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Is a dog able to live on a vegan diet? - The Waggin' Train Veterinary Clinic

I'm definitely going to say “no” to that question, and the simple reason why is dogs are carnivores. I'm not even talking about domestic though. Let's talk about dogs, canines. They are carnivorous animals. So to completely remove all animal protein from their diet is not how God created them. Can they live for a period of time? Heck yeah, they can. Would I recommend that you put a dog on a vegan diet long-term? My answer would be, "No."

Contributed by Scott J. Broussard DVM from

Is a dog able to live on a vegan diet? - Advanced Animal Care in Richmond

There are some vegetarian options, for example, hydrolyzed protein. Because a lot of times, it's the protein source that animals can be allergic to if they have food allergies. The bottom line is protein sources need to be there somehow. So in dealing with a strictly vegan diet, even vegans necessarily need their protein. We just have to be sure it's there.

Contributed by Rachael Lander DVM from

What will my veterinarian do during a dog preventive care appointment? - The Waggin' Train Veterinary Clinic

During your average preventative care appointment, it's going to be a lot of the routines, so we're going to test the dog for heartworms. We're going to do a stool sample to look for intestinal worms. We do a great head-to-toe physical exam. We're going to administer vaccinations to prevent all the diseases. Also, it gives us an opportunity to do what we call wellness blood work. That is typically where we run a CBC and maybe a chemistry panel. On some of our older patients, we might also include a thyroid panel. But it's before there's a problem, so we're looking to see if we can see the beginnings of perhaps inadequate kidney function, or the beginnings of something that's affecting the liver, or electrolytes or blood sugar...those kinds of things. That's why we call it wellness blood work. There's no problem there at that time, but it's allowing us to look behind the curtain and see if there's anything more brewing under the surface.

Contributed by Scott J. Broussard DVM from

What will my veterinarian do during a dog preventive care appointment? - Advanced Animal Care in Richmond

A full physical exam is our basis there. Even just seeing them walk into the clinic is a really good way to assess how they're ambulating, how their motility is at home, but otherwise, we’ll do some simple blood work like a heartworm test, et cetera, to get them on these products here.

Contributed by Rachael Lander DVM from

How often should my dog be seen for preventive care? - The Waggin' Train Veterinary Clinic

Bare minimum once a year but, more realistically, I think twice a year is probably a better schedule to fall into because it allows the dog ... they grow so rapidly and change so rapidly, much more so than us. Seeing an animal on a twice-yearly basis will definitely give you a better chance to pick up on conditions as they emerge, and not once they've been there for six or nine months or even a year.

Contributed by Scott J. Broussard DVM from

Does my dog have to be spayed or neutered? - Haines Road Animal Hospital

I highly recommend having your dog spayed or neutered.

Contributed by Dr. Julie Mosher from

What does dog preventative care mean? - The Waggin' Train Veterinary Clinic

Dog preventative care is anything that we do medically speaking that prevents disease. So the most common things would be vaccinations, heartworm preventatives, and perhaps flea control. It involves products that we can give or administer that will prevent disease down the road.

Contributed by Scott J. Broussard DVM from

Is dry food, wet food, or a combination of both best for cats? - Countryside Veterinary Clinic

There are different thoughts on that, and, honestly, it's whatever is easier for you to feed and what the cat's preference is. Some cats never touch canned food, while other cats like it. It's a matter of what you want to feed them and what they do best with as far as if they have any vomiting, diarrhea, or other issues with certain types of foods. With dental tartar, some cats do well with any kind of food. It's a matter of personal preference. The biggest thing is making sure that you are feeding a high-quality diet.

Contributed by Kimberly Young DVM from
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