Frequently Asked Questions

Wellness plans are the veterinary equivalent of human insurance except that we cut out the third party in this case and you know exactly what you can expect for your money. It is also a way to spread out the expected costs for your pet over a 12-month time frame. We can tailor these plans to include exactly what services your pet may need. An example of a wellness plan may be an Annual exam, vaccines, fecal test, heartworm test, adult blood panel, and a dental cleaning. The total cost of these services would be added up and then divided into more manageable monthly services. We can also include your flea/tick and heartworm prevention into this bundle AND can arrange to have the individual doses sent to your home on the 1st of every month so you do not forget. Please ask us about a plan for your pet if this sounds like a way to deliver the best healthcare for your companion.

There are so many options out there when it comes to health insurance. It's hard to know where to start, so most of us go to Google. However, the best way to get started is inquiring at your local vet. Many receptionists file claims every day and they are knowledgeable in what companies are easy to work with, have speedy reimbursements and who may decline claims more often than others. In general, we recommend ASPCA Insurance, Embrace, and PetPlan. This is not to say that others are bad, its just what we have the most experience with. One common misconception with pet health insurance is that it operates similarly to human insurance. Please keep in mind that payment is required by the pet owner up front and then reimbursed to you once the claim is processed. We can help you with a speedy claim submission if you provide us with a copy of your claim form. We will work with you to make this as seamless as possible as having health insurance for your pet is a great way to ensure you are making the best health decisions for your pet and not making decisions based on cost.

https://www.embracepetinsurance.com

https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com

www.gopetplan.com/Pet-Insurance

Veterinarians recommend bloodwork at various pet life stages for a variety of reasons. He or she should always be able to tell you what they are looking for or why they may be concerned. But, in a healthy pet, many owners wonder why its recommended. Early detection and baseline parameters are the two main reasons we recommend bloodwork in an otherwise healthy pet. Almost all diseases are best treated in the early stages and many times when this occurs we not only extend the length of our pets life but the quality as well. Have you ever asked a person with heart disease what it feels like? Why do we assume that heart disease in our pets does not warrant treatment? It is interesting to hear a human describe their clinical symptoms of a disease that we tend not to acknowledge in our pets. But, we are digressing here. A basic blood panel can tell us a lot about a pet's health. It gives us a reading on kidney function, liver function, pancreatic function, electrolyte balance, immune function to include white blood cell levels, red blood cell levels and in some cases thyroid or other hormone levels. In addition to this, there are many more tests that can be tailored to your pets specific condition. For example, there is a test that quantifies the stretch of heart muscle attempting to put a number on the severity of a patient's heart condition. This can be a wonderful test in a cat that you may not be prepared to take to a veterinary cardiologist after learning he or she has a heart murmur. The list is extensive for preventive health tests that can be run. We are not advocating having every test under the sun performed on your pet, but a conversation with your vet about particular disease processes that may be a concern for your specific pet as they age, based on breed, lifestyle, diet, behavior, etc.

You may be able to tell by now, but preventive dental health and addressing oral pain due to dental disease is a passion at Goose Creek Veterinary Hospital. We see pets every day that could benefit from a thorough dental cleaning and possibly selective extractions to maximize the oral health. This is not a cosmetic issue in our pets, but a way of controlling systemic health and reducing chronic pain. Have you ever had a root canal, if so, you can probably identify with oral pain!

Anesthesia is many times the number one reason a client may elect to avoid a dental procedure and even more commonly they never tell the vet about this fear. At Goose Creek Vet, we would never recommend a procedure that we feel would jeopardize their life. This is not to say that unexpected events do not happen, but anesthetic death is less than a 1% occurrence. This may not make you feel better, but also consider that in that 1 % of cases, many times appropriately trained staff or lack of advanced anesthetic monitoring equipment is the reason for the death. Or more simply put, human error that could have been avoided. It is very important to use appropriate monitoring equipment so that you know when a patient is not doing well and measures can be taken to correct the problem. It's equally if not more important to have staff that is able to hook up the equipment, recognizes when there are problems and have the knowledge of what to adjust when a problem occurs. At Goose Creek Veterinary Hospital we make every attempt to deliver safe anesthesia tailored to each individual treatment. We have invested in high-quality equipment that is regularly maintained.

