Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about your Furbaby’s care? We’ve put together practical answers to many of the questions pet parents ask us most often. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, contact Furbaby Medical at (864) FURBABY / (864) 387-2229.
Appointments & Visiting Furbaby Medical
How often should my Furbaby see a veterinarian?
Most healthy adult dogs and cats should have a comprehensive veterinary examination at least once a year. Puppies, kittens, senior Furbabies, and pets with chronic medical conditions may need more frequent visits. Regular examinations allow us to monitor changes in weight, dental health, mobility, skin and coat, heart and lungs, and other aspects of your Furbaby’s health over time.
What should I bring to my Furbaby’s first appointment?
Previous medical and vaccination records are extremely helpful. Please also bring or be prepared to tell us about current medications and supplements, flea/tick/heartworm prevention, food and treats, medication doses, allergies or previous medication reactions, and relevant medical history. For a specific problem, photos or videos can be extremely helpful – particularly for intermittent limping, coughing, unusual behavior, seizures, or skin problems that may look different at home.
Should I bring a stool sample?
If your Furbaby is due for fecal testing, a fresh stool sample can save time during the appointment. Place a small, fresh sample in a clean, sealed container or bag and keep it cool until your visit. If you’re unsure whether one is needed, contact us before your appointment.
My Furbaby gets very anxious at the veterinarian. What should I do?
Please tell us before the appointment. Knowing about fear, anxiety, handling sensitivities, or previous bite behavior helps us prepare for a safer and less stressful visit. Depending on your Furbaby, appointment planning, carrier training, environmental changes, or veterinarian-prescribed pre-visit medication may be appropriate.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Call (864) FURBABY / (864) 387-2229. The website also provides online appointment booking, and clients can access appointments and messages through the Pet Parent Portal & App.
Wellness & Preventive Care
What happens during a wellness exam?
A wellness examination is a nose-to-tail evaluation of your Furbaby’s overall health. Depending on your pet, the veterinarian may evaluate weight and body condition, eyes and ears, mouth and teeth, skin and coat, heart and lungs, abdomen, joints and mobility, muscle condition, and overall physical health. It is also an opportunity to discuss nutrition, behavior, vaccines, parasite prevention, dental health, and appropriate diagnostic screening.
Why does my Furbaby need an exam if they seem healthy?
Dogs and cats cannot tell us when something feels different, and they are often surprisingly good at hiding pain and illness. Routine examinations can identify subtle changes before they become obvious at home. They also establish a history of what is normal for your individual Furbaby, making future changes easier to recognize.
What vaccinations does my Furbaby need?
There is not one vaccine schedule that is right for every pet. Recommendations depend on species, age, previous vaccination history, health, lifestyle, travel, boarding or daycare, grooming, exposure to other animals, and wildlife exposure. We review those factors and recommend vaccinations based on your Furbaby’s individual risk.
What is a Wellness Plan?
A Furbaby Medical Wellness Plan helps you stay on top of your Furbaby’s expected preventive care throughout the year. Depending on the plan, benefits may include office exams, vaccinations, routine wellness testing, fecal testing, and heartworm/tick-borne disease screening. A Wellness Plan is not pet insurance. Pet insurance is generally designed to help with qualifying unexpected medical expenses. Many pet parents choose both because they serve different purposes.
Does my Furbaby need flea, tick, and heartworm prevention year-round?
For many pets, consistent year-round parasite protection is appropriate. Fleas can survive indoors, ticks do not necessarily disappear during cold weather, and heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes. The appropriate prevention depends on species, age, weight, health, lifestyle, travel, and exposure risk. Never assume that a flea or tick product intended for a dog is safe for a cat.
VIEW PARASITE PREVENTION → LEARN ABOUT OUR PHARMACY →
Why do you recommend fecal testing if my Furbaby’s stool looks normal?
Normal-looking stool does not rule out intestinal parasites. Fecal testing can help identify parasites such as roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, coccidia, Giardia, and tapeworms. Some infected pets have few obvious symptoms, and certain intestinal parasites can also pose health risks to people.
When Your Furbaby Is Sick
When should I call the veterinarian?
Call when you notice a meaningful change from what is normal for your Furbaby. Examples include persistent vomiting or diarrhea, decreased appetite, unusual lethargy, coughing, difficulty urinating, limping, significant itching, ear problems, increased thirst or urination, unexplained weight loss, or behavioral changes. You do not need to know what is wrong before calling. Tell us what you are seeing, when it started, and whether it is getting better or worse.
CONTACT FURBABY MEDICAL → VIEW ONSITE DIAGNOSTICS →
Do you offer same-day sick visits?
We make every effort to accommodate sick Furbabies based on medical need and appointment availability. Please contact us as early as possible so the team can determine the most appropriate next step.
