Welcome to Parkway Animal Hospital
Embracing the Science of Medicine and the Art of Healing
As a new pet owner on your first visit plan to spend about an hour with us as we would like to introduce you to Parkway Animal Hospital. Our staff is glad to answer any questions you might have about our facility. Some of the services we offer include:
For a new puppy or kitten there are "essential" subjects that will help with the care of your new family member. These will help your pet have a happy and healthy life. If you have questions please feel free to discuss them with any of our staff members, who would be happy to help you.
CARING FOR YOUR PET'S TEETH:
Why?
Dental care is an important part of health maintenance to help prevent many other harmful diseases that can greatly shorten the life expectancy of your pet. We strongly recommend brushing your dog or cat's teeth once a day. If your pet already has tartar buildup or gingivitis, we will discuss professional dental cleaning with you prior to starting home care. See A PET OWNER'S GUIDE TO PREVENTING PERIODONTAL DISEASE for additional information and products.
How?
1. Start with the toothpaste.
C.E.T. toothpaste is available in malt, vanilla - mint, seafood and poultry flavors, and pets tend to enjoy the flavor. Start by giving them the toothpaste as a treat. Do not use people toothpaste; it contains a detergent that should not be swallowed and can cause nausea.
2. Handle your pet's mouth
Get your pet ready by spending some time handling their gums, putting your fingers in their mouth, getting them comfortable with the touch. TREATS are very useful for this. Reward your pet for sitting still and being cooperative. Make it a game - let him enjoy the attention.
3. Brush the teeth
When your pet is comfortable with you handling its mouth it is the time to begin brushing. You might start using your finger with the toothpaste on it and work your way up to using a finger brush, or an animal toothbrush. You don't need to worry about the inside of the teeth, just work your way around the outer surface of the teeth. Tartar build up tends to occur more along the outside than on the inside of the teeth.
4. Dental Treats
Dental treats can also aid in keeping the tarter build under control. Provide appropriate sized, non-fat dental treats/chews, such as: C.E.T Chews, Hills T/D, or Greenies to help keep the tartar from building up on teeth.
5. Regular Dental Care
Get regular dental cleaning/polishing when indicate by your veterinarian.
TRIMMING YOUR PET'S NAILS:
Why?
Nail trimming is important for your pet’s health. Dogs with over grown nails not only have trouble walking, but also often the nails can grow into the pads or break off above the quick and cause bleeding and discomfort. Cats' nails on the other hand, are retractable and tend to be more brittle. Often cat's nails will break off when they get too long; however, they also tend to do more damage to furniture and people. We recommend that you trim your pet's nails once a week.
How?
1. Handle their feet
You will want to start by getting your pet used to having their feet handled. Give them lots of treats and praise while you handle each foot.
2. Trim And Reward
Once your pet is used to having its feet touched then you can begin trimming their nails. With white nails you can see where the "quick" (blood vessel in the nail) ends, however if your pet has pigmented nails you'll want to be careful and trim off just a little at a time. Clipping your pet's nails once weekly helps keep the quick short, and keeps nail trimming easy and safe. When you first begin trimming your pet's nails you will want to have LOTS of treats handy. Giving them a treat after each nail is clipped keeps their attention elsewhere, and keeps them holding still and being good. When you finish all the nails be sure to make a big deal out of how wonderful your pet is - lots of praise and rewards.
3. Incase you cut too close
If you do cut your pet's nail too close to the quick and it begins to bleed there are several "quick fixes" you can use. A product called Kwick Stop powder is available for this and is probably the easiest and quickest fix. Around the house you can also try a little piece of bread, cornstarch, or a small piece of cotton to stop the bleeding. We DO NOT recommend Styptic sticks - they sting too much, and your pet would not appreciate it. Remember to give your pet a treat after a nick. You don't want to let this be a bad experience - finish cutting the rest of the nails, and give treats and praise for good behavior. For addition information and instructions see A PET OWNER'S GUIDE TO NAIL TRIMMING.
EAR CARE:
Why?
By checking and cleaning your pet's ears once a week you will be able to detect any problem that may arise before it gets serious. Animals' ears are very susceptible to infections.
How?
1. Ear cleaners
We carry a very gentle cleaning solution called VET SOLUTIONS which is very pleasant smelling, and does a terrific job of breaking down ear wax buildup. We also carry Corium-20, which acts as a drying agent for animals with long or furry ears. The Corium may also be recommended for animals that spend a lot of time swimming and frequently have wet ears.
2. How to use the cleaners
Apply the solution in the ears; gently massage the base of the ear to loosen the wax and dirt. Then using a cotton ball, wipe the inside of the ear until dry. You can use a Q-Tip on the EXTERNAL ear, to clean in the crevices. Do not use the Q-tip on the internal part of the ear; stick to cotton balls or paper towels. Your pet will probably shake its head vigorously for a while after cleaning. Additional information and instructions can be found in A PET OWNER'S GUIDE TO EAR CARE.
HEARTWORM AND FLEA PREVENTATIVES
Heartworms in dogs:
In North Carolina we recommend keeping your pet on heartworm preventive medication year round. We also require that all dogs be tested once a year for heartworms. On your puppy's first visit we will start them on heartworm preventive medicine. When they come in the following year for their annual boosters we will test them for heartworms before dispensing a refill of this medication. The heartworm test is a blood test that takes less than 10 minutes to perform. Parkway Animal Hospital offers four types of heartworm preventative for dogs. Below is a brief description of each. If you have questions about any of these products, please do not hesitate to ask us for more information. See A PET OWNER'S GUIDE TO HEARTWORM DISEASE IN DOGS for additional heartworm facts.
