Why Pet Vaccinations Are Critical for Pets

Pet vaccinations at our Canton animal hospital protect both pets and people from severe and deadly diseases. Here in Georgia, as in most other states, rabies vaccinations are the law, and with good reason. Rabies is almost always deadly, but pet vaccination laws around America have made domestic animal and human rabies infections very rare. But rabies is only one of the dangerous, contagious diseases pets here and in Ball Ground can avoid, simply by staying current on vaccinations.

Canton Veterinarians Advise on Pet Vaccinations

Our Canton veterinarians vaccinate pets against several diseases including Distemper, Parvovirus, Bordetella (kennel cough, which can easily spread when boarding a pet), and even canine flu and feline leukemia. These are all highly contagious, painful and even deadly diseases that can be prevented by pet vaccinations. We also recommend that pets who travel, visit dog parks or are boarded regularly discuss additional vaccinations with our veterinarians. Most pet boarding facilities and customs officials (for pets that travel abroad) require proof of vaccinations, for example.

Our animal hospital staff vaccinate a pet by injecting a serum under the skin, which is composed of either a dead or deactivated virus or bacteria. The pet’s immune system then goes to work, first identifying the deactivated invaders, and then building up its store of antibodies that can ward off that specific pathogen. If a pet comes into contact with that disease in the future, its body can neutralize the germs before the illness can spread.

Our entire vet services team recommends that all families with pets here and in the Ball Ground area come in to have their pets' vaccination records checked and updated. Our veterinarians can discuss any concerns you may have, and also suggest vaccinations that may be necessary to protect your pet in certain situations. It is essential for the health of your pet and your human family members!

When was the last time you looked at your pet’s shot records? Are they current?

Our Pet Dentist Provides Pet Oral Care

If you have owned dogs or cats for any length of time, you understand how many common traits these animals share with humans. Unfortunately, these common traits include many shared ailments. One of these ailments, periodontal disease, can have a profound impact on the health of humans and animals alike.

What Causes Pet Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease occurs when food particles mix with saliva to form plaque at the gum line. This plaque eventually hardens into a mineralized substance known as tartar, irritating the gums and eventually infiltrating the space between the teeth and surrounding tissues underneath the gum line. The bacteria then proceeds to destroy the connective tissues that hold the teeth in place while allowing infections and abscesses to develop.

Periodontal disease can cause your pet considerable pain and interfere with his ability to eat, especially if he starts losing teeth to the disease. To make matters worse, the bacteria can find its way to your pet’s internal organs, leading to serious or even fatal damage. You can give your pet chew toys or brush his teeth with specially-formulated toothpastes to reduce the risk of periodontal disease, but you should also schedule annual dental examinations at our veterinary hospital. Our veterinarians can detect early signs of trouble and clean your pet’s teeth more deeply than a toothbrush can manage.

Professional Pet Dentistry for Canton and Beyond

If your Canton, Ball Ground or Holly Springs pets need an experienced pet dentist to check their teeth and gums and perform any necessary dental procedures, bring them to our veterinary hospital here at Acres Mills Veterinary Clinic. We know how to put your pets at ease in a relaxed environment (including the option of sedation) while we perform checkups and remove built-up tartar from teeth, reducing the risk of periodontal disease. We can also treat existing periodontal disease and perform extractions, root canals or other procedures that can make a critical difference in any pet's long-term health and quality of life.

What kind of dental routine does your pet receive? Share the details with our readers!

Heartworm Awareness Information
from Our Canton Veterinarians

In recognition of April as Heartworm Awareness Month, Acres Mill Veterinary Clinic is offering a free well check examination to determine if your pet if healthy enough to receive an injection of the preventive medication, ProHeart 6. This fee waiver is available in April only and does not apply to exams for a sick or injured pet - only for those pets who will be receiving the ProHeart 6 injection. Call our clinic at 770-383-1182 for full details on this offer.

Heartworm is a serious and potentially fatal disease which is transmitted to your pet by a mosquito that is carrying blood from another animal which is already infected. These parasitic worms can cause extensive injury when they find a home in the arteries of your pet’s lungs and occasionally in the heart. The heartworms can survive for five to seven years. Cats and dogs of any breed or age are susceptible and need to be protected.

