to keep it in good condition. It can be challenging to interpret the complicated symptoms of a disease that begins in one area of the body and spreads to others. While some ailments are treatable, maintaining a high standard of living for a pet’s entire life frequently necessitates managing chronic illnesses. Internal medicine can be helpful in this situation. When: 

• A veterinary internist can help determine the illness’s cause.
• A sick pet cannot be correctly identified using conventional diagnostic procedures.
• Conventional treatments are useless for managing diseases.
• Therapy does not make a condition better.

Veterinarian internists are taught to evaluate every aspect of a pet’s medical history and clinical findings to select the most appropriate tests and treatments for the patient’s condition. The internal medicine team will accurately identify and treat your pet’s complex medical conditions with your primary care veterinarian, enabling them to live their best lives. Click here for more information.

Conclusion

Maintaining your pet’s overall health and identifying potential health issues early on requires routine wellness exams. This is crucial for exotic pets because they need specialized care from a vet with experience. A veterinary internal medicine specialist should also be consulted if the usual diagnostic procedures and treatments cannot control the disease. By being aware of your pet’s wellness requirements, you can help them live a long, happy life. Always keep in mind that prevention is preferable to treatment.

You might be surprised to discover how many subspecialties there are in the veterinary medicine industry. Similar to how people have doctors with the expertise required to monitor the central nervous system, the heart, and other vital bodily systems, pets require veterinarians with similar knowledge.

You may need other vet attention depending on the type of your animal. Many people consider vets as people who help domestic animals like cats and canines. This is among the most common areas of expertise for veterinarians, but there are many others, so let’s talk about them.

Different Veterinary Expertise

Regardless of what kind of animal you choose to adopt– a cat, dog, lizard, or pot-bellied pig– it’s vital to think about the type of veterinary treatment your new pet will need, and that can give it before making your choice. Vets are available in a variety of types with different backgrounds and skills.

Companion Animal Veterinarians

These practitioners, called small animal veterinarians, resemble primary care physicians who deal with humans. Common duties include providing first aid, diagnosing diseases, providing vaccinations, performing surgery, and prescribing medicines.

They also euthanize animals toward the end of their lives. Shelter medicine, which treats homeless pets, is a progressing specialty for those with experience caring for small animals.

Vet Radiologists

Those who pursue careers in this important field will work carefully with a pet’s primary care team. Depending on the facility, specific duties will change. However, some vet radiologists offer diagnostic imaging, while others focus on reading and giving assistance with the images provided.

These veterinarians can also do ultrasound-guided biopsies and other interventional diagnostic procedures. Accurate patient treatment often depends on the diagnostic insights provided by these specialists. You may search “vet radiologist near me” to find one that can help your pet.

Veterinary Dermatologists

Having a pet that often has to chew, itch, lick, or scratch is one of the most frustrating things that can happen. These behaviors might indicate an irritating skin problem that negatively affects your pet’s quality of life.

A pet dermatologist examines and treats the underlying cause of skin conditions. A professional team collaborates with your family vet to help your pet live happily and comfortably, just like they do with their other expertise.

Surgical Veterinarians

Unlike vets that care for dogs and felines, some vets only do surgical procedures. Orthopedics, soft tissue, and neurosurgery are three subspecialties of surgical veterinarians. This is a brief introduction to veterinary expertise.

Vets can choose to operate in a huge number of different specializations. It’s great that professionals in numerous fields work diligently to help us provide our pets with the best possible care. Check your vets’ website and their surgery page for more details.

Critical and Emergency Treatment

Remember a time when you or a loved one visited the emergency room. You will eventually get to see an emergency room physician during your stay. This also applies to critical care and emergency treatment for animals. These vet specialists operate in emergency rooms and ICUs. These veterinarians deal with the sickest pets.

Conclusion

Veterinarians can specialize in various areas, just like human doctors. Veterinarians may focus on a variety of subfields within the larger area of veterinary medicine, such as the types they handle, a specific surgery, animal habits, dentistry, oncology, pharmacology, microbiology, or orthopedics.

Routine pet examinations are vital to ensuring your furry friends are healthy and happy. Not only do they help diagnose existing conditions, but they can also help prevent future issues. But what exactly should you look forward to during a vet visit? Let us look at the various vet services available to ensure your pet is in good shape.

