Beyond first rate pet care, we make our clinic a comfortable, kid-friendly, and very calm environment so that your pet can relax in the waiting room and look forward to meeting his or her own Fremont veterinarian.

Full Service Clinic

Located in Fremont, California TriCity Veterinary Hospital is a full-service veterinary clinic providing compassionate care to pets within a friendly and modern facility.

Lab tests for pets

While your veterinarian’s four senses are good at helping detect a number of health issues, laboratory testing allows us to evaluate the function of internal organs, blood, and other systems. These tests are critical for uncovering underlying disease processes that otherwise would remain unnoticed until they cause serious symptoms in your pet.

How to Choose a Healthy Dog Food

The Basics

An average dog should have a diet that is 50% vegetable, 40% meat and 10% grain. Grown dogs need a minimum of 18% protein on a dry matter basis, whereas puppies require at least 22%. All dogs also require some fat, amount dependent on their level of activity. Dogs also need approximately 4% of their diets to be fiber. These are all, again, on average. In doing a dog food comparison, it is best to start with the labels.

Deciphering Dog Food Labels

Dog Food Ingredients: A good way to determine the quality of a food is the ingredient list. With a little practice, you can find a food that does not have unwanted products and is highly digestible. The ingredients are listed in order by weight.

One trick some manufacturers use is to break an ingredient into several different smaller ingredients and list them separately. For example, the ingredients might include chicken (first), ground corn, corn gluten, and corn bran (further down). You might think chicken is the main ingredient but, grouping the corn ingredients together, they would likely greatly outweigh the amount of chicken.

Guaranteed Analysis

The following must be included on dog food labels:

• Minimum crude protein
• Minimum crude fat
• Maximum crude fiber
• Maximum moisture

Note: “Crude” does not take into account digestibility or the source. The source could be human-grade beef or chicken feathers.

Some Tricks Of Your Own

• Look for the first source of fat named on the label, to determine the main ingredients. For example, if chicken fat is listed seventh, the ingredients prior to that are the major ingredients. Those after are secondary.
• Watch out for the names and description on the package of dog food. For instance, a product called “Doggy Dinner with Liver Flavoring” might have only a small amount of flavoring since a certain percentage is not required.
• Calculating the “real” amount of each guaranteed analysis can tricky. Manufacturers can be deceptive, using high quality ingredients that contain a lot of water and therefore save them money. For more information on calculations, visit the FDA site.

Up the Ante

Luckily, healthy dog foods are easy to find today. Or, you can try making your own food with healthy dog food recipes. If you choose to do this, consult with your vet and do some research. There is a lot of information online and in books such as “The Whole Pet Diet.” Some things to consider for buying or making are:

• Look for natural and/or organic ingredients. A dog food package with “Natural” stamped on it means nothing – there are no regulations in place to define this. So sifting through the ingredients is vital.
• Avoid corn, cornmeal, soy and wheat. These are difficult for dogs to digest and can cause allergies.
• Instead, choose your grains from barley, rolled oats, millet, quinoa, and brown rice.
• Depending on your dog’s ability to digest, check the digestibility of the protein source. For instance, fish is more digestible than muscle and organ meats.
• Check digestibility of the carbohydrate source. Rice is at the top, followed by, in part, oats and yeast.
• Avoid animal-by-products which may contain heads, feet, and other animal parts.
• Avoid preservatives and additives – they have been shown to cause health problems in dogs.
• Look for Vitamin E and C; they are natural, healthful preservatives.
• Look for Omega-3; it is good for your dog’s coat.
• Some dog owners prefer to look for “human-grade” food in their dog food. This simply means the food is purchased from human-grade food facilities.

A Holistic Approach

Healthy nutrition is the foundation but don’t forget the other elements of a healthy canine lifestyle: exercise, medical check-ups, alternative medicine such as Acupuncture, dental hygiene, and grooming. Manage all of these and you will have one happy, healthy dog.

 

Tri-City!

We also strongly believe that client education and communication are vital aspects of good veterinary care.

Keep an eye out

Infections, ear mites, low-grade allergies and other related health issues are relatively common in companion animals. It is relatively easy for your veterinarian to take a look inside the ears to see if there are any indications of ear disease.

Keep your pets healthy!

Ocular conditions such as glaucoma are relatively common in older pets and, as with other vision-related issues, can be well treated when discovered early.

The more you know…

There are a number of health issues that can be detected by listening to your pet’s lungs.

Doctor time!

Just as any other member of your family sees a physician for routine physicals, your pet needs to see his or her veterinarian in order to check for underlying signs of ill-health.

Caring for Senior Dogs: What You Need to Know

As your dog ages, many of his basic needs, from diet to exercise, will begin to change. This guide will help you understand what it takes to keep your senior dog happy and healthy.

Dogs are very good at hiding their health problems and as an owner, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye on your senior dog to ensure that you are adjusting his routine to match changes in his body and immune system that make him less able to cope with physical and environmental stresses. Routine exams, preventive medicine and adjustments to your dog’s lifestyle can help your pooch stay healthy even as the years creep up.

