Well, pain can manifest in a lot of different signs, panting at rest. So you haven't walked, you haven't played and your pet's sitting there and open up breathing or panting, that can mean they're in pain, not wanting to get up and go out and play or go for a walk to do their normal routine. Some dogs tend to hide a little bit. The more obvious one is kind of squelching or screaming when you touch them somewhere or whiny. This can also be a sign of pain, but they can be very subtle at times and if you're concerned about that, definitely bring them into the hospital please.

Yeah, definitely. So this is a good question and check out our YouTube page because we also made a video to detect if your pets have skin issues, but licking at the paws, scratching at their ears, the cartoon where the dog's scooting their butt across the floor, we think it's so cute, but that could be an anal gland issue, a biting at the rump of the tail could indicate fleas, general normal things that they're not doing on a normal basis anymore like eating regularly, maybe they're eating less, any vomiting, diarrhea, not eating at all drinking more or less water, acting tired, not wanting to walk as far or as much. Little subtle signs like this are a good indication something potentially could be going on. And a good rule of thumb, especially with eating, think about putting yourself in that position. If you haven't eaten or drank in a day, how would you feel? And sometimes people, they wait it out a little bit. Don't do that. Just if they're not eating or drinking, please bring them in right away. That's an important sign in pets that something's going on.

There are so many diets out there and that are well formulated. So I get this question a lot. What do you recommend? So I go based on what I generally feed my dog, which I personally do like Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Purina as my top three because I know they put a lot of research into their products, but there's a lot of diets out there. So consult with your veterinarian if you have questions about what you should feed and a lot is dictated by age and lifestyle. There's puppy food, adult food, and geriatric food based on the stages of life that your pets go through. So during your regular wellness exams, I think that would be the best question. Avoid high fat foods and if you can't please avoid giving pets people food. We see so many issues with people giving pets people food.

A couple of things you could focus on is, number one, keeping them up to date on all their preventative care, vaccines, making sure you're getting regular deworming, keeping them on flea and tick control, heartworm prevention, monitoring their nails so they're not too long, routine bathing, creating a schedule that you're cleaning and bathing your pets is very important and nutrition, balanced nutrition, feeding them at regular times, which we'll get into a little bit more on the next question, but overall, just creating a routine of good habits, including exercise in which I know even I need to work on a little bit more, but that's something that we all need to keep in mind.

One of the best things to know is if their behavior is different. So take note if they're hiding, they didn't get up early in the morning, they didn't eat, they didn't drink, and they don't want to go for their walk. Maybe they're limping, vomiting, or breathing harder. Any of those things that are different from what you would know is their normal behavior would probably indicate something is amiss.

First of all, providing a nice safe environment, particularly when they're puppies, so that they don't get into anything that they shouldn't. As they get older, they're going to need a lot of exercise, so it's essential that more senior dogs get some activity and exercise, that they get plenty of appropriate food, that they have water down at all times. They love to be with people, so socialization is excellent. When they exercise well and get to explore and do things, they probably rest better at home and just make the perfect pet.

That is a good question, and I'm going to be honest with you. I'm going to say no on this one. Yeah, I'm going to say no. It'll make them less vocal at two in the morning right outside of your bedroom window, maybe. I won't go any further. Think about it, you can fill in the blanks. But yeah, just... Some cats are vocal, man. Some cats when they're hungry, meow, meow, meow. When they want your attention, meow, meow, meow. Yeah. So no, I think the answer to that question, to put it concisely is no.

There is pain involved in the procedure, of course. Yes. A female, for example, we are opening up their abdomen and we are physically removing their ovaries and uterus. So yes, of course there is some pain. The good news is, nowadays, the anesthetic protocols that we use, the pain control that we have afterwards, the pain is almost negligible. Most of the time now with the regimen of pain control that we use, if the animal is painful after surgery, we didn't do our job right, let's put it that way. So there are so many good drugs out there that make them pain-free and allow for quick, healthy recoveries. Yeah, it's virtually a nonissue now.

It's vital to dog wellness. Mostly, dogs love to explore new environments or the same environment again. So if they can be outside and be in the fresh air and smell things and get different experiences, they are overall more well-rounded, happier pets. And so it's very important.

No, they'll come in as Bruce did, where he had a checkup from the veterinarian, and had blood work to make sure everything was fine before the surgery. The cat will be sedated then anesthetized, so they will be completely asleep through the surgery and then they will ake up. And when he goes home that very day, he'll go home with a little bit of medication, an anti-inflammatory or pain medication. And they do very well.