Pet FAQ

While they are highly effective, no heartworm preventative can guarantee 100% protection. Furthermore, a pet infected with heartworms will not show clinical signs for some time. It takes about 6 months for a dog to test positive for heartworm disease after they have been infected. The earlier that heartworm disease is detected in your pet, the sooner we can treat them and prevent their condition from getting worse. Left alone, heartworm disease will put more strain on your pet's heart and lungs over time, and can be fatal in a worst-case scenario. Testing your pet annually gives us the best chance to detect heartworm disease early and treat it before it becomes a significant problem.

Ideally, brushing their teeth once daily will produce the best results. If you can, start brushing your pet's teeth when they're very young to help them get used to the practice. The goal of brushing is to prevent the formation of plaque and bacteria in your pet's mouth. If brushing isn't possible, contact us directly to ask about other options we would recommend.

Rabies and distemper are essential vaccines for your pet's health and safety, since the rabies and distemper viruses have a high fatality rate. Give us a call to schedule an appointment and find out which other vaccines your pet will need for maximum protection.

We do not recommend the Lyme vaccine for dogs, as we do not see many ticks, especially deer ticks (the main vectors for Lyme disease) in the area.

Soap-free shampoo is as its name suggests. Instead of soap, which can cause dry, irritated skin in pets, we recommend pH balanced shampoos that contain ingredients such as oatmeal, baking soda, aloe, coconut, and essential oils.

You can find us at 7034 Johnson Street in Lafayette, just south of the Dollar General.

This depends on your pet's breed and overall health. Small dogs and cats and medium-sized dogs are typically spayed/neutered around 6 months of age. Large and extra-large breed dogs may need to wait until they are nearly 1 year of age or older, since their bodies take longer to develop. We want to make sure that we don't interfere with their growth by spaying/neutering them too early.

Xylitol is also known as "sugar alcohol." It can be found in many different foods and candies that we eat, along with chewing gum and sugar-free ice cream. Your pet's bloodstream absorbs xylitol much more quickly than yours, which can result in the rapid release of insulin into the body. This can cause a potentially life-threatening drop in your pet's blood sugar level.