1145 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. • Suwanee, GA 30024 • (770) 614-4000

Health Tips For Your Pet

Prevention is the medicine. Have your pet fully vaccinated every year; supervise your pet; and provide your pet with a proper diet and adequate exercise. Even with doing all that, your pet may still get sick. Here are a few guidelines in recognizing a sick pet and when you should call your vet:

• Diarrhea
• Unexplained or sudden weight loss
• Significant loss of appetite or increased appetite
• Vomiting
• Pawing at ears or shaking head
• Lumps on body
• Significant fur loss (not just shedding, which is normal); dull, patchy coat
• Persistent sneezing or coughing
• Abnormal discharge from the eyes or nose
• Stiffness or weakness in any joints; pet moves with difficulty
• Straining to urinate or defecate.
• Inability to urinate is an emergency - get your pet to the vet immediately

Don't feed your pet table scraps. "People food" is not formulated to meet the nutritional needs of your pet...and it's often too greasy or rich. This can cause your pet to become overweight - and with it, develop health problems related to obesity. Your pet may also refuse to eat regular pet food once he or she has developed a taste for human food.

Limit the treats. Treats are often salty and fatty, and once again, they can make your pet fat.

Homemade diets are not recommended. It's hard to provide all the nutritional requirements for your pet; it's better to leave that up to the big pet food companies who expend huge sums of money researching this very thing. Homemade diets are also hard to provide for pets who may be kenneled from time to time.

Do not feed cat food to your dog, or dog food to your cat. Cats and dogs have very different nutritional requirements. Your dog most likely loves cat food, so try to keep kitty's food out of his reach.

Don't feed bones to your pet. Bones can potentially cause serious problems such as intestinal blockages, internal punctures, choking, vomiting, and so on.

Dry food or kibble is best. It's nutritionally balanced, the least expensive and most convenient food, and it helps to keep teeth and gums healthy. If you have a finicky eater, you can mix a small amount with your pet's dry food to make it more appealing.

Feed kittens and puppies food that is specifically formulated for their needs. Growing animals have special needs.

Resist "free-feeding." All this means is leaving food out for your pet all time, leaving it up to them when they want to eat. This method may encourage overeating and obesity in your pet.

Set a feeding schedule. Kittens and puppies should be fed several times a day, with the number of meals decreasing as they get older. Adults need only be fed once or twice a day. Establish a schedule and stick to it.

Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to Noon
Call us at (770) 614-4000 for more information or to schedule an appointment.