Pet surgery includes routine procedures such as spay and neuter surgeries as well as surgery to correct illnesses or physical conditions. If your dog is suffering from a gastrointestinal problem, he or she may require surgery to reposition the digestive organs and reduce symptoms. Injured and sick animals also occasionally need surgery to repair torn or damaged ligaments. At Bee Ridge Veterinary clinic, our Sarasota veterinarians examine your pets and perform surgery as needed to correct any problems.

Spay/Neuter Surgery

Having your pet spayed or neutered prevents him or her from reproducing, keeping the pet population down and reducing the number of stray animals. Our animal clinic offers these surgeries for pets that are as young as two months old. Of course, even if your pet is older, you can still choose to have the surgery performed. Spaying or neutering your pet often improves his overall health, as the procedure reduces the risk for certain cancers and prevents aggressive or undesirable behaviors from occurring.

Surgery for Illness or Injury

There may be times when you need to bring your pet to our veterinarians for surgery to correct a problem. For example, some larger dogs may experience a condition known as gastric torsion, which occurs when the stomach and spleen become twisted. The dog's stomach may fill with air or fluid, making it bloat. If not treated, parts of the stomach may die due to the cut-off of the flow of blood.

Joint problems may also require a visit to our animal clinic and surgery to repair them. A pet with hip dysplasia may need hip replacement surgery in severe cases or an adjustment of the joint in other cases. If your dog has a torn cranial cruciate ligament, surgery may be needed to repair the ligament.

Has your pet undergone surgery?

Protect your pets this holiday season with these tips from our Sarasota veterinarians. The holidays present a number of dangers to pets. Follow this friendly advice from Bee Ridge Veterinary clinic in Sarasota, Florida when preparing for the upcoming holidays.

Before the holiday season starts, schedule a wellcare appointment with our vets to make sure your pet starts off healthy. Our animal clinic offers dog boarding to keep your puppy safe during the holidays.

Be Careful With Plants

If you celebrate Christmas and get a real tree to decorate your house, be sure to pet-proof it. Don't get a tree that is too large for your house or susceptible to tipping over. Securely anchor your tree so that an excited dog or cat cannot knock it over. Keep an eye on the water used under the tree as well.

Unless you get a tree that was raised organically, it can leech pesticides and other chemicals into the water in the tree stand. If you pet drinks the water, she can become very sick. The water in a tree stand may also have bacteria growing in it, which can also make your pet sick. Change the water often and put a barrier around the tree stand so that your pet won't take a drink.

Other common holiday plants are poisonous to pets. Holly and mistletoe will cause your pet to suffer tummy trouble if she eats them. Look for artificial plants to decorate your home without endangering your pets.

Look Out for Other Decorations

Lit candles, holiday lights, and tinsel all present dangers to your pet and may result in a visit to our animal clinic, especially if your pet chews on them. Since we prefer to see your pets for wellcare and preventative care, we advise doing what you can to keep the decorations out of your pets way.

While candles are lovely, an excited puppy can knock them over, causing harm to herself and possibly a house fire. Skip the lit candles and use electric, cordless ones instead.

How do you pet-proof your holidays?

A healthy pet is a lean and active pet. Much like their human owners, pets feel better and are more active when they don't have excess padding on their frame. The Sarasota veterinarians at Bee Ridge Veterinary Clinic have information on all the latest knowledge in animal nutrition. We want your pet to have a healthy and active long life, and feeding them correctly is one of the first steps in wellcare.

Your Pet's Wellcare Begins with Nutrition

Pets need energy to thrive, and pet foods provide this through a balanced combination of fats, protein and carbohydrates. In addition, healthy animals need water, vitamins and minerals and essential amino acids as part of their dietary needs. Each animal has its own dietary specifications, and ignoring them could put your pet in danger of obesity and disease. Your pet's wellcare depends on giving him or her the right foods.

Dogs, like human beings, are omnivores. This means they need to derive nutrition from plants as well as animal foods. However, if you are careful to monitor the ingredients you can successfully feed your dog a vegetarian diet if you choose to live in a completely vegetarian household. Read dog food packages carefully to make sure your pet gets all the needed nutrients in your chosen vegetarian food.

Cats, on the other hand, are carnivores. They need to have animal-based protein in their diet. Never feed a cat a vegetarian-based diet, and don't give dog food to cats for long-term nutritional needs. It won't hurt your cat sneaking a bite of your dog's food, but your cat should have its own meals as well.

It is almost impossible for the average person to create a homemade pet food that supplies all the needed nutrients in an animal’s life. All-meat diets can cause thinning of the bones, all-fish diets for cats can cause the body fat to be inflamed and the wrong combination of supplements can cause general ill health in any pet.

Here at the animal clinic we frequently see sick animals with disorders based on the food they eat. The safest way to feed your pet is to use a commercial pet food from a company with a good reputation. Does your pet require special dietary needs? Our Sarasota veterinarians will be happy to recommend a variety of brands of pet food to keep your pet healthy and active.

Dog Boarding at Bee Ridge Veterinary Clinic in Sarasota, Florida

In addition to being an animal hospital that offers wellcare, surgery and other services, at Bee Ridge Veterinary Clinic we also provide safe and friendly dog boarding services for pets in and near the Sarasota area. The veterinarians at our Sarasota veterinary clinic take pride in providing high-quality care regardless of whether your pet needs routine care or emergency services. And, our staff is devoted to making your pet comfortable should you need boarding services.

Our Animal Hospital Offers Convenient and Compassionate Dog Boarding

Because Bee Ridge is also an animal hospital, boarding your dog with us is sensible and convenient. Should your dog have special needs while staying with us, our experienced veterinarians are able to accommodate dietary and medical requirements that may exist or arise. Being close at hand, they are also available to provide immediate attention in an emergency situation.

But, the convenience doesn’t stop there. Our Sarasota veterinary clinic also offers preventive shots like Bordatella, which are required when boarding your pet at any reputable boarding facility, spaying and neutering services, grooming, dental care and routine wellness. Boarding your dog at the same place she receives other services can make her feel more comfortable and is more convenient for you. The staff and facilities become familiar over time, offering more peace of mind to both you and your dog while you’re away.

Our veterinarians and other staff members are knowledgeable and compassionate. We offer individual attention, healthy meals, a clean environment, safety, supervision and, if necessary, medical care. But, we also bring compassion and a love for animals to our boarding facility. We understand that separation can be difficult for you and can provide you with informational resources to help you cope with being away. We also know the separation can be difficult for your dog, so they will always receive loving attention and quality care at our boarding facility and animal clinic.

Have you boarded your dog with us? What are your favorite things about boarding your dog here?