Frequently Asked Questions:

There are numerous reasons for eating grass. The first being it's natural for canines to eat some greens to balance the diet. The grass must be chemically untreated grass to be safe. If a dog is eating more than a few bites followed by vomiting, it can be the stomach was not feeling right. The content needed to be regurgitated. It is important to re-evaluate the diet being fed.

Just like other mammals dog dream. They will go through the rapid eye movement stage where the legs may twitch and the eye lids move. They to have a healing process going on during sleep. It is important that they get restful, undisturbed sleep with day time naps.

Necessary vaccinations will vary with age, exposure to disease and health of the animal. There are core vaccines needed for basic health. Rabies is needed by law due to the seriousness of being a zoonotic disease. Once contracted, it is deadly.

Health can be difficult to judge at home. Disease can come on gradually with subtle symptoms. Palpation by the veterinarian, plus blood and urine test help detect disease before it becomes an emergency.

Diet needs vary depending on species, age, genetics, and health. Veterinarians can help you with these decisions. There isn't one diet great for every dog or cat. One needs to consider the cost, availability, and ease of purchasing the product as well as, will my dog or cat eat that premade diet in that form. Some illnesses require special ingredients for healing.

There are so many causes of vomiting, one must consider the age, diet, water consumption, toxin exposure, and health in each situation. One needs to review the history of how and when vomiting started. Is it worse, same or better since it was noticed? What changes have occurred in the life style? To help you work through these questions, contact your veterinarian for guidance and figuring out the reason. 

This has been recently changing from very young to later as the dog matures. For cats, it is still in the first year of life 6-9 months old. It has been noted, dogs have a reduced problem with joint disease if altered after they mature. Often times it is better to wait until the bones are at full length so the muscles and tendons have time to function more efficiently

Prior to any surgery your pet needs a review of history, physical, bloodwork and EKG. Your veterinary would take appropriate precautions for the necessary procedure to reduce any adverse risk. All medications can cause side effect, some are unexpected. A healthy patient has a good prognosis. Risks can include, minor symptoms of cough, mild infections, inappetence, to slow recovery, and rarely death.

Puppies and some active adult dogs such as hunting dogs, can deplete the blood glucose readily. They become lethargic, inactive, weak, listless and less responsive. They may feel cold. You can drip a sugary solution into the mouth to carefully replenish the blood sugar level. If not improvement in 10 minutes, contact your veterinarian.

Lyme disease can manifest in different ways. Be on the look out for lethargy, joint pain such as moving less, fever (learn how to take your cat's rectal temperature), swollen lymph nodes (learn the 4 easy ones to palpate) and weight loss.

Many disease can have the same symptoms. Lethargy, less appetite, weight loss, not able to jump as high, bruising may be noted on the gums, and enlarged lymph nodes. Learn how to take your cat's weight at home, feel lymph nodes, take the pulse, do a rectal temperature. If you note any of these symtoms, call your vet to get an exam, blood work and possibly imaging.

It is said by researchers that an attached tick can start passing on some illnesses in 3 hours other disease such as Lyme takes 1-2 days.

Rabies vaccinations are required by law for dogs in Wisconsin. Check with your local municipality if rabies vaccinations are required for cats. Most areas in Wisconsin do not require rabies vaccinations for cats, however it is recommend.

Certain cat diseases such as thyroid and kidney disease can cause weight loss while the appetite continues. A blood and urine test can be helpful in determining the underlying cause. Checking thyroid levels is a common test for older cats that lose weight. Hyperthyroidism can be treated to lower the thyroid levels. Occasionally x-rays and advanced imaging are needed to find the cause of the weight loss.

Certain diseases cause the kidneys to pass more liquids causing thirst to increase such as in some kidney diseases.

There are more than three signs to watch for in kidney disease, such as increased thirst, decrease appetite, lethargy, urinating more, dry hair coat, constipation and bad breath.

In advancing kidney disease, dehydration is of concern. There may be reduced water intake and an increase in dilute urine being passed causing dehydration. Better to feed a kidney protective diet of lower phosphorus, sodium and protein as a moist food.

A cat may have a dry cough that brings up a ball of hair. A healthy cat is able to pass the hair that they swallow from grooming. Hair tends to pass easily through to the bowel movements. A moist diet with plenty of water available reduces the risk of the gastrointestinal system collecting hair. Hairballs are call trichobezoars.

Preventing or reducing hairballs in cats starts with combing out the excess hair on the body and tail. For long-haired cats, a lion cut once or twice a year will reduce the volume of hair that a cat needs to groom. Lion cut is shaving the body short, leaving the head and tail long. It also is cooling during the warm months of the year.

Any time a cat is vomiting with frequency either hairballs, food or phlegm, it is time to get a physical exam by your veterinarian. The history, physical exam, blood tests and x-rays help find the cause the of hairballs being vomited.

If your dog is chewing the paws, get a good look at the top, bottom and between the toe areas. Take some images to share with your veterinarian to help describe the appearance. Make certain there are no foreign objects on or in between the foot pads. Burs can easily get stuck deep between foot pads and in between toes. Contact your veterinarian to share what your observations have been

Paw chewing does not necessarily mean your dog is stressed. It can be sore feet from long nails or infected toenail beds. Make certain there are no mats, burs or other foreign objects stuck to the fur. Check for enlarged toe joints that may hurt from injuries. Call your vet to get directions on how to manage the paw chewing.

Yes it is a concern to treat any hot spot right away. Waiting can mean the infection can spread. The hair needs to be clipped beyond the edges of the hot spot to stop the infection from spreading. Appropriate wound care needs to start with possible topical antibiotics or steroids to aid in healing.

Hot spots often start when the skin is moist for an extended time. The area frequently affected is under the ear flap on the side cheek area. Drying your dog immediately after swimming can reduce the occurrence. Some dogs that are hypothyroid or under stress can form hot spots more frequently.

A fix for your dog's behavior depends on age, breed and level of training that you have given your dog. Starting out early as a puppy in puppy classes and continue with more advance classes in manners with reduce many behavior issues from starting. Your dog trainer and veterinarian can help aid you with these issues.

The Book Genius of Dogs, How Dogs are Smarter Than You Think is a helpful resource on the behavior of your dog and how they learn. The web site, dognition.com can take you through the science of how your dog learns and thinks.