Protect Your Pets at Our Animal Hospital

Our Canton veterinary hospital is one of a limited number of veterinary facilities that offers the ProHeart 6 injection. This unique product includes a sustained release system that provides up to six months of protection. Because ProHeart 6 should only be administered to healthy pets that are able to tolerate the medication, our veterinary hospital will waive the cost of the exam fee and provide a free heartworm test when pet owners schedule their pets to receive ProHeart 6.

If our veterinarian determines that your pet is not eligible for ProHeart 6, we will still perform the free heartworm test. Our clinic will not charge for the visit if your pet receives six months of Trifexis or twelve months of HEARTGARD. If you do not proceed with either of these Heartworm prevention options, we will only charge a recheck exam fee and not the full exam fee.

What questions do you have about heartworm and its effect on your pets? Call our animal hospital at 770-383-1182 for more information because Acres Mill Veterinary Clinic is “Where quality care and excellent customer service go paw in hand.”

Five Benefits of Boarding Your Pets with Us

One of the many Canton pet services we offer at Acres Mill Veterinary Clinic is professional pet boarding. Pet owners may need to board their pets for many different reasons. Some pet owners choose our boarding services as they are having renovations completed around the house or are expecting a lot of company, both of which might prove stressful for a pet. Other pet owners board their pets with us because they can’t take their pets along when they travel and don’t want to leave them home alone all day with a friend or neighbor.

Professional Pet Services for our Boarding Visitors

If you’re thinking about leaving your pets in somebody else’s care for any length of time, below are 5 reasons why you should consider leaving them with our petcare professionals.

1. We provide a clean, healthy environment. We make sure our kennel area is clean and that all animals have received their proper pet vaccinations so your pet's risk of contracting diseases is greatly reduced.

2. Medications are administered properly. If your pet is on any type of medication, we make sure those medications are administered at the proper times in the correct doses.

3. A watchful eye. If your pet should become ill during his or her stay, our kennel personnel will notify one of our Canton veterinarians on staff who will administer necessary treatments.

4. Convenience for you. If your pets should require any grooming services or routine veterinary care, we can schedule those to be completed during his or her stay.

5. We care about wellness. We’ll also make sure to adhere to any dietary guidelines for your pet and schedule in regular exercise time for their health.

Acres Mill Veterinary Clinic provides compassionate and friendly care to all pets in our care. Conveniently located for bringing your pets here from Canton, Ball Ground, Holly Springs and the surrounding communities, Acres Mill is “Where quality care and excellent customer service go paw in hand.”

What questions do you have about leaving your pet at a professional kennel?

Our Canton Veterinary Hospital Provides
Spay and Neuter Surgeries

The ASPCA estimates that anywhere from 5 to 7 million dogs and cats inundate shelters every year, and that 3 to 4 million of them must be euthanized. Those statistics alone should help pet owners make the compassionate decision to have their pets spayed or neutered. Our Canton veterinary hospital, which also serves Ball Ground and Holly Springs, provides high-quality spay and neuter surgeries that can vastly improve your pet’s quality of life while doing good things for the community at large.

Three Reasons for Spay and Neuter Animal Surgery

1. Preventing over population: Spay or neuter animal surgery prevents overpopulation and unnecessary suffering. Shelters around the country struggle to find homes for all of the lost and surrendered pets they receive, but with limited resources, they are forced to make difficult decisions.

2. Reducing cancer risk: Cancers of the reproductive systems are much more common in pets that have not been spayed or neutered. Spay surgery also helps reduce or eliminate the incidence of uterine infections in female pets.

3. Improved behavior: When un-neutered male dogs detect the presence of a female in heat anywhere close by, they will do almost anything to escape the yard or house; this includes becoming aggressive, damaging property and possibly putting themselves in harm’s way if they do get out. Un-neutered cats, on the other hand, are notorious for spraying houses with urine. Male pets that are neutered are much easier to live with. They are easier to train, more obedient, more relaxed, and less likely to risk it all by running out into traffic in their desperate search for a mate.

The experienced, compassionate team of veterinarians and animal hospital staff here at Acres Mill Veterinary Clinic make spay or neuter surgery as accessible for you and your pet as possible. With advanced surgical technology and pain management procedures, this is an easy and affordable way to do something wonderful for your pet, your family and your community.

Question for pet owners: What differences did you notice in your pets’ behavior after it was spayed or neutered?