FAQs (Frequently asked Questions)

1.         Have vaccination schedules changed?  What do you recommend to someone who has cats and dogs and wants to keep them safe but does not want to either endanger them or spend money unnecessarily?

1.         The veterinary profession has spent the past six to seven years reexamining and discussing vaccine duration of immunity and revising vaccination protocols accordingly to make sure that companion animals get care that is tailored to their lifestyles. The goal is to make sure that an individual’s vaccine protocol is protecting them from risks they face, without vaccinating unnecessarily.

For example, in our practice we ask cat owners to describe whether their cats ever go outdoors or whether they are exclusively indoors and what other animals they might come in contact with. If a cat is exclusively indoors, we design a different vaccine protocol than if it goes out regularly or “escapes” with any frequency. Dogs that go to boarding facilities, grooming parlors or doggie daycares will have different recommendations than dogs that do not. The days of designing a single vaccine protocol for an entire species are over.

Good communication is the best tool in designing protocols that are proper for your pets. Having a discussion with the doctor during your pets next visit will help us to gather the necessary information.  With that information, we can explain what vaccinations are recommended, at what frequency and why. At that point you can make an informed decision on a vaccination protocol designed specifically for your pet.

2.         Why is veterinary care so expensive these days?

2.         Your veterinarian is not only your pet’s general physician, but also its surgeon, radiologist, cardiologist, neurologist, dermatologist, dentist, and pharmacist.  The cost of care includes equipment maintenance, as well as continuing education and salaries for the staff.  These costs are necessary to provide the level of care your pet deserves.

As with human medicine, the veterinary medical knowledge base has grown exponentially in recent years, as have technological advances in diagnostics and therapeutics. Pet owners want and demand quality state-of-the-art care for their pets, and much like with human medicine, there is a cost for high-quality, technologically advanced, compassionate care.

3.         While my pet is hospitalized at North Main Animal Hospital, can I visit him/her? Can I see where they will be staying? Can I be the one to take my cat or dog back to his/her hospital quarters?

3.         Patient visitation is encouraged for most patients, although some animals may be stressed by those visits. We recommend owners call if they would like to visit, and we will check with the doctor to be sure that the visit is OK and that it will not interfere with patient care.

Unless it will be disruptive to care or procedures being performed in the treatment/patient ward area, we would be happy to show you the area where your pet will be staying.

As far as taking your own pet to his or her cage in the back part of the hospital, for safety reasons we usually prefer to have one of the technicians or the doctor take them to the back, but if your pet is less stressed and more comfortable with you doing so, we may allow you to take your cat or dog back yourself.

4.         Why does my dog scoot his rear end along the ground?

4.         This is not an uncommon problem. It probably means that your dog has full or infected anal glands. These glands help dogs to mark their territory through scent. They usually empty themselves every time a dog defecates. They can become clogged, however, and unable to empty, and sometimes infection can develop. When this happens, your dog feels a constant, itchy pressure. It can be very uncomfortable.

To get your dog relief, make an appointment with us. The doctor can empty (or "express") the glands, a messy and extremely smelly job, but one that will make your pooch feel much better. If the glands are infected, we can clean them and prescribe an antibiotic. If your dog has a chronic, recurring problem with infected anal glands, they can be surgically removed although this is generally a last resort.

5.         Do you clip nails at North Main Animal Hospital?

5.         We do clip nails at North Main Animal Hospital. We are happy to do this while you are in for a regular doctor’s appointment with your pet, or you can set up a technician appointment anytime for a nail trim alone. There is a nominal charge for nail trims, except when performed under anesthesia. All pets undergoing general anesthesia automatically receive a courtesy nail trim, unless requested otherwise by the owner. We also are happy to give you some pointers if you are interested in trying to clip your pet’s nails at home.

6.         When do you have to anesthetize my pet?

6.         We will anesthetize your pet if the procedure he or she needs to have may cause any significant or prolonged discomfort, or if your pet’s personality while he/she is under stress does not allow safe restraint for the procedure.

7.         How much do your various surgical procedures cost?

7.         Our front-desk Patient Care Coordinators would be happy to give you some basic cost information on our examinations and surgical procedures. He or she may first ask you a few questions about your pet to better tailor the response for your particular circumstance.

The quotes for our most commonly performed surgical procedures include the surgery itself, as well as state-of-the-art anesthesia and anesthetic monitoring (we monitor EKG, body temperature, oxygen saturation, heart and respiratory rates and blood pressure checks every 2-4 minutes, etc.), use of our surgical suite, intravenous fluid administration to ensure both adequate blood pressure as well as proper blood flow to the kidneys, use of a warm-water warming blanket to keep our patients warm while under anesthesia (thus reducing the risk of anesthetic complications), and pre and post-operative pain medication while hospitalized. Pre-op laboratory blood tests are strongly recommended and often have been previously completed. Ask if the price quote includes preoperative blood work.  Any additional laboratory tests, necessary vaccines, etc. incur additional fees.

