Education and Counseling

PET CARE COUNSELING AND CLIENT EDUCATION IN LAKE ZURICH, IL

Veterinarians don’t just treat and heal; they also teach. Part of our responsibility as your animal hospital is using every opportunity to educate you about caring for your pet and making sure they have what they need to live the longest, healthiest life possible. Furthermore, your pet’s medical needs will inevitably change as they get older, and we want to help prepare you for these changes. The better you understand your pet, the more confident you will be about managing their care and keeping them happy.

FIGURING OUT YOUR PUPPY OR KITTEN’S CARE SCHEDULE

Puppies and kittens need to see their veterinarian frequently for comprehensive exams and vaccine boosters. This may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but we can help you break down all of the services your pet will need in their early stages of life into a manageable schedule.

INFORMATIVE PUPPY AND KITTEN CARE KITS

We always give puppy and kitten “parents” informational kits to help them navigate the challenges that come with raising a young pet. These kits offer helpful tips on various topics, including:

• Wellness care and disease prevention
• Balanced nutrition
• Puppy obedience training and housebreaking
• Litterbox training (kittens)
• Socialization
• Behavior troubleshooting
• Toy safety
• Pet health insurance
• Emergencies
• Spaying and neutering
• …and more

HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR SENIOR PET’S INNER YOUTH

A balanced diet, regular exercise, and routine wellness exams can go a long way for your pet. In fact, it can dramatically improve their quality of life and give them more years to spend with you and your family. Still, there are some conditions we commonly see in pets as they approach their golden years:

• Vision and hearing loss
• Diabetes (high blood sugar)
• Lameness
• Back pain
• Arthritis
• Incontinence
• Heart, liver, and kidney disease

Prevention is more important than ever when your pet is a senior. Their health can change quickly, and they may be hiding multiple illnesses. To detect problems early, your pet should see their veterinarian every 6-12 months for an exam and comprehensive blood work. We can monitor their health and suggest changes to help you manage their condition more effectively.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PET’S BEHAVIORS AND HOW TO MANAGE THEM

Pets do not behave badly out of spite or because they want to make your life more difficult. Behind every bad behavior is a cause, and the cause is not always easy to figure out. At Companion Animal Hospital Lake Zurich, our team is here to help. We want to understand the issues you’re experiencing at home and work with you to resolve them peacefully. More important, we want to ensure that your pet remains a valued part of your family.

WHAT HAS YOUR PET BEEN UP TO?

To begin troubleshooting bad behaviors, we need to know exactly what’s going on. Some of the most common headache-inducing behaviors include:

• Aggression/fighting with other pets
• Using the house as a toilet
• Chewing up the furniture
• Spraying/marking in the house
• Grabbing food off the counters
• Eating out of the trash
• Digging up the yard
• Barking, whining, howling, and other constant vocalizing
• Mounting other animals, or people, or objects

Some behaviors in pets can be caused by underlying health issues or an injury. A physical exam and diagnostics can help us narrow down the possibilities. Additionally, we need to discuss your pet’s home life and daily habits including their diet and feeding schedule, when they use the litterbox or go outside, and so on. This information can give us the clues we need to pinpoint the real problem.

If you’re just now noticing that your pet is engaging in strange or destructive behaviors, let us know immediately. Don’t let the problem get out of hand—the sooner we address it, the sooner we can help you correct it and improve your pet’s relationship with your family.