We recommend a minimum of an annual wellness exam for all cats. If your cat is of a "senior" or "geriatric" age, we recommend an exam every 6 months instead.

See attached Human/Pet Age Analogy Chart

We recommend testing a fecal sample annually for all cats. If your cat is having soft stool or diarrhea, we should perform an additional fecal flotation at that time. A fecal flotation commonly helps identify roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and coccidia. It may also diagnose tapeworms and giardia.

Yes! BENEFITS:

Females:

• Decreased Risk for Developing Mammary Cancer

• Females spayed before the onset of their first heat have less than 0.5% chance for developing mammary tumors. This incidence increases to 8% if a female is allowed to have one heat cycle and 26% after two heat cycles. No preventative effect for mammary tumors is seen if a female is spayed after the age of 2 1/2 years.

• Eliminates the Risk of Pyometra

• This life-threatening uterine infection may develop in any unspayed female dog or cat. The uterus fills with a pus-like fluid and emergency surgery is necessary in most cases.

• Eliminates the Risk of Ovarian and Uterine Cancers

• The uterus and both ovaries are removed during the spay procedure.

• Eliminates Unwanted Heat Behavior in Felines

• Female cats will vocalize and actively seek males for breeding.

• Eliminates Unwanted Visits to Your Residence From interested Males

• Eliminates Unwanted Pregnancies Contributing to the Pet Overpopulation Problem

• Hundreds of thousands of pets are euthanized every year due to lack of homes.

Males:

• Eliminates the risk of Testicular Tumors

• Decreases Roaming Behavior and Intermale Aggression

• Decreases the Risk of Urine Spraying in Cats

• Eliminates Contributing to the Pet Overpopulation Problem

Myths:

• Neutering or Spaying Causes Obesity

∘ Research has shown that neutering or spaying your pet does not cause your pet to become overweight or obese. Over-feeding and lack of exercise contribute to weight gain. At 6 months of age (when most veterinarians recommend spaying and neutering) most pets are growing less rapidly and becoming less active. If pets are fed the same amount of food, weight gain results.

• Neutering or Spaying Changes My Pet's Behavior

∘ Behavior changes are usually not seen after surgery, although male dogs and cats may show less aggression towards other males of their species.

This varies greatly from cat to cat. Some animals need their teeth professionally cleaned (dental prophylaxis) every 6 months while others may only need it done every 5 years or so. When your cat is in for an examination the veterinarian will discuss your cat's oral health with you.

​

Obesity can cause a number of health problems in cats just as in humans. If you don't know if your pet is overweight, one of our veterinarians or technicians can evaluate your pet with you. They may recommend feeding less food, eliminating treats and/or table food, feeding a lower calorie food or increasing the amount of exercise.

FEEDING AND OBESITY PREVENTION

There are many feeding strategies for house cats. It is important to find one that works well for you and your cats. Obesity is very common in pet cats and comes with health risks such as diabetes, fatty liver disease, and joint pain. Below are some ways you can feed your cat for optimal health.​

1. Free-feeding: some cats do well with a full bowl of food at all times. They graze throughout the day and don’t gain too much weight. Other cats will eat until they vomit or will chronically overeat until they are 18 pounds. This method is not for overweight cats.

2. Measured feedings: Put a set amount of food in the cat's bowl once or twice a day and leave it. Your cat will eat either all at once or throughout the day, but when the bowl is empty, it stays empty until the next scheduled meal is served. This works best in one-cat households.

3. Scheduled feedings, two or three times daily: provide measured amount of kibble +/- wet food for 15-30 minutes and then remove. Separate or supervise cats in multiple-cat households to prevent overeating or fighting over food.

4. Hunter/scavenger: put measured amounts of food (kibble and/or wet food) in different places in the home for cat to sniff out and discover, leave for 30 minutes and then remove.

