F.A.Q
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we often hear. We hope this gives you some guidance. If your pet experiences any of these issues please feel free to give us a call to schedule an appointment.
Why is my pet itchy?
Itching can be a sign of multiple things. The first thing we would ask is regarding your pet’s flea control. If your pet is on flea control, make sure you’re giving it as directed and not skipping doses. Next check if you’re seeing fleas, you may need to change products. If you’re not seeing fleas and your pet is still very itchy, we may need to discuss environmental or food allergies. Pets can be allergic to many things, just like us. Schedule an appointment to talk with your vet at Country Hills Animal Clinic. We will help calm the itching with appropriate treatments or medications as well as suggest ways to find the source. Some ways to diagnose an allergy would be; physical exam, allergy testing (blood work), and food trials.
Why is my dog scooting?
A common misconception is scooting automatically means your pet has worms. Parasites can cause itching, but the first two suspects are usually the anal glands. These scent glands are on each side of the anus and the gland itself is not visible from the outside, only its small exit duct. Usually they empty themselves when the animal defecates or becomes extremely fearful. However, sometimes, especially in smaller dogs, they don’t. When the gland empties, it emits a thin, foul smelling liquid. If this doesn’t happen naturally, the pet can run the risk of impaction, infection, or in severe cases rupture. Scooting can be one of the first signs of a gland problem. Occasionally the glands will leak, leaving a foul smell where the dog has been sitting/scooting. If the glands are empty, then we can investigate other possibilities such as allergies, skin conditions, or parasites.
My pet doesn’t go outside, and its winter, do I need flea control?
Yes! We always recommend flea control even if your pet never goes outside. Fleas can jump long distances and can hitch a ride from outdoors to indoors. You can even track in flea eggs after a trip outside. Another common misconception is pets do not need flea control in the colder months. Here in sunny Southern California temperatures do not get low enough to deter fleas so making sure your pet is protected requires diligence year-round.
Why is grain free food no longer recommended?
Alerts from the FDA identify an associated risk for some grain-free diets containing certain ingredients (legumes like peas, pea components, and lentils;) with the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart muscle disorder that results in a weak pump function and heart chamber enlargement.
The key thing is to avoid any grain free foods with legumes, such as peas, chickpeas, lentils and so on. Here are the links we recommend.
UC Davis
Choosing a food
Recent FDA update
Why does my pet need anesthesia for a teeth cleaning?
Here at Country Hills Animal Clinic we call our dental cleanings COHAT. This stands for Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment. Yes, we clean the teeth but there is much more to do. The pet is given a complete oral exam of the teeth, surrounding tissue, gums, jaw, tongue, sublingual area (under the tongue) as well as the soft palate. This is not possible to successfully accomplish while the pet is awake. While cleaning the teeth it is important to get underneath the gum line and in some cases excess gum tissue may need to be trimmed away to aid in the health of the teeth. Non-anesthetic cleaning can only get the visual part of the tooth and that can be just the tip of the iceberg. If a tooth is broken or has root exposure, we can take action right then with the pet under anesthesia.
When can my puppy go on walks, be around other dogs?
Vaccines are very important to ensure your puppy has a chance to build up a proper immune system against some common diseases. When a puppy starts vaccines, it is important to follow our veterinarians’ protocol. This protocol is tailored to your pet, depending on age, when you started vaccines, and how many boosters have been received. Vaccine boosters are given 3 – 4 weeks apart. If too much time has lapsed between boosters, you may need to start the process over depending on the age of the puppy. Vaccines are normally started at 8 weeks of age and boosters given until 16 weeks when the rabies vaccine is given. Once the vaccine series in complete, the puppy can go out and be around other dogs usually 2 – 3 weeks after the last booster.
Why is my cat urinating outside of the litter box?
There are so many reasons this could be happening. If your cat is litter box trained and is starting to urinate outside of the box, try not to wait to have him/her seen. Some potential causes are: FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) infection, cystitis, kidney disease and behavioral problems. If you have a male cat that is straining to urinate or is in and out of the litter box, know this is considered an emergency and the cat should be seen asap. Urinary blockages in male cats can be life threatening.
My pet seems healthy, why do I need BLOOD WORK?
Many people ask this question, especially when coming in for a routine procedure such as a spay or neuter. When a pet is young and / or seems healthy, many owners question if they should do blood work. We always recommend checking blood work for a few reasons. First this gives us an insight to your pet’s ability to process anesthesia and certain medications. Many animals will not show us something is wrong until it has been going on for quite some time. Blood work can be a great tool for early detection and treatment. Having normal blood work gives us a great reference for future tests in order to compare and possibly spot any new changes.
Can I treat my pets ear infection with the same medication as last time?
Your dog is shaking their head, you think to yourself “Here comes another ear infection, I have some drops from the last time, I’ll just use those.” We want the best for our pets, and we want to give them relief quickly. However, there are many causes for an ear infection. Even if the ear looks the same and smells the same as the last infection, the source could be completely different. Many different types of bacteria can cause an ear infection and unfortunately, there isn’t one medication that can cure them all. It is very important to have the ears checked by our veterinarian because there are other risk factors involved. Some infections can be so severe, they can rupture the ear drum, so applying an old prescription can cause more harm than good. We also would be checking for foreign objects, like fox tails, which can also damage the ear drum. Finally, reapplying an old medication too often can cause a resistant infection and be more difficult to treat in the long run.