Our South Shore Veterinarian Advises Owners to Microchip Pets

One of the questions our South Shore veterinarians often hear from pet owners at our small animal and dog clinic serving Quincy, Milton, Dorchester and the surrounding areas is, “Should I microchip my pet?” The answer is always a resounding, “Yes!” Microchipping is an important aspect of pet wellness, as it provides a harmless method of providing your pet with a permanent ID tag that cannot get lost or be removed without a surgical procedure.

For the past decade, animal shelters across the globe have been encouraging pet owners to microchip their pets so that in the event of a pet being brought to the shelter, they can quickly determine who the owner is. Consider this: in the United States, approximately half of all animals that are brought to shelters are euthanized because nobody claims or adopts them. We have more than eight overburdened animal shelters here in Quincy, Milton and the surrounding areas. Microchipping your pet greatly enhances the chances of your beloved animal companion being returned to you in the sad event that he’s lost.

Microchipping: Just as Simple as Other Pet Services

At Willard Veterinary Clinic, Inc., the procedure is just as simple as our other pet services. Here’s how it works: an electronic chip with an ID number, enclosed in a glass cylinder that’s approximately the size of a grain of rice, is injected below the animal’s skin. It isn’t any more painful than a normal injection and is nearly always performed without anesthesia, without requiring any additional pet meds.

Once embedded under the skin, the microchip can be read by a scanner that then displays the ID number. The ID number is stored in a database, along with the pet owner’s name and contact details, so shelters and other authorities can look it up in the event they find the animal. Microchipping is commonly used for cats and dogs, but can also be used for many other animals including rabbits and ferrets.

Have you discussed microchipping with your dog or cat vet? Did you microchip your pet as a result of this discussion?

“Mommy, I want a puppy for Christmas.”

Countless parents have heard those words for countless holidays. And while the request may be sincere and heartfelt, the reality after Christmas morning can be a bit of a shock. Should you give a pet as a gift? Generally speaking, no. Especially when the recipient is a child.

Children are notoriously fickle. The adorable puppy rolling around under the Christmas tree could be the chained-up dog in the back yard next summer if your child loses interest.

Even if the animal holds your child’s interest for 10+ years, what happens when your child grows up and moves out? You could have another 10 years of caring for the animal if your child is unable to bring it to a dorm or apartment.

Also, children are not responsible for a pet’s veterinary care, expenses, or transportation. If the pet gets sick, it’s not going to be the child who pays the vet bill, buys special food, or drives the animal to the vet.

Some children ask for smaller pets, like hamsters, which some parents think is a better solution. But just like larger animals, hamsters require daily care. Unlike larger animals, parents may not notice if the food bowl or water bottle is empty if the cage is kept in the child’s bedroom. There is also the added hazard of escapes – small animals are notorious escape artists, and it doesn’t take long for them to get into the walls or get lost in the basement or attic. In order to properly care for the animal, an adult must be fully responsible for the animal at all times.

If you do decide to give a pet as a gift, make sure you come visit us at Willard for all your new pet’s health needs!

For more than 20 years, Willard Veterinary Clinic has provided dedicated veterinary care for the communities of Quincy, Boston, Dorchester, Milton, Braintree, Weymouth, Canton, Randolph, Hingham, Abington, Hanover, and Rockland. Contact us to see why we’re different!

By: Willard Veterinary Clinic

Vaccinations Keep Pets Healthy

At Willard Veterinary Clinic serving Quincy, Milton and the surrounding area, our South Shore pet vet often hears questions from owners asking why pet vaccinations are so important. So in this blog, we’re going to answer these questions as clearly as possible.

Vaccinations are a vital aspect of pet wellness care because they effectively protect your pet from life-threatening diseases. Traditionally, they were developed to protect animals from diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses and more recently, they’ve also been adapted to protect against protozoans such as Giardia.

Throughout the Western world, diseases such as canine parvo and distemper, rabies and feline panleukopenia have become almost eradicated thanks to vaccinations. Because this greatly enhances the chances of modern pets being healthy and happy, it’s clear that vaccinations form one of the most important developments in pet services today.

Our Pet Vet Explains How Vaccinations Work

Pet vaccinations work by stimulating an active immune response in the animal’s body. A veterinarian injects an animal with a vaccine that contains a weakened form of the organism that causes the actual disease. After about seven days, this in turn prompts a defensive reaction in the animal’s body and prepares the pet to fight off the disease if ever encounters it.

In many cases, veterinarians recommend annual vaccine boosters to enhance the effectiveness of a vaccination. There are a small number of vaccines that can be administered in an intranasal form. These typically trigger a faster autoimmune response and their effects last longer. It’s best only to administer vaccinations to a healthy animal. Additionally, if an animal is already infected, a vaccine will not make it healthy again.

Our Veterinary Clinic Recommends Vaccines for Prevention

If you’re not sure which vaccinations your pet has had, make an appointment with our South Shore pet vet to discuss what your pet needs. For dogs, most vets recommend a rabies and DHLPP vaccination, which combines five vaccines in one injection and protects against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvo. In cats, vaccination against feline panleukopenia is recommended.

Do you make sure your pet’s vaccinations are up to date?