Cats are excellent at hiding illness and you may not notice the signs of a health problem until it has reached an advanced stage. Prevention is preferable to treatment and detecting a problem early can spare your cat from needless suffering and spare you some expense! If your kitty lives indoors, they can still be at risk for health problems and the older that a cat gets, the greater their risk becomes for certain age related illnesses, making prevention and early intervention especially important.

Call us today at 928-757-7979 and schedule your cat for a complete physical examination. Be sure to mention this article when you call and we will give you 15% off your cat’s entire visit (food excluded). Your pet will receive a full examination where we will discuss vaccinations, diet, blood testing, review ways to keep them healthy and go over any problems or changes you may have noticed with your feline friend.

This savings is only good now through September 30th, 2011 so hurry and call today! Limit one offer per cat. We look forward to seeing you and your kitty soon!

 
Stockton Hill Animal Hospital is teaming up with the #1Veterinarian recommended tick and flea prevention, Frontline Plus, to help you get your pets protected from ticks, fleas, and rabies!

Not only do we sell your Frontline Plus for LESS than the big stores and online sites but we are also giving your pet a FREE Rabies Vaccination just for buying Frontline! This JUNE, your pet receives a *FREE RABIES VACCINATION when you purchase 6 months of Frontline Plus.

Now you may be thinking “we don’t have fleas in ticks in Arizona”. However, Arizona has the highest incidence of the tick borne disease Ehrlichiosis- 10 times more than any other state in the United States! In addition, if your dog goes to the dog park, the river or lakes, the Hualapais or other mountainous areas, camping or hiking with you, or if you travel to other parts of the country that have grass or wooded areas, <> can be exposed to ticks and fleas due to other animals bringing them into those areas. Protect <> with Frontline Plus! Learn more about ticks by visiting www.dogsandticks.com.

You can mix and match sizes of Frontline. Buy 3 months for your dog and 3 months for your cat. Or buy 3 months for your little dog and 3 months for your big dog.

Call us today at 928-757-7979 and schedule to bring your dog or cat for his or her FREE RABIES Vaccination. You simply pay for 6 months of Frontline Plus and for your pet’s physical examination and they will receive their Rabies Vaccination for free.

*Purchase of 6 months of Frontline Plus and purchase of physical exam are required. Frontline must be purchased at the same time the vaccination is given. Limit 1 free Rabies vaccination per 6 months of Frontline purchased.

The SPOT program operates through donations only and provides FREE spaying & neutering to dog owners in the greater Kingman, AZ area who meet the financial criteria. We know how difficult it is now during these hard economic times to take care of your pets. Providing FREE spaying and neutering for those in need in our community is a service we are excited to be able to offer through the SPOT program.

The SPOT program is based solely on financial need so the program is able to help those can’t afford to spay or neuter their dog. You must fill out an application and provide all the documents that they need in order to see if you qualify for the SPOT program. Those who qualify have their dog spayed or neutered for FREE at Stockton Hill Animal Hospital!

If you or someone you know has a dog that needs to be spayed or neutered and can’t afford to do so, you can contact Mutt Matchers and Friends directly for more information at 928-718-4DOG or you can fill out their application online. If you would like to donate to the SPOT program, you can do so on the Mutt Matchers and Friends website. Simply scroll down to the bottom of their page and click on the second “Donate” button to make a donation to the SPOT program.

At Stockton Hill Animal Hospital, we are dedicated to providing the best care for your beloved pets so they can continue to enrich your life. We are look forward to serving the community and helping those in need through the SPOT program.

Hill’s® Prescription Diet Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program is convenient! All the food is already pre-measured and individually packaged! Just follow the feeding guide as to how many packets of food your pet eats, open a packet and feed it to your pet! Simple! Even the treats are pre-measured and in individually packaged too! Again, follow the feeding guide as to how many packets of treats your dog gets, open the packet, and reward your dog! Convenient and simple to follow!

Hill’s® Prescription Diet Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program is effective! Each packet of food contains the Clinically proven nutrition of Hill’s® Prescription Diet® r/d® Canine Weight Loss-Low Calorie Dry brand pet food. Each treat packet contains Hill’s® Prescription diet treats which are low in calorie yet tasty! The perfect reward for your dog! Simply feed the recommended amount of food and biscuit packets and you can see a difference in as little as 30 days.

Hill’s® Prescription Diet Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program provides support to help your dog reach his or her weight goal! The program includes a comprehensive guide that includes your veterinarian’s feeding recommendation, instructions and tips for success. Hill’s® also provides online support for owners at petfit.com.

Hill’s® Prescription Diet Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program is available in 2 sizes to help dogs reach their goal weights:

* Small breed: 10-35 lbs.
* Medium to large breed: 36 ‘“ 105 lbs.

The Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program Starter Kit for small breed dogs contains 72 food packets and 54 biscuit packets. Once the Starter Kit supplies run low simply purchase a Food Refill Carton containing 72 food packets and/or a Biscuit Refill Carton containing 54 biscuit packets.

The Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program Starter Kit for medium to large breed dogs contains 66 food packets and 60 biscuit packets. Once the Starter Kit supplies run low simply purchase a Food Refill Carton containing 66 food packets and/or a Biscuit Refill Carton containing 60 biscuit packets.

Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program is intended to be used specifically under the supervision of a veterinarian and is available exclusively through your veterinarian. As always, Hill’s® offers a 100% money back guarantee on all of their diets.

Convenience, proven effectiveness, support, and a money back guarantee. With the Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program, your pet can’t help but lose weight and feel great! Available now at Stockton Hill Animal Hospital.