As veterinarians, we came into this profession with a love of animals, but its also a reality that many pets are fearful at the vet. Many times, for good reason, think of the toddler that has to be held down for shots, they know there is pain sometimes associated with these visits. Unfortunately, that is a fact of life and many times we do things that are uncomfortable but necessary to keep a pet healthy. So, what sorts of things can be done to improve a pets visit? I think it's easiest to separate the approaches into dogs and cats.

For cats, I believe minimal restraint and a gentle approach is a must. Even with historically "fractious" cats, I always attempt to pet them and handle them (minimally if necessary) but with a gentle touch avoiding scruffing and using a towel. It is not always possible, but being gentle is ALWAYS our default. In addition to this, many times for cats, the stress starts at home before the visit when the carrier comes out. Cats are smart and they know those carriers mean a place they don't always want to go. You can improve this by getting out the carrier, sometimes weeks prior to the vet visit, if possible. I also like to use Feliway pheromone spray, a favorite toy or treat and even catnip inside the carrier to improve cats comfort level when inside. Then, once your cat is on the carrier, it's helpful to put a blanket on it to allow them to "hide" inside. This also protects them from the nosy dog that may approach on the way to the vet hospital After that, we will do everything in our power to reduce over-handling and movement of your cat. Please also provide us any feedback that has or has not worked for your pet. We always say owners know their pets the best.

One item that has not been mentioned is the use of drugs. We are proponents of using carefully crafted drug combinations to reduce the stress of a painful procedure or even simple handling for an exam. An example may be cleaning deep wound. As humans, many of us prefer to reduce the pain or not to feel it at all if we have to have a painful procedure done to us, we can probably safely assume our pet counterparts feel the same way.

Dealing with dogs is a whole different ballgame. In general, dogs can be placed into a few categories when it comes to their behavior at the vet. Some are happy and excited and many times too exuberant, others are fearful but go stiff and sometimes trembling, waiting for the whole experience to be other, and the last general category is the dogs that get aggressive. As veterinarians, we do not like to see pets upset just walking in the door, but it's a reality and likely the culmination of many triggers or events that have preceded the vet visit. We know these are great pets at home and do not judge them by their behavior at the vet hospital.

If you are worried about your pet's anxiety coming to the vet, it's best to start the counterconditioning as early as possible. Try to figure out what treats your dog goes nuts over. Even if it's something like liver, please feel free to bring it with you and have our staff indulge your pet. Many times the various floor surfaces at the vet are alarming to some dogs. If you suspect this is playing a role, please let us know and we can provide mats and floor tiles that will make it easier for your pet to maneuver. Now, when it comes down to examining your pet or giving shots or taking blood, every pet is an individual in what sets if off or what he or she may tolerate. This may start to sound like a broken record, but it is vital to inform us of what you may believe upsets your pet or adversely, what may have worked in the past. Some pets do better away from the owner while others do well with their face hiding in the owner's lap. For very severe cases, we also like to consider the use of drugs that are effective in calming your pet. Many times this is done with an injection of oral medications that you could possibly start at home are just not as effective, but worth trying if that is a more comfortable approach.

In the end, our goal is to provide a thorough exam and do so with minimal anxiety while maintaining a safe environment for you and our staff.

We are sure you could use your imagination, but you would not believe what some pets ingest or what may be laying around your home that could pose a toxic threat to your pet. We have heard it all, so if you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call us right away. A wait and see approach is never recommended, which does not mean your pet will always require extensive treatment, but it's simply not worth the risk when a phone call to our office is free. We will always do our best to inform you of the risks as well as tell you if a veterinary exam is recommended.

Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, we may recommend that you call the ASPCA pet poison hotline. We may also call you once your pet has been examined by the veterinarian. This is really an extraordinary service and worth every penny that it costs. ASPCA Pet Poison Control has an extensive database with toxic thresholds, recommended treatments, prognosis, and protocols that are best suited to get your pet back to health as soon as possible and reduce the long-term damage. If we recommend this, its to provide the most effective treatment plan to help your pet.

www.aspca.org > Pet Care

(888) 426-2235

Hyperthyroidism is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions of aging cats. It can be detected as early as 7 years of age or earlier or be diagnosed for the first time in an 18-year-old cat. New research is emerging every day, but cats at the highest risk are indoor only cats that eat an exclusively wet food diet. This is unfortunate research and we would be happy to discuss in more detail why this may be in person. The good news is that hyperthyroidism is a completely controllable disease. There several options for treatment which is nice in that there is flexibility for each owner to choose what is right for them.

