Frequently Asked Questions Is the spray that my landscaper or exterminator sprays safe for my pet? Professionals such as landscapers and exterminators have licenses to spray chemicals. What they use is governed by their license. They will have the safety information on the chemicals they use. Please consult your licensed yard professional for this info. When in doubt, get the name of the active ingredients in the chemical and you may consult the ASPCA Poison Animal Control for studies. However, if your pet has swallowed a substance or has a chemical burn, please call us or Poison Control immediately. Scheduling Is Park Ridge Animal Hospital open on Sundays? Sorry, no. We are open 6 days a week starting at 8:30am. On what days are elective surgeries performed? Generally they are done on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Occasionally they are done on other days. They are not done on Saturdays. Sunday we are closed. I'm a current client, can I schedule an appointment via email? If you prefer, we can schedule an appointment via our pet portal. You will need to register with your email address.  Cats Do you perform declaws? Yes. If you are considering getting your cat declawed, it is best to do it at the time of the spaying or neutering. The patient stays for a total of at least three days in the hospital. The procedure is the amputation of the last digits. Because of this, the patient needs continuous pain medication and monitoring for infection. At discharge, the patient will go home with additional pain medication. While we suggest trying other methods before declawing, we recognize there are reasons why the owner needs to have his cat declawed. Try these alternatives prior to making the decision to declaw your cat: nail caps, scratching posts, Feliway and constant nail clipping. How often does my adult cat need to be vaccinated? The Pure Vax Feline Rabies vaccine is administered once yearly. The FVRCP or distemper combo is administered every three years. The leukemia vaccine (for cats at risk) is given once yearly. You may want to consider starting the series (2 vaccines) for your kitten, as a kitten's life style may change and kittens are the most vulnerable to leukemia. Do you offer the Purevax Feline Rabies vaccine? What's the difference between it and the 3 year vaccine? Merial's Pure Vax Feline Rabies vaccine has been approved to be given once yearly. The old standard, the "3 year Rabies vaccine" has been associated with sarcomas. This is a cancer directly linked to injection site of the "3 year" rabies vaccine (in cats only). The World Health Organization classifies the adjuvant (additive) in "3 year Rabies vaccines" and other feline vaccines as a Class 3 carcinogen (out of 4 classes). Merial's Pure Vax Feline Rabies vaccine does not have any adjuvants or additives said to cause cancer. At this time, the USDA has only approved it to be administered on a yearly basis. Additionally, the Leukemia vaccine we use is The Vet Jet, a nonadjuvanted vaccine. Do town rabies clinics offer Pure Vax Rabies vaccines? No. How often should my adult cat's stool be checked? Why and what do you check? As per CDC guidelines, a stool examination should be done every six months to check for zoonotic parasites (parasites that people can catch). Additionally your pet can infect other animals with intestinal parasites. Parasites that can be found in the stool are: giardia, hookworm and roundworm. Tapeworm is usually not detected on a fecal flotation, but rather by seeing it either in the stool itself or rice fragments on the pet's rectal area.  Dogs My dog is now 12 pounds, I usually get the 2-10 pound size of Interceptor, is it really necessary to get the 11-25 pound size of Interceptor? Yes, Interceptor and other medications such as Heartguard, Revolution and Frontline are calculated for specific weight ranges. These products have been tested at least five times the recommended dosage range. If you do not follow label instructions this voids any warranties. I was told from my breeder it is best to let my female dog go through one heat cycle as it helps her grow better and makes for a healthier dog. Is this true? No, in fact it is better to spay your dog before the first heat cycle as it greatly eliminates the chance of mammary cancer. Most dogs are finished with their primary growth at six months. How often do I need to give my pet his heartworm pill and apply his flea/tick preventative? We recommend year round protection. Please give your dog a heartworm pill every month and apply either Frontline or Vectra once monthly. Because the temperature varies in the winter time, (it's not always below 30 degrees), ticks are out, waiting to jump on a host (your pet). You can not decide it's time to put your flea/tick preventative on your pet because the temperature is now above freezing. It takes about 48 hours for the effectiveness of these products to work. The guarantee that Interceptor/Heartgard has is only valid if your pet is given the heartworm pill year round. The guarantee of course only applies to heartworm pills purchased through a vet. How often does my adult dog receive his vaccines? We vaccinate for rabies every 3 years, as mandated under NJ law (first vaccine is good for only 1 year). DA2PPV (distemper/adenovirus type 2/parainfluenza/parvovirus) is given every 3 years. The following vaccines are given once yearly: Lyme (borrelia burgdorferi), Leptosporosis, and Bordetella (kennel cough). My dog has reddish colored fur on his feet and under his paws. What causes this? Your dog's saliva stains the fur this color. More importantly, is why your dog is licking his paws and feet. It is either from allergies