Frequently Asked Questions
Does my pet need every vaccination?
Our plan for each patient is to work with an owner to make sure that the vaccine protocol meets their pets needs based on where they live and what activities they frequent. We want to make sure that an owner feels comfortable with what our suggestions are as determined by the risk of natural exposure for a patient, as well as their age playing a factor in overall immunity. We want to provide sound medical care based on what the patient needs, rather than simply following a generic protocol.
We welcome a conversation about how we can provide an alternative vaccine schedule and medications used as “pre-meds,” especially for at risk breeds, to lessen the chance for a patient to have any adverse effects due to the vaccinations.
Lastly, we are often asked whether or not a titer can be used in place of a vaccine. A titer is a blood test that measures the level of antibody (protection) that a patient has from previous vaccination or exposure. The requirement for the rabies vaccination does not allow for a protective titer to be used in its place, but there are other common vaccines for which a titer is appropriate and acceptable.
There are many opportunities to be judicious about a vaccination protocol for our patients and we hope that owners feel the freedom to be able to ask the basic, but meaningful, questions about what is best for them.
Why does my dog eat grass?
Although eating grass rarely causes any significant issues other than vomiting and diarrhea (and the unfortunate clean-up that accompanies those), we try our best to advise clients that eating grass adds very little positive value to their pets’ overall health. That is to say, very little nutritional needs are met by eating grass that would not already be provided for by their diet.
Dogs that are prone to eating items outside rarely just eat grass. More often than not they will consume wood chips, acorns, sticks and other outdoor debris. And beyond the obvious risk of an internal obstruction, the most common problem has to do with the parasites that animals are exposed to while eating grass. While a dog or cat eating grass is not a cause for panic, it is something that we encourage owners to try and decrease so that other indirect issues do not occur. For more information, please visit our blog post about why dogs eat grass.
Why does my dog scoot his/her butt on the ground?
There are a handful of reasons why this might occur and we can typically rule out the more serious causes with a routine exam. The most common cause for this in dogs in due to their anal sacs. Sometimes it’s as simple as the glands needing to be expressed. The glands can become overly full if the material becomes thick and hard to express or the glands can become irritated or painful in the cases of sacculitis or anal gland infections. Although we can’t do much to help with the cleaning of your floors at home, we are happy to try and make sure that your dog has fewer opportunities to say “ewwww.”