Did you know that:
*Up to 15% of younger dogs have heart disease?
*As your dog ages, the risk of heart disease increases?
*60% of aged dogs may have heart disease?
*In cats, heart disease is often a silent disease, which means there are no symptoms and may go undiagnosed until it is too late?
*Because it is often undiagnosed, the rate of heart disease in cats is unknown. However, it may be present in up to 15% of cats?

Some of the signs of heart disease you could see at home may include:
*A decrease or reluctance to play or exercise
*Lethargy more tired than usual
*Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, especially with exercise or excitement
*Coughing
*Collapsing or fainting

Some of the signs of heart disease that can only be detected by your veterinarian as part of a thorough examination include:
*Gallop rhythm in cats
*Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
*Audible sounds between the heartbeat (murmur)

Dogs and cats are most commonly diagnosed with one of three heart conditions:
*Mitral valve disease- the most common heart disease in dogs. One of the valves inside the heart becomes leaky and allows blood to flow in the wrong direction through the heart.
*Dilated cardiomyopathy- the heart muscle becomes weak and stretched, decreasing the heart’s ability to pump blood through the body
*Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy- this is more common in cats. The heart becomes thickened, making it difficult to pump the blood properly through the body.

If undiagnosed or untreated, any of these types of heart disease may eventually result in heart failure. Tell your veterinarian if your pet has any of the symptoms described above. With early diagnosis, your pet can live a longer and healthier life.

How do we diagnose heart disease in a dog or cat? Especially if they aren’t having any symptoms, as is often the case in cats?
A complete physical examination and listening to your pet’s heart and lungs with a stethoscope can help provide your veterinarian with clues that your pet may have some heart-related issue. Also, it is important to take your pet to the veterinarian regularly, at least twice a year, as early diagnosis and treatment will help your pet have a longer, happier, and healthier life.

We now have a revolutionary new way to diagnose heart disease in your pet. By taking a small sample of blood, we can measure the presence of the same cadiac marker that indicates heart disease in people. The Cardiopet proBNP test can help your veterinarian diagnose heart disease earlier, and in cats, before any symptoms are present.

Your veterinarian may want to additional tests to evaluate your pet’s heart, based on your pet’s examination, symptoms, and test results. These may include x-rays, an electrocardiograph (ECG), an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of your pet’s heart), and a consultation with a cardiologist.

Certain breeds may be more prone to heart disease. For dogs, these include:
*Basset hound, Beagle, Bernese mountain dog, Bloodhound, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Chihuahua, Collie, Dachshund, Doberman pincher, German shepherd, Golden retriever, Great Dane, Labrador retriever, Poodle, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, some spaniels, some terriers, Weimaraner

For cats, these include:
*Heart disease affects all types of cats, including domestic shorthair and longhair cats. However, purebred cats such as the American shorthair, Maine coon, Persian, Siamese, Sphynx, and Ragdoll are especially prone to heart disease.
*Additionally, feline heart disease can strike at any age and often “silently” so it is important that your cat gets regular checkups by your veterinarian.

What can you do to help protect your pet’s heart?
*Look for any changes in your pets’ behavior as they age and notify your veterinarian about them as soon as possible- don’t wait till their vaccinations are due as that might be months away!
*Watch for changes in appetite and exercise and again, notify your veterinarian about them immediately.
*Watch for the signs of heart disease and if you see them, let your veterinarian know about it right away.
*Know your breed- some breeds are more prone to heart disease.
*If your veterinarian hears a heart murmur, ask about heart disease.
*Take your pet for a checkup twice a year and have bloodwork performed at least once a year.

While there is not a cure for heart disease, early detection and treatment can make a significant difference in the quality of your pet’s life!

When we received the results, there were some abnormalities that made us suspicious that Chewaca could have a disorder called Cushing’s Disease. The first signs of Cushing’s are usually drinking and urinating more than usual, neither of which she was doing. Despite this, the blood work was pretty convincing, so we pursued more testing to confirm our suspicions. Sure enough, she DID have Cushing’s Disease! We did a few other tests to look for problems that Cushing’s Disease can cause, such as urinary infection and high blood pressure. Fortunately, she did not have either at this point. With Cushing’s Disease, we only treat if the pet is having complications from the disease. The great thing is, now that we know Chewaca has it, we know what to look for and will be able to treat her symptoms much sooner, increasing her quality of life!

So, why does your pet need to have bloodwork at least once a year? We want your pet live as long and as healthy a life as possible. We can do so by finding and preventing disease early on. Having your pet’s blood tested at least once a year is one of the easiest and best ways to do this. This helps us to find early signs of illness, just like we did with Chewaca, BEFORE your pet is showing signs of illness. Often, by the time a pet is showing signs of being sick, it is too late to treat them. Just as our doctors screen us for heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc to find things or prevent them before they become a bigger problem, our pets need and deserve the very same! Call to schedule to have your pet’s blood tested today!

Hyperthyroid cats have a tumor that is producing too much thyroid hormone. Almost all of these turmors are benign but they are speeding up the cat’s metabolism, causing an increase in water consumption and urination, increase or decrease in appetite, hyeractivity or lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, abnormal heart rhythm, even death!

Radioiodine is now the treatment of choice. It requires only one injection to cure your cat of hyperthyroidism. It destroys the thyroid tumor, wherever it may be, safely and effectively. Having cured over 35,000 cats, it is the best and most cost effective treatment for your cat! Learn more at www.radiocat.com.