or habitual (nervous habit similiar to person biting nails). My dog's nose is dry, not moist, should I come in for an examination? A dog's nose is not a barometer for wellness. Sometimes a dog's nose is moist or dry, it is not indicative of health or lack of health. However, if your dog's nose is cracked, bleeding or has nasal discharge, he needs to be examined. I don't believe in heartworm pills, heartworm disease does not exist in New Jersey. Why do you recommend heartworm pills? While heartworm disease isn't rampant in New Jersey, it definitely exists. Heartworm pills prevent some intestinal parasites which are common in New Jersey. An undetected or untreated heartworm infection is fatal. Since heartworm treatment is expensive and risky (sometimes fatal), it is best to prevent it. I want to breed my dog, is there anything I should know? While for the most part we discourage breeding, if you are serious about being a hobby breeder, you should know the following: 1) Your dog is in basic good health, and free of obvious defects including malocclusion, over or underbite, good posture, hair loss or poor coat and is friendly to strangers as they will be attending and competing in the ring. 2) You should contact your local breed club (one that specializes in your particular breed) and see if your dog fits ideal breed standards. Your pet should earn their "points" and have "finished" in the show ring. 3) Depending on your dog's breed, there are many diseases to screen for. A reputable breeder will provide documentation for their puppies to buyers for the following registries: OFA and CERF. The Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) is a registry for heritable eye diseases. The OFA or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is a registry for breeders. They collect data for: Patellar Luxation, Thyroid, Legg-Calve-Perthes, Sebaceous Adenitis, Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, DNA (for breed-specific disease detection), Congenital Deafness, and Congenital Cardiac Disease. Additionally there are other blood tests for particular breeds to screen for through your veterinarian. For example, some dogs can have a blood abnormality, one in particular, von Willebrand’s, is present in over 50 breeds. Wheaten Terriers are prone to Protein Losing Neuropathy (PLN) and the parentage should be tested prior to considering breeding. While not all diseases can be tested for by blood tests or genetic testing, it is best to have a through history of your dog's line to develop a breeding program. Some genetic disorders are not present until gestation, whelping or months to years later. For this reason, a breeder needs to be prepared to either: take the pup back, refund the buyer his money or help out with the financial burden of a buyer. Even if a pregnancy seems to go along smoothly, a dam can reject one of her pups or the whole litter. You are then responsible to feed the pups every 2-3 hours around the clock, otherwise they will die. Sometimes a dam will reject pups because of disease (the pups are sick) or the dam may be sick (pyometra and mastitis). If everything goes well and pups are getting ready for their new homes, they need to have all their paperwork in order. You will need to register the litter ahead of time and now give each buyer an AKC registration form. You also need to have a bill of sale. Remember you are legally responsible as a breeder. The pups should have been examined (given a clear bill of health, fit for sale), dewormed a couple of times and had one or more DA2PPV vaccine prior to leaving to their new homes, depending on their age. While we at PRAH can provide you with testing (progesterone, timing, genetic tests, screening films, orthopedic films and bloodwork), you need to seek assistance from your breeder or breed club if you need help with whelping and the birthing process. We will provide true medical intervention if the bitch is in distress and needs a Cesarean Section. If you truly love your dog's breed, want to improve it, and understand that you do not make money as a breeder we will gladly support your endeavor as a breeder. What is the Canine Flu? Is it the same as Kennel Cough? Kennel Cough is a general term. More often it is caused by a bacteria called Bordetella. Sometimes the typical kennel cough is accompanied with the Parainfluenza virus (not Canine Influenza). Canine Influenza surfaced in more recent years with a major outbreak in September 2005 in our area, then another in the summer of 2008 (not as severe). There is no vaccine for Canine Influenza. There are vaccines for Bordetella (intranasal and subcutaneous). This vaccination is administered every 12 months, but some kennels or daycare require it to be administered every 6 months. To Learn more about Canine Influenza:http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/canine_guidelines.asp I just got a new puppy from a breeder/petstore. I was told to only allow my puppy to use the bathroom indoors until all the vaccines were finished. Is this true? No. While it is a good idea to limit your puppy's exposure to the outdoors until the first vet visit, it is not good to have your puppy learn bad bathroom habits. At your first examination and at each exam there after, we will let you know where it will be appropriate for your puppy to go, whether for bathroom breaks or socializing. I am having trouble housebreaking my new puppy. Do you have any suggestions? First make sure you are using a crate that is appropriate to your dog's size. It must not be too big, just large enough for your puppy to turn around and stand up in. Wee Wee pads are not an appropriate choice for housebreaking. Wee