Frequently Asked Questions
If you are looking for more information on a specific disease, try looking on our Prescription page's encyclopedia. There is quite a bit of good information there.

What shots does my puppy need?

• Puppies should have a series of vaccinations beginning at 6 weeks of age and ending around 18 weeks. Vaccinations should be 3 weeks apart, and should include Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza virus, Bordatella (a bacteria), Corona virus and Rabies virus. Each visit should include a full physical exam and also a fecal exam to check for internal parasites (worms).

What shots does my kitten need?

• Kittens begin their vaccines at about 8 weeks. They need 3 sets of vaccinations, including Feline Herpes virus, Calici virus, Panleukopenia (also called Feline Distemper), and Rabies virus. Each visit for cats should also include a fecal exam and complete physical. Kittens should be checked for feline leukemia and FIV during this series.

What is Feline Leukemia?

• Feline leukemia is a viral disease of cats that is spread cat-to-cat during fighting and mating. The disease affects the immune system. We recommend testing all cats, and any cat who even steps outside should be vaccinated for this disease. Owners of cats that spend all of the time indoors may chose to vaccinate just in case kitty ever slips outside, so there's one less thing to worry about if he or she gets attacked by another cat while out of doors.

What shots does my ferret need?

• Ferrets are susceptible to many diseases of dogs and cats. They do not encounter too many viruses because of their lifestyles, but there are two vaccines all ferrets need. These are Canine distemper and Rabies. Young ferrets need three doses of the distemper vaccine and then annual boosters are recommended. Rabies vaccination is required by law annually.

Why do you need to check my young animal more than once for worms?

• When we do a fecal exam, we are looking for the eggs shed by adult worms. Most parasites have a life cycle that runs about 21 days, so it is possible for young animals to have immature worms in the intestine but not have any eggs in the fecal sample. Multiple fecals help us ensure your pet has no parasites. We recommend 3 negative fecal samples for any species before we consider them to be "clean".

What is heartworm disease and how can I prevent it?

• Heartworms are transmitted from one dog to your dog by mosquitoes. Larvae from the mosquito bite migrate to the heart. It takes 6 months from the day a mosquito bites your dog until the worm is mature in the heart. Over time, the worms cause congestive heart failure. All dogs, even ones who stay inside, are susceptible to heartworms since mosquitoes are everywhere. Daily heartworm prevention used to be the only way to prevent disease, but now we have several monthly preventatives which make keeping your dog healthy much easier. In addition, most of them also help keep your dog from picking up intestinal parasites. Because our southern winters are mild, we need to have animals on preventative all year long.

What other species should have heartworm preventative?

• Cats and ferrets can also get heartworms. This disease is not treatable in cats and ferrets, so prevention is crucial. There is now a heartworm preventative approved by the FDA for use in cats. While there is no preventative approved for ferrets, there are some options available.

Why can’t you just help me by discussing my pet’s condition over the phone? My doctor or nurse sometimes will do this when it’s something simple.

• Pets cannot speak for themselves, and we as humans sometimes have difficulty interpreting their signs and symptoms. So we recommend that if your pet has a problem, a veterinarian should examine him or her.

My bird (or reptile or ferret or small mammal) just started acting sick today. Can it wait until tomorrow or next week?

• By all means, NO. Many exotic pets are much better at masking illness than dogs, cats or humans are. This is because in the wild, an animal that looks sick is often lunch for a predator. So these pets typically do not show us they are feeling poorly until it is an emergency. If you wait, your pet may be too sick for treatment. This is also why we recommend routine blood work for avian and reptile pets, even if they look healthy—this is how we determine your pet is really healthy.

Should I let my cat roam outdoors?

• No! Cats will live longer, healthier lives if they are kept indoors. For a full article explaining the benefits of keeping cats indoors, read this article.