What is Urgent Care?
Urgent Care is for illnesses or injuries that need prompt veterinary attention and should not wait for the next routine appointment, but are not immediately life-threatening. Examples may include vomiting or diarrhea, ear or skin problems, limping, minor wounds, urinary concerns, decreased appetite, and other sudden illnesses.
What is the difference between Urgent Care and Emergency Care?
Urgent Care is designed for conditions that need prompt attention but can generally be evaluated and treated on an outpatient basis. An emergency involves a potentially life-threatening condition that may require intensive monitoring, oxygen support, emergency surgery, hospitalization, or overnight care. Furbaby Medical is not a 24-hour emergency hospital.
What symptoms are an emergency?
Seek immediate emergency veterinary care for potentially life-threatening problems. Do not wait for Furbaby Medical to reopen if your pet is experiencing an emergency.
- Difficulty breathing
- Collapse or loss of consciousness
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Prolonged or repeated seizures
- Severe trauma
- Suspected heatstroke
- Severe abdominal swelling or distress
- Choking
- Inability to urinate
- Known or suspected serious poisoning
- Rapidly worsening severe illness
My Furbaby vomited once. Do they need to be seen?
Not every single episode of vomiting is an emergency. The overall situation matters. Contact us sooner if vomiting is repeated, your Furbaby cannot keep water down, seems weak or painful, has blood in the vomit, has a swollen abdomen, also has significant diarrhea, may have swallowed a foreign object or toxin, or has another medical condition. Puppies, kittens, seniors, and very small pets can also become dehydrated more quickly.
CONTACT US → LEARN ABOUT ONSITE DIAGNOSTICS →
My Furbaby has diarrhea. When should I worry?
Veterinary evaluation becomes more important when diarrhea is persistent or frequent, contains significant blood, occurs with vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, pain, or dehydration, or affects a very young, elderly, or medically compromised Furbaby. If you are unsure, call us and describe what you are seeing.
My dog is limping but still walking. Should I wait?
Persistent limping indicates discomfort and deserves evaluation. Seek care sooner if your dog will not bear weight, has significant swelling, an obvious wound, a damaged nail, severe pain, or the limp followed significant trauma. Do not give human pain medication unless a veterinarian specifically instructs you to do so.
Medications & Toxic Exposures
What should I do if my Furbaby eats something they shouldn’t?
Contact a veterinarian promptly if the substance could be dangerous. If possible, have the product/package, ingredient list, approximate amount eaten, time of exposure, your Furbaby’s approximate weight, and any symptoms available. Do not induce vomiting or give home remedies unless specifically instructed by a veterinarian or animal poison-control professional.
Can I give my Furbaby human medication?
Not unless a veterinarian specifically tells you to. Many common human medications can be dangerous to dogs and cats, including pain relievers, cold medications, topical products, supplements, and medications prescribed to another person or pet.
Can I use my dog’s medication on my cat?
Do not assume medications are interchangeable between species. Some products appropriate for dogs can be dangerous to cats, particularly certain flea and tick products. Use medication only for the pet for whom it was prescribed unless your veterinarian specifically directs otherwise.
Why can’t you always refill a prescription without an exam?
Safe prescribing requires current information about your Furbaby’s health. Depending on the medication and medical condition, your pet may need an examination, updated weight, bloodwork, or other monitoring before a refill can be authorized.
Diagnostic Testing
Why does my healthy Furbaby need bloodwork?
A physical examination provides important information, but it cannot tell us everything happening inside the body. Bloodwork can evaluate blood cells and organ function, establish a healthy baseline, and sometimes identify abnormalities before obvious symptoms appear. Baseline testing becomes especially useful over time because today’s results can be compared with your Furbaby’s previous results.
What’s the difference between in-house and send-out laboratory testing?
Our in-house laboratory allows us to perform many commonly needed diagnostic tests onsite and obtain results quickly. Other tests are submitted to a reference laboratory because they require specialized equipment or testing methods. Which option we recommend depends on the test, your Furbaby’s condition, and how quickly the result is needed.
LEARN ABOUT OUR IN-HOUSE LABORATORY →
Why would my Furbaby need an X-ray?
Digital X-rays can help evaluate many problems involving bones, joints, the chest, abdomen, and urinary system. They may help identify fractures, arthritis, bladder stones, certain foreign objects, and changes involving the heart or lungs. X-rays do not diagnose every condition, so additional testing or imaging may sometimes be necessary.
Dental Health
Is bad breath normal?
Persistent bad breath should not simply be considered normal dog breath or cat breath. It can be associated with plaque, tartar, gingivitis, periodontal disease, damaged or infected teeth, and other oral conditions. Pets can continue eating despite significant dental discomfort, so appetite alone does not tell us whether the mouth is healthy.