In our experience, an oral medication to lower the systemic thyroid hormone level has been the most common treatment modality. Typically, a cat is dosed once daily, but in some cases, the medication is given twice daily. Medication can be given orally in tablet or as a flavored liquid. In a cat that cannot take oral medication, a formulation that is rubbed in the inner hairless portion of the ear is also an option. So, with some creativity, medicating your cat can happen.

Another option, which we really like, especially for indoor solitary cats, is feeding a prescription diet called Hills y/d diet. This food works by limiting the iodine in the food that is needed to make thyroid hormone. No other diet on the market can achieve this and its VERY important that your cat not gets any other source of nutrition, including some medications. It's best to discuss with your vet if your cat is a good candidate for this approach.

A third option is radioactive iodine therapy. This can be a great method to cure your cat of thyroid disease. It has a more upfront cost associated but most of the time avoid lifelong therapy. Its performed at a local specialty clinic. We can discuss this process more in depth if this is something you may consider. The last option is surgical removal of the thyroid gland. This too also offers a cure but does carry more complications. We would be happy to discuss this approach if this is a consideration.

No matter what treatment you decide upon, blood monitoring and consistency are crucially important. It's very important that a cats thyroid level is controlled so that their clinical signs diminish but ALSO that we do not make their thyroid function too low, creating a low thyroid condition called hypothyroidism. It has been discovered that low thyroid function in an aging cat is extremely detrimental to kidney function. Since kidney function loss is also a very common medical condition of cats, it's very important to us that we do everything we can to support optimal kidney function. If you have more questions about the symptoms of hyperthyroidism or its treatments, please make an appointment with us.

At Goose Creek Veterinary Hospital we like to keep the choices to a minimum when it comes to heartworm, flea and tick prevention. For heartworm disease, we recommend Interceptor Plus for dogs and Revolution for cats. The oral monthly preventive for dogs has great protection against gastro-intestinal parasites as well as heartworms. Revolution is a monthly spot on for cats that protects them against heartworms, other parasites, fleas, ticks, ear and other mites. Revolution is the ideal product for cats that live with dogs or go outside.

www.interceptorplus.com

www.revolution4cats.com

When it comes to flea and tick prevention, there are so many products on the market, it can be overwhelming to know which is the best fit for your pet. We recommend two products, both are extremely effective but give you options for delivery of the medication. We recommend Nexgard monthly chewable tablet to prevent fleas and ticks. This prevention is effective against the deer tick. For more sporty dogs that may come into contact with ticks every day or hike regularly, we like the Seresto collar made by Bayer. It can last 8 months, has no odor and is the best tick repellent I have personally experienced with my pets. We would be happy to fit your pet with one of these collars if you are interested.

www.nexgardfordogs.com

www.seresto.com

Itchy pets can be so frustrating for a pet owner. One can feel helpless when it comes to this seasonal or perhaps year long symptom. It is important to keep in mind that an itchy pet is a symptom of an underlying allergy. Pets generally have allergies to one of three things, fleas, food, or something in the environment.

The symptoms of allergies can range from ears infections, paw licking, hot spots, or itching the various places on the body. It can be a long process to determine what may be causing your pet to be itchy. So, discussing the history of the problem with your vet is very important. Is the itching seasonal, occur year round, what areas are affected and how severe is the itching.

Once we dicuss the history, we may recommend a food trial. A food trial would consist of feeding your pet a prescription or home cooked hypoallergenic diet. It is important to choose a prescription food because these foods are manufactured in a facility that only makes this food. An over the counter food that may have limited ingredients is still processed in the factory that makes other more mainstream varieties. We try to choose a food that has a protein your pet has never been exposed to before. Chicken and beef allergies are the most common. A food trial needs to be attempted for a minimum of 12 weeks to see the benefit and your pet cannot have any other source of food.

When treating for environmental allergies, we have to decide if it is important to determine the source of the allergy or if it makes sense to just treat the symptoms. This becomes a question of how severe and how often your pet may be suffering. Allergy shots is an option for pets that have frequent and severe symptoms and our goal is to diminish this over the course of the pet's lifespan. When treating the symptoms of your pet's allergies, we have a variety of oral drugs that can reduce the itching. We also recommend various topical medications such as shampoos, rinses, and ears cleaners. Allergies are a condition that has to be managed at home with the help of your vet. We are here to work with you to make your pet as comfortable and happy as possible.