5. Supplement meals with a food-dispensing toy, such as the SlimCat Food Dispenser.

6. Use an automated feeder with a timer.

​Weigh your cat periodically to make sure he doesn’t gain or lose weight quickly. You can step on a bathroom scale with your cat in your arms, then weigh yourself and calculate the difference. If your cat stops eating, call us at (414) 962-6662. It is dangerous for cats, especially overweight cats, to stop eating altogether.

What to feed: Kibble is convenient and nutritionally balanced. Wet food has much higher moisture content, which is good for kidney health, but must be rationed to prevent weight gain. Encourage good hydration with clean fresh water. Many cats love water fountains.​

Weight Loss Tips: Part of every weight loss plan is to measure the amount of food consumed daily (including treats) and reducing it. Look at the side of the food container for daily guidelines and provide the amount recommended for your cat's ideal body weight.

You can probably expect your cat to protest for the first few days or weeks by meowing around meal times, waking you up when the bowl is empty, or scavenging food in the kitchen. NEVER feed your cat when he is meowing at you to do so, even if it is mealtime. Ignore him, wait for him to give up and be quiet, then serve him. Your cat will soon get used to the new routine.

Exercise is key to weight loss. Use toys to get your cat running, chasing, pouncing, and climbing. Daily play time will burn calories quickly and will be fun for you both!

No. With the proper care and stimulation every cat can happily live indoors. On average, indoor cats have a much longer life span than outdoor cats. By keeping your cat indoors you eliminate many potential hazards such as cat fights, being hit by a car, Feline Leukemia & animal abuse.

Yes, even if your cat never goes outside he/she is still at risk for preventable diseases. The two vaccines we recommend for indoor only cats are FVRCPC (distemper) & Rabies.

Why FVRCPC?

• You can bring these viruses into your home and infect your cat.

Why Rabies?

• Rabies can be carried by many mammals including bats and no home is immune to having an occasional bat sneak in.

• Rabies is also a serious public health concern for humans.

The basic rule of thumb is to have one more litter box than the total number of cats in your household. Example: If you have 1 cat, you should have 2 litter boxes. If you have 2 cats, you should have 3 litter boxes, etc.

The first thing to do is call us at (414) 962-6662 and set up an appointment with a veterinarian to have a urine sample analyzed and a thorough physical examination. Often times the problem is medical and needs to be treated with medication or a diet change. If a medical problem is ruled out, visit our page on Feline Behavior: Litterbox Tips for help.

Please visit our page on Feline Behavior: Scratching for tips on selecting and locating scratching posts for your cat.

We recommend a minimum of an annual wellness exam for all pets. If your pet is of a "senior" or "geriatric" age, we recommend an exam every 6 months instead.

See attached Human/Pet Age Analogy Chart

We recommend testing a fecal sample every 6 months. If your dog is having soft stool or diarrhea, we should perform an additional fecal floatation at that time. A fecal floatation commonly helps identify roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and coccidia. It may also diagnose tapeworms and giardia.

Almost every dog will have a bout of diarrhea at some point.

Common causes include:

• Dietary "indiscretion" - eating a new or exotic type of people-food, either with permission or stolen.

• Intestinal parasite: dogs are susceptible to diarrhea-causing parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and coccidia.

If your dog develops soft or liquid stool, follow these steps:

• Put him on a bland diet. Until the diarrhea has fully resolved, the bland diet should be strictly followed. Do not mix it with his regular food or give him any treats, chews, or people food for now. Once he is defecating normally, start gradually blending in his regular kibble. Monitor his stool and switch back to a bland diet if it softens. If not, continue mixing more normal food into his meals. If all goes well, you can then start giving him treats and chewies again.

∘ Bland diet option 1: cook it yourself. Cook plain white rice (instant rice is fine, but avoid the healthy whole grain rices). Boil chicken or lean ground beef until fully cooked and rinse/drain the grease off. Mix 3 parts rice with 1 part chicken and serve.

