Wellness Tips from Our Solomons Vet

We all want our pets to live long, healthy active lives. That’s why preventative care is so important. Since our pets cannot verbally communicate if they are feeling sick, our Solomons vet clinic relies on preventative care to prevent the occurrence of common illnesses and detect the symptoms of health problems before they compromise your pet's health.

Preventative Care Keeps St Marys and Lusby Pets Healthy for Life

Our veterinary clinic recommends an annual, “head to tail” physical exam for your pet. During this exam, our veterinarian will perform a complete physical, administer a blood chemistry panel, conduct a fecal sample test and perform a urinalysis. These tests give us a snapshot of your pet’s internal health, allowing our vets to detect any warning symptoms of illness or the presence of parasites.

Pet vaccinations are an essential part of wellness care. Our comprehensive vaccination program protects pets against serious and often fatal illnesses, including rabies. Feline vaccinations include vaccines for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Leukemia, and for feline AIDS. Canine vaccinations include vaccines for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, kennel cough and Leptospirosis. Many of these vaccinations require annual boosters to remain effective. During your pet’s annual wellness exam, our vet team will check to be sure that your pet is up-to-date on all needed vaccinations.

Our veterinary clinic also offers nutrition counseling services. Many commercial pet foods currently available lack the right balance of protein and nutrients your pet needs to truly thrive. Misleading claims on pet food can be confusing, and some ingredients can even lead to the development of painful food allergies.

Our preventative care program goes beyond wellness exams and vaccinations. We recognize that a healthy, happy pet needs a loving, supportive home environment. We work closely with St Marys and Lusby pet owners to ensure that pets receive the care and exercise they need to stay active. From demonstrating proper brushing techniques to recommending obedience trainers, we are always happy to answer any pet care questions you may have!

Do you have questions about pet vaccines, parasite prevention or nutrition? Simply post your question for our team below!

 

Your home can be a cozy haven for you and your dog, but it can also be a hazardous place if you are not careful to watch what your dog gets into. A number of common household items, found in many homes near our Solomons Veterinary Clinic in the St. Mary's and Lusby communities, can be toxic and even deadly to your pooch. Call or come to our clinic immediately if your dog exhibits signs of poisoning. These include vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, listlessness, abdominal pain, fever, and lack of coordination.

Chocolate, Onions, and Grapes – Oh No — Get Thee to Our Vet Clinic

Many toxic substances that can harm or sicken your dog are found in your kitchen, inclusive of a number of foods that are perfectly safe for humans to eat. Chocolate is a major hazard, and it can be fatal, not only to dogs but also to cats and ferrets. Chocolate contains a caffeine-like substance called theobromine that the animals cannot tolerate.

Other food items that can result in illness or an emergency trip to our vet clinic include onions and onion powder, grapes, raisins, salt, the leaves and stems from tomatoes, potatoes, rhubarb, coffee beans, coffee grounds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and yeast dough. Giving a dog beer, wine, or other alcoholic drink (in even very small amounts) can also be hazardous, as can any food with mold growing on it or containing splintering bones, such as chicken.

Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can also pose a health risk for dogs, including ibuprofen, aspirin, cold medicines, diet pills, and vitamins. Medicated creams, ointments and insecticides — including flea and tick medications — can also be fatal if accidentally ingested. Keep your dog safe by keeping all medications and chemicals out of his curious reach.

Our veterinary clinic is equipped to handle poisoning emergencies, but we would much rather help keep your pet safe in the first place.

What steps do you take to protect your dog from these toxic substances?

 

You may brush your teeth and floss several times each day -- but what about your pet's dental health? Taking care of your pet's teeth can actually help them live longer! Periodontal disease is frequently diagnosed in both dogs and cats. If left untreated, it can cause painful infections, and in extreme cases, become life-threatening.

Luckily, there are many things that pet owners can do to ensure that their animals always have healthy teeth and gums. There are many toys that can help reduce plaque and tarter buildup on your pet’s teeth. The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHL) offers a list of pet food and approved toys that can help reduce periodontal disease. You should also brush your pet’s teeth regularly with an animal toothbrush or clean piece of soft gauze.

The veterinarians at our Solomons veterinary clinic can provide pet owners near Solomons, St. Marys and Lusby, Maryland with toothpaste made especially for animals. In addition to regular at home cleaning, professional dental cleaning is necessary to help your pet avoid tooth decay and gum disease. A once-yearly cleaning at our vet's office is recommended. During this yearly cleaning, we can also check for any dental issues or oral issues.

Dental Services Offered at Our Vet Clinic

At our vet clinic, our veterinarians and staff are devoted to providing excellent dental care for animals near St. Marys, Maryland and the surrounding areas of Lusby, Brooms Island, Dowell, Port Republic, Prince Frederick, St. Leonard, and California, Maryland. We provide both regular and specialized dental care and teeth cleanings. Our veterinarians would be happy to meet with you to create and implement a dental health plan that can help prevent periodontal disease in your dog or cat.

What tricks and tips do you follow to make home brushing pleasant for you and your pet?

Heartworm Prevention is Key

Heartworms are a dangerous but completely preventable parasite infection. Unfortunately for some pets and pet owners, not all cats and dogs are adequately protected against this deadly parasite. Read more to learn from the Solomons Veterinary Clinic about how you can keep your pets in Solomons, St. Marys and Lusby safe from heartworms.

Heartworms are a parasite commonly found in dogs, although cats can become infected too. Once contained to the American south, this parasite can now be found throughout the country. If your pet is not adequately protected against heartworms, your pet can contract this parasite if it is bitten by an infected mosquito. Immature heartworms can then enter your pet’s bloodstream, where they mature and then make their way to the heart.

Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Unfortunately, symptoms of heartworms are often non-specific and are not obvious until late in the disease. In cats, symptoms include coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, loss of weight/refusal to eat, lethargy and vomiting. In dogs, one of the most noticeable symptoms, like in cats, is a soft, dry cough. Other symptoms include lethargy and a general unwillingness to be active because it is too painful for dogs' bodies to move and jump around. Without effective treatment, heartworms can block blood flow between the heart and lungs, and ultimately lead to death.

The best way to keep your pet healthy is with heartworm prevention medication, which will prevent your cat or dog from contracting the parasite in the first place. However, the American Heartworm Association estimates that one out of every four dogs on a heartworm prevention medication do not complete a full course of treatment, leaving the dogs vulnerable to infection.

Our veterinary clinic strongly recommends that your pet complete a full course of heartworm medication. Prior to placing your pet on heartworm prevention medication, our vet clinic will perform routine tests to determine that your pet is healthy and heartworm-free.

Here at Solomons Veterinary Medical Center, we are committed to keeping your pets healthy and active. If you have questions about your pet’s health or whether your pet needs heartworm prevention medication, our veterinarians are happy to assist you. Our Solomons vet clinic is conveniently located for St. Marys and Lusby pet owners. Remember, heartworms are easy to prevent, but difficult and expensive to treat.

Have you had a pet suffer from Heartworm? What were the signs that you noticed?

 

 

Feral cats, stray dogs and millions of unwanted animals are often the end results of animals that are not spayed or neutered. Solomons Veterinary Medical Center knows that spaying or neutering a pet not only controls the pet population but can also help a pet live a longer and healthier life. Our vets are here to provide the routine procedure for pets in Solomons, St. Marys and Lusby with our veterinary clinic open 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

An estimated 6 to 8 million homeless animals end up shelters across America every year, according to the Human Society of the United States. Only about half of these animals are adopted as pets. The other half do not have as cozy a fate. Spaying or neutering your pet helps lower the number of unwanted pets and unnecessary euthanizations, some of which happen right here in the Solomons area.

Homeless pets are not always the offspring of stray animals, either. They can be litters from family pets and even purebreds. Dogs, cats and other small pets can produce large litters every year. Households are not always up for the expense and care these new pets need.

New homes can be hard to find. Fluffy and sweet puppies and kittens can easily turn into feral and mistrusting dogs and cats when faced with life on the street. Pet owners might erroneously believe that their own lovable pet’s offspring will surely be adopted. This is not always the case. Testing the theory can be fatal to countless small animals.

Pets that are not spayed are neutered can also be more likely to run off – or become the object of affection from other stray animals.

Stop these problems before they start with a spay or neuter appointment at Solomons Veterinary Medical Center. Our experienced vets and staff can provide more information on what the procedure entails and care needed following the routine surgery. Spaying or neutering a pet can also increase the quality and length of a pet’s life.

What are some concerns people have about spaying or neutering pets?

Jason's old golden retriever was housebroken and rarely had any indoor accidents but when he started relieving himself in different areas of his owner's house, Jason started to wonder what was up.

There were some big changes in their lifestyle that included the purchase of a new house in Lusby and an addition to the family which was thought to be the reason for the odd behavior.  But when things didn't improve, it was time to call Solomon's Veterinary Medical Center which happened to be conveniently located in Lusby as well.

It didn't take long for the experienced, compassionate team at Solomon's to  come up with a prompt diagnosis. Jason's dog had diabetes.

If only our pets could talk to us and let us know what is troubling them. But unfortunately that's not the case and sometimes we have to be aware of what they are trying to say through physical symptoms and behavior changes.

What our sick pets can't say in words, they will demonstrate through physical symptoms and behavior changes. So when your pet's behavior changes from what it normally does  call us promptly for a health check up.

If it's a cat, special attention should be paid since cats are more independent and tend to do a better job at hiding their symptoms.

The following is a list of some symptoms that we should be aware of:

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Lack of Appetite

• Hair loss or itchy skin

• Stiffness or difficulty with rising

Our pets may not be able to talk to us with words but the message is clear when these and other symptoms arise.  Don't put it off and give us a call at  (410)-394-9117 .

We are ready Monday through Friday 7:00am to 7:30 pm  and Saturday 7:00am to 7:30 pm.

If you have questions regarding anything about your pets please leave a comment and we will respond promptly.

We are very excited to bring you our veterinary blog, which is a new method for providing our veterinary patients in Lusby, St. Mary's and Solomons an important resource for the health and care of their pets.  We are not just your average veterinary clinic! Please also consider us your reference source for veterinary articles, pet health tips, and current vet news in Solomons, St. Mary's, Lusby and other nearby communities of Maryland. 

We love animals and we love our community, so both this blog and our new user friendly website will be updated regularly with vet clinic events, monthly specials, and current veterinary information to support keeping your pets healthy, happy, and ensure a longer life together. Check back often or you can use the RSS feed above to subscribe to this Solomons Veterinary Medical Center blog, so that you can keep up to date with our new posts.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to explore our website, you will quickly see we are dedicated to serving not only Solomons, St. Mary's, and Lusby, but also Dowell, St. Leonard, Brooms Island, Port Republic, Prince Frederick, and California MD, with exceptional veterinary care.

We look forward to sharing our passion for animals with you, and providing all the veterinary services you may need! We specialize in comprehensive veterinary medicine, but also offer emergency veterinary services for your convenience our facility at Solomons Veterinary Medical Center offers a Laboratory, Pharmacy, Radiology/Imaging, Radiation Therapy, and Physical Rehabilitation.

Thank you for visiting the Solomons Veterinary Blog, we hope to see you back here very soon!  For an appointment call us at (410) 326-4300 or Request an Appointment online today!