Resources for You and Your Pet

We recommend waiting until your pet is at least six months old before having them spayed or neutered. The main reason for this is that we want to make sure all of their “baby teeth” have fallen out. If there are still baby teeth remaining, we can remove them at the time of their surgery.

We require a heartworm test on an annual basis. This is to ensure your pet is negative for heartworm disease, or, if they are positive, to catch it quickly and advise treatment.

We have found that year-round protection provides the best protection to your pet against heartworm disease and other intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms and whipworms.

Not all vaccines are required yearly. Several of our vaccines create immunity for up to three years in your pet. Our team will help you understand what vaccines are required for your pet.

Vaccinations help protect your pet against viruses and other diseases that are prevalent in the environment. Without the proper immunizations, your pet would become very ill, and in many cases die, when exposed to these diseases. That’s why it’s so important to keep your pets up to date on their vaccines.

We work hard to ensure our clients understand the safety and effectiveness of every medicine we dispense at Madison Veterinary Hospital, including both oral and topical prevention medicines. Some over-the-counter products may be dangerous to cats and smaller dogs, so if you have questions about any medicine you’re considering please ask us first.

Being on heartworm prevention is not 100% protective and the prevention does nothing once your pet has the disease. That is why we recommend annual testing to detect if your pet has heartworm disease and, if they do, we can start appropriate treatments.

It is important for the safety of your pet and others that your pet is current on their vaccinations and negative for intestinal parasites. This greatly reduces the chance of your pet or others becoming infected while staying with us.

A microchip is a grain-sized identification device that is placed under the skin in the subcutaneous tissue between a pet’s shoulders. They emit a frequency that correlates with a unique pattern of letters and numbers. When a scanner is waved above a pet’s back it will read the code, which is specifically linked to the owner’s information.

Currently, microchips are only used to identify a pet. They emit a frequency that correlates to a combination of letters and numbers that are unique to your pet. If your pet is lost, they would need to be taken to a shelter or hospital that has a scanner. The scanner would read your pet’s code that is linked to your information so that your pet could be placed back with you.

Madison Veterinary Hospital recommends your pet be seen twice a year or every six months for a wellness exam. This is in accordance with national organizations such as AAHA and the AVMA. Pets age much faster than humans so getting an exam every six months is like you going to see your doctor every three years.

If a female is spayed before her first heat cycle, the chance of her developing mammary masses or breast cancer is zero. Based on this information, we recommend spaying females before they go into their first heat cycle.

For small breed dogs, the anatomical difference is not great and surgery is perfectly fine. While a dog close to or exceeding 100 lbs. can be spayed while in heat, we recommend waiting a month.

This one is easy; you’ve already found one! If you are not in the metro Detroit area, however, we recommend looking for an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited hospital. Being AAHA accredited means a veterinary hospital adheres to hundreds of guidelines that are proven to ensure quality veterinary care. These hospitals can be found at www.aahanet.org.

A pet should not be bathed for 24 hours before or after a topical prevention is applied to ensure it is effective.

Many over the counter flea medications contain active ingredients that can harm your pet. The medication that you purchase from your veterinarian will have the safest and most effective ingredients in the proper dose for your pet.

Heartworm preventative should be used year-round based on the recommendation of the American Heartworm Society.

Yes! Heartworm disease is spread via mosquitoes who are annoyingly good at getting in our homes. Additionally, recent studies have found that the species of mosquito that is most frequently found indoors is also more likely to be carrying heartworm disease!

There are several options to help your pet travel with less stress. The best first step is to get them accustomed to their carrier. Keep the carrier in an accessible area and place treats and toys that your pet enjoys into the carrier so that it is not a feared place. When you put your pet and the carrier into your car, make sure to buckle the carrier in place so it does not slide around and further frighten your pet. It also helps to take your pet on frequent small trips in the car. If your pet is still upset during travel, please call us and we can further discuss options for you, including potential medications. Do not give your pet any medication without veterinary direction, as many human medications can be harmful to your pet.

Some over the counter flea preventatives work well and others can be harmful to your pet! Give us a call before using any over the counter medications or supplements and we’ll make a recommendation.