Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do with my pet if they have an emergency?

We have been very closely affiliated with the Lafayette Animal Emergency Clinic for over twelve years. Dr. Broussard was on the board of overseers from its beginning. The emergency clinic handles all of our afterhours emergencies with a fresh, ready-to-go, competent staff. They refer all cases back to us the next morning. You can call directly here to our clinic (988-5022) and the call will be forwarded to the emergency clinic, or you can call them directly at (337)989-0992. The Lafayette Animal Emergency Clinic is located at 206 Winchester Drive, off of Congress Street, next to Capital One Bank, in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Avian and Exotic patients that need to be seen afterhours should seek medical care at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Their phone number is (225) 578-9600.

Why do you advise to use monthly flea and tick preventative versus shampoo or treating the yard?

In Lafayette, Louisiana and the surrounding Acadiana areas, dermatology issues are one of the most frequent problems seen in veterinary clinics. Many of the skin problems we see can be directly attributed to fleas and ticks. A flea and tick control program are essential to the health and well-being of any animal in the South.

Flea and tick control is best achieved by a combination program of environmental and oral or topical flea products. No flea control is a repellant but more severe issues like flea allergy and flea bite dermatitis can be alleviated with the use of year-round, consistent flea prevention. Although these products are excellent at controlling the flea population, they can be overwhelmed by large flea burdens. We recommend keeping all animals in the household on monthly flea prevention. In addition to these oral and/or topical products, environmental control is very important. Treating the house and yard regularly with a pesticide proven for flea control will help to alleviate the flea burden as well. Shampoos will have quick kill on fleas but no residual action and in some cases, too frequent shampooing can cause decreased effectiveness on topical products.

What kind of allergies do dogs and cats have?

Allergies are, without a doubt, the most frustrating medical problem to alleviate in pets. There are 3 basic types of allergies: inhalant (commonly referred to as atopy), flea and food allergies. All 3 show symptoms in the skin by redness, scratching, and skin infections. Food and inhaled allergies usually manifest with itching of the head, armpits and groin area and also may be manifested by chronic ear infections and/or feet licking. Inhalant allergies may show themselves consistently during certain seasons. The treatment of these allergies is dependent on the severity of allergy. With allergies, we try to control the symptoms as much as possible to make your pet comfortable, for their sake as well as yours. Many of the treatments are for symptomatic control, but if this therapy does not maintain an adequate level of relief, referral for skin testing by a veterinary dermatologist or a hypoallergenic food trial will likely be the next step. Flea Allergy is normally manifested with chewing of the tail head, lower back, and hindlegs, or crusting/scaling around the neck area. The cornerstone of flea allergy treatment is oral flea control monthly to eliminate the ability of the flea to bite the pet. Many animals have a combination of allergies, and these allergies may worsen as your pet ages. If you think your pet has allergies, please call for an exam and consultation.

What kind of foods do you recommend?

We carry certain foods inside our clinic. Those are Science Diet Hills and Royal Canin. To see what type is best for your pet, consult with our vets.

Why is it important to run bloodwork or other diagnostics on my pet?

One of the biggest limitations we find in providing medical care for pets is their inability to speak to us. A thorough history and physical exam is the first step in identifying problems in our pets. However, without bloodwork and other diagnostics, we cannot accurately assess organ function and evidence of underlying infection or other problems. Many diseases that affect dogs and cats, especially our senior pets, have a very gradual onset. Animals adapt quickly to pain or uncomfortable physical changes and may not show any symptoms as a result. They can’t tell us what they are feeling, so we use diagnostic tests to look for underlying disorders that may be present, but inapparent, even to a trained eye.

Therefore for our Senior pets, bloodwork, urinalysis, and EKG diagnostics on a yearly basis help us to identify underlying problems such as kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, thyroid conditions, etc., prior to development of overt clinical symptoms. If any abnormalities are detected, we thoroughly discuss these with the owner and formulate a plan to treat the condition or pursue further diagnostics if they are warranted.

For our pets under eight years of age, we recommend Wellness Bloodwork annually. these diagnostics have uncovered underlying medical conditions that can be addressed before they are clinically too far advanced.

We also recommend annual exams, bloodwork and possibly radiographs (X-Rays) in our exotic and avian patients, depending on size and species.

What is the recovery time for surgeries?

It depends on the surgery being performed. For routine ovariohysterectomy (spay), castrations and recovery time until suture removal is 14 days. Most anesthetic effects have resolved by 24-48 hours. For more complex surgeries for recovery time could be longer and for some surgeries patients may have to return for rechecks and suture removal. Once your pet leaves our hospital, if any problems arise, do not hesitate to contact us.

What are the ages for ovariohysterectomy (spay) or castration (neuter)?

For dogs that are larger breeds, there is significant research suggesting that it is more physiologically sound to wait to surgically alter them until they are two years of age. During the puppy visits, the recommendations is specifically discussed for your puppy’s age, breed and size. If you are interested in breeding your female, we advise spay by 5 years of age to decrease the chance of breast cancer and also eliminate the chance for uterine infection (pyometra).

The recommendation for spaying and neutering cats is still 6 months of age.

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Frequently Asked Questions