Why can’t I just brush tartar off my Furbaby’s teeth?
Brushing is excellent for preventing plaque accumulation, but it cannot treat established periodontal disease beneath the gumline. Once significant tartar or periodontal disease develops, professional veterinary dental evaluation and treatment may be necessary.
Why are dental X-rays important?
Much of each tooth is hidden beneath the gumline. Dental X-rays allow the veterinarian to evaluate tooth roots and surrounding bone and identify abnormalities that cannot be seen by simply looking at the visible portion of the tooth.
Cats
Does my indoor cat really need annual veterinary visits?
Yes. Indoor cats can still develop dental disease, obesity, arthritis, kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, urinary disease, heart disease, cancer, and other medical conditions. Cats are also particularly good at hiding illness, making routine preventive examinations valuable.
My cat is hiding more. Should I worry?
Sometimes cats simply want privacy, but a meaningful change in hiding behavior can also be associated with stress, pain, or illness. Pay particular attention if increased hiding occurs with decreased appetite, vomiting, litter-box changes, weight loss, reduced grooming, difficulty moving, or other behavioral changes.
My cat isn’t eating. How long should I wait?
A significant decrease in appetite in a cat deserves attention, particularly if your cat stops eating altogether. Cats can develop serious complications from prolonged inadequate food intake. Contact your veterinarian rather than allowing a cat that is not eating to go several days without evaluation.
Senior Furbabies
When is my Furbaby considered a senior?
There is not one age that applies to every dog and cat. Species, breed, size, and individual health all matter. As Furbabies age, we pay closer attention to mobility, muscle condition, weight, dental health, kidney and liver function, endocrine disease, heart health, vision, hearing, cognitive changes, and cancer risk.
Is slowing down just part of getting older?
Not necessarily. Reduced activity, difficulty getting up, reluctance to use stairs, hesitation before jumping, slipping, stiffness, or sleeping more may be associated with arthritis, pain, muscle loss, or another medical condition. Age is not a diagnosis. Changes should not automatically be dismissed simply because your Furbaby is getting older.
End-of-Life Care
How do I know when it’s time to consider quality of life?
This can be one of the most difficult decisions a family makes. Quality of life involves more than one symptom. We may consider comfort, pain, appetite, hydration, mobility, breathing, hygiene, interaction with family, enjoyment of normal activities, and whether your Furbaby is experiencing more good days than difficult ones. You do not have to make this decision alone. We can help you evaluate comfort and discuss available options.
LEARN ABOUT HOSPICE & END-OF-LIFE CARE →
Do you provide euthanasia and end-of-life care?
Yes. Furbaby Medical provides compassionate end-of-life care. Our team can discuss quality of life, the euthanasia process, and available aftercare options so you know what to expect.
Pricing, Wellness Plans & Paying for Care
Can I see your prices before scheduling?
Yes. Transparent pricing is an important part of how we practice medicine. We publish pricing for many routine services and diagnostic tests so families can better understand the cost of care before their visit.
VIEW TRANSPARENT VETERINARY PRICING →
Will I receive an estimate before testing or treatment?
When additional diagnostics, procedures, or treatments are recommended, we discuss the recommendation and anticipated cost before proceeding whenever circumstances allow. We want you to understand what we are recommending, why we are recommending it, and what it is expected to cost so you can make an informed decision about your Furbaby’s care.
Do you offer payment or financing options?
Furbaby Medical offers payment and financing options for qualifying clients. Because financing terms and eligibility can change, our payment and financing information page provides the most up-to-date options available.
Other Helpful Questions
Do you microchip dogs and cats?
Yes. A microchip provides permanent identification that can help reunite a lost Furbaby with their family. A microchip is not GPS. It is important to register the chip and keep your phone number, address, and other contact information current with the microchip registry.
How can I tell if my Furbaby is in pain?
Signs of pain are not always obvious. They can include limping, reduced activity, hiding, difficulty getting comfortable, changes in appetite, reluctance to jump or use stairs, vocalization, changes in sleep, unusual aggression or irritability, resistance to being touched, or other changes in normal behavior. If your Furbaby simply is not acting like themselves, that is worth paying attention to.
My Furbaby is itching, licking, or having recurring ear problems. What should I do?
Persistent itching, paw licking, skin redness, hair loss, odor, or recurring ear problems can have several causes, including allergies, parasites, bacterial or yeast infections, and other skin conditions. Because different problems can look very similar, an examination and appropriate diagnostics are more useful than assuming every itchy pet has allergies.
Still Have Questions?
Furbaby Medical Veterinary Practice LLC
124 West St., Suite F
Ware, MA 01082
(864) FURBABY / (864) 387-2229