Wee pads will confuse your puppy and will delay the house breaking process. When you awake in the morning, take your puppy out to use the bathroom. All puppies will need to urinate. More than likely they will also need to defecate. After 5-10m minutes if your puppy has not defecated, come back inside and place your puppy back in the crate. Prepare the breakfast and feed. After eating, your puppy can go outside and use the bathroom again. If the puppy hasn't defecated yet, he must go back into the crate. If you allow freedom (even turning your back) your puppy will eliminate in the house. Always remember that your puppy has to go often and if he or she hasn't made a BM or urinated, it doesn't mean they are "empty". The more stimilation they have the more likely they will need to "go". The idea of the crate is that they will not want to soil it (if it is small enough). If your puppy doesn't have a BM and is placed back in the crate, he or she will start to understand that "outside time" is for "potty time". Only after using the bathroom, can your puppy play. Otherwise they will get distracted. (Think about when going on a trip and the kids are excited and they do not use the bathroom and it's when they are bored that the urge to stop at a restroom kicks in). You will need lots of scheduled times to relieve your puppy. They can urinate and defecate what seems like alot! Think about babies and changing diapers, it's a lot of work. The weather is not good outside, isn't it bad for my small breed puppy to go out in bad weather? While younger patients and smaller breed dogs may feel the cold more than a large breed (they may not have the same amount of reserves), a small breed dog should use the bathroom outdoors. You need to supervise a puppy, regardless of his breed when using the bathroom outdoors. If there's a lot of snow, you would shovel a pathway so that the pup doesn't get lost in the snow. If it's raining hard, you will need an umbrella. Housebreaking doesn't get suspended because the weather isn't nice. You may or may not want to purchase a coat for your small breed pup. How long can my puppy "hold it"? In general, it is said that a puppy can "hold it" based on this formula: Months of puppy + 1. Example: 2 month old puppy + 1 = 3 hours. This does not apply to every situtation. A puppy can hold it longer at night (when the house is quiet and there isn't any stimulation). A brand new puppy may need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night (like a infant needs a diaper change in the middle of the night). Some puppies take longer to housebreak based on: where they came from (petstore where they never held it because they eliminated on a grate), the puppy has parasites causing diarrhea, the puppy's personality/breed or wee wee pad usage. How often should my adult dog's stool be checked? Why and what do you check? As per CDC guidelines, a stool examination should be done every six months to check for zoonotic parasites (parasites that people can catch). Additionally your pet can infect other animals with intestinal parasites. Parasites that can be found in the stool are: giardia, roundworm, hookworm, coccidia and whipworm. Tapeworm is usually not detected on a fecal flotation, but rather by seeing it either in the stool itself or rice fragments on the pet's rectal area. Will neutering my dog make him fat or lazy? Will it stop his bad "male" behavior? There are several factors as to why a neutered male dog gets fat: he has gotten older so his metabolism has slowed, his drive to mate has halted (activity level decreased) and overfeeding. Ways to combat this: remember that he is not a puppy anymore and to feed him an appropriate adult portion. While neutering a dog by six months of age usually prevents bad male behavior, neutering a dog after that does not automatically fix the problem. Your dog now has learned hormonal behaviors. He will need training to stop him from biting, marking, mounting or other aggressive behaviors. By getting your male neutered it is easier to train him. The boarding facility says that the bordetella vaccine isn't good for a full year and that my dog needs another one, is it safe to give again? Why are they telling me it's not valid for a year? The intranasal bordetella vaccine that we administer is good for one year (actually it's guaranteed for 1 year for bordetella infection). Some boarding facility do not accept this duration of immunity (1 year). If you chose to use a facility that requires the bordetella vaccine to be given every 6 months, we will administer it every 6 months. Your reminder will still reflect that the vaccine is good for 1 full year, as per manufacturer instructions. The intranasal vaccine provides local immunity and is safe to give every 6 months. Some bordetella vaccine manufacturers may not have a duration of immunity for more than 6 months, some boarding facilities do not know this and have made a blanket requirement for all boarding dogs.   