∘ Bland diet option 2: buy it from the vet: We offer commercially prepared prescription diet food in both canned and kibble variety. Canned is often preferred to aid in rehydration of the patient.

∘ Keep him busy: to replace the entertainment that he usually gets from chews and Kongs, get a food-stuffing toy such as a Kong and fill it with his bland diet meals.

• Watch for signs of dehydration, lethargy, vomiting, disinterest in food, or other symptoms. Call us at (414) 962-6662 if in doubt as to whether he should be seen by a veterinarian or if his symptoms persist more than a few days.

• Do not withhold food or water to prevent accidents in the house.

• Call us at (414) 962-6662 for more advice.

We recommend giving the heartworm preventative (Heartgard Plus) all year. In addition to having protection from heartworms, the Heartgard Plus also protects against intestinal parasites such as roundworms and hookworms which can be transmitted during any season.

As a safeguard we and the American Heartworm Society recommend all dogs being tested annually for this deadly disease.

Yes. All dogs are at risk of flea or tick infestation. We recommend using NexGard or Frontline Gold during all non-winter months.

Yes!

BENEFITS:

Females

• Decreased Risk for Developing Mammary Cancer Females spayed before the onset of their first heat have less than 0.5% chance for developing mammary tumors. This incidence increases to 8% if a female is allowed to have one heat cycle and 26% after two heat cycles. No preventative effect for mammary tumors is seen if a female is spayed after the age of 2 1/2 years. Eliminates the Risk of Pyometra This life-threatening uterine infection may develop in any unspayed female dog or cat. The uterus fills with a pus-like fluid and emergency surgery is necessary in most cases.

• Eliminates the Risk of Ovarian and Uterine Cancers

• The uterus and both ovaries are removed during the spay procedure.

• Eliminates Unwanted Visits to Your Residence From Interested Males

• Eliminates Unwanted Pregnancies Contributing to the Pet Overpopulation Problem Hundreds of thousands of pets are euthanized every year due to lack of homes.

Males

• Decreases the Risk for Developing Prostate Disease Unneutered males are prone to developing enlargement of the prostate gland (located surrounding the male urethra). The enlarged gland may become infected, develop an abscess or causes a male dog discomfort during urination or defecation.

• Eliminates the risk of Testicular Tumors

• Decreases Roaming Behavior and Intermale Aggression

• Decreases the Risk of Marking Behavior in Dogs

• Eliminates Contributing to the Pet Overpopulation Problem

Myths:

• Neutering or Spaying Causes Obesity Research has shown that neutering or spaying your pet does not cause your pet to become overweight or obese. Over-feeding and lack of exercise contribute to weight gain. At 6 months of age (when most veterinarians recommend spaying and neutering) most pets are growing less rapidly and becoming less active. If pets are fed the same amount of food, weight gain results.

• Neutering or Spaying Changes My Pet's Behavior.

• Behavior changes are usually not seen after surgery, although male dogs and cats may show less aggression towards other males of their species.

• Female Dogs Should be Spayed After Their First Heat

• Research has shown this may be more detrimental to your pet. The incidence of mammary cancer rises once your pet has experienced her first heat cycle.

This varies greatly from dog to dog. Some dogs need their teeth professionally cleaned (dental prophylaxis) every 6 months while others may only need it done every 5 years or so. When your dog is in for an examination the veterinarian will discuss your dog's oral health with you.

Obesity can cause a number of health problems in dogs just as in humans. If you don't know if your pet is overweight, one of our veterinarians or technicians can evaluate your pet with you. They may recommend feeding less food, eliminating treats and/or table food, feeding a lower calorie food or increasing the amount of exercise.

Before you acquire a dog you should do as much research as possible about different breeds. Make sure you get a dog that matches your lifestyle and personality. Once you have decided on a particular breed you should visit a humane society or rescue group. There are many purebred and mixed breed dogs that would love to have a home with you! If you do decide to purchase from a breeder, do so with caution. Only purchase from a reputable breeder and never from a pet store.