They lay by your feet, provide the power of healing purrs and greet you every day at the door when you come home from a long day at work.

But what happens when your pet doesn’t greet you at 5 p.m. tonight?

You automatically think that there could be something wrong.

Here are a few signs to look out for if you think your pet has any type of illness:

Decreased Appetite or Activity Level – This is one of the most common tell-tale signs that your pet may be ill. They don’t run to their bowl when they hear the sound of kibble pouring into it or they don’t want to go for a walk in the park like you do every night after dinner.

Dogs and cats tend to stop eating for a variety of reasons; they could have a fever, be stressed out or in pain.

Vomiting or Diarrhea – dogs and cats can vomit from time to time without any cause for concern. A dog could have overplayed outside and eaten some leaves or grass and that may cause some vomit on the carpet.

But, if you notice that your pet is vomiting or has diarrhea several times over the course of a day could be signs of illness.

Cats may have diarrhea outside of the litterbox as well. If you notice that there is blood in the stool or vomit, you should contact your veterinarian.

Hair Loss or Itching Constantly – There are plenty of reasons for a dog or cat to itch themselves on a regular basis, but if you notice that they are scratching more than usual they may have fleas, ticks, or ear mites.

There are also other illnesses that can cause these same symptoms such as staph infections, fungal or yeast infections and other diseases.

You are your pet’s best advocate, and if you are concerned about symptoms that you are seeing, please contact your local veterinarian.

At Powell Veterinary Service, we are the best resource when it comes to your pet’s health.

Worried your pet might have an illness; contact us at 970-352-9164 today!

The post Signs That Your Pet May Have An Illness first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

Many owners of guard dogs prefer to have their ears cropped to create an intimidating look to ward against intruders. Working and hunting breeds also have their ears cropped, historically for safety reasons. For example, hunting breeds used to have them cropped to protect from the bites of wild animals.

While ear wounds are not usually life threatening, they do bleed a lot and frequently need to be stitched, often resulting in scarring. For owners with multiple dogs, ear cropping can prevent your animals from harming each other during rough play.

Also, ears that flop hang over the ear canal can prevent air and light from getting inside. This can result in an increase in bacteria and infection, which can lead to permanent hearing loss. For pets with frequent ear infections, cropping can reduce the problem.

While many people still believe the AKC breed standards of cropping, we feel your pets ears should be allowed either way. Deciding to have your dog’s ears cropped is a personal decision and the choice is yours alone! If you do decide to get your pup’s ears cropped, please have a professional perform the procedure. We have seen many botched home procedures that result in pain and infection, something we don’t want any pet to experience.

At Powell Veterinary Service, we typically perform the ear crop procedure on puppies between the age of eight and twelve weeks. Ears can be cropped in a variety of lengths and in a rounded or bell shape.

Performed under general anesthesia, this surgical procedure includes the measuring, trimming and suturing of the puppy’s ears. Ears are then bandaged for support. Follow up visits take place at five to seven days to ensure proper healing and again at ten to fourteen days for suture removal. Most ears will stand in a week or two, though longer ears often take longer to stand.

To view the ear cropping procedure and some of our work, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. Contact our Kersey, Colorado office at 970-352-9164 to learn more and to schedule an appointment for your pup.

The post Ear Cropping: Why and How it is Done first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.