We have often found that some of the most frequent questions we are asked would help many others if the information was only made available online. If you would like more information on any of these topics, please feel free to contact our office.

Know the Veterinarians You're Asking

Select the topic you would like to know more about...

Dental Care for Your Pet Spaying and Neutering Your Pet Maintaining Quality of Life Learning About Laser Surgery Discover More About Lyme Disease

Dental Care for Your Companion

Dental and gum disease are the most common health problems that threaten dogs and cats. Up to 80% of all pets over 2 years are affected by periodontal disease, which is caused by buildup of bacterial plaque on teeth. Just as with people, professional teeth cleanings and routine oral care at home for your pet can help prevent or slow a number of dental problems. If periodontal disease is not stopped, it can lead to constant pain for your pet, difficulty eating and even tooth loss. The bacteria from plaque also may enter the bloodstream and slowly poison vital internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs. Give us a call if you see signs such as bleeding or inflamed gums, loose teeth, excessive salivation or bad breath. We can clean your pet's teeth above and below the gum line, improving the life and health of your pet.

Spotting the warning signs

The best way to learn whether your pet has a dental problem is simply to raise his or her lips and have a good look at the teeth & gums. If you notice "gunk" (tartar), stains, or other buildup on the teeth and gums from saliva or food residue, you should give us a call. Also look for bleeding or swollen gums (gingivitis) and loose or missing teeth. Other warning signs include drooling, excessive licking and reluctance to eat or chew. Keep in mind that even if your pet is acting normally, he can still feel pain. Dental problems, especially periodontal disease, can become very serious before you even notice a problem. A dental checkup along with a thorough cleaning is one of the best steps you can take toward the livelihood of your pet.

Preventing Oral Disease

The good news about oral disease is that many cases are highly preventable. Your pet should have his teeth professionally cleaned at least once a year, starting at one year of age. This proactive treatment is aimed at maintaining natural oral defenses so periodontal disease and other dental problems have a harder time becoming established. But you also have a role to play. Annual preventative dental cleanings are most effective with regular oral home care. That's where you come in. A good home-care program incorporates several methods of plaque control, extending the positive effects of professional cleaning. We recommend brushing teeth daily with CET toothpaste (they come in a variety of yummy pet flavors) and a toothbrush. If your pet doesn't allow you to use a toothbrush, getting the toothpaste on the teeth is more helpful than nothing! There are several products (we recommend Breathalyzer) that you can add to your pet's water that decreases the bacteria that causes tartar that causes gingivitis. Tartar control treats are also very helpful for both cats and dogs. Fortunately, we can often encourage appropriate chewing from our dogs by getting them yummy treats that help break up tartar and prevent further buildup (examples: greenies, beef puffs, CET chews (look like rawhides but have chlorhexidene that kills bacteria). A combination of all these techniques are important for helping our pets live long and healthy lives.

Return to Top

More Information About Spaying and Neutering Your Pet

What do "spay" and "neuter" really mean?

Female dogs and cats are spayed by removing their reproductive organs, and male dogs and cats are neutered by removing their testicles. In both cases the operation is performed while the pet is under anesthesia. Depending on your pet's age, size, and health, he or she will stay at your veterinarian's office for a few hours or overnight. Depending upon the procedure, your pet may need stitches removed after a few days. Your veterinarian can fully explain spay and neuter procedures to you and discuss with you the best age at which to sterilize your pet.

Spaying or Neutering Is Good for Your Pet

• Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
• Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.
• Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer, particularly when your pet is spayed before her first estrous cycle.
• Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.

Spaying or Neutering Is Good for You

• Spaying and neutering makes pets better, more affectionate companions.
• Neutering cats makes them less likely to spray and mark territory.
• Spaying a dog or cat eliminates her heat cycle. Estrus lasts an average of six to 12 days, often twice a year, in dogs and an average of six to seven days, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat can cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
• Unsterilized animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than do those who have been spayed or neutered.
• Spaying and neutering can make pets less likely to bite.
• Neutering makes pets less likely to roam the neighborhood, run away, or get into fights.

Spaying and Neutering Are Good for the Community

• Communities spend millions of dollars to control unwanted animals.
• Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks.
• Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.
• Stray pets and homeless animals get into trash containers, defecate in public areas or on private lawns, and frighten or anger people who have no understanding of their misery or needs.
• Some stray animals also scare away or kill birds and wildlife.

Fix That Bunny!

When being conscientious about the pet overpopulation, don’t forget to spay or neuter your pet rabbit. Altering rabbits can reduce hormone-driven behavior such as lunging, mounting, spraying, and boxing. Spaying females can prevent ovarian, mammarian, and uterine cancers, which can be prevalent in mature does. Also, rabbits reproduce faster than dogs or cats and are the third-most surrendered animal to shelters.Spay or neuter surgery carries a one-time cost that is relatively small when one considers its benefits. It's a small price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of more unwanted animals.Taken from The Humane Society of the United States

Return to Top

Maintaining Quality of Life for Your Pet

Quality of Life and Euthanasia

As pet owners and caregivers, we may face the decision of ending a pet's suffering in a humane and painless way. It is very difficult for most people to make this choice and we have all had to struggle with how to make this decision. Quality of life issues are very real and can be used to assess a pet's status, whether it be to continue medical care or to perform euthanasia.