Pet Routine Exams

When it comes to pet health, checkups are essential. As a pet owner, you want your pet to be healthy and happy. Regular visits are the best way for you and your veterinarian to help keep your pets healthy. Vet check up in Valley Cottage, NY, usually consist of the following:

Physical Checkup

Your veterinarian will examine your pet from head to tail throughout a physical checkup. They will look out for any irregularities or lumps and bumps on their skin, as well as any indications of oral issues.

Internal Health Examination

A significant part of a pet examination is evaluating your pet’s internal health. This includes checking heart rate, breathing rate, temperature, weight, and overall energy level. Your veterinarian might also take some blood tests to make certain that their internal body organs function correctly. This helps the veterinarian identify any health complications that may not be visible outside but could still affect them internally.

Emergency Veterinary Services

In some cases, unexpected health problems can arise with our pets. If this occurs, it is crucial to seek medical attention from an emergency vet as soon as possible. Emergency vets from the animal hospitals like Rockland Veterinary offer specialized care for animals requiring urgent medical attention and provide quick diagnoses and treatments while minimizing pain and distress for our furry friends.

Before heading to the closest veterinary clinic, call ahead. Most clinics want to know about the situation before you get there to plan for your arrival. Follow the directions provided by the clinic when you call and be sure to let them know how critical the case is so that they can prioritize accordingly.

Above all else, remain calm. The calmer you stay, your pet will also be better off. This is especially true during times of crisis, as pets frequently mimic their owner’s emotions and behaviors. Please bring your pet to the veterinarian with all vital documents, such as vaccination records or medical history, to get them treated quickly and efficiently.

Animal Surgery

When more serious medical interventions are needed, animal surgery may be required with the help of cat and dog surgeons in Valley Cottage, NY. Animal surgeries can vary from minor procedures such as spaying/neutering or declawing to more complex orthopedic procedures like fixing damaged bones or joint repairs. Having a qualified vet conduct these surgeries to limit the risks related to anesthesia and surgery while still getting the desired result of improving your pet’s health and well-being is crucial.

Conclusion

Keeping our pets healthy calls for regular visits to the veterinarian– not only for routine checkups but also for emergency services when really needed. Luckily, many certified professionals can provide the most desired care for our fur babies no matter the situation. 

From routine examinations to pet surgery, these professionals know how to keep our pets feeling their best. With their help, we can ensure that our four-legged friends enjoy long and satisfying lives.

Everyone adores a new puppy or kitten, whether the rough kitten kisses or the sweet breath. After bringing your puppy or kitten home, what should you do?

How do you keep your new pet happy and healthy?

Every new puppy or kitten owner should take the following actions to keep their new pet healthy and on track:

Visiting the Vet

Every puppy and kitten should see a vet within the first week of moving. In this case, you will need to look up “kitten vet near me” because sometimes they get distressed when in a new environment. A veterinarian performs a typical puppy or kitten wellness examination to ensure your new pet is healthy. You should also confirm that the breeder met all of its initial health guarantees if you got your pet from a breeder.

The majority of vaccinations for both dogs and cats start around the age of eight weeks and are given in a set order to cover all requirements. Before eight weeks, vaccinations are typically considered ineffective because the mother’s immunity is still in effect. At eight, twelve, and sixteen weeks, puppies are vaccinated against rabies and receive a combination shot. Depending on the risk to your area or your dog, vaccination against leptospirosis, corona, and bordetella is optional.

Pet vaccinations against Feline Leukemia and Rabies are also administered to kittens as part of a combination shot. In addition to checking for vaccinations, a veterinarian will perform several other checks on your new puppy or kitten. Heartworm testing should be done on puppies older than six months, and feline leukemia testing should be done on older kittens.

The initial visit is a great time to check for intestinal parasites like tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. A stool sample or examination will also rule out parasites that cause Giardia and Coccidia.

The Diet of Your Pet

All puppies and kittens should be fed age-appropriate, excellent food. Large-breed puppies should consume food designed for their size to prevent overdevelopment. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure what to feed your pet. You can sample a variety of foods at many pet food retailers.

You will need more than one or two meals daily for your new puppy or kitten. Most puppies need three to four meals daily, depending on their age. Similar to cats, you can feed kittens at any time. Because they are natural grazers and like to eat little bits at a time, cats frequently take advantage of free feeding. Your puppy or kitten will become lethargic if food is not given to them regularly. You should feed Chihuahua puppies small amounts of food frequently to prevent hypoglycemia.

