Ask a Vet
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here to email your questions to the Blairstown Animal
Hospital veterinarians. Blairstown Animal Hospital will choose
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for this page.*
Do you accept pet insurance?
Yes. It isn’t like an HMO where you have
to go to participating Doctor. There are a number of companies
out there, including VPI and ASPCA. They generally offer
major medical and preventative health care options. The key
is reading the fine print so you know exactly what you are
paying for. Look for comments on deductible amounts, pre-existing
condition limits, age limits, and maximum amounts allowed
and percentage of coverage per incident. Generally, you pay
us and then submit your claim for reimbursement.
I read an article in the paper about some people getting
very sick from eating wild mushrooms. Can this happen to my
pet?
Absolutely. Dogs and cats are not immune to toxins by any
means. The people you read about in the paper ate mushrooms
that caused liver disease and in one of them, liver failure.
Poisonous and nonpoisonous mushrooms look very similar, so
try and keep them out of your yard as much as possible. If
you think your pet has eaten any or starts acting sick suddenly,
call us right away.
My pet tends to lose his collar
outside. How will someone know he is mine if he doesn’t
have his tags?
You can have your pet microchipped! This small chip is injected
under the skin between the shoulder blades. A great time to
do it is when your pet is here to be spayed or neutered, but
it can also be done during any office visit. It is encoded
with a unique number that can be picked up by a scanner. Most
shelters, pounds and veterinarians across the country have
the scanners. We scan the chip, call the company and they give
us your information so we can get your pet back to you as soon
as possible.
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| Past Ask A
Vet questions — click question to view response. |
| My
dog has been shaking his head and scratching his ears. Could
this be an infection? |
| It certainly could be. There are different things that can cause this, but the
most common are yeast infections, bacterial infections and allergies. By looking
in the ear and possibly doing cytology (taking a swab and looking at it under
the microscope) and/or culture (sending a swab to the lab to find out what
organisms are growing in the ear and what antibiotics to use), we can decide
on the best course of treatment. |
Can
my dog give my cat any diseases (and vice-versa)?
|
Not too many, really. Parasites
such as fleas and worms can be spread between species. Rabies
can also. Most of the bacterial and viral diseases cannot,
although cats can get one of the forms of “kennel cough”.
Cat distemper and dog distemper are also two completely different
diseases and are not transmissible between dogs and cats.
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I just got a pet rabbit. Does
it need any shots? |
| We do not routinely vaccinate rabbits, but it is a good idea to have a physical
exam and fecal sample run on your new bunny. We can then discuss basic care
and make sure he is healthy. |
| Do
all ticks carry lyme disease? |
No, in fact the only
species of tick in this area of the country that carries lyme
is the deer tick and not every deer tick carries lyme. However,
if you are seeing dog and wood ticks, there are probably deer
ticks, too, but they can be so small, they are difficult to find.
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| What
types of animals do you see at your hospital? |
We see primarily small
animals (dogs and cats) and exotics- which include rabbits, ferrets,
rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, snakes, iguanas, bearded
dragons, chameleons, turtles and others. We also take care of
the wolves, foxes and bobcats at the Lakota Wolf Preserve in
Knowlton.
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| What
diseases can I get from my pet? |
| People can get roundworms,
hookworms and giardia, which are intestinal parasites, toxoplasmosis
(from cats), which is a problem for women in their first trimester
of pregnancy, cat scratch disease , rabies, ringworm (which is
actually a fungus, not a worm), salmonella (from reptiles) and
psitticosis (from birds). It is not common for people to get
these diseases, but it can happen. |
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*The contents of the Ask a Vet page are for informational
purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the
advice of your veteranarian with any questions you may have regarding
a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or
delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Ask a
Vet page.
If you think you may have a medical emergency,
call your veteranarian or 908-362-6430 immediately. Blairstown Animal
Hospital does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians,
products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned
on this web site. Reliance on any information provided by Blairstown
Animal Hospital is solely at your own risk.
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