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Commonly Asked QuestionsWhy are annual exams important?Why is it important to vaccinate my pet?Why should my pet take a heartworm test every year?Why is it important to spay or neuter your pet?Why is it important to have blood work done at least every year while my pet is on certain medications?What is the difference between Frontline and Advantage?Is 24 hour emergency care available for my pet?Why is it important to have blood work prior to anesthesia?Is Ross Valley Veterinary Hospital a member of the American Animal Hospital Association?Why are annual exams important?Because a pet's lifespan is compressed into a shorter amount of time than that of a human, many changes can occur in your pet's body over the course of a year. Pets typically age 5-7 years for one of our calendar years. The annual exam often correlates with when vaccines are due and we can do this all at the same visit. This annual exam is vital to help detect any physical problems before they become too serious. As your pet gets older (5-7 years + depending on breed) we also highly recommend annual blood and urine testing to detect the onset of age related illnesses such as liver and kidney disease.Why is it important to vaccinate my pet?The primary reason is to protect your pet and prevent the transmission of disease. Many of the diseases that we vaccinate for are incurable, and some fatal (rabies) are found in wildlife in Marin and are easily prevented with regular vaccines.The vaccines your kitten or puppy initially receives provide immunity against disease for about 1 year. Annual boosters are often needed to keep this level of immunity high enough to protect them from illness. As pets age, they may not require vaccines as frequently and some vaccines may not be needed based on your pet's history and exposure potential (you and your vet can decide this when the time is right). You will typically receive reminder cards in the mail when the annual vaccines are due. Why should my pet take a heartworm test every year?Heartworm is easy to prevent, but difficult and costly to treat. We are finding that with the influx of some of the rescued Hurricane Katrina dogs (of whom many tested positive for heartworm), there is a greater potential for it spreading in our county, given it only takes one mosquito to bite a positive dog then transmit it to another. If your dog has not been on preventative consistently throughout the year, we want to test each year to make sure that there was no possibility of transmission while they were not protected.Here at Ross Valley we prefer to use a combination test. It allows us to simultaneously check for heartworm, Lyme disease, and two other tick transmitted diseases, Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (also known as Ehrlichia equi), all which are found here in Marin County. This allows us to be completely thorough in our testing, without subjecting your pet to more than one "poke" of the needle. If your dog is on preventative consistently it is important to test yearly to make sure that the other diseases aren't present. We do see Lyme disease and Ehrlichia relatively frequently and both can be easily treated when caught early. Also, manufacturers of heartworm preventative medication have a product guarantee: if your pet gets heartworm while on consistent medication and receives annual heartworm testing, they will reimburse for the treatment. Why is it important to spay or neuter your pet?We recommend spaying (the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus) or neutering (the surgical removal of the testicles) your pet around 6 months of age. Altered pets tend to live longer, are healthier in their old age, can have fewer behavioral problems, and they don't contribute to the over population problem. If pets are altered at this time, their risk of developing diseases such as cancer can be significantly reduced. Research has proven that female dogs spayed prior to their first heat cycle will have a nearly zero change of developing mammary cancer later in life. They also go through a messy heat cycle once or twice a year. Unneutered male dogs commonly develop prostrate problems, and perianal and testicular tumors. Even more sadly, the most common reason for euthanasia of pets in the U.S. is behavior problems. Intact males have a greater tendency to run away/roam (potential for getting hit by cars), and can potentially be more aggressive (dog bites and contagious diseases) and territorial (which can include urine marking).Why is it important to have blood work done at least every year while my pet is on certain medications?Many medications are metabolized by the liver and eliminated by the body via the kidneys. Certain medications can be hard on these organs. It is very important for us to monitor the function of these organs to prevent damage from occurring, catch any changes early, stop treatment if necessary, change medications and/or add in different drugs to help compensate. In addition, some medications take a while to build up to a therapeutic level (the concentration where the desired effect is