3 Aspects of Responsible Pet Ownership

Spay/Neuter  *  Vaccinate  *  Microchip

We  believe that the best way to help ensure your pet remains happy, healthy and safe is to have your pet spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.  By practicing these simple 3 steps with your pet, you can avoid unwanted litters, help prevent diseases, and keep your pet from becoming one of the 10 million cats and dogs that are lost each year.

Spay/Neuter Facts  -

•  Spaying DOES NOT cause a pet to get lazy or fat, those problems come from overfeeding and poor exercise.

• Personalities are NOT altered by spaying/neutering. 

• Surgical risk is very minimal due to modern anesthesia and techniques.  However, it is much easier for a pet to be spayed before going through a heat cycle, due to the smaller size of the reproductive tract.

• Early spaying or neutering is encouraged, try to have your pet’s surgery before 6 months of age.

Health benefits of spaying include:

• Decreases the chance of breast tumors later in life.

• Decreases the chance of cystic ovaries and uterine infections later in life.

• Decreases surplus of unwanted puppies and kittens.  Pet overpopulation is a big problem.   

Health benefits of neutering include:

• Decreases the desire to roam, so your pets are less likely to be hit by a car or lost

• Decreases aggression

• Decreases chance of prostate cancer later in life.

• Prevents odor of strong urine, as well as decreases spraying/marking furniture

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The Importance of Vaccines

One of the very best things you can do to give your pet a long and healthy life is to ensure that he or she is vaccinated against common feline or canine diseases.  Your cat or dog’s mother gave her puppy/kitten immunity from diseases for the first few weeks of existence by providing disease-fighting antibodies in her milk.  After that period, it’s up to you – with the help and advice of your veterinarian – to provide that protection.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines contain small quantities of altered viruses, bacteria, or other disease-causing organisms.  When administered, they stimulate your pet’s immune system to produce disease-fighting cells and protein – or antibodies – to protect against disease.

 When should my pet be vaccinated?

Generally, the immunity that a young pet has at birth begins to diminish after 6-9 weeks.  It is then usually time to begin the initial vaccinations, with several boosters following over the next 12 weeks.  Thereafter, your dog or cat may require annual vaccinations for the rest of his/her life.  It is possible to test your pet's blood for titers to reveal their antibody status. These results are then interpreted in an attempt to determine if the pet is currently protected against a specific infectious disease or if the pet may require immunization. 

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Microchipping

Microchipping is a safe, simple and permanent form of identification designed to quickly identify lost pets and reunite them with their families. 

Over 10 million pets become lost each year.  1 of every 3 pets is lost during its lifetime and only 1 in 10 pets are found.

Microchips have been responsible for the recovery more than 100,000 lost pets.  A successful recovery almost every 11 minutes.    Microchipping is inexpensive, approximately $35.00, a good investment for the return of your beloved pet.

Most veterinarians can implant microchips to permanently identify pets. The owner registers with a national locating service, and if the pet is ever lost and then picked up and scanned for the chip, it can be reunited with its family.  A one-time expense gives a lifetime of protection.

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