1. Interceptor: This is a chewable tablet given once monthly. Interceptor protects against heartworm infection as well as 3 intestinal parasites – hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. Recommended: Because of its broad spectrum of parasite control and rare incidence of side effects, Interceptor is our #1 choice of heartworm preventative
2. Heartguard: This is a chewable treat also given once a month. Heartguard protects against heartworm infection as well as hookworms and roundworms. This is a good choice of heartworm preventative for those dogs that don’t tolerate or don’t like the taste of Interceptor. It is our preventative of choice for dogs whose owners may have forgotten or delayed the heartworm preventative, as it has a slightly longer duration of protection than Interceptor. It is also safe to use in dogs that already have heartworm disease so they don’t continue to develop more heartworms.
Note: Parkway Animal Hospital offers a Pet Reminder refrigerator magnet beeper that will help you to remember the monthly administration of heartworm preventative.
3. Sentinel: a combination pill of Interceptor and Program. Given once a month for the prevention of heartworms and flea infestation (See Program below). Recommended: favorably priced relative to purchasing Interceptor and Program separately.
4. Advantage Multi: A topical solution applied once monthly to the animals skin. Prevents heartworm disease, kills adult fleas and controls infestation, and effective in preventing 3 types of internal parasites (hookworms, roundworms and whipworms). Pets may be bathed 4 days after application, however weekly bathing is not recommended. Pets should be separated for 30 minutes after application to reduce the risk of ingestion.
Heartworms in Cats:
Heartworms can live in the lungs and heart of cats and cause serious disease. Just one heartworm can result in permanent damage or even death. Having heartworm disease in cats is life threatening, but prevention is easy.
Even indoor cats are not safe from heartworms. If a mosquito can get inside your home even your indoor pet is at risk.
Year-round prevention provides the best protection. Tests for feline heartworms are available, and we would be happy to discuss testing with you. For additional information on this see A PET OWNER'S GUIDE TO HEARTWORM DISEASE IN CATS.
1. Interceptor: This is a chewable tablet given once monthly. Interceptor protects against heartworm infection as well as 3 intestinal parasites – hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. Recommended: Because of its broad spectrum of parasite control and rare incidence of side effects, Interceptor is our #1 choice of heartworm preventative
2. Heartgard for cats: This is a chewable treat is given once a month. Heartguard protects against heartworm infection as well as hookworms. It is our preventative of choice for cats whose owners may have forgotten or delayed the heartworm preventative. It is also safe to use in cats that already have heartworm disease so they don’t continue to develop more heartworms.
3. Advantage Multi: A topical solution applied once monthly to the animals skin. Prevents heartworm disease, kills adult fleas and controls infestation, and effective in preventing 3 types of internal parasites (hookworms, roundworms and whipworms). Pets may be bathed 4 days after application, however weekly bathing is not recommended. Pets should be separated for 30 minutes after application to reduce the risk of ingestion. Recommended: Prevention is the only protection for cats.
FLEA PREVENTATIVE:
Unfortunately, here in North Carolina there really is no end to flea season. The fleas can survive our winter, so it is necessary to use flea preventative year round. These products are available for both dogs and cats. A PET OWNER'S GUIDE TO FLEAS contains additional information on fleas and preventatives.
1. Advantage: A once a month topical one spot applicant that kills adult fleas within 24 hours after contact with your pet's coat (Fleas do not have to bite the animal). Although it is an insecticide, studies have shown it is safe to handle the animal directly following application. It is safe for 7 week old puppies and 8 week old kittens. Recommended for pets with dry skin (will not dry out the skin). The pet can still swim with this product, and can be bathed in gentle shampoos such as Hylite shampoo, or Allergroom Hypoallergenic shampoo. Do not bathe or swim for 48 hours prior to or following application. Recommended: Protection for cats.
2. Advantix: A topical solution applied once monthly to the dogs skin. Kills adult fleas and ticks, and repels mosquitoes. Do not bathe or swim for 48 hours prior to or following application. For DOGS only; Keep cats away from treated pet for 2 hours.
3. Program One dose of PROGRAM given to your pet just once a month at mealtime prevents flea eggs from developing. This breaks the flea life cycle, when the adult flea bites your pet the eggs that flea lays will not hatch, in this manner your home is protected against infestation. Program must be in the pets' system for one month before it is effective. This product is recommend if you have children because there is no pesticide exposure. However your pet can still pick up adult fleas.
4. Frontline: A topical one spot applicant that kills fleas and ticks on dogs and cats for one month. The animal can swim and be bathed as often as you like with this product. Although Frontline is an insecticide, it is safe for pets as young as 10 weeks old. When applying this product to your pet, as with most flea products, it is recommended that you wear gloves. Do not bathe or swim for 48 hours prior to or following application.
5. Sentinel for dogs: A combination pill of Interceptor and Program. Given once a month for the prevention of heartworms and flea infestation (See Program above). Recommended: Slightly less expensive than buying Interceptor and Program separately.
Emergency Locations:
1. During regular hours
Parkway Animal Hospital: 1610 Old Apex Road, Cary NC
(919) 460-0741
Please notify us of any emergency so that we can accommodate any situation that may arise.
2. After business hours, weekends and holidays contact our
Animal Emergency Clinic of Cary: 220 High House Road
(919) 462-8989
Thank you for choosing Parkway Animal Hospital
Enjoy your new pet, and please don't hesitate to call us for any reason.