obtained) and repeated tests may be necessary until that level is reached. For medications such as Soloxine (to treat hypothyroidism) and Methimazole (aka Tapazole; to treat hyperthyroidism), we need to do routine bloodwork to make sure that our dosage is staying within the therapeutic range.What is the difference between Frontline and Advantage?Advantage (imidacloprid) is a once-a-month topical flea treatment for cats and dogs. It will kill 98-100% of the fleas on your pet within 12 hours and one treatment should provide protection for up to 4 weeks. It also kills fleas before they lay eggs. Frontline Plus (fipronil and (S)-methoprene) kills fleas, flea eggs, ticks and chewing lice. This is also a monthly topical application. It kills adult fleas, eggs and larvae and all stages of brown dog ticks, American dog ticks, lone star ticks, and deer ticks (which may carry Lyme disease). The product that you choose can be based on your pet's history; for example, if they are outdoors adventuring in the woods/grasses Frontline may be the better product to choose because of the added tick prevention. For animals that are primarily 'indoors' such as cats, Advantage may be all that is needed. Also be aware that if some of your pets are outdoors, but others strictly indoor, the outdoor pets may transfer fleas/ticks into the home. We do recommend keeping your pet on these preventatives all year round, if necessary, due to the fact that fleas and different species of ticks are active at different times of the year.Is 24 hour emergency care available for my pet?During routine office hours, any critically sick or injured pet will be seen immediately by our staff. After office hours, emergencies are handled by the Pet Emergency Specialty Center of Marin (PESCM) located at 901 East Francisco Boulevard, San Rafael (415-456-7372)Why is it important to have blood work prior to anesthesia?Today's modern anesthetic and anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. We do a thorough physical exam prior to the procedure (just as performed for you in human medicine) so that the doctor can assess your pet's health and potentially catch any other underlying problems. There are also quite a few different types of anesthetics that we can use and cater the drugs to your pet and his/her physical conditions. We also highly recommend doing pre-anesthetic bloodwork prior to any procedure and for most cases placing an IV catheter and giving IV fluids during the procedure.Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is one way to help reduce the risk of anesthesia. Even if your kitten or puppy is young and is showing no signs of illness, it enables us to check liver and kidney functions and possible underlying congenital disease (comparable to an 'internal' physical exam). Most of the injectable anesthetics are metabolized and processed by the liver and kidneys and knowing the function of these organs prior to a procedure can help determine which drugs to use or avoid. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing. If we detect any abnormalities we can postpone the surgery until the problem is resolved and the doctor can discuss any treatment options if necessary at that time. This information is also useful in knowing your pet's normal blood values as a comparison for any changes that occur later in their life. An IV Catheter and fluids during the procedure are another way to help reduce the risk of anesthesia. Fluids can help us maintain the blood pressure and the amount given depends on the animal's weight and physical condition. In turn, the blood pressure is very important in assisting kidney function. It also gives us immediate access to a vein to give any medications such as antibiotics, heart rate stabilizers, or any emergency drugs. If your pet has any underlying problems such as heart or lung disease, the doctor may want to do radiographs (x-rays) or an ultrasound prior to the procedure. Even very frail animals can be anesthetized safely but you and your doctor would need to discuss the risks of anesthesia versus the risks of not performing a procedure. No matter the procedure, your pet will be closely monitored by a technician and/or doctor. We monitor blood oxygen levels, heart rate and heart beat intensity, as well as blood pressure and respiratory rate. It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting under and after anesthesia. You will need to withhold food for at least 12 hours prior to a procedure. They can eat dinner the night before, but no breakfast or even treats in the A.M. Water should be available for your pet until the morning of the surgery. Is Ross Valley Veterinary Hospital a member of the American Animal Hospital Association?Yes, Ross Valley Veterinary Hospital is a member of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), an organization of more than 24,000 veterinary care providers committed to providing excellence in small animal care. In addition, RVVH is also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association(AVMA) and the California Veterinary Medicine Association(CVMA). |
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