The Naperville Animal Hospital in Illinois offers a wide range of veterinary care services. In addition to important veterinary support, such as spay and neuter procedures, the Naperville Animal Hospital provides animals with a variety of grooming services. Animal grooming is much more than a luxury to indulge in on behalf of your pet. In fact, most aspects of it should be viewed as ancillary to a proper veterinary-care regimen. Among an array of grooming services, the hospital can perform nail trimmings. For dogs with long or fast-growing nails, this may need to be performed as frequently as every two to three weeks, though once every one or two months is a more normal range. In general, individuals should clip nails as close to the quick as possible, though dogs with overly-long nails will need to be cut little by little so as not to effect the quick, which can be quite painful. In some cases, a dog’s level of daily activity will dictate how often they need their nails clipped. Dogs that go on frequent long walks, for example, will have their nails naturally whittled down by concrete and the elements. Meanwhile, older, less active dogs may require more frequent trimmings. Additionally, breeds that spend most of their time indoors, such as Chihuahuas, will need their nails cut more often than an outdoor breed. It bears repeating that nail trimmings are not just a luxury service for a dog. Canines with excessively long nails will, at the very least, experience discomfort while walking. In more severe cases, long nails may contribute to joint and bone issues.
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Like many animal support organizations across the country, Naperville Animal Hospital is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). AVMA advocates for veterinary professionals across the country, and hosts events that help individuals as well as organizations such as Naperville Animal Hospital advance their practice of veterinary medicine.
The 2018 AVMA Convention is set to begin on July 13 in Denver, Colorado. The conference is scheduled to offer educational content in areas such as companion animal medicine, food animal medicine, and professional development. Those interested in continuing education can earn dozens of hours through seminars on a range of topics, including new technology and business operations. Attendees will also gain access to the convention's networking opportunities with peers, suppliers, experts, and potential partners. While the convention is discounted for members, it is open to all, including non-veterinarians and practice staff. Current veterinary students and recent graduates can attend without charge, enabling them to get a head start connecting with established professionals and learning more about the current state of veterinary care. Naperville Animal Hospital, based in Naperville, Illinois, provides preventive services and veterinary surgery for companion animals. It also offers advanced diagnostics, which can give detailed views of internal structures like organs, muscles, and bones and aid in the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. Naperville Animal Hospital belongs to professional organizations such as the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). Founded in 1896, the CVMA has served the community through public awareness initiatives and by offering low-cost veterinary services for those in need. Beyond helping animals and their human companions, the CVMA provides continuing education courses and seminars for veterinarians throughout the year. CVMA courses are led by well-respected veterinary professionals who have expertise in topics such as the cardiovascular and neurological systems of domesticated animals and the control of infectious diseases among various animal populations. In December 2018, the CVMA will hold a seminar on oncology with Timothy M. Fan, DVM, PhD, an associate professor of veterinary clinical medicine and pathobiology at the University of Illinois. This lecture will include presentations on the latest advances in diagnostic equipment as well as treatment protocols like immunotherapy and precision medication for managing different types of cancers. To learn more about upcoming CVMA continuing education courses, visit www.chicagovma.org/upcoming-ce-events/. Naperville Animal Hospital offers comprehensive pet care for cats, dogs, reptiles, birds, and smaller domestic pets. The hospital’s 11 veterinarians are trained to provide preventive care, surgical intervention, dental care, advanced diagnostics, laser therapy, and many other services. Naperville Animal Hospital and its veterinarians maintain affiliations with professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Founded in 1863, AVMA was formed to support the advancement of its more than 89,000 veterinarian members through education, access to products and services, and advocacy in support of veterinary issues. One advocacy issue currently on AVMA’s agenda is the abuse of Tennessee walking horses. In the horse show arena, riders have long engaged in an illegal practice called soring, whereby the horse’s legs are intentionally abused to cause pain to the horse and exaggerate its signature gait. After years of hearings on the issue, the US Department of Agriculture released a rule cracking down on the practice and eliminating the self-regulation that had allowed the illegality of the practice to be overlooked. Parts of the rule were slated to take effect in February, but the rule was suspended before it could be implemented. The AVMA is now advocating for immediate implementation of the rule. Focusing on pet care, the Naperville Animal Hospital provides around-the-clock veterinary care by staffing the facility overnight so they can observe the animals after surgery, if they are sick, or are being boarded. In an effort to connect with other facilities in the area, the Naperville Animal Hospital belongs to the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). Founded in 1896, the CVMA represents more than 1,000 veterinarians and 4,000 veterinary staff members who work in the Chicagoland area. These members remain dedicated to the health and wellbeing of animals. To help members achieve these goals, the CVMA offers continuing education (CE) programs, networking opportunities, and professional services. One of the CE sessions offered by the CVMA takes place on December 13, 2017, in Oak Brook, Illinois. Those who attend this day-long event will earn six hours of CE credit. One featured speaker is Ralph C. Harvey DVM, MS, ACVA, who will discuss pain management and how to reduce fear, stress, and pain in animals. His presentation will include discussion of anesthesia and what to do in case of complications and other emergencies. Dr. Harvey serves as a pain management and anesthesia professor at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville, Tennessee. An animal healthcare provider serving patients in Illinois, Naperville Animal Hospital offers regular dental exams and cleanings that help dogs maintain robust oral health. Naperville Animal Hospital offers regular exams by veterinarians to prevent serious problems like periodontal