Education and Couseling

You learn something new every day as a pet parent. No matter how experienced or inexperienced you are, you will always have questions about how best to care for your four-legged family member. While running into obstacles is inevitable, many pet parents go through a lot of the same issues. At Companion Animal Hospital with our pet counseling in Mount Prospect, IL we’re here to provide you with valuable information regarding behavior, nutrition, life stage veterinary care, training, and socializing. You can also use the resources available here on our website to help you with everyday problems.

If there’s anything you need from our team, please call (847) 296-1188 so we can help!

THE BASICS OF PUPPY AND KITTEN CARE

Puppies and kittens need help starting off on the right paw so they can live many long, healthy years with you. Their immune systems can be fragile at this stage, which is why they should see their veterinarian right away. Puppy/kitten checkups usually include:

• A physical exam
• Fecal flotation testing to check for roundworms and other intestinal parasites, which are common in puppies and kittens
• Deworming if your pet tests positive for intestinal parasites
• Recommended vaccine boosters
• A thorough discussion about their dietary needs, housebreaking/litterbox training, and more

These visits are the best time to bring up any questions you have about your pet’s needs and how you can meet them. We will be more than happy to help you find the answers you’re looking for regarding our pet education services in Mount Prospect, IL.

PUPPY AND KITTEN INFORMATION KITS

Puppy/kitten parents receive informational kits to help them with different aspects of their pet’s care, including:

• Wellness care recommendations
• Socialization tips
• Behavior management
• Nutrition guidelines
• Obedience training tips
• Toy safety
• Pet insurance
• Animal emergency hospitals
• Spaying and neutering
• Parasite control
• …and more

SENIOR PET CARE

Just as people need to see their doctors more frequently when they get older, so too do our pets. Senior dogs and cats are vulnerable much like puppies and kittens, though their health risks are a bit different. Aging brings its own share of ailments and diseases for pets, which can include:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Incontinence
• Kidney failure
• Obesity
• Arthritis

To keep these conditions under control, your pet should see their veterinarian semiannually for:

• A physical exam
• Comprehensive blood panels (and X-rays if needed)
• Treatment updates for chronic illnesses or injuries
• Pain management to improve your pet’s comfort level

Early detection is vital to preserving your pet’s health and extending their life. Diseases can be treated far more effectively if they are caught early.

IS YOUR PET BEHAVING BADLY?

Pets do not engage in mischievous or destructive behaviors without reason. Before you throw in the towel, give us a call and tell us what’s going on—there’s a very good chance we can help! First, know that you’re not alone. Many pet parents have gone (and will go) through the same scenario. Second, bad behaviors can be resolved, granted you’re committed and willing to take the time needed to do so.

Behaviors that often drive pet parents up the wall include:

• Having accidents in the house/outside the litterbox
• Marking/spraying
• Acting aggressive (baring teeth, growling, getting into fights with other dogs/cats)
• Destroying furniture or parts of the house itself
• Barking, whining, howling, or caterwauling excessively
• Clinginess and hypervigilance

CONTACT COMPANION MOUNT PROSPECT

Your pet’s behavior could be rooted in a health problem, their surroundings, or some other factor that might not be immediately obvious. Once we find the cause, we can suggest a treatment accordingly. Improving certain behaviors can take a lot of time and energy, but persistence should pay off. If there are issues we can’t help you resolve, we will recommend you to a specialist who can. Don’t give up—help is always just a call away at (847) 296-1188!