FAQs

Depending upon your pets breed he/she can be considered “geriatric” between the ages 4 and 7 years old. Bi-annual (twice a year) visits to your veterinarian can help identify underlying health issues early and potentially extend the quality of life of your pet. Keep in mind that pets age much more rapidly than humans, so bi-annual examinations for your pet are about equal to a visit to your own physician every 3 to 4 years. Establishing a normal “baseline” for your older pet during twice annual examinations will help your veterinarian more easily assess potential problems. “An ounce of prevention… Is worth a pound of cure.”

Periodontal disease is a common and serious problem in dogs and cats. Studies have shown that 80% of dogs and cats over the age of 3 years old have some degree of periodontal disease. By providing proper dental health care we can extend the life of your pet by two to five years!
The prophylaxis (teeth cleaning) your veterinarian performs is the most effective means of treating tartar build up and preventing any further damage caused by periodontal disease. Some common signs of periodontal disease include:

• Sustained bad breath
• Bleeding or inflamed gums
• Loose, cracked, broken or missing teeth
• Tartar (hard brown material on teeth)

Many pets, even pets with extreme cases of periodontal disease, will continue to eat and drink normally. However, left untreated, periodontal disease can cause serious health problems including heart disease, liver disease, and kidney failure. Routine brushing at home and dental prophylaxis performed by your veterinarian are recommended to help prevent serious health problems and extend the quality of your pets’ life.

No. Your pet should be examined twice a year! The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends bi-annual examinations for pets of all ages. Keep in mind that pets age much more rapidly than humans – bi-annual examinations for your pet are about equal to a visit to your own physician every 3 to 4 years.

Twice a year examinations are very useful to your veterinarian. Dr. Catching will evaluate your pets’ overall health status. For instance, your veterinarian is evaluating your pets’ general body condition, weight loss or increase, changes in the coat and skin of your pet, and lumps and bumps that may have appeared and/or gotten smaller or larger.

Dr. Catching will listen to your pet’s heart and lungs and check their lymph nodes. She is palpating your pet’s abdomen and performing an oral examination – to rule out periodontal disease and oral masses. She will evaluate your pet’s mobility – hips, back, legs and joints.

During these examinations, the veterinarian will ask about any dietary changes and behavior changes. She will discuss the risk of your pet’s internal and external parasites and recommend appropriate prevention. Dr. Catching will recommend a vaccination schedule depending upon your pet’s lifestyle and risk factors.

All of this information is recorded in your pet’s medical file, creating a “normal baseline” for your pet. As your pet ages, this information becomes vital. It helps the veterinarian notice of slight changes in your pet’s health status, which can alert your veterinarian to potential health problems before they become serious health issues.

Heartworms are parasites that dogs and cats can get from mosquitoes. The mosquito bites them, depositing larvae that migrate to the heart where they become adults. Despite fur, mosquitoes can still bite dogs and cats and transmit the disease. It is important to protect your pet with yearly heartworm testing and keep them on a monthly preventative at home. Usually, it is a pill for dogs, but cats can have a topical put on their skin. There is no treatment for cats, therefore prevention is imperative. We offer several different types of preventatives and will help you choose the best one for your pet’s lifestyle.

Yes! We would love that! But, if you would prefer, we would be happy to contact your previous veterinarian. Simply provide us with the name of the doctor or hospital and we will gladly request your pets’ previous records. Ideally, we want to have all of your pets past medical history available for the doctor to review PRIOR to your pets’ initial examination.

Medical records can be emailed to us: grantlinevetrecords@yahoo.com

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We recommend 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks.   After this initial vaccination series has been completed at 16 weeks, your veterinarian will provide you with a recommendation on how frequently your pet should be vaccinated.

Yes.  Because we very seldom see a hard freeze in the Sacramento area, we have year-round fleas.  Even during the cold months – with our home heaters running, we have fleas.  Fleas can also survive and live dormant in our carpets, hardwood crevices and yards. Keeping our pets on year-round flea/tick prevention helps prevent flea infestation.

Yes!  Heartworm prevention is recommended year-round.  Heartworm is transmitted to our dogs AND cats by mosquitos during their feeding process.  Even if your cat never leaves the couch and your dog only ever goes out to the backyard – they are both still at risk for contracting Heartworm Disease.  Unfortunately, mosquitos very seldomly read the “you are not welcome in my home” sign – they really are just rude like that!!  Heartworm disease can be fatal and very difficult for dogs to treat. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for heartworm-positive cats. That is why Heartworm prevention is so important.

There are several options for prevention available today, including an injectable heartworm prevention that can protect your pet from heartworm disease.  Please feel free to discuss your options with our caring team today!

Many internal parasites, including giardia can be asymptomatic; meaning, there are no visible signs that the pet has been infected.  Because many of these parasites, including roundworm, hookworm and giardia are zoonotic (they can be transmitted from our pets to humans), it is important to incorporate bi-annual testing into your pet’s health care routine. 

Visit: https://capcvet.org/ for more information about the parasites that affect our pets and why we recommend testing every 6 months.

Laser therapy is the use of specific wavelengths of light to treat pain and/or inflammation.

Light energy enters the damaged cells and stimulates intra-cellular activity. This reduces pain and/or inflammation in the area by speeding the recovery of the damaged cells. Once the cells recover, the healing process is complete.  It has been reported that the following conditions have been effectively treated with laser therapy: Arthritis, tendonitis, wounds, post-surgical swelling, inflamed ears, lick granuloma, hip dysplasia, disc disease, lameness and sinusitis, and many more.  Most pets experience positive results in 1 to 5 treatments.

Chiropractic care is used alongside conventional medicine to treat the musculoskeletal system – the network of bones, muscles and connective tissue that create and facilitate movement. By realigning the musculoskeletal system, and in particular the spine, we’ve found its possible to improve a pet’s mobility, reduce their pain and enhance their overall health and wellbeing, as well as their quality of life.