Microchipping
One of the worst feelings to experience as a pet parent is the realization that your pet has gone missing. Considering that only 17% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats make it back to their owners, the fear you may never see your friend again is a very real possibility.
Microchipping your pet will make it much more likely your cat or dog will be returned to you! Unlike collars and tags, microchips cannot fall off and get lost. They serve as permanent identification for a pet’s entire life, and the process itself is extremely affordable and simple: a veterinary technician injects the tiny chip between your pet’s shoulder blades, a virtually painless procedure.
Behavioral Counseling
Behavior issues are something most pet owners face at one time or another and sadly, they can create such frustration it breaks the bond between pet and person. At Best Care Hospital, our veterinarians and technicians are experienced and educated about behavior problems and can provide help through training suggestions, environmental changes at home, and potentially prescribe medications to help calm your pet and facilitate other behavioral modification training.
Some typical behavior issues that we can help you with include:
- Separation anxiety
- Noise aversion
- Inappropriate elimination/litterbox issues
- Excessive barking
- Obsessive licking/lick granulomas
- Chewing
- Pica/Coprophagia
- Aggression/Irritability
Initially, it’s always important to rule out a medical or physical cause for the behavior, especially if it is a sudden change. Pets can’t tell you when something is wrong, so the behavior could be the symptom of a serious health problem. If you notice your pet acting abnormally you should schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible.
Grief Counseling
Your pets are a part of you, irreplaceable members of your family. You’ve loved them, nurtured them, ushered them through illness. You’ve played and laughed and snuggled with them. No one understands better than our team at Best Care Animal Hospital just how difficult it is when your beloved animal companion is nearing the end of their life.
We would like to make this heartbreaking time a little easier. That’s why we offer grief counseling. Our team understands what it feels like to say goodbye to a pet, as many of us have also lost pets of our own. The emotions we go through are real and nothing to be ashamed of.
Whether your loss is recent or you’ve been grieving for weeks, we are here to help you through this sad transition. We can also help your children understand and cope with their feelings. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Puppy Training with Tiffany
Your puppy’s early months are an impressionable period in his or her life, and the right training can make all the difference in your lifelong relationship with your dog. The goal of our puppy classes is to teach basic manners, encourage good behavior, prevent problems, and increase socialization, all while helping you establish a strong bond with your new canine companion. Tiffany will show you how to teach your dog what you expect of him or her through consistent, reward-based training.
The effort you put into your puppy early on will pay off tremendously down the road. Please contact Tiffany at our sister facility Animal Care Center to set up a puppy class: 727-376-7600.
Chemotherapy and Cancer Treatment
Like us, animals such as dogs, cats, ferrets, and rabbits can get cancer. Fortunately, however, some forms of cancer are curable. In addition, recent advancements in cancer treatment can dramatically extend the lives of many dogs and cats. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery may be used to stop the spread of cancer and remove or destroy cancer cells and tumors.
You can help prevent some forms of cancer by having your pet spayed or neutered at an early age, but most cancers cannot be prevented. This is why early detection is one of our best weapons against this disease.
Regular veterinary visits can help us keep track of what is normal for your pet, as well as detect anything suspicious. However, because we typically only see your dog or cat once or twice a year, we also rely on your knowledge of your pet to catch any potential issues early. Contact us right away if you notice any changes in your pet’s physical appearance or behavior (such as lumps or bumps, sores that don’t heal, vomiting, diarrhea, or changes in eating habits).
