FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions | Rhinelander WI Vet Clinic

When does a puppy or kitten start its vaccinations?

Both puppies and kittens begin their distemper vaccination series at six weeks of age and receive vaccinations every 3 weeks until 13 weeks of age. The rabies vaccination is given at 16 weeks and is good for 1 year.

At what age can my pet be spayed or neutered?

The age to spay and neuter your depends on your type and breed of pet. All pets can be different. We advise having a discussion with your veterinarian and pet’s breeder if available. At a base level, we recommend that the animals be at least 5 months old (this depends on breed/type of pet) when the spay or neuter surgery is to be performed. Call us and we will help you figure out the right age (715) 365-7387

What is heartworm?

Heartworms are parasites that inhabit the hearts and lungs of infected dogs. Heartworm disease can cause serious health problems, and may eventually lead to heart failure and death. Heartworm infection is transmitted by mosquitoes. The prevalence of this deadly disease has increased steadily since it was first identified, and it now affects pets in all 50 states. Heartworm testing should be done once a year usually in March. Heartgard Plus® heartworm preventative should be given monthly to prevent the disease.

What is feline leukemia?

Feline leukemia is a serious disease in cats, caused by a virus infection. It’s also a complex disease, of which leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells) and cancerous tumors are only a small part. Various other related but non-tumorous diseases are also involved. The feline leukemia virus impairs the cat’s immune system similar to the way the AIDS virus affects humans. As a result, cats lose their ability to fight bacteria, viruses and fungi which cause these disease problems. Feline leukemia is spread by direct contact with infected cats. It’s usually transmitted in the saliva, but low levels of virus can also be found in urine and feces. Licking, biting and sneezing are common means of transmission. Food and water dishes and litter boxes are likely sources of infection, if healthy cats share them with infected cats.

What can I do to protect my pet from fleas and ticks?

Fleas can inflict misery on you and your pet by disrupting your whole household with a vicious cycle of biting, itching and scratching. Dogs and cats can be exposed through contact with other animals and infested areas. Even just a few fleas can cause flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) in some pets. Ticks can transmit serious disease to pets and people. So tiny they often go unnoticed, they may be hiding anywhere. There are various kinds of ticks throughout the country, each with the potential of carrying different diseases. Since tick-borne diseases may be dangerous, and might even prove fatal, it’s clear that protection against these potential health hazards is a concern for every pet owner. Bravecto® and Frontline Plus® are the best protection for your dog and cat against both of these parasites. It eliminates fleas fast, is long lasting and kills all major types of disease-carrying ticks, including those that transmit Lyme disease.

Do you declaw cats?

No.

Homestead Veterinary Care no longer performs declawing. Please read below the reasons for this.

In the fall of 2018, Dr. French opened up a “Cat House” for cats that could not live in a home happily. At one point, she realized that the majority of the cats in the cat house were there for behavioral litter box issues. And that they were all front declawed. This struck her; although she had scaled back declawing to a bare minimum for years, she felt now she needed to put a complete halt to it. It was at the same time that the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) came out with a policy against declawing. These two things together helped Dr. French decide to put this policy in place.

Facts about declawing cats:

As many as 22 countries, as well as several states in the US have banned declawing cats
Declawing cats removes the nail and ALSO the bone up to the last knuckle, similar to removing the last bone of your finger or a portion of your toe
Declawed cats need to relearn how to walk. Imagine losing the first portion of all your toes and imagine relearning how to walk and balance. That is what a cat has to do after declawing.

Why do people consider declawing their cat?

To prevent destructive behavior such as clawing up furniture or carpeting
To prevent injury from the cat if they are fighting with other animals or have behavior issues and scratch humans

But why do cats NEED their claws?

They are for defense. Any cat that does not have claws should never be allowed outside as they have no ability to protect themselves.
For climbing and playing. Cats use their claws to climb up cat furniture, toys and more, as well as to grab toys to play
Claws are a primary part of cat anatomy. Cats are “Digitigrades”, which means they walk on their toes. After declawing, a vital part of their anatomy has been amputated and they need to relearn how to walk.

What can a cat owner do instead of declawing?

Encourage your cat to use appropriate surfaces such as scratching posts or special cat furniture. Some cats prefer wood, others like carpet or sisal. Try adding catnip to attract your cat.
- Place the post in front of the item your cat has wanted to scratch
- If your cat is trying to scratch the carpet, gently move them away and encourage scratching on the post instead. There are also flat scratching toys for cats available!
Trim your cat’s nails every 1-2 weeks (begin getting them accustomed to this as a kitten if you can, using treats to praise calm behavior when nail trimming)
Try nail caps! These are relatively easy to apply and last for 4-6 weeks or more and prevent the cat from scratching up furniture
Apply sticky tape to areas your cat wants to scratch to discourage them
Try pheromone sprays such as Feliway

Positive training and providing alternative scratch areas is key with cats. Negative reinforcement with cats often creates further destructive behavior. Encourage them with praise and treats and you should have no trouble.

We value all pets as well as their owners, so please feel free to discuss options with any of the staff (715) 365-7387. We will be happy to help.

How do I get my dog to quit humping my guests?

“Sometimes my dog starts humping her toy or even my houseguest! It’s soooooo embarrassing!”

Sound familiar? Did you know that humping in dogs, although seemingly sexual in nature – oftentimes is NOT at all?

5 Basic Reasons for Mounting Behavior:

Release stress or anxiety
reproduction
play
dominance
medical or physical condition

The most likely reason dogs hump this is simply a way to burn off energy, the dog is over-stimulated or needs to relieve stress. It doesn’t matter if the dog is male or female. It is all normal.

How to stop humping? Yelling and getting excited will likely backfire so simply try to redirect your dog to a treat, or something else is your best bet to stop the behavior. Reduce access to items that causes the mounting behavior, or alter your plan when guests arrive to cut down on the opportunity.

Contact us if you feel your dog may have a larger problem. Call us and we will help (715) 365-7387

How do I get my sick cat to eat?

5 Ways to Entice Your Sick Kitty to Eat

Try warming the food
Add some water
Try different textures
Try feeding out of your hand
Try a topper to get them going such as baby food, tuna juice, or chicken

As always, if your cat is sick, be sure to see your veterinarian as soon as possible. Especially if a cat is not eating or drinking – cats are so small they can go downhill quickly if not eating or drinking. (715) 365-7387

My dog is afraid of thunderstorms. What do I do?

It’s thunderstom season again… How does your pet handle storms?

Here are some TIPS to help your pet’s fear of thunderstorms:

– Keep your dog in a safe place where they cannot get outside.

– Stay calm yourself as your dog can pick up on your emotions. Stay calm, confident and happy.

– Do not baby your dog. Extra praise and attention may have the opposite affect by continuing the behavior to get rewarded

– Try keeping your dog in a closed up room with windows shut, curtains closed, turn on a TV or music with calming music.

– You may try some all-natural remedies such as a Thundershirt, Rescue Remedy, Composure or others

– If your pet gets worse, you may want to bring him in for a consultation to see if we can help.

Do you do emergency care?

We are unable to provide enough staffing in the entire area of Rhinelander to do emergency vet care, as much as we wish we could.

If your pet has an emergency outside of our hours, please contact Paw Health Network in Mosinee at (715) 693-6934.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)