Train Your Pet

When your new pet arrives, you should start training them. Puppy training classes should begin at least when the puppy receives its first or second vaccination from a reputable facility like Stoney Pointe Pet Hospital. Particularly between the ages of eight and twelve weeks, socialization is essential. While kittens are unable to participate in physical training sessions, they should start receiving training for using the litter box and other household norms like not biting, climbing on furniture, or digging in plants.

Similar to how dogs and other pets are trained, kittens and cats can be trained using clickers and positive reinforcement. Your pet will be kept on track into adulthood if you follow a carefully monitored schedule for veterinarian visits to keep him current on vaccinations and to schedule a spay or neuter surgery by his six-month birthday.

If your puppy or kitten is getting older, keep socializing and training them to avoid picking up bad habits before becoming adults. You can switch your pet from puppy or kitten food to adult formula when they are a year old. As your pet ages, keep all this advice in mind to keep him content and healthy as he approaches adulthood.

Conclusion

Unsurprisingly, puppies and kittens are the best animals for the entire family and make wonderful indoor pets. However, before purchasing puppies or kittens for sale, consider your family and your needs. Always remember how much responsibility pet ownership entails, so only get puppies and kittens if you are ready.

Dogs loves to run around and play at the dog park. Your dog will get exercise, take part in some social interaction, and make new friends when you take them to the park. However, they also pose a risk to your dog’s safety. How, then, do you keep your dog from only having a good time at the dog park? The following guidelines will help you prepare for your trip to the dog park.

Dog Park Safety Tips

Dog parks can also help dog owners. But before taking your dog to the dog park, make sure you know how to guard them against common dangers. Below are some tips to make sure your dog is safe at the park.

1. Observe the Park

Drop by a park alone and observe the environment before bringing your dog there. Check how the park is constructed and kept. Poorly kept public dog parks may have issues, including damaged fences or gates, overcrowding from dogs of various types, a lack of shade, or uneven ground inside the fence. Your dog should not be exposed to these dangers.

2. Update Vaccinations

Infectious illnesses carried by other pets are a big concern at dog parks. Keep your dog’s vaccinations up-to-date because other dogs at the park may have kennel cough, parvovirus, or canine influenza. Aside from these diseases, dogs can also spread parasites like fleas and ticks. Consult your vet regarding preventative measures to avoid bringing these parasites into your house.

3. Maintain Your Pet’s Health

When your pet is unwell, they are more prone to act differently. Therefore, veterinary checkups are a must if they frequently engage with pets. Potentially aggravating problems, like mites, skin allergies or rashes, and joint issues can be detected during a comprehensive exam, which can help relieve your dog’s discomfort at the dog park.

Dogs with oral issues may show irritation, so if you spot a change in your dog’s actions, it’s time to go to the vet. Be mindful when looking at your dog’s mouth because an irritated dog may attack. To avoid problems being aggravated by being in the open environment, discuss any specific problems you may have with your dog’s veterinarian beforehand. You can search for “vet dentist near me” to address your pet’s dental problems.

4. Engage in Training

The scenario can immediately deteriorate when your dog is in a place with strangers and other animals they are unfamiliar with. The dogs are easily startled. Some kids might get too close. However, if your pet is trained to follow your instructions, you may easily eliminate most of these possible risk factors.

There’s always the chance that another dog will be more harsh or violent during playtime. Many dogs do not display aggressiveness, and aggressive actions often have an underlying cause. Veterinary board-qualified trainers at Smith Animal Hospital must only deal with aggressiveness problems.

5. Monitor Your Dog

Your dog loves going to the park. Having a good time chatting with other dog owners at the park is great, but remember to always keep an eye on your pet. A fun encounter between two dogs can quickly turn intense. What seems to be a casual interaction can cause an anxious dog to react improperly. They may unknowingly feel caught if there are several dogs around.

Dog socialization involves more than just letting them off the leash at the park. You can also take them to a boarding center. Before bringing your dog in for dog boarding, socialization is strongly suggested as it is one of the things you can do for them. The ultimate objective is to create a happy, confident dog. Search for “cat boarding near me” online to find the best facility for your pet.