8.       I understand that the total cost of a surgical procedure includes the surgery itself as well as pre-anesthetic medication, intravenous fluids, anesthesia monitoring, blood pressure monitoring, analgesics, warming blanket, etc. Does my pet really have to have all of this?

8.       In short, yes – your pet really does need all of this to help protect him or her from suffering any short- or long-term effects associated with less comprehensive treatment.

We provide state-of-the-art anesthesia, anesthetic monitoring and surgical services for our patients. We also administer pain medication with all surgeries.

Although there is a cost associated with these services, we feel that it is to our patients benefit that they receive the best anesthetic regimens, anesthetic monitoring protocols and pain management possible.

We take pride in our extremely low anesthetic complication rate and feel that this is in large part due to our use of the safest anesthetic drugs as well as our comprehensive anesthetic monitoring.

In addition, we always administer pain medication for surgical patients. At North Main Animal Hospital, we are very attentive to pain management for many reasons:

• It’s the humane thing to do.
• We know that dogs and cats that have had surgery without proper pain management will be forever frightened and stressed during veterinary visits.
• We know that if sudden onset pain, such as that experienced during surgery, is not managed properly and aggressively, it can lead to chronic pain that can last for months or longer.

9.         Do you take payments? Can you bill me?

9.         We do not have a billing system. All charges are due at the time services are rendered. We accept most major credit cards, and we offer a program called Care Credit in which you can make payments over time. We also accept personal checks and of course cash. Our receptionists would be happy to give you more information on Care Credit if you are interested in that program.

10.        My pet is sneezing. How concerned should I be? What should I do?

10.        An occasional sneeze may be normal, but if the sneezing is frequent, if there is a lot of discharge, if the discharge is colored or bloody, if there is congestion, if the appetite is decreased, or if your pet does not seem to feel well, he/she should come in for an exam.

11.        My pet has not defecated in a day. How concerned should I be? What should I do?

11.        If he or she is trying to defecate but is unable to do so, or if he/she is not eating or acting normally, is lethargic or vomiting, then they should be examined by one of our veterinarians as soon as possible. If your pet seems normal, you can wait one more day, but if he/she still has not defecated, then we should see them.

12.        My pet is vomiting. How concerned should I be? What should I do?

12.        A single episode of vomiting may not be a problem, but if there have been multiple episodes, if the vomit contains blood or foreign material, if your cat or dog is not eating normally, is lethargic or not feeling well, seems constipated, or if you suspect that your they ate any foreign material or something toxic, we should see your pet as soon as possible.

13.        My pet is vomiting or passing worms.  What should I do?

13.        Bring them into North Main Animal Hospital so we can check a stool sample and examine them to determine what medication will be needed to eliminate the worms. If possible, bring in the worms – that will help with the diagnosis. These parasites, although disturbing for owners to see when they vomit or defecate, are not life-threatening and usually are very easy to eliminate with the proper medication.

14.        Do I really need to bring a sample of my pet’s stool in annually?  What are you looking for?

14.        We strongly recommend annual “fecal” examination for all pets.  After processing the specimen with a special solution and spinning it in a centrifuge for several minutes we look for parasite eggs under a microscope.  The processing procedure concentrates these ova to make them more easily detectable.  Our technicians are trained to specifically identify the parasite ova so that we can treat your pet’s infection should we find anything and prevent any reoccurances.  Each parasite has a differing life-cycle and natural host specificity.  However, we are becoming more aware of dangers that some of these common parasites may hold for us humans and our families.  So in addition to annual fecal checks for our pets, we recommend year round intestinal parasite prevention (included in most heartworm preventatives) for our dogs and outside cats.

15.        Does my dog really need to be tested every year for Heartworm disease since he is on year-round preventative medication?

15.        Yes, we still recommend annual heartworm testing.  Heartworm is a very serious disease with life threatening consequences.  We follow the guidelines of the American Veterinary Medical Association,  the American Animal Hospital Association and The American Heartworm Society with our testing and preventative guidelines.  If you pet is on monthly preventative medication throughout the year, then we can test at any time of the year, generally at the time of the annual physical exam.

16.        Why do you recommend year-round heartworm preventative if we don’t have mosquitoes year-round?

16.        Because of the delayed life-cycle of the heartworm larvae as it slowly develops in the dog or cats system, using preventative medication throughout the winter months helps to insure the elimination of any developing worms.  The heartworm larvae take six months to develop into adult heartworms after the initial mosquito bite.  Our preventative medications “knockout” infections after they have taken place (during larval development within your pet’s body).  It has also been observed that the mosquito season has lengthened here in Michigan.  Lastly, and most importantly for human health, heartworm preventative medications also have the added benefit of protecting against many intestinal parasites.  Some of these parasites can occasionally cause very serious health problems for us pet owners.  By using heartworm preventative medications year-round and doing regular fecal exam on our pets, we can further diminish the possibility of serious disease for both pets and people.

