Vet Home Express

Q. How old does my pet need to be to start vaccination (shots) ?

A. Usually between six to eight weeks of age. We also prefer to start deworming if possible earlier or at this time due to zoonosis (disease trnasmited from animals to humans) chances.

Q. How old does my pet have to be for castration (spay-female, neuter-male)?

A. It is best do be done before first "heat" period, normally between 4 to 6 months of age.

Q. Why do veterinarians strongly suggest me to castrate my pet?

A. Castrated pets tend to live longer and are less prone to develop mammary or  testicular cancer, and reprodutive infection ( uterine or prostatic).

Q. What are the changes of my pet dying during surgery?

A. There is always some risk anytime a person or an animal is anesthetized. We try to minimize this chance using safety measures. We advise blood tests before surgery, we use individually calculated anesthetics protocols,  monitoring  during surgery, etc. 

Q. How long will my pet have to stay after castration?

A. We use sterile technique and same anesthetics used in human medicine. We usually are able to send your pet home the same day surgery is performed. Your pet normally do much better and are much more relaxed at home in their natural environment. If you prefer, they may be left overnight at the hospital.   

Q. How long will my dog/cat stay in heat?

A. Dogs usually come in heat every 6 to 9 months and stay in heat an average of three weeks. Cats are different. They will almost constantly stay in heat until they are bred. The act of breeding is necessary for the release of the eggs in the cat. 

Q. What should I do, my pet is scratching?

A. There are a number of reasosn it could be, different types of mange, bacterial , or fungal infections, ringworm, allergy, etc. We really need to examine your pet to determine the more appropriate treatment or medication.

Q. How long does it take for my dog/cat to deliver after being bred?

A. The average is 63 days (57 to 65). Pregnant pets should be checked for worms and they need special diet and care before delivering. Also it is very important to exam the female and babies the day after delivery.

Q.My dog/cat is pregnant, what should I watch for?

A. She usually will act restless and nervous when labor begins. A clear discharge will be present. It becames an emergency if the discharge is not clear (green, bloody, etc) or she is straining for 2 hours with no results.Take her to the closest hospital with less stress possible.