Value Vets - Affordable pet health care in the Midlands

THINGS YOU MIGHT NEED TO KNOW

FLEAS

The presence of fleas on your pet is certainly not something to be ashamed of, as their presence in no way reflects on your household or your pets’ hygiene but on the tremendous ability of this parasite to survive on a variety of hosts and in the environment.

The failure to find a flea on your pet does not mean they are not there and therefore I would suggest you try the ‘wet white paper test’ to detect the presence of flea dirt.
If positive (red-brown spots develop on the paper), this confirms the presence of adult fleas

To adequately treat for fleas you must be treating all year round and be not only treating your pet with a reputable topical preparation but also the environment, as 95% of the flea cycle exists off our pet.

VACCINATIONS

The primary vaccination consists of two injections starting at 8 weeks and repeated at 10 to 12 weeks in dogs and at 9 and 12 weeks in cats.
Immunity from the vaccination is NOT life-long and a booster vaccination will be needed annually thereafter.
The annual booster vaccination should not be seen as a simple injection but as an essential part of responsible pet ownership. While this annual visit may reveal nothing more than a healthy pet and a happy owner, it can in some instances be the key to preventing an illness progressing further than it needs to.

Although regular vaccination has certainly reduced the incidence of the diseases we currently vaccinate for, we have not been able to eradicate diseases like Canine Parvo and Distemper virus or Feline Infectious Enteritis and Leukaemia virus, which can be fatal.

If your pets vaccination status has lapsed longer than 18 months or is not known, the antibody levels may have dropped below those sufficient to protect them against infection and will necessitate a re-vaccination course of two injections 2 to 3 weeks apart respectively, for dogs and cats.

WORMING

Roundworms are the main type of worms that infect dogs and cats.
The majority of pets will show no signs of infection but poor coat condition, weight loss and digestive upsets have been attributed to their presence.

The roundworm egg is potentially hazardous to humans, especially young children, if they are ingested. So, regular worming is an essential component of public health if we are to reduce environmental contamination and thereby reduce the risk to our children.

NEUTERING

Male dogs are generally neutered between 6 and 10 months of age to reduce aggressive and roaming behaviour.

As dogs are living longer we are seeing more cases of prostatic problems and testicular tumours, and as neutering alleviates both conditions we advocate this operation at any age to reduce the risk of these life limiting illnesses.

Female dogs are generally spayed before their first season, which usually occurs between 6 and 10 months or alternatively they can be speyed 12 weeks after a season.
The operation, while alleviating the inconvenience of seasons, phantom pregnancies and as contraception, is principally advocated as a means of reducing the potential for the development of mammary cancer and to remove the risk of a pyometra.

The biggest complaint of neutering is the tendency to put on weight. This risk can be minimised by reducing the daily calorie intake by 30%, the equivalent amount that would go into hormone production.

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