FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: When should I change my pet's diet from puppy/kitten diet to an adult diet?
A: For small breed dogs (<10 kg mature weight) we recommend a puppy diet up to 8-10 months of age, depending on their individual growth curve and body condition, at which time your dog should be placed on a small breed adult formulation. For medium breed dogs (10-25 kg mature weight) we recommend a puppy diet up to 10-12 months of age, again depending on individual growth curve and body condition, then onto adult formulation.For large breed dogs (> 25 kg mature weight) we recommend a large breed puppy diet up to 12-18 months of age (once again depending on individual growth curve and body condition) then your dog should be placed on a large breed adult formulation. For cats we recommend a kitten diet up to 8-10 months of age (depending on body condition) at which time your cat should be placed on adult formulation.
Q: When should I change my pet's diet from an adult diet to a senior diet?
A: Small breed dogs and cats are generally considered to be seniors at 10 years of age. Large breed dogs are generally considered to be seniors at 8 years of age. Depending on individual circumstances and health concerns a diet change may be recommended at this time.
Q: At which age should my pet be spayed or neutered?
A: The generally accepted age to spay or neuter an animal is six months of age. There may be individual circumstances where it is advantageous to spay or neuter earlier and circumstances (large breed or high performance dogs) where it is advantageous to delay the spay or neuter.
Q: Why should I spay or neuter my animal?
A: Spaying or neutering your pet eliminates the possibility of reproduction and reduces unintentional pregnancies. Spaying eliminates the female heat cycle. From a medical point of view, spaying or neutering your animal will dramatically reduce the risk of developing mammary or prostate cancer and will eliminate the risk of uterine infections and ovarian or testicular cancer. From a behavioral point of view, it helps decrease behavioural vices (particularly if done prior to development of unwanted behaviors) such as urine marking, aggression and wandering. Spaying or neutering does lower the basal metabolic rate and therefore decreases caloric need so feeding should be adjusted to prevent weight gain. Spaying or neutering does not change your pet's personality.
Q: How often should my pet be vaccinated?
A: Vaccinations are given to help prevent infectious diseases. Your veterinary team will help to determine the risk factors for your individual pet and develop an appropriate vaccination protocol. Generally speaking, puppies and kittens are given a series of vaccinations between 6 and 16 weeks of age. These are then repeated one year later. From that point (again depending on individual risk factors) we are often able to lengthen the interval between administration of the vaccine.
Q: Why do young animals require multiple sets of vaccines?
A: When puppies are born, nature provides for temporary immunity against diseases in the form of their mothers colostrum. The antibodies from the colostrum will wear off atvarious ages depending on amount ingested and levels of antibodies in the colostrum. We need to begin the process of stimulating the puppies own immune system to produce antibodies at the earliest age that the colostral antibodies may disappear and continue to stimulate the immune system until we are sure the pup is actively producing antibodies on his/her own.
Q: How often should I deworm my dog?
A: Along with annual wellness exams and vaccinations, intestinal parasite control should be done on a regular basis starting as a puppy and carried on throughout life. It is assumed that all puppies have intestinal roundworms. They can acquire them in-utero, via their mothers milk and through fecal/oral contact from contaminated feces. Roundworm eggs are quite resilient and can survive in the environment for up to 9 years. Even Alberta winters cannot kill them. Adult dogs can pick up these eggs from other dog or cat feces, places where there have been feces, or eggs tracked on shoes and clothing. Roundworms are transmissible to humans, at particular risk are children and immunosuppressed individuals. Dogs are also susceptible to tapeworms which they can contract by ingesting mice, gophers or fleas. We recommend deworming puppies every 2 weeks until 16 weeks of age, then monthly thereafter. We recommend deworming adult dogs once a year with a broad spectrum dewormer followed by monthly roundworm prevention. Our guidelines have been established from the Companion Animal Parasite Council™ recommendations. You can visit their website at www.petsandparastites.org
Q: How often should I deworm my cat?
A: Along with annual wellness exams and vaccinating your cat, parasite control should be done on a regular basis starting when cats are kittens and carried on throughout their life. It is assumed that all kittens have intestinal roundworms. They can acquire them inutero, via their mothers milk and through fecal/oral contact from contaminated feces. Roundworm eggs are quite resilient and can survive in the environment for up to 9 years. Even Alberta winters cannot kill them. Adult cats can pick up these eggs from other cat or dog feces, places where there has been feces, or eggs tracked on shoes/clothing. Roundworms are transmissible to humans, at particular risk are children and immunosuppressed individuals. Cats are also susceptible to tapeworms which they can contract by ingesting mice, gophers or fleas. We recommend deworming kittens at 8 weeks of age and again at 16 weeks of age, then every 3 months thereafter. We recommend deworming adult cats every 3 months for roundworm and tapeworm prevention.
Q: My pet has fleas or lice, what should I do?
A: We should first confirm the type of parasite involved. There are a variety of topical treatments available that are very simple and easy to use. Depending on risk factors, we may recommend continued monthly prevention.
Q: My pet has a tick, what should I do?
A: The tick should be physically removed. We can assist with removal or if you are comfortable you can proceed on your own. Please wear gloves, grasp the tick as close as possible to your pet's skin using tweezers, pull with firm steady pressure. Place the tick in a safe container and bring it to us for submission to the government lab for identification and testing. Consider monthly preventative application of tick control products.
Q: Is heartworm common in Alberta?
A: Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes and is dependent on their life-cycle as well as the weather. In order for the heartworm to manifest into an infectious state, it requires a certain number of consecutive days of warm weather. In Alberta, the cold weather interrupts the mosquito's life cycle and often times the weather is not consistent enough for the worm to develop. There have been heartworm positive dogs diagnosed in Alberta but they either came from or traveled elsewhere. To date there have been no reported resident dogs diagnosed with heartworm in Alberta, however, with the changing weather patterns many owner's have started their pets on a prevention program of heartworm.
Q: What is the vaccination protocol for foals?
A: The vaccine protocol for foals is dependent on the vaccine history of their mother. If the foal is born from a fully vaccinated mare the first set of vaccines should be completed between five and six months of age. If the foal is born from a mare that has not been vaccinated over the past year the first set of vaccines should be completed between three to four months of age. The first set of vaccines should be boostered approximately three to four weeks later to insure that the foal will build an immunity towards the diseases it has been vaccinated for.
Q: What is the vaccination protocol for horses?
A: All horses should be vaccinated for tetanus and the mosquito transmitted diseases, West Nile Virus, Western and Eastern Encephalomyelitis (Sleeping sickness). These should be administered annually in the spring. Boosters 3-4 weeks later are required for horses being vaccinated for the first time. For horses in contact with other horses (shows, stables, trail rides, etc) consideration should be given to vaccinating for the respiratory infections, Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis and Strep. Equi (Strangles).
Q: What is an appropriate deworming schedule for horses?
A: Foals should be dewormed at approximately two months of age and should receive a repeat dose every six to eight weeks until they reach the age of two. The frequency of administration of dewormer to horses older than 2 years depends on the type of dewormer used and the pasture conditions (stocking density, rainfall, manure disposal, etc). Generally speaking, with our pasture conditions using Quest dewormer we need only three dewormings per year, spring, 12-14 weeks later and after the first killing frost. If using any other dewormer reduce the interval between dewormings to 8 weeks.
Q: What is an appropriate vaccination program for cattle herds?
A: Cattle vaccine protocols may be more in depth depending on your situation. One of our veterinarians will be happy to discuss your individual needs and tailor a program that is suitable for you.