Know When Your Dog Qualifies

Different sized dogs age at varying rates, with larger dogs reaching senior status much sooner than smaller dogs.

While each dog reaches “seniorhood” at a different age, most canines become seniors between 7 and 10 years old. It’s important to know your dog’s age, so you know when he becomes a senior. Ask your vet about when your dog’s needs may begin to change.

Watch Out for Senior Health Issues

You and your vet will begin looking for specific issues that become more prevalent as a dog ages. Here’s a list of some of these issues:

1. Arthritis
2. Cancer (especially testicular or breast cancer)
3. Prostate disease
4. Cognitive disorders
5. Intestinal problems
6. Deafness
7. Dental disease
8. Diabetes mellitus
9. Kidney disease
10. Liver disease
11. Vision problems

Schedule Regular Wellness Exams

Just as with people, regular health checkups become increasingly important as dogs grow older. Most experts agree that senior dogs should be seen at least once every six months. The purpose of these wellness exams is to do three things:

1. Promote your dog’s health and longevity.
2. Recognize and control your pup’s health risks.
3. Detect any illnesses at their earliest stages, which may improve treatment options.

During a typical wellness exam, your vet will ask a variety of health-related questions in order to build a snapshot of your dog’s medical history. These questions often focus on your pup’s regular behaviors and whether you’ve observed any recent changes that may indicate a developing health concern.

During this checkup, vets typically check a dog’s body for tumors, signs of pain, or arthritis. In addition, your vet will assess your dog’s overall appearance and body condition, scanning his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth for irregularities as well as listening to his lungs and heart. A routine checkup may also include the following battery of diagnostic tests.

1. Blood pressure
2. CBC (complete blood count)
3. CHEM screen (liver and kidney function)
4. Urinalysis
5. Thyroid function testing
6. Heartworm blood test
7. Fecal test

Most veterinarians agree that these baseline laboratory tests should be performed at least once a year in adult dogs ages two to seven years old, and more frequently in senior dogs. These baseline screenings allow your vet to monitor any developing trends in your dog’s health status as it changes from year to year. Additional testing may be necessary if your dog has any ongoing health issues, or if these routine screenings uncover any unusual results.

Consistently Monitor Your Senior Dog’s Health

Many of the illnesses that commonly plague senior dogs are obvious even to the untrained eye. So it’s important that you monitor changes in your dog’s health between regular vet visits. If any of the following signs present themselves, contact your vet immediately.

• Incontinence (sometimes evidenced by accidents in the house)
• Lumps
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Shortness of breath or other difficulty breathing
• Coughing
• Weakness
• Unusual discharges
• Changes in appetite, water intake, or urination
• Stiffness or limping
• Increased vocalization
• Uncharacteristic aggression or other behavioral changes

Unexplained fluctuations in your dog’s weight may be an early sign of an underlying disease. Weight management itself can be a huge factor in your dog’s health. Obesity in dogs increases the risk of developing arthritis and a number of other diseases.

Take Action

Along with being more watchful over your senior dog’s health, it’s crucial that you keep up with routine preventive care such as parasite prevention, dental care, vaccinations, and nutritional management. As your dog’s immune system weakens, the importance of routine basic care only increases.

Create a comfortable environment for your aging best friend with easy access to food, supportive bedding, and fresh water whenever he needs it. In addition, plenty of regular attention and affection is good for morale, both yours and your senior dog’s.

Adjust Your Dog’s Nutrition

Foods designed for senior dogs often have less fat, but not lower protein levels. Ask your vet to recommend a senior dog food formula for your dog. Size typically determines the age at which you should shift your dog to a senior-friendly diet:

• Small breeds (dogs weighing less than 20 pounds) – 7 years old
• Medium breeds (21 to 50 pounds) – 7 years old
• Large breeds (51 to 90 pounds) – 6 years old
• Giant breeds (91 pounds or heavier) – 5 years old

Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier on a senior dog’s digestive system. You may also want to adjust your bathroom routine, giving your dog more frequent opportunities to go outside.

Adjust Your Home’s Comfort Level

Older dogs can’t regulate their body temperature as well as they could in their younger days. It is important to keep your dog warm, dry, and indoors when he’s not out getting his exercise. Senior canines are also more sensitive to heat and humidity, so protect them from conditions in which they may overheat.

If your dog has arthritis, he may prefer a ramp instead of walking up the stairs, extra blankets on his bed, or even a new bed designed to promote orthopedic health. If your dog suffers from vision loss, it’s a good idea to ease his anxiety by keeping floors clear of clutter. These little things add up.

Don’t Forget Dental Care

Plaque and tartar buildup can lead to a number of nasty health problems for your dog. Regular brushing with a specially formulated canine toothpaste can reduce the likelihood of any problems. Discuss with your vet whether your dog should come into the office for a thorough cleaning.