Q: Why does my dog need a heartworm test every year?

A: Even if your dog faithfully takes his/her heartworm preventative every month, there is always a chance that they did not actually eat it and put it somewhere in your house for safekeeping - such as behind your couch! Although this behavior is more common in small breeds, big or small - no medicine is 100% effective. By checking your dog's heartworm status each year, if an infection is detected early, it can be more successfully treated than in the latter course of the infection. If left untreated, heartworms multiply in the heart's chambers preventing proper functioning of the heart and creating heart failure and death.

​

Q: Why does my pet need an exam every 6 months?

A: Cats and dogs age much faster than humans. One year of a cat's or dog's life doesn't equal one year of a human's life. By some estimates, the first year of a cat's life is equivalent to the first 10 years of a human's life, and the second is equivalent to 5 years. Thereafter, each year is equivalent to 4 human years. In dogs, it has been estimated that the first year of life is equivalent to 15 human years with each year thereafter being equivalent to approximately 7 human years. If your pet has a physical exam only once a year, it would be about the same as you having a physical exam every 5 - 15 years. Because most animals age faster than humans, many health concerns and diseases that could be prevented or treated may be missed. Valuable time to treat or prevent issues may be lost. Even the most attentive owners can miss subtle changes and problems in their pet that veterinarians have undergone years of training to identify and treat. For these reasons, and to keep your pet in the best overall health, we recommend a physical exam every 6 months.

​

Q: What do I do if my pet passes away at home?

A: If your pet happens to pass away at home and it is during business hours, please call the clinic so we may guide you through the process and options available for aftercare.  If we are not available to assist you, Blue Pearl or Fetch Emergency Hospitals are both available options for assistance and aftercare services.

​