Fischer Animal Hospital

Small Animal Veterinary Clinic
(636) 240 - 7646

 

FAQ: 

Surgery

 

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"Should I spay/neuter my pet?"

YES!

Please refer to the handouts available for download (below).

spayingcanine_1.pdf
Spaying your female dog
neuteringcanine_1.pdf
Neutering your male dog
spayingfeline_1.pdf
Spaying your female cat
neuteringfeline_1.pdf
Neutering your male cat
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"Does my dog/cat really need his/her teeth cleaned?"

YES!


Proper oral health care can add several years to your dog or cat's lifespan!  The above photos show a dog with severe periodontal disease. 

Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) website http://www.vohc.org/ has great information on oral health in dogs and cats.  They also list VOHC approved products to help maintain dental health at home.


dentaldiseasehandout.pdf
Dental Disease Guide
felinedentaldisease.pdf
Feline Dental Disease
caninedentistry.pdf
Canine Dental Health
felineoralresorptivelesions.pdf
Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions
tartarprevention_1.pdf
How to prevent tartar on your pet's teeth
brushingyourcatsteeth.pdf
Brushing your cat's teeth - You CAN do it!
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"Will you declaw my cat?"


Yes, but at Fischer Animal Hospital declaw procedures are performed only by Dr. Holt using a surgical laser.

We strongly urge owners look into alternatives before declawing cats.  The procedure is an amputation of the distal phalanges, or last bone, in each toe.  This is the equivalent of removing a human's finger up to the first knuckle. Alternatives are available: training cats to use scratching posts, not encouraging rough play by offering appropriate toys (e.g. kickaroo), trimming nails, or using caps (Soft Paws http://www.softpaws.com/).  


Declawing should be a last resort.  For more information on declawing, please refer to the links below.


Train your cat to not scratch furniture:

http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/june-is-adopt-a-cat-month-training-your-new-cat-not-to-scratch-furniture

 

declawing_bgnd.pdf
AVMA Handout on Declawing

All photographs are used with permission of owners.  Photos by Jessica Standiford (c) 2013.