FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Veterinary Services
Read below for more information on a few of our most commonly asked questions
No matter where you live, experts recommend spaying all dogs to help keep the pet population under control. Spaying a dog before her first heat can greatly decrease the chance of your pet developing mammary tumors, can eliminate hormone variations that cause false pregnancy following a heat cycle and can prevent pyometra (a kind of uterine infection). Spaying will also reduce your pet’s desire to leave your home to find a mate.
Spaying your cat is highly recommended by the Hamptons Animal Hospital/ Spay & Neuter Centre. In addition to keeping the cat population under control, spaying your pet can help her eliminate the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers. If spaying is done before the first heat cycle, the chance of developing breast cancer is reduced enormously. Spaying cats also helps regulate hormone levels during heat cycles. Unchecked hormone levels can prevent medications from working effectively and make conditions like epilepsy and diabetes more difficult to handle.
Spaying your rabbit helps to eliminate the risk of reproductive cancer in your female rabbit. Rabbits are social animals and enjoy having a friend to snuggle and play with. Unaltered rabbits will display aggressive behavior toward other rabbits of the opposite sex or same sex due to hormones. Spaying your rabbit helps to make your rabbit easier to litter train.
In addition to keeping the dog population in your area under control, neutering dogs can prevent hormone fluctuations that could render medication inefficient. If your dog develops epilepsy or diabetes, you’ll be able to control their condition easier.
Neutering a cat is a responsible choice and will help keep your local cat population under control. Some male cats become aggressive if not neutered, sometimes urinating to mark territory, roaming and fighting with other cats, which could lead to the transmission of infectious diseases such as FIV and FeLV.
Unwanted pet rabbits are often left to fend for themselves in parks, farmland or open fields. Rabbits that have been abandoned often suffer from disease, starvation and become easy prey for wild animals. Neutering your male rabbit helps to control the population. An altered rabbit makes an ideal pet because they are more affectionate, calmer and less prone to sexually aggressive behavior such as biting, growling and circling.
Pet Dermatology FAQ
When your pet is showing signs of an irritating skin problem, you may be puzzled as he is miserable. Fortunately, Hamptons Animal Hospital understands these issues. Check out the answers to some frequently asked pet dermatology questions at our Edmonton clinic.
Your pet's skin can show signs of irritation such as rashes, "hot spots," patches of hair loss, or blisters. You may also feel a mysterious lump under the skin, a possible sign of a benign or malignant tumor.
A rash may develop for any number of reasons. Friction and heat may conspire to create hot spots and staphylococcus infections. Mites, ticks, and fleas can all irritate the skin to produce allergic reactions and rashes. Many other rashes are caused by food allergies.
Pests' bites can be a source of skin irritation, especially if the host animal is allergic to the pest's saliva. The resulting itchiness may cause the pet to scratch or chew obsessively at the skin until it becomes significantly damaged -- allowing bacteria to aggravate the problem further.
In addition to pest bites, your pet may experience allergic reactions on contact with a variety of environmental trigger, from grasses and molds to poison ivy and airborne contaminants. Food allergies create histamine reactions that can show up as skin problems. Common food-based allergens include eggs, chicken, lamb, and soy.
A fungal infection called ringworm can cause circular patches of hair loss in addition to skin irritation. Sarcoptic mange is a mite infestation which causes hair loss as a pet scratches at the irritated skin.
Our Edmonton veterinary clinic can administer a thorough evaluation to uncover the root cause of your pet's skin problem. Lumps can be surgically removed and checked for potential cancer. Pest infestations can be treated with soothing medicated shampoos and medications to keep those pests from bothering your pet in the future. Allergy testing can isolate specific allergens your pet must avoid. Antihistamines, hypoallergenic diets, and other strategies can help your pet overcome allergy-related skin trouble.
Microchipping FAQ
Microchipping is the insertion of a data transceiver chip in your pet's body. This transceiver contains a unique ID number, and it transmits that number whenever an RFID scanner is run over your pet's body. The number is then used to find your pet in a nationwide pet registry database which also contains your contact information.
Microchipping helps to ensure that your pet can be identified even if his collar tag is missing. This is important because collar tags can easily be torn off or lost, in which case no one would have any idea that this animal belongs to you (or where his owner might be reached). Millions of lost or otherwise unclaimed pets are killed in shelters every year out of necessity.
Microchipping can dramatically boost your odds of finding your pet and bringing him home again. According to U.S. figures, only about 2 percent of missing cats without microchips returned to their owners, compared to 38 percent of microchipped felines. Dogs also benefit, with nearly one-third more microchipped canines finding their way home compared to their non-microchipped counterparts.
You'll be happy to know that our veterinarian in Edmonton can perform a microchipping procedure quickly, easily, and entirely without surgery. The microchip is so tiny that we can simply inject it like a vaccination under your pet's skin. You can then expect the microchip to function for decades, especially since it needs no internal power source.
Even if your pet has a microchip installed, you still to make sure he has a collar tag. These tags are what most people look for first when they encounter a lost animal. The microchip serves as an important secondary form of ID.