 Cat questions.

17.        Can you bathe my cat?

17.        If your cat is in the hospital for an appointment and gets dirty (stool, urine, etc.) while here or needs to have a bath for a medical reason (fleas, etc.), we are happy to bathe your cat. Otherwise, we can refer you to a local groomer or talk to you about how to bathe your cat at home. Check with your  veterinarian to be sure that you cat needs to be bathed at all. As a general rule, cats do not enjoy being bathed, so unless it is absolutely necessary to do so, we don’t routinely recommend bathing of cats.

18.        Do you do “lion cuts” at North Main Animal Hospital?

18.        In those cases where lion cuts need to be done, we can do them on cats that are in for other procedures (such as dental cleanings or a minor surgical procedure) or for cats that need to be sedated to have a lion cut done. Otherwise, we are happy to refer you to a local groomer.

19.        Why does my cat need vaccinations when he/she doesn’t go outside?

19.        In recent years, vaccine administration has become very controversial in veterinary medicine, especially in cats. At North Main Animal Hospital, we individualize our vaccine recommendations based on age and health of the patient, risk of exposure and duration and efficacy of each vaccine.

Even for cats that are housed strictly inside, that spend no time out of doors, and that have no contact with any cats that spend any time out of doors, we recommend that two core vaccines be kept current for healthy cats: the combination FVR-CP vaccine; and the rabies vaccine.

The former vaccinates against feline rhinotracheitis and calici viruses (both upper respiratory viruses) and feline panleukopenia (feline distemper) virus and should be administered no more often than every two years. These are airborne viruses, so there is potential for exposure even in cats housed indoors.

Rabies vaccination is required by law for  cats in many of our communities and surrounding counties. Multiple other vaccines are available for cats; however, we do not routinely recommend these without reasonable risk of exposure.

20.        My cat doesn’t seem to be feeling well today. Can I give my cat an aspirin or Tylenol?

20.        No, absolutely not! Never, give your cat any human medication without a consultation with your North Main Animal Hospital veterinarian.

Cats metabolize (physically process) drugs differently than most other species, so many prescription and over-the-counter human medications can be quite toxic to cats. This is especially true for Tylenol and those medications known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as aspirin and ibuprofen which can be especially deadly for cats. Other drugs in this category can be used in cats, but only in very small, infrequent dosages, and only under the direct supervision of your North Main Animal Hospital veterinarian.

Also, be aware that the normal body temperature of a cat is 101–102 degrees, so your cat may feel warm to you, but he may not actually have a fever. The only accurate way to know if your cat has a fever is to take his temperature.

21.        What are the symptoms of Feline Leukemia Virus?

21.        There are three major disease categories associated with the feline leukemia virus, and clinical signs will vary depending upon which one the cat has. General signs could include poor appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, drooling/mouth pain, poorly healing infections, etc.

The three major diseases association with the feline leukemia virus are:

• Leukemia, which is a cancer of the white blood cells.
• Lymphoma, which is a cancer of many different organs but it begins in lymphoid tissue, such as a lymph node. Almost any tissue may be affected. Organs commonly involved include lymph nodes, intestinal tract, kidneys, liver, spinal cord, brain, bone marrow and blood. In young cats, lymphoma often manifests as a mass within the thoracic (chest) cavity. This is called “mediastinal lymphoma.” Most cats with this form of lymphoma will test positive on our feline leukemia virus screening tests. In older cats, lymphoma involving the intestinal tract is more common. In this case, there may be a discrete mass, but more often than not, there is no discrete mass. Instead, the cancer involves microscopic cancer cells throughout most, if not all, of the intestinal tract. The majority of cats with lymphoma involving the intestinal tract will test negative on our feline leukemia virus screening tests, although the virus may be involved in some cases. Cats with lymphoma involving other organs (kidneys, liver, neurologic system, skin/muscle, etc.) may or may not test positive on our screening tests. Thus, the virus itself may or may not be involved.
• Non-Cancerous Diseases and Health Conditions, which include a variety of somewhat unrelated health issues. Anemia, abortion and immune suppression are examples. When the immune system is suppressed, the cat becomes susceptible to many diseases it would ordinarily resist, and recovery from mild diseases, such as respiratory infections, is prolonged and more serious.

22.        My cat is defecating outside the box. What’s going on? What should I do?

22.        There may be a physical problem, such as constipation or body pain (arthritis, abdominal discomfort from multiple causes, etc.) that is causing your cat to avoid the box, or there may be a problem with the litter box itself. Additionally, stress (as perceived or defined by the cat, e.g., the stress of illness, environmental changes/stresses, etc.) also can cause cats to eliminate outside the litter box.

Your cat should be examined so we can rule out physical problems and address any litter box or other environmental issues that might be causing the problem.