Corner Animal Hospital : Online Pet Pharmacy and Veterinary Service

Choosing the right veterinary hospital for you and your pet is almost as important as actually choosing your pet! It’s a good idea to choose the hospital before you choose your new pet. That way if you have a sudden emergency, you will not have the added stress of picking a veterinary hospital on the spot. Start your search by asking family and friends for recommendations. Doing this helps you begin to narrow down the hospitals. Once you have done that, visit the hospitals that are on your list.

Here are some things to keep in mind during your visits to potential veterinary hospitals :

• Office hours : Be sure to notice if there are regular office hours and make sure that the hours work with your schedule. Also make sure you find out who covers the hospital when the veterinarian is not available.

• Professional staff : The attitude of the staff is very important when choosing a hospital. Take notice of how routine phone calls are handled. Find out if you can request appointments with specific veterinarians and most importantly, make sure that you feel comfortable talking to the entire staff.

• Services : Some hospitals offer services that others do not. Find out what kinds of services are offered at the hospital you’re visiting.

• Emergency care : Not all veterinary hospitals handle emergencies, especially after hours. If the hospital doesn’t handle during or after hour emergencies, find out if they have an affiliate hospital where they send their patients to in the case of an emergency.

• Fees and payment : Find out what types of payment the hospital accepts. Also, are payments required on the day of a visit, or can you use a payment plan?

• Professional affiliations : Find out if the veterinarians are part of any national veterinary associations.

• Facility : Take a tour of the hospital and make sure that it looks clean and orderly. Also, check for any foul odors.

Once you have made sure that the hospital facilities meet your standards and expectations, you want to make sure that you are comfortable with the veterinarian as well. You should be able to comfortably communicate with your pet’s doctor. Make sure that you feel that you can ask questions and that the answers are clearly explained. Your relationship with your veterinarian is essential to your pet’s health. Your pet cannot tell the doctor when something is not right, so you need to be able to.

Choosing the right veterinary hospital is an important step in choosing a new pet. Be sure to carefully choose your hospital. Be sure that your pet is going to be as important to the veterinarian as it is to you! 

Is it time to bring your pet to the veterinarian for a checkup? Are you unsure of what to expect? It’s actually very important to understand what your veterinarian does to your pet during its annual exam. This helps you recognize when your pet is healthy and also if something is wrong. Here are the normal procedures that a veterinarian goes through on an annual physical exam:

Temperature
Taking the temperature of your pet is one the most important parts of the physical exam. A dog or cat’s average temperature is somewhere between 101 and 102.5 degrees. Even if an animal seems healthy, a veterinarian can often tell that something is not right if the animal has a high temperature.

Skin and Coat
A healthy pet should have a shiny coat and clean skin. A brittle, dry coat or flaky skin is an indication that something is wrong. If the skin and coat are not healthy, the veterinarian will likely suggest that you switch your pet from a grain-based diet to a meat-based diet. Within a few weeks, your pet’s skin and coat should be much healthier.

Ears
Normal ears should have smooth skin and should be without any wounds. The ears should be clean, dry and almost odor free. If your pet has an allergy or ear infection, you should be able to see it. However, infections usually start deep in the ear canal. The veterinarian will check for any infections that are in the early stages in order to eliminate them before they become a problem. Your veterinarian can prescribe any necessary medications and can show you the correct way to clean your pet’s ears.

Eyes
The veterinarian will examine the interior of your pet’s eye structures. Usually, pets do not have serious eye problems. The most common eye irritations among pets stem from contact with pollen, dust, or grass.

Paws and Toenails
Paw injuries usually heal on their own relatively quickly, but if your pet has really long toenails, they should be clipped shorter.

Mouth
Often pets with an infection in their mouth do not display any symptoms. However, many infections can be found in animals’ mouths including infected gums, objects stuck in between teeth, and even tumors.

Abdomen
A seemingly healthy pet can also have problems with its abdomen. A veterinarian can discover that your pet could have bladder stones, a tumor, only one working kidney, or is pregnant. By feeling the outside of your pet’s abdomen, the veterinarian can tell what’s going on in the inside. Often what’s on the inside is just as important, if not more important, than what’s on the outside.

Heart
During any physical exam, it is important that your veterinarian listens to your pet’s heart and lungs. By doing this, they can detect any heart valve or heart rhythm problems. If any heart problems are detected, further testing is usually recommended.

Bringing your pet in for a physical exam is an extremely important part of your pet’s health. Many times, a seemingly normal pet is actually unhealthy. Only a veterinarian would be able to detect such problems. Understanding the physical exam will help you understand your pet’s health and this will help your pet live a long and healthy life.

While many people think that choosing a new pet is a small decision that doesn’t require too much thought, think again. It is actually an important life decision- sometimes being a 10 year commitment or more. It is imperative to pick a new pet that is right for you and your family. Here are some questions to consider when you are picking out your new pet :

1. Most importantly, what type of pet do you want? Think about your lifestyle- what do you like and what do you want your pet to bring to your life? Research different types of pets and then talk to someone who has the type of pet that you are considering.

2. Do you have time to take care of a pet? Some pets require a larger time commitment than others. Puppies, for example, are a big commitment. They can’t be left alone and they need to be played with and trained.

3. Can I have a pet where I currently live? Many rentals have rules against pets or restrictions on the type of pet you can have. Some landlords have an additional fee. If you can have a pet where you live, you need to decide what type you have enough room for. Small dogs and cats can get their necessary daily exercise indoors or in small yards, while larger dogs may need to have more space to run freely.

4. Do you know the local animal control laws? Some communities require licenses of pets and some limit the number of pets that you can have.

5. Can I afford it? Pets can be expensive. When choosing a new pet you need to consider the costs for food, grooming, veterinary care, toys, etc.

6. Do you have a veterinarian? If not, you need to choose one in your area that suits your new pet’s needs. Talk to family and friends with pets to find out which veterinarians they like.

7. Do you have someone that can care for your pet while you’re on vacation? Make sure that you have a family member, friend, or neighbor to care of your pet or money to pay for a kennel while you are away.

8. If you have children, what kind of pet do they want? The maturity level of your children is important to consider when choosing a pet. You need to make sure that your children are mature enough to know the right way to treat a pet.

9. If you have other pets, how will they tolerate a new addition? Old pets may get jealous of new ones and they may not get along. When bringing home a new pet, be sure to introduce the animals slowly. Give them their own spaces for a while until they eventually get used to each other. Don’t expect them to be best of friends right away.

10. Does anyone in your home have allergies? Make sure that you talk to your family members and/or those you live with about any allergies they may have before you bring home a new pet.

There are many things to consider when choosing a new pet. It’s an important decision that needs serious thought both for you and the animal. Be sure to do research and familiarize yourself with the type of pet you are considering before bringing it home. This will help to alleviate any problems and ensure that you and your pet will be happy and content for years to come!