disease. An estimated four out of every five dogs have significant oral health issues. Often, these issues go unnoticed by pet caretakers until they’re alerted by their veterinarians following an exam. Like humans, dogs can develop oral diseases like gingivitis, which can escalate in periodontitis and pyorrhea. The latter two conditions, if left untreated, can ultimately lead to tooth loss. More significantly, harmful toxins secreted by oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream and damage organs like the kidneys and liver. To maintain canine oral health, dogs should undergo regular checkups by qualified veterinarians. The American Veterinary Dental College suggests that caretakers take steps at home to enhance oral hygiene for their pets as well. For example, caretakers can brush their animals’ teeth using dog-safe toothpaste. Caretakers can also encourage their dogs to chew regularly as a means of furthering oral hygiene. At Naperville Animal Hospital, experienced veterinarians provide pets with comprehensive medical care, including dental disease prevention and treatment. Naperville Animal Hospital also stands out as a cat-friendly practice, as certified by the American Association of Feline Practitioners, and is committed to understanding the unique health risks that cats face. Feline stomatitis, clinically known as feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), is a painful condition that involves chronic swelling of a cat's gum tissue. The exact cause of FCGS is unknown, though periodontal disease and oral infections may be contributing factors. Regardless of the cause, veterinarians believe the inciting process is an altered immune response in which the cat's immune system overreacts to normal dental plaque, which leads to excessive inflammation in nearby tissue. If left untreated, FCGS can spread to the teeth and other areas of the mouth, including the bone. The discomfort that comes from FCGS may cause a cat to drool, paw at its mouth, or refuse to eat. Because extended food refusal can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and muscle deterioration, cat owners and veterinarians should discuss a course of treatment. Most treatment plans begin with medical management, which includes controlling plaque and mitigating the immune response. However, because anti-inflammatory and steroid medications tend to be neither effective nor safe in the long term, many cats with FCGS require full-mouth extractions to eliminate plaque growth and stop the immune response. Located in Illinois, the Naperville Animal Hospital welcomes companion animal patients of all types. Among the conditions treated at Naperville Animal Hospital is the feline distemper virus.
Caused by the parvovirus, feline distemper affects the immune and intestinal systems of cats, possibly increasing the chance of secondary bacterial infections. Distemper can lead to diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, and eventual death. Unvaccinated kittens aged 3-5 months are at the greatest risk, although the disease also can affect unvaccinated adult cats, as well as raccoons, ferrets, and minks. Infected pregnant cats may transmit the disease to their kittens, resulting in stillbirths and deformities. Environmental factors increase the risk. Distemper outbreaks can occur in facilities where large cat populations are kept in close quarters, such as animal shelters, kennels, and pet shops. Environments in which proper cleaning practices are not carried out pose even greater risks. Further, the virus spreads quickly during the summer months in cities, especially among feral cats. For owners of senior pets, Naperville Animal Hospital provides a targeted wellness program designed to identify and treat common conditions of aging. Twice-annual wellness exams allow the veterinarians at Naperville Animal Hospital to screen for arthritis and other disorders related to the joints. Many senior dogs experience arthritis, a condition that involves inflammation or degeneration of the joints. It may be difficult to identify in its earliest stages, as dogs have evolved to hide their pain and thus only show signs when they are in the end stages of degeneration. If a dog is limping, avoiding movement, or yelping in pain, its arthritis may be extremely advanced. Dogs with earlier-stage arthritis are more likely to show their struggle through behavioral changes, such as lower levels of alertness and an increase in time spent asleep. The dog may start to gain weight as its activity decreases, even though it may become less interested in eating. Discomfort may also cause the dog to become more irritable or to fall into a depression. Even if the dog is able to hide its pain, the owner may still notice that its stance has changed. This often occurs when the dog shifts its weight to take the load off of the painful joint. Owners may also see that joints have changed shape slightly or are warm to the touch, due to inflammation. Any of these signs should prompt a visit to the veterinarian, as there are a number of medications available to help treat canine arthritis. A veterinarian can also advise the owner on massage therapy and other alternative medication, while also providing support in altering the dog's environment so that moving around causes less discomfort A cat-friendly practice, Naperville Animal Hospital provides a reassuring environment for its feline patients. In this context, Naperville Animal Hospital offers preventive care and treatment for urinary tract infections and other diseases common to cats. Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, occur when bacteria grow in a cat's otherwise sterile urinary passageways. The condition is particularly common in middle-aged to older cats but is rare in cats younger than one year of age. A cat is particularly susceptible to a UTI if he or she has diabetes, feline leukemia, or feline immunodeficiency virus. Trauma to the urinary tract and structural abnormalities, such as kidney stones or polyps, can contribute to a cat's risk as well. Sometimes, a cat develops a UTI as the result of irritation in the bladder or the urethra. This is often the case if a cat develops gallstones, urinary crystals, or urinary plugs, which commonly result from long-term debris accumulation in the urinary tract. Male cats are often at risk of a UTI due to irritation or blockage, as the male cat has a narrower urethra. A female, however, may be particularly susceptible to UTIs that arise from the transmission of bacteria from the anal region, as the female's urethra is shorter. These risk factors are difficult to address from a preventive standpoint. Still, owners often find that consistent availability of clean water can help their cats’ bodies to flush out irritants and potential causes of infection, while regular veterinary care can identify potential problems before the cat becomes ill. |
AuthorAt Naperville Animal Hospital, located in Naperville, Illinois, a team of qualified, veterinary professionals work hard to ensure that pet owners have a trustworthy and reliable resource for all of their pet care needs. Archives
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