Dental health My puppy or kitten has "double" teeth, is this normal? Some kittens and puppies (especially small breeds) have retained deciduous teeth. They need to be removed or the patient can have malocclusion, tooth decay and overcrowding. The extraction is usually done at the spay/neuter procedure. How can I keep my dog or cat's teeth clean? Ideally, we recommend daily brushing when it is safe to do so. If you are unable to do this, the next best thing is have your pet chew on abrasive things such as Nylabones, chewies (supervised and if your pet's stomach can tolerate it) and T/D. T/D is made by Hill's. It is a prescription diet only available through a vet. It works based on the idea that the kibble is larger than typical food. It takes longer to break apart and rubs against the tooth and gum line. Dental cleanings (done under anesthesia) may be necessary every year (just like people get a scale and polish). Can you perform an anesthesia free dental, or could you recommend someone? If your veterinarian has deemed it necessary to undergo a dental cleaning, an anesthesia free dentistry is not a good idea. Our veterinary patients can not tolerate the instruments that we will tolerate (the water sucking apparatus, scaler and polisher). Our patients can not be mildly sedated to tolerate the dental. Water is involved in cleaning the teeth. You do not want bacteria laden water going down a patient's throat, they can ingest it or worse, inhale it. This can cause aspiration pneumonia. Therefore an endotracheal tube is inserted to maintain anesthesia and protect the airway. If the patient needs an extraction, they are already under anesthesia, pain management is easier, the airway is protected further from tooth particles and gingival bleeding.  Medications Isn't the medication I get from you (veterinary hospital) the same as an online source? It's just really so much more expensive from you. No, the medication you get from a veterinary hospital is guaranteed. It is not guaranteed from the manufacturer if purchased from a website or pet store. While for some medications (with the exception of heartworm and flea tick meds) you may be able to save a couple of dollars, you are doing so at the expense of your pet's health. Please see link for full explanation of internet pharmacies: http://www.parkridgevet.com/gpage.html. For the prices of heartworm and flea/ticks meds, we are very competitvely priced. I do not see a dosage for an over the counter medication previously prescribed to my pet online. I think it would be very convenient to have it posted on your website. While we may have instructed you on a dosage of medication previously, we can not put dosages of medications on our website. We must have a valid client patient relationship. Non-clients may check out our website. If you have any questions regarding previously prescribed meds, please call us. Additionally, if you have questions about other over the counter medications, please call us before giving them to your pet, some can be toxic or fatal even if a small dosage is given. Some over the counter medication can intereact with other medications and some breeds can not tolerate certain drugs. Do not use "Dr. Google" as your trusted vet resource, use us. I would like to order a refill on medication or food, should I call or email? You can call us or email us (thru the pet portal) to request a refill on medication.  Microchips I have a microchip in my pet. It's registered, right? That depends. We at PRAH have recently made it mandatory to register microchips implanted by us by registering your pet for you. Previously, we left it up to the owner. When you adopt a pet from a shelter or purchase through a breeder or pet store, it usually is NOT registered. Please check first, as you do not want to check on registration status when your pet goes missing. You can check here to see if your chip is registered: http://petmicrochiplookup.org/ Does the microchip cause cancer? Studies have not revealed any cancers in companion animals.  What are the benefits of microchipping? How big is it? The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. A registered microchip is a way of identifying your pet. Even if your pet is never outside or wears a collar, a lost pet can not tell animal control where they live. A collar or a tag can come off. A cat can even get his collar/tag embedded and the tag will be unreadable. While you never intend to lose your pet, accidents happen. Example of when the microchip can save your pet's life: ambulance comes to your home for an emergency and with all the excitement, your pet runs out. You have a house fire and firemen break down door. A home burglary or a natural disaster. Also, it is proof of ownership - if your pet is in a shelter or stolen and someone else is claiming they own your pet, you have positive identification.  Poisons What substances or food are poisonous to my pet? There is too much list, please go to: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_faq If you think your pet has ingested a poison, you can call: (888) 426-4435 Can my dog or cat get poison ivy? No. Your pet can transfer the oil to you and you can get a rash. If you have poison ivy on your property or your pet walks through it, you should wash your pet well or rid your property of poison ivy. Reproductive Health What is Pyometra? Pyometra literally means pus filled uterus. This happens to an intact female dog or cat. It can happen at any time but usually once the bitch has recently gone through a heat cycle and older. The way to cure the patient is to spay her. The spay procedure is more difficult since the patient is now sick. The blood vessels are engorged and there is more blood loss. When should my puppy or kitten be altered? We recommend spaying/neutering at about six months of age. When a female is spayed prior to its first heat cycle, it greatly reduces the risk of mammary (breast)cancer. It also prevents the chance of pyometra, since the uterus is removed. Neutering your male pet at approximately the age of six months greatly reduces aggression, marking (spraying or urinating in the home), wandering, prostatic disease and testicular disease. Altering your pet makes them a better companion since they do not have the need to mate. Additionally, altering your pet reduces the over population of pets filling up animal shelters everywhere.