Pain - Is pain control necessary? Is it adequate for the pet's condition? Are there more good (pain-free or low pain) days than bad days? If pain can not be controlled, euthanasia may be necessary to end a pet's suffering.

Hunger - Maintaining adequate nutrition, especially in sick or painful animals is critical. When a pet stops eating, a decision needs to be made whether to force feed or tube feed. If nutritional needs can not be met, this is a valid reason for euthanasia.

Hydration - At some point a pet may need supplemental fluids. Some owners are able to do this at home. Dehydration can be life threatening and will lead to organ failure. If home care is not an option, other plans should be made to prevent suffering.

Hygiene - Can the pet be kept brushed and cleaned or is he/she able to move enough so that it does not end up laying in it's own waste? This can be particularly frustrating for animals, especially cats. Many animals lose interest in self-care when their quality of life is poor.

Happiness - Does the pet enjoy his/her life? Is there interaction with family members? Or is the joy of life gone? If depression has become an issue, some medications may help, but this is a critical point in an animal's life.

Mobility - If problems with getting an animal outside to potty or even to the litter pan has become a daily issue, steps need to be taken for extra nursing care to prevent urine burns and skin infections. If this is not possible, euthanasia may be the only option.

Quality of Life - When there are too many bad days, the quality of life is compromised. This is the number one way to make the very difficult decision to euthanize a pet. We need to put our pet's feelings first even though we may miss them terribly.

A lot of times we may prefer a pet to pass on naturally at home, in their own bed or in our arms. This is okay ONLY if the pet is not suffering. Home euthanasia is an excellent alternative if the pet has become visibly uncomfortable or if the course of the disease is prolonged. Please ask one of our veterinarians for advice if you do not feel comfortable making this decision. We are always available to help.

Return to Top

Laser Surgery and Your Companion

What is a laser?

A laser is a device that generates an intense beam of coherent light that can cut, seal or vaporize tissue.Lasers have been successfully used on humans for over 30 years. This knowledge gained in human medicine is beneficial for your pets. Your pet's health is as important to us as it is to you. Hundreds of veterinarians are offering laser surgery as an exciting new option for safer, more comfortable treatment. In many procedures, the laser can replace the scalpel and provide a better alternative to traditional surgery.

Why laser surgery?

Less Pain
The laser seals nerve endings as it "cuts." As a result, your pet will experience less pain and be more comfortable post operatively.

Less Bleeding
The Laser seals small blood vessels during surgery. This speeds many procedures, reducing the time your pet needs to be under anesthesia, which further reduces possible complications.

Less Swelling
Laser energy does not crush, tear or bruise tissue because the only thing that touches your pet is an invisible beam of light.

What does this mean for my pet?

Reduced risk of infection
As the laser removes diseased tissue, it seals the skin and reduces the amount of bacteria present.

Precision
The laser can remove unhealthy tissue while minimizing adverse effects to healthy surrounding tissue.

Quick return to normal activities
Healing is rapid and there is less post-operative discomfort and a better course of healing.

How does a laser work?

The way a particular laser works is determined by the specific wavelength of light that it produces. For example, the most commonly used surgical laser is a CO2 laser which produces an invisible beam of light that vaporizes the water normally found in the skin and other soft tissue. Because the doctor can precisely control the laser, only a thin layer of tissue is removed, leaving the surrounding areas unaffected.

What type of procedures can a laser perform?

A laser is ideal for a wide variety of procedures for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, horses and other animals. Some of these include the removal of cysts, tumors and warts, as well as specialized internal procedures.

Additional information available at: www.accuvet.com

Return to Top

Lyme Disease Can Ruin Your Companion's Summer

Wisconsin is a high risk state for Lyme disease. Lyme disease is transmitted most commonly by the bite of a deer tick infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Only 5-10% of infected animals will show obvious clinical signs of this disease.

The most common signs are lameness, lymph node enlargement, fever, decreased appetite, lethargy, kidney disease and arthritis. We can test for Lyme disease with a simple blood test that also tests for heartworm disease (IDEXX 4DX test). If your dog does test positive, the recommended treatment is Doxycycline (an antibiotic also used to treat Lyme disease in people).

An infected dog cannot directly transmit Lyme disease to another animal or to a person. To protect your dog against Lyme disease we recommend using a topical tick control product once a month (Frontline or Advantix), vaccinating higher risk dogs yearly against Lyme disease, and performing regular tick checks on your dog and yourself when in heavily wooded areas or areas with tall grasses.

Return to Top