Frequently asked questions

Welcome to our frequently asked question page.  You can look up answers to commonly asked questions or call us at 541-451-1319 or email your question to myrtuesac@gmail.com.  Lebanon Animal Clinic looks forward to helping you.

Where are you located?

We are located on Hwy 20 in Lebanon just north of Ixtapa Restaurant. 

When should we use flea control?

Fleas are present year round in the Willamette valley.  It is recommended that you use flea control year round and that you treat all of your pets, even the ones that do not go outside.  Most flea control products last for one month in Oregon.  If you go longer between treatments you run the risk of perpetuating the flea population in your house.  We would be happy to show you the flea life cycle if you are interested.

What do I need to do to keep my puppy healthy?

Puppies should be dewormed every 2 weeks starting at 6 weeks of age.  They should be vaccinated against distemper, parvo virus, parainfluenza virus, and adenovirus three times starting at 8 weeks of age.  They should get vaccinated for lepto twice starting at 12 weeks of age.  Once they are finished with their puppy series, their vaccines are done yearly.  Rabies is required for all dogs in Oregon at 6 months of age.  It is boostered a year later then it is every 3 years after the second vaccine.    Dogs should be on flea and heart worm control monthly.  A heart worm test should be done at least every two years to make sure the parasites are not becoming resistant to the medication.  If you plan to hunt or travel in areas known to have ticks, you should use monthly tick control as well.

We recommend spaying and neutering dogs at six months of age.  This helps prevent mammary tumors in female dogs and testicular tumors in males.  It also has the added benefit of  lowering the unwanted pet population.

What do I need to do to keep my kitten healthy?

Kittens should be dewormed every 2 weeks starting at 4-6 weeks of age.  They should be vaccinated twice against panleukopenia virus, rhinotracheitis virus, and calici virus starting at 8 weeks of age.  They should be vaccinated twice against leukemia virus at 11 weeks of age after a leukemia test.  Cats should be vaccinated against rabies virus at 6 months of age.  Kittens should be on flea control monthly and year round.  They should get booster vaccines yearly after their kitten series

We recommend spaying or neutering at 6 months of age.  This helps prevent mammary tumors in female cats.  It also has the added benefit of lowering the unwanted pet population.

Why are dental cleanings important?

Just like people, pets build up tarter on their teeth.  Dentists tell their patients to “brush the teeth you want to keep.”  The same can be said for out pets.  We recommend brushing teeth daily.  It is easiest to start when they are young but you can start at any time.  The best approach is to go very slowly.  First let your pet just lick the tooth paste off of the brush for 3-5 days.  Start to brush the front teeth, do this for about 1 week.  When they are accustomed to that then slowly start working your way towards the back of the mouth.  This can take up to two to three weeks, the key is to make it pleasant.  You do not need to brush the inside of the mouth.  Just focus on the outer surface.  Most tarter is built up on the outside of the teeth.

Should we be giving our dogs heart worm medication?

In the mid Willamette Valley we are not seeing many positive cases of heart worms, but it is important to keep your dogs on preventative.  Heart worm medication kills the larval stage of the heart worm in dog’s blood and intestinal parasites.  If your dogs are around children, being on a monthly heart worm medication protects them from getting parasites from the dog.  Since the Katrina hurricane and the storm in New York last year many shelter dogs are being transported across the country.  These dogs are potential heart worm carriers and they could help establish heart worms in the mosquito population in Oregon.   If you plan to travel with your pet it is important to be on heart worm prevention, because heart worm infection is a huge problem in other areas of the country.  We also have heart worms